Many people with diabetes feel relieved once their fasting blood glucose is normal, thinking their blood glucose is well-controlled. However, fasting blood glucose is only one part of glucose monitoring; postprandial blood glucose is equally important and is even more closely linked to cardiovascular health.
A slight rise in blood glucose after meals is a normal bodily response, but there is a safe limit. For adult patients with diabetes, it is safe to keep postprandial blood glucose below 10.0 mmol/L.
Compared with fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose levels are better at predicting future cardiovascular problems at an early stage. Domestic studies have shown that when 2-hour postprandial blood glucose in diabetic patients exceeds 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), the risk of cardiovascular disease and death increases significantly.
In addition, many patients with diabetes know that unstable blood glucose (fluctuating high and low) is more harmful than persistent high blood glucose alone. A sharp spike in postprandial blood glucose is the main cause of unstable glucose levels.
Once blood glucose becomes unstable, the heart is affected, which can lead to serious cardiac conditions including:coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and cardiac death.
Therefore, patients with diabetes must not only focus on fasting blood glucose — postprandial blood glucose also requires strict monitoring and control!