What Do You Think?

[ardvark]

Not been on here a while but I have a question.
Since my heart attack and being told I'm type 2 in Feb this year I've been taking blood readings every night before bed on average 10pm.
I've added all the readings up and worked out the average per night.
It's 8.4
Now bearing in mind it is the average over 11 months reading ranging from 4.3 to 13 7
Is that a good average reading or a bad one?
I know there is room for improvement but if it stayed at that 8.4 or there about, would it be ok or not?

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I would not be happy with a 8.4 average at all, since I have got off of Metformin my average bgl has crept up to nearly 6.0 on a three month average and I am not really happy with that at all.

I test my bgl first up in the morning, then before and after meals breakfast / lunch / dinner.

Edit: Typos

 

[Goonergal]

Not been on here a while but I have a question.
Since my heart attack and being told I'm type 2 in Feb this year I've been taking blood readings every night before bed on average 10pm.
I've added all the readings up and worked out the average per night.
It's 8.4
Now bearing in mind it is the average over 11 months reading ranging from 4.3 to 13 7
Is that a good average reading or a bad one?
I know there is room for improvement but if it stayed at that 8.4 or there about, would it be ok or not?

Hi @ardvark you might find this helpful: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

 

[therower]

@ardvark. Not being T2 I wouldn’t like to give an opinion on good or bad levels.
Obviously you was probably in a difficult place back in February, a time when maybe your levels could have been more difficult to manage. Is it possible that some of the higher readings occurred early in the year?
It might be different if you could do an average for maybe the last 3 and 6 months as well. Perhaps you may see a different pattern emerging and quite possibly lower than your current 11 month average.

 

[Rachox]

Regardless of your own readings at home, have you not had another HbA1c? If so how was that compared with diagnosis? Another point to note is that just taking readings at bedtime in my opinion does not give enough overall information, such as how are your levels affected by your diet? Do you ever do pre and post meal readings?

 

[VashtiB]

Hi and welcome back,

I'm also surprised that you don't seem to have had regular HbA1c tests by your doctor. I suggest that you may want to consider getting that done.

Based on your average I wouldn't be thrilled by an average that high- but your actual average maybe different depending on what you are having at dinner and how that compares to what you eat during the day- if, for example, the rest of the day was very low carb. but dinner often high carb your average reading levels after dinner would be higher than your overall averages. That said- I don't like any reading to go above 6.5- yesterday my readings went up to 7- a result cause by an unexpected event which I wasn't able to control and that level caused me concern. I will ensure that I don't repeat the sequence of events that caused that reading.

My understanding as a relative newbie is that damage may start to occur at some of the readings you have.

Are you controlling your carbs in any way? I suggest that after arranging for a new HbA1c test you should also go back to the basics with testing- fasting in the morning test and then before and 2 hrs after all meals so you can see what your levels are doing with the food you are eating.

Good luck

 

[Tophat1900]

To be honest I'm not a fan of averages, but prefer to look at trends.... perhaps you can look back at your readings and see if you have been trending in an up or down manner. I think this provides better info, if you are trending in a downward manner of late or vice versa then that provides a better picture of how you are traveling rather then just looking at the average for all of your readings.

You may of been sick for a period and that could show a higher range of numbers during that period or there may be a reason why you were trending in a downward manner. The trends usually tell a story I find, just a matter of remembering what was going on at those times.

That's just how I look at it.... take it for what it is worth. Anyway, I hope you are in better health these days.

 

[Brunneria]

Late night levels of 8+ suggest (to me) that your evening carb intake is higher than your body (and your medications, if any) are coping with.

I would strongly urge you to test before and 2 hrs after each meal, and on waking, as well as when you go to bed.
Those tests will allow you to see which meals, and which foods are driving your blood glucose so high.

Contacting your doc and asking for an Hba1c and a medication review is also a good idea.
Your current blood glucose levels won’t be helping your longterm health.

Am i correct that in previous posts you have prioritised low fat (for a heart condition) over low carb (for blood glucose control)?

 

[ardvark]

Went to me doctor this morning to renew my replete prescriptions and had a word about my "What Do You Think" questions.
She said she wasn't interested about average blood readings because my latest HbA1c was 5.1 and she was happy with that.
She also said that if I felt the need to do a blood test every day I should do it no more than 2 hours after my evening meal and use that reading to make a note off instead of last thing at night before bed.

 

[ardvark]

back to work today
back to normality
back to me low sugar and low fat diet
what a happy new year eh?
still the main thing is that I'm still sucking wind.

 

[ianf0ster]

back to work today
back to normality
back to me low sugar and low fat diet
what a happy new year eh?
still the main thing is that I'm still sucking wind.

Hi aardvark,
Low Sugar and Low Fat ? - Did I miss something?
If I take that at face value then don't understand what you are trying to achieve by it.
Cutting sugar (even fruit sugars - Fructose) on its own is highly unlikely to improve our Blood Glucose unless you also cut back on starches as well - since they turn into sugar within less than 1 min of eating ( the process starts in the mouth).

And since Fat is the diabetic's friend, I can't see why you would want to eat low fat (since that almost always means higher Carb)!
I don't say that lightly, I speak as somebody whose dad died of a heart attack aged 45yrs and who's doctor advised a Low Fat, High Carb 'Way Of Eating' - after 10yrs on which I needed a 3x Coronary Bypass.

Normality for me is that the American Diabetes Association is now (at last) advising a Low Carb diet for Type 2 diabetics.

 

[Listlad]

Cutting sugar (even fruit sugars - Fructose) on its own is highly unlikely to improve our Blood Glucose unless you also cut back on starches as well - since they turn into sugar within less than 1 min of eating ( the process starts in the mouth).
.

Cutting sugars does work. I managed to get my blood sugars down quite quickly that way but it wasn’t enough to get me clear of Prediabetes. That took lower carb higher fat to do that.

 

[ardvark]

What I was on about was that 5th Feb last year I had 3 heart attacks. The doc at the hospital said I was also type 2 diabetic. They said I had to adopt a low sugar and low fat diet to survive.
Over Christmas I had more sugar and fat than normal ( well it was Christmas)
Going back to normal for me means this low sugar and low fat diet again.
To me it's a pain in the xxxx but I have to think about who would be left behind.
Sob story I know but I dare say there are loads of members in the same boat.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi @ardvark

I saw you posting on another thread about grapes and remembered this one.
Hope things are going OK for you?

How are your bg numbers doing? I know you mentioned an annual average over a year, and then that you had been having a few extra treats at Xmas. Have things settled down now?

 

[ardvark]

Going for me annual blood test next week to see how thing's are. Will post results when I get them.
As far as the grapes are concerned, I need to find a replacement. Berries are to expecive atm so am looking for an alternative.

 

[Brunneria]

Going for me annual blood test next week to see how thing's are. Will post results when I get them.
As far as the grapes are concerned, I need to find a replacement. Berries are to expecive atm so am looking for an alternative.

Hope it goes well, and please let us know how you get on?