HBa1c need info

[Mags52]

Hi Folks
I've been diagnosed for 3 months and just received my baseline Hba1c result. It is 6%. What does that mean? Is it good, bad or indifferent? When I had it taken I had been on a low GI diet for about 4 weeks and before that was unaware so eating anything that wasn't nailed down!
Hope someone can explain
Thanks
Margaret

 

[Dennis]

Hi Margaret, HBA1C is a measure of the average of your blood sugar highs and lows over the previous 3 months and is expressed as a percentage value. So an average of 6% is pretty good. I wish mine was as low.

This is a link that you might find useful in understanding HBA1Cs
http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/prevent ... _hba1c.htm

Wikipedia also has a good section on HBA1C.

 

[sugar]

Hi,

6% is a good result. Are you type 1 or type 2? There is no hard and fast answer really, as it depends who you talk to. If you are type 1, then it is often said that you should be aiming around 7%...but if you are running at 6 % and aren't suffering hypos, then you are doing a fantastic job! If you are type 2(I am t1, so no expert in type 2) but this is also a good result, although the goalposts may be different. HBa!c is basically your avaerage for the last 6 weeks, although I think that they can change what they *******yse to look at shorter term than that. The confusing thing is that it is not quite the same scale as teh results you get when you test your own blood sugar.

Really, your Dr is teh best person to advise, and I would try and get them to guive you a better opinion...rather than some random person (me!) who knows nothing about your indivisual situation. As a general rule of thumb though. 6 % is good!

All the best,

Jill

 

[sugarless sue]

I'm type 2 and the nurse said that under 7 is good,mine is 6.9% at the moment so it is down from 7.7 when I was first diagnosed.

 

[martinbuchan]

The target is the same whatever kind of diabetes you have (I am type 2 on insulin). My HBA1C is 6.5%. It gives a longer evaluation of your average blood glucose. If you are 80 yrs old, a HBA1C of 8% is not that bad really. If you are 40 yrs old like me with neuropathy and mild backfground retinopathy, I would like to get my HBA1C down as far as possible. However, to achieve that, then the blood glucose dips will produce a lower average HBA1C but also will have more hypos.

For Type 2s, running at higher than 7% often means introducing other drugs (often needed as the disease progresses).

6% is great. Keep doing what you are doing.

Marty B

 

[sugar]

Marty B,

A quick question. I know that all diabetics should aim for the same levels, is it true that it is easier (HA, like it is EVER easy I know!!!) for T2 to be in a more acceptable range?

Not for a minute trying to cause an argument...and I know that it will be different for different people. In my younger days, I had some really terrible HbA1C's...which is why I have problems now, but I have never heard of T2 running that high?

Yours, curiously, Jill

 

[martinbuchan]

Most Type 2s are mild with early insulin resistance but wih good inherent insulin production- they will not reach the highs of a Type 1 till much later on.

There is a graph showing HBA1 and risk of microvascular complications (neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy). Below 7% the risk is only marginally increased, but still increased.

My HBA1C was 13% at presentation (=average blood glucose 16). That is higher than most type 2s at first diagnosis. I have been told I have little inherent insulin production- hence I presented with diabetic ketoacidosis due to my infection. I behave like a type 1 with insulin resistance (levemir 60 units/day, novorapid 60-70 units per day).

Marty B

 

[scoobysnack]

I went for my HB at the docs last week, and when I called for the result it appears it wasn't labelled properly so the sample was discarded. This is not helpful. Particularly as my arm is now blue from the jab. my last was 8.1. 6% is excellent, keep it up

 

[timclover]

I am a convert to a diary you can download onto your phone called t+ diabetes. Not only does it mean no more carrying your diary around with you BUT it gives a prediction of HbA1C from your blood glucose measurements. I think it is only for TYpe 1s at the moment and takes about 90 readings before it starts to calculate but its really useful to see how this moves and to take corrective action when it starts to increase. I have gone from 7.3 to 7.8 in the last month and am now on a regime to bring it back down to below 7 in time for my next visit to my dreaded GP. The product is totally free at http://www.tplusdiabetes.com

hope this helps !!