Diabetic Blood Sugar: What is Normal?
 Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of Americans each year. While diabetes research continues, there is no cure for the disease, and it becomes the responsibility of the sufferer and their health care provider to manage diabetic blood sugar and insulin levels.
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin, while type 2 diabetes is when the cells in the body stop responding to insulin, or the pancreas slows its insulin production. Insulin is a compound that helps regulate glucose, the sugar that cells use for fuel. When the body's insulin levels are affected, it can cause diabetic blood sugar problems that can lead to a variety of other complications.
Health care providers use a scale to determine your blood sugar, normally before you eat or while "fasting," which will put you into one of three categories:
- Normal blood sugar - Between 70 - 100 mg per deciliter (mg/dL).
- Pre-diabetes or borderline diabetic blood sugar - Between 100 - 125 mg/dL. These blood sugar levels indicate that you are at an increased risk of diabetes. In cases of type 2 diabetes, these levels may be able to be lowered to reduce your risk.
- Diabetic blood sugar - 126 mg/dL or higher.
There is no cure for diabetes, and as with many diseases, early detection is the key. For type 1 diabetes, the earlier the condition is detected the easier treatment may be. For type 2 diabetes, early detection may be able to help you lower your blood sugar to more normal levels to avoid painful complications and may be able to help you develop better diabetic blood sugar management options. Speak with your health care provider if you are concerned about your risk of developing diabetes, and what your treatment or prevention options may be.
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