What is a Safe Blood Sugar Level?

Understanding blood sugar level ranges is extremely important when it comes to diabetes self-management. After being diagnosed with diabetes, most people wonder what normal, high, or low blood sugar levels actually mean.

Due to the differences in our health history and the way our bodies function, it may also affect factors that influence blood sugar levels such as medication and food.

Blood sugar levels in people without diabetes are different from the target levels recommended for diabetes patients. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor will work with you to determine personalized safe blood sugar levels that meet your specific health needs.

Therefore, recommended blood sugar levels may vary for every individual and it is important to discuss this with your physician or healthcare provider.

What are safe blood sugar levels?

Health organizations like the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and ADA (American Diabetes Association) have provided the following guiding principles on safe glucose levels for people who have not been diagnosed with diabetes:

  • Fasting plasma glucose level

This measurement is taken at least 8 hours after your last meal (when you’re fasting) such as in the morning. According to ADA recommendation, fasting plasma glucose for people who don’t have diabetes should be below 100 mg/dL.

  • 2 hour/ after meal plasma glucose level

This measurement is typically taken 2 hours after your last meal. According to ADA recommendation, after-meal plasma glucose should be below 140 mg/dL for healthy individuals.

  • A1C

This test is usually taken regardless of when you last ate. It measures the amount of blood sugar bonded with hemoglobin, which typically accumulates over a period of 3 months. CDC recommends that A1C levels should be below 5.7%.

Safe blood sugar levels for diabetes patients

Best supplement for blood sugarDiabetes patients have difficulty using or creating enough insulin, the hormone responsible for converting blood sugar into energy. There’s no standard blood glucose chart for all diabetes patients. However, organizations such as the AACE (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) and the ADA offer recommendations on target blood glucose levels as a baseline.

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Physicians usually tailor target blood glucose levels to an individual by considering factors such as lifestyle, age, other health conditions, mental state, years since diagnosis, risk of extremely low blood sugar levels, and availability of economic resources needed to reach target blood sugar goals.

Safe blood sugar levels for diabetes patients (non-pregnant)

  AACE ADA
Before meals Below 110 mg/dL 70 to 130 mg/dL
2 hours after meals Below 140mg/dL Below 180 mg/dL
HbA1c (A1C) Below 6.5% Below 7.0%

 

Safe blood sugar levels for pregnant women with diabetes

Target blood sugar levels during pregnancy are usually lower largely as a result of hormonal influences.  The AACE and ADA guidelines for safe blood glucose levels for pregnant women with diabetes differ slightly. However, it is essential for pregnant women with diabetes to follow individual recommendations provided by their physicians.

According to the ADA, pregnant women should maintain blood glucose levels of between 95 and 140 mg/dL. However, some organizations recommend even tighter goals of less than 89 mg/dL before meals and below 120 mg/dL after meals.

To monitor their levels, diabetes specialists recommend that pregnant women with diabetes check their blood glucose levels:

  • First thing after waking up (fasting)
  • At bedtime
  • Before meals
  • 1 hour after meals

Factors that affect blood glucose levels

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, your body may have difficulty producing insulin or you may have resistance to insulin. As a result, your body is unable to regulate blood glucose on its own. Therefore, it’s important to familiarize yourself with factors that may cause blood glucose levels to rise or fall below the recommended levels.

Factors that cause blood sugar to rise

According to ADA recommendations, if blood glucose level rises above 180 mg/dL 2 hours after your last meal, it is generally considered above the safe range. Some of the main factors that may cause your blood glucose level to rise above the normal range include:

  • Consuming larger meals or more carbs than usual
  • Reduced physical activity
  • Menstrual periods
  • Pain, stress, and illness (both long-term and short-term)
  • Not taking oral diabetes medication or insulin based on activity levels or carbohydrates intake
  • Side effects from a wide range of medications including antipsychotics or steroids
  • Dehydration

Factors that cause blood sugar levels to drop

If your blood sugar level is less than 70 mg/dL, it is considered below normal levels. Some of the factors that can cause low blood sugar levels include:

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  • Reducing the number of carbs you normally eat
  • Missing snacks or meals
  • Not eating enough
  • Alcohol consumption (especially on an empty stomach)
  • Increased physical activity
  • Taking too much oral diabetes medication or insulin based on activity levels or carbohydrates intake
  • Side effects from some medications (other than antipsychotics or steroids)

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Everyone responds differently to various factors, which is the main reason why it’s essential to have custom target blood sugar levels. To maintain safe blood sugar levels, work with your physician to discuss adjustments to your medications, physical activity, or diet, and be sure to alert them of other essential factors like recent stressful events or illnesses.

Check the article on diabetic watches HERE!

safe blood sugar levels

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Do you have safe glucose levels?

safe glucose levels
safe glucose levels

What is the important of having safe glucose levels? Without safe glucose levels, safe HDL levels, safe blood pressure levels and safe hemoglobin levels our bodies fall apart, our organs start shutting down and we start having multiple medical problems and conditions which can seriously impact us for the rest of our lives.

Safe cholesterol levels are important because they impact how hard our organs and the rest of our bodies are working in order to keep everything balanced. Having unsafe cholesterol levels means that large deposits of cholesterol will start building up on your artery walls which can keep blood from flowing properly.

If this happens inside an artery that supplies blood to the heart, you may suffer a heart attack. If this happens to an artery supplying blood to the brain becomes blocked, you may suffer a stroke. People in their mid 30s need to start having their cholesterol levels checked periodically.

Safe blood pressure levels keep us from having strokes, heart attacks and from becoming weak. If ones blood pressure remains too high for long periods of time it will cause the heart to pump harder and faster which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure also can cause organs to start shutting down because they get overworked and can’t keep up with everything at once.

Safe glucose levels are also another staple item as people get older or that may have a past family history with diabetes, hypertension or any other medical conditions. Safe glucose levels means that the body and all of its organs can safely work together in order to maintain a safe balance in which everything works in sync with each other.

By being able to periodically get your cholesterol, blood pressure, HDL and glucose checked you can maintain safe levels such as safe glucose levels, safe blood pressure levels, safe HDL levels which can keep you living a long and healthy life.

Continue ReadingDo you have safe glucose levels?