After the age of 60, blood glucose values may vary from ordinary parameters: a healthy diet and a little physical exercise can avoid the onset of diabetic diseases
The blood sugar high indicates an excess of glucose in the blood. Generally speaking, it is a condition that affects the population group, both male and female, between 50 and 60 years old.
If neglected or diagnosed late, hyperglycemia can have adverse health effects by promoting the onset of diabetes, cardiovascular, renal, and neurological diseases. However, a balanced diet reduces the risk of chronic disease. Furthermore, recent studies have found that exercise can also help to effectively counteract it.
Causes of high blood sugar
As we said earlier, high blood sugar signals the presence of excess sugar in the blood. In a normal individual, that is, with a diet and sports routine, the average values fluctuate between 90 and 130 mg/dl after meals. When fasted, however, they vary between 70 and 110 mg/dl over a 24 hour period.
As for the causes of hyperglycemia, they can be of various entities. With the exception of diabetes mellitus – a chronic disease characterized by low insulin production – there are countless others:
- dietary hyperglycemia, caused by excessive consumption of carbohydrates and sugary drinks;
- stress hyperglycemia is a mostly transient condition linked to emotional alterations;
- hyperglycemia from drug use, as a result of taking steroid, beta-blocker and antipsychotic drugs;
- secondary hyperglycemia, resulting from or in association with pancreatitis and thyroid disease.