hba1c not matching meter average

mikeyuk

Active Member
Messages
43
So got my first hba1c after going low carb, 6.2 My Hba1c before on a normal diet was 6.8, but cant understand why Im not in the 5s.. The average on my meter went from 9.8 to 5.8 for this month. There are some things I could tighten up, my overnight readings aren't ideal yet and I sometimes go over 7, but not often.

All in all I thought it would definitely be in the 5s and feeling a little discouraged it isn't, and cant quite understand why it isnt. I test a lot and dont miss any spikes so that cant be it. Any advice or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
 

shedges

Well-Known Member
Messages
432
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi Mike,

Your hba1c and meter readings will never be exactly the same - 0.4 seems very close to me!

The hba1c reflects an average value over the 6 weeks up to the blood test, taking into account all highs and lows. The meter (unless it is taking readings every minute or so) is only a snap shot of your levels, so is bound to differ slightly.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on low-carbing.

Sam.
 

Stuboy

Well-Known Member
Messages
451
Dislikes
Crowds. Being high. Being Hypo.
it's actually more like the average upto 12 weeks before the A1c test.

Generally your HbA1c will be slightly lower than your meter average.

Remember you only capture a single point in time with each finger prick test, there are a lot of highs and lows that you don't capture on the meter. If you the sort of person that only tests when you feel high or hypo... then the average reading on the meter will never be a reliable predictor of your A1c
 

hanadr

Expert
Messages
8,157
Dislikes
soaps on telly and people talking about the characters as if they were real.
HbA1c are not the same thing. there are correlations and tables. Google them
Is this a sign that another one of my little help pages is needed? Look up my blood test pieces.
 

malvern

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
HELLO. I UNDERSTAND THE SCALES USED FOR MEAUSURING HBA1C AND THE SCALE USED FOR READING BS LEVELS ON HOME METERS ARE NOT THE SAME