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Getting different readings

P

Peck1234

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Other
I was prediabetic but have recently gone into the type 2 range. I had been on the NHS training course a few years ago and did learn do's and don't. My GP now suggested going on Metformin but I wanted to try to reduce my blood sugar levels by diet and exercise and not medication if at all possible. The GP agreed and after a review, arranged for me to have a 14 days trial on a FreeStyle Libre Link 2 so I can monitor my blood sugar level and see if there is anything that is pushing me into the type 2 band.
My question is my recent blood test showed 48 mmol/mol however the Libre 2 app is showing on average 6 mmol/l (which is between their range). Does anyone know why I'm getting different readings and what do they mean?
 
Peck1234 said:
My question is my recent blood test showed 48 mmol/mol however the Libre 2 app is showing on average 6 mmol/l (which is between their range). Does anyone know why I'm getting different readings and what do they mean?
Click to expand...
Those are two completely different measurements which is why they are very different - the HbA1c is measured in mmol/mol and is an average over 3 months and finger prick tests/cgm measurements are in mmol/L. (the 'mol' and 'L' are very different ':))

On this page you can convert roughly between the two: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-units-converter.html
So 48mmol/mol is equivalent to an average of 7.8 mmol/L - note the word 'average', your blood sugar does not just stay at one number for 3 months :)

Also note that the libre is not always entirely accurate so may show lower or higher consistently (or inconsistently) for some people - when I was using the libre for instance it always tended to show about 1mmol/L under what my blood test machine showed - but it can differ for different people
 
Peck1234 said:
I was prediabetic but have recently gone into the type 2 range. I had been on the NHS training course a few years ago and did learn do's and don't. My GP now suggested going on Metformin but I wanted to try to reduce my blood sugar levels by diet and exercise and not medication if at all possible. The GP agreed and after a review, arranged for me to have a 14 days trial on a FreeStyle Libre Link 2 so I can monitor my blood sugar level and see if there is anything that is pushing me into the type 2 band.
My question is my recent blood test showed 48 mmol/mol however the Libre 2 app is showing on average 6 mmol/l (which is between their range). Does anyone know why I'm getting different readings and what do they mean?
Click to expand...
The 48 is a HbA1c, and thus, an average of your blood glucose over a 3 month period. It's an entirely different test from the one that is hovering around the 6, which is what your blood sugars are doing right at that moment. Different tests, different measurements.

48 means you're at the top end of prediabetic. The sixes mean you're in range most of the time, but at the top end most likely. You should be seeing fives and fours, if possible.
https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html might help a bit getting your numbers lower, and stave off any medication.
 
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