Related topics: diabetes , type 2 diabetes



Blood sugar

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Blood sugar concentration, or glucose level, refers to the amount of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. Normally, in mammals the blood glucose level is maintained at a reference range between about 3.6 and 5.8 mM (mmol/l). It is tightly regulated as a part of metabolic homeostasis.

Mean normal blood glucose levels in humans are about 90 mg/100ml, equivalent to 5mM (mmol/l) (since the molecular weight of glucose, C6H12O6, is about 180 g/mol). The total amount of glucose normally in circulating human blood is therefore about 3.3 to 7g (assuming an ordinary adult blood volume of 5 litres, plausible for an average adult male). Glucose levels rise after meals for an hour or two by a few grams and are usually lowest in the morning, before the first meal of the day. Transported via the bloodstream from the intestines or liver to body cells, Glucose is the primary source of energy for body's cells, fats and oils (ie, lipids) being primarily a compact energy store.

Failure to maintain blood glucose in the normal range leads to conditions of persistently high (hyperglycemia) or low (hypoglycemia) blood sugar. Diabetes mellitus, characterized by persistent hyperglycemia from any of several causes, is the most prominent disease related to failure of blood sugar regulation.

For more information about Blood sugar, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with blood glucose

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Self-monitoring with blood glucose test strips inefficient use of health-care resources

Medicine & Health / Other

created Dec 21, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Routine self-monitoring of blood glucose levels by people with type 2 diabetes who are not taking insulin is an ineffective use of health resources as the modest benefits are outweighed by the significant cost of test strips, ...


Steroid injections may slow diabetes-related eye disease

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Dec 15, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Injecting the corticosteroid triamcinolone into the eye may slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that can cause vision loss and blindness, according to a report in the December issue of ...


Strict blood sugar control in some diabetics does not lower heart attack, stroke risk

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Strictly controlling blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics with coexisting health problems such as heart disease and hypertension does not lower their risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to a UC ...


Association of tight glycemic control with road crashes in diabetic patients

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Dec 08, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A study from Canada published this week in PLoS Medicine suggests an association between tighter glycemic control and an increased risk of a motor vehicle crash in diabetic adults. Using a population-based case control analys ...


Dessert on your mind? Your muscles may be getting the message

Medicine & Health / Research

created Dec 01, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Even the anticipation of sweets may cause our muscles to start taking up more blood sugar, say researchers reporting in the December issue of Cell Metabolism. That message is delivered via neurons in the brain's hypothalamus contai ...


Implantable Glucose Sensor Could Spell Relief for Millions of Diabetics (w/ Video)

Implantable Glucose Sensor Could Spell Relief for Millions of Diabetics (w/ Video)

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- UConn researchers have developed a tiny wireless device that can be inserted under a patient?s skin to monitor blood glucose levels over a period of several months.


Smart solution: SLU researchers use smartphones to improve health of elderly diabetics in China

Smart solution: Researchers use smartphones to improve health of elderly diabetics in China

Medicine & Health / Health

created Oct 29, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Cellular phones - once a luxury used strictly for talking - have taken on many new roles in recent years. Now researchers at Saint Louis University and Old Dominion University in Virginia say smartphones can ...


Lifestyle changes, drug lower type 2 diabetes risk

Medicine & Health / Health

created Oct 28, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Intensive lifestyle changes aimed at modest weight loss reduced the rate of developing type 2 diabetes by 34 percent over 10 years in people at high risk for the disease.


Should children undergo surgery without a long period of fasting after feeding?

Medicine & Health / Other

created Oct 28, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Blood glucose levels in a lot of patients fed normal liquid food (NLF) and a high calorie diet (HCD) were high. There was no significant difference in the blood prealbumin levels. There was a significant increase in the blood ...


Latest diabetes figures paint grim global picture

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Oct 20, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 1

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released new data today showing that a staggering 285 million people worldwide have diabetes. The latest figures from the IDF Diabetes Atlas indicate that people in low and middle-income ...


Innovative program helps treat depression and obesity

Medicine & Health / Health

created Oct 19, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Queensland pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative traditional Chinese exercise program on depression and obesity has produced very promising results.


Healthy neighborhoods may be associated with lower diabetes risk

Medicine & Health / Health

created Oct 12, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Individuals living in neighborhoods conducive to physical activity and providing access to healthy foods may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in a five-year period, according to a report in the October 12 issue ...


Self monitoring of blood glucose levels helps patients with diabetes

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Oct 01, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) enables those with diabetes to modify their behavior, adjust their medicine and understand their disease to better manage it, according to a recent study, published by SAGE in The Di ...


Treating even mild gestational diabetes reduces birth complications (w/ Video)

Medicine & Health / Health

created Sep 30, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Treating pregnant women for mild gestational diabetes resulted in fewer cesarean sections and other serious birthing problems associated with larger than average babies, according to a study conducted in part at the University ...


Tai chi can help people with diabetes lower glucose levels

Medicine & Health / Health

created Sep 30, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A regular tai chi exercise program can help people better control their diabetes and lower glucose levels, according to a University of Florida study.