Normal blood sugar levels in adults. Blood sugar - normal indicator, causes of deviation and possible diseases

Blood glucose level is one of the markers of health, in particular the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body. A shift in this indicator upward or downward can lead to disruption of vital functions. important organs, and primarily the brain. In this topic, we want to tell you what the normal blood glucose level is in women, men and children, as well as what kind of test it can be used to determine.

Glucose (dextrose) is a sugar that is formed during the breakdown of polysaccharides and takes part in the metabolic processes of the human body.

Glucose performs the following tasks in the human body:

• turns into the energy needed for normal functioning all organs and systems;
• restores the body's strength after physical activity;
• stimulates the detoxification function of hepatocytes;
• activates the production of endorphins, which improves mood;
• supports the functioning of blood vessels;
• eliminates hunger;
• activates brain activity.

How to determine blood glucose levels?

Indications for prescribing blood glucose measurements may include: following symptoms:

• causeless fatigue;
• decreased ability to work;
• trembling in the body;
• increased sweating or dry skin;
• anxiety attacks;
• constant hunger;
• dry mouth;
• strong thirst;
• frequent urination;
• drowsiness;
• blurred vision;
• tendency to purulent skin rashes;
• long-lasting wounds.

To determine blood glucose levels, the following types of studies are used:

• blood test for glucose (blood biochemistry);
• an analysis that determines the concentration of fructosamine in venous blood;
• glucose tolerance test.
• determination of the level of glycosylated hemoglobin.

Using a biochemical analysis, you can determine the level of glucose in the blood, which normally ranges from 3.3 to 5.5 mmol/l. This method used as a preventive study.

The concentration of fructosamine in the blood allows you to estimate the level of glucose in the blood during the last three weeks before blood sampling. The method is indicated for monitoring the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

The glucose tolerance test determines the level of glucose in the blood serum, normally on an empty stomach and after a sugar load. First, the patient donates blood on an empty stomach, then drinks a solution of glucose or sugar and donates blood again two hours later. This method is used in the diagnosis of hidden disorders of carbohydrate metabolism.

In order for the results of biochemistry to be as accurate as possible, you need to properly prepare for the study. To do this, you must follow the following rules:

• Donate blood in the morning strictly on an empty stomach. The last meal should be no later than eight hours before blood sampling;
• before the test you can drink only pure still water sugarless;
• do not drink alcohol two days before blood sampling;
• two days before the analysis, limit physical and mental stress;
• two days before the test, eliminate stress;
• for two days before taking the test, you cannot visit the sauna, have a massage, X-ray studies or physiotherapeutic procedures;
• two hours before blood collection you should not smoke;
• If you are constantly taking any medications, you should inform the doctor who ordered the test, as they may affect the biochemistry result. If possible, such drugs are temporarily discontinued.

To carry out the express method (using a glucometer), blood is taken from a finger. The test result will be ready in one to two minutes. Measuring blood sugar levels with a glucometer is often carried out in diabetic patients as a daily monitoring measure. Patients determine their sugar levels independently.

Other methods determine blood sugar from a vein. The test results are issued the next day.

Blood glucose levels: table by age

Glucose norm in women depends on age, as the following table clearly demonstrates.

Normal blood glucose levels in men the same as the norm in women and ranges from 3.3 to 5.6 mmol/l.

As can be seen from the table, children normally contain less glucose in their blood than adults.

Glucose tolerance test:

Indicators of glycosylated hemoglobin (glucose in blood plasma),%:

• less than 5.7 is normal;
• from 5.8 to 6.0 – high risk diabetes mellitus;
• from 6.1 to 6.4 – prediabetes;
• 6.5 and more – diabetes.

Normal blood glucose levels during pregnancy

In pregnant women without risk factors for diabetes mellitus, a biochemical analysis blood and glucose tolerance test.

If a woman has risk factors for developing diabetes, namely:

• age over 30 years;
• hereditary predisposition;
• overweight and obesity.

Blood glucose levels in pregnant women allow timely diagnosis of the risk of gestational diabetes, which can develop into type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar can also be used to judge the well-being of the intrauterine development of the fetus.

Blood glucose in pregnant women is considered normal - from 4 to 5.2 mmol/l.

