Very confused whether or not I’m prediabetic

[JW18484]

Hi all. I’m 23, 5’6.5 and weigh 155 lbs. I went to the doctor for another reason and had blood work done 3 months ago. My non-fasting blood glucose was 100 mg/dL, which was normal for non-fasted.

But, 3 months later (2 weeks ago) I had to get blood work rechecked for another reason. My fasting (this time it was fasting, I had not ate for 10-12 hours) blood sugar was 123 mg/dL. This is almost borderline diabetic. So I went from borderline prediabetic to borderline diabetic in 3 months. My doctor tried to get an A1C added on after seeing the glucose level but he wasn’t able to get it in time.

So I literally have no clue if I’m diabetic or not and the 3 month wait is killing me. Is there any other reason I could have had such a high fasting level? Most people I see diagnosed are much older or have some weight. My dad got pre-diabetes because he had a lot of fat, but that’s not my case. And he was 45 when he got it.

I am legit freaking out because food is such an integral part of hanging out and traveling. I was planning a trip to Italy to try out the amazing food, and that was half the excitement about the trip. I really hope I’m not prediabetic, and can’t believe I got it so young. How should I approach this?

 

[Goonergal]

Is there any reason why you have to wait 3 months for an A1C?

Diabetes is not usually diagnosed on the back of fasting/random readings. You 123 (6.8 mmols on the scale used in the uk) is on the high side, but not off the scale and there are so many things that can affect it including stress, lack of sleep, etc. Therefore the best thing would be to try not to stress about it and if you can get an earlier test (here we can get them pretty cheaply privately) then that might help to at least stop the worry of not knowing.

 

[DanW13]

Hi all. I’m 23, 5’6.5 and weigh 155 lbs. I went to the doctor for another reason and had blood work done 3 months ago. My non-fasting blood glucose was 100 mg/dL, which was normal for non-fasted.

But, 3 months later (2 weeks ago) I had to get blood work rechecked for another reason. My fasting (this time it was fasting, I had not ate for 10-12 hours) blood sugar was 123 mg/dL. This is almost borderline diabetic. So I went from borderline prediabetic to borderline diabetic in 3 months. My doctor tried to get an A1C added on after seeing the glucose level but he wasn’t able to get it in time.

So I literally have no clue if I’m diabetic or not and the 3 month wait is killing me. Is there any other reason I could have had such a high fasting level? Most people I see diagnosed are much older or have some weight. My dad got pre-diabetes because he had a lot of fat, but that’s not my case. And he was 45 when he got it.

I am legit freaking out because food is such an integral part of hanging out and traveling. I was planning a trip to Italy to try out the amazing food, and that was half the excitement about the trip. I really hope I’m not prediabetic, and can’t believe I got it so young. How should I approach this?

You’re probably not PD based on your age & weight profile but get an Hba1c to confirm. If you can’t get one from your GP, you could always get one done privately, for between £150-£200 from BUPA or another provider. Might be worth the cost if you’re stressing about it & want a trip to Italy soon.

Be careful of diabetic stereotypes though, I was 5 foot 11 & weighed 172lb, BMI 25, normal weight, plus exercised regularly each week, but was diagnosed with prediabetes last year. The upshot is whatever your profile, if you over indulge in carbohydrates & genetically are predisposed to insulin resistance, you could end up with PD or worse T2D.

Everything in moderation would be my advice, especially carbs!!

 

[Goonergal]

get an Hba1c to confirm. If you can’t get one from your GP, you could always get one done privately, for between £150-£200 from BUPA or another provider.

That’s steep. You can get them for under £50, often under £40 from providers such as Medichecks, Monitor My Health and Thriva.

