by Vijay
(Dhanbad jharkhand india)
My father had prediabetes several months ago. After paying attention to what he ate and drank, his blood sugar returned to the normal range.
After that, he started eating rice, potatoes and apples again, although he still avoided sugar. One or two months later, his blood sugar was 217 mg/dL two hours after eating. How can he control it? Is this something to worry about? His weight is normal and he is not overweight.
Hello Vijay,
A blood sugar of 217 mg/dL two hours after eating is approximately 12.1 mmol/L. This is high and should not be ignored, especially because your father has previously been told that he had prediabetes.
However, one home glucose reading after an ordinary meal cannot diagnose diabetes by itself. The result can be affected by the meal, portion size, activity, illness, stress, medicines and the accuracy of the meter. Your father should arrange a medical appointment soon for laboratory testing rather than becoming frightened or attempting to diagnose himself.
Prediabetes does not necessarily disappear permanently when glucose readings improve. It means the body remains at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Healthier eating and regular activity may bring glucose back into the normal range, but levels can rise again when habits or the body’s ability to process glucose change.
A normal body weight is beneficial, but it does not rule out diabetes. Age, family history, genetics, reduced insulin production and abdominal fat can all influence risk. You can read more about how timing changes the meaning of a result in our guide to diabetes blood sugar levels.
I recommend asking his doctor about:
A properly performed laboratory glucose-tolerance test is different from checking glucose after an ordinary meal. In that formal test, a two-hour result of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher is in the diabetes range. When a person has no clear symptoms, an abnormal diagnostic result is generally confirmed with repeat laboratory testing.
An isolated home reading of 217 mg/dL therefore does not prove that your father has diabetes, but it is sufficiently high to justify prompt follow-up. Our explanation of the random blood glucose test may help you understand why the test type and symptoms matter.
Avoiding table sugar is helpful, but sugar is not the only food that raises glucose. Rice and potatoes contain starch, which the body converts into glucose. The amount eaten and the combination of foods in the meal are important.
For the next several days, he can record his fasting glucose and his reading two hours after the first bite of a meal. He should also write down what and how much he ate. A series of properly taken readings is more useful than repeatedly checking without a plan. Follow the correct testing steps described in our home blood glucose monitoring guide.
He should not begin diabetes medicine, use somebody else’s tablets or change prescribed treatment without consulting his doctor. If laboratory tests confirm diabetes, his clinician can decide whether lifestyle changes alone are sufficient or whether medicine is needed.
A reading of 217 mg/dL without symptoms is usually not an emergency by itself. Seek urgent medical care if high readings occur with vomiting, severe weakness, confusion, difficulty breathing, marked dehydration, abdominal pain, inability to keep fluids down, or unusual drowsiness. Frequent urination, excessive thirst, blurred vision or unexplained weight loss should also be reported promptly.
Please arrange fasting glucose and HbA1c testing for your father soon. Meanwhile, return to the eating and activity habits that previously helped him, but do not blame one food or rely only on avoiding sugar. The goal is to understand whether this was an isolated meal-related rise or evidence that his glucose control has genuinely worsened.
Answered by Dr. Albana Greca, MD, Family Physician. This information is educational and does not replace examination, diagnosis or individualized medical care.
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