Hyperglycemia: causes, symptoms and treatment

Hyperglycemia is an increase in blood sugar levels above 5 mmol/l. Patients may experience both short-term and constant increase blood sugar. Factors such as severe psycho-emotional shock, excessive physical activity, smoking, abuse of sweets, and taking certain medications can lead to a short-term jump in blood glucose.

Long-term hyperglycemia is associated with various diseases. Blood glucose may increase for the following pathological reasons:

• diseases thyroid gland;
• adrenal gland diseases;
• pituitary diseases;
• epilepsy;
• carbon monoxide intoxication;
• pancreatic diseases;
• diabetes.

Patients may experience the following symptoms of hyperglycemia:

• general weakness;
• fast fatiguability;
• frequent headaches;
• causeless weight loss with increased appetite;
• dry skin and mucous membranes;
• excessive thirst;
• frequent urination;
• tendency to pustular skin diseases;
• long non-healing of wounds;
• frequent colds;
• itching of the genitals;
• blurred vision.

Treatment of hyperglycemia involves determining its cause. If the increase in blood sugar is caused by diabetes mellitus, then patients are prescribed a low-carbohydrate diet, antihyperglycemic drugs, or replacement therapy insulin, depending on the type of disease.

Hypoglycemia: causes, symptoms and treatment

Hypoglycemia in medicine is usually called a decrease in glucose levels below 3.3 mmol/l.

Most often, hypoglycemia is recorded in patients with diabetes in the following situations:

• incorrect selection of insulin dose;
• starvation;
• excessive physical work;
• alcohol abuse;
• taking medications that are incompatible with insulin.

U healthy people hypoglycemia may occur due to strict diet or fasting accompanied by excessive exercise.

Hypoglycemia may cause the following symptoms:

• dizziness;
• headache;
• fainting;
• irritability;
• drowsiness;
• tachycardia;
• pale skin;
• increased sweating.

To increase your blood sugar levels you need to drink sweet tea, eat a piece of sugar, candy or honey. IN severe cases when consciousness is impaired in diabetic patients, it is indicated infusion therapy with glucose.

As a result, I would like to say that if you experience symptoms of hyper- or hypoglycemia, contact a specialist immediately, primarily a general practitioner. The doctor will prescribe a test to determine your blood glucose level, and if necessary, refer you to a consultation with an endocrinologist.

Watch a video about blood glucose.

Normal functioning of the body depends on how much sugar is in the blood. It enters the bloodstream along with food containing carbohydrates. Carbohydrates in the body break down into glucose. It is partially absorbed into the bloodstream and partially converted into glycogen, most of which is concentrated in the liver. When there is a need to increase energy expenditure, glycogen is broken down into glucose. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar, ensuring its supply to tissues and organs as a source of energy. Thus, glucose, which is more often called simply sugar, is the main participant in carbohydrate metabolism and the carrier of energy required for many processes in the body.

Acceptable glucose level

Changes in glucose levels can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, which is more typical for men, hence the misconception that the sugar level in men is higher. In fact, this is a misconception, and the norms for men are the same as for women.

Acceptable standards vary depending on age. Indicator values normal sugar for children lower:

• from birth to one month the norm is 2.8 to 4.4 mmol/l,
• from one month to 14 years – within the range from 3.3 to 5.6 mmol/l.

Up to 59 years of age for women and men, the norm is 4.1 to 5.9 mmol/l, starting from 60 years of age for men and women - 4.6 to 6.4 mmol/l, and increases annually by 0.056 mmol/l. For pregnant women upper limit reaches 6.6 mmol/l.

The given parameters apply to blood from a finger. If a study is carried out on blood taken from a vein, the indicators will be approximately 12% higher. More informative and accurate is the analysis of venous blood.

Glucose concentration standards vary depending on age, physical activity, time of day, stress, and food intake. At night or during the day, in between meals, sugar decreases; after eating, during exercise and stress, it increases.

Glucose levels are constantly regulated: they decrease or increase based on the body’s needs. This process is controlled by insulin, and to a lesser extent by adrenaline, produced by the adrenal glands. Diseases of the pancreas or adrenal glands disrupt this mechanism and cause failure of all metabolic processes, and subsequently entail irreversible pathological changes organs and systems of the body.
If the concentration of sugar in the blood differs from the norm, you need to find out what reason caused these changes.

