HBA1C
- Thread starter shadow
- Start Date
thats what all my paper work says but im new to it to so not sure someone else will come along soon and let us no
sami
just found out
HbA1c 7.7
sami
just found out
HbA1c 7.7
Anything under 7% is good!Have a look in "links for diabetes "in the diabetes discussion section.There's a good explanation on Hba1c there.
Knowledge is the key to control
Knowledge is the key to control
Hi. Yes, your hba1c should be as low as possible, and anything under 7.5 is considered OK. If you are new...don't panic too much if it is higher. It is looking at your blood sugar over the last 6 weeks or so...so if you weren't treating you diabetes then, it may be a little higher.
All I can advise is take on board what they advise when hey give you your result...and remembr it is is something to work on for the future.
Best of luck!
All I can advise is take on board what they advise when hey give you your result...and remembr it is is something to work on for the future.
Best of luck!
Hi there,
I'm new here, so forgive me while I learn the ropes.
I've been T1 for 27 years though and one thing I do know is that non-diabetics HbA1C levels are invariably in the 4.3-4.6 range. Risk of long term complications increases the further we stray from that. 7% is OK if you're just starting out, but I believe you should aim much lower, long term.
Don't accept that it's impossible, because it isn't. It's taken me a while to figure it all out, but I was 4.6% last time out, with no hypos.
All the best,
fergusc
I'm new here, so forgive me while I learn the ropes.
I've been T1 for 27 years though and one thing I do know is that non-diabetics HbA1C levels are invariably in the 4.3-4.6 range. Risk of long term complications increases the further we stray from that. 7% is OK if you're just starting out, but I believe you should aim much lower, long term.
Don't accept that it's impossible, because it isn't. It's taken me a while to figure it all out, but I was 4.6% last time out, with no hypos.
All the best,
fergusc
Hi,
Just got the result of my HbA1C and it was 10.6 [:0]
Nurse does not know why as I am not eating very much, thinks it may be stress. Last one I had a year ago was 7.7
Have been on Levemir but for the last few weeks I have been getting reactions I think? Hard red lumps at the injection site and bruising, these last for about a week anyone else had this?
Nurse said its just the make of needle but I have used a different one and its exactly the same.
Jo
Just got the result of my HbA1C and it was 10.6 [:0]
Nurse does not know why as I am not eating very much, thinks it may be stress. Last one I had a year ago was 7.7
Have been on Levemir but for the last few weeks I have been getting reactions I think? Hard red lumps at the injection site and bruising, these last for about a week
anyone else had this?Nurse said its just the make of needle but I have used a different one and its exactly the same.
Jo
Hi JoJo,
Sorry it didn't go as well as you'd hoped, but don't be discouraged. There are many things you can do to improve it.
What sorts of food are you eating and how much insulin are you using?
All the best,
fergusc
Sorry it didn't go as well as you'd hoped, but don't be discouraged. There are many things you can do to improve it.
What sorts of food are you eating and how much insulin are you using?
All the best,
fergusc
Hi fergusc,
Thanks for message.
I inject 14 levemir and 3 novorapid in the morning and 3 units rapid with dinner.
I have porridge or shredded wheat in the morning with skimmed milk, 3 oatcakes for lunch plain, dinner is quite often chicken stir fry with veg or homemade spag bolognaise. One glass of wine a week.
Jo
Thanks for message.
I inject 14 levemir and 3 novorapid in the morning and 3 units rapid with dinner.
I have porridge or shredded wheat in the morning with skimmed milk, 3 oatcakes for lunch plain, dinner is quite often chicken stir fry with veg or homemade spag bolognaise. One glass of wine a week.
Jo
Hi JoJo,
You're right you don't eat much do you! You may have said already, but are you T1 or T2? Do you have a small appetite, or are you simply cautious not to eat too much? You aren't using much insulin and I think that's a good thing generally, unless your sugars are running too high, which sounds as if they probably are.
Your diet is mostly carbohydrate then, especially at breakfast and lunch when its over 90% carbs. Whether it's cereal or oatckes, these things will always send your blood sugars high - too high for injected insulin to cope with.
In my experience, when I started to eliminate these things from my diet, my blood sugars pretty quickly returned to a near normal range. I run between 3 and 5.5mmol/l constantly but I don't think that can be done if your diet is very high in carbohydrate.
Would you eat protein and fat instead, such as bacon and eggs at breakfast for example?
I think the more we reduce the carbohydrate in the diet, the closer to normal our blood sugars will be.
Would you consider adjusting your diet at all?
All the best,
fergusc
You're right you don't eat much do you! You may have said already, but are you T1 or T2? Do you have a small appetite, or are you simply cautious not to eat too much? You aren't using much insulin and I think that's a good thing generally, unless your sugars are running too high, which sounds as if they probably are.
Your diet is mostly carbohydrate then, especially at breakfast and lunch when its over 90% carbs. Whether it's cereal or oatckes, these things will always send your blood sugars high - too high for injected insulin to cope with.
