Fasting Sugar Levels Consistently Between 5.3mmol and 5.6mmol. Should I be worried?

[aide007]

Hi,

10 years ago I had a blood test that had me at a fasting sugar level of 6.8mmol. I managed to lose weight and change my diet (Which is heavily leaning towards more veg) but I seem to be stuck at this borderline prediabetes threshold of 5.5mmol. Sometimes 5.3 up to 5.7 for about 4 years now.
I am very active (Bootcamp 3 days a week, a 15-20km run, as well as a trail run once a week). My weight is 70kg and I’m 168cm which I believe is ok. I really watch what I eat most of the time to maintain my weight and don’t have a sweet tooth. Only real vice is once a week drinking 8-10 beers but rarely drink outside of that day unless it’s the festive period.
Should I be worried that my sugar levels are stuck at this range at the moment with so much exercise (I ran 4 trail marathons this year). Should I lose even more weight?

 

[bulkbiker]

What are your levels like at other times of the day?
I'm guessing you have read up on dawn phenomenon...if not it could be worth looking at..

Edit to add in the UK FBG is not used for diagnosis. Have you ever had an HbA1c and if so what were the results?

Oh yes hello and welcome too.. sorry bout the barrage of questions but this info is quite important.

 

[becca59]

As a type 1 who tested my levels on 2 different meters the other day and got a 4.6 and a 5.8 just bear in mind that the meter you are using maybe reading higher than another. So in fact your fasting levels may be under 5. As @bulkbiker says get an HBA1C for a wider picture.

 

[Auto E]

As a type 1 who tested my levels on 2 different meters the other day and got a 4.6 and a 5.8 just bear in mind that the meter you are using maybe reading higher than another. So in fact your fasting levels may be under 5. As @bulkbiker says get an HBA1C for a wider picture.

I've been using a meter for a few years, and now have a CGM. The variability between the two is typically 10%, and not always the same direction! Sometimes the CGM is 10% higher than the meter, sometimes it is 10% lower. So I'm really learning that the info I'm gathering needs to be focused on trends, rather than specific numbers.

 

[Auto E]

If you are at a a healthy weight then it is probably time to lower your carbs (sadly, sorry to be the one to say it). It is the only way I can keep my post-prandial numbers normal.
My FBG, btw, is stubborn, too, pretty much perpetually stuck at 5.6mmol/L.

 

[Resurgam]

That 8 to 10 beers is a bit hazy - as that is not a unit of alcohol, but it could possibly be affecting your liver if it is all in one day and every week.
Checking your blood glucose before and after eating could show up problems dealing with carbs, an increase of more than 2 whole numbers in mmol/l is undesirable.