But if you’re only testing your glucose levels once a day, you’re likely missing the full picture. “Postprandial glucose (PPG) levels — meaning ‘sugar after the meal’ — give you and your care team more important information about how the body is able to manage glucose after a meal,” explains endocrinologist Pratima Kumar, MD, an assistant professor of endocrinology at the University of Texas at Austin. “It informs us if the blood glucose has returned to normal after the meal intake.” The American Diabetes Association recommends checking fasting (before eating) blood sugar levels, and then testing PPG levels one to two hours after a meal. This is especially important if target A1C goals aren’t being met; this blood test helps shows how well your overall diabetes management plan is working. You might also need to check your blood glucose numbers at other times during the day, or after certain activities. But PPG numbers don’t just change based on what you eat. They’re also affected by how active you are, your insulin sensitivity, and how quickly food moves through your stomach, says Kumar. The ADA recommends that people with type 2 diabetes keep their PPG under 180 mg/dL.
How Knowing Your PPG Can Give You Control Over Your Diabetes
Information on PPG can help you troubleshoot in important ways. When blood sugar spikes after meals, and stays high, it can be hard to get levels back down to where you want them, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). If your A1C continues to be higher than your target goal, your risk for developing complications rises. “By measuring PPG, we can determine whether dietary modifications or pre-meal bolus insulin is needed to reduce these spikes,” Kumar says. “In patients who achieve their pre-meal glucose targets but whose A1C remains above target, PPG monitoring and therapy is recommended.” Learning how to count carbohydrates can help you achieve your goals for blood sugar levels after eating. “Carbohydrates contribute significantly more to PPG than fat and protein content of a meal,” Kumar says. Checking PPG regularly can help you figure out the best balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. If you’re using insulin, talk to your doctor about what to do if your PPG levels are higher or lower than your goal, the AACE says.
Who Should Check PPG?
How often you should test PPG is based on you specifically, and on your goals for controlling your blood sugar. You should work with your care team to identify your testing regimen and target goals. The ADA does recommend that certain people test PPG and blood sugar levels more frequently, including:
Pregnant women with gestational diabetesWomen with type 1 or 2 diabetes who are pregnantPeople trying new insulin or a new insulin dosagePeople with diabetes that’s hard to controlPeople with history of high blood sugar after eatingPeople who take multiple medications and are at risk for high or low blood sugar
“Blood glucose levels vary at different times throughout the day over a period of weeks,” Kumar says. “Thus, it’s important to check your blood glucose at regular intervals to provide accurate information to your physician.”
How to Test PPG
Blood sugar testing seems simple enough, but there are a few tips that will ensure you get the most accurate numbers:
Wash your hands before testing. If you have any residue on your hands, such as juice from a fruit you ate, you will be testing that sugar as well.Store test supplies correctly. Read the instructions on your supplies, Kumar says, to make sure “their integrity and accuracy isn’t compromised by moisture and heat.”
Additional reporting by Andrea Peirce
