Do you check BGs of people around you?

[Mbaker]

When I have directly tested on the same blood glucose monitor or A1CNow units I come out lower.

The elephant in the room I believe is high circulating insulin, what Bernstwin would call diabetes in situ. I think this is real and that the dam bursts in time depending on if you can create more fat cells for subcutaneous fat or if you are more like me who deposits as visceral fat.

 

[Riva_Roxaban]

I only test my immediate families bgl for them, I use a separate meter when I do.

I do not give them a diagnosis on whatever result the test turns up, I just say to them let your GP know what the number was next time you go to see them.

 

[Ronancastled]

Now consider if this population goes on the real food, low-carb diet, their average is going to come down below 90.

Oh easily I'd say, think I read that the average person eats 350g of carbs per day.
The one thing about super tight control I'd question if it's excessive.
If the average person hits 8 on a daily basis & we assume they suffer no complications from this then why should be shooting for 6.5

 

[searley]

This is a question that has been on mind for a while.

Despite a lot of CGM studies and BG data on non-diabetic, i get intrigued to see how my family member's or friends' BG is going with the similar kind of food that I eat or with a different food they eat (post prandial) or just the fasting.

I tested few of my non-diabetic family members on some occasions, i never found that ideal BG of 4.6 fasting (or 2-3 hours after eating as it is supposed to be). Mostly i find their fasting BGs in upper 5s and 2-3 hours close to 6. They are all non-diabetic and a1c is 32-33.

So basically what i concluded is that their BGs on high carb diet are as good as my personal BG levels on a very restricted carb diet. Essentially with my low carb diet, my BGs are at par or sometimes better than theirs. I know that still doesn't make me non-diabetic, but just the food choices can put you on either side of the line (type-2 of course).

What are your experiences in this?

Edit: With one exception of my nephew who is in his mid 20s and has an a1c of 25. 2 hours after a plate of rice, his BG was at 4.8. So that makes me think that if we are at our ideal a1c which is mid 4s then probably we can go back to normal in 2 hours. However, if we are high carb and snackers with an a1c of mid 30's probably we will never go to mid 4s except after several hours of hunger?

Thanks.

i will happily test the BG of anyone that wants it.. BUT i will NEVER use my regular meter or lancet device..

i won't use my own meter, as i don't want someone else result intermingled with mine.. i have a psre meter with the same strips so will use that.

i will never use my own lancet device due to contamination risk.. i have some of the self sprung disposable lancets

i have tested more than 1 person and told them they are diabetic... they have gone to GP and had it confirmed!

 

[KennyA]

Paging all type 2 diet controlled diabetics - can and do you keep your levels to this tight control 24/7?

in fact, do type 1's manage this too?

Absolutely not (T2). If you averaged my readings it might look like that but I can expect a single fasting reading to be anywhere from low fours to mid fives (it was 5.4 this morning after massive night sweats).

Actual reading depends (for me) on many things and only one is food - ambient temperature, recent physical activity, minor illness, etc. After food, bearing in mind a ~20g/day carb intake, either no rise or maybe end up around 5.0-5.8.

Still very sensitive to some carbs and less so to others - tested for potato again last week after a year without - rise from 4.5 to 6.8 on four very small new potatoes, so that remains unacceptable.

 

[finsit]

Oh easily I'd say, think I read that the average person eats 350g of carbs per day.
The one thing about super tight control I'd question if it's excessive.
If the average person hits 8 on a daily basis & we assume they suffer no complications from this then why should be shooting for 6.5

Average person hits 8 but stays very little there, that's the difference between a diabetic and us. If we hit an 8, it will take few hours for it to go back to close to 6 and what i understand is that its high fluctuations in BG or high BG that stays there for longer time that causes long-term complications. Secondly, who says that non-diabetic who are having high insulin/glucose have no complications, they still have heart disease, BP, dementia and other metabolic issues and definitely affects their longevity and health in old age. Also one thing to note that even if you are hitting 8 every day but stay there very little time, it wont affect your a1c. The blood sugar needs to be high for several hours to have any affect over a1c.

 

[finsit]

Absolutely not (T2). If you averaged my readings it might look like that but I can expect a single fasting reading to be anywhere from low fours to mid fives (it was 5.4 this morning after massive night sweats).

Actual reading depends (for me) on many things and only one is food - ambient temperature, recent physical activity, minor illness, etc. After food, bearing in mind a ~20g/day carb intake, either no rise or maybe end up around 5.0-5.8.

Still very sensitive to some carbs and less so to others - tested for potato again last week after a year without - rise from 4.5 to 6.8 on four very small new potatoes, so that remains unacceptable.

tested for potato again last week after a year without - rise from 4.5 to 6.8 on four very small new potatoes, so that remains unacceptable.
Regarding above please note that if you have not been eating carbs for a while a single testing will not be accurate. You will i guess need to eat the same carby food for few days in the same amount and then see how your body adjusts to the new carb intake due to carb sensitivity. However, the downside is that you will have your BG higher for few days before you can actually have a decent reading.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I tested few of my non-diabetic family members on some occasions, i never found that ideal BG of 4.6 fasting (or 2-3 hours after eating as it is supposed to be). Mostly i find their fasting BGs in upper 5s and 2-3 hours close to 6. They are all non-diabetic and a1c is 32-33.

I'm intrigued that your family members know their HbA1c.
Is this part of private health scheme testing, for example?

I only had mine tested once pre diagnosis and that was because I was (briefly) under BUPA.

 

[KennyA]

tested for potato again last week after a year without - rise from 4.5 to 6.8 on four very small new potatoes, so that remains unacceptable.
Regarding above please note that if you have not been eating carbs for a while a single testing will not be accurate. You will i guess need to eat the same carby food for few days in the same amount and then see how your body adjusts to the new carb intake due to carb sensitivity. However, the downside is that you will have your BG higher for few days before you can actually have a decent reading.

Thanks, I know what works for me. Doing ok so far.

 

[finsit]

I'm intrigued that your family members know their HbA1c.
Is this part of private health scheme testing, for example?

I only had mine tested once pre diagnosis and that was because I was (briefly) under BUPA.

Few of them i asked to get it checked because of family history. Few of them are above 40 which is routinely tested in UK. Others are not in UK so they can go test anywhere, very cheap. I used to get my all labs (that NHS doesn't want to do) when i visit Egypt, but now thanks to "red list" i am just stuck....

 

[Widgets]

I tested the BlokeShape yesterday because he asked me to.

He'd had a phone appointment with the GP which included the phrase 'you've not been diagnosed with diabetes yet have you?', which freaked him out more than a little. He's (I suspect) underweight, certainly very skinny, but has raised blood pressure - though his medication for that has just been reduced.

So far as we can tell the BP is his only obvious risk factor for diabetes. According to my meter his blood sugars are dead normal, but of course, he'll ask the GP what on earth they meant by the comment when he has another appointment in a couple of weeks. Doing the testing did put his mind at rest yesterday though.

 

[bellapodus]

I test my mum occasionally. She has a very high sugar diet. I mean literally, she consumes mostly sugary things. I won't go into details but it is way above average. However, her readings are in the 5 range before and after meals. Luck of the draw I guess!

 

[Grannypat]

Type 1 is not that easy even if you eat low carb.
There is much more than food which affects our levels and we can't spend 24 hours a day watching and correctly our levels. We have lives to live.

Edited to add - he is not female either. His answer to female hormones is to go on the pill permanently and suppress them,