Disappointed with GP attitude … making me more determined!!

[NewbieHelp]

Hi
My recent results:

October 2024 - Hba1c 75
Feb 2025 - Hba1c 67
March 2025 - Hba1c 59

Since Feb I’m made a considerable and consistent effort and overall seeing a reduction in my BS levels by testing so delighted with the drop from Feb to March

Due to have it tested again in May but was talking to GP today and mentioned the previous reduction and he was very dismissive saying it wouldn’t be accurate as it’s based on 3 months ….

I understand this but would have liked some words of encouragement or hope

Being honest with the effort I’ve made I’m hoping my results will be in the 40’s or very low 50’s … if not I know he’ll want to put me on meds

Really hoping I can prove him wrong … I’ve 3 weeks before my blood test … so extra effort to be made

Interesting how my GP is insistent it’s a 3 month average, recently in a hospital consultation with my dad and they were insisting it was a 6 week average….

 

[Rachox]

I’ve always understood the HbA1c is a kind of twelve week average, it looks at the amount of excess glucose stuck to the red blood cells. Red blood cells live an average of 12 weeks. The result does tend to be a bit biased towards the more recent weeks I believe. Looking at your results the drop from 67 to 59 in a month is great considering there are still older red cells there still. I expect if you keep up the good work that got that result, your next result will be even better. Please remember that Drs are there to advise not dictate treatment, so if you don’ t want to take tablets that’s your decision not theirs.

 

[NewbieHelp]

I always understood it was the 3 months as well which is why I was confused why my dads consultant was insistent it was 6 weeks.

Absolutely agree re meds, after Feb result I had it in my head that if I got it down to close to 50 in three months, I would refuse meds. Ultimately it’s up to me especially if I’m getting it under control…

In relation to meds, my GP prescribed meds today for an unrelated issue, I haven’t collected prescription yet. But reading up side effects and impact on blood sugars for diabetics and weight gain I’m very hesitant to take them ….

 

[lovinglife]

The labs my GP use won’t do a HbA1c with less than a 12 week gap, only in exceptional circumstances, for the very reason your GP said

 

[NewbieHelp]

The labs my GP use won’t do a HbA1c with less than a 12 week gap, only in exceptional circumstances, for the very reason your GP said

Exactly… that’s what I was always told - no point doing them before 12 weeks but my march one was requested by a hospital consultant as opposed to GP

I was delighted with the drop in the month and as I’ve continued with all the positive changes I made in that month I’m hoping that downward trend will continue for my 3 month test for GP … fingers crossed

 

[sgm14]

I always understood it was the 3 months as well which is why I was confused why my dads consultant was insistent it was 6 weeks.

The 3 months seems to come from the fact that blood cells rarely live longer than that, so anything over that people can't affect your results. But the official NICE guidelines say it reflects your average blood glucose level over the last 2 to 3 months.

As an aside, I am always amused that NICE are supposed to determine how the NHS work and they recommend that HbA1c should be tested every 3 to 6 months and doctors/nhs seem to have read this as "Never test within 3 months of a previous test".

But I have seen 6 weeks mentioned elsewhere (a quick google search comes up with https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/pathology/tests/haemoglobin-a1c-hba1c/ )

From what I gather it is now generally accepted that the more recent weeks have a bigger influence on your result than the earlier weeks, but I don't think everybody agrees with exactly how much they are slanted in their favour. Some people think that the last month has as much as the first two months.

So I can only think that the people who say 6 weeks think the results are so heavily weighted that they can ignore anything older.

 

[KennyA]

I don't have my Bilous and Donnelly with me, but from memory only about 10% of the HbA1c result is influenced by the most distant (third) month. This is why I think it's misleading to call it an "average" - it mainly reflects blood glucose in the most recent month. This is why the OP has seen what looks to be a significant drop between the February and March tests.