Blood sugar level serves as a crucial indicator of your health. It’s important to be mindful of the ideal blood sugar level range because blood sugar levels outside the target range can have serious health implications. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all normal blood sugar range as it varies between individuals based on age, health conditions and lifestyle.
In this blog post, we will discuss the target blood sugar levels and other important indicators such as HbA1c and blood pressure for different groups. Please keep in mind that this mainly serves as a guideline and it’s important to consult your healthcare provider for a more complete medical assessment and personal recommendations.
Table of Content
What Is Blood Sugar?
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar found in your blood and acts as the main source of energy. It mainly comes from carbohydrates found in foods and your blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day as you perform different activities.
High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. However, it doesn’t mean that keeping your blood sugar as low as possible is good for you. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can be dangerous since it can cause confusion, anxiety, vision problems and more.
How Does Blood Sugar Test Work?
Usually, blood sugar is tested with a glucometer. It involves pricking your finger and placing a drop of your blood on the test strip of the glucometer. It can then measure the amount of glucose in the blood sample in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L).
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is another way to measure blood sugar. It allows users to see glucose trends over a certain period of time, depending on the model, instead of seeing blood sugar measurements as dots on a graph.
Target Blood Sugar Level Ranges for People without Diabetes
In general, if you don’t have diabetes and wish to assess whether you have abnormal blood sugar levels, you can refer to the following standards:
- Fasting blood sugar level: < 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L)
- Postprandial blood sugar level: < 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)
- Random glucose test level: < 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L)
- HbA1c: 4.0 – 5.6%
| Fasting blood sugar level (mg/dL) | Bedtime blood sugar level (mg/dL) | HbA1c (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-diabetic | < 100 mg/dL < 5.6 mmol/L |
< 140 mg/dL < 7.8 mmol/L |
< 5.7 |
| Pre-diabetes | 100 - 125 mg/dL 5.6 - 6.9 mmol/L |
140 - 199 mg/dL 7.8 - 11.1 mmol/L |
5.7 - 6.4 |
Diagnosis Criteria for Diabetes
- Fasting blood sugar level ≧ 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L)
- Postprandial blood sugar level ≧ 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L)
- Random glucose test level ≧ 200 mg/dL (or 11.1 mmol/L with typical symptoms of diabetes like extreme thirst, extreme hunger, frequent urination, and weight loss)
- HbA1c ≧ 6.5%
Target Blood Sugar Level Ranges for People with Diabetes
Infants and Preschoolers with Type 1 Diabetes
For infants and preschoolers aged 0 – 6 diagnosed with diabetes, most cases are of type 1 diabetes. The target range of blood sugar level for them are as follows:
- Fasting blood glucose: 100 – 180 mg/dL (5.6 – 10 mmol/L)
- Bedtime blood glucose: 110 – 200 mg/dL (6.1 – 11.1 mmol/L)
- HbA1c < 8.5%
Children 0 to 6 require special attention because they may not be able to recognize and respond to symptoms of hypoglycemia
| Fasting blood sugar level | Blood sugar level 2 hours after 75 gm glucose test |
HbA1c (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children aged 0 - 6 years | 100 - 180 mg/dL 5.6 - 10 mmol/L |
110 - 200 mg/dL 6.1 - 11.1 mmol/L |
< 8.5 |
Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes
For children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes aged 7 to 19, the target range of blood sugar levels are as follows:
- Fasting blood sugar level: 90 – 130 mg/dL (5 – 7.2 mmol/L)
- Bedtime blood sugar level: 90 – 150 mg/dL (5 – 8.3 mmol/L)
- HbA1c: < 7.5%
The target range can be adjusted based on individual circumstances. If the risk of hypoglycemia is low, you can also consider stricter targets such as HbA1c < 7%. However, if you have frequent hypoglycemia episodes, or if there are unpredictable episodes or significant fluctuations in blood sugar levels, you may consider adjusting the criteria.
