Finger pricking query

[Sharron1]

Just a simple question that's been bothering me for ages. When I test before eating I usually get somewhere between 5 -6.5 and two hours after eating i end up with a very similar result. I understand this means the low carb stuff I am eating is fine but I wonder why the pre meal test is almost the same. Wouldn't it be lower? Three years in and still more questions. Hey ho...

 

[Leadinglights]

Just a simple question that's been bothering me for ages. When I test before eating I usually get somewhere between 5 -6.5 and two hours after eating i end up with a very similar result. I understand this means the low carb stuff I am eating is fine but I wonder why the pre meal test is almost the same. Wouldn't it be lower? Three years in and still more questions. Hey ho...

The closer you are to having a dietary regime which suits you then your after meals are going to be very similar to your before meals as your body has been able to cope with the amount of carbohydrate in your meal. Whether that is by a combination of meds and food choices it is a pretty good place to be.

 

[Sharron1]

The closer you are to having a dietary regime which suits you then your after meals are going to be very similar to your before meals as your body has been able to cope with the amount of carbohydrate in your meal. Whether that is by a combination of meds and food choices it is a pretty good place to be.

Thank you. Goodness so many things to learn

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

It *may* be that your levels rise higher in between your premeal and 2hr checks? There are research data which informed the old 8.5 at 2hrs suggestion (probably quite old now!) but that was never intended to show the maximum level reached… only that if you were back down to 8.5 by 2hrs, that was found to be beneficial long-term.

I believe that partly it can depend on whether the phases of insulin production are still working well. Some people lose some or all of their ‘first phase’ insulin response, and can see BGs climbing rapidly in the first hour after eating, but then the ‘second phase’ kicks in and begins to mop up the excess glucose - so yes, it sounds like your meals are suiting you really really well, but if you sprinkled in a few more checks in between you might occasionally see a bit more variation?

 

[sg295]

It *may* be that your levels rise higher in between your premeal and 2hr checks? There are research data which informed the old 8.5 at 2hrs suggestion (probably quite old now!) but that was never intended to show the maximum level reached… only that if you were back down to 8.5 by 2hrs, that was found to be beneficial long-term.

I believe that partly it can depend on whether the phases of insulin production are still working well. Some people lose some or all of their ‘first phase’ insulin response, and can see BGs climbing rapidly in the first hour after eating, but then the ‘second phase’ kicks in and begins to mop up the excess glucose - so yes, it sounds like your meals are suiting you really really well, but if you sprinkled in a few more checks in between you might occasionally see a bit more variation?

Hi,

I’ve just been reading this post and have found it very helpful!

Would you be able to clarify what you mean by ‘first phase’ and ‘second phase’ insulin response for me please? Thanks!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hi,

I’ve just been reading this post and have found it very helpful!

Would you be able to clarify what you mean by ‘first phase’ and ‘second phase’ insulin response for me please? Thanks!

It’s believed to be a feature of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in the ‘first phase’ initial splurge of insulin may be one of the first signs of emerging T2 diabetes

Is reduced first-phase insulin release the earliest detectable abnormality in individuals destined to develop type 2 diabetes? - PubMed

Insulin is released from the pancreas in a biphasic manner in response to a square-wave increase in arterial glucose concentration. The first phase consists of a brief spike lasting approximately 10 min followed by the second phase, which reaches a plateau at 2-3 h. It is widely thought that...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

“
Insulin is released from the pancreas in a biphasic manner in response to a square-wave increase in arterial glucose concentration. The first phase consists of a brief spike lasting approximately 10 min followed by the second phase, which reaches a plateau at 2-3 h. It is widely thought that diminution of first-phase insulin release is the earliest detectable defect of beta-cell function in individuals destined to develop type 2 diabetes and that this defect largely represents beta-cell exhaustion after years of compensation for antecedent insulin resistance.
“

 

[sg295]

It’s believed to be a feature of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in the ‘first phase’ initial splurge of insulin may be one of the first signs of emerging T2 diabetes

Is reduced first-phase insulin release the earliest detectable abnormality in individuals destined to develop type 2 diabetes? - PubMed

Insulin is released from the pancreas in a biphasic manner in response to a square-wave increase in arterial glucose concentration. The first phase consists of a brief spike lasting approximately 10 min followed by the second phase, which reaches a plateau at 2-3 h. It is widely thought that...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

“
Insulin is released from the pancreas in a biphasic manner in response to a square-wave increase in arterial glucose concentration. The first phase consists of a brief spike lasting approximately 10 min followed by the second phase, which reaches a plateau at 2-3 h. It is widely thought that diminution of first-phase insulin release is the earliest detectable defect of beta-cell function in individuals destined to develop type 2 diabetes and that this defect largely represents beta-cell exhaustion after years of compensation for antecedent insulin resistance.
“

Ok yes that makes sense thank you! Have a lovely Christmas! 🙂