Blood Sugar Level And Facts On Fasting Blood Glucose
May 27, 2010
A blood sugar level or blood glucose level measures just how efficiently a person’s body is processing the sugar that’s taken in via the diet. Test results could be attained by a easy finger stick with a glucometer or using a standard lab venipuncture. You will find several lab tests which can figure out blood glucose levels at different stages, such as a fasting, random, 2-hour glucose tolerance test, and glycated hemoglobin check. Most of these assessments evaluate blood glucose levels with a straightforward procedure, but the final results will be able to differentiate between regular, pre-diabetes, and type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Now there might also be alternative indicators present that are indicative of a blood glucose level being too low or too high.
Most of the time a blood sugar level is drawn randomly, unless the primary care provider has specifically requested a patient to fast before having the evaluation performed. A random test does not take into consideration the last time a person ate a meal or a snack. According to the Mayo Clinic, a typical random reading ought to be much less than 100 mg/dL; pre-diabetes is suggested if the level is greater than 100 mg/dL but less than 199 mg/dL. A level above 200 mg/dL or higher is indicative of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A fasting blood sugar level is drawn after an eight hour period with no food or beverages with sugar or calories. This check is ordinarily drawn first thing in the morning, and is considered regular if the level is below 70 mg/dL. If diabetes is suspected after preliminary tests, then a 2-hour glucose tolerance examination is ordered. Fasting is also required for this check to get accurate final results. Patients first drink a sugary liquid and then have their blood drawn two hours later. A regular reading is less than 140 mg/dL, pre-diabetes is suggested if level is between 140-199 mg/dL, and type 1 or type 2 if level is 200 mg/dL or greater. The glycated hemoglobin or hemoglobin A1C check is used not to diagnose diabetes, but to manage ongoing treatment. It measures the average blood sugar level for the previous three month period, and indicates how well diabetes has been managed during that time.
It is recommended that everyone have their blood sugar level checked from time to time to make sure that glucose is within the standard range. Low and high blood sugar levels are usually accompanied by symptoms which might be related to how low or high glucose is in the bloodstream. Once diabetes is diagnosed, patients are instructed to check their blood sugar levels frequently for proper management of their disease, cut out refined sugar from the diet, get ample exercise on a regular basis, and follow their prescribed plan of care for the best results.
Check out this site for more info: www.fastingbloodsugar.org
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