Type 2 Hb1AC 51 in March, 42 this week. Am I nearly non diabetes?

[Heartsurvivor]

Hi just had my routine blood tests and wondering what number do I need to be to be classed as non diabetic. Back in early March I was told I was now diabetic after years of being pre-diabetic. I had knee replacement surgery just before lockdown and lost 12lbs (nearly 6kg?). I was a healthy BMI before and am now down to 20. I would love to think I could become free of diabetes as I had a heart attack 4 years ago and have been hypothyroid for 25 years, all linked I suppose.

 

[jim1951]

That is fantastic bringing your HBAIC down to 42.

I believe 42 to 48 is considered prediabetic and below 42 is non diabetic, so you are on the border.

But please understand that once your body has shown that it considers you diabetic, the view is that you can only enter remission and not be cured.

Having said that, if you continue doing what you are doing there is no reason why you cannot stay in the state of remission.

 

[Heartsurvivor]

That is fantastic bringing your HBAIC down to 42.

I believe 42 to 48 is considered prediabetic and below 42 is non diabetic, so you are on the border.

But please understand that once your body has shown that it considers you diabetic, the view is that you can only enter remission and not be cured.

Having said that, if you continue doing what you are doing there is no reason why you cannot stay in the state of remission.

 

[Heartsurvivor]

Thanks Jim, it helps to know. Now I need to keep my weight down and continue to eat healthily. Better stop the 1 a day chocolate brazil and the occasional cheeky dark chocolate ginger biscuit/occasional glass of wine

 

[KK123]

Thanks Jim, it helps to know. Now I need to keep my weight down and continue to eat healthily. Better stop the 1 a day chocolate brazil and the occasional cheeky dark chocolate ginger biscuit/occasional glass of wine

Why? The brazil is certainly ok if you are thinking of carbs and I doubt there is that much chocolate covering it, the occasional ginger biscuit?, well so what if you can tolerate it, and as for the wine, well that's more likely to lower your glucose levels. It's all about moderation really and what works for you. x

 

[Heartsurvivor]

Why? The brazil is certainly ok if you are thinking of carbs and I doubt there is that much chocolate covering it, the occasional ginger biscuit?, well so what if you can tolerate it, and as for the wine, well that's more likely to lower your glucose levels. It's all about moderation really and what works for you. x

My weight is oh so gradually creeping on and I would really like to go into remission. Back in March I was told I’d be needing diabetes medication, which I’d like to avoid if possible, considering I take so much already for heart, thyroid, etc. My brother got his weight off, he wasn’t really very overweight. But was on medication. He lowered carbs, did 5/2 fasting and is now well into remission. I can let go of the alcohol and biscuits but the chocolate brazil will stay

 

[ziggy_w]

Hi @Heartsurvivor

Really well done on the lower HBA1c. You are almost in the normal range now.

Do you have a glucose meter? Many of us test right before a meal and two hours after the first bite. The rise should be no more than 2 mmol. Doing this helps tremendously when trying to figure out which foods work for us and which don't. Personally, I don't see any rise with dry red wine and almost none with high cocoa content chocolate (for me 88% with 13g of carbs per 100g), so there is probably no reason to give this up, unless for other reasons than diabetes.

Congrats again on your results.

 

[jim1951]

Thanks Jim, it helps to know. Now I need to keep my weight down and continue to eat healthily. Better stop the 1 a day chocolate brazil and the occasional cheeky dark chocolate ginger biscuit/occasional glass of wine

I would not worry too much about the "occasional" glass of red wine. There is much suggestion that red wine is good for the heart as the antioxidants help prevent coronary heart disease. This would tick a box for you?

 

[Heartsurvivor]

Hi @Heartsurvivor

Really well done on the lower HBA1c. You are almost in the normal range now.

Do you have a glucose meter? Many of us test right before a meal and two hours after the first bite. The rise should be no more than 2 mmol. Doing this helps tremendously when trying to figure out which foods work for us and which don't. Personally, I don't see any rise with dry red wine and almost none with high cocoa content chocolate (for me 88% with 13g of carbs per 100g), so there is probably no reason to give this up, unless for other reasons than diabetes.

Congrats again on your results.

Thanks Ziggy. No I don’t have a meter so don’t test but it sounds as though I should. Red wine s my wine of choice and I’ve decided that a couple of glasses at the weekend will be good. I’ve found it too easy in the past to slip into the habit of a glass of wine every night with dinner, that one glass can become more when it's habitual . My crocs are milk choc as plain dark trigger migraine

 

[Resurgam]

I am officially 'in remission' having had several Hba1c tests of 42. I tried to push it lower by reducing 10 gm of carb a day, but it seems something is broken, as it remained the same.

