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Advice about HbA1c levels

LordEgg

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hey this is my first post I was recently told in April that I'm type two when my blood test showed that my HbA1c levels where at 51 I had my 3 months blood test and it showed at 42 to which the note on the doctors was that its improving which quite frankly means nothing to me. Would anyone be able to tell me what this actually means obviously I've dropped but have I dropped enough to be in remission or what's the story?
 
Hi and welcome.

42 is excellent, as it's in the pre-diabetic range. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it. :) However if you go back to doing what you used to do, your HbA1c will follow...
 
Hey this is my first post I was recently told in April that I'm type two when my blood test showed that my HbA1c levels where at 51 I had my 3 months blood test and it showed at 42 to which the note on the doctors was that its improving which quite frankly means nothing to me. Would anyone be able to tell me what this actually means obviously I've dropped but have I dropped enough to be in remission or what's the story?
Hi and welcome. You've done well.

51 is a "diabetic" reading. The convention is that T2 diabetes will automatically be diagnosed by a reading for 48mmol/mol or more. Because of the potential inaccuracy of the tests, they usually do two tests before the diagnosis is confirmed.

"Normal" blood glucose levels are usually judged to be in the range 38-42mmol/mol. So after 3 months you've returned a "normal" reading, which is great. Whatever you did had the desired effect.

You'll first need to ask your GP if you have been officially diagnosed as diabetic or not. "Remission" means different things to different people, there's no single definition. My practice used a definition that goes "one full year medication-free with all A1c readings below 48". Others will just say any reading under 48 indicates remission.

Point is in one sense it doesn't actually matter. If you've been diagnosed you will always be a diagnosed diabetic regardless of your recent reading or remission. There's no cure, (if I returned to my eating habits prior to 2019 I'd get the pre-2019 blood glucose levels shortly after) so if you have been diagnosed you'll get the nerve and eye tests and regular A1c checks. You may also have to declare it for things like life insurance.
 
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