In brief
Your body keeps blood glucose in a healthy range. The pancreas releases insulin when glucose rises after a meal, and glucagon also helps regulate blood sugar.
- A fasting glucose of 7.0 mmol/L or more suggests probable diabetes, according to Pathology Tests Explained.
- HbA1c shows what your glucose levels have been like over the past two to three months.
- An HbA1c of 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or more is diagnostic of diabetes.
How it works
When blood glucose rises after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin, which lets glucose in the blood enter the body's cells as it is needed. The liver converts glucose into glycogen for storage, and cortisol also helps regulate blood glucose levels.
If the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, the body produces more insulin to make up for its reduced effectiveness. This is called insulin resistance. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin or does not respond to it properly, and long-term high blood glucose can damage body organs.
Connections
4 connections on the map. Select a topic to read its page.
Blood sugar control is controlled by
Insulin enables glucose in the blood to enter your body's cells as it is needed.
Blood sugar control is linked with
In insulin resistance, the body produces more insulin to make up for its reduced effectiveness.
Blood sugar control is measured by
HbA1c shows what your glucose levels have been like over the past two to three months.
Source: Pathology Tests Explained, HbA1c
Lab tests
Medicines and supplements
General education only. Never start, stop or change a medicine without your prescriber.
Sources
Each connection above names its own source. See every source AskBioMap uses.
Summarised from Pathology Tests Explained, the Better Health Channel and healthdirect. Sources read on 13, 16 and 19 October 2026. General education only, not medical advice. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us through the HuBu-Intel contact page.