Maintenance of normal blood sugar level Custom Search The cells of the body need an unending supply of energy for various functions. Glucose is the primary fuel for the cells of the body. Skeletal muscles which require lot of energy can also make use of fatty acids to derive energy. Skeletal muscles also store glucose in the form of glycogen. But the brain is dependent almost entirely on glucose as a source of energy. It does not store glucose and hence depends on blood glucose. Therefore there should be sufficient glucose in the blood at all times. If the level of glucose in the blood goes below a particular level, a condition known as hypoglycemia, the brain will not be able to function normally and the person may suffer from confusion, weakness, lapse into coma or even die if not promptly treated. On the other hand if the level of glucose in the blood exceeds a limit (hyperglycemia) as in diabetes mellitus that is also dangerous. The normal level of blood glucose varies slightly being the lowest in the morning before a person takes any food or drink containing glucose (fasting blood sugar abbreviated as FBS). It reaches a peak some time after consumption of food (postprandial blood sugar abbreviated as PPBS). The term Random Blood Sugar (RBS) is used when blood is tested at any time of the day without regard to the time of food intake. The amount of glucose in the blood may be expressed as milligrams per 100 milliliter of blood or as millimoles (written as mmol) per liter. The normal fasting blood sugar in older children and adults varies between 60-105 milligrams per 100 milliliter of blood (3.33-5.88 millimoles per liter). Two hour postprandial level should be less than 140 milligrams per 100 milliliter of blood (7.8 millimoles per liter). 100 milliliter is equal to 1 deciliter. Milligram is abbreviated as mg, milliliter is abbreviated as ml and deciliter is abbreviated as dl. You may see the report as 90 mg/dl or 90mg/100 ml. However in a newborn baby the normal blood sugar is lower and the lower limit is just 40mg/100ml for full term babies for the first few days. In premature and low birth weight babies even a level of 30mg/100 ml is acceptable. The level of glucose is maintained within normal range by hormones. After a person consumes food the level of sugar in the blood tends to go up. This is sensed by the special cells in pancreas called beta cells which immediately release insulin into blood. Insulin sends sugar inside the cells and acts on liver. Under the influence of insulin liver converts glucose into glycogen and stores it. If on the other hand the level of sugar in the blood goes below a particular level the alpha cells of the pancreas release another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon acts on the liver leading to breakdown of glycogen (a process known as glycogenolysis) into glucose which is then released into blood. Stress hormones like adrenaline and some steroids also increase the level of glucose in the blood. Growth hormone and thyroxine also increase blood sugar. Many people are erratic in their eating habits-overeating sometimes, skipping breakfast or a meal at other times and snaking at irregular intervals occasionally consuming lot of sweets. It is indeed amazing that nature has devised such a wonderful mechanism for maintaining the sugar level in the blood within a narrow range. The complexity of this mechanism will become obvious when we try to treat a patient of diabetes. The dose of insulin or other oral drugs has to be tailored to each individual. A patient of diabetes has to be very careful in eating with regard to timing, quantity of food and the type of food consumed. Any illness in a diabetic patient has to be taken very seriously. Minor wounds can get severely infected occasionally resulting in gangrene. So many diabetic patients lose one or more toes, an entire foot or even an entire limb. In spite of best efforts diabetic patients sometimes suffer from hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes. Some patients develop what is known as insulin resistance which means the cells in the body stop responding insulin. Such patients have to be given progressively higher dosages increasing the cost of treatment. Almost all insulin dependent patients need two injections and some even need three. Repeated injections often cause local problems. Scientists have developed insulin pumps which are attached to the body. The pump can be programmed to release insulin in a predetermined manner. These pumps are very costly and are beyond the reach of many people. They have limited lifespan. No man made pump can come anywhere near the God given insulin pump namely the pancreas. Custom Search
Page last reviewed on 22nd June 2010
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