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Darn it! Latest results

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,675
Location
South of England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have had a slightly more relaxed summer since last tests. Partly through plain old lethargy and partly because in the back of my mind I wondered if I had gone overboard by jumping straight into very low carb on diagnosis. I was wondering if I was unnecessarily depriving myself of a few extra carbs. So I’ve been having more “amber” foods, rather than outright naughties. And been testing less frequently.

Hb1ac up from 40 to 43. Not huge but the wrong way!

I also got a call from the nurse. I explained I understood the rise as had been eating more carbs so I’d go back to previous diet choices. She was more concerned about cholesterol! All she was initially going to mention was a rather high total of 6.3 Before she got any further I explained that as for hb1ac that was undoubtedly due to the extra carbs. I asked for the breakdowns and ratios. The only ratio she had was total /hdl at 4.1. So that’s a whole 0.1 over where the latest goal posts are set apparently. I interrupted with a no way was I taking statins at a single blip marginally high. (Actually not at all). No mention of trigs til I asked and at 0.7 I was pretty impressed. Not a reaction to the call she expected I think. Overall a slight deterioration since June mostly in LDL to the wrong side of 4 which appears to be the magic number for this too.

Ran the numbers through Hughes and https://cholesterolcode.com/new-report-tool-launched/ and satisfied that I’m not about to keel over. All lowest third risks, ldl could stand with being a little lower to improve ratios, hdl and trig just fine. These results highlighted I might be a “standard hyperresponder” re ldl. Interestingly my entire maternal family are on statins so maybe a little genetics being thrown into the mix. Only cholesterol results I’ve ever had are since I think the insulin resistance began so no “healthy” comparisons of me before having carb issues.

So it’s back to lower carbs and fewer “Amber” items and more regular testing. Sigh. I was really hoping that I was like some that don’t need to cut carbs so much and that I’d over reacted with near keto levels - but my IR would appear to be deeply ingrained still. I’m even trying to convince myself to utilise exercise more, but need to lie down just thinking about it
 
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Welcome to the club.
Every now and then hope triumphs over reality.
Then reality kicks right back in.
 
And I know all about magical thinking too!
 
they seem more bothered about cholesterol mine the same as yours and was offered statins , there's no way on God's earth I am taking statins .
I am expecting both my cholesterol and A1c to have gone up as I haven't been keeping to low carb i have been to a few parties and have eaten high carb foods, spoke to the nurse yesterday she said we are all human and not to worry too much , just get back on track . I will post when I've had my results haven't been yet but waiting for my appointment .
 
To be honest I think a rise from 40-43 is nothing. I would think it's well within the margin of error for a HbA1c. You could probably see +/- 3mmol/mol by having the sample tested by a different lab, or even the same sample tested again at the same lab with the wind blowing in a different direction.

Perhaps a warning shot across the bow of HMS Diabetes, but not worth beating yourself up over. In my opinion anyway.
 
It’s certainly less than it could be and I’m not overly worried about it, more slightly annoyed that it didn’t keep going down despite the indulgences. (The wishful, magical thinking) It’s either margin of error or marginal. As you say warning shot perhaps.
 

Exactly what I was going to say, only Jim managed it in a better way than I would have.

I can have a 3mmol difference testing fingers from different hands on the same meter, doing them one after the other, so it’s definitely not an exact science, so don’t beat yourself up. I also seem to remember a thread or post on here where someone had had their HBA1C tested in two different labs and got quite a different result from each.
 
@HSSS at least you know why you had a rise in HbA1c albeit a tiny rise. You know how to get it back down. It’d be way more of a worry if it had risen without a reason. All the best getting it back down again
 
Yeah could’ve been worse for sure and not unexpected if I’m honest. Just another pipe dream of managing on more carbs up in smoke and I was frustrated earlier when I posted. Onwards and upwards (or down hopefully)
 
ChrissiStar said:
I also seem to remember a thread or post on here where someone had had their HBA1C tested in two different labs and got quite a different result from each.
Click to expand...

That was me. Same vial of blood tested at 2 different labs. One came back at 40, the other at 44.

Labs also round up and down to give a whole number, and there is an error rate allowable on them. I forget what it is now but somewhere around plus or minus 4%. I am sure you know all this. You have the right attitude and know what must be done - if anything needs doing, and I'm not sure anything does need doing. I would, however, ask for another test in 3 months rather than wait 6 or 12.
 

Me too. I had one vial tested NHS and on the same draw, tested privately with Medichecks. Nhs 36 and Medichecks 34. I wouldn’t worry about it too much
 
Luckily the nurse is pretty supportive and on board to some (unknown) extent with low carb and is ok with 3 monthly testing as a means to keep things in check. She did say I had lost my “remission” status though. Which at my surgery would have meant only annual testing apparently, though if I asked I can have more and she’d mark my notes as such for hcp to create forms as requested by me. So that’s positive news.
 
Honestly, if I had your results I would consider myself at a stable level 'with a little room for improvement'. We must step back sometimes and remember where we all started out. You are doing great.
 
I am actually half expecting my diabetic condition to deteriorate as I get older. And therefore half expecting to have to be more stringent with my carb intake as I get older. Not sure if that is correct or not.
 
I had my six monthly test and it went from 44 to 45. I been told from now on it will be tested every three months. Is the 3 month test due to reaching nearly diabetic range? I have to try a lot harder from now on.
 
Saur said:
I had my six monthly test and it went from 44 to 45. I been told from now on it will be tested every three months. Is the 3 month test due to reaching nearly diabetic range? I have to try a lot harder from now on.
Click to expand...
I was originally at 54 so definitely diabetic. Guidelines state 3 months til stable, I’m lucky that my nurse authorises 3 monthly as a means of supporting my efforts. She did say today that once in remission (again) it goes to yearly but if I request it I can still have more frequent. That, the fact she prescribes testing strips (cassettes) and is supportive of low carbmakes her a star.
 
You are lucky you got a good nurse. Maybe the three month check is a good thing with high reading you got a target to meet rather than wait six months.
Sample testing of HB1ac has been very interesting reading.
 
After an initial couple of diagnostic HbA1Cs of 60-61 nearly six years ago. I've since been wobbling along nicely between 40 and 43 (with a occasional rise to 45 if I've been a bit out of sorts}.. I'm happy with these figures and consider they're as stable as I can humanly expect, so I think you shouldn't be too concerned about such a slight change. The time to have a re-think is if your results are consistently going higher...

So you're getting congratulations from me - not commiserations!

Robbity
 
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