What Should Fasting Glucose Be In The Morning

Recommended Blood Sugar Targets For Most People With Diabetes*

Your targets may not be the same as the examples in this chart. Your targets are important and should be specific to you.

* This information is based on the Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada and is a guide.** A1C is a measurement of your average blood sugar control for the last two to three months and approximately 50 per cent of the value comes from the last 30 days.

What Are Blood Glucose Tests Used To Diagnose

Glucose testing is primarily done to diagnose or manage type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Diabetes is a condition that causes your blood glucose levels to rise.

The amount of sugar in your blood is usually controlled by a hormone called insulin. But if you have diabetes, your body either doesnt make enough insulin or the insulin produced doesnt work properly. This causes sugar to build up in your blood.

If left untreated, chronically elevated levels of blood sugar can lead to other serious conditions including kidney disease, blindness, and heart disease.

In some cases, blood glucose testing may also be used to test for hypoglycemia. This condition occurs when the levels of glucose in your blood are too low, usually lower than 70 milligrams per deciliter .

Hypoglycemia can occur in people with diabetes if they take too much of their medication, like insulin, exercise more than usual, or skip a meal. Less commonly, hypoglycemia can be caused by other underlying conditions or medications.

Doctors consider very low blood sugar to be a medical emergency, as it can lead to seizures, coma, and even death.

Diagnosing Prediabetes Type 2 And Type 1 Diabetes

Depending on which country or medical organization you ask, the qualifying numbers for normal versus prediabetes versus diagnosed type 1 or type 2 diabetes can vary slightly.

The following blood sugar and A1c results are used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes according to sources including the American Diabetes Association and Diabetes UK:

Prediabetes

• HbA1c: 5.7 to 6.4 percent
• Fasting: 100 to 125 mg/dL
• 2 hours after a meal: 140 mg/dL to 199 mg/dL

Type 1 or 2 diabetes

• HbA1c: 6.5 percent or higher
• Fasting: 126 mg/dL or higher
• 2 hours after a meal: 200 mg/dL or higher

Please note:Type 1 diabetes tends to develop very quickly which means that by the time symptoms are felt, blood sugar levels are generally well above 200 mg/dL all the time. For many, symptoms come on so quickly that they are dismissed as the lingering flu or another seemingly ordinary virus.

By the time blood sugar levels are tested, many newly diagnosed type 1 patients will see levels above 400 mg/dL or higher. If you do suspect that you or a loved one has type 1 diabetes, visit your primary care or urgent care immediately and ask for a urine test to measure ketones in addition to testing blood sugar levels and A1c.

Read more about ketones at diagnosis in ourDiabetic Ketoacidosis Guide.

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What Is The Normal Range For Blood Sugar Levels And What Blood Sugar Level Constitutes A True Emergency

Dr. Horton answers the question: Normal Range For Blood Sugar Levels?

Question:What is the normal range for blood sugar levels, and what blood sugar level constitutes a true emergency?

Answer:Now, in a normal individual we measure blood sugar under different circumstances. What we call fasting blood sugar or blood glucose levels is usually done six to eight hours after the last meal. So its most commonly done before breakfast in the morning and the normal range there is 70 to 100 milligrams per deciliter.

Now when you eat a meal, blood sugar generally rises and in a normal individual it usually does not get above a 135 to 140 milligrams per deciliter. So there is a fairly narrow range of blood sugar throughout the entire day.

Now in our diabetic patients we see both low blood sugar levels that we call hypoglycemia, or elevated blood sugars, hyperglycemia. Now, if the blood sugar drops below about 60 or 65 milligrams per deciliter, people will generally get symptoms, which are some shakiness, feeling of hunger, maybe a little racing of the heart and they will usually be trenchant or if they eat something, it goes away right away. But if blood sugar drops below 50 and can get down as low as 40 or 30 or even 20, then there is a progressive loss of mental function and eventually unconsciousness and seizures. And of course that is very dangerous and a medical emergency.

