July 2, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Navarre, Florida, USA:
I am 25 years old, about 5 feet 2 inches tall, and weigh 165 pounds. Yesterday, my brother who has type 2 diabetes tested my sugar level, and it read 37 mg/dl [2.1 mmol/L] which he said was pretty low. Should I be concerned and call my doctor?
Answer:
A blood sugar of 37 mg/dl [2.1 mmol/L] is very low, and most people would feel very shaky and sweaty and have difficulty concentrating. My guess is that the test was inaccurate because there was not enough blood, and/or there is something wrong with the equipment.
Your brother should call the toll free number on the back of the meter immediately and have the company determine whether the meter is operating correctly. I am concerned that your brother’s tests on himself may not be correct as well. By the way, since your brother has diabetes and you are overweight, you should ask your doctor to test you for diabetes.
JS