I don't mind 40 gm per day so I have stuck to it anyway and it might have some effect in the end. I have lost weight, but I concentrate on the blood glucose and the weight just wanders off and gets lost, I don't do anything to get rid of it.
I think surgeries have their own rules on if and when you are changed to in remission, but it seems to be X number of annual Hba1c tests at below Y and you are out of diabetes, but still get checks.

 

[Heartsurvivor]

I am officially 'in remission' having had several Hba1c tests of 42. I tried to push it lower by reducing 10 gm of carb a day, but it seems something is broken, as it remained the same.

I don't mind 40 gm per day so I have stuck to it anyway and it might have some effect in the end. I have lost weight, but I concentrate on the blood glucose and the weight just wanders off and gets lost, I don't do anything to get rid of it.
I think surgeries have their own rules on if and when you are changed to in remission, but it seems to be X number of annual Hba1c tests at below Y and you are out of diabetes, but still get checks.

Thank you. That’s interesting to know about the surgeries having their own interpretation. I’m getting a call from the doc today and will be asking all about that.

 

[Daphne917]

Thank you. That’s interesting to know about the surgeries having their own interpretation. I’m getting a call from the doc today and will be asking all about that.

It depends on your surgery. I’ve had a non diabetic Hba1c for approx 7 years and my DN still tells me I’m not in remission just well controlled - although my GP insists that I no longer have diabetes so there’s a bit of a contradiction there! However I consider myself as being in remission but it doesn’t really matter - I just ensure that I don’t go overboard on the carbs although I am lucky in that I can eat between 100 - 130g carbs per day which just makes me low carb and test my FBS and reactions to foods every couple of days to check I am still on track.

 

[ziggy_w]

Thanks Ziggy. No I don’t have a meter so don’t test but it sounds as though I should. Red wine s my wine of choice and I’ve decided that a couple of glasses at the weekend will be good. I’ve found it too easy in the past to slip into the habit of a glass of wine every night with dinner, that one glass can become more when it's habitual . My crocs are milk choc as plain dark trigger migraine

Hi @Heartsurvivor,

I get the "can get habitual " bit -- tbh, my red wine consumption has gone up a bit during the COVID19 crisis. So, currently working on reducing this a bit. As to the milk chocolate (this used to be my favorite too before diagnosis), unfortunately it can be a bit carby (most have around 50g of carbs per 100g), but your meter, when you get one, will tell you. If you should feel the rise in blood glucose is a bit too much for your liking, you can always adjust by reducing the portion size or by switching to milk chocolate sweetened by stevia or by xylitol.

 

[Heartsurvivor]

It depends on your surgery. I’ve had a non diabetic Hba1c for approx 7 years and my DN still tells me I’m not in remission just well controlled - although my GP insists that I no longer have diabetes so there’s a bit of a contradiction there! However I consider myself as being in remission but it doesn’t really matter - I just ensure that I don’t go overboard on the carbs although I am lucky in that I can eat between 100 - 130g carbs per day which just makes me low carb and test my FBS and reactions to foods every couple of days to check I am still on track.

That’s interesting about the statin and increased HbA1c. Do you think it’s related? I’ve tried all the statins (due to HA 4 years ago) but cannot tolerate them and refused to take any more. My lovely GP told me to listen to Rangan Chattergee’s 4 Pillars of Health podcasts, particularly the one when statins and cholesterol are mentioned, she backs up my decision to stop. She called me this morning and confirmed that I’m a whisker away from diabetes remission but would need to maintain it. Btw I fast for 12-15 hours overnight and that appears to have helped.

 

[Daphne917]

That’s interesting about the statin and increased HbA1c. Do you think it’s related? I’ve tried all the statins (due to HA 4 years ago) but cannot tolerate them and refused to take any more. My lovely GP told me to listen to Rangan Chattergee’s 4 Pillars of Health podcasts, particularly the one when statins and cholesterol are mentioned, she backs up my decision to stop. She called me this morning and confirmed that I’m a whisker away from diabetes remission but would need to maintain it. Btw I fast for 12-15 hours overnight and that appears to have helped.

That’s what we put the hba1c increase to. I stopped due to other side effects and the decrease in my hba1c was fairly quick. A new GP at my practice has now annotated my records as statin intolerant because we don’t want to take the risk of it happening again.