Doctor, Is My Sugar Normal?

We live in an era in which the public interest in medical matters is high. When so much information and misinformation are available on the Internet, many patients devote a fair share of time to matching their most recent laboratory results with the “normal” values cited in health-related Web sites or even in the advertisements for their medication. It seems reasonable for patients to strive to achieve the best possible results from medication or other treatments, and patients' requests for information about the desired goals of treatment are to be commended. Frequently, as physicians, we are asked, “Are my laboratory . . .