General Health ArticlesHigh blood sugar level

High blood sugar level

High blood sugar level

A fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test is conducted by measuring the level of blood sugar after at least 8 hours of fasting, the normal blood sugar level in a person is less than 100 mg/dL. If the blood sugar level is between 100-125 mg/dL, the person is considered to be at risk of developing diabetes. However, if the blood sugar level is 126 mg/dL or higher, and when retested, the value remains abnormal, the person is considered to have diabetes.

People at risk of developing diabetes are:

Overweight
Over 40 years old
Having high blood pressure
Having a 2-hour postprandial blood glucose level between 140-199 mg/dL after drinking 75g of glucose
Having high triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)
Having a fasting blood sugar level between 100-125 mg/dL
Having a family history of diabetes

The risk of developing diabetes in the future depends on the number of risk factors present, such as being overweight, being over 40 years old, having high blood pressure, having high levels of triglycerides, having a family history of diabetes, or having a blood sugar level greater than 100 mg/dL. These factors increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Why is it necessary to treat high blood sugar levels?

Very high blood sugar levels (more than 180 mg/dL) can cause symptoms such as frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, and fatigue. Blood sugar levels of 126 mg/dL or higher before meals are also associated with long-term complications such as eye disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, heart disease, and stroke.

Some patients may misunderstand that controlling blood sugar levels within 180 mg/dL is enough because there are no symptoms of diabetes. However, this may be true for some patients, such as elderly patients, patients with severe complications, or patients with frequent low blood sugar levels. For diabetic patients with a low risk of complications and who are expected to live long, blood sugar levels should be controlled to normal or near-normal levels (FPG less than 80-130 mg/dL) to reduce the long-term risk of complications from diabetes.

The overall goal is to control blood sugar levels and reduce various risk factors to prevent complications from diabetes.

Risk factors	Targets
Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level after at least 8 hours of fasting:	80-130 mg/dL (If the level is less than 110 mg/dL, it is considered close to normal)
Postprandial plasma glucose level after 1-2 hours:	Less than 180 mg/dL (If the level is less than 140 mg/dL, it is considered close to normal)
Average accumulated blood glucose level over 3 months (HbA1c):	Less than 7% (If the level is less than 6.5%, it is considered very good)
Blood pressure:	Less than 140/90 mmHg (Consider lower levels if there is proteinuria similar to egg white in urine)
Bad cholesterol level (LDL-C)	Less than 100 mg/dL, less than 70 mg/dL for people with heart and blood vessel diseases
Smoking	Quit smoking
Obesity	Start by reducing body weight by 5-7% from the initial weight
Patients and families who lack knowledge and cannot take care of themselves:	Patients and families have knowledge and can take care of themselves.