No matter whether you comes from a familyin the diabetes-Illnesses are present, or whether the blood sugar level has been measured by the doctor: We inevitably ask ourselves whether our own value is still in the “green zone” or whether we are perhaps at risk of developing diabetes and one soon insulin has to inject. 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: One 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 Glucose load test 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 ways to do one Diabetes self-test, which works using a urine sample. You could undergo this if already the first signs of diabetessuch as extreme thirst or increased urination. Diabetes in children However, it 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 information portal Mayo Clinic.
When it comes to HbA1c, a value below 5.7 percent is considered normal.
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.
At Values above 250 mg/dl become dangerous. 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 to be the value that should be desirable for diabetics and – depending on the severity of the disease – either with a change in diet in type 2 diabetes or, as in type 1 diabetes, with a change in diet Insulin therapy can be achieved.
| measurement time | 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 this rarer type 1 diabetes. However, it can also happen that someone has both main forms of diabetes. Then speak of a “Double diabetes“. You have to be careful with one too Insulin resistance be careful, as it can develop into type 2 diabetes.