Alcohol and blood sugar levels

[hellymedic]

As I understand it, tissue damage occurs in diabetes occurs when a high sugar level is sustained, which is why I (&IJL) are not terribly bothered by temporary blips.
HbA₁C will give an indication of long-term sugar level, which is best related to tissue health.

[ElyDave]

absolutely.  I've read one paper that suggested short term spikes can also be dangerous, but it was by no means conclusive.

[Andrew]

absolutely.  I've read one paper that suggested short term spikes can also be dangerous, but it was by no means conclusive.

Best get my HbA1C checked sooner rather than later then.

[hellymedic]

I really am no expert but I suspect short-term spikes of 25mmol/l or so might well be harmful in a way short-term spikes of 10-12 won't be. (If nothing else, the osmotic variation would cause much water flux in and out of the cells, which of itself, might be harmful.)

[IJL]

With T2D the fact that you can have levels below the diagnostic level is a bit of a conundrum.  Even with HBa1c if it was right on the borderline most clinicians would repeat the test after a short period before diagnosis.  At diagnosis most new T2D patients are informed about what it all means, some (unfortunately not enough) take action in terms of lifestyle/diet/ exercise/ weight.  Many of these people will see their HBa1c fall and may go years without having another reading above the diagnostic threshold.  Their diagnosis stands as if they decide to have a night of pies and sugar (and life to short not to do it now and then) there glucose level will likely rise and then fall.  Equally likely is that the one night will have little impact on the HBa1c.  it is prolonged hyperglycaemia that causes the damage that is of greatest concern

[Andrew]

Interesting, or maybe not.... just taken another test, an hour after having eaten a magnum ice block (my wife is an evil temptress) and it was 6.1. That's 24g of carb according to the box. That seems quite a jump for a relatively small amount of carb.

[Chris S]

Maybe. Maybe not. A decent portion of mashed potato can get me to 12 in an hour, no trouble.

[Andrew]

Ok then. I'll eat the rest of them and see what happens 

[ElyDave]

Interesting, or maybe not.... just taken another test, an hour after having eaten a magnum ice block (my wife is an evil temptress) and it was 6.1. That's 24g of carb according to the box. That seems quite a jump for a relatively small amount of carb.

that seems quite reasonable, we're told to treat a hypo, 10g carbs should raise BG by 2-3mmol/l

[ElyDave]

With T2D the fact that you can have levels below the diagnostic level is a bit of a conundrum.  Even with HBa1c if it was right on the borderline most clinicians would repeat the test after a short period before diagnosis.  At diagnosis most new T2D patients are informed about what it all means, some (unfortunately not enough) take action in terms of lifestyle/diet/ exercise/ weight.  Many of these people will see their HBa1c fall and may go years without having another reading above the diagnostic threshold.  Their diagnosis stands as if they decide to have a night of pies and sugar (and life to short not to do it now and then) there glucose level will likely rise and then fall.  Equally likely is that the one night will have little impact on the HBa1c.  it is prolonged hyperglycaemia that causes the damage that is of greatest concern

My point is it can hide things.  I'm a T1D, but my HbA1c is below the T2D diagnostic cut off.  That doesn't mean I'm cured, just well controlled.

[hellymedic]

Partner's Dad is diabetic.
Says ice cream doesn't raise his blood sugar much but lemonade (which he uses for hypos) does.

The Sainsbury's Soft Scoop ice cream we keep in our freezer has remarkably low calorie/sugar density, due to its water and gas content.
The fat will retard sugar absorption.

[ElyDave]

chocolate is the same, a mars bar is no good as hypo treatment as too much fat,