In my experience, when I started to eliminate these things from my diet, my blood sugars pretty quickly returned to a near normal range. I run between 3 and 5.5mmol/l constantly but I don't think that can be done if your diet is very high in carbohydrate.
Would you eat protein and fat instead, such as bacon and eggs at breakfast for example?
I think the more we reduce the carbohydrate in the diet, the closer to normal our blood sugars will be.
Would you consider adjusting your diet at all?
All the best,
fergusc
fergus, just interested to know would you consider 3-3.9 to be hypo?
jojo- why no insulin with lunch? if you are eating carbohydrate you should be injecting novorapid, so just wondering why you aren't?
jojo- why no insulin with lunch? if you are eating carbohydrate you should be injecting novorapid, so just wondering why you aren't?
The advice for A1C level varies. American diabetic associations have suggested that it should be or less than 6.5%. The UK advice now is the same (used to be set at 7% or lower). Interestingly, the worry in achieving a lower HBA1c <6.5% is that one could be experiencing more hypo episodes. In fact, for type 1s diagnosed for more than 5 years, an HBA1c <5.7% the worry is that they are having asymptomatic hypos (at night or when driving). My type 1 neighbour runs between 4.7% to 5.6% and feels fine.
My A1c last week was 5.9%. But I am off work with my foot infection. Taking 200 units per day (was on 120/day last october). I have been having borderline hypos in the afternoons/evenings. I will have to let things rise a bit when I go back to operating and driving. Its nice to know I can get into the normal range (4-6.2%). Put on 10 pounds in weight since october as well.
Agree that the lower your A1c the better for the microvascular complications (eye, kidney, nerve). If you are type 2 like me you want to pay attention to post meal levels. hard to get advice on that. It used to be advised that BS < 10 2 hours after meal. Then I read it should <8.3 2 hours post meal. Then I have read it should be <8.2 1 hour post meal and <6.2 2 hours post meal. Post prandial levels are linked to macrovascular complications (stroke and heart attacks). I have taken much higher bolus doses of novorapid aggressively and it seems to work for me. I am usinf less top up does than before and get the impression I use less in total on the eveinings.
However, I am still keen to get exenatide or sitagliptin whenever the licences will allow. In type 2 diabetes one of the many metabolic disturbances is the paradoxical increase in glucagon after food. These drugs limit this effect and will allow more physiological blood glucose profiles. I am hoping this will aloow me to reduce the amount of insulin I take and make it easier to reduce my belly. One small study with Sitagliptin showed a decrease of one third in the use of insulin.
Marty B
My A1c last week was 5.9%. But I am off work with my foot infection. Taking 200 units per day (was on 120/day last october). I have been having borderline hypos in the afternoons/evenings. I will have to let things rise a bit when I go back to operating and driving. Its nice to know I can get into the normal range (4-6.2%). Put on 10 pounds in weight since october as well.
Agree that the lower your A1c the better for the microvascular complications (eye, kidney, nerve). If you are type 2 like me you want to pay attention to post meal levels. hard to get advice on that. It used to be advised that BS < 10 2 hours after meal. Then I read it should <8.3 2 hours post meal. Then I have read it should be <8.2 1 hour post meal and <6.2 2 hours post meal. Post prandial levels are linked to macrovascular complications (stroke and heart attacks). I have taken much higher bolus doses of novorapid aggressively and it seems to work for me. I am usinf less top up does than before and get the impression I use less in total on the eveinings.
However, I am still keen to get exenatide or sitagliptin whenever the licences will allow. In type 2 diabetes one of the many metabolic disturbances is the paradoxical increase in glucagon after food. These drugs limit this effect and will allow more physiological blood glucose profiles. I am hoping this will aloow me to reduce the amount of insulin I take and make it easier to reduce my belly. One small study with Sitagliptin showed a decrease of one third in the use of insulin.
Marty B
Hi,
fergusc, I do have a good apetite and usually hungry on and off all day and can't go past 1730 to eat evening meal. I just love pasta and rice and other carbs and thought they were what we should be eating but perhaps I do need to change?
I am type 1 and quite fed up with it at the moment.
I leave for work at 5.30 am and would find it difficult to cook there so thats why I take cereal, but have been told to keep my salt and fat intake down too! Not sure what to do.
I can inject my 3 units of rapid with a bm of 6 at dinner time, by 8pm bm could be 3? I do feel hypo <3.5
Sofaraway, Hi, I have been told not to inject at lunch unless bm really high. Don't think my GP really knows whats going on.
Jo
fergusc, I do have a good apetite and usually hungry on and off all day and can't go past 1730 to eat evening meal. I just love pasta and rice and other carbs and thought they were what we should be eating but perhaps I do need to change?
I am type 1 and quite fed up with it at the moment.
I leave for work at 5.30 am and would find it difficult to cook there so thats why I take cereal, but have been told to keep my salt and fat intake down too! Not sure what to do.
I can inject my 3 units of rapid with a bm of 6 at dinner time, by 8pm bm could be 3? I do feel hypo <3.5
Sofaraway, Hi, I have been told not to inject at lunch unless bm really high. Don't think my GP really knows whats going on.
