Glucose is a monosaccharide that is extremely important for the human body. It not only replenishes energy reserves, but also supports the functioning of the central nervous system. If the blood sugar value deviates from the generally accepted norm to a greater or lesser extent, the general condition of a person worsens significantly. When signs of hypo- or hyperglycemia appear, the doctor draws up a referral for analysis of fluid connective tissue for the patient. The most common is the classic blood sugar test. It allows you to identify the concentration of glucose at the time of delivery of the biomaterial. The most informative study is a monosaccharide tolerance test. In order to obtain the most complete clinical picture, an analysis for glycated hemoglobin is additionally prescribed.
Norm indicators for women
As a rule, a classic analysis is prescribed before hospitalization, surgery, or if you suspect diabetes.
Indicators of normal blood sugar in women are presented in the table below.
| Age years | The minimum permissible value, mmol / l | The most admissible value, mmol / l |
| 18-50 | 3.3 | 5.5 |
| 51-60 | 3.8 | 5.8 |
| 61-90 | 4.1 | 6.2 |
| 90 years and older | 4,5 | 6.9 |
As can be seen from the table, the normal blood sugar for an elderly woman is much higher than for a young woman.
Typically, the biological material is capillary fluid connective tissue. Less commonly, her fence is carried out from a vein. It is important to consider this nuance. Normal blood sugar from a vein is about 10% higher.
If the result does not correspond to generally accepted values, all factors that could affect it should be excluded. These include:
- High-intensity physical activity.
- Work at night on the eve of the delivery of biomaterial.
- Starvation.
- Drinking on the eve of alcohol-containing drinks.
- Taking certain medications, in particular, diuretics and beta-blockers.
If the obtained indicator is much higher than the normal blood sugar, it is necessary to retake the biomaterial for analysis. To confirm the preliminary diagnosis, a study on glycated hemoglobin can be prescribed.
Pregnancy rates
During the period of gestation, the indicator of sugar in the liquid connective tissue should be carefully monitored. This is due to the fact that against the background of pregnancy, the process of development of gestational diabetes can start. A provoking factor is an increase in the number of ketone bodies during the bearing of a child and a decrease in the concentration of amino acids. The danger of the pathological condition is that after a period of delivery it can pass into type II diabetes mellitus.
If pregnancy proceeds without complications, insulin production begins to increase by the end of the second trimester. The body similarly maintains normal blood sugar in both the child and the expectant mother.
The minimum acceptable value is 3.3 mmol / L, the maximum is 6.6 mmol / L. With a slight deviation from the normal blood sugar, do not worry. In most cases, a slight increase is due to the fact that the pancreas experiences an increased degree of stress.
The following symptoms indicate a pathological deviation:
- Increased appetite.
- Problems with urination.
- Unquenchable thirst.
- Severe weakness.
- Increased blood pressure.
If these warning signs are present, the doctor may suspect the development of gestational diabetes.
Norm indicators for men
In representatives of the stronger sex, the concentration of glucose in liquid connective tissue directly depends on age, the amount of synthesized insulin and the degree of perception of the hormone by body tissues.
Information on what is the normal blood sugar level in men is presented in the table below. The indicators in it are broken down by age.
| Age years | Norm indicators, mmol / l |
| 18-50 | 3.3-5.5 |
| 51-60 | 4.2-6.2 |
| 60 years and older | 4.6-6.4 |
Thus, with age, the normal sugar content in human blood changes. For men in 60 years, the indicators are slightly higher than for young people.
It is important to remember that it is necessary to take biological material on an empty stomach. With regards to how much normal blood sugar after eating. After a meal, the glucose concentration may increase to 7.8 mmol / L.
In order to obtain the most reliable results, alcohol-containing drinks and medications should not be consumed before the biomaterial is delivered. If it is not possible to cancel the drugs for health reasons, it is necessary to notify the doctor about this.
Normal blood sugar in children
Biological material is taken from a vein, finger, earlobe or heel. A prerequisite for the delivery of liquid connective tissue is fasting for eight hours. Babies should not eat at least 3-3.5 hours.
