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A1C Test

8

888

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I am feeling a bit of an idiot. Have the A1C every 3 months. Been doing for the last two years. Results seem ok - 6.9/7.0/7.0/7.1/7.0. Now and then used to do testing myself. But the results never made any sense to me (mmol). Generally a lot of the time above 7.0. So i found it quite depressing. Then go and have the A1C test and the result not bad. Because this all made no sense to me i rarely did self testing.

Last week i came across something on the internet. A1C calculator. So i had been comparing apples with oranges. e.g. H1C of 7.0 is equivalent of 8.6. Just done self test and 7.6. So now that makes me happy. Before it would annoy me.
 
wrong advise, A T1 on insulin subject to hypos have that sort of range, it's kept high for safety
take a few minutes and read the links above and then come back and ask some more
 
jack412 said:
wrong advise, A T1 on insulin subject to hypos have that sort of range, it's kept high for safety
take a few minutes and read the links above and then come back and ask some more
Click to expand...
now this concerns me. i take Galvus Met twice a day. i am correct weight for my height - 69 kg's. age 50. go see the doctor every 3 months. he tells me the A1c figure. this week was 7.0 so he tells me all ok. he takes my blood pressure - i never ever had an issue in that area. that fine. so nothing else to talk about. i like flying aircraft for fun. i disclose the medication i taking. couple weeks ago had annual renewal for USA and Australian Aviation medicals - doctor issues a letter for the aviation doctor. letter says - i go see him every 3 months. A1c readings in normal range and i have type 2 diabetes under control.
 
@888 ok, you are on met. so it's diet and met like me. I know this is coming as a bit of a shock but it's not that bad.
the numbers you have for medicals are the T1 numbers that they also apply to T2 to keep it simple
 
let me know if you are in australia, I can tell you who to contact for your care

No, the guidelines for a medical that shows you are safe enough to fly a plane is right. It's a single measure that encompasses all diabetics and is based on the safety of insulin taking T1 diabetics.

that is a separate issue to a T2 with healthy blood glucose levels. If it was me I'd aim for the numbers in the link of after eating to have your BG under 8mm to avoid complications.
from the link I gave you
Here are what doctors currently believe to be non-diabetic readings:

Fasting blood sugarunder 100 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L)
One hour after meals under 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)
Two hours after meals under 120 mg/dl (6.6 mmol/L)

If you can do better than this, go for it. At a minimum, The American College of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends that people with diabetes keep their blood sugars under 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L) two hours after eating.
 
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I know the doctor who do my aviation medicals for the USA one is allowed to issue certificate so long as no A1c reading is above 9.0. If above that the USA federal aviation authority would have to issue themselves . I live in an Asian Country - just spend time in Australia buzzing about in the sky for fun .


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If you are on stronger meds, you might be in danger of becoming hypoglycaemic, so often, the range is set higher than say someone like me who is not on any meds at all. When my BG drops to around 4.0, my body responds and creates more glucose. Stronger meds can interfere with this natural process.

The finger prick meters are not very accurate. They are for guidance only and not precision instruments. They are only plus or minus 10%. Secondly, a finger prick sample uses capillary blood which contains all sorts of other fluids. It's because of this that they don't bother to make the finger prick meters more accurate. To get a good sample, you need a needle and syringe. When samples are taken from veins, ie venous blood, the quality of the sample is better.
 
Hi. Regardless of the aviation approvals etc your HBa1C is too high, but not yet dangerous, and I think you need to find a new GP if he thinks your numbers are good. You should be aiming down towards 6.0. In the UK, anything above 7.5% is recommended by NICE, the UK government clinical advice body, to need serious treatment with insulin or other suitable meds (Google NICE diabetes pathways)
 
Hi,

Try reading Jenny Ruhl's book Diabetes 101. She goes through what normal blood sugar is, and what happens at different HbA1cs above that.

Sorry if you've seen me recommend this book already lately - but I am just re-reading it, and am reminded what a fantastic book it is.
 
Thanks all for advice. I have read the 101 website. It is all quite astonishing having regard to what doctor tells me (which is not much - except e.g. last visit A1c my reading of 7.0 was good) clearly I now know it is a bad result.
This doctor is a specialist diabetes doctor. In the diabetes department of a hospital. His only patients are those with diabetes. He is busy - sees 4 patients an hour. Charge is 75 pounds for consultation plus extra for the test.
For sure I am going to buy that book. Several copies - one for me. One for the doctor. Two for the other 2 specialist doctors in that department.
Arghhhhhh !


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I did ask him at last visit - do you have anything useful to tell me.

Having read that 101 website I can now think of a lot.

The only thing he said was he believed a lot of things on the internet are rubbish. BUT he believed drinking a cup of bitter melon juice in the morning after one gets up is beneficial. He said it is his opinion (based on his patients readings who started doing this) that it reduces A1c figures by 0.3.

I asked why he had not told me this before. He said I am not Asian so would not like it.

I tried twice drinking this stuff. Both times hardly any difference in self test after 30 minutes. But after 1 hour reading down by about 1.4. I did this when I had not eaten for 3 hours +. But I guess I should keep testing after that to see when readings go up again or otherwise.




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