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. When the blood sugar value deviates from the generally accepted norm up or down, the general condition of a person worsens significantly. When signs of hypo- or hyperglycemia appear, the doctor issues a referral for the patient to analyze the liquid connective tissue. The most common is the classic blood test for sugar. It allows you to determine the concentration of glucose at the time of delivery of the biomaterial. The most informative study is the monosaccharide tolerance test. In order to obtain the most complete clinical picture, an additional analysis for glycated hemoglobin is prescribed.
Normal indicators for women
As a rule, classical analysisprescribed before hospitalization, surgery, or if diabetes is suspected.
Normal blood sugar levels for women are shown in the table below.
| Age, years | Minimum admissible value, mmol/l | Maximum allowable value, mmol/l |
| 18-50 | 3, 3 | 5, 5 |
| 51-60 | 3, 8 | 5, 8 |
| 61-90 | 4, 1 | 6, 2 |
| 90 and over | 4, 5 | 6, 9 |
As you can see from the table, the normal blood sugar level for an older woman is much higher than for a young one.
As a rule, the biological material is capillary liquid connective tissue. Less commonly, it is taken from a vein. It is important to take into account this nuance. Normal blood sugar from a vein is about 10% higher.
If the result obtained does not correspond to generally accepted values, all factors that could affect it must be excluded. These include:
- High intensity exercise.
- Work at night on the eve of biomaterial delivery.
- Fasting.
- Drinking alcohol the night before.
- Using certain medications, such as diuretics and beta-blockers.
If the obtained indicator is much higher than the normal blood sugar content, it is necessary to retake the biomaterial for analysis. To confirm the preliminarydiagnosis, a glycated hemoglobin test may be prescribed.
Pregnancy norms
During the period of bearing a child, the sugar in the liquid connective tissue must be carefully monitored. This is due to the fact that against the background of pregnancy, the process of developing gestational diabetes can start. The provoking factor is an increase in the number of ketone bodies during childbearing and a decrease in the concentration of amino acids. The danger of the pathological condition lies in the fact that after the period of delivery it can turn into type II diabetes mellitus.
If the pregnancy proceeds without complications, insulin production begins to increase towards the end of the second trimester. The body similarly maintains normal blood sugar levels in both the child and the expectant mother.
The minimum allowable value is 3.3 mmol/L, the maximum is 6.6 mmol/L. With a slight deviation from the normal blood sugar levels, you should not worry. In most cases, a small increase is due to the fact that the pancreas is experiencing an increased degree of stress.
The following symptoms indicate a pathological deviation:
- Increased appetite.
- Problems with urination.
- Unquenchable thirst.
- Severe weakness.
- Increase in blood pressure.
If these warning signs are present, the doctor may suspect the development of gestational diabetes.
Normal indicators for men
In the representatives of the stronger sex, the concentration of glucose in the liquid connective tissue directly depends on age, the amount of insulin synthesized and the degree of perception of the hormone by body tissues.
Information about what is the normal blood sugar level in men is presented in the table below. The indicators are broken down by age.
| Age, years | Norm indicators, mmol/l |
| 18-50 | 3, 3-5, 5 |
| 51-60 | 4, 2-6, 2 |
| 60 and over | 4, 6-6, 4 |
Thus, with age, the normal content of sugar in a person's blood changes. For men in their 60s, the rates are slightly higher than for young people.
It is important to remember that it is necessary to donate biological material on an empty stomach. With regards to how much is normal blood sugar after eating. After a meal, the glucose concentration may increase to 7.8 mmol/L.
To get the most reliable results, you should not drink alcohol-containing drinks and take medicines before donating the biomaterial. If it is not possible to cancel the drugs for he alth reasons, you must notify the doctor about this.
Normal blood sugar levels in children
Biological material is taken from a vein, finger, earlobe or from the heel. A prerequisite before 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 normal fasting blood sugar (in mmol/L).
| Age, years | Minimum and maximum allowable values |
| 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 |
In case of a slight deviation of the results from the norm, violations of the preparation rules should be excluded. If a blood test was performed on an infant, the mother should remember if she had eaten sweets the day before.
If diabetes is suspected, the test is repeated. But in this case, the blood is already 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 rule out diabetes. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor is able to identify violations of the susceptibility processglucose even at the initial stage of development of pathology.
Before the test, you need to prepare. Failure to follow any of the rules below may result in false results.
Preparing for the study:
- Cancel medication. If this is not possible, the doctor selects alternative drugs or takes this factor into account when interpreting the results.
- 3 days before donating blood, you need to control the amount of carbohydrates eaten. They should be no more than 150 g. The evening before, the amount of carbohydrates must be reduced to 80 g.
- Blood must be taken on an empty stomach. The last meal should take place 8-10 hours before.
- Avoid both high-intensity exercise and sedentary activity.
Blood is taken on an empty stomach. After that, the patient is offered to drink a glucose solution. After 2 hours, blood is taken again. According to the obtained indicators, the doctor can judge the degree of tolerance of body cells to glucose.
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 intact | Under 5, 5 | Under 7, 8 |
| Impaired glucose tolerance | 5, 5-6, 1 | 7, 8-11, 1 |
| Diabetes | 6, 2 or more | 11, 1 or more |
When interpreting the results, the doctor also takes into account the age of the person. The normal blood sugar level in men at the age of 50 is slightly higher than in young people. At the same time, the degree of glucose tolerance decreases with age.
