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Hba1c test

J

Jennyfer

Member
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10
I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic at the end of April with a fasting blood test of 8.3. The dr said I did not need another test to confirm it (she was not happy because I had not been taking my blood pressure tablets, which I am now). I have been reading about the travel insurance topic and somebody said the fasting blood test is not a good one for diagnosis and mentioned Hba1c test. Is this different to the 8.3 fasting test I had? I had a recent 3 months test and I am a 46% on the new score (I think this equates to 6.4 on the old one). I have lost over 1.5 stones (10% of body weight) and will keep going with diet. I am going for another check in 6 months' time.
I have read on your forum about meters etc but, too be honest, I don't fancy pricking my finger constantly (haven't done it once) - I know that sounds pathetic and I still have a fantasy that I don't really have diabetes. The nhs nurse said what would I do with the results anyway. I can understand what you all say about different people have different reactions to different foods. However, while the nhs is not too concerned about my "scores" I shall avoid the finger pricks. I am off to see the nhs dietician tomorrow. I have never joined a forum and am not too computer literate. However, I do enjoy reading all the posts and I find that you all seem so supportive and caring. Thank you.
 
The 3-months test is the same as hbA1c. It measures how your average blood sugar over the past 3 months with the larger part of it coming from the past month.
 
Welcome Jennyfer.

My practise nurse showed me the flowchart they use to diagnose diabetes. Basically 2 fasting reads over 7 declares you have diabetes, the type you have will depend on reads and age and such.

Once I had the 2 fasting reads done an HBA1c test was done as a baseline for future. the difference between the 2 is that the HBA1c takes an average over the last 3 months (bias towards the more recent times). The fasting and any self testing is a snapshot of that moment in time. Therefore, the HBA1c is a more accurate indication of whats going on overall.

It sounds like you've got to grips nicely with bringing your figures down.

The point your nurse made is a common one made. What will you do with the results anyway. Well, for me I changed my diet totally based on the results alone. One example of the NHS 'healthy diet'

Chicken salad sandwich on wholemeal bread (2 slices) 2 hours after eating reading of 10.7.

If I had blindly followed the standard advice my BG would be sky high, I wouldn't have lost the weight I have (3 stone since Dec) and I wouldn't have managed to come off my BP medication.

However you've done it without monitoring fair play to you but I couldn't do it like that. Personal choice.

Well done again

Mary x
 
Hi. As you will find, the NHS wants to treat diabetes with medication and doesn't really believe diet has much influence on your blood sugar. The end result if you go along with this is that your diabetes and medication will progress and you may start to suffer some of the serious problems diabetes can result in. That's why many of us do test as we know diet is a major factor in blood sugar control and the meter helps us do this. When I told my diabetes expert GP a couple of years back that I was having to 'starve' myself to keep my sugars under control she lookd amazed and said I should just have a normal, healthy diet. Like Maryj my sugars would be sky-high if I followed that advice.
 
If I had blindly followed the standard advice my BG would be sky high
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True. Then they'd have put you on medication - Metformin is first line treatment, which brings down BG a bit and also helps with weight loss.

I appreciate that people want to avoid having to take medication, but I very much doubt that you have the expertise to make an educated decision in this matter. I very much doubt that you have read the relevant research to conclude that low carb is better than medication.
 
AMBrennan wrote
I very much doubt that you have the expertise to make an educated decision in this matter. I very much doubt that you have read the relevant research to conclude that low carb is better than medication.
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Not sure what point you're making.
That higher blood sugar levels are preferable ?
Medication treats the symptom.
Low carb treats a a cause.

Which you choose is your shout, but I don't understand the point of your post.
That she should stop low carbing and gulp down the meds ?

Not sure you have the expertise for saying that ...

Geoff
 
I very much doubt that you have read the relevant research to conclude that low carb is better than medication.
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Can you tell me what the relevant research is on whether low carb is better (or worse) than medication? with links please so I can do more reading.
 
librarising said:
AMBrennan wrote
I very much doubt that you have the expertise to make an educated decision in this matter. I very much doubt that you have read the relevant research to conclude that low carb is better than medication.
Click to expand...

Not sure what point you're making.
That higher blood sugar levels are preferable ?
Medication treats the symptom.
Low carb treats a a cause.

Which you choose is your shout, but I don't understand the point of your post.
That she should stop low carbing and gulp down the meds ?

Not sure you have the expertise for saying that ...

Geoff
Click to expand...

I agree that statement is a bit confused. My research is the same as others here, we are the research, we low carb instead of meds(many meds) and diet advice from th NHS and most have had great results. If I too followed the diet they suggest my levels would not be as great as they are now. There advice was also to take more pills....
 
lucylocket61 wtote
Can you tell me what the relevant research is on whether low carb is better (or worse) than medication? with links please so I can do more reading.
Click to expand...

Without more time to post links, low carb was at least a century ago the treatment for diabetes.
It would still be today if two things hadn't happened.

1. Saturated fat (and thereby red meat, butter, lard) came to be demonised, largely as a result of Ancel Keys 7 Country study.
Just google saturated fat is good for you.

2. With concern for the planet, meat raising was seen as wasteful for the planet. This brought about a shift to a more plant- based diet, plant-based oils/fats replacing natural fats. Carbs came to be seen as healthy, even though some knew they caused weight problems for many.

I will try to find the three diet study which compared their effectiveness, and where low carb was the most effective, and best for other health markers, such as cholesterol levels. It's been mentioned before on this forum, so someone may remember it.