| Fasting blood sugar level | Bedtime blood glucose level | HbA1c (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children aged 7 - 19 years | 90 - 130 mg/dL 5 - 7.2 mmol/L |
90 - 150 mg/dL 5 - 8.3 mmol/L |
< 7.5 |
Adults with Diabetes
For adults aged 20 to 65, the recommended target blood sugar level ranges are as follows:
- Fasting blood sugar level: 80 – 130 mg/dL (4.4 – 7.2 mmol/L)
- 2-hour postprandial sugar level: 80 – 160 mg/dL (4.4 – 10 mmol/L)
- HbA1c < 7.0%
- Blood pressure: < 130 / 80 mmHg
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to kidney damage, and failed kidneys can also lead to elevated blood pressure. It’s recommended to keep your blood pressure below 130 / 80 mmHg whether you have kidney disease or not.
Set Your HbA1c Target Based on Your Conditions
If you meet the following criteria, you may consider setting your target HbA1c to be < 6.5%:
- Have had diabetes for less than 5 years
- Have no or only mild diabetes complications
- Have Low risk of hypoglycemia
Seniors with Diabetes
For seniors in good health, the recommended target blood sugar level ranges are:
- Fasting blood glucose: 90 – 130 mg/dL (5 – 7.2 mmol/L)
- Bedtime blood glucose: 90 – 150 mg/dL (5 – 8.3 mmol/L)
- HbA1c < 7.5%
- Blood pressure < 140 / 90mmHg
For seniors with diabetes who are facing more severe health issues, it’s advisable to consult your healthcare providers to adjust your target blood sugar range. It’s important to remain vigilant about potential complications resulting from sudden spikes in blood sugar levels.
People with Gestational Diabetes
For women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, the target blood sugar level ranges, assuming hypoglycemia doesn’t frequently occur, are as follows:
- Fasting blood glucose (preprandial)： < 95 mg/dL (5.3 mmol/L)
- 1-hour postprandial blood glucose： < 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)
- 2-hour postprandial blood glucose： < 120 mg/dL (6.7 mmol/L)
- HbA1c： 6.0 % – 6.5%
- Glycated albumin：< 15.8%
Pregnancy-related conditions like iron deficiency anemia and increased blood volume can compromise the reliability of HbA1c. Thus, an alternative would be to use glycated albumin as a mid-term indicator for blood levels in the past 2 to 4 weeks.
| Fasting blood glucose | 1-hour postprandial blood glucose | 2-hour postprandial blood glucose | HbA1c (%) | Glycated albumin (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 95 mg/dL < 5.3 mmol/L |
< 140 mg/dL < 7.8 mmol/L |
< 120 mg/dL < 6.7 mmol/L |
6 - 6.5 | < 15.8 |
Hospitalized Patients
For patients with severe illness or sepsis, overly strict blood glucose targets can increase the risk of severe hypoglycemia (< 40 mg/dL) and mortality.
On the other hand, hyperglycemia can also contribute to wound infections or slower wound healing. Therefore, it’s suggested to keep the blood sugar levels within the range of 140 – 180 mg/dL.
| Blood glucose levels | |
|---|---|
| Most patietns with or without severe illness | 140 - 180 mg/dL 7.8 - 10 mmol/L |
What to Do After Setting Your Targets? 3 Key Points to Achieve Your Goals
The target blood sugar level ranges may change based on different physiological factors. You can discuss with your healthcare providers and evaluate your conditions to come up with a more personalized blood glucose management plan.
Keeping your blood sugar levels within the target range is indeed challenging, but you can start by adjusting exercise routine, diet, and medication:
Exercise
Perform different types of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises. It’s recommended to engage in at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Diet
Aside from having healthy and balanced diets, it’s also important to pay close attention to how much carbohydrates, such as fruits, whole grains, and dairy products, you consume. Excessive intake of these can greatly affect your blood sugar.
Medication
Follow the doctor’s instructions and take your medication on time. Do not stop taking medication without advice from your healthcare providers.
If you have any questions during the process, please discuss and consult with professional medical staff to make this journey easier.
For seniors with diabetes, or those with severe complications, the target range can be widened. On the other hand, for those newly diagnosed with diabetes, and without other complications, setting a more rigorous blood sugar management plan is encouraged.
The earlier you can keep your blood glucose within the target range, the higher the chance of preventing diabetic complications.
