The fasting, 2-hour and random blood sugar figures from the NIDDK, CDC, WHO and the ADA's 2026 Standards, in mg/dL and mmol/L, what no source prints for an ordinary meal or a random reading, how a home meter differs from a lab test, and the questions to ask your doctor.
The NIDDK (last reviewed July 2022) lists a fasting blood sugar of 99 mg/dL or below as normal, 100 to 125 mg/dL as prediabetes and 126 mg/dL or above as diabetes, and a 2-hour value after a glucose drink of 139 mg/dL or below as normal. It prints no normal for a random reading. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
The NIDDK is the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. This page sets its figures beside those of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It does not read your result, tell you it is normal, or diagnose anything.
In short:
- Fasting means at least 8 hours without calories (ADA, Standards of Care 2026).
- These tables do not measure “after a meal”: their 2-hour value follows a 75 g glucose drink. We found no source that prints a normal for an ordinary meal.
- Random: 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher, with classic symptoms, is a diabetes criterion. No source we read prints a normal random range.
- A second test usually confirms a diabetes diagnosis (NIDDK; ADA 2026), and the FDA tells home-meter users to compare their meter with a laboratory test.
Last checked: 31 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Guidelines and pages change, so confirm with your doctor.
What is the normal blood sugar level?
| Test | Normal (below the prediabetes range) | Prediabetes | Diabetes (one of the criteria) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fasting (no calories for at least 8 hours) | 99 mg/dL or below (below 5.6 mmol/L, derived) | 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) | 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or higher |
| 2 hours after a 75 g glucose drink (OGTT) | 139 mg/dL or below (below 7.8 mmol/L, derived) | 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L) | 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher |
| Random (any time of day) | No normal range printed | No range printed | 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher, with classic symptoms of high blood sugar or a hyperglycaemic crisis |
Normal column: NIDDK, last reviewed July 2022; the CDC page dated 15 May 2024 prints the same fasting figure. Other columns: ADA Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026, Tables 2.2 and 2.1, nonpregnant individuals, published 8 December 2025. All read 31 October 2026. The NIDDK and CDC print mg/dL only, so the mmol/L figures in the normal column are derived from where the ADA’s prediabetes row starts. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
The ADA’s tables define prediabetes and diabetes, not “normal”, and are for nonpregnant individuals; if you are pregnant, ask your doctor which test and range apply to you. Without unequivocal high blood sugar, the ADA (Standards 2026) says a diabetes diagnosis needs two abnormal results, from different tests or from the same test at two time points. The diagnosis is your doctor’s.
What is a normal fasting blood sugar?
For a fasting test, the NIDDK (last reviewed July 2022) and the CDC (page dated 15 May 2024) print 99 mg/dL or below as normal, and the ADA (Standards 2026) starts its prediabetes range at 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L). The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
MedlinePlus (updated 30 December 2024) says a fasting glucose test needs at least eight hours with nothing but water, while a random glucose test needs no special preparation. Which blood tests need fasting covers the rest.
The WHO’s 2006 report with the International Diabetes Federation starts impaired fasting glucose at 6.1 mmol/L (110 mg/dL), above the ADA’s 5.6 (100 mg/dL); its 2-hour cut-offs match the ADA’s (7.8 and 11.1 mmol/L). It says there are insufficient data to define normal glucose levels accurately, so it uses “normoglycaemia” for levels linked with low risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, below its intermediate range. The two lines differ, so the range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
What is a normal blood sugar 2 hours after eating?
We found no source that prints a normal figure for an ordinary meal. The 2-hour figures in the ADA, NIDDK, CDC and WHO sources come from the glucose tolerance test: blood drawn two hours after a glucose drink (75 g in the ADA and WHO documents; the NIDDK and CDC pages print no amount). An Egyptian public teaching hospital’s patient page (gov.eg, undated, read 31 October 2026) heads its row “2 hours after the meal” (below 140 mg/dL, 140 to 199, 200 or above) but describes the test as blood taken before and two hours after a sugary solution.
For people with diabetes, the NHS (reviewed 17 March 2026) lists a home reading over 11 mmol/L at least 90 minutes after eating as high. That is not a normal range: check your own levels with your doctor or care team.
What is a normal random blood sugar?
No source we read prints a normal range for a random blood sugar. The only number printed is the diabetes criterion: 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher (ADA 2026, NIDDK, CDC, WHO 2019). The ADA ties it to classic symptoms of high blood sugar or a hyperglycaemic crisis, the NIDDK says it is used when there are symptoms, and the WHO (2019) applies it with signs and symptoms of diabetes. The NIDDK table shows “N/A” for random in its other rows.
A random test can be taken at any time of day, regardless of when you last ate (ADA 2026, Table 2.1), with no fasting (MedlinePlus). The NHS lists these common symptoms of high blood sugar: feeling very thirsty, peeing a lot, feeling weak or tired, blurred vision and losing weight. What a random reading means is for your doctor.
Can I compare my home meter with these tables?
