March 2, 2006
Hyperglycemia and DKA, Other
Question from Bemidji, Minnesota, USA:
I’ve seen on your site that there currently is no known correlation between altitude and hyperglycemia. I was wondering if there is any current or planned research being done on this? I have taken multiple trips to Denver with in the past year and, each time, I have had extreme hyperglycemia. My A1c is around 6.8. My average glucose this past trip was around 290 mg/dl [16.1 mmol/L] with a 410 mg/dl [22.8 mmol/L] thrown in there for good measure.
Answer:
It is a complicated situation to make comparisons like that and conclude it is from altitude. How do you do when you go to other cities? Travel is associated with increased blood sugars because of change in schedule, eating more meals out at restaurants, and the stress of travel. Again, I am not aware that altitude has a significant impact on blood sugar control.
JTL