Low blood sugar

When sugar levels are low, the body does not receive nutrition in the required quantity. This is especially reflected in the brain; a lack of glucose in it can cause coma. The condition when sugar drops to a critical level is called hypoglycemia.
The main reason that causes a decrease in sugar is limited nutrition. The body lacks energy, it begins to waste internal resources, first of all carbohydrates accumulated in the liver are consumed.

• Sugar decreases if you do not eat for a long time - the body does not receive carbohydrates for a long time. Therefore, blood sugar is lower in the morning.
• Sugar levels may drop during intense physical activity, even if the food is sufficient. In this case, the amount of carbohydrates consumed may exceed the amount consumed, resulting in an energy deficiency.
• Sweets and alcohol rapidly increase sugar levels. But after sharp increase it is also rapidly declining.
• In men, hypoglycemia can most often be caused by the consumption of alcohol-containing drinks and ethanol. At the same time, a decrease in sugar in men is less common than in women.

Increased blood sugar

When the blood glucose level increases significantly, this is hyperglycemia.
The most common cause of this condition is:

• diabetes,
• overweight,
• heredity,
• binge eating,
• increased content of light carbohydrates in food, stress,
• infectious diseases,
• An unhealthy lifestyle can also lead to hyperglycemia.

High sugar affects the eyes, kidneys, limbs, damaging the vessels that feed them. At long-term condition retinal dissection may occur and subsequently atrophy optic nerves, and glaucoma occurs.

Kidneys – remove excess glucose from the human body. If there is too much of it, damage to the renal vessels occurs, which impairs the functioning of the kidneys. This leads to important substances are also excreted from the body, and kidney failure develops.

Damaged blood vessels, as a consequence of excess sugar, can cause inflammatory processes and lead to the formation of wounds, gangrene, and tissue necrosis.

Reasons that cause a short-term increase in sugar:

• epilepsy attacks,
• traumatic brain injuries,
• liver damage,
• acute myocardial infarction,
• burns, stress,
• taking certain medications.

In men high sugar affects sexual function - a disorder of sexual desire occurs, reproductive function is disrupted. High sugar levels in men lower testosterone, which in turn regulates sugar levels. For this reason, treatment of diabetes specifically in men is aimed at increasing testosterone.

In men, fat is deposited in the abdominal area and puts pressure on internal organs, including the liver and pancreas. Therefore, they only need to dial a little excess weight so that your blood sugar rises.
Middle-aged women experience elevated sugar levels much less frequently than men.

Blood sugar test

Even if nothing bothers a person, he should periodically have his blood tested. After 40 years, this should be done once every three years, when overweight and in cases where close relatives have diabetes - once a year.

To determine the sugar content, there are many tests: venous or capillary blood is examined, with and without load, and others. The indicators depend on what kind of blood is being tested.
If blood from a finger was examined, then a value from 5.6 to 6.1 mmol/l confirms that there is a failure in the carbohydrate metabolism process, a condition close to diabetes mellitus, which is diagnosed at a value exceeding 6.2 mmol/l.

Some health centers test your blood using a glucometer, which can also be used at home. But the result of such a rapid test is considered preliminary; its accuracy is lower than that carried out in laboratory conditions.

Another test is with a “sugar load”. Blood for analysis is donated for the first time on an empty stomach, then again with glucose intake. During the break between donating blood for analysis, you should not eat, drink, move a lot, or vice versa - lie down. All this will distort the results. With this research method, the values ​​change: the norm is 7.9 mmol/l, above this and up to 11.00 mmol/l means that there is a predisposition to diabetes, and indicators exceeding this value confirm the development of diabetes.

Before testing for sugar levels, you should not stop eating sweets, go on a diet, or overindulge. All this will lead to a biased result.

How to keep sugar normal

A number of factors can change sugar concentrations. Excessive use Eating sweets can cause your body to lose its ability to regulate glucose over time.
There are foods that do not contain sugar, but can cause an increase in sugar in the blood. They contain fats, carbohydrates, starch. The very popular Chinese cuisine is oversaturated with fats and large amounts of carbohydrates, which long time retain elevated sugar, which poses a danger to the human body. This also applies to fast food.

Energy drinks during increased physical activity allow the body to quickly recover due to the sugar in the composition. For professional athletes who expend a lot of energy, this is necessary, but in other cases they should not be used so as not to cause excess glucose levels.

