March 15, 2006
Other
Question from Victorville, California, USA:
Is it normal for a single cup of coffee to raise a person’s blood sugar? I have a family history of LADA and type 1 diabetes, but have not been diagnosed as diabetic myself. I sometimes check my levels at home and consistently notice an increase after a cup of coffee in the morning. Example, my fasting level when I wake might be 95 or 99 mg/dl [5.3 or 5.5 mmol/L] and about one and a half hours after my coffee (no other food or beverage), it is often 170 to 190 mg/dl [9.4 to 10.6 mmol/L]. I use only Splenda and non-dairy creamer.
Answer:
It sounds like it is a little high for just a cup of coffee. Does your creamer have some carbohydrate in it? The caffeine does activate the adrenergic nervous system and it has been reported to raise it slightly. However, a family history of LADA and type 1 diabetes is not as strong a predictor of diabetes as type 2 diabetes in a parent or sibling.
JTL
