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What Do My Blood Sugar Test Results Indicate?
Question: Hi Doc,
I am 23 asian male with healthy bmi 22
My Hba1c is 5.3% from a month ago
Yesterday night 40 minutes after high carb dinner
(Pie, Bowl of white rice, 2 pieces of lamb chops, some corn and potatoes, some sweet tea).
i tested my sugar at 9.0mmol, then to be safe i tested again after i washed my hand and got 8.0.
I tested at 1 hour again and got 7.8 and 7.7.
Then i tested 4 times again at 2 hours and got 7.7, changed my dirty hand drying towel and tested again to get 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4
I went to sleep after gym at 5.0
I woke up this morning at 4.6
questions:
1. Isit normal for non diabetics to spike so high in sugar after a high carb meal? My hba1c seems to be okay, but i am worried about my high reading last night.
Normally i only go up to 7.2 after a big meal and is around 5.0 in average random tests.
2. I am not sure if the 9.0 could be erroneous because my 2 hour test with a new hand towel to dry my hands changed my reading from 7.7 to 6.2, 6.3 , 6.4
3. If my hba1c is normal and all my test from today and usual days are not high, should i still be worried? i dont usually have so much carbs these days.
I always test my blood sugar because my dad was diabetic type 2 and i am trying to improve my kifestyle to prevent diabetes
I am 23 asian male with healthy bmi 22
My Hba1c is 5.3% from a month ago
Yesterday night 40 minutes after high carb dinner
(Pie, Bowl of white rice, 2 pieces of lamb chops, some corn and potatoes, some sweet tea).
i tested my sugar at 9.0mmol, then to be safe i tested again after i washed my hand and got 8.0.
I tested at 1 hour again and got 7.8 and 7.7.
Then i tested 4 times again at 2 hours and got 7.7, changed my dirty hand drying towel and tested again to get 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4
I went to sleep after gym at 5.0
I woke up this morning at 4.6
questions:
1. Isit normal for non diabetics to spike so high in sugar after a high carb meal? My hba1c seems to be okay, but i am worried about my high reading last night.
Normally i only go up to 7.2 after a big meal and is around 5.0 in average random tests.
2. I am not sure if the 9.0 could be erroneous because my 2 hour test with a new hand towel to dry my hands changed my reading from 7.7 to 6.2, 6.3 , 6.4
3. If my hba1c is normal and all my test from today and usual days are not high, should i still be worried? i dont usually have so much carbs these days.
I always test my blood sugar because my dad was diabetic type 2 and i am trying to improve my kifestyle to prevent diabetes
Brief Answer:
You are non-diabetic.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for your question.
After going through your question, I can understand your concern.
First I want to explain that-
You have done blood glucose testing at home most probably with home glucometer.
- Glucometer uses capillary blood sample to give readings.
- Glucometer do not give accurate readings.
- Not used to confirm diagnosis of diabetes.
- It can only give rough idea regarding blood glucose control in diabetic on treatment and need for evaluation in non-diabetic individual.
Internationally accepted criteria for diagnosis of diabetes (ADA - XXXXXXX Diabetic Association) considers HbA1c level and 75 gram OGTT (Oal Glcose Tolerance Test) which are done on venous blood sample and not on capillary blood sample.
Now come to your questions-
1) It is usual for even in non-diabetic individual to get spike in blood glucose level after having high carbohydrate meal.
But 2 hours post meal values for normal individual is always below 7.7 mmol/l when done with venous blood sample, glujcometer reading may be variable.
2) Reproducibility of same readings with glucometer is always poor as it depends upon many factors like hand washing, contamination of hand, glucometer its self.
3) Though you are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes as your father is diabetic, the chances are uto 40 % (when only one parent has diabetes) and not 100 %.
I would like to advise you to do OGTT and/or HbA1c once in a year (or maximum once in 6 month) rather than frequent glucometer testings.
Follow healthy life style -
- Calories and fat restricted high protein diet.
- Avoid junk food, empty calories as cold drinks.
- Follow regular exercise.
- Keep your weight under control (Healthy BMI up to 23).
Hope I have answered your questions.
Regards,
Dr. Abhay Mali.
Diabetologist.
You are non-diabetic.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for your question.
After going through your question, I can understand your concern.
First I want to explain that-
You have done blood glucose testing at home most probably with home glucometer.
- Glucometer uses capillary blood sample to give readings.
- Glucometer do not give accurate readings.
- Not used to confirm diagnosis of diabetes.
- It can only give rough idea regarding blood glucose control in diabetic on treatment and need for evaluation in non-diabetic individual.
Internationally accepted criteria for diagnosis of diabetes (ADA - XXXXXXX Diabetic Association) considers HbA1c level and 75 gram OGTT (Oal Glcose Tolerance Test) which are done on venous blood sample and not on capillary blood sample.
Now come to your questions-
1) It is usual for even in non-diabetic individual to get spike in blood glucose level after having high carbohydrate meal.
But 2 hours post meal values for normal individual is always below 7.7 mmol/l when done with venous blood sample, glujcometer reading may be variable.
2) Reproducibility of same readings with glucometer is always poor as it depends upon many factors like hand washing, contamination of hand, glucometer its self.
3) Though you are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes as your father is diabetic, the chances are uto 40 % (when only one parent has diabetes) and not 100 %.
I would like to advise you to do OGTT and/or HbA1c once in a year (or maximum once in 6 month) rather than frequent glucometer testings.
Follow healthy life style -
- Calories and fat restricted high protein diet.
- Avoid junk food, empty calories as cold drinks.
- Follow regular exercise.
- Keep your weight under control (Healthy BMI up to 23).
Hope I have answered your questions.
Regards,
Dr. Abhay Mali.
Diabetologist.
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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