To keep sugar within normal limits, you need physical activity. It doesn't have to be long workouts, you just need to move more. Even walking, ordinary cleaning of the house, and working in the country can reduce glucose levels.

Refusal of meat, milk and eggs in favor of plant products can normalize sugar levels. This is due to the content in plant products fiber, which can slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates, thereby promoting slow and controlled absorption of sugar into the blood.

Even with minor deviations in blood sugar from the norm, you should consult a doctor for examination.

The pancreas controls blood sugar levels by producing insulin. The blood glucose level in men is in the same range as in women and children. If a man abuses acute and fatty foods, alcoholic drinks and smokes, the indicator will fluctuate. It is possible to decrease or increase the level of glycemia in the presence of certain pathologies, in particular diabetes mellitus. Therefore, it is important to monitor the indicator and take measures to stabilize it if it fluctuates in one direction or another. A man over 50 years old should have his blood tested for sugar at least once every six months.

Table of blood sugar norms by age in men

The pancreas produces glucose in the body. The level of glucose in the blood depends on nutrition, bad habits, a person’s daily routine and maintaining oneself in good health. physical fitness. The glycemic norm in men should be especially monitored before the age of 30 and after 60. Acceptable rate blood sugar in men is 3.3-5.5 mmol/l. According to the age normal level sugar varies. Below is a table showing the normal limits for an adult.

In men over 40 years of age, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases. Some of the main reasons for this are heredity and age-related changes.

Laboratory blood test for sugar

The laboratory will help to refute the possibility of developing pathologies and diabetes mellitus. The test is taken on an empty stomach. It is first recommended to avoid physical and emotional stress, overeating, and drinking alcohol. As a rule, blood is taken from a finger, but if the patient is in a hospital, blood can also be taken from a vein. But the normal limit may be slightly higher.

If the limit limit is violated, then you should definitely consult a doctor for more extensive and detailed tests. If there is concern about the development of diabetes mellitus, the analysis is carried out several days in a row. Fasting tests are needed to determine what sugar level is in the case when food has not been consumed for 8 hours before the test. If we talk about the rapid test, it is done at any time of the day without restrictions. Such an analysis is needed to understand what blood sugar is normal for a particular lifestyle. A big difference the results indicate disorders in the body.

Why do glucose levels increase?

If the result is not normal, then this is due to a violation of the production of insulin and glucagon by the pancreas. Increased content sugar is the result of metabolic and hormonal imbalance. There is a temporary increase in sugar, which occurs when there is an emergency release of glucose into the blood. Reasons may be stressful situations. But in such cases, the level of glucose in the blood returns to normal after the cessation of exposure to the irritating factor. This increase in glucose levels is considered a normal protective reaction of the body. ABOUT serious violations and failures indicate a long-term nature. In this case, failures occur in different systems body.

The main symptoms of hyperglycemia in men

• Constant feeling thirst.
• Feeling of dry mouth.
• Itching and dry skin.
• Frequent urination.
• Rapid weight loss.
• Headache and dizziness.
• Fatigue.
• Increased sweating.
• Decreased vision.
• Poor blood clotting.
• Weak skin regeneration.
• Low immunity.

How to lower sugar?

A low-carb diet will help lower sugar in men. This menu will help normalize blood glucose, cholesterol and arterial pressure. You need to take herbal decoctions - chamomile, string, wormwood. Blueberry tea or beet juice taken once a day for a month can help stabilize glycemia. Infusions of barnberry or burdock are no less effective. This measure will help prevent progression to diabetes. In more severe cases, medications and insulin must be added to the diet. Treatment is prepared by a doctor based on blood sugar test results.

Our body - a complex system. It self-regulates all processes and indicators in our body, which, as elsewhere, have their own norm and deviation from it. Blood sugar levels are one of the values ​​in our body that everyone needs to monitor, not just diabetics and people predisposed to diabetes. After all, deviation from the norm is a symptom of many diseases. And it is worth considering that reduced value sugar is just as dangerous as too much sugar.

