test | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

The Importance of a Normal Fasting Blood Glucose

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.

Hemoglobin A1C Test for Diabetics

When it comes to managing diabetes effectively the key is proper glucose management, and the best way to check the efficiency of the patient’s glucose management regimen is with the hemoglobin a1c test. Most diabetics are familiar with checking their blood sugar by glucometer, sometimes many times daily.

So How Does the Hemoglobin A1C Test Work?

The glucometer measures the level of glucose in a drop of blood which is placed on a test strip and read by the machine. The hemoglobin a1c is also a blood test which measures the average glucose levels over a long term period.

Hemoglobin is a protein based, iron containing component in red blood cells that is primarily responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs and transferring it around the body to be used by the cells. Glucose also binds to some hemoglobin and stays bound to it for the length of the life of the red blood cells which is about 120 days.

The hemoglobin a1c test measures the amount of glucose bound to the red blood cells in this manner and therefore can give the physician a very good average of the patient’s average blood glucose level for as far back as the previous three to four months.

Since proper management of glucose levels is key to diabetes treatment and glucose levels should be kept as close to normal as possible twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, day and night, the hemoglobin a1c test is an invaluable aid.

People without diabetes have and A1C of less than 6 per cent. An A1C of more than 8 per cent suggests persistently elevated glucose levels.

You should aim to keep your A1C as low as possible, especially if you are young, but also to reduce your risk of hypoglycaemia. Your own targets should take into account your age, lifestyle, work practices, life expectancy, risk of diabetes complications and side effects and a host of other factors.

The diabetic patient may check their sugar many times daily, but only the hemoglobin a1c test can give and average which includes round the clock glucose levels.

Diabetes Maintenance with Hemoglobin A1C Test

By using the hemoglobin a1c test the patient and physician can work together to make the type of medication, diet, and lifestyle changes which will keep the patient’s blood glucose level as normal as possible, as much as possible.

Managing your glucose levels requires teamwork in which you are the central player. The best way to stay in control is to harness the support of your diabetes care team. Involve your whole family and work mates as a team to optimize your diet, organise activities and improve everyone’s health!

Find out more about good EXERCISE for Diabetics HERE!

The Normal Glucose Level in Blood

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.

What is Normal Glucose Level?

Understanding what is normal glucose level will give you a target to aim for when you are checking your blood sugar levels.

Depending on if you live in Canada or the United States, the Diabetes Associations in each country reports the blood sugar numbers slightly different because of the differences in imperial and metric measurement systems.

American and Canadian Diabetes Associations
Normal Glucose Levels Chart

Association	Fasting Glucose	2 Hours After Eating	A1C**
American Diabetes Association (mg/dl)	< 100	< 140	< 6%
Canadian Diabetes Association (mmol/L)	< 6.1	< 7.8	< 6%

**A1C is the major component that makes up your blood sugar and the A1C measurement is an average of your blood sugar levels over the past 120 days. Please also note that the numbers for pregnant women and children age 12 and under are different than those listed in the char.

A normal blood sugar level is anywhere between 80 mg/dl to 140mg/dl. The sugar amounts that diabetics have are often way above the normal 140 mg/dl. At this point damage is permanently suffered, so it is very important that steps are taken to regulate these levels through diet, exercise and medication.

Working with a Health Professional

The guides listed above on this page are just guides. In order to obtain a more precise Normal Gluclose Level range, you will need to work with a health care professional. There are several factors that can influence your normal range including:

Age
Medical Condition
Other Factors

By working with a professional you will get a better picture of what your normal glucose level will be, and then from there you can start to design your life around staying within that range.

While it may sound bad, what you’re more likely to find is that your improved lifestyle that focuses on keeping your blood sugar at bay will actually have a lot of hidden benefits. There’s no time like the present to take control of your life, and even thought you could look at getting diabetes as a negative situation, if you look on the bright side, this is a good wake up call to start living a more healthy, active life.

An Explanation of the Different
Glucose Level Measurements

It’s important to understand what each of these different blood sugar measurements actually means and why they are important:

Fasting Glucose
2 Hours After Eating
A1C

The reason why this is important, especially if you are a new diabetic, is that during your fasting glucose test you may not show signs of diabetes.

The problem arises however when you measure your blood 2 hours after eating you may clearly see that you are out of the recommended range.

Fasting Glucose

The fasting glucose measurement is taken after you haven’t eaten or drank anything for 8 hours. This gives you a base measurement of how your body is handling the blood sugar when it is ‘at rest.’

Normal Range:

< 100 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
< 6.1 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association

2 Hours After Eating

This test is important because it helps you to see how certain meals are affecting your blood sugar, so that you can deal with the situation accordingly. The two hour marker is also important because after 2 hours, the blood sugar of non-diabetics will have returned to its normal state.

Normal Range:

< 140 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
< 7.8 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association

A1C

This test shows if your treatment is working over time, which is important to see how you are progressing and if any adjustments need to be made.

Normal Range: < 6%

Normal blood glucose readings

A normal blood glucose reading may seem nearly impossible to obtain but with the right amount of diet and exercise anyone can achieve one. A blood glucose test measures the amount of a certain type of sugar called glucose which is in your blood. Glucose almost always comes from starchy foods such as carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy that is used most often by the body. This is why most diabetics have to have routine diabetic screenings which will monitor their blood sugar readings after meals which will show what types of foods give them high amounts of glucose. Diabetes readings are key and essential in being able to control diabetes.