2 Hba1cs, 2 Labs, 1 Blood Sample.

[Bluetit1802]

@Mbaker

Wow! Thank you for all that information. I have skimmed the attachment but will have to find time to read it properly and try my best to understand it.

Congratulations on your test results. Those markers are brilliant.

I am not surprised the fructosamine test came out as it did. I did a lot of reading about this test a couple of years ago and it seems that it isn't really helpful unless there was a significant change in medication or diet or other such things around 4 weeks previous to the test. For this reason I gave up on pushing for one.

I guess you and I, and others, will just have to accept that we have some peculiarities in our haemoglobin and continue to use our own methods of testing. I do find it very worrying though that the HbA1c can be so inaccurate as to lead doctors to misdiagnose some patients.

 

[Mbaker]

@Mbaker

Wow! Thank you for all that information. I have skimmed the attachment but will have to find time to read it properly and try my best to understand it.

Congratulations on your test results. Those markers are brilliant.

I am not surprised the fructosamine test came out as it did. I did a lot of reading about this test a couple of years ago and it seems that it isn't really helpful unless there was a significant change in medication or diet or other such things around 4 weeks previous to the test. For this reason I gave up on pushing for one.

I guess you and I, and others, will just have to accept that we have some peculiarities in our haemoglobin and continue to use our own methods of testing. I do find it very worrying though that the HbA1c can be so inaccurate as to lead doctors to misdiagnose some patients.

Yes, I agree with all of your perspective, I did a random home HbA1c test this morning:

21% difference to official HbA1c. I have written to PTS Diagnostics to see if they can say what they do which might be different and will chase them up.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Yes, I agree with all of your perspective, I did a random home HbA1c test this morning:

View attachment 30711

21% difference to official HbA1c. I have written to PTS Diagnostics to see if they can say what they do which might be different and will chase them up.

That is a huge difference, similar to mine. Please let us know if you get anywhere with this.

 

[Tophat1900]

@Bluetit1802 To be honest, I have no faith in the statement that hba1c is a 3 month average.... dietary changes in particular and various other factors from red blood cell lifespan to different labs being used and possibly differing methods just creates too many variables. Especially the impact of diet/exercise experimentation during a 3 month period. Also, any mistakes in storage/handling from the draw to the lab result may also impact.

Personally, I'd go with what you have recorded. I think that is more accurate because of the constant measured data you are getting, rather than a one off reading where you ended up with two completely different results.

 

[Bluetit1802]

@Bluetit1802 To be honest, I have no faith in the statement that hba1c is a 3 month average.... dietary changes in particular and various other factors from red blood cell lifespan to different labs being used and possibly differing methods just creates too many variables. Especially the impact of diet/exercise experimentation during a 3 month period. Also, any mistakes in storage/handling from the draw to the lab result may also impact.

Personally, I'd go with what you have recorded. I think that is more accurate because of the constant measured data you are getting, rather than a one off reading where you ended up with two completely different results.

I agree, and yes, I do do go with my own personal data.

 

[Chook]

It does really make you wonder how many people are on insulin or strong meds when they don't really need them after their GP has prescribed after relying on the results from a defective HbA1c. Scary.

 

[Bluetit1802]

It does really make you wonder how many people are on insulin or strong meds when they don't really need them after their GP has prescribed after relying on the results from a defective HbA1c. Scary.

Or how many are diagnosed as T2 in the first place, thus having this on their records, when they may not have been anywhere near the cut off level. Conversely there are probably many not diagnosed when they should be, and many already diagnosed with reduced HbA1cs that are falsely lowered, thus giving them a false sense of security. Very worrying.

 

[zauberflote]

@Bluetit1802 @Chook and all thanks for scaring the besneezus out of me! I am so paranoid about my next month’s “do or die” HbA1c lab, and generally leery of one-off tests of anything, and now to know there is actually a basis for my nervousness....! Ah well.

 

[Mbaker]

Yes, I agree with all of your perspective, I did a random home HbA1c test this morning:

View attachment 30711

21% difference to official HbA1c. I have written to PTS Diagnostics to see if they can say what they do which might be different and will chase them up.

I had a private HbA1c test completed by Medichecks last Friday 18th January 2019:

View attachment 30760

So a 35.52 mmol/L reading or 5.4% (on a cobas c502, county pathology www.countypathology.co.uk), which is closer to my expectation and 6.5% less than Ipswich Hospital's 38. I will now highlight this to my surgery.

The 35.52 is still 15.5% more than the A1cNow + 30 mmol/L (still not answered 2 emails, phone call I think next). I am considering going to Newcastle to see Professor Roy Taylor (possibly Ivor Cummins, any other ideas would be appreciated) mid-year to see what he thinks and to get bod pod and further tests, as I intend on hammering my physique from the end of 1st quarter to summer.

I am a little easier now, as this at least is an average of 6.0 (fbg this morning was 4.2 @ 07.06. Breakfast of salmon and eggs, berries and nuts, 41 minute workout (start 14:00, 10 minute cycle, Karate, 3 x 10 deadlifts @ 120 kg, 3 x 10 squats @ 100 kg (507 calorie burn) random test 4.9 @ 16:29. So still wondering where the 6.0 average comes from.

Summary
For those wondering why I am doing this. The first reason is that I have been better controlled anecdotally over the last 2 years with a drop of around 1.3 mmol/L for both fbg and post prandial (on around 6 or 7 meters, including the FreeStyle Libre (2 meters were tested to be accurate against my surgeries professional unit, the 1st exactly the same, and my latest reads 0.1 higher). I use the A1cNow + HbA1c testing unit and get around a 31 mmol /L reading, usually a point lower than my non-diabetic wife and 4 to 7 points lower than 2 others, so I knew a 38 reading was not correct.