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HbA1c figures are confusing

K

krazus

Active Member
Hi folks,
Newly diagnosed, Doctor told me my HbA1c result that confirmed type II was 95%

All discussion and figures on HbA1C results here deal with low figures such as examples here:
HbA1c 7.0 Latest July 4.9

What is the difference between what I was told and what everyone here is using? is there a conversion formula or something? or more scary, is everyone elso unde 10 and im at almost 100? :shock:

Apparently there are no silly questions... I hope so...

cheers

Chris

P.S. told my Colesterol level was 7.4... again what does that relate to? 7.4 bannanas? 7.4 dwarves?
 
Definitely not a silly question.
Until recently there were two methods around the world for measuring HbA1c. Here in the UK we used a % figure, where above 6.5 would be diagnostic of diabetes. So getting results below that figure is always celebrated here, and why there's a 5% club, and a more exclusive 4% club.
The two methods have now been standardised around the world, and a figure will be expressed in the 30s (low) to say the 90s (high) or above.

Your 95, which is not a percentage but a measurement of mmol/mol, converts to 10.8 in old money.

It's a bit like switching to a new system of currency - most like to think in 'old' terms :D

Geoff
 
Right,

thanks Geoff.

So to compare with most others here, I am 10.8 and need to pretty much half that... over time :wink:

I like the old way, maybe because so many others here use it, so there is something to gauge against.


thanks for your reply.

cheers


chris
 
Or this one closer to home http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-units-converter.html

If you are generally healthy the NHS target is an HBA1c of 6.5% or less in old units or 48 or less in new units.

If you get a meter you can also convert between the readings your meter will give you to an equivelent HBA1c as again the measurement systems aren't the same. There's a converter to do that here http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html

So if you feed 6.5% into that converter it comes back saying it equates to an average blood sugar level of around 8.5 mmol on your meter.

Strangely that equivalent average 8.5 mmol level effectively exceeds the N.I.C.E guidelines for safe levels to aim for see

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

8.5 mmol is the max you should be at 2 hours after eating. At all other times it says to be between 4 & 7 mmol so having an average of 8.5 mmol must by plain mathematics mean you must be exceeding the N.I.C.E guidelines which is why many of us target lower hBA1c's than 6.5% or in equivalent terms blood meter levels less than an average of 8.5 mmol

Even that 8.5 mmol is actually confusing as in most other modern countries that have up to date guidelines the safety level at 2 hours was reduced to 7.8 mmol back in 2007. You can actually see that for yourself. If you click on the small [19] next to the safe levels table in the link I gave above then follow the subsequent link you will get to the actual IDF (International Diabetes Federation) document that most countries take their safe levels from. Look on page 20 of its conclusions and you will see it says 7.8 mmol is the max 2 hour level not 8.5 mmol

7.8 mmol got chosen because of loads of research that got done which showed regularly exceeding 7.8 mmol is the point you start to put yourself at risk of retinopathy and neuropathy problems so again this is why you will see many posters saying your target should be to achieve +2 hour meal readings less than 7.8 mmol rather than 8.5 mmol.

Confusing isn't it :crazy:
 
thank you folks its slightly less confusing now.

:thumbup:

I can now gauge where i am compared to all the 'old money' on the forum.

10.8 compared to ppl on 6 or 7 is much better than 95 compared to the same figures.


now about those cholestrol figures? :wink: :clap:
 
It was a fasting blood test, and all i was told was its 7.4

thats it

maybe the nurse tomorrow can give me more info...

can you give me an idea of what i should be given? :thumbup:
 
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