Health Topic

Blood Glucose

Your body processes the food you eat into glucose. Your blood carries glucose (blood sugar) to all of your body's cells to use for energy. Learn more.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Blood sugar

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Blood Glucose

Blood glucose, or blood sugar, is the main sugar found in your blood. It is your body's primary source of energy. It comes from the food you eat. Your body breaks down most of that food into glucose and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood glucose goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to be used for energy.

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose levels are too high. When you have diabetes, your body doesn't make enough insulin, can't use it as well as it should, or both. Too much glucose stays in your blood and doesn't reach your cells. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious health problems (diabetes complications). So if you have diabetes, it's important to keep your blood glucose levels within your target range.

If you have diabetes, your blood glucose target is the range you try to reach as much as possible. The typical targets are:

  • Before a meal: 80 to 130 mg/dL
  • Two hours after the start of a meal: Less than 180 mg/dL

Your blood glucose targets may be different, depending on your age, any additional health problems you have, and other factors. Talk with your health care team about the best target range for you.

If you have diabetes, you'll likely need to check your blood glucose every day to make sure that your blood glucose numbers are in your target range. Some people may need to check their blood glucose several times a day. Ask your health care team how often you need to check it.

The most common way to check your blood glucose level at home is with a blood glucose meter. A blood glucose meter measures the amount of glucose in a small sample of blood, usually from your fingertip.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is another way to check your glucose levels. Most CGM systems use a tiny sensor that is inserted under your skin. The sensor measures your glucose level every few minutes. It can show changes in your glucose level throughout the day and night. A CGM system is especially useful for people who take insulin and have problems with low blood glucose.

Your provider will also check your blood glucose with a blood test called an A1C. It checks your average blood glucose level over the past three months. People with diabetes usually have an A1C test at least twice a year. But you may need the test more often if you aren't meeting your diabetes treatment goals.

High blood glucose is called hyperglycemia. Symptoms that your blood glucose levels may be too high include:

  • Feeling thirsty
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Headaches
  • Urinating (peeing) often
  • Blurred vision

If you often have high blood glucose levels or symptoms of high blood glucose, talk with your health care team. You may need a change in your diabetes meal plan, physical activity plan, or diabetes medicines.

High blood glucose may also be caused by other conditions that can affect insulin or glucose levels in your blood. These conditions include problems with your pancreas or adrenal glands.

Hypoglycemia, also called low blood glucose, happens when your blood glucose level drops below what is healthy for you. For many people with diabetes, this means a blood glucose reading lower than 70 mg/dL. Your number might be different, so check with your health care team to find out what blood glucose level is low for you.

Symptoms of low blood glucose tend to come on quickly. The symptoms can be different for everyone, but they may include:

  • Shaking
  • Sweating
  • Nervousness or anxiety
  • Irritability or confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Hunger

Low blood glucose levels can be common in people with type 1 diabetes and people with type 2 diabetes who take certain diabetes medicines. If you think you may have low blood glucose, check your level, even if you don't have symptoms. Low blood glucose can be dangerous and should be treated as soon as possible.

Although it's rare, you can still get low blood glucose without having diabetes. The causes can include conditions such as liver disease, kidney disease, and hormone deficiencies (lack of certain hormones). Some medicines, such as certain heart medicines and antibiotics, can also cause it. See your provider to find out the cause of your low blood glucose and how to treat it.

It sits within Endocrine System, Metabolic Problems and Diabetes Mellitus.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Blood Glucose

2,647 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Diagnosis and Tests

Living With

Genetics

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Blood Glucose. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Blood Glucose, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.