How reliable is the HbA1c .Not very it seems

[Susiespearish]

My only view on this is that if the Hba1c wasn't reliable then why would they do it!? There's much more to it than just pricking your finger at certain times as you don't know what your sugars are all the time!

But isn't that WHY we prick our fingers Nicola? So we have an accurate idea of our blood sugars ?? If it's inaccurate why do we bother pricking and regulating insulin on the results ? Squire Fulwood has already said it's continuous so must pick up the lows but when I was diagnosed I tested up to eight times a day and I certainly didn't see any lows .I hope your right and it IS reliable but up until this last test it just didn't see so to me.

 

[Susiespearish]

I would try to get my hands on another one. I don't think you are confident in this one and you need to compare, learn what's going on and find something that you trust.

I will .Thank you

 

[Susiespearish]

I'd change that just for a day or two and see what happens.
Also, have you considered that you might be like @nosher8355 ? Just trying to help, not scare

So what was the problem with Nosher ?? I can't find his post on this .

 

[Deleted member 83869]

But isn't that WHY we prick our fingers Nicola? So we have an accurate idea of our blood sugars ?? If it's inaccurate why do we bother pricking and regulating insulin on the results ? Squire Fulwood has already said it's continuous so must pick up the lows but when I was diagnosed I tested up to eight times a day and I certainly didn't see any lows .I hope your right and it IS reliable but up until this last test it just didn't see so to me.

It gives you an idea....imagine if we didn't test at all then we would all be stuffed and wouldn't know what insulin to take etc....you're type 2 so I guess it is different to me but I have had diabetes since 2008 and I defo know mine have been accurate and reliable because for 4 years my control was terrible and my hba1c was in the 100's alot x

 

[Susiespearish]

Nosher has really high readings then goes really really low. Just wondering if that might help explain the difference between when you are testing and what the HbA1c says. Because it would bring your HbA1c down. Perhaps your lows are at a time when you are missing them?
you could do with one of those libre monitors for a little while to see what's going on, be nice wouldn't it.

I'd love one Dibbles .It would give me a far better picture as maybe it drops when i sleep .What bank are we going to rob ?

 

[Susiespearish]

It gives you an idea....imagine if we didn't test at all then we would all be stuffed and wouldn't know what insulin to take etc....you're type 2 so I guess it is different to me but I have had diabetes since 2008 and I defo know mine have been accurate and reliable because for 4 years my control was terrible and my hba1c was in the 100's alot x

Well that's reassuring (not that your test where in the 100's obviously!) but it might give me a reason to hold off on the insulin if i can use those HbA1c's as an argument why i don't need to .

 

[SirAndy]

Seems some of you are finding it hard obtaining meters. The nurses seem to throw them at me. Also have a usb one.
Once strips run out I've been told to use the Glucomex as it's checks ketones.

Checking blood glucose is very important. There are days when I check upwards of 7 times per day. I can feel fine but on checking can be as low as 2 so always better to over check than not I'd say.


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[Susiespearish]

View attachment 8041

Seems some of you are finding it hard obtaining meters. The nurses seem to throw them at me. Also have a usb one.
Once strips run out I've been told to use the Glucomex as it's checks ketones.

Checking blood glucose is very important. There are days when I check upwards of 7 times per day. I can feel fine but on checking can be as low as 2 so always better to over check than not I'd say.


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Goodness ! Quite a collection.I have ketone stix but I might badger the doc for one that does that too
Yes it must be scary going as low as two .No wonder they said to take the insulin only when you've been at ten for a period of time .Imagine taking it with a reading of 2 !

 

[Randburg]

Hi
Trust the HbA1c as the most accurate reading,
In simple terms your red blood cells are made by your body all the time and live to be about 3 to 4 months old when they die,
Your blood sugar is reacts with these cells, and they give a reading of your glucose over the 90 to 120 days, as when the blood is drawn, the cells are old, new etc..
This is an average, and is the most accurate reading you can get to determine average blood glucose.
Your reading of 8.4% or 68mmol/mol, is high, and you should endeavour to get it down.

The meter readings as shown in your note are a snap shot of your blood sugar at the second you took the sample, and meters can be up to 20% inaccurate.
The reading will depend on when and what you have eaten, exercise, time of day etc.
They should be used as an indication of your current blood glucose level.

Have you tried going Low Carb, as I for one got fantastic results, I dropped my HbAic to 5.4 from 7.9%, and with exercise have lost close to 30kg, and I feel the best I ever have, in a way I thank Diabetes for giving me a wake up call.
You will find lots of info of Low card in the forums, or ask and someone will help

 

[SirAndy]

Yes badger them Susie. They have a habit of holding back supplies if you don't ask.
I'm now under the care of the hospital and they have cupboards full.
Each region is different but they have a duty of care to provide what you need.


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[Susiespearish]

Hi
Trust the HbA1c as the most accurate reading,
In simple terms your red blood cells are made by your body all the time and live to be about 3 to 4 months old when they die,
Your blood sugar is reacts with these cells, and they give a reading of your glucose over the 90 to 120 days, as when the blood is drawn, the cells are old, new etc..
This is an average, and is the most accurate reading you can get to determine average blood glucose.
Your reading of 8.4% or 68mmol/mol, is high, and you should endeavour to get it down.

