52 mg/dL
= 2.9 mmol/LVery low
A glucose reading of 52 mg/dL is 2.9 mmol/L (2.89 before rounding; 1 mmol/L = 18.01559 mg/dL). It is 18 mg/dL below the bottom of the target range (70).
52 mg/dL against each published threshold
| Threshold | 52 mg/dL is |
|---|---|
| CGM target range, 2019 international consensus | Very low (below 54 mg/dL) |
| ADA goal before meals, many adults with diabetes: 80–130 | Below the goal |
| ADA goal for the peak after meals: below 180 | Under the limit, but low by the CGM range |
| Fasting lab test (no food for 8 h) | Below the prediabetes range (100–125) |
| 2 hours into a 75 g glucose test | Below the prediabetes range (140–199) |
The CGM range and the ADA goals are for people who have diabetes; a care team can set different ones. The two lab tests are how diabetes is diagnosed, on a plasma sample, and ADA asks for two abnormal results unless the high glucose is unmistakable. One meter or CGM reading does not diagnose anything.
Below 70
ADA calls a reading below 54 mg/dL level 2 hypoglycemia: the point where neuroglycopenic symptoms begin to occur and which “requires immediate action”. For someone awake and able to swallow, ADA names glucose as the preferred treatment, and says to repeat it if the low persists fifteen minutes later. For someone who cannot take carbohydrate by mouth, ADA names glucagon and says to call emergency services.