Diabetes Talking

Question:

I tend to have my Blood Glucose readings go above 300 on ocassion, and then I will shoot it down to normal range within about an hr. using Humalog.  How detrimental to my health are High Blood Sugar readings (never over 400) when I take care of them right away?  

Damage to your body from high blood sugars is cumulative.  For your long term health you need to keep those numbers lower.  And starting NOW would be a good idea. Talk to your team (you do have a team?) about a multiple injection regime.  Its not easy, but the long term benefits are important. For your information, my aim is to have a blood sugar of 90 before meals, and never over 200 anytime.  Of course I don’t always make those numbers.  And it took me a few years to get to this level.   Ned

Response:

I tend to have my Blood Glucose readings go above 300 on ocassion, and then I will shoot it down to normal range within about an hr. using Humalog.  How detrimental to my health are High Blood Sugar readings (never over 400) when I take care of them right away?  I also test for Ketones in my urine, when I get High readings, and have yet had a test come back other than normal, i.e., no ketones present.  I know my sugars rollercoast because I am not perfect, or either is my body, but whats the damage that this can cause if they are taken care of quickly, and no ketones ever have been present?  

No one can say for sure since we don’t fully understand the mechanism(s) that cause the harm associated with diabetes.  There are many complications of diabetes and, often, many mechanisms proposed for a single complication. Whether the mechanisms are responsive to spikes or insensitive to them is usually not clear. Other than that I am 5′9" tall, 145lbs, lift weights (athletic body), and ride about 30 to 80 miles a week, I also work in construction.  MY only vice, I smoke about

One thing that is very clear is that smoking and diabetes are independent and roughly equal risk factors for cardiovascular problems.  They are additive risk factors. — Charly Coughran

Response:

I tend to have my Blood Glucose readings go above 300 on ocassion, and then I will shoot it down to normal range within about an hr. using Humalog.  How detrimental to my health are High Blood Sugar readings (never over 400) when I take care of them right away?  I also test for Ketones in my urine, when I get High readings, and have yet had a test come back other than normal, i.e., no ketones present.  I know my sugars rollercoast because I am not perfect, or either is my body, but whats the damage that this can cause if they are taken care of quickly, and no ketones ever have been present?  Other than that I am 5′9" tall, 145lbs, lift weights (athletic body), and ride about 30 to 80 miles a week, I also work in construction.  MY only vice, I smoke about

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