The term diabetes refers to a group of diseases that impair your body's ability to use blood glucose. Glucose is vital to health because it is the main energy source for your muscles, tissue cells and brain. Diabetes is characterized by abnormally high glucose in the bloodstream. In healthy individuals, the pancreas produces a hormone called insulin that lowers the body's glucose levels. In diabetic patients, either your pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin or your body's cells do not respond to the insulin produced, depending on the type of diabetes. If left untreated, this can result in serious health consequences. Testing blood glucose levels after eating can help diagnose diabetes.
Who Should Test
The American Diabetes Association recommends regular blood glucose testing for certain individuals to detect prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes even when diabetic symptoms are not present. If you are overweight or obese and have one or more additional risk factor for diabetes, you should have your blood glucose checked regularly. Even if you do not have any other risk factors, regular testing should begin at age 45 because the risk of diabetes is greater with age. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you should check your blood glucose if you are taking insulin, have a hard time managing your glucose levels, become pregnant, have severe diabetic lows and highs or have low blood glucose without the usual warning signs. Blood glucose testing aids in the diagnosis of diabetes and is useful in creating an individualized diabetic diet.
Risk Factors and Symptoms
Risk factors for diabetes include physical inactivity, a family history of diabetes, being of African American, Pacific Islander, American Indian or Asian American decent, giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 lbs, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or above, HDL below 35 mg/dL, triglyceride levels above 250 mg/dL, polycystic ovary syndrome or a history of cardiovascular disease. Symptoms of diabetes vary depending on the degree of blood-sugar elevation. Typically, symptoms include frequent urination, increased thirst, unexplained weight loss, extreme hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing sores and mildly high blood pressure.
Postprandial Blood Sugar Levels
Blood glucose levels are generally high after eating, depending on the type and amount of food you consume. A small rise in your blood glucose level is normal as it takes time for the pancreas to release insulin. With diabetes however, the rise in blood sugar levels after eating is well above normal due to the lack of insulin production or the body's resistance to its effects. Therefore, a postprandial blood glucose test helps you determine how well your blood sugar levels are controlled with insulin and your diet. Postprandial glucose tests are performed two hours after eating, using a small drop of blood and a glucose monitor. These monitors are available at most pharmacies and can cost under $15 at the time of publication.
Normal Levels
At two hours after eating, a blood sugar level of 140 mg/dL is considered normal. This indicates that your body is using and metabolizing glucose adequately. In terms of diabetes diagnoses, a postprandial blood glucose level between 140 to 199 mg/dL indicates prediabetes. Prediabetes means that you have impaired glucose tolerance, but are not yet diabetic. Typically, if you have prediabetes you will develop Type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Postprandial blood glucose levels of 200 mg/dL and above indicate diabetes. Your health care provider will perform further testing if your levels are this high.
Blood Sugar Control
Maintaining normal blood glucose levels throughout the day is an important goal in the management of diabetes. If you are prediabetic there are dietary and lifestyle modifications that you can make to decrease your risk of developing diabetes. You need to first make a commitment and learn what diabetes is and how to better control your blood sugar levels. Perhaps the most important factors are consuming a healthy diet and exercising daily. If you are overweight, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can dramatically impact your blood glucose levels and improve your control.