The table below provides information on the normal fasting blood sugar (in mmol / L).
| Age years | Minimum and maximum allowed values |
| From birth to 12 months | 2.8-4.4 |
| 1 | 3.3-5 |
| 2 | 3.3-5.1 |
| 3 | 3.3-5.2 |
| 4 | 3.3-5.2 |
| 5 | 3.3-5 |
| 6 | 3.3-5.5 |
| 7 | 3.3-5.4 |
| 8 | 3.3-5.5 |
| 9 | 3.3-5.5 |
| 10 | 3.3-5.5 |
| 11-18 | 3.3-5.5 |
With a slight deviation of the results from the norm, violations of training rules should be excluded. If a baby’s blood test was performed, mom should remember if she had consumed sweets the day before.
If you suspect diabetes, the analysis is repeated. But in this case, blood is taken from a vein. At risk are children whose parents or close relatives suffered from pathology, as well as babies with severe metabolic disorders.
Glucose tolerance test
This study is a simple and reliable way to confirm or exclude diabetes. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor gets the opportunity to identify violations of the glucose susceptibility process, even at the initial stage of the development of pathology.
Before the test, you need to prepare. Ignoring any of the rules below may result in false results.
Preparation for the study:
- Cancel taking medication. If this is not possible, the doctor selects alternative drugs or takes this factor into account when interpreting the results.
- 3 days before blood donation, it is necessary to control the amount of carbohydrates eaten. They should be no more than 150 g. On the evening before, the amount of carbohydrates must be reduced to 80 g.
- Blood should be taken on an empty stomach. The last meal should take place in 8-10 hours.
- To exclude both high-intensity physical activity and inactivity.
Blood sampling is carried out on an empty stomach. After this, the patient is offered to drink a glucose solution. After 2 hours, blood is again drawn. According to the obtained indicators, the doctor can judge the degree of glucose tolerance of the body cells.
Diagnostic evaluation criteria are presented in the table below.
| Diagnosis | Indicators on an empty stomach, mmol / l | Indicators after 2 hours, mmol / l |
| Glucose tolerance is not impaired | Less than 5.5 | Less than 7.8 |
| Glucose tolerance impaired | 5.5-6.1 | 7.8-11.1 |
| Diabetes | 6.2 and more | 11.1 and more |
When interpreting the results, the doctor takes into account the age of the person. Normal blood sugar levels in men at 50 are slightly higher than in young people. Moreover, with age, the degree of glucose tolerance decreases.
The result of the study may be distorted if at the time of delivery of the biomaterial in the patient's body there was any infection process.
Glycated hemoglobin assay
Red blood cells are formed elements. They contain an iron-containing protein - hemoglobin. It is he who is responsible for transporting oxygen to all body tissues.
Sugar, when supplied with food, reacts with an iron-containing protein. Its result is glycated hemoglobin. Its indicator remains unchanged for 120 days. This is due to the characteristics of the life cycle of red blood cells. After 4 months, red blood cells are destroyed in the pulp of the spleen. The final breakdown product of hemoglobin is bilirubin. He, in turn, does not bind to glucose newly ingested into the body.
A study on glycated hemoglobin is the most accurate and informative. Its results allow you to judge the level of sugar in the blood over the past 120 days.
An analysis is prescribed if there is a suspicion of diabetes or to assess its course. In this case, the doctor can easily determine whether the patient adhered to the diet all the time or limited the amount of carbohydrates immediately before the delivery of the biomaterial. But not in all cases, an increased or decreased rate indicates diabetes. With a normal blood sugar, a person is sent for a comprehensive examination to find out the cause of the violation.
The table below shows the glycated hemoglobin values and their interpretation.
| Result% | Decryption |
| Up to 5.7 | Diabetes is excluded, the risk of its development is minimal. |
| 5.8-6 | There is a risk of developing pathology. It is recommended to donate blood for analysis once every 6 months. |
| 6.1-6.4 | Increased risk of diabetes. At this stage, dieting, following the principles of a healthy lifestyle, moderate physical activity are shown. |
| 6.5-7 | Prediabetes. Additional laboratory tests are required. |
| 7 and more | Diabetes confirmed. |
It is important to remember that over the course of life, the normal sugar content in the blood of a person changes. In men at 60, respectively, glycated hemoglobin should be higher than in young people. Up to 30 years, the normal value is from 4.5 to 5.5. From 31 years to 50 years - 5.6-6.5. At an older age, the normal value is 7%.
