# Fasting glucose

Fasting glucose is your blood-sugar level after at least eight hours without eating. It reflects your baseline glucose balance. Several things set that balance. They are your liver's glucose output, your β-cells' insulin release, and your tissues' insulin sensitivity. Counter-regulatory hormones like glucagon also matter. So do your kidneys, a bit. Persistently high values mean impaired fasting glucose, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes. Genetics (Mendelian randomization) even supports a causal effect of higher levels on coronary disease. And here is a subtle point. Even in the upper-normal range, a rising value tracks with more risk. So stable, lower-normal numbers are generally favorable.

## Sources

- Stratton IM, Adler AI, Neil HA, Matthews DR, Manley SE, Cull CA, et al.. (2000). Association of glycaemia with macrovascular and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 35): prospective observational study. BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7258.405

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/fasting-glucose · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_