Type 1: What are your HbA1c test results?

[hansolo]

Doctors/nurses are doing my head in at the moment. My last hba1c was 6.8% and one nurse said that's too low!? Was absolutely fuming!! Whilst 6.8% is ok, I would definitely like to be lower. The ultimate aim of us type 1's (type 2's also of course) is to achieve levels equivalent to a non-diabetic, right!? That's my aim anyway! So it drives me up the wall when I'm told by a 'specialist' nurse that 6.8% is too low!

I believe we should not be aiming to be the same as non-diabetics. The problem is, to have such a low hba1c means you almost inevitably will suffer hypos. I've only been T1 for 3 months yet have somehow achieved 6.8 after being 11.6 at diagnosis. Really happy with that and I'm told that is perfect. If I am too hard on myself, trying to get it down to 6.5 and below, I will run the risk of having hypos (I was at first and was constantly worried when the next hypo would be). I haven't had a hypo for 4 weeks and feel confident that my basal is spot on at 15 and am only injecting 2-5u at meals. Must be fairly sensitive to insulin then!

 

[Gaz-M]

Pleased with mine at 48

 

[maureen5752]

June 3rd mine was 13.4! Doctor said I'd gone out of this world as it was so high. September it was 7.4. Recently tested again and it was 5.9. Doctor is very happy with that, I'm type 2 on meds, insulin was suggested, I didn't want that. What's the difference if your type 1 or 2? Are we all aiming for the same hb1ca number? Thought getting it low was the aim

 

[dylt1]

First time being tested sincce diagnosis, was 118, now 42. Don't know what those results are in % sorry.

 

[noblehead]

First time being tested sincce diagnosis, was 118, now 42. Don't know what those results are in % sorry.

6%, there's a Unit Converter on the DCUK website:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-units-converter.html

 

[tim2000s]

I believe we should not be aiming to be the same as non-diabetics. The problem is, to have such a low hba1c means you almost inevitably will suffer hypos. I've only been T1 for 3 months yet have somehow achieved 6.8 after being 11.6 at diagnosis. Really happy with that and I'm told that is perfect. If I am too hard on myself, trying to get it down to 6.5 and below, I will run the risk of having hypos (I was at first and was constantly worried when the next hypo would be). I haven't had a hypo for 4 weeks and feel confident that my basal is spot on at 15 and am only injecting 2-5u at meals. Must be fairly sensitive to insulin then!

The issue is that NICE has now recommended that Hba1C target should be 6.5% or below. People are worried about Hypos in this context, yet we have to understand what we define as Hypo. I'm well under this number but my only severe, assisted hypos occurred when I had an Hba1C of around 7% and was using Lantus.

My issue is that we regularly talk about hypos in the online community and no-one properly defines them. I consider a proper hypo to be below 3.5. Between 3.5 and 4.0 is still within the normal bounds of non-diabetic levels. Clinically a hypo is much lower than either of these. I've still got my hypo awareness after 27 years with this kind of range, but then I've not really had many severe hypos at all. I think to get below 6.5% there will be times when your levels drop below 4.0, however as long as it's not a long way below 4.0, then I don't believe, personally, that this is an issue.

 

[Tom Green]

I get shaky at 4.0 and even 5.1. Our guidelines say 4 is hypo and 11 is hyper. I try to stay within 5 and 10 . My Doctor wants me between 5 and 7 fasting.

 

[Mrsass]

Today's result 39

 

[lizdeluz]

I want exactly 5 always please.
As I posted a while ago, my consultant, at my last appointment, told me I was 61. I was shocked and fed up. My GP then showed me my results at an unrelated consultation a couple of weeks later and I saw 51.
So did my consultant mis-speak or did I mis-hear? Don't know.
I'm not happy with 51, but I am happier than I was with "61".

 

[Wurst]

Up from 4.9 % to 5.0%. A very surprising result as I had a dental infection that took almost 1 month to clear and my blood sugars were erratic during this period! I was expecting > 6% at least. Not complaining though more confused , my faith in the accuracy of HBA1C test is diminishing.

 

[JaneC]

37 as have been the last 2, this I put down to using the Libre and a bit of sugar surfing. For the first time in 2 years I haven't been told it was too low, I recognise hypo warnings and do drop below 4 a little occasionally but pick it up and sort.

 

[FloraDora]

Appointment with DN today. My HbA1C was 103 mmol/mol (11.6%) on diagnosis three months ago. Today it is 50.0 mmol/mol. (6.7%) Absolutely thrilled, owe it all to LCHF. I was secretly aiming for 48.00 mmol/mol and mentioned this to the DN but she insisted that would be too low for someone of my age (67). She said that 50 mmol was quite low enough. She was very pleased and did congratulate me and said it was a dramatic result that she did not usually see. I mentioned this site and Low Carb

 

[4ratbags]

Well done you must be stoked not only with the result but the positivity of your DN.

 

[debsugs]

On diagnosis in sept it was 119, last week I was down to 65, officially diagnosed with type 1 this week, honeymooning at the moment!

 

[staffsmatt]

I think to get below 6.5% there will be times when your levels drop below 4.0, however as long as it's not a long way below 4.0, then I don't believe, personally, that this is an issue.

Ah yes but one problem with this is if you have a commute to work (driving) you have to be 5+ for the journey both ways. Personally I would find it impossible to run below 5 all night, bring my level above 5 for leaving home at 7:30, drop back again whilst at work and then bring it up again for my drive home, I would end up on a rollercoaster trying to manipulte my levels like that. It's much better (for me) to aim between 6 and 7, not that I always manage to hit it as evidenced by my last HBA1C of 7.5%. I'm trying to drop it to low 7's high 6's, then I'll be happy.

The other thing with this is running sub 5 all of the time would put me in the teratory of going very low (1's and 2's) if I accidentally had too much bolus, just half a unit either way can make a huge difference to my levels...

 

[tim2000s]

Ah yes but one problem with this is if you have a commute to work (driving) you have to be 5+ for the journey both ways. Personally I would find it impossible to run below 5 all night, bring my level above 5 for leaving home at 7:30, drop back again whilst at work and then bring it up again for my drive home, I would end up on a rollercoaster trying to manipulte my levels like that. It's much better (for me) to aim between 6 and 7, not that I always manage to hit it as evidenced by my last HBA1C of 7.5%. I'm trying to drop it to low 7's high 6's, then I'll be happy.

The other thing with this is running sub 5 all of the time would put me in the teratory of going very low (1's and 2's) if I accidentally had too much bolus, just half a unit either way can make a huge difference to my levels...

Right, and the same is true for many others. But here's the thing. A 6.5% Hba1C, 48mmol/mol in new money, is the equivalent of running at an average BG level of 7.7mmol/l.

There's more than enough wiggle room to stay above 5.0mmol/l. You can happily run at 6.0 all night and not worry about your BG level for driving in the morning. The key to a lower Hba1C is to maintain a lower variance around your average, and a great part of this (1/3rd of your life roughly) is while you are asleep. So run at 6.0mmol/l, or even 6.5mmol/l. You won't be doing any harm at that level. Just try and keep the highs below 8 and the lows above 4. That's the harder part.

 

[wannabemammy]

67 which is 8.3 hoping to be in the 7's for the next one as I want to start a family

 

[Scotty84]

Got mine today I was 124 in June and 72 now.

 

[moodwife]

Today's HbA1c is 6.5 so chuffed

 

[debsugs]

On diagnosis in sept it was 119, last week I was down to 65, officially diagnosed with type 1 this week, honeymooning