Acceptable Blood Sugar Levels

Acceptable Blood Sugar Levels

Blood Sugar Level or Blood Glucose Level or Blood Sugar Concentration is actually the amount of glucose or sugar that flows in blood in the human body. Sugar is the primary source of energy for human beings, which is circulated in the entire body from the liver and made available for cells for assimilation via insulin. Insulin is a hormone, which is responsible for maintaining glucose levels in the body. The amount of glucose in blood is measured in millimoles per litre (mmol/l).

A person, who has high or low sugar problem, should monitor glucose levels in order to avoid further complications including neuropathy, retinopathy (eye disease), kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease.

The blood sugar level, in terms of a molar concentration is measured in mmol/L (millimoles per litre; or millimolar, abbreviated mM). In United States, it is measured in mg/dL (milligrams per decilitre). The amount of blood glucose usually rises after food intake and remains low during the morning hours. According to the American Diabetes Association a post-meal glucose level should be less than 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dl) and pre-meal plasma glucose should be between 5 to 7.2 mmol/L (90–130 mg/dL).

The best glucose values are:

·         Before meals: 4 to 7mmol/l

·         One-and-a-half hours after meals: less than 10mmol/l one-and-a-half hours

·         at bedtime: around 8mmol/l

Professor Ian W Campbell, consultant physician Patrick Davey, cardiologist from suggests, “If blood glucose is very low or very high at bedtime, you may need to adjust your food intake or insulin dose. Make sure you discuss this with your doctor.”

Normal and Acceptable Blood Glucose Levels:

Type of test	Normal Blood glucose level	Acceptable blood glucose level
Before meal	80 – 100 mg/dl	Till 120 mg/dl
Two hours after meal	Less than 140 mg/dl	Less than 140 mg/dl
At bedtime	Around 100 mg/dl	Around 150 mg/dl

Depending upon your lifestyle, you should check the glucose levels after certain intervals. For Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, glucose level should be monitored daily before meals.

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