Editing Reduction of Risk Potential (section)

=== Glucose and Metabolic Markers ===

;Fasting blood glucose, approximately 70 to 100 mg/dL
;Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), below 5.7 percent normal; a common treatment target in diabetes is below 7 percent
HbA1c reflects average glycemic control over roughly the preceding two to three months and is not affected by the client's breakfast. Nursing application: hypoglycemia below approximately 70 mg/dL presents with diaphoresis, tremor, tachycardia, hunger, and confusion, and is treated in the conscious client with 15 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate, rechecked in 15 minutes. Beta blockers can mask the adrenergic warning signs, leaving diaphoresis as the main clue (American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, 2024; Pagana et al., 2022).

;Cholesterol below 200 mg/dL, low density lipoprotein below 100 mg/dL, triglycerides below 150 mg/dL, high density lipoprotein above roughly 40 mg/dL in males and 50 mg/dL in females
Risk stratification for atherosclerotic disease; targets are individualized by overall cardiovascular risk (Pagana et al., 2022).

;Albumin, approximately 3.5 to 5.0 g/dL
A marker of prolonged nutritional and hepatic status. Low albumin predicts poor wound healing, edema from reduced oncotic pressure, and increased free fraction of protein-bound drugs such as phenytoin and warfarin (Pagana et al., 2022).