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What is the Ideal Blood Sugar Level?

Anna T.
Anna T.

The ideal blood sugar level varies from person to person and can depend on a variety of factors, including how long it has been since a person has had a meal. In general, levels ranging between 70 to 100 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) are considered normal for non-diabetics who have not just had a meal. If a person has just had a meal, the ideal level of blood glucose should be between 70 and 145 mg/dL for non-diabetics. Levels that are higher than this could indicate diabetes or pre-diabetes.

A person who consistently has blood sugar levels that range from 100 to 125 mg/dL after an eight-hour fast may have pre-diabetes. Levels of 140 to 199 mg/dL after eating or following an oral glucose test also indicate pre-diabetes. A person who is diagnosed with pre-diabetes is at great risk of developing type 2 diabetes and should immediately start taking steps to prevent it by making certain lifestyle changes, such as improved eating habits and exercise. These changes may additionally help a person to lose weight, which would be beneficial for someone who is overweight and at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A glucose blood test measures the amount of glucose or "sugar" in the blood.
A glucose blood test measures the amount of glucose or "sugar" in the blood.

Blood sugar levels that exceed 125 mg/dL after an eight-hour fast indicate diabetes. If levels exceed 200 mg/dL after an oral glucose test, it is also likely that diabetes is present. The ideal blood sugar level for diabetics is higher than the normal level for non-diabetics. People with diabetes whose levels are between 80 and 120 mg/dL after fasting or just before eating are thought to have their blood sugar under control. The ideal blood sugar level for diabetics just after meals should not typically exceed 160 mg/dL.

Lowering high levels of blood sugar may lead to weight loss.
Lowering high levels of blood sugar may lead to weight loss.

Doctors do not typically diagnose diabetes until several tests have been administered. It is important for doctors to be sure that blood sugar levels are staying consistently high before they make a firm diagnosis. This is usually done by using both fasting blood sugar tests and oral glucose tests. With a fasting test, a person's blood sugar levels are checked either first thing in the morning or just after an eight-hour fast. An oral glucose test is a test doctors use to see how high a person's blood sugar level rises after drinking a very sweet, sugary drink and then checking the levels again a few hours later to see how much they drop. These tests are usually done a few different times on different days so that doctors can be certain a person is testing well above the ideal blood sugar level before confirming diabetes.

Discussion Comments

dfoster85

@SailorJerry - Opinion is divided on the one hour glucose test, as it's also called. A lot of people in the natural childbirth and midwifery communities think that it's not necessary. A woman with gestational diabetes will indeed usually have other symptoms. She might feel unwell or have sugar spilling into her urine (one reason they have pregnant woman pee in a cup so often).

Most OBs, however, do them routinely for all pregnant women. But when I told my OB that I wasn't comfortable doing the syrup test, he didn't force the issue. He did suggest that I do a fasting glucose test as an alternative, so I went to the lab one morning right when it opened and had some blood drawn. The lab tech was a little confused because it didn't say that it was a "post dose" blood draw!

SailorJerry

My wife is in her second trimester of pregnancy and I'm concerned about the glucose tolerance testing (GTT) that they do to check for prenatal diabetes. I don't like the idea of her drinking the sugary syrup that they use. Is it really necessary for someone with no other signs of gestational diabetes?

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    • A glucose blood test measures the amount of glucose or "sugar" in the blood.
      By: frog-travel
      A glucose blood test measures the amount of glucose or "sugar" in the blood.
    • Lowering high levels of blood sugar may lead to weight loss.
      By: Rostislav Sedlacek
      Lowering high levels of blood sugar may lead to weight loss.
    • Diabetics must check their blood sugar levels regularly to ensure they remain at the ideal level.
      By: Bruce Robbins
      Diabetics must check their blood sugar levels regularly to ensure they remain at the ideal level.
    • Most diabetic patients need to receive daily insulin injections to control their blood sugar levels.
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      Most diabetic patients need to receive daily insulin injections to control their blood sugar levels.
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      Onions contain chromium, which helps regulate blood sugar.
    • Exercise therapy can be used to help diabetics maintain low blood glucose levels.
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      Exercise therapy can be used to help diabetics maintain low blood glucose levels.
    • All sugars -- even those in fruits -- must be consumed carefully by diabetics.
      By: baibaz
      All sugars -- even those in fruits -- must be consumed carefully by diabetics.
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      Lightheadedness may occur as a result of low blood sugar levels.
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