The rates for women are slightly different. They are presented in the table below.
| Age years | The rate of glycated hemoglobin,% |
| thirty | 4.9 |
| 40 | 5.8 |
| fifty | 6.7 |
| 60 | 7.6 |
| 70 | 8.6 |
| 80 | 9.5 |
| 81 and more | 10,4 |
As can be seen from the table, every 10 years, the norm increases by about 0.9%.
The ratio of glycated hemoglobin and glucose
When diagnosing diabetes and other pathological conditions associated with an increase in blood sugar, the doctor must evaluate the degree of conformity of the obtained values. This is what allows us to find out what is the root cause of the pathological condition.
| Normal human blood sugar, mmol / L | The glycated hemoglobin index,% |
| 3.8 | 4 |
| 4.6 | 4,5 |
| 5,4 | 5 |
| 6.2 | 5.5 |
| 7 | 6 |
| 7.8 | 6.5 |
| 8.6 | 7 |
| 9,4 | 7.5 |
| 10.2 | 8 |
Thus, if the blood sugar level is 5.4 mmol / L, the concentration of glycated hemoglobin should be 5%.
Hyperglycemia
This condition in some cases is a danger not only to health, but also to human life. An increase in blood sugar to critical values is fraught with the onset of a diabetic coma.
The main cause of hyperglycemia is diabetes. However, the following diseases and conditions can act as provoking factors:
- Thyrotoxicosis.
- Acromegaly.
- Cushing's syndrome, accompanied by excessive production of cortisol.
- Neoplasms capable of producing hormones.
- Damage to the pancreas (inflammatory processes, oncology).
- Severe liver and kidney disease.
- Staying long under stress.
Minor hyperglycemia is not accompanied by the appearance of any symptoms. In some cases, thirst rises and disturbs fatigue for no apparent reason.
Over time, the following symptoms appear:
- Frequent urination. They occur several times at night.
- Thirst, which is almost impossible to satisfy. A person drinks about 4 liters of water per day.
- Overwork.
- Drowsiness.
- Itching of the skin.
- Prolonged healing of even minor cuts.
- Activation of fungal activity. Dandruff and candidiasis develop.
In severe hyperglycemia, the following clinical manifestations are added to the above:
- Pain in the abdomen.
- Nausea.
- Headache.
- Diarrhea or, on the contrary, constipation.
- A specific smell of acetone from the mouth.
- Spots before the eyes.
- The development of pathologies of an infectious nature.
- Arrhythmia.
- Low blood pressure.
- Cyanosis of the lips.
- Pallor of the skin.
Convulsions and loss of consciousness are signs of an onset of diabetic coma.
The treatment of acute hyperglycemia is the administration of insulin, vitamins and electrolytes. If diabetes is the cause of the increase in glucose, the doctor prescribes lifelong therapy.
Hypoglycemia
This term refers to a pathological condition in which the glucose level drops to such values that the cells of the whole body experience energy starvation. The consequence of hypoglycemia is a malfunction of most organs and systems.
The main reasons for its development:
- Increased pancreatic insulin production.
- Taking certain medications.
- Violation of the pituitary gland.
- Adrenal dysfunction.
- Unbalanced diet.
- Frequent use of alcohol-containing drinks.
- Violation of the carbohydrate metabolism of the liver.
- High-intensity physical activity.
- Stomach resection.
- Autoimmune anomalies.
There is such a thing as fasting hypoglycemia. The normal blood sugar in this case falls against a background of prolonged starvation.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia:
- Anxiety for no apparent reason.
- Migraine.
- Irritability.
- A constant feeling of hunger.
- Tachycardia.
- Arrhythmia.
- Trembling limbs.
- Arterial hypertension.
- Pallor of the skin.
- Violation of sensitivity up to the loss of the ability to perform motor activity.
In case of untimely treatment, a hypoglycemic coma may develop.
Treatment of a pathological condition consists in the intravenous administration of a glucose solution. Patients must follow a diet.
Finally
Sugar, when ingested with food, is converted to glucose. This is the substance that is responsible for the constant replenishment of energy reserves. If the blood sugar is increased or decreased, additional laboratory tests are necessary. The most informative tests: for glycated hemoglobin, for glucose tolerance. Based on the diagnostic results, the doctor can judge the causes of hypo- or hyperglycemia.