Dear writer, If I understand clearly, your mother was checking her random sugar levels and they were high on your review. May I ask who took these readings? Also, why were they being taken? Was this test performed while she was fasting or was this after a meal? In fact, I want to speak with you about more than the issue you address which is about Depression. In relation to sugar levels, normal RANDOM sugar levels range from 3.4 to 6.9mmol/L. As a general rule (as different biochemistry labs may differ slightly with the following values), if we all ate a meal our sugar levels would appear within the above mentioned bracket (3.4-6.9mmol/L). If on the other hand, if we were fasting and did not eat sufficiently over a 12 hour period, we are likely to see low sugar levels (HYPOglycemia) which is sugar levels lower than 3.4mmol/L. If the sugar levels dropped lower than 2mmol/L, I would be concerned that you would experience side effects from hypoglycemia such as seizures, poor concentration, headaches, poor reflexes if driving, collapse. In the case of higher sugar levels (HYPERglycemia), I would be most concerned if your FASTING sugar levels were above 7 mmol/L.. As a rule of thumb, if a fasting sugar level reveals 7 mmol/L in more than one reading, this is a high indication of diabetes. The patient may not have any diabetic symptoms such as thirstiness and excessive need to go to the bathroom. In the case of your mother, I assume her readings were random. They remain high on consecutive readings. I suggest she attends your local family practitioner who can perform a fasting blood test or glucose tolerance test (GGT). This is a simple test which is easily explained online. Another feature which worries me, is your mother s blood pressure. It is quite high. Any blood pressure tests with systolic readings are above 130 while at rest are high. High Blood Pressure is also associated with Diabetes. In relation to her mood, heart problems tend to be highly correlated with depressive symptoms as per research. Let me reassure you that prescriptions such as low dose Escitalopram which is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) are safest in elderly. If she has problems sleeping, low dose Mirtazapine which is a Noradrenaline and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NASSA) would be very helpful. All these medications and investigations can be discussed and reviewed by with your local Family practitioner. If you require more support understanding more about these antidepressants, please do not hesitate to contact me again.