Diabetes Mellitus:- Part 9 – Glucose Random (Diabetes mellitus)

Sample

• This is done on the serum of patients or oxalate blood.

Random glucose level depends upon

1. When and how much you ate at your last meal.
2. This is the rough estimate of glucose level.

Pathophysiology

1. Carbohydrate metabolism is explained in the following diagrams.
2. The summary of the Tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), and the interaction of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins is given.

3. Random blood glucose is without any relation to time or food.
   1. This is done out of your normal routine testing.
   2. This is always a nonfasting sample.
4. Interpretation:
   1. The random blood glucose if it is above 200 mg/dL and the patient has increased thirst, polyuria, and polyphagia, suggests diabetes mellitus.
   2. As a rule, two-hour glucose samples will reach the fasting level or it will be in the normal range.
      

      Glucose and insulin production

Normal

1. Random blood sample:
   1. Before the meal is 80 to 120 mg/dl (4.4 to 6.6 mmol/L).
   2. After the meal and if the person is awake then 100 to 140 mg/dl ( 5.5 to 7.7 mmol/L ).
   3. At bedtime also maybe 100 to 140 mg/dl ( 5.5 to 7.7 mmol/L).
   4. Normal Random glucose level between 80 to 140 mg/dL (4.4 to 7.8 mmol/L).
2. Reliability of random blood glucose: If it is above 200 mg/dL, then it indicates diabetes.

Interpretation of the fasting and random glucose level:

Fasting glucose level	Normal range and need advise
80 to 120 mg/dL	Normal range and no need for any action
120 to 160 mg/dL	Slightly high and needs medical advise
160 to 240 mg/dL	It is high and needs medical advice and treatment
240 to 300 mg/dL	Too high and needs medical advice and treatment
Random glucose level
80 to 14 mg/dL	Normal and no need for any action
140 to 200 mg/dL	It is high and needs medical advice

The glucose level in prediabetic and diabetes mellitus:

Diagnosis	Fasting glucose level	Random glucose level	2-hour glucose level (in OGTT)	HbA1c
Prediabetics	100 to 125 mg/dL	140 to 199 mg/dL	40 to 199 mg/dL	5.7 to 6.4%
Diabetes mellitus	> 126 mg/dL	>200 mg/dL	>200 mg/dL	>6.5%

Please see the details in the Fasting glucose level.

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