Fasting Blood sugar
The body
requires glucose for energy, and glucose is obtained from the food consumed.
The body, however, does not use all of this energy at once. Insulin allows
glucose to be stored and released as needed. Blood sugar levels rise after a
meal and typically peak about an hour later.
The precise
timing of the peak in blood sugar depends on a person's diet.
Fasting, as
the name implies, means not eating or drinking anything other than water for
eight hours. It is used to screen for diabetes.
Following a
fast, a carbohydrate metabolism test is performed, which measures blood glucose
levels.
What It
Does
Fasting
stimulates the hormone glucagon, which raises plasma glucose levels in the
body.
If a
patient does not have diabetes, their body will produce insulin to counteract
the elevated glucose levels.
People with
diabetes, on the other hand, either do not produce enough insulin to rebalance
their blood sugar (typically in type 1 diabetes) or do not use insulin
effectively enough (typical of type 2 diabetes).
As a
result, when blood glucose levels are tested, people with diabetes have
significantly higher blood sugar levels than people who do not have diabetes.
A couple of
changes occur in the body of a pre-diabetic person during the night when fasting due to hormonal imbalance.
Whether you
have diabetes or not, the normal hormonal changes your body undergoes in the
morning will raise your blood sugar. If you don't, your body will produce more
insulin to compensate. You're not even aware that it's happening.
It's not
the same if you have diabetes. Because your body does not respond to insulin as
well as most, your fasting blood sugar level may rise even if you follow a
strict diet.
These
changes can result in higher-than-normal fasting glucose levels. This is
because some pre-diabetics develop insulin resistance, which regulates the
storage and release of glucose from the liver.
The liver
releases more glucose into the bloodstream than is required while you are
sleeping or inactive. Glucagon is also breaking down liver glycogen and
produces more glucose when the body is resting in those who have developed
insulin resistance.
This causes
a higher than the normal flux of glucose in the bloodstream. This condition is
known as impaired fasting glucose tolerance.
The sugar
boost is your body's way of ensuring you have enough energy to get up and start
your day. If you have diabetes, your body may lack the insulin needed to
counteract these hormones. This upsets the delicate balance you've worked so
hard to maintain, and your sugar levels may be too high by morning.
Fasting
Blood Sugar Test
Fasting
blood sugar is a simple blood test used to screen for diabetes, prediabetes,
and gestational diabetes (during pregnancy). It is also known as a fasting
blood glucose test.
To prepare
for a fasting glucose test, you should have nothing to eat or drink (except
water) for 8 to 12 hours. Your healthcare provider will tell you how long to
fast.
What is
the Good number?
The fasting
blood sugar test results will be given as a number:
A fasting
blood sugar level of 99 mg/dL or less is considered normal.
Fasting
blood sugar levels in this range typically indicate prediabetes. This means
that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be
diagnosed with diabetes.
126 mg/dL
or higher: This indicates high blood sugar, which is the primary sign of
diabetes.
Your healthcare provider may repeat the test if you have a high fasting blood sugar level. If the test reveals that you have prediabetes, your doctor will advise you to repeat the fasting blood sugar test in a year or two. The results will tell you whether you are progressing to Type 2 diabetes.
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