The impact of hormones on blood sugar

Nowadays, many foods and medicines contain hormones. Because they contain hormones, people are reluctant to use them on their bodies for fear of causing harm to the body. In fact, we need to pay attention to several points when using drugs. The first task is to understand the impact of hormones on blood sugar. This will not only help us learn more about hormones, but also better control blood sugar.

The effect of glucocorticoids on blood sugar mainly depends on the dose and duration of application, and its effect will persist during the use of the drug. Moreover, any route of administration, including intra-articular injection, can cause blood sugar to rise. Generally, it takes at least 4 hours from taking the medicine until blood sugar starts to rise, and sometimes it takes several days. The impact on postprandial blood sugar is greater than the impact on fasting blood sugar.

In addition, if the patient is treated with glucocorticoids, the probability of developing hyperphagia may increase, which will make it more difficult to control postprandial blood sugar. Generally, after taking the medicine in the early morning, blood sugar will continue to rise during the day and gradually decrease at night. When the dose of glucocorticoids is reduced or discontinued, attention should also be paid to reducing the dose of hypoglycemic drugs and avoiding hypoglycemia. These two methods depend largely on the duration of treatment.

Basic Overview

The sugar in the blood is called blood sugar, and in most cases it is glucose (abbreviated as Glu in English). Most of the energy required for the activities of various tissues and cells in the body comes from glucose, so blood sugar must be maintained at a certain level to meet the needs of various organs and tissues in the body. The normal fasting blood glucose concentration is 3.9～6.1mmol/L. A fasting blood glucose concentration exceeding 7.0mmol/L is called hyperglycemia. A blood sugar concentration below 3.9mmol/L is called hypoglycemia, and a blood sugar concentration below 2.8mmol/L is called hypoglycemia. The blood biochemical test we get usually says: glucose, or Glu.

Sugar is one of the essential nutrients for our body. People consume grains, fruits and vegetables, which are converted into monosaccharides (such as glucose) through the digestive system and enter the blood, and are transported to cells throughout the body as a source of energy. If it cannot be consumed immediately, it will be converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles. The liver can store 70 to 120 grams of sugar, which is about 6 to 10% of the liver weight. The amount of glycogen that cells can store is limited. If too much sugar is consumed, the excess sugar will be converted into fat.

When food is digested, the stored glycogen becomes the normal source of sugar, maintaining normal blood sugar concentration. Glycogen will also be used up during strenuous exercise or if you go without food for a long time. At this time, the cells will break down fat to supply energy. 10% of the fat is glycerol, which can be converted into sugar. Other parts of fat can also generate energy through oxidation, but their metabolic pathways are different from those of glucose.