Hba1c Question

[Ian Horne]

Dear all,

I'm due an operation requiring general anaesthetic but have just received a phone call from the hospital to say that the hba1c they took as my pre op assesment came back as a reading of 9. To have the op I need to be below 8.5. Can someone explain what this means please? Thanks in advance.

 

[novorapidboi26]

The HbA1c is a snapshot if you like of the last 90 days, so a long term blood sugar reading..............it doesn't show how your control has been on a daily basis or whether there have been lots of highs or lots o lows.........

So I find it strange that your HbA1c is deciding whether to go ahead as your ability to heal depends on how your blood sugar is during your recovery and wont be affected, so I believe, by how your control has been in the past.....

it could take time to get down to 8.5% and you may need this operation quicker than that........

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

Your HbA1c is high. It equates to an average of 11.7mmol/l over the previous 2 to 3 months. (mmol/l is the measurement unit we see on our home glucose meters and finger prick tests). This means your levels have been too high for the past 2 to 3 months and the doctors are worried about operating on you with those levels. The only way you can get this down to an acceptable level is by looking at your diet and seeing what you are eating that is causing these high levels. With a suitable diet you should be able to get your levels down nicely. I suspect you are eating far too many carbohydrates as it is these blighters that convert to glucose in our system and cause high levels.

 

[Daibell]

Yes, agree with the other posters. It might ttake a few weeks to get your HBa1C down below 8.5% with a low-carb diet. How did your GP or DN allow your HBa1C to go that high? Perhaps you are newly diagnosed? Have you been having diabetes checks every 6 months or so if not newly diagnosed? At that HBa1C level it should be every 3 months until nearer 7%

 

[jenrose]

I would go and tell the person who deals with your diabetes, are you taking tablets/insulin at present?