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<blockquote data-quote="Dennis" data-source="post: 344724" data-attributes="member: 1338"><p>Hi Craig,</p><p></p><p>Your weight reduction and HBA1C improvement are both really impressive - well done!</p><p></p><p>I can answer/comment on a couple of the points you raise. Firstly your GP is correct in telling you that 7% is regarded as the "safe" limit. But what this means is that the NHS regards 7% as the absolute upper limit, not the figure that patients should be aiming for! Your GP seems not to have understood this point. Personally I have never understood why 7% can possibly be regarded as a safe figure. It is generally accepted that people who run blood sugar levels constantly above 7.5mmol/l are at risk of diabetes-related complications, and a 7% HBA1C equates to an average of 8.6mmol/l, which is well in the danger zone. A blood sugar average of 7mmol/l (i.e. HBA1C of 6%) would be a much more sensible target. Your latest HBA1C of 5.5% equates to an average of 6.2mmol/l, which as you already know is very healthy.</p><p></p><p>The other point is about the metformin. Metformin in itself doesn't directly lower blood sugar. What it does do is to help overcome insulin resistance, the prime cause of which is a high level of body fat. As your body fat has reduced considerably, it is posible that the metformin is now doing little to help your diabetes, so I can understand why your GP would want you off it. However, that's a big assumption to make whithout running further tests to see how much insulin resistance you now have. I appreciate your concerns about the other non-diabetes reported benefits of metformin, but I am not sure how well researched these benefits are. I have seen articles on this in the press from time to time, but when you look at the sources of the stories they often come from the manufacturers rather than any independent research body . . . vested interests?!?</p><p></p><p>Hope some of this helps,</p><p>Dennis</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dennis, post: 344724, member: 1338"] Hi Craig, Your weight reduction and HBA1C improvement are both really impressive - well done! I can answer/comment on a couple of the points you raise. Firstly your GP is correct in telling you that 7% is regarded as the "safe" limit. But what this means is that the NHS regards 7% as the absolute upper limit, not the figure that patients should be aiming for! Your GP seems not to have understood this point. Personally I have never understood why 7% can possibly be regarded as a safe figure. It is generally accepted that people who run blood sugar levels constantly above 7.5mmol/l are at risk of diabetes-related complications, and a 7% HBA1C equates to an average of 8.6mmol/l, which is well in the danger zone. A blood sugar average of 7mmol/l (i.e. HBA1C of 6%) would be a much more sensible target. Your latest HBA1C of 5.5% equates to an average of 6.2mmol/l, which as you already know is very healthy. The other point is about the metformin. Metformin in itself doesn't directly lower blood sugar. What it does do is to help overcome insulin resistance, the prime cause of which is a high level of body fat. As your body fat has reduced considerably, it is posible that the metformin is now doing little to help your diabetes, so I can understand why your GP would want you off it. However, that's a big assumption to make whithout running further tests to see how much insulin resistance you now have. I appreciate your concerns about the other non-diabetes reported benefits of metformin, but I am not sure how well researched these benefits are. I have seen articles on this in the press from time to time, but when you look at the sources of the stories they often come from the manufacturers rather than any independent research body . . . vested interests?!? Hope some of this helps, Dennis [/QUOTE]
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