Jo
Hi Jojo,
As I have just posted in response to another question, diabetes = high blood sugar, and what causes high blood sugar? Carbohydrate - nothing else. Reduce carbohydrate and you lower blood sugar. Have a look at the information in the link below? It gives a very good explanation of exactly why carbohydrates are bad for diabetics.
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/diabetes_index.html
As I have just posted in response to another question, diabetes = high blood sugar, and what causes high blood sugar? Carbohydrate - nothing else. Reduce carbohydrate and you lower blood sugar. Have a look at the information in the link below? It gives a very good explanation of exactly why carbohydrates are bad for diabetics.
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/diabetes_index.html
JOJO-Might be worth seeing if you can be refered to the hospital to see a consultant as GP's don't always have the best knowledge of diabetes.
as a type 1 I don't believe that you should give up the foods that you love, sometimes it just takes a bit of work to find out how to best manage them. advice of amount of carbs is different everywhere you look, really it's just what suits different people. I enjoy my carbs and would never go low carb. i want to enjoy my food
others find it very hard to keep good control with eating alot of carbs and so low carb works for them.
what you need to try and do is work out your insulin to carb ratio. if you are having lows 2 hours after your dinner then it seems that you are taking too much rapid.
are you able to miss or delay meals without going low?
as a type 1 I don't believe that you should give up the foods that you love, sometimes it just takes a bit of work to find out how to best manage them. advice of amount of carbs is different everywhere you look, really it's just what suits different people. I enjoy my carbs and would never go low carb. i want to enjoy my food
others find it very hard to keep good control with eating alot of carbs and so low carb works for them.
what you need to try and do is work out your insulin to carb ratio. if you are having lows 2 hours after your dinner then it seems that you are taking too much rapid.
are you able to miss or delay meals without going low?
Sofaraway,
I find it hard to be precise about a level below which is hypoglycemia. I don't get any warning signs so I can't feel it coming!I don't get the sweating or tingling I used to get, not unless Keira Knightly's on the telly.
I suppose it's a sliding scale rather than a sharp well defined level. 3 - 3.9 would probably be mild hypoglycemia by that definition. What do you think?
Marty, I think the ADA and for that matter DUK are crazy to set an acceptable HbA1C level at 6.5 to 7%. 7% is equivalent to an average blood sugar level of 10mmol/l which most people would agree is both abnormal extremely damaging for even a short time. They are essentially advocating blood sugars 50% higher than a non-diabetic's levels. I really think that is medically negligent.
The hypo problem I think is more of a consequence of widely fluctuating blood sugars resulting from large amounts of carbohydrates and the large doses of insulin required to deal with them.
All the best,
fergusc
I find it hard to be precise about a level below which is hypoglycemia. I don't get any warning signs so I can't feel it coming!I don't get the sweating or tingling I used to get, not unless Keira Knightly's on the telly.
I suppose it's a sliding scale rather than a sharp well defined level. 3 - 3.9 would probably be mild hypoglycemia by that definition. What do you think?
Marty, I think the ADA and for that matter DUK are crazy to set an acceptable HbA1C level at 6.5 to 7%. 7% is equivalent to an average blood sugar level of 10mmol/l which most people would agree is both abnormal extremely damaging for even a short time. They are essentially advocating blood sugars 50% higher than a non-diabetic's levels. I really think that is medically negligent.
The hypo problem I think is more of a consequence of widely fluctuating blood sugars resulting from large amounts of carbohydrates and the large doses of insulin required to deal with them.
All the best,
fergusc
My first HbA1C after starting insulin was 5.00. Last time it was 8 something and I just know my next one will be higher. I've had a really stressful six months and I don't smoke or drink but I've always been a comfort eater. I was hosting Christmas this year too and my resolve weakened so I did indulge a bit.I'm trying really hard now to get back on track. I'm not overweight but I actually find it harder now to go wihtout "naughties" than I did when I was first diagnosed.(Which is why I'm not looking forward to having my HbA1C done).I think after a while it suddenly hits you that diabetes is "for life" and that you can't tuck into those favourite sweet things "when you're better".
Did anyone else go through a phase like that?
Did anyone else go through a phase like that?
Hi,
Thanks for all the messages.
I do see a consultant but do not find him very helpful, I am seeing a diabatologist in a few days through work, see what he says.
I don't think I could miss a meal, I get too hungry so even if I am high I still eat.
Find it difficult with exercising too, 30 minutes of ironing can make me go low.
Dennis, thanks for that link I found it very interesting, seems I am eating too much of the wrong foods
Hi chocoholic, I find it very hard not to eat crisps especially twiglets (yum, yum!)
Jo
Thanks for all the messages.
I do see a consultant but do not find him very helpful, I am seeing a diabatologist in a few days through work, see what he says.
I don't think I could miss a meal, I get too hungry so even if I am high I still eat.
Find it difficult with exercising too, 30 minutes of ironing can make me go low.
Dennis, thanks for that link I found it very interesting, seems I am eating too much of the wrong foods
Hi chocoholic, I find it very hard not to eat crisps especially twiglets (yum, yum!)
Jo