The result of the study may be distorted if any infectious process was taking place in the patient's body at the time of delivery of the biomaterial.
Analysis for glycated hemoglobin
The formed elements of blood are erythrocytes. They contain an iron-containing protein - hemoglobin. It is he who is responsible for transporting oxygen to all body tissues.
Sugar, acting with food, reacts with iron-containing protein. Its result is glycated hemoglobin. Its rate remains unchanged for 120 days. This is due to the peculiarities of the life cycle of erythrocytes. After 4 months, red blood cells are destroyed in the pulp of the spleen. The end product of the breakdown of hemoglobin is bilirubin. He, in turn, does not bind with newly received glucose in the body.
Glycated hemoglobin test is the most accurate and informative. Its results allow you to judge the level of sugar in the blood over the past 120 days.
Analysis is prescribed if diabetes is suspected or to assess its course. In this case, the doctor can easily determine whether the patient has been on a diet all the time or whether he has limited the amount of carbohydrates immediately before the delivery of the biomaterial. But not in all cases, an increased or decreased indicator indicates diabetes. With a normal blood sugar level, a person is directed toa comprehensive examination to find out the cause of the violation.
The table below shows glycated hemoglobin values and their interpretation.
| Result, % | Transcript |
| Up to 5, 7 | Diabetes ruled out, minimal risk of developing it. |
| 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, diet, adherence to the principles of a he althy lifestyle, moderate exercise are shown. |
| 6, 5-7 | Prediabetes. Additional lab testing required. |
| 7 or more | diabetes confirmed. |
It is important to remember that normal blood sugar changes throughout life. In men at the age of 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 to 50 years old - 5.6-6.5. At an older age, the normal value is 7%.
The figures for women are slightly different. They are presented in the table below.
| Age, years | Indicator of normal glycated hemoglobin, % |
| 30 | 4, 9 |
| 40 | 5, 8 |
| 50 | 6, 7 |
| 60 | 7, 6 |
| 70 | 8, 6 |
| 80 | 9, 5 |
| 81 or more | 10, 4 |
As can be seen from the table, every 10 years the rate increases by about 0.9%.
Ratio of glycated hemoglobin to glucose
When diagnosing diabetes and other pathological conditions associated with an increase in blood sugar, the doctor must assess the degree of compliance of the obtained values. This is what allows you to find out what is the root cause of the pathological condition.
| Normal human blood sugar, mmol/L | Indicator of glycated hemoglobin, % |
| 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 poses a danger not only to he alth, but also to human life. An increase in blood sugar to critical levels is fraught with the occurrence 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.
- Pancreatic lesions (inflammatory processes, oncology).
- Severe liver and kidney disease.
- Long exposure to stress.
Mild hyperglycemia does not cause any symptoms. In some cases, thirst increases and fatigue worries for no apparent reason.
Over time, the following symptoms appear:
- Frequent urge to urinate. They also appear several times at night.
- Thirst almost impossible to quench. A person drinks about 4 liters of water a day.
- Broken.
- Drowsy.
- Itchy skin.
- Prolonged healing of even minor cuts.
- Activation of vital activity of fungi. Dandruff and candidiasis develop.
In severe hyperglycemia, the following clinical manifestations are added to the above:
- Pain in the abdomen.
- Nausea.
- Headache.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- Specific smell of acetone from the mouth.
- Spots before eyes.
- Development of pathologies of an infectious nature.
- Arrhythmia.
- Low blood pressure.
- Blue lips.
- Pale skin.
Convulsions and loss of consciousness are signscoming diabetic coma.
Acute hyperglycemia is treated with insulin, vitamins and electrolytes. If the cause of the increase in glucose is diabetes mellitus, the doctor prescribes lifelong therapy.
Hypoglycemia
This term refers to a pathological condition in which the glucose level drops to such values at which the cells of the whole organism experience energy starvation. The consequence of hypoglycemia is the disruption of most organs and systems.
The main reasons for its development:
- Increased production of insulin by the pancreas.
- Taking certain medications.
- Disruption of the pituitary gland.
- Adrenal dysfunction.
- Unbalanced diet.
- Frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Violation of carbohydrate metabolism in the liver.
- High intensity exercise.
- Resection of the stomach.
- Anomalies of an autoimmune nature.
There is such a thing as fasting hypoglycemia. Normal blood sugar in this case falls against the background of prolonged fasting.
Hypoglycemia symptoms:
- Anxiety for no apparent reason.
- Migraine.
- Irritable.
- Permanent feeling of hunger.
- Tachycardia.
- Arrhythmia.
- Trembling limbs.
- Hypertension.
- Pale skin.
- Violation of sensitivity up to lossability to perform physical activity.
Hypoglycemic coma may develop if you do not see a doctor in time.
Treatment of a pathological condition consists in intravenous administration of a glucose solution. Patients must follow a diet without fail.
In closing
Sugar, entering the body with food, is converted into glucose. This is a substance that is responsible for the constant replenishment of energy reserves. If the blood sugar level is high or low, additional laboratory tests should be carried out. The most informative tests: for glycated hemoglobin, for glucose tolerance. Based on the results of the diagnosis, the doctor can judge the causes of hypo- or hyperglycemia.
