Normal blood glucose graph

BlueSky · #1 (**permalink**) 03-11-2007, 11:08 PM

There has been a lot of discussion about what "normal" is. Here is a graph that gives a good indication of what it should be. The graph below is the average CGMS results of 21 young, healthy non-diabetics. It is from an interesting study. Before meals and at night, the mean BG value trickles along at about 80. And it doesn't go much higher than 120 after meals.

It is interesting that there is such a lot of variability above and below the mean. I guess it goes to show that non-diabetics can also be insulin resistant. I was also interested in the extent of the breakfast post-prandial excursion. To see the presentation and listen to the audio, go here :

www.diabetes-symposium.org

DeusXM · #2 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 02:55 AM

Quote:

It is interesting that there is such a lot of variability above and below the mean. I guess it goes to show that non-diabetics can also be insulin resistant.

Actually, I think's it's demonstrated the point I've been making consistently all along - even non-diabetics don't have rigid BGs around the 4-5mmol/l mark 24/7, and in fact the human body is quite capable of dealing with 'high' blood sugars without receiving any damage at all, providing the duration of the spike is limited.

Cheers, you've just me right about Bernstein and low-carbing.

Gary_W · #3 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 03:09 AM

I wonder how many of these people actually feel dodgy when their BG gets down to a range that we would know as hypo?

I know when I was first diagnosed I'd been running so high for so long that the first time I hit a BG of 7 (around 125) I felt what I now know as hypo warning signs.

Nowadays I don't feel them until I'm 3.x, or occasionally low 4's

For someone who is non-diabetic, do they feel the low? It seems amazing to me these days that so many people without diabetes bang on about how they have to maintain their blood glucose levels, and avoid the low mid morning dip etc etc....

Gary

HelenM · #4 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 04:01 AM

I was looking at the presentation and there is a graph that has all the profiles on it which I think shows the individual variability rather than the averages. Unfortunately the presentation moves on before I've had time to study it! How do you get a still shot? (and better still enlarge it as 20+ lines are hard to follow)

Stuboy · #5 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary_W

I wonder how many of these people actually feel dodgy when their BG gets down to a range that we would know as hypo?

I know when I was first diagnosed I'd been running so high for so long that the first time I hit a BG of 7 (around 125) I felt what I now know as hypo warning signs.

Nowadays I don't feel them until I'm 3.x, or occasionally low 4's

For someone who is non-diabetic, do they feel the low? It seems amazing to me these days that so many people without diabetes bang on about how they have to maintain their blood glucose levels, and avoid the low mid morning dip etc etc....

Gary

Yes, a non-diabetic can experience a hypo.

We've tested Lauras BG before when she's had symptoms of a hypo and her BG was low.
You dont have to be diabetic to have a hypo

Cyborg · #6 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 05:32 AM

Nice graph!

I wouldn't say the bg trickles around 80, but rather bottoms out around 80 (for the mean value). It's real nice to see what happens after meals. Also nice to see that the range can go as low as 60 (the value I treat at usually) and can go as high as 150 or 160 after a meal. Looks like bg should return to normal after about 3 1/2 hours of eating...

Injecto · #7 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuboy

Yes, a non-diabetic can experience a hypo.

Agreed. My wife has always assumed when she get's shaky after not eating for a while she is going a bit hypo because eating always makes her feel better. So, since getting dxd and now I have a BG meter at home we've tested her out when she feels like that and she has easily gone down to 3.4 and getting all shaky.

HollyB · #8 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 08:34 AM

The women in my family are all prone to hypos and we get very ugly when they happen (as my husband discovered on our first travelling adventure together -- he liked to get up and drive for two hours before breakfast. He stopped suggesting that very quickly!). I got like that soon after Aaron was diagnosed and checked on his meter -- 3.7. Many people would not even call that hypo but I would have dismembered any one standing between me and food at that point. I can only imagine what a bad one feels like.

Randy Newman wrote a song for me and my sister:

"She may be hungry, she won't say,
But you better get a burger or something into her right away.
If you don't, you gonna pay
At the hand of the one you love."

Funnygrl · #9 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 08:57 AM

I wouldn't say that any of those values went into a hypo range. The lowest is like 80. For a non-diabetic the blood sugar has to go below 60 to be considered a true hypo.

I also think it's interesting the blood sugar doesn't go above 120 after a meal. it seems non-diabetics also have a little dawn phenomenon.

DeusXM · #10 (**permalink**) 03-12-2007, 09:20 AM

Quote:

I also think it's interesting the blood sugar doesn't go above 120 after a meal.

Well, it does, actually. The mean average reading doesn't, but there's a range that goes right up to 160. Also the chart doesn't take into account precisely what is eaten - it's not based on individuals eating the exact same portion size or amount of carbs.

Quote:

it seems non-diabetics also have a little dawn phenomenon.

They probably do; it's just that their bodies also release insulin at the same time as glycogen, meaning they don't actually have an overall increase in blood sugar.

ant hill · #11 (**permalink**) 05-05-2007, 12:15 AM

Here is my BG's over 14 days

And i do need some help

owlyn · #12 (**permalink**) 05-05-2007, 05:23 AM

That is a great graph. Makes me feel not so bad, seeing that "normal" people hit 160 after a meal. I didn't listen to the presentation, but it would have been interesting to see if there was any correlation with food choices/amount eaten and those who went to 160 vs those who didn't go as high.

Dan Gato · #13 (**permalink**) 07-22-2007, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funnygrl

I wouldn't say that any of those values went into a hypo range. The lowest is like 80. For a non-diabetic the blood sugar has to go below 60 to be considered a true hypo.

I also think it's interesting the blood sugar doesn't go above 120 after a meal. it seems non-diabetics also have a little dawn phenomenon.

So, what are you saying?
normal is 80 to 120 for non diabetics?
I'm far away of being normal.
The endos say should never be over 110. I guess 10 points is not a big deal. it isn't for me.

LancetChick · #14 (**permalink**) 07-22-2007, 05:11 PM

I feel as if I need to hold myself to a standard that doesn't allow for any but the smallest post-prandial blood sugar spikes, even though non-diabetics clearly do spike after eating. I do this because non-diabetics don't get high blood sugars from a surprise hormone or stress incident or from miscalculating an insulin dose or any of a dozen other reasons, and I do! If I accepted a non-diabetic post-prandial BG range for myself, there's no way I'd be able to have an A1c in the non-diabetic range without stumbling through life in a hypoglycemic fog. About 21 years ago my CDE said that she tested her blood sugar after eating a carb heavy Thanksgiving meal, and it was 180. I just can't get away with a spike that high simply because I am a diabetic.

warner · #15 (**permalink**) 07-31-2007, 06:18 PM

Hi all. For the "normal blood sugar graph", how do you guys know that it's showing plasma glucose and not whole blood glucose? The A1Cs quoted in the presentation seem to imply that the graph is showing whole blood values, but it's hard to tell. thanks, warner