Hi everyone I have been type 1 for the last 47 years and have somehow stumbled through, my Q is how reliable are these HBA1C tests because according to them I am well controlled and I know from frequent blood testing that my glucose levels are all over the place and yet my consultant told me today he cannot OK me for a freestyle libre because my HBA1C is to good well I do not see how I could ever get a bad one if that one was good I personally do not think they are worth the paper they are written on, some say you have to fast others say not needed sugars every where and a good result how can this be, sorry for the rant Chris
HBA1C how much value is it
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MeiChanski
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Hello!
I think you need to argue that one of the criterias for the libre sensor is that you finger prick more than 8 times a day. If you record your results or upload them to their computer, it'll be evidence that your control is erratic. For most of my blood tests, I don't need to fast, if it's a fasting blood test I'm sure they'll tell you.
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The A1c value is an average so it can mask extremes of highs and lows. As @MeiChanski says, being able to show frequent testing may help and explaining about the swings. Also do you still have hypo awareness?
JAT1
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The HBA1C is an average of the prior three months so your meter readings can be all over the place and somehow through math, the HBA1C gives you the average. Doesn't make much sense to me. I was also told that it measures the sugar stuck to particles in the blood whereas the meter testing is measuring 'free-floating' sugar in the blood stream. My endo says my HBA1C is too low. Bottom line, I keep reminding myself, is I'm still alive and it's wonderful.
HbA1c is a valuable yardstick, but it’s also overrated in isolation without accompanying day-to-day glucose data. For T2, critically, it also tells you little or nothing about circulating insulin levels, but that’s less relevant here since OP is T1 and can be assumed to have a deficiency rather than excess.
Tophat1900
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If your numbers are all over the place, high, then low, high and low with no stability, then the a1c average isn't of great value because it is just showing the average of those extremes. So it's not really showing a trend over time. As has already been mentioned, If you can produce daily data to show what your bgl is doing throughout the day then that is more telling imo then an a1c level that is subjected to bgl swings.
Fairygodmother
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If you keep records of daily blood sugar tests then you’ll have better evidence to show the Consultant.
Could you self fund a libre for a couple of weeks or more? Abbott have a free app that means you could see the results on a smart phone if you have a compatible one. You’d then see better whether the HbA1C is a good reflection of your overall control or not.
I self funded before it was prescribed. The cheapest place I found to buy the sensors was the Asda pharmacy.
Could you self fund a libre for a couple of weeks or more? Abbott have a free app that means you could see the results on a smart phone if you have a compatible one. You’d then see better whether the HbA1C is a good reflection of your overall control or not.
I self funded before it was prescribed. The cheapest place I found to buy the sensors was the Asda pharmacy.
