Blood sugar, prediabetes and A1C after 50

Blood sugar, or blood glucose, is the main fuel your cells run on, and insulin is the hormone that helps move it out of the blood and into muscle and other tissue. With age, extra weight around the middle, less muscle and less daily movement, the body often responds less well to insulin, and glucose readings can drift upward for years before any symptom appears. That is why prediabetes is common in men over 50 and is often found only on a routine blood test. The American Diabetes Association places prediabetes at a fasting glucose of 100 to 125 mg/dL or an A1C of 5.7 to 6.4 percent.

Here you will find every Stark Verve article on blood sugar, grouped by question: what the numbers mean, from fasting glucose to A1C; what prediabetes is and what you can do about it; how insulin resistance works; which foods and habits research supports; and how to recognize highs and lows that need attention. Each article cites its sources. If you take medication for diabetes, talk to your doctor before you change your diet, exercise or supplements, because readings can drop too far.