The glucose indicator, like any other indicator, has its own unit of measurement. Each country has its own generally accepted meaning. When analyzing in Russia, the unit of millimoles per liter or abbreviated mmol/l is used. In other countries, milligram percentages are more commonly used. If you need to convert your Russian figure to mg%, then you just need to multiply it by 18, for example:

5.1 mmol/l x 18 = 91.8 mg%

You may need this if you are taking a test in another country or your glucometer gives results only in milligram percentages.

How is blood glucose measured?

Probably everyone in this world knows that blood is tested for sugar 2 hours after eating. Since after eating food, namely proteins, the level of glucose in the blood increases, to which the pancreas reacts by secreting insulin, with the help of which the body cells absorb sugar. As soon as blood sugar normalizes, the amount of insulin also returns to normal. Therefore, a sugar test is taken strictly 2 hours or more after eating.

You can donate blood at any hospital, clinic or medical center. Blood is taken from your finger, and you will get the result immediately. People who do not have diabetes or prediabetes are recommended to get tested at least once every three years. Those who have diabetes should buy a device for measuring blood sugar - a glucometer, in order to do an analysis and monitor the glucose level 2-3 times every day, since without it you will not be able to control your disease.

Measuring your sugar with a glucometer is a very simple and painless procedure, since the needles are so thin that you won’t feel anything. Before the procedure, be sure to wash your hands; there is no need to disinfect with alcohol. Wipe them thoroughly with a towel, it is important that they are dry, otherwise, when diluting the blood with water, you will not get an accurate result. It is advisable to apply more than the first drop of blood to the test strip, this will increase the accuracy of the result.

The analysis, at the discretion of the doctor, can also be taken from a vein. The blood sugar level from a vein varies slightly: from 4 to 6.8 mmol/l.

Sugar standards

The average sugar level is 3.3 - 5.5 mmol/l or 59.4 - 99 mg%. If a person has prediabetes or diabetes, then his indicators will be as follows:

1. Prediabetes: 6.9 - 7.7 mmol/l.3
2. Diabetes: more than 7.7 mmol/l.

But these values ​​vary depending on gender and age.

A normal blood glucose reading directly contributes to the proper functioning of the pancreas, and therefore the production of the hormone insulin.

If a deviation from the norm occurs over a long period of time, then this is a symptom of the presence of diseases in the body, such as diabetes and others.

Most common reasons high sugar in blood:

• Stress or depression.
• Premenstrual syndrome.
• Disorders in the digestive system.
• Hepatitis, Cirrhosis.
• Bad habits (smoking, alcohol).
• Passive lifestyle.
• Diabetes.

It is impossible to accurately determine your sugar level on your own, without special glucose measuring devices. But there are some symptoms by which you can understand that the indicator is not normal:

• Dry mouth, thirst.
• Continuous feeling of hunger.
• Profuse sweating.
• Numbness of the limbs.
• Fast fatiguability.
• Deterioration of vision.
• Drowsiness, lethargy.
• Obesity.

Normal blood sugar levels in women

For healthy woman middle-aged when taking a fasting blood test, normal indicator- 3.3 - 5.5 mmol/l. But when a woman reaches the age of 60 years, the norm rises to 6.8 mmol/l. At this age, glucose levels need to be monitored most carefully.

Normal blood sugar levels in men

In men, as well as in women, glucose levels increase with age, which can be seen in the table. Men over 50 are at particular risk; it is at this age that there is a high probability of developing diabetes mellitus.

High and low blood sugar

If, after taking the test, you get an elevated result, then first of all, this is a symptom of diabetes mellitus. But not only this is the cause of deviation from the norm, but it can also be:

• Liver diseases.
• Disturbance in the functioning of the pancreas.
• Failure in the endocrine system.

A low sugar level also indicates diabetes, but provided that there is glucose in your urine, which should not be there at all. Causes low sugar in blood:

• Excess insulin.
• Malnutrition.
• Kidney failure.
• Taking a drug to lower sugar.
• Alcohol, smoking.

Symptoms of low glucose:

• Walking in your sleep.
• Sweating profusely.
• Nightmares.
• Anxiety.
• Morning headaches.

In any case, if the indicator increases or decreases, you must make an appointment and consult with a specialist.

Every person needs to monitor their blood sugar levels to prevent this. unpleasant disease like diabetes. This is especially true for people who have a predisposition. And remember, the right and necessary treatment Only a specialist can prescribe it for you.