Dumb questions on blood sugar

[old mark]

What is the "normal" range of blood sugar for an adult?
At what number are you considered diabetic?
Does this change with age, etc?

Thanks.

mark

[boobooday]

1. Hello, diabetic here w/28 years of experience

:)

Normal is about 80-120. If you have a fasting blood sugar that is above 120, they will probably call it Type II diabetes.

[kdmorris]

2. Answers

"Normal" is 70-100, according to most labs. 100-126 is considered suspicious and over 126 is diagnostic of Diabetes. However, these must be fasting results and usually, they don't diagnose on just one test.

In my case, I had 3 fasting blood sugar results that were over 126, plus a Glucose Tolerance Test that showed a 1 hour and 2 hour blood sugar of over 200, so they diagnosed me with it.

[Eurobabe]

3. I had a blood glucose level of 130

when I was off my thyroid medication. Took the two hour fasting test, results came back high, my one hour results were 280! (this was done in docs office with a meter) Went to endo and they said doc should NEVER test this in office with hand-held meters, not reliable enough.

Hospital test showed higher than normal fasting glucose levels, but once I went back on my thyroid meds, glucose is totally normal. Last CBC test (April 08) before shoulder surgery fasting glucose was 86.

[kdmorris]

6. I think that's why there is specification

that one test is not enough for diagnosis. When I had my GTT, I had it in a lab after fasting for 10 hours and only getting that awful sugar drink.

Even with medications (Armour, metformin and Byetta), I can't seem to get my fasting down to 86. My blood sugar is OK, though, as my fasting test is usually 120 or below.

[lligrd]

4. Diet And Exercise May Prevent You From Becoming

full fledge diabetic. That is the only answer I can give you.

[Warpy]

7. It's not a sure prevention

if you're part of the population with that sort of genetics. However, they will certainly help you push off the date at which it is likely to develop.

A few days ago I posted "Even thin people get diabetes," thus violating the "thou shalt not contradict conventional thinking" rule of health care forums. That article pointed out that even athletes who stay in shape but who have a strong family history of type II diabetes will eventually get it.

However, you'd get it a lot sooner if you insist on being a sofa spud guzzling soft drinks and eating rubbish.

[cosmik debris]

9. I've been meaning to ask you about that

Can you give me a guess on the percentage of Type II that is preventable with proper diet and exercise? And the percent that is genetically predisposed?

Is Type II ever curable with diet and exercise? Or just controllable?

[lxlxlxl]

5. A1C test

The range does not change with age.

There is an additional test called an A1C test that can return a "longer term" measure of your blood sugar level. That number, in addition to your fasting, is normally used to determine whether or not you are diabetic.

[European Socialist]

8. Another dumb question.

I've been looking at diabetes info on the internet for several years now and I have never seen the blood sugar norms questioned, even though we know people can vary a great deal when it comes to health issues--just wondering if there isn't some BS in BS?