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Hb1AC - chuffed but a little confused at the same time

silky1

silky1

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Location
Wales
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi

I've not been around for a while - however - yesterday I went for my blood tests - 3 months ago (when diagnosed with Diabetes) my Hba1C was 106 - this week it's 44 - which I personally think is a massive step in the right direction - BUT

Whilst all that's been going on, my cholesterol has risen by 1.5 to 6.2 ( I don't know the breakdown of each component - but I know last time although my cholesterol was low - it was more bad than good.

I've made HUGE changes in my diet and lifestyle as well as taking Metformin (500mg twice daily) - having a lot of health problems - the last thing I want to do is take even more medication (My kitchen cupboard already resembles a pharmacy and statins aren't renowned for their lack of side effects - I'm just confused what change I've made that would increase my cholesterol
 
Firstly well done on the HbA1c result.

The obvious question is how much, and what type of Fat are you eating. but without a proper breakdown of the Cholesterol readings it is impossible for you or your GP to know how to proceed.

I would expect however that your body will still be adjusting to the change in diet, so maybe at 3 months the result may be unreliable, and requires further investigations.
 
Have you lost weight?

It seems to be a recurring theme that people start LCHF, lose some weight, go through an adjustment period, improve their bg, raise their cholesterol and then get cold feet and cut back on the HF because of the cholesterol test.

But there is a very good explanation - weight loss releases fat into the bloodstream, which is burned up as fuel, but until then, it raises cholesterol test results.

So the general advice is to wait several months after the weight loss has ended, for things to settle down, before you take your cholesterol results 'seriously' again.

Another factor, as @britishpub says, is to get a copy of your cholesterol test breakdown and see the ratios.
 
silky1 said:
Hi

I've not been around for a while - however - yesterday I went for my blood tests - 3 months ago (when diagnosed with Diabetes) my Hba1C was 106 - this week it's 44 - which I personally think is a massive step in the right direction - BUT

Whilst all that's been going on, my cholesterol has risen by 1.5 to 6.2 ( I don't know the breakdown of each component - but I know last time although my cholesterol was low - it was more bad than good.

I've made HUGE changes in my diet and lifestyle as well as taking Metformin (500mg twice daily) - having a lot of health problems - the last thing I want to do is take even more medication (My kitchen cupboard already resembles a pharmacy and statins aren't renowned for their lack of side effects - I'm just confused what change I've made that would increase my cholesterol
Click to expand...

I'd agree with the others' posts, but also to comment - You say you've made huge changes to your way of eating, and not everything zips into place at once. Keep the faith and see where another few months take you, but please do get your breakdown of your lipids. Keeping it as simply as I can, I'd be comforted if you triglycerides were improving, in your shoes - they're the ones making a real difference and tend to come down on low carb, even if some of the other components linger a bit higher.

Good luck with it all.
 
Yes, I have lost a fair bit of weight - not far of 2 stone (being virtually house / wheelchair bound - it's very difficult to "take more exercise as both my diabetes and Fibro conditions recommend" thanks to serious spinal issues including at least one fracture with minimal opportunity to get it repaired - the hospital freaked when they found the fracture on a simple x-ray (after all the "clever stuff" they'd been doing!!!!!!!!!)

I was meant to have surgery - but eventually it was felt that my inability to fight infection and eczema / cellulitis and allergy to NSAIDS didn't really make me the best candidate for surgery where the risks are high and the rewards low before taking anything else into consideration
 
silky1 said:
Whilst all that's been going on, my cholesterol has risen by 1.5 to 6.2 ( I don't know the breakdown of each component - but I know last time although my cholesterol was low - it was more bad than good.
Click to expand...

I have had a similar experience since going on LCHF in May. Hba1c dropped to 34 but cholesterol 6.3 (previously 5.8)

Just waiting to see what happens next
 
My cholesterol fell after 9 months LCHF , my diet includes a lot of oily fish and olive oil, peanut butter, tomatoes, leafy salads but I don't avoid red meat.
 
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