Converting Blood Sugar Results: A Guide for Understanding Your Diabetes
Understanding your blood sugar results can be confusing, especially when you’re newly diagnosed with diabetes or struggling to manage your levels. As a patient, it’s crucial to grasp how to interpret your readings to make informed decisions about your treatment and lifestyle choices. In this article, we’ll cover the essentials of converting your blood sugar results to give you a clearer picture of your health.
How do I Convert My Blood Sugar Results?
HbA1c, FPG, and Mmol/l
Blood sugar results typically come in two forms:
- HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) percentage: a measure of your average blood sugar control over the past 2-3 months.
- FPG (Fasting Plasma Glucose): your blood sugar level after a 7-10 hour fast (typically in the morning before eating).
Conversion between the two formats often requires adjustments: HbA1c values correspond to elevated fasting plasma glucose (eFG) readings as shown in Table 1 below:
Table 1: Approximate HbA1c Conversion for Fasting Plasma Glucose (mg/dL) Values
| HbA1c (%) | eFG (mg/dL) | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Below 4% | below 68 mg/dL | Normal range |
| 4% to <5% | 69-87 mg/dL | Average/ Borderline |
| 5.0 to <5.6 | 88-100 mg/dL | Impaired glucose tolerance/Pre-diabetes |
| 5.6 or higher | above 101 mg/dL | Type 2 Diabetes |
Additionally, mg/dL represents milligrams per deciliter (blood glucose units, e.g., 110 mg/dL) _, while mmol/L denotes millimoles per liter (blood glucose units, e.g., 6.1 mmol/L). One-to-one conversion rates between mg/dL and mmol/L are essential: 110 mg/dL = 6.1 mmol/L, or 60 mg/dL = 3.3 mmol/L. These conversion formulas can come in handy when referring to medical professionals or patient data records.
Decoding and Understanding Blood Sugar Results: A Simplified Guide
• Range Normal/Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia
Keep track of blood sugar results in their respective categories: normal ranges, high or hyperglycemia (>100mg/dL), and lows or hypoglycemia ( <60 mg/dL).
- Normal blood sugar range: 3.9 – 7.8% (61 – 100 mg/dL or 3.3 – 6.1 mmol/L)
- Hyperglycemia (>100 mg/dL / 5.5 mmol/L): Monitor and consult healthcare professionals when experiencing higher than normal results.
- Hypoglycemia ( < 60 mg/dL / 3.3 mmol/L): Contact your healthcare professional or urgent care immediately upon experiencing extreme low blood sugar.
• Tracking Average Blood Glucose (average of previous values)
Check with your doctor or log sheets to discover your 24-hour MARD (mean arithmetic deviation and range), 7-point BG average (last 7 capillary test values), or weekly blood glucose patterns (graphing patterns). Understand these tracking methods: some individuals prioritize average numbers while others analyze daily excursions (see MARD Analysis).
MARD Analysis: In addition to average and excursions (high, low, low-high spikes, or constant levels):
• Higher MARD: Reflects increased diurnal swings, demanding adaptations for stable levels
• Lower MARD: Generally suggests lower variability and more manageable blood sugars _
Staying Adaptable
Tracking Changes, Recording, and Understanding Blood Glucose Changes: A Dynamic Process
Stay updated:
• Reviewing logs and recordings, analyzing graphs, identifying **trending patterns_
• Reviewing patterns: Understanding spikes, lulls, hypoglycemic drops, _glycemic variability
• Adjust insulin/diet/routine schedules, considering HbA1c reports, healthcare expert input (consult specialists like Endo, GP)
HbA1c & Fasting Plasma Glucose: Beyond Numbers
This article presents fundamental guidelines, but we should also examine the reasoning behind blood glucose control : understanding underlying medical conditions (trends, etiology) ; tracking personal factors detailed tracking, data accuracy, including Lifestyle factors
(–). Maintaining active patient participation,
continuity, shared decision making**
(continuous communication),
Keep a Blood Sugar Chart/Log!
HbA1c
Monitor changes as you become a part in your Healthcare!
This ultimate guide outlines principles to understanding your blood sugar conversions: translating data into empowered healthcare choices by converting from HbA1c, eFG (mg/dL), or HbA1c
For enhanced insight in your data: Create Your Own chart. Patient empowerment means adapting your chart to keep yourself on-track
for improved sugar control – A true partnership**
Let me conclude by echoing an important remark: in an age dominated by
diabetes as a constant part of patients’ life, never forget,
as I and many in our healthcare have learned so many lessons as we shared it in such a friendly guide for now, by making these key points easily remembered:
Your blood glucose is just 1 vital metric,
Don’t assume too much significance,
Stable values ≠ perfect well-being.
_Your personalized adaptation will allow you better care for each other (Your health in your power).
Your responsibility is being able to create a change from these, and remember!