I will post later (maybe tomorrow)

Geoff
 
lucylocket61 wrote
Can you tell me what the relevant research is on whether low carb is better (or worse) than medication? with links please so I can do more reading.
Click to expand...

I've never been on medication, even though many seem to be put on Metformin as a matter of course.
GP simply said try diet and exercise first, and within weeks I'd discovered low carbing.
I hear that Metformin is a useful medication, and wouldn't disagree. We all have different pancreatic function, and different response to carb intake.
If low carbing keeps me off medication, I'm happier than if I have to go on it.

Geoff
 
We've talked about this before a few times and it's also in Daisy's advice that there is a link between the amount of carbohydrates and the type of carbohydrates eaten at a meal, and the rise in blood sugar afterwards. This should not be rocket science for any of us.

We've talked about the standard advice being 'eat complex carbohydrates in roughly normal quantities' and how some of us find that cutting down on carbohydrates to about half, and for some even going low carb, seems to help control blood sugars.

Much of this is still not standard advice. Some research points in the direction that it may not be a bad thing. Many personal experiences say the same. The cholesterol topic (does it rise on low carb, and if yes, is this a bad thing) is still being discussed a lot on the forum. None of us have super-long term experiences with low carb, I don't think.

Whether someone wants to do one or the other should be a personal choice and should be discussed and at the very least communicated to your HCPs.

The guidelines in other countries have, or are, changing towards at least being very carb conscious. The risks and benefits for you should be thought through, especially if you are looking to do it long-term.

Personally I find that lower carb keeps me stable on many levels, emotionally and diabetes-wise (on insulin, but easier to dose for me, and less spikes). I do have for instance my bones monitored closely, as well as certain other blood tests regularly. This, I suppose, is possible because even though my endo is not a great fan of low carb, she is still willing to work with me on doing it as safely as possible also in the long term, and help me interpret results and prevent trouble.

I think we are more likely to be discussing 'how low carb and which types of carbs' than all or none. And I think while things are still being looked into, it can be very difficult to say what the effect will be in 50 years.
 
AMBrennan said:
I appreciate that people want to avoid having to take medication, but I very much doubt that you have the expertise to make an educated decision in this matter. I very much doubt that you have read the relevant research to conclude that low carb is better than medication.
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What? Whyever not? How could low-carb (that has no reported side-effects, as far as I know) possibly be worse than any medication (all of which have side-effects).

Even with aggressive medication (including metformin or insulin), I doubt that I'd have got my HbA1c down to 4.9%.
 
borofergie said:
AMBrennan said:
I appreciate that people want to avoid having to take medication, but I very much doubt that you have the expertise to make an educated decision in this matter. I very much doubt that you have read the relevant research to conclude that low carb is better than medication.
Click to expand...

What? Whyever not? How could low-carb (that has no reported side-effects, as far as I know) possibly be worse than any medication (all of which have side-effects).

Even with aggressive medication (including metformin or insulin), I doubt that I'd have got my HbA1c down to 4.9%.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Jennyfer said:
.......... (she was not happy because I had not been taking my blood pressure tablets, which I am now)..........
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Eating bread increases my blood pressure, from a norm of around 110-120 over 70-80 to a worst reading of 162 over 95. I have done several trials. There was no evidence of an allergic reaction to wheat in the screenings my doctor did for me.

Low carbing and avoiding foods that cause my bg to spike has also resulted in keeping my blood pressure readings normal.
 
Thank you for all the replies. I am going to continue with the exercise and diet (it has worked so far, partly because I have been reducing the carbs because of what you have all said). Not counting but reduced what I used to eat. Given up bread, which has made a huge difference. Living by myself I lived on sandwiches before. Over the years I have been to Weight Watchers so many times and given up after a few months. Having diabetes really does concentrate the mind and I would not have lost the weight or started exercising without it. This has also reduced my BP and cholestoral and so it has probably saved my life. Once I get my weight down a bit more then I intend testing, because what you say makes sense. I had not appreciated, until reading all your posts, that each person is different and has a different response to different foods. So pricking the finger will come later - my friend tells me there is nothing to it.

One other thing, do you think there's any chance, because they only did one fasting test at 8.3 that I was only pre-diabetic? Is there any way to tell? Presumably if I ate lots of cakes and I was off the scale then I would be a diabetic because a non-diabetic would not be off the scale? Thank you all again.
 
To HMBrennan. For info I'm currently on three level tablets prior to going onto insulin (Hba1c currently 7.3). I low-carb (not zero-carb). Are you suggesting I would have been better not low-carbing, having sky-high sugars and probably going onto insulin 2 years ago. C'mon, diabetes is a serious illness. The only reason the NHS doesn't recommend low-carb (I've read the research) is that it isn't proven to be safe. Since when has our current Western diet been safe when it causes obesity with all the related health issues. As an engineer I'll take the unproven risk route rather than the proven risk route.
 
lucylocket61 said:
Can you tell me what the relevant research is on whether low carb is better (or worse) than medication? with links please so I can do more reading.
Click to expand...

I recently came across this website http://www.bloodsugar101.com/
It has lots of fascinating information and more links than you could possibly ever want to recent research.

Whoever it was who had it at the bottom of their signature on this site - thank you! :D
 
Jennyfer said:
Over the years I have been to Weight Watchers so many times and given up after a few months. Having diabetes really does concentrate the mind and I would not have lost the weight or started exercising without it. This has also reduced my BP and cholestoral and so it has probably saved my life.

Absolutely couldn't agree more with you Jennyfer. Exactly the same for me.

Mary x
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