Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) Test

You received your FBS test results but still need help determining if they fall under the normal range. Read this section to understand whether your results are within the fasting sugar normal range or not.

What Does FBS Test Results Mean?

The result of the fasting glucose test essentially depends on the contents of your last meal, size of your last meal and your body’s response to internal insulin production and functioning. A higher fasting blood sugar level, which is beyond 126 mg/dL, indicates that you have diabetes. High fasting sugar levels can also be caused due to eating large meals with sugary foods and drinks with simple carbohydrates. While a lower FBS test value is desired, anything below 99 mg/dL might be caused due to diabetic medications and indicate other underlying health conditions.

What Is Fasting Blood Sugar Normal Range?

99 mg/dL is considered the fasting glucose normal range and anything beyond this is deemed a higher fasting blood sugar normal value.

[Source]

Seek the right preventive and treatment measures and opt for healthier lifestyle choices for attaining normal fasting blood sugar levels.

What Medical Conditions Can Cause High FBS Levels?

Medical conditions responsible for your very high fasting sugar level are:

• Overactive Thyroid Gland – In this instance, because of too much of thyroid hormones, insulin gets discarded from your body fast, which impacts the glucose transportation in your body. Glucose gets accumulated in your bloodstream leading to higher than normal fasting blood sugar levels.
• Pancreatic cancer – Due to this, islets in your body don’t produce insulin as a response to insulin resistance. This can lead to Type 3c diabetes, which is known as pancreatic diabetes.
• Pancreatitis – Swelling or inflammation of the pancreas disrupts the insulin functionality, leading to high glucose levels.
• Unmanaged stress
• Pheochromocytoma – This is a rare tumour that may cause metabolic derangement and impaired glucose tolerance, leading to high fasting glucose levels.
• Acromegaly – This tumour may cause hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance leading to high blood sugar levels.
• Cushing Syndrome – This medical condition occurs due to high cortisol hormones, which is known to raise the blood pressure and glucose levels.
• Glucagonoma – This pancreatic alpha-cell tumour tends to secret glucagon, which is linked with raised blood sugar levels.

A test result that is beyond the normal FBS range might often indicate more health complications than just diabetes. Do opt for periodic FBS testing to stay vigilant and seek on-time diagnosis, prevention and treatment interventions.

What Medical Conditions Can Cause Low FBS Levels?

Your fasting blood sugar level can be lower than the optimal range due to medical conditions, such as:

• Hypopituitarism – Deficiency of one or more pituitary hormones.
• Underactive Thyroid or Adrenal Gland Insufficiency – Affects the insulin production and functionality.
• Insulinoma – Referred to as tumours in the pancreas, which ultimately affects the insulin production and its operational efficiency.
• Liver Diseases – Liver conditions, such as hepatitis or Liver cirrhosis, can disrupt the liver’s ability to regulate glucose, potentially resulting in lower fasting blood sugar levels.
• Kidney Diseases – Kidney problems can impact glucose metabolism, causing fluctuations in blood sugar levels, including lower fasting blood sugar levels.
• Hormonal Imbalances: Other hormonal imbalances, not just those related to the pituitary, thyroid, or adrenal glands, can affect blood sugar regulation and cause hypoglycemia.

Lifestyle factors, such as less food consumption, higher dosage of diabetes medications or insulin, considerable weight loss as a result of weight loss surgery, vigorous exercise can lead to abnormally low fasting glucose levels.