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First hba1c result

J

Jane!

Well-Known Member
Messages
50
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Just got my first hba1c result ( after being diagnosed with type 1 in august which at age 55 & always fit & healthy was a huge shock) & was thrilled to be told it was 43 ( 6.1%). Thanks to Dr Bernstein & all the information I've gleaned from this website - am very grateful.
 
The diabetes nurse said it was too low & that she's afraid I'll have hypos. I eat low carb & exercise regularly ; my blood sugar never goes below 4.8 & I stay mostly between 5.0 and 9.0. I've read that other folk have lower hba1c results. Is the diabetes nurse right?
 
Hopefully more Type 1s will reply, but I would think the nurse is..a little extreme in her comment, given the other info you have given. I am type 2 and my latest HbA1c test result was also 43..which I am very pleased with...but I'll be much happier with 38! I think whether or not you have hypos now would be much to do with any meds you might be on, but hopefully more replies will help settle your mind.
 
Jane! said:
The diabetes nurse said it was too low & that she's afraid I'll have hypos. I eat low carb & exercise regularly ; my blood sugar never goes below 4.8 & I stay mostly between 5.0 and 9.0. I've read that other folk have lower hba1c results. Is the diabetes nurse right?
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I don't agree with your nurse .... at all .... but I'm not qualified to offer an opinion beyond that. Granted 9.0 is a little high (not much mind you) but 4.8? That is a good number.
 
Mine is 5.2 last time I checked, getting it checked again at the end of the month. I am VLC, moderate P and HF. I VERY rarely go under 70 and NEVER under 65. I stay mostly between 82 and 110. My Dr was afraid of hypos too at 1st but now tells me my BS is better than his and I know how to control insulin better than him. If you are not hypoing, I would listen to your body and meter.. Most patients aren't low carb and Dr's fear low A1c's because it is an 'average' and an average with a carb diet usually included hypos and hypers. They need to be cautious and set standards much higher for type !'s as they are usually hypo and hypering. Personally I think you should pat yourself on the back big time but I am not a Dr, just a T! diabetic with good control and low insulin doses due to LCHF. Watch your numbers and you will be great! It's YOUR meter
 
I think the issue is volatility more than anything. To me, maintaining a 4.5 mmol/L average with very right control is much safer than a 5.5mmol/L average with huge swings.

For me, that's where the low carb/low Glycemic Load approach comes into play. All things equal, it's much easier to correct for a 50g carb diet than a 500g carb diet. Obviously, even small errors are much more magnified on the 500g diet.
 
Thank you for the replies. I've asked a mathematician colleague to help me explain to the nurse how the low hba1c comes from a constant narrow range without spikes and high numbers, rather than too many lows. It's reassuring to hear from folk - thank you- especially when I'm increasingly loosing confidence in the DN ( who from the start told me to be more relaxed about it, not to test too often and not to start weighing food, that as I'm in a honeymoon phase "now is the time to eat fish and chips" and frequently complains that my numbers are "too perfect" and she wants to see more random high numbers). Advice and guidance gratefully received!
 
Jane! said:
Thank you for the replies. I've asked a mathematician colleague to help me explain to the nurse how the low hba1c comes from a constant narrow range without spikes and high numbers, rather than too many lows. It's reassuring to hear from folk - thank you- especially when I'm increasingly loosing confidence in the DN ( who from the start told me to be more relaxed about it, not to test too often and not to start weighing food, that as I'm in a honeymoon phase "now is the time to eat fish and chips" and frequently complains that my numbers are "too perfect" and she wants to see more random high numbers). Advice and guidance gratefully received!
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Jesus! That's appalling advice! I know there's general, and rather ignorant team sheet advice on not testing much and on having balanced diet, but I'm thinkin this nurse is actually a drunk who has maybe wandered into the clinic and pretended to know what's what. I think I'd actually have to complain about this level of incompetence. Surely even a simplistic NHS GP wouldn't even agree with such advice. Empower yourself, pal...and identify what works for you.
 
Print out this page, stick it under her nose and demand answers. She's not just a fool, she's dangerous. If she ignores you, then walk away with a reminder that you intend to report her conduct. Glad it's you dealing with this as my attitude would be a lot worse ... for her
 
Mike D said:
Print out this page, stick it under her nose and demand answers. She's not just a fool, she's dangerous. If she ignores you, then walk away with a reminder that you intend to report her conduct. Glad it's you dealing with this as my attitude would be a lot worse ... for her
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me too...disgraceful and unprofessional....but, as I say, may just be a random drunk.....surely!
 
As we say down here, she must have got her qualifications from the bottom of a cereal pack !! "Too perfect"? Well you ain't lady.
 
Jane! said:
Just got my first hba1c result ( after being diagnosed with type 1 in august which at age 55 & always fit & healthy was a huge shock) & was thrilled to be told it was 43 ( 6.1%). Thanks to Dr Bernstein & all the information I've gleaned from this website - am very grateful.
Click to expand...

No, not unless you have some issues which mean you should run slightly higher for safety reasons.

My first HbA1C after diagnosis was 6.2 and I was pleased so I remember being annoyed when the nurse told me it could be lower!

My HbA1C, apart from that first occasion, has always been in the 5s (and 4s when I'm pregnant). The important thing is that your blood sugar stays steady with not too many swings. If you can get a great HbA1C and avoid hypos then that's good :)
 
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