When it comes to determining the normal fasting blood glucose level the numbers are sometimes subject to the individual. In most cases, however, a normal fasting blood glucose level is considered to be between 60 and 100 mg/dl. This is not a hard and fast rule however, as at times blood glucose levels can be influenced by age, weight, and even underlying health problems. The number one concern is that if you or someone you know suddenly develops increased thirst, increased appetite, and increased urination, and/or if there is a family history of diabetes it is probably time for a trip to the doctor to test for a normal fasting blood glucose level.
If you or someone you know has a family history of diabetes or has already been diagnosed with diabetes a normal fasting blood glucose is one of the most important things that can be had to control the detrimental health effects of the disease.
While glucose is important to the body because every cell in the body uses glucose for fuel, when glucose levels rise to the point where a normal fasting blood glucose cannot be maintained the high glucose levels can begin to damage nearly every body system. Most people are familiar enough with diabetic complications to know that highly elevated blood glucose can lead to heart and kidney problems, neuropathy, coma, and even death.
A normal fasting blood glucose is generally considered to be between 60 and 100 mg/dl, but of course this isn’t a hard and fast rule because it can be affected by age, weight, and underlying health conditions. Only a doctor can say for sure what your normal fasting blood glucose should be. Once this has been determined it is up to you as the patient to work with the doctor, keep track of your blood glucose levels, take your medications and follow dietary restrictions as prescribed. This is the only way to maintain your normal fasting blood glucose level as much as possible.
If you or someone you know begins to develop the three most common indicators of high glucose, which are increased thirst, increased appetite, and increased urination, it may be time to visit your doctor for a glucose tolerance test. This painless test involves ingesting a known quantity of a glucose solution then having your blood glucose checked periodically over what is generally a 2 hour period. In this way you will know if your body is able to maintain the normal fasting blood glucose.
Not long ago people would laugh and call you a wimp or a worrier if you mentioned that you were concerned with normal glucose levels. of course you may first have to explain what a glucose level was. In those days people got up to a full breakfast of eggs, gravy, biscuits, and bacon so loaded with cholesterol that they should have been able to hear their arteries hardening and it was not uncommon for a person to be dead of heart attack or stroke before they reached the ripe old age of fifty. Nowadays, due to advancements in medical science and more knowledge about proper nutrition death and disability rates from heart attack, stroke, and cancer are on the decrease, but diabetes rates continue to rise making maintaining normal glucose levels ever more important for an ever growing number of people.
These days’ people are more aware of their health than ever, and for an ever increasing number of people maintaining healthy blood glucose levels can be a matter of life and death. Even as death and disabilities from cancer, stroke, and heart disease decreases the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to grow each year. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body is either producing insufficient quantities of the hormone insulin which regulates healthy blood glucose levels or the cells of the body have developed a resistance to the action of the insulin which is produced.
Maintaining the normal glucose level in blood has become more important than ever for a growing number of people. Even as heart disease, stroke, and stroke levels continue to decline the number of people affected by diabetes is rising by leaps and bounds. Diabetes, if not properly treated, can result in kidney failure, heart disease, liver problems, glaucoma, peripheral neuropathy, wounds that won’t heal, and an entire host of other health problems. Though there is, as yet, no cure for diabetes the key to managing the disease and stopping the worst effects is maintaining a normal glucose level in blood.