Correlation of Weight Loss and Hba1C

I was diagnosed nearly 6 months ago with an Hba1C of 94 , since then I have lost 50lbs in weight and 50 points on the Hba1C down to 44 . The two graphs are almost identical.

I hit my current weight on 11 Dec 2016 and the hba1C of 44 on the same day and since then my weight has fluctuated within a kilo for 2 months. I have been been home testing my Hba1C at home every fortnight over that period and it has stayed solidly between 43 and 45 throughout that period again the two graphs are almost identical .

Whilst I would love to lose some more weight I am also taking the attitude that actually being able to maintain at this new lower weight is also good news. My diet remained low carb high fat at all times, just with an average higher calorie intake.

What seems clear is that I can maintain my hba1C at the same level using the LCHF way of eating, however if I want to reduce it further then I will also have to reduce energy intake and weight at the same time.. Clearly the correlation cannot remain as as strong going forward ( I still have 50lbs to lose compared to the current 44 hba1C) , I thought others might be interested in the pattern though because for me to date 1lb of weight pretty much equals 1 mmol of hba1C.

4ratbags said:

An interesting theory but definately not true in my case. HbA1c down 66, weight down 29kgs.

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Actually it is true in your case ! - 29kg = 64lb - actual Hba1C reduction 66 !!!!!

I have no clue if it its anything other than a complete coincidence, but your numbers match mine .

Japes said:

My Hba1c has dropped with weight but the two charts most definitely do not match up! My nurse was expecting it to be lower this time because I've lost so much and had lost more since she last weighed me, but no, it's stable.

I lost half of the 8 stone pre-diagnosis, was 140 Hba1c on diagnosis, 57 three months later, and there I have stayed give or take, for the best part of a year. In those first three months, I lost 11lbs. I've continued to lost weight, another 50 lbs, but with a stubbornly stable result around 57 every time since that second one.

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Interesting - How low carb are you ? my changes result from the weight loss + 30g or under carbs. I was losing weight pre diagnosis too, but at that time on a low fat and therefore high carb diet which gave me high Hba1C too.

Brunneria said:

If there was a correlation between hba1c and weight gain/loss the there wouldn't be fat non diabetics, and there are.

I think there is far more correlation between insulin resistance and weight gain/loss.

I speculate that when we lose weight through LC it is because our new way of eating has lowered insulin production, and therefore insulin resistance. And we plateau with lchf it is because we have bottomed out on that insulin resistance level, and won't lose more until that insulin resistance can be lowered again.

Congratulations on the 50lb loss!

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I am not for an instant suggesting that everyone will react the same way, and clearly the figures have to bottom out as some stage otherwise I am going to end up in negative territory. I completely agree that the main correlation is between insulin resistance and weight gain . I was just a little surprised to see the two graphs sitting on top of one another under two different circumstances - one rapidly losing weight and one with a LCHF maintenance diet which maintained my Hba1C too.

I guess I will see if my Hba1C comes down further if/ when I lose more weight.

It does seem though that many of us diabetics end up in the same kind of range as me in terms of weight - ie say 95- 120 kilos and an Hba1C at diagnosis or the 90 + range .

@4ratbags has exactly the same kind of result as me also on a very low carb diet .In the end 2 examples are not statistically significant of anything , but I did think it interesting enough to report so others in the same kind of physical condition as me can do the comparison.

Obviously it won't be even vaguely relevant to those without a significant amount of weight to lose, or who are are lot further along in their journey.

carty said:

How would this collate with me I halved my Hba 1c but because I am so underweight I lost just a couple of pounds which I am now putting back slowly
CAROL

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There are many different reasons why one might be diabetic, if that reason had nothing to do with weight in the first place, then clearly my figures will be completely irrelevant to you.

For me the very idea that one might have to try to put weight on , is just beyond my comprehension and so I have no frame of reference for it at all. All I can say is that I hope you manage to put the weight you need back on!

AndBreathe said:

Jamrox, I have used home A1c kits too.

I have used both of these distributors, but preferred BHR, as they were marginally cheaper, and just a few miles from where I live. BHR no longer offer the 10x kit to home users.

http://www.millermedicalsupplies.com/a1cnow-hba1c-and-diabetes-monitoring-10-test-kit-17186

https://www.bhr.co.uk/a1cnow-2-test-pack-home-user-test

I found them to be fairly accurate, in terms of proximity to lab bloods (within 0.1%)

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I use these as well. I have a 10 pack so I use one per fortnight when I change my libre sensor ( which at the moment is giving the same result !) They have always been close to my official tests.

DavidGrahamJones said:

Probably not true, probably not a direct correlation anyway, your lower HbA1c is probably down to consuming lower carbs. Having said that, after being told by my GP that I didn't eat enough and that I should eat more, I did eat more cheese, yoghurt, cream and gained 11 kgs in a year, even though I cut back as soon as I started to gain. My HbA1c went from 44 to 59 so not good, but I don't think 11 kgs extra weight caused it. I've been using my FreeStyle Libre for a month and can see that my liver seems to be dumping big time, especially when I go to sleep at night and for up to 12 hours. My meals don't seem to affect my BG unless I have something like bread or cereal, something I do rarely.

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For me the correlation is easy to see. When you say you don't think your weight gain of 24lbs contributed to your hba1C gain of 15 mmol because your increase came from your liver dump.? I think that the liver dump increases the closer I get to eating enough calories to maintain weight and probably even more so if I eat enough to actually put weight on. I haven't seen that being linked to carbs particularly because I am not eating any to speak of ever dieting or not,

ts important to appreciate that none of this changes my view that LCHF diet is fundamental to success, merely that for me personally it is not " enough" - it needs to be combined with a significant calorie deficit to actually move my Hba1C in the right direction.
I have continued to eat low carbs ( less than 30 per day ) even whilst maintaining my weight over the last two months and my hba1C has not improved even a tiny bit, My meals also do not affect by BG level at this level of carbs, so any increases are also limited to the liver dump. When I am operating with a significant calorie deficit as well as low carbs , my average BG comes down and so does the liver dump. When I am simply maintaining weight on a low carb regime my figures now stay stable in the pre-diabetic range. I guess I will found out if the correlation continues to be quite direct if I get my act into gear and start operating on a significant calorie deficit again. Obviously I am not expecting 1 mmol = 1lbs going forward or certainly not for much longer !

Jamesuk9 said:

10 kilo weight loss here, taking my BMI from 25.2 to 21. In that time by my calculations using my avg readings, my a1c has reduced from 38 to approx 33. (6.3 to 5.7avg).

Weight loss definitely helps, I do think as you approach healthy BMI levels the reductions in hba1c is harder to achieve but still significant.

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I agree entirely that there can be no straight line for ever here otherwise we would all be dead !