The meter readings as shown in your note are a snap shot of your blood sugar at the second you took the sample, and meters can be up to 20% inaccurate.
The reading will depend on when and what you have eaten, exercise, time of day etc.
They should be used as an indication of your current blood glucose level.

Have you tried going Low Carb, as I for one got fantastic results, I dropped my HbAic to 5.4 from 7.9%, and with exercise have lost close to 30kg, and I feel the best I ever have, in a way I thank Diabetes for giving me a wake up call.
You will find lots of info of Low card in the forums, or ask and someone will help

I already low carb Randburg and have had lots of great help from this forum in the past L My HbA1c is now at 14% just got the results this week so yes something certainly needs to be done .I've lost weight very well on the low carb .

 

[donnellysdogs]

If only testing one or two times a day you'll never get an accurate comparison to your hba1c. Especially if you test each morning then it would look like you have DP to consider.

To get a more accurate indication you would need to test each mirning, before and after eating, pre bed and 3am in the morning on an odd occasion.

Now as a type 2, you are unlikely to get enough strips to do this, but to get a true record of how your lifestyle affects your hba1c which is too high, then you need to look more at your readings...

 

[SirAndy]

This Hba1c stuff still confuses me. I'm told my readings are more or less as a " normal" person.

Will go for the latest results on the 17th.

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[equipoise]

Hba1c of 8 corresponds to average glucose readings in double figures:
http://www.ngsp.org/A1ceAG.asp

 

[Lamont D]

Sorry, but I don't believe you have my condition which is RH!
I believe that your not testing to get a good knowledge of what your averages are as you are low carbing then you may have hyperglycaemia.
As others have said you need to test before and two hours after meals to create a normal reading. After a few weeks you will see what certain foods you eat are doing to your BSLs.
This is probably why you have been told that's why you need insulin when you eat. A tumour will do the same. You probably not producing enough insulin from your pancreas to get your BSLs down.
Have a word with your endo, he will tell you!

 

[Susiespearish]

If only testing one or two times a day you'll never get an accurate comparison to your hba1c. Especially if you test each morning then it would look like you have DP to consider.

To get a more accurate indication you would need to test each mirning, before and after eating, pre bed and 3am in the morning on an odd occasion.

Now as a type 2, you are unlikely to get enough strips to do this, but to get a true record of how your lifestyle affects your hba1c which is too high, then you need to look more at your readings...

I tested for weeks and weeks on waking and before and after food to get a good picture of what spiked me .As you can see the readings are pretty stable over the day /week so I've gone to testing twice a day as there was very little change and as you say I kept running out of strips .They would probably give me more if I took the insulin .I managed to get a few packets when I first started on the grounds of food testing but now it's very strictly my 50 per month :-(

 

[Susiespearish]

Sorry, but I don't believe you have my condition which is RH!
I believe that your not testing to get a good knowledge of what your averages are as you are low carbing then you may have hyperglycaemia.
As others have said you need to test before and two hours after meals to create a normal reading. After a few weeks you will see what certain foods you eat are doing to your BSLs.
This is probably why you have been told that's why you need insulin when you eat. A tumour will do the same. You probably not producing enough insulin from your pancreas to get your BSLs down.
Have a word with your endo, he will tell you!

I've no idea what RH is Nosher .Yes he suspects I'm not producing insulin as I should .Will see what he says at the end of the month .My urine glucose is at the highest so yes possibly hyperglycaemic .Just hope the new meds kick in .

 

[Spiker]

When was your Hba1c 8.4% and when was it 14%. If your most recent was 14% then this is consistent with your meter average, and it's a non issue. If it was 8.4% and the meter is accurate then the average implies low BG at times when you are not testing - eg at night.

Hba1c is always more accurate than any number of meter readings.


But this is all an irrelevant distraction. You are running toxic BG levels. Get yourself on insulin asap and stop fretting about these finer details.

 

[Susiespearish]

When was your Hba1c 8.4% and when was it 14%. If your most recent was 14% then this is consistent with your meter average, and it's a non issue. If it was 8.4% and the meter is accurate then the average implies low BG at times when you are not testing - eg at night.

Hba1c is always more accurate than any number of meter readings.


But this is all an irrelevant distraction. You are running toxic BG levels. Get yourself on insulin asap and stop fretting about these finer details.

My Hba1c was 8.4 or it may have been 8.6 exactly four months ago .This latest one does indeed reflect the last few months but that's where my problem lies with understanding the previous blood test Spiker .I could run you through weeks and weeks when I was testing six times a day and there really hasn't been much change until I started the Metformin and that took it down to 10 now and again. for a couple of weeks and then it bounced right back up .

 

[jack412]

It's a Spirit CareSens N Squire Fulwood and we checked it against the practice nurses meter and another because that was my first thought that the meter was faulty . If it means my BG isn't as high as it's showing I can live with that but not great for tapering my meds and diet too !!

I don't know if it's been said yet, but you can have an average 8 with highs of 9 and lows of 7 or highs of 20 with lows of 4,...not your numbers but you get the idea..insulin at the end of the month may be the right path for now
a1c can mess up, but they should be aware of this and check you out for those things that mess it