Blood Glucose
What it measures
Reported as fasting, random, or post-meal depending on when the sample was taken — the same number means something different in each context, which is why the report states which one it is. Indian labs report in mg/dL; European and some international labs report in mmol/L. The two are the same measurement on different scales, related by the molecular weight of glucose.
Fasting plasma glucose
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Normal | below 100 mg/dL |
| Prediabetes Called impaired fasting glucose | 100 – 125 mg/dL |
| Diabetes | 126 mg/dL or above |
A diagnosis is not made on one reading. Without unmistakable symptoms, the ADA requires a second confirming test before diabetes is diagnosed.
Source: American Diabetes Association, Standards of Care in Diabetes — 2026, Section 2
Two-hour glucose (75 g oral glucose tolerance test)
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Normal | below 140 mg/dL |
| Prediabetes Called impaired glucose tolerance | 140 – 199 mg/dL |
| Diabetes | 200 mg/dL or above |
A random glucose of 200 mg/dL or above, in someone with classic symptoms of high blood sugar, is diagnostic on its own.
Source: American Diabetes Association, Standards of Care in Diabetes — 2026, Section 2
Reading it in a different unit
This lab reports Blood Glucose in mg/dl. Reports from other labs — especially ones using European or US-style formatting — sometimes use a different unit for the same measurement. The relationship between them:
| Reported unit | How it relates to mg/dl |
|---|---|
| g/l | mg/dl = g/l × 100 |
| mg/l | mg/dl = mg/l × 0.1 |
| mmol/l | mg/dl = mmol/l × 18.0156 |
Unit conversions verified against published molar masses and LOINC definitions. This is not a diagnostic reference — the normal range for any test is set by the laboratory that ran it and printed on your report.
Why this matters for tracking a trend
A value plotted next to earlier results only tells you something if every point is on the same scale. Two readings of the same test from two different labs, in two different units, can look like a dramatic change when nothing about your actual result changed — only the unit did. Converting to one scale before comparing is what keeps a trend line honest.
LOINC codes for this test: 14749-6, 1558-6, 2339-0, 2345-7.
General information about laboratory measurement, not medical advice. Whether a specific result is normal for you depends on your lab's reference range, your history and your doctor's judgement — not on this page.