 

[JW18484]

Hi I picked up an A1C home kit at the pharmacy. It’s called A1C now kit by PTS diagnostics. This was rated as the most reliable, 99% accuracy with a 5% deviation. Reviews said it almost exactly matched tests in the clinic. I took 2 separate readings:

The first reading was 4.4 (I made an error on the first sample after I watched a YouTube video on instructions). The second reading, which I triple checked everything to make sure it was accurate, was 4.7. If this number is accurate (I’m going to get an official blood test to confirm anyway), would that mean that I’m still at risk?

And in the future, given that my dad was a prediabetic in his mid 40s (although he also had a lot of weight), should I stick to low carb to play it safe?

 

[JW18484]

You’re probably not PD based on your age & weight profile but get an Hba1c to confirm. If you can’t get one from your GP, you could always get one done privately, for between £150-£200 from BUPA or another provider. Might be worth the cost if you’re stressing about it & want a trip to Italy soon.

Be careful of diabetic stereotypes though, I was 5 foot 11 & weighed 172lb, BMI 25, normal weight, plus exercised regularly each week, but was diagnosed with prediabetes last year. The upshot is whatever your profile, if you over indulge in carbohydrates & genetically are predisposed to insulin resistance, you could end up with PD or worse T2D.

Everything in moderation would be my advice, especially carbs!!

Yes! I was planning on eating a moderate amount of carbs but only low glycemic, basically eating as if I’m diabetic but maybe having fast food from time to time. Definitely not going to eat refined carbs daily, I quit soda, and I’m trying to build muscle mass since studies show it can improve insulin resistance.

So basically 95% of the time my food will be low glycemics, with special events/travel saved for the other 5%. And yes I do realize that I could easily become diabetic either way despite my healthy weight because of genetics (my dad had it).

 

[Ronancastled]

Hi @JW18484
4.7% is about as far from diabetic as you can get, it's a marvelous number.
Low carb has so many other benefits going forward I believe the entire non-diabetic community should be doing it anyway.

 

[DanW13]

That’s steep. You can get them for under £50, often under £40 from providers such as Medichecks, Monitor My Health and Thriva.

Wasn’t aware you could get an Hba1c test off the shelf so to speak, is it more reliable than the one I got from the Abbott Libre, which was miles out sadly?

The test I referenced also checks cholesterol/lipids, blood pressure etc, so more an all round MOT, sorry should’ve pointed that bit out.

 

[JW18484]

Wasn’t aware you could get an Hba1c test off the shelf so to speak, is it more reliable than the one I got from the Abbott Libre, which was miles out sadly?

The test I referenced also checks cholesterol/lipids, blood pressure etc, so more an all round MOT, sorry should’ve pointed that bit out.

I live in the United States, not the UK. Saw you were using pounds as the currency. I ordered the kit off Amazon. It’s called “A1CNow Selfcheck” if you look it up on Amazon. Had good reviews and a lot of them said it was within 0.1 of the lab tests too.

 

[Goonergal]

Wasn’t aware you could get an Hba1c test off the shelf so to speak, is it more reliable than the one I got from the Abbott Libre, which was miles out sadly?

The test I referenced also checks cholesterol/lipids, blood pressure etc, so more an all round MOT, sorry should’ve pointed that bit out.

No worries. The Libre is just a guess. I’ve used A1C now and found it to be a few points out from the official one, but not horrendously so.

For future reference, Monitor My Health, while offering a private service, is actually an NHS lab. Private tests are done out of hours. They have a limited range compared to Medichecks or Thriva, but are very reasonable (HbA1c, cholesterol panel, vitamin d and thyroid combined comes in at £47): https://monitormyhealth.org.uk/

 

[DanW13]

No worries. The Libre is just a guess. I’ve used A1C now and found it to be a few points out from the official one, but not horrendously so.

For future reference, Monitor My Health, while offering a private service, is actually an NHS lab. Private tests are done out of hours. They have a limited range compared to Medichecks or Thriva, but are very reasonable (HbA1c, cholesterol panel, vitamin d and thyroid combined comes in at £47): https://monitormyhealth.org.uk/

Thanks, will keep that link for future reference!

