People with diabetes mellitus type 1 and diabetes mellitus type 2 have abnormally high blood glucose levels. Those with either type have a problem with insulin, and as a result too much glucose stays in their bloodstream. The pancreas, which releases insulin, has been destroyed in those with type 1, while people with type 2 have tissues resistant to the hormone. Thus, having a high amount of blood glucose two hours after eating could mean the person is diabetic.
Normal Blood Glucose Level
The normal blood glucose level is between 60 to 110 mg/dL. This level is under tight regulation, as explained in "Principles of Medical Biochemistry," by Gerhard Meisenberg, Ph.D., of the Department of Biochemistry at Ross University School of Medicine. When you eat a meal that is loaded with carbohydrates, the carbohydrates are broken down to glucose, and the blood glucose level hardly ever goes higher than 150 mg/dL. That's because the glucose level has to stay fairly constant in the bloodstream because the brain depends on glucose for its energy.
Blood Glucose and Glucokinase
An enzyme called glucokinase has a vital role in regulating the blood glucose level after people eat. Enzymes are proteins the cells use to speed up the amount of time that a reaction will take. The glucokinase enzyme increases its activity whenever there is an increase of glucose in the portal vein of the liver, explains David Bender, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University College London, in "Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry." Thus, the enzyme helps the liver remove glucose from the bloodstream after you eat a high-carb meal.
Blood Glucose and Insulin
The insulin hormone also plays a key role in the regulation of the blood glucose level, writes Dr. Bender. It is released by the beta cells of the pancreas whenever glucose in the bloodstream is getting high, and it stimulates the muscles and fat tissue to move glucose out of the blood. As a result, normal blood glucose levels two hours after eating should be less than 140 mg/dL. The beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed in people with diabetes mellitus type 1, while those with diabetes mellitus type 2 have tissues resistant to insulin. Diabetics therefore have a level higher than 140 mg/dL two hours after they eat.
High Blood Glucose Level After Eating
A high blood glucose level two hours after eating could mean that the person has diabetes mellitus. However, the diagnosis for this disease involves a random glucose test, a fasting glucose test or a glucose tolerance test. People are diabetic if they urinate a lot, stay thirsty, drink a lot of fluids and have a random blood glucose level over 200 mg/dL. A fasting glucose test checks blood glucose levels after no food for eight hours. The Mayo Clinic describes the glucose tolerance test. The normal result is that two hours after taking glucose, as the substitute for eating, people should have a blood glucose level less than 140 mg/dL.
References
- "Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry"; Robert Murray, M.D., Ph.D., David Bender, Ph.D., Kathleen Botham, Ph.D., et al.; 2009
- Mayo Clinic: Glucose Tolerance Test
- "Principles of Medical Biochemistry"; Gerhard Meisenberg, Ph.D., William Simmons, Ph.D.; 1998