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Why You Shouldnt Lower Your A1c Too Quickly

It can be a good idea to approach lowering your A1c with a bit of caution. Just as crash dieting isnt healthy, there can be some serious health risks associated with lowering your A1c too quickly. I turned to Dr. Peters for an explanation:

If you lower your A1c too quickly, many bad things can happen. First, weight gain and total body swelling. Next, it can cause bleeding in the retina which can lead to blindness, and third, it can cause painful neuropathy that never goes away. Its slightly different for newly diagnosed patients, but, in general, no one should try to go from an A1c of 10% to 6% quickly. Take slow steps. Wanting to get to a low number very fast only causes harm. Diabetes is a long-term disease, so slow steps to establish new habits that can last a lifetime is the way to go. Anything too sudden and the body reacts badly.

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What Can I Expect On The Day Of The Test

A fasting blood glucose test is often done with a common blood draw. A healthcare provider will:

• Clean the area inside your elbow to kill any germs.
• Tie a band around your upper arm, which will help the veins in your arm fill with blood.
• Insert a clean needle into a vein .
• Draw blood into a vial thats attached to the needle and labeled with your personal information.
• Remove the band and then the needle.
• Put pressure on the needle insertion site to stop the bleeding.
• Place a bandage on the area.

After the test, the healthcare provider will send the blood sample to a lab for testing.

In some cases, your healthcare provider may be able to test your blood sugar with a prick on the finger instead of a needle in the vein. The provider uses a blood glucose monitor and test strip to measure your blood glucose level in the office.

What Is Blood Sugar

Blood sugar, or glucose, is the sugar found in your blood that comes mainly from the food you eat. Whenever you eat something, your digestive system breaks it down into smaller components, and one of the major components is glucose.

Glucose is our bodies preferred energy source. Its a necessary ingredient for maintaining the optimal function of your organs, muscles, and nervous system.

If you just ate a meal high in carbohydrates, starch, and/or sugar, your blood sugar will rise high over a normal fasting level. If you just had a meal of healthy fats and proteins, your blood sugar will not rise as high.

Blood sugar after meals that is continuously outside of the normal range can lead to major blood vessel and body tissue damage.

This damage creates toxic compounds called advanced glycation end products .

AGEs are proteins or lipids that are tagged with glucose molecules as a result of continuous exposure to high sugar levels. AGEs accelerate the aging process by depleting your bodys antioxidant stores.

They also wreak havoc in the body by damaging DNA and lead to the development, or worsening, of many diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and Alzheimers disease.

Fortunately, its very simple to measure the direct effect on your blood sugar of any kind of food, whether its a bowl of greens or a big juicy burger.

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How To Lower Blood Sugar In The Morning

As with any time of the day, lowering blood sugar will usually mean taking medication.

If youre taking other medication for diabetes, just make sure youre taking the right amount at the right time of day. With insulin, you might want to use insulin to lower your blood sugar back to a stable level.

To figure out how much insulin you might need, you can let Hedia assist you in your calculations. Tell Hedia what your blood sugar level is, and the insulin calculator will take your basal insulin into account.

If youll be having breakfast soon after waking, youll probably want to include that in your calculation. If you have a favourite breakfast that you eat most mornings, you can add that to your favourites in Hedias food database for a quick add. Find out more by getting Hedia from the App Store or from !

On the topic of breakfast, it may be worth considering a low-carb breakfast, so as not to push those blood sugar levels even higher.

Regardless of what youre eating, Christel Oerum from Diabetes Strong points out the importance of eating any kind of breakfast. Having regular mealtimes that give you the energy that you need throughout the day ought to allow you more stable blood sugar without the adrenaline swings.

What Is The Fasting Blood Sugar Test Used For

The fasting blood sugar test is also used to test the effectiveness of different medication or dietary changes on people already diagnosed as diabetic

Fasting blood sugar levels are measured by taking a blood test after a period of fasting, usually of 8 hours without food. Typically, fasting blood glucose levels are taken in the morning before any breakfast is eaten. When having your fasting blood glucose levels take, you should not have any drinks apart from water during the period of fasting.

A fasting blood glucose test can be useful to see how well the body is able to manage blood sugar levels in the absence of food. When we do not eat for several hours, the body will release glucose into the blood via the liver and, following this, the bodys insulin should help to stabilise blood glucose levels.

A fasting blood glucose test therefore shows:

• Whether the body is able to bring down the raise in blood glucose levels from the previous meal
• How effectively the body copes with its own release of glucose

The target for fasting blood glucose levels are the same as the targets for before meal readings.

