Am I diabetic? What's the normal blood glucose level? Here's the table of standard measures, low and high!
Sorry to gatecrash your party! But please allow us to suggest that before you enter a laddoo or pastry eating competition with your colleagues, you must be aware of what your blood sugar level count is. Most of us have no idea about what our bio-fluids are trying to tell us until an eye surgery is delayed because "the sugar level was too high" or "diabetes can create a problem in wound healing".
While Diabetes is a worrisome condition for every human being across the world, Indians must fear acquiring/developing this dangerous condition even more so. That is because it is well known that South Asians have a higher propensity to develop diabetes at lower weight levels as compared to Europeans. India is a rapidly urbanising country and this aspect contributes to its status as the epicentre of the diabetes epidemic.
According to a report titled "Lifetime risk of diabetes in metropolitan cities in India", authored by a team of doctors from various universities and hospitals in the UK, the US, Pakistan, and India (including Dr Nikhil Tandon of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi) -- over half the Indian population is at risk of developing diabetes at some point in their lives.
According to one 2021 review, people who live in cities and metropolitan areas in India are more likely to develop diabetes than ever before. This is due, in part, to cities promoting a lifestyle that can increase a person’s body mass index (BMI). Having a higher BMI is a diabetes risk factor.
"In this study, we estimated the lifetime risk of developing diabetes in India’s metropolitan cities where an already large number of adults have diabetes and where there are rapid increases in population-level weight status and life expectancy," write the study authors.
What is Diabetes?
According to the US-based National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK) "Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose,
also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source
of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by
the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for
energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin or
doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t
reach your cells." NIDDK warns that "every case of diabetes is serious"
and therefore must be treated as such.
Diabetes can cause serious health problems such as:
- Loss of vision,
- Amputation risk due to gangrene,
- Slow-healing wounds,
- Kidney disease,
- Nerve damage,
- Retinal disease,
- Heart disease, and
- Stroke, etc. among others.
- Management is key:
According to Diabetes.co.uk, understanding blood glucose level ranges can be a key part of diabetes self-management. (https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html). Recommended blood glucose levels have a degree of interpretation for every individual and you should discuss this with your doctor.
Types of Blood Sugar Tests for Diabetes:
According to the National Health Portal of India, Blood Tests - Fasting plasma glucose, two-hour postprandial test and oral glucose tolerance test are done to know blood glucose levels. Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) may be used to diagnose diabetes(if facilities are easily available).
Random plasma glucose test: Sample can be taken at any time, doesn’t require as much planning and is therefore used in the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes when time is of the essence.
Fasting plasma glucose test: Sample is taken after at least eight hours of fasting (usually taken in the morning).
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): This involves first taking a fasting sample of blood and then taking a very sweet drink containing 75g of glucose. A further blood sample is taken after 2 hours.
HbA1c test for diabetes diagnosis: This test does not directly measure the level of blood glucose, however, the result of the test is influenced by how high or low your blood glucose levels have tended to be over the preceding period of 2 to 3 months.
Chart showing Blood Sugar levels and Diabetes diagnostic criteria:
| Condition | 2 hour* plasma glucose | Fasting plasma glucose | HbA1c |
|
| 1. | Normal | <140 mgdl | <110 mgdl | <6.0% |
| 2. | Impaired Fasting Glucose | <140 mgdl | ≥110 and <126 mgdl | 6.0–6.4% |
| 3. | Impaired Glucose Tolerance | ≥140 mgdl | <126 mgdl | 6.0–6.4% |
| 4. | Diabetes mellitus | ≥200 mgdl | ≥126 mgdl | ≥6.5% |
Why are good blood sugar levels important?
It is important that you control your blood glucose levels as well as
you can as too high sugar levels for long periods of time increase the
risk of diabetes complications developing.
And finally!
Whatever your diagnosis, stay under medical supervision and adopt
measures and lifestyle changes that will ensure you do not develop
diabetes or severe diabetes.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.