Blood Sugar Rise After 15g Carbohydrates in Diabetic Patients

Consuming 15g of carbohydrates will raise blood glucose by approximately 40 mg/dl over 30 minutes in diabetic patients. 1

Expected Glycemic Response

15g of glucose (pure form) will raise blood glucose by approximately 40 mg/dl (2.2 mmol/l) over 30 minutes in diabetic patients 1
Blood glucose levels typically begin to fall about 60 minutes after glucose ingestion 1
The initial response to treatment should be seen within 10-20 minutes, but blood glucose should be evaluated again in 60 minutes as additional treatment may be necessary 1

The glycemic response correlates better with the glucose content than with the carbohydrate content of the food 1
Pure glucose produces a greater rise in plasma glucose than equivalent amounts of carbohydrate from other sources 1
Different carbohydrate sources affect blood glucose differently despite having the same carbohydrate content 2:
- 15g carbohydrate from glucose solution or tablets, sucrose solution or tablets, or corn syrup typically alleviates hypoglycemia symptoms in 10 minutes 1
- 15g carbohydrate from glucose gel or orange juice may be less effective in alleviating symptoms 1

Although pure glucose is the preferred treatment for raising blood glucose, any form of carbohydrate that contains glucose will raise blood glucose levels 1
Adding protein to carbohydrate does not affect the glycemic response 1
Adding fat may retard (slow down) the acute glycemic response 1
During hypoglycemia, gastric emptying rates are twice as high as during euglycemia and are similar for both liquids and solid foods 1

For diabetic patients experiencing hypoglycemia (blood glucose <70 mg/dl), 15g of glucose is the recommended treatment 1
For patients with blood glucose <100 mg/dl before exercise, 15g of carbohydrate should be consumed, followed by retesting in 15 minutes 1
When treating hypoglycemia, the response should be apparent within 10-20 minutes, but blood glucose should be tested again in 60 minutes as additional treatment may be necessary 1

The classification of carbohydrates as simple or complex does not reliably predict their effects on blood glucose 2
The glycemic response varies markedly among individuals and depends on multiple factors including the source of carbohydrate, method of preparation, and composition of the total meal 2
Rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, which produce large blood glucose responses, can be in the form of both sugars and starches 2
Blood glucose may continue to drop for 24-48 hours after exercise in patients taking insulin 1
The glycemic response to 15g carbohydrates will be significantly higher in patients with diabetes mellitus compared to non-diabetic individuals 3