These are laboratory figures: the ADA’s criteria are for plasma glucose. The FDA (content current as of 14 November 2024) tells meter users to compare their meter with a laboratory blood glucose test, and says improperly stored meters and strips can make results less accurate. No source we read prints a normal range for a home-meter reading, and neither does this page.
The WHO (2019) recommends repeat testing on a later day when raised values are found in people without symptoms. The NIDDK (July 2022) says a doctor will usually use a second test to confirm diabetes, and the CDC says a sugar checked at a health fair or pharmacy should be followed up with your doctor, who may re-test you.
When is high blood sugar urgent?
The NHS (last reviewed 17 March 2026) says anyone who thinks they have high blood sugar should get urgent help if they have any of these:
- feeling sick, being sick or having stomach pain;
- breathing more quickly than usual, or a heart beating faster than usual;
- feeling drowsy or struggling to stay awake;
- a fruity smell on the breath;
- feeling confused or having difficulty concentrating;
- a high level of ketones in the blood or urine.
If any of these applies, go to the nearest emergency department or call emergency services now. The NHS says not to drive yourself. This page does not cover low blood sugar: what a reading below the range on your report means is a question for your doctor.
In Egypt: where is blood sugar measured, and which range applies?
A Ministry of Health and Population statement of 7 May 2026, carried on the State Information Service page (updated 9 May 2026), says Egypt’s presidential initiative for early detection of chronic disease includes random and cumulative sugar tests («فحص السكر العشوائي والتراكمي») in 3,601 primary care units, for citizens over 40 and people from 18 with a medical history or risk factors. It describes the services as free and gives the inquiry hotline, 15335, which is not an emergency number (read 31 October 2026).
The teaching hospital page above prints its values in mg/dL («ملجم/دسل»): fasting below 100 normal, 100 to 125 prediabetes, above 125 diabetes. The SIS page prints no sugar ranges, and a search on 31 October 2026 found none on the Ministry’s own site, which does not prove none exists. Ask the unit or lab which unit and range it applies.
What should I ask my doctor about my blood sugar?
- Which test was this: fasting, after a glucose drink or random? Did I fast for at least 8 hours?
- Is my result in mg/dL or mmol/L, and what range does this lab print?
- Does this result need to be repeated, and when?
- Do I need other tests with it, such as an HbA1c (HbA1c: the normal range and the units)?
- If I check at home: how does my meter compare with the lab, and which readings or symptoms should send me to the emergency department?
After the visit, write down what was said, the next test and its date:
Try it
Your follow-up plan
Write it before you leave, or as soon as you get home. Then keep it, send it to someone who helps you, or put the date in your calendar.
Your plan
Your plan appears here as you write it.
Saves a calendar file with a reminder the day before. Open it to add the date to your calendar.
Nothing you type is saved or sent. The calendar file is made on this page and saved to your own device.
Where Medigize stands
Medigize is a navigation tool. It does not run lab tests or read your result. We are building a record that moves with the patient, shared only with their consent. If you would like to follow that work, you can register your interest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the normal blood sugar level?
The NIDDK (July 2022) lists a fasting level of 99 mg/dL or below, and 139 mg/dL or below two hours after a glucose drink, as normal. The ADA (Standards 2026) puts fasting 100 to 125 mg/dL in the prediabetes range. The range on your report, and your doctor, govern.
What is a normal blood sugar after eating?
The published tables use two hours after a 75 g glucose drink, not a meal. We found no figure for an ordinary meal.
What is a normal random blood sugar?
None of the sources we read prints one. They print the diabetes criterion: 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher, with classic symptoms.
Is a home meter reading the same as a lab result?
The FDA (content current as of November 2024) tells meter users to compare their meter with a blood glucose test done in a laboratory, and the tables here are laboratory figures. No source we read prints a normal range for a home-meter reading.
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee: 2. Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026, Diabetes Care 2025;49(Suppl 1):S27–S49 (doi 10.2337/dc26-S002), published 8 December 2025, read 31 October 2026
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): Diabetes Tests & Diagnosis, last reviewed July 2022, read 31 October 2026
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Diabetes Testing, page dated 15 May 2024, read 31 October 2026
- World Health Organization and International Diabetes Federation: Definition and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and intermediate hyperglycaemia, report of a consultation, Geneva 2006, dated 21 April 2006, read 31 October 2026
- World Health Organization: Classification of diabetes mellitus, Geneva 2019, dated 21 April 2019, read 31 October 2026
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Blood Glucose Test, updated 30 December 2024, read 31 October 2026
- NHS (UK): High blood sugar (hyperglycaemia), last reviewed 17 March 2026, read 31 October 2026
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices, content current as of 14 November 2024, read 31 October 2026
- Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS): early detection of kidney disease and chronic-disease screening initiative, carrying a Ministry of Health and Population statement of 7 May 2026, page updated 9 May 2026, read 31 October 2026
- An Egyptian public teaching hospital’s patient-information page on diabetes («مرض السكرى»), gov.eg domain, undated (footer copyright 2022), read 31 October 2026
Last updated:
Explore Medigize
Medigize is in development. Explore our current scope and express your interest.