You received your RBS test results but still need help determining if they fall under the normal range. Read this section to understand whether your results are within the RBS normal range or not.
What Does RBS Test Results Mean?
If you don’t have diabetes (random blood glucose level more than 200 mg/dL at any time), your RBS blood test results will be fairly stable when checked at multiple intervals in a day or days. However, if you already have diabetes, your test results may vary from the normal RBS level and your healthcare provider may recommend other blood glucose tests, such as FBS, OGTT and HbA1C to arrive at a conclusive diagnosis.
What Is RBS Test Normal Range?
The normal range for random blood sugar is less than 200 mg/dL. Any value beyond this normal RBS level might mean that you already have diabetes.
Along with 200 mg/dL of random blood glucose test value, 126 mg/dL or above of FBS level, and 200 mg/dL or above of OGTT level can help your healthcare provider confirm that you have diabetes. In both type 1 and 2 diabetes, the body’s insulin production and operation capacity is already compromised. While type 2 diabetes develops at a later stage in life and can be managed with medications and healthier lifestyle choices, people with type 1 diabetes need immediate insulin interventions.
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What Medical Conditions Can Cause High RBS Levels?
Several factors are responsible for higher than normal random blood sugar level, such as
- Lifestyle factors: Overeating, inadequate physical activity, stress and pain
- Thyroid Disorders: Conditions like hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and thyroiditis can affect glucose metabolism and lead to high RBS levels.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Polycystic Ovarian Disease is associated with insulin resistance, which can result in high RBS levels.
- Prediabetes: Prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. It is characterized by RBS levels higher than normal but not yet meeting the criteria for diabetes diagnosis.
- Diabetes Mellitus: The most common cause of high RBS levels is diabetes mellitus. This condition can be categorized into two main types: Type 1 Diabetes & Type 2 Diabetes
- Menstrual Cycle: Some women may experience higher RBS levels during specific phases of their menstrual cycle due to hormonal fluctuations in women.
- Other Medical Conditions: Dawn phenomenon (Surge in blood sugar levels in the mornings due to surge in hormones), and Gum diseases
What Medical Conditions Can Cause Low RBS Levels?
200 mg/dL is considered the borderline RBS level as anything beyond it indicates that you have diabetes. While less than 200 mg/dL is desirable RBS level, certain medical conditions can also lead to less than normal random blood glucose levels, such as:
- Diabetes Medications: One of the most common causes of low RBS levels is the use of medications to treat diabetes, such as insulin or certain oral hypoglycemic agents. These medications can cause blood sugar levels to drop below normal if the dosage is too high or if they are not taken in conjunction with food as prescribed.
- Severe hepatitis: Hepatitis, which involves liver inflammation, can impair liver function, disrupting glucose metabolism and potentially leading to low RBS levels.
- Liver Cirrhosis: In Liver cirrhosis, advanced liver scarring compromises the liver's ability to release glucose into the bloodstream, resulting in low RBS levels.
- Chronic infections: Prolonged infections, such as tuberculosis or HIV, can affect metabolism and induce hypoglycemia due to inflammation and altered cytokine responses.
- Kidney diseases: Kidney conditions that impact glucose filtration and reabsorption can lead to glucose imbalances, contributing to low RBS levels.
- Advanced heart diseases: In cases of severe heart diseases like congestive heart failure, reduced cardiac output can hinder glucose delivery to cells, causing low RBS levels.
