Blood Sugar

What is a fasting blood sugar test?

South Asians are at a very high risk for diabetes. A fasting blood sugar test is done after a person fasts for 10 to 12 hours. It determines if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes. The results are measured as follows:

  • Less than 100 mg/dL = Normal
  • 100-125 mg/dL = Pre-diabetes
  • Greater than or equal to 126 mg/dL = Diabetes

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What is pre-diabetes?

Having pre-diabetes does not mean that you are destined to develop diabetes. However, your risk increases further if you have one of the following risk factors:

  • You are overweight or obese.
  • You have a parent or sibling with diabetes.
  • You had diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds at birth.
  • You have high blood pressure.
  • Your cholesterol results show that you have high triglycerides and/or a low HDL.
If you have pre-diabetes, your fasting blood sugar should be monitored at least once a year.
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What can I do if I have pre-diabetes?

Fortunately, exercising, improving your diet and losing weight can significantly reduce your risk of developing diabetes and can completely normalize your blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that some of the following measures may also help reduce diabetes risk:

  • Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
  • Eat a diet high in fiber.
  • Increase low-fat or non-fat dairy intake.
  • Eat more nuts, but limit to no more than 1.5 ounces per day.
  • Eat carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables (yellow, orange and red).
  • Increase dietary magnesium (nuts, whole grains and leafy greens).
  • Increase dietary vitamin E (leafy greens, olive oil, canola oil and nuts).
  • Get more sleep. (Studies suggest that sleep deprivation may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes.)
See your physician regularly and refer to the nutrition section for more tips on healthy eating.
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What should I do if I have diabetes?

If you have diabetes, your health needs to be monitored closely by your physician. This means initially seeing your doctor every three months until your blood sugar levels are well controlled.

PAMF has several resources for helping patients with diabetes:


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Resources

PAMF offers a variety of resources including health education classes and lectures, as well as Shared Medical Appointments (for PAMF patients) focused on specific health concerns. Learn more about support and resources at PAMF.

PAMF's Endocrinology SMA meets weekly to discuss pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, and lipids and cholesterol.

Last reviewed: February 2007

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