Blood Glucose Testing - Fasting, Before Meals and After Meals

[Restormel01]

Just to clear up things in my mind - which is the more important - the Fasting reading, Before meals or after meals. I get my Hba1c blood test results tomorrow but meanwhile while I'm waiting, I've cut out all added sugar .... this has had the effect of bringing my Before meals and After meals readings on my AccuChek device into the mid point of the normal range. My Fasting reading is still raised at 6.1.
Anyone got any theories as to why this occurs.
Thanks guys.

 

[Mike d]

All three .... BUT but your 2 hour reading takes precedence as it should be within normal jumps over the first bite of your last meal.

That's the one that indicates if your BS are coming down. Just my two cents

The fasting level is something beyond the control of many.

 

[Restormel01]

Many thanks Mike

 

[Mike d]

No worries ... it's always your start point for all 3 meals Keep within those numbers, make sure it does not unduly spike at 1 hour (which means diet change might be required) and comes down to good numbers at 2 hours.

That is REALLY general advice so I strongly suggest you read around and ask more Qs if necessary

Mike

 

[daddys1]

Just to clear up things in my mind - which is the more important - the Fasting reading, Before meals or after meals. I get my Hba1c blood test results tomorrow but meanwhile while I'm waiting, I've cut out all added sugar .... this has had the effect of bringing my Before meals and After meals readings on my AccuChek device into the mid point of the normal range. My Fasting reading is still raised at 6.1.
Anyone got any theories as to why this occurs.
Thanks guys.

Hi, When you say you have cut out all the added sugar, do you mean the carbohydrates or just sugary things.

All the figures that you take are important but are only a 'snap shot' in time. Except for the fasting and the pre meal test where you can only have an effect over the medium to long term, i.e. with reduction in weight and different diet and exercise, the post meal tests you can have an immediate effect on those as you can cut out the carbohydrates & sugary foods that make them rise even at 1hr after.

The HbA1c is an average of all your Blood Glucose levels, all day & all night, over 2 to 3 months.

Neil

 

[Restormel01]

Hi Neil,
Bit of a complicated answer I'm afraid. I have a heart arrhythmia which is controlled partly by medication and partly by diet. I need some carbs to deal with the diet part of arrhythmia,so, as a start point I cut out all added sugars, i.e. those I used to take in tea, coffee and breakfast cereal. In effect if I change the carbs bit there is the chance of destabilising the arrhythmia, whereas, if I cut out all added sugar (sugary stuff) I am helping both conditions - as a start point anyway. Depending on the answers my GP comes up with tomorrow I may well consult a nutritionist for an appropriate diet to deal with Arrythmia and Prediabetes (if that's what emerges). Clearly, what is good for one condition is not good for the other.

 

[Restormel01]

Good morning,
Been back to see my GP about my Hb1ac test results. Basically was GP's comment was 'well you are normal - only just'. No room for complacency, need to get much more exercise, please maintain no added sugar diet but spend more time looking at carbohydrates and looking more closely at diet in the context of diabetes as well as arrhythmia.

 

[DeejayR]

Hi. As a complete amateur unqualified non-medical person (but I do have mild a/f) I looked at your signature and thought how nice it will be when you can cross off a lot of the complications and meds. There are many testimonies on here of all-round improvement to our health resulting from whatever diet we choose for ourselves. So I hope that will happen for you too.
(I've had only two 30-second a/f episodes that I've recognised in the last three months compared with frequent spells of up to an hour before then)

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi,

I am not about to give you any dietary advice as I know nothing about heart arrhythmia. However, your HbA1c of 39 is perfectly normal, not even pre-diabetic. Under 42 is non-diabetic. Between 42 and 47 is pre-diabetic, 48 and over is diabetic. So you are well under. What is your GP worrying you for?

 

[Restormel01]

Hi. As a complete amateur unqualified non-medical person (but I do have mild a/f) I looked at your signature and thought how nice it will be when you can cross off a lot of the complications and meds. There are many testimonies on here of all-round improvement to our health resulting from whatever diet we choose for ourselves. So I hope that will happen for you too.
(I've had only two 30-second a/f episodes that I've recognised in the last three months compared with frequent spells of up to an hour before then)

Thanks Deejay,
Well, my diet works well for me and since I have managed to calm the vagal nerve and therefore settle my digestive system I have been AF free. However, as you know with AF it can bring on a stroke. So there is no way I will come off Warfarin also, Bisoprolol keeps my heart rate pretty steady at 65 bpm and so long as this happy balance continues I can live with it.
John

 

[Restormel01]

Hi,

I am not about to give you any dietary advice as I know nothing about heart arrhythmia. However, your HbA1c of 39 is perfectly normal, not even pre-diabetic. Under 42 is non-diabetic. Between 42 and 47 is pre-diabetic, 48 and over is diabetic. So you are well under. What is your GP worrying you for?

Hi Bluetit,
Many thanks, I was a bit economic with the facts. To expand somewhat - when I had the HbA1c blood test it was (by coincidence) one of a large number of checks that are carried out annually because of the range of other drugs I am on. Kidney, Liver and Thyroid and a few others too - can't remember them all. All the others of course are related to my heart arrhythmia. A dodgy Thyroid is also linked to arrhythmias. Then came HbA1c. Yes I agree with you but her words were - you blood test was normal. However she described it as being at the high end of the normal range and therefore, given my age - 70 - probably wise to review my diet, reduce weight and increase my exercise. Blah! blah! blah! She felt that if I left it unchecked there was always the risk of tipping into Prediabetic. she has now started me on regular reviews - 3 monthly blood tests for Thyroid and 6 monthly for HbA1c tests for diabetes.
However, all this came about arising from my 2 yearly eyesight check. The optometrist picked up in the back of the eye both heart issues, and high blood pressure and diabetes issues. No big deal with the heart as they always pick that up and its being treated. The others were a bit of a surprise, although perhaps not the high blood pressure as my BP had been a bit volatile at the time looking at my home readings. So .... I think all in all everyone is being somewhat cautious especially as my Dad had, and died from diabetes. Actually he died from a heart attack which arose from diabetes.
Thanks Bluetit,
John