Decoding Diabetes: Understanding the Blood Sugar Levels that Indicate Diabetic Risk
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🔍 In short:
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Do you know when blood sugar levels become a warning sign of a possible diabetic condition? The blood sugar threshold to be considered diabetic is a crucial element to know to prevent and treat this silent disease. Let’s discover together the implications of this threshold and its importance for health.
Blood sugar corresponds to the level of glucose in the blood, essential for providing energy to the body. Normal blood sugar values vary between 0.70 and 1.10 grams per liter on an empty stomach, and up to 1.40 grams after a meal for a healthy person.
Hypoglycemia is manifested by a glucose level below 0.70 grams per liter, while hyperglycemia occurs when the level exceeds 1.10 grams per liter on an empty stomach. Diagnosing diabetes generally requires a fasting blood sugar level above 1.26 grams per liter in two separate blood tests, or a postprandial blood sugar level above 2 grams per liter.
Diabetes can present in different types, including type 1 and type 2. Type 1 often affects young people and results from an inability of the pancreas to produce insulin, while type 2 is associated with age, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Symptoms of diabetes include intense thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, and chronic fatigue.
To detect the presence of diabetes, particularly in individuals at risk, regular blood sugar screening is recommended.
What is blood sugar and its importance?
There blood sugar designates the blood glucose level. The latter constitutes a main source of energy for our body. Glucose comes from food, particularly carbohydrates, and is essential for the proper functioning of the body. Controlling blood sugar is vital because levels that are too high or too low can have serious health consequences.
Normal blood sugar levels
In a healthy adult, the fasting blood sugar should be between 0.70 and 1.10 grams per liter of blood. After a meal, the blood sugar level, measured two hours after eating, should not exceed 1.40 grams per liter. These values vary depending on diet and other factors, but remain within this range for someone without blood sugar problems.
Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia: when to worry?
There blood sugar may vary throughout the day. A hypoglycemia occurs when glucose levels are below 0.70 grams per liter and can cause symptoms such as dizziness, cold sweats and mental confusion. L’hyperglycemia, for its part, occurs when the sugar level exceeds 1.10 grams per liter on an empty stomach, and can cause intense fatigue, excessive thirst and a frequent urge to urinate.
Blood sugar threshold to diagnose diabetes
Diabetes is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, i.e. persistently high blood sugar level. To be considered diabetic, several criteria are taken into account:
- A fasting blood sugar level greater than 1.26 grams per liter, measured in two separate blood tests.
- A postprandial blood sugar (two hours after a meal) greater than 2 grams per liter.
Types of diabetes and their specificities
There are several types of diabetes, among which the most common in adults are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is often diagnosed in young people and is characterized by an inability of the pancreas to produce insulin. Type 2 is usually associated with age, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, where the insulin produced is insufficient or poorly used by the body.
Diabetes Symptoms and Screening
Symptoms of diabetes can vary, but some common signs include intense thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, and chronic fatigue. For people at risk, such as those with a family history of diabetes or pre-existing health conditions, the regular blood sugar screening is highly recommended.
