Is HbAlc level 55 high and what should it be?

[GerryOB]

Ok, I don't even know what HbAlc is or what it stands for, but was told that mine is 55.

Can someone please tell me what is normal, what is high, what is dangerous, what is low and what it should be ideally please? I guess the Diabetic nurse will maybe explain it to me when I see her on 5th November, but I am curious to know now what it is all about. What is the best way of bringing it down if that is what I am meant to be doing? Nothing was explained to me

Many thanks.

 

[GerryOB]

I think above 40/42 is classed as pre diabetes
Above 49 is classed diabetes.
55 isn't too bad, some have been in the 90's and 100's on here when diagnosed.
Stop white everything asap.
Change to brown bread, pasta, rice etc straight away.
This will help and give you time to find out and research what type of diet is best for you.
Most people find if they cut out as many carbs as possible, long term, they can gain a significant drop in their HbA1c.
Good luck x

Many thanks. I can't eat bread as it makes me sneeze and gives me chest pain, which I've been told is an indication of Celiac Disease. Don't eat a lot of pasta, never eat rice.

 

[AndBreathe]

So, what do you eat as fillers at lealtimes? Is it usually potatoes, or potato based foods?

 

[this is too difficult two]

Hi Gerry. welcome to the forum. 55 is not good, but not terrible. I was 67 at diagnosis, and 35 4 months later. Many people have done way better than me.

 

[kimbo1962]

It's not terrible, I was 61 at diagnosis 14 weeks ago, down to 53 after 6 weeks and latest hbA1c last week is 38!! Have a good read around this fantastic forum and keep posting !

 

[jay hay-char]

55 is not too bad. I was at a Diabetes Education Class a couple of weeks ago and they were inferring that they liked to see people in the range of no worse than 48-58 but, as others have said, if you can sort out the right diet and exercise to suit you (different things suit different people) you should be able to aspire to better than that after a while. However it does take time (I am four months in, and still looking to make improvements) so don't be dispirited if you don't magically achieve a figure in the mid 30s after a couple of weeks

hba1C, by the way, is a measurement of your average blood glucose levels over a period of a couple of months leading up to the date on which your bloods were taken. You will be advised by a lot of people to get a blood/glucose meter. This is good advice but don't necessarily take any particular reading as an indication of your general levels of blood glucose - it will just be a snapshot of a particular moment in time, influenced by when you last ate, what you ate, when you exercised and many other factors. Where a meter does come into its own is as a way of establishing which foods push your levels up. Compare readings taken just before you eat with those 1 and/or two hours later and you will soon realise what doesn't have much effect on your bloods, and what does.

This forum is an excellent resource and a great source of help and support but - as with everything on the Internet - there are conflicting views about some things, particularly diet. Read them all and come to a conclusion about what suits you best - it may be different to what suits others.....

 

[Mike d]

Hi Gerry

Agree with the other comments. I was 73 at diagnosis (classified as "poor) and was 48 (classified as between "good" and excellent") some 12 weeks later. Control what you eat, cut the carbs back, mix that with moderate exercise and declare war on sugars / pastas etc etc just as the others have said.

You CAN do it !!!! 55 (if it's your first reading) is nowhere near as bad as some.

 

[GerryOB]

You're half way there already then.
Sauces when cooking can contain lots of hidden sugars, especially packets and ready made in jars.
Cereals are a big no no for most of us.

Thank you. I don't eat cereal either. Hadn't thought about the sauces. When I do have pasta, it's either Home Pride Cheese and Bacon Cook in Sauce or BBQ Cook in Sauce. Not sure if I will be able to have those anymore then.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Gerry,

Have you got your own glucose monitor? If not, may I suggest you get one. This is the most important tool you can have to help you learn what you can and can't eat. You can test yourself before you eat and then again 2 hours later and see for yourself what that food has done to your levels. You may be lucky and be given one by your nurse (you will have to ask), but if she refuses and says there is no need for type 2's to test, ignore her and buy your own. That's what most of us have had to do.

 

[GerryOB]

Hi,

Yes, I have one that is over 20 years old, but no 'in date' test strips to go with it, and I recently purchased one which was recommended on this site, but it doesn't measure in the way I am used to. I used to get numbers on my old one like 4.7 or 7.6 etc. This new one does it in figures like 100 and I don't understand that at all. I purposely asked for one the same as my old one, but I'm not sure if I have made the error or the company who sent it. Confused.com :-(

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi,

Yes, I have one that is over 20 years old, but no 'in date' test strips to go with it, and I recently purchased one which was recommended on this site, but it doesn't measure in the way I am used to. I used to get numbers on my old one like 4.7 or 7.6 etc. This new one does it in figures like 100 and I don't understand that at all. I purposely asked for one the same as my old one, but I'm not sure if I have made the error or the company who sent it. Confused.com :-(

You have bought one with American units! You need one that measures in mmol/l. Yours is measuring in mg/dl units. I don't think you can do anything about it, although there is a converter here.
http://www.soc-bdr.org/rds/authors/...version_glucose_mg_dl_to_mmol_l/index_en.html

 

[andcol]

just divide by 18 will be good enough. This site also has a converter here http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html

 

[GerryOB]

You have bought one with American units! You need one that measures in mmol/l. Yours is measuring in mg/dl units. I don't think you can do anything about it, although there is a converter here.
http://www.soc-bdr.org/rds/authors/unit_tables_conversions_and_genetic_dictionaries/conversion_glucose_mg_dl_to_mmol_l/index_en.html

This one says on the box mmol/l which is what my old one was. I wasn't sure what it was all about, so looked on my old monitor and it said mmol/l so went for that, assuming it would be the same. The new one has mmol/l on the label on the side of the box but the pic shows 107 on the meter. Unless it's just the picture that shows that, and the meter is actually the one I need. Oh God I'm so confused. :-(

 

[Bluetit1802]

What does it say after you have tested?

 

[GerryOB]

What does it say after you have tested?

I haven't used it yet, as I didn't want to ruin my chances of being able to return it if it's not the correct one.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I suggest you use it and see. They should still exchange it if the mistake was theirs.

 

[Rosie1953]

This one says on the box mmol/l which is what my old one was. I wasn't sure what it was all about, so looked on my old monitor and it said mmol/l so went for that, assuming it would be the same. The new one has mmol/l on the label on the side of the box but the pic shows 107 on the meter. Unless it's just the picture that shows that, and the meter is actually the one I need. Oh God I'm so confused. :-(

I got mine from there as well the box do show 107 reading but look on the side of the box if it says mmol/l it's the correct one. So go ahead and relax and start taking your readings.

 

[GerryOB]

I got mine from there as well the box do show 107 reading but look on the side of the box if it says mmol/l it's the correct one. So go ahead and relax and start taking your readings.

Thanks you @Rosie1953 I shall do that shortly

 

[Jeannette1]

Are any of you guys (who lowered the glucose levels) on metformine or did you just change your life style?
Such a helpful link! thanks everyone

 

[Bluetit1802]

Are any of you guys (who lowered the glucose levels) on metformine or did you just change your life style?
Such a helpful link! thanks everyone

Hello Jeanette. This thread is 4 years old, so unlikely you will see any answers. You would get better responses if you start your own thread.