• For adults with diabetes, the target level is between 4 and 7 mmol/l
• For children with diabetes, the target level is between 4 and 8 mmol/l

However, some people may be set individual targets, by their doctor, that differ to the above levels.

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Achieving Normal Fasting Glucose Level

The very first thing is to watch out the figures lower than 70 mg/dl. In case youve been experiencing more than two episodes of low figures then you should consult your doctor.

The most probable cause include medicine you are taking and diet youre following. And that should be corrected to keep glucose level under control.

Trying to achieve normal fasting glucose level means you must work hard on it and never surrender.

If this is so hard for you, try this natural alternative by

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Create A Plan For Your Diabetes Management

Now that you have a better idea of what your pain points are, you can start making changes to your diabetes management.

Your doctor may suggest a different medication regime. For example, some people are prescribed Metformin to help with Dawn Phenomenon . Others may need adjustments to insulin dosing, etc.

If youre insulin-dependent and consistently have high blood sugars in the morning, getting your blood sugar fluctuations and A1c down might be as simple as adjusting your nighttime basal insulin. Or, if you run high every day after meals, your carb-to-insulin ratio might be off, and adjusting that could be what sets you on a path of a lower A1c. Until you collect the data and do the analysis, you have no way of knowing this.

I want to make an important point here: increasing your diabetes medication is not a sign of failure! Its often the best way to control your blood sugar and bring down your A1c.

I adjust my insulin up and down all the time when I change my diet or exercise routine. Adjusting your medication is an important tool in your diabetes toolbox and something you should always discuss with your medical team.

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What Is Being Tested

This test measures the amount of glucose in your blood. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy for the body.

People with diabetes often monitor their own blood glucose at home. This is done using a finger-prick test and a special machine, rather than a blood sample taken from a vein.

You might have blood taken for a blood sugar level. You might or might not be asked to fast beforehand.

There is also a test called an oral glucose tolerance test, abbreviated as OGTT or GTT. For this test you fast, then have a blood sample taken, then drink glucose, then have a number of samples taken over a few hours.

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What Causes High Morning Blood Sugars

Two main culprits prompt morning highs: the dawn phenomenon and waning insulin. A third, much rarer cause, known as the Somogyi effect, may also be to blame.

The occasional morning high will have little impact on your A1C, a measure of your average blood sugar levels over time that indicates how well managed your diabetes is. But if those highs become consistent, they could push your A1C up into dangerous territory.

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My Perspective On A1c As A Person Living With Diabetes

I have a very ambivalent relationship with my A1c myself. Ive been living with type 1 diabetes for over 20 years, and my A1c is not something I think about in my daily life. However, every three months when I see my endo, I get a little anxious because receiving your A1c can feel a lot like getting your diabetes report card.

And, quite honestly, thats really silly. My A1c number doesnt reflect whats been going on in my life for the last three months. It doesnt tell me how much effort Ive put into managing my diabetes and it does not define me as a person. Its a good source of information, nothing more.

Still, we tend to look at it and judge, good or bad, how weve done with our diabetes management. But we really shouldnt!

That doesnt mean that I think we shouldnt get our A1c checked. I absolutely think we should, but we also need to understand what it means as well as why we should look beyond the A1c number. I hope this guide has given you the knowledge and tools to do so!

How Is Diabetes Diagnosed

Signs and symptoms of diabetes are sometimes not clear or may appear slowly. Therefore, the ADA has set some rules for screening this condition. The set of guidelines suggest that the people with the following attributes should take the blood glucose test:

• A body mass index more than 23 or 25.
• A sedentary lifestyle.
• 45 years old or more.

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What Can You Do About High Morning Blood Sugar

What to do about high morning blood sugar levels depends on how often you see them and what the causes are. It is important to take steps to address high blood glucose because consistently high morning values can indicate increasing A1C values and a higher risk for diabetes complications.

These are some possible strategies for getting high morning blood pressure into range.

• Increasing physical activity, including in the late afternoon or evening.
• Limiting the carbs you have at dinner or bedtime to 30 to 45 grams, such as 2 slices of bread, a piece of fruit and ½ cup of oatmeal, or a cup of pasta.
• Adjusting the timing and/or dose of insulin or other medications.
• Changing medications.

Your doctor can help you decide how to approach high morning blood glucose values. It is never safe to change medications without asking your doctor.

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