Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Rock asks

Q: if my glucose test is 3.4 what does this mean?? I had tested in the past several time and it came 5.6 6.6 5.4 but never so low as 3.4. Await reply?

I am 59 years and not a diet person.
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Answers (2)
Dr. Bill Quick, Health Pro
9/25/12 1:52pm

A blood glucose of 3.4 mmol/L (62 mg/dl) is a bit on the low side; normal ranges are between 100-126 mg/dl (5.6 to 7). See 

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/pre-diabetes/diagnosis.html

for further info -- divide by 18 for mmol/L or use the converter at

http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/bs_conv.htm

 

If your physician's looking for the possibility of diabetes (high sugar), then a value of 3.4 is not a problem -- of course if your physician was looking for hypoglycemia (low sugar) then this value is suspicious, but not diagnostic.

 

Hypoglycemia frequently has symptoms such as shakiness, hunger, headache, or rapid heart rate. If you had such symptoms when your BG was measured, you should probably adjust your meal plan to decrease the chances of more severe hypos.

 

Sometimes, people who later develop diabetes may have hypoglycemia during the years before the sugar goes high, so there's a chance your BG of 3.4 is a bit of an early warning that you'll someday go high.

 

Bill

William W. Quick, MD, FACP, FACE

Editor, D-is-for-Diabetes

www.D-is-for-Diabetes.com

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Dr. Bill Quick, Health Pro
9/25/12 2:39pm

I expanded a bit on this reply, at

http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/110/156137/glucose-3-4

Hope this helps!

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By Rock— Last Modified: 09/25/12, First Published: 09/18/12