Medical Student Exam Stress Shows Measurable Rise in Blood Glucose
A study presented at EASD reports that medical students had notable blood sugar increases during exams and in the preceding days. Although levels generally stayed within healthy limits and were not immediately dangerous, the author warns that repeated exam stress over months could harm metabolic health. The research points to cortisol as a possible pathway linking acute stress to higher glucose.
Researchers tracked 22 healthy second-year medical students in Prague—13 women and 9 men, average age 21 and BMI 21.9—using arm-worn sensors that recorded glucose every 15 minutes. Monitoring started a week before a biochemistry exam and ended three days afterward; anxiety was measured on exam day with the STAI questionnaire.
Average daily glucose peaked at 5.72 mmol/L on exam day, up 0.37 from 5.35 mmol/L four days earlier, then dropped 0.30 to 5.42 mmol/L the next day. Nocturnal averages rose from 4.70 mmol/L seven nights before to 4.93 mmol/L the night before. During the exam, the written portion showed the highest average, 6.14 mmol/L.
The findings could raise awareness that recurring exam pressure may affect metabolic markers in young adults, especially medical students and others in intensive training. Universities and health systems may see value in supporting sleep, activity, and stress-management resources, while clinicians could note that short-term glucose rises are not necessarily dangerous. Because the sample was small and short-term, broader societal impacts remain uncertain and should not be overstated.