 

[JW18484]

Now I just realized, I was eating more healthy (not extremely low carb but lower and less sugar) for a month. Could that have falsely brought my A1C to 4.7% since I didn’t get my A1C measured right away when I did get that high fasting blood glucose value? Or does A1C not change that quickly?

 

[bulkbiker]

Now I just realized, I was eating more healthy (not extremely low carb but lower and less sugar) for a month. Could that have falsely brought my A1C to 4.7% since I didn’t get my A1C measured right away when I did get that high fasting blood glucose value? Or does A1C not change that quickly?

It probably contributed.. however your 4.7% is as low as my definitely "in remission" HbA1c of 4.7% .

HbA1c is an average of blood sugar levels for the last 2-3 months with probably a bias towards the most recent month.

You are (with figures that you are seeing) neither pre nor diabetic.

I'd heartily suggest keeping carbs down for general health and getting on and enjoying life.

Maybe get tested every couple of years to keep an eye on things?

 

[JW18484]

Yeah I’m just wondering whether or not I can eat pasta and stuff if I go to Italy or something. Scared I’m going to damage my body if I eat sweet stuff or carbs in moderation. Obviously most of the time I will eat healthier stuff (maybe not low carb, but less processed stuff and everything whole wheat). I’m just wondering if I ever was prediabetic or show signs of insulin resistance. Or if right now I don’t have anything to worry about.

And its confusing because online it says you only need 1 of FBG or A1C or glucose tolerance test to be diagnosed as pre or diabetic. By those standards I am prediabetic. And some sources say you need to confirm with 2 tests on separate days. Some say A1C isn’t reliable. I feel so confused lol.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

There is so much more on offer in Italy than pasta and pizza. Carne & pesci for the win!

With the numbers you're seeing now, a week in Italy, or anywhere really, shouldn't hurt.

Just keep an eye on the carbs if you're worried about the genetic element, and get a (repeat) HbA1c from the doc in half a year or something, see where you're at.

 

[bulkbiker]

And its confusing because online it says you only need 1 of FBG or A1C or glucose tolerance test to be diagnosed as pre or diabetic. By those standards I am prediabetic

In the US everything to do with health is about money..

one or two random FBG readings do not make you pre-diabetic.

 

[alangdunbar]

A HbA1c reading of 47 mmol/mol and above is an indicator for confirmed diabetes. (about 7.7 mmol/l BG on average over a 3 month period ). The upper range of normal is 40 mmol/mol which is around 6.6 on a meter (considered Pre Diabetes which..between 6.4 and 7.2) But Pre Diabetes is NOT a confirmed diagnosis ...but merely a stern warning that your body is not heading in the right direction.. and you can prevent that with a healthy eating low carb plan and exercise

 

[Goonergal]

A HbA1c reading of 47 mmol/mol and above is an indicator for confirmed diabetes. (about 7.7 mmol/l BG on average over a 3 month period ). The upper range of normal is 40 mmol/mol

In the UK, the numbers are slightly different. 48 mmol/mol is the threshold for diabetes diagnosis and 42-47 are regarded as pre-diabetes.

 

[alangdunbar]

They like to change the Goalposts .. it was 47 when I was diagnosed

 

[JW18484]

Just wanted to give an update: I got an official blood draw at my doctor’s office and it matched the home test 1:1 at 4.7% A1C (I’m in the United States, no clue what units the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses).

I get very very nervous (the nurses ask me if I’m okay because I usually shake) during blood draws and assume this was the cause for the high fasting glucose. Or maybe I ate a lot of carbs the day before, honestly I have no clue.

Nevertheless, I’m gonna use this as a lesson to eat lower carb/more whole grains and lower glycemic in general. So now I’m eating whole wheat bread in the morning instead of white, brown rice instead of white rice. If I do eat pasta (which is rare) I will go for whole grain. And in genera, gonna try to add in more fats to my diet. No more bananas for me and only berries.

I am doing an Italy trip in September and that will be my only exception.