What are normal blood sugar levels please

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silverboss

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HI I'm hoping for accuarate info here as googling it is just confusing me as diff sites and docs etc have different levels for fasting and pre prandial levels. What is a normal fasting level for a non diabetic? The form my blood tests come back on from the GP says anything from 4.0 - 6.0 is ok, as do other online sources. However the diabetes.co.uk site says 4.0 to 5.4 is normal and anything above is pre diabetic. Other US based sites have varing opinions as well again ranging from anything up to 6 or as low 5.5. I'm concerned I may be pre diabetic so this difference in advised levels could put me in either non diabetic or pre diabetic as my fasting blood suger is in the low to mid 5 range using my metrix go meter (are these meters reliable). Also after fasting for 11 hours last night I tested and got a reading of 5.2 on my right hand and 5.7 on the left (I know that this is common for various reasons) however about 20-30 mins later after brushing my teeth getting dressed etc I tested again (a bit obssessed at the moment) and it was 6.2. Is that normal would this just be because I was up and moving about so my body would have been releasing glucose.
thanks Owain
 
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Fingerstick meters are not rated to be used as diagnostic tools, so they will only give a general guide.

The numbers most often cited for ‘at risk of diabetes’ are an HbA1c of 42-47mmol/L. An HbA1c is a properly calibrated lab check, and because it looks at glucose exposure over 3-4 months it avoids possible false positives and false negatives which may be drawn from fingerstick checks.

Two readings at or above 48mmol/mol will generally be sufficient for a diagnosis with diabetes.

The suggestions for people with T2 diabetes are to aim for 4-7mmol/L before meals and 8.5mmol/L by 2hrs after meals for as much of the time as possible, but people without diabetes who wear CGM sensors can frequently observe readings in the 3s and above 8.5 (or even 10) for short periods.

In my (medically unqualified opinion) the readings you are getting are perfectly normal for a person without diabetes.

Hope this helps 🙂
 
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everydayupsanddowns said:
Fingerstick meters are not rated to be used as diagnostic tools, so they will only give a general guide.

The numbers most often cited for ‘at risk of diabetes’ are an HbA1c of 42-47mmol/L. An HbA1c is a properly calibrated lab check, and because it looks at glucose exposure over 3-4 months it avoids possible false positives and false negatives which may be drawn from fingerstick checks.

Two readings at or above 48mmol/mol will generally be sufficient for a diagnosis with diabetes.

The suggestions for people with T2 diabetes are to aim for 4-7mmol/L before meals and 8.5mmol/L by 2hrs after meals for as much of the time as possible, but people without diabetes who wear CGM sensors can frequently observe readings in the 3s and above 8.5 (or even 10) for short periods.

In my (medically unqualified opinion) the readings you are getting are perfectly normal for a person without diabetes.

Hope this helps 🙂
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Thank you for your advice. Im in a bit of a mess just now as I suffer from severe anxiety and depression and as you can see from my previous posts I read about certain meds I'm on causing new onset diabetes, and this set of my worries. I have an extreme fear of something happening to my eyes thus as diabetes can damage the eyes it got me stressing. I don't know if you have any knowledge about the likely hood of damage occuring i.e severity of diabetes required etc to cause problems in this area. If you do any info would be appreciated thanks.
 
silverboss said:
I have an extreme fear of something happening to my eyes thus as diabetes can damage the eyes it got me stressing. I don't know if you have any knowledge about the likely hood of damage occuring i.e severity of diabetes required etc to cause problems in this area. If you do any info would be appreciated thanks.
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I think the challenge you face is much more related to your anxiety, than the fingerstick results you have mentioned.

I have been living with T1 diabetes for over 30 years with significantly more erratic levels than you have posted, and currently have no changes to my eyes related to my diabetes.

Unfortunately, I think monitoring your levels at home is only feeding your anxiety. And Dr Google can be full of doom, gloom and horror stories 😱

Do you have diabetes in your close family? Or is it only the weak and inconclusive association you’ve heard from some sources?

I would save your efforts for trying to reduce your anxiety rather than worrying about what might happen 10, 20 or 30 years after you got a diagnosis with diabetes (which you don’t currently have).

If it would set your mind at rest you might ask your Dr for an annual HbA1c which will pick up any potential changes in good time.

Hope this is reassuring 🙂
 
Not sure if it will help you or not but it is long term high levels which increase the risk of damage to the eyes. To put this into context I was getting readings mid teens into the 20s at diagnosis (My HbA1c was 112 and the diabetes diagnosis threshold is 48) and it took me several weeks to get a reading below 10.... and there is no knowing how long my levels had been elevated.... certainly at least 2 weeks prior to diagnosis because I had sudden onset symptoms one evening. They may have been elevated but not critical before that but I have no way of knowing. I have had one minor result of background retinopathy since diagnosis 3.5 years ago but it has since resolved on it's own without any action and it did not affect my vision.
 
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silverboss said:
Thank you for your advice. Im in a bit of a mess just now as I suffer from severe anxiety and depression and as you can see from my previous posts I read about certain meds I'm on causing new onset diabetes, and this set of my worries. I have an extreme fear of something happening to my eyes thus as diabetes can damage the eyes it got me stressing. I don't know if you have any knowledge about the likely hood of damage occuring i.e severity of diabetes required etc to cause problems in this area. If you do any info would be appreciated thanks.
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The finger-prick tests you’ve listed above are fine. It’s normal for there to be a slight rise when you get up. Please don’t take this the wrong way - I write from concern not criticism - but I think you should focus on reducing your anxiety about this, and maybe speaking to someone for support. How many people take beta blockers or anti-depressants? Loads! If they caused diabetes, it would be all over the papers.

Your HbA1C was normal, your finger-pricks are normal. Enjoy the fact that you don’t have diabetes. Unfounded worries about the future are spoiling your ‘now’.
 
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Inka said:
The finger-prick tests you’ve listed above are fine. It’s normal for there to be a slight rise when you get up. Please don’t take this the wrong way - I write from concern not criticism - but I think you should focus on reducing your anxiety about this, and maybe speaking to someone for support. How many people take beta blockers or anti-depressants? Loads! If they caused diabetes, it would be all over the papers.

Your HbA1C was normal, your finger-pricks are normal. Enjoy the fact that you don’t have diabetes. Unfounded worries about the future are spoiling your ‘now’.
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Thanks I readilly acknowledge my issue is anxiety related. Over the last year I have jumped from one health anxiety issue to the next, this thing about diabetes is just it's latest manifestation. I am getting treatment at the moment and have been for over a year for my anxiety issues but nothing is helping. My GP is usless and near impossible to get an appointment with. I have an extremely stresseful life I have a severely diasabled autistic son and dealing with my mental health issues on top of the stress of caring for him is just too much at times.
 
That sounds really difficult for you @silverboss I hope you’re getting the support you need with your son. Sometimes you really have to push for help, and when you’re stressed that’s even harder to do.

I hope you’re finding time for yourself too in your busy life. Sometimes things can just get overwhelming, and it is really hard. There’s no magic answer, sadly, but if the meds are helping you, I’d keep them up. You could also try things like mindfulness and Tai Chi. You’re probably thinking that you don’t have time, but even a few minutes help. When I was extremely stressed, both those things helped me enormously, and I wasn’t expecting them to at all.
 
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