At what blood sugar level do you have diabetes?

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Anyone who measures their blood sugar level automatically asks themselves whether it is still within the normal range or whether they already have diabetes mellitus. Doctors have defined clear guidelines for this.

No matter whether you come from a family with diabetes or whether you have had your blood sugar level checked by the doctor: we inevitably ask ourselves whether our own value is still in the “green zone” or whether we are perhaps at risk. develop diabetes and will soon have to inject themselves with insulin. In this article you will find out at what value one is considered “diabetic” and what values ​​are still normal.

At what level do you have diabetes?

Several sources, including the German Center for Diabetes Research and the portal gesundheitsinformation.de The Foundation for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care indicates values ​​above which a patient is considered diabetic. For example, because the blood sugar level rises sharply after a meal and then drops again, the limit value varies gesundheitsinformation.de It always depends on how long ago a meal took place. In general, diabetes is present if:

• the fasting blood sugar level is above 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), which corresponds to 7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).
• During an occasional measurement (e.g. a blood sample) the blood sugar is above 200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/L). Diabetes is then suspected and further tests are carried out.
• the HbA1c value is above 6.5 percent (above 48 mmol/L).
• In the glucose stress test, the blood sugar is still above 200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/L) after two hours.

Important to know: A diagnosis can only be confirmed if at least two test results are too high. The Fasting blood sugar is usually measured in the morning before breakfast – i.e. after eight to ten hours without food. Measuring the fasting blood sugar level is usually ordered by doctors if an occasional measurement shows a value that is too high. In contrast, the Glucosebelastungstest checks how well the body can process sugar. He gets loud gesundheitsinformation.de usually carried out when results contradict each other or a person has an increased risk of diabetes. During the test, the patient drinks a glass of water in which 75 grams of glucose are dissolved. Blood sugar should then rise, but also fall quickly again. On the other hand, with the HbA1c value checks what the average blood sugar level has been over the last 8 to 12 weeks. This is done by checking how many sugar molecules attach to the red blood pigment hemoglobin.

In fact, there are also options for a diabetes self-test that works using a urine sample. You could undergo this if the first signs of diabetes, such as extreme thirst or increased urination, have already been noticed. Diabetes in children, however, can be recognized by other signs.

What is the normal sugar level?

Given the above values ​​and American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, normal fasting blood glucose levels range from 80 to approximately 130 mg/dL (4.4 to 7.2 mmol/L). A fasting blood sugar level of less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is generally considered normal, explains the Mayo Clinic information portal.

When it comes to HbA1c, a value below 5.7 percent is considered normal.

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In addition to the normal values, there are also values ​​that indicate prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. According to MSD Manuals, prediabetes occurs when the fasting blood sugar level in the blood is between 100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/l) and 125 mg/dl (6.9 mmol/l) or when the blood sugar level is two hours after a glucose tolerance test is between 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/l) and 199 mg/dl (11.0 mmol/l). “Prediabetes increases the risk of diabetes mellitus and heart disease,” write the experts.

Incidentally, it becomes dangerous at values ​​above 250 mg/dl. From then on, severe hyperglycemia can occur, which can also lead to a diabetic coma.

How high can blood sugar be? Overview in the table

For a brief overview, we have summarized the corresponding ranges of blood sugar levels at different measurement times in a table. When it comes to values, we refer to the areas of the ADA. The target range is understood as the value that should be desirable for diabetics and which – depending on the severity of the disease – can be achieved in type 2 diabetes either with a change in diet or, as in type 1 diabetes, with insulin therapy.

Time of measurement Normal range (mg/dl) Normal range (mmol/L) Target range (mg/dl) Target range (mmol/L Fasting (before eating) 70-99 3.9-5.5 80-130 4.4-7.2 1-2 hours after eating < 140 <7.8 <180 <10.0 A1C value <5.7% - <7% -

By the way: In addition to type 2 diabetes, which, according to the Federal Ministry of Health, around 90 to 95 percent of diabetes patients in Germany suffer from, there is also the rarer type 1 diabetes. However, it can also happen that someone has both main forms of diabetes. Then talk about “double diabetes”. You also have to be careful with insulin resistance, as it can develop into type 2 diabetes.