What is hyperglycemia?

• A. Low blood sugar
• B. High blood sugar - >126 mg/dL after 8 hours of fasting
• C. Normal blood sugar
• D. High blood sugar after meals

Answer: (B)

Hyperglycemia means blood glucose is higher than normal. In clinical practice, a fasting blood glucose level greater than 126 mg/dL after at least eight hours without eating is used as a criterion indicating hyperglycemia consistent with diabetes. So describing high blood sugar with a fasting threshold over 126 mg/dL after 8 hours aligns with the standard diagnostic definition. High blood sugar after meals is still high, but it’s postprandial and not the fasting criterion used for diagnosis. Low blood sugar is hypoglycemia, and normal blood sugar is simply not hyperglycemic.