Diabetes Blood Sugar Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended blood glucose target range (mg/dL) before meals for most non-pregnant adults with diabetes?
- 60–80
- 80–130 (Correct answer)
- 140–180
- 180–200
Correct answer: 80–130
The ADA recommends a preprandial glucose of 80–130 mg/dL for most non-pregnant adults with diabetes.
Question 2: Which hormone is released by alpha cells of the pancreas when blood glucose drops dangerously low?
- Insulin
- Cortisol
- Glucagon (Correct answer)
- Amylin
Correct answer: Glucagon
Glucagon, secreted by pancreatic alpha cells, signals the liver to release stored glucose during hypoglycemia.
Question 3: A patient's continuous glucose monitor shows persistent readings above 250 mg/dL. Besides adjusting insulin, what should be checked first?
- Serum potassium
- Urine or blood ketones (Correct answer)
- Hemoglobin A1c
- Fasting lipid panel
Correct answer: Urine or blood ketones
Persistent hyperglycemia above 250 mg/dL warrants ketone testing to rule out diabetic ketoacidosis.
Question 4: Which type of insulin is most appropriate for correcting an unexpected spike in blood sugar two hours after a meal?
- NPH (intermediate-acting)
- Glargine (long-acting)
- Rapid-acting (lispro/aspart) (Correct answer)
- Regular (short-acting) given 30 min early
Correct answer: Rapid-acting (lispro/aspart)
Rapid-acting analogs like lispro or aspart act quickly enough to address post-meal glucose spikes effectively.
Question 5: What effect does physical exercise typically have on blood glucose in a person with type 1 diabetes during moderate aerobic activity?
- It always raises glucose due to stress hormones
- It has no effect on glucose levels
- It generally lowers glucose by increasing insulin sensitivity (Correct answer)
- It raises glucose only if exercise lasts over two hours
Correct answer: It generally lowers glucose by increasing insulin sensitivity
Moderate aerobic exercise increases insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake by muscles, generally lowering blood glucose.
Question 6: The 'Rule of 15' for treating mild hypoglycemia recommends consuming 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates and then doing what?
- Eating a high-fat snack immediately
- Rechecking glucose in 15 minutes (Correct answer)
- Taking a correction dose of insulin
- Lying down for 15 minutes
Correct answer: Rechecking glucose in 15 minutes
After ingesting 15 g of fast-acting carbs, the patient should recheck glucose in 15 minutes and repeat if still low.
Question 7: Which dietary factor has the greatest immediate impact on postprandial (after-meal) blood glucose levels?
- Total fat intake
- Protein portion size
- Total carbohydrate content (Correct answer)
- Dietary fiber alone
Correct answer: Total carbohydrate content
Carbohydrate content is the primary dietary driver of postprandial glucose elevation.
Diabetes Blood Sugar Management 2
What is the recommended blood glucose target range (mg/dL) before meals for most non-pregnant adults with diabetes?