• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

HBA1C

N

Newbie1210

Member
Messages
12
Hi there,

My surgery have told me a number of 507 for a HBA1C and say it's normal - does anyone know what the percentage is as this doesn't really mean anything to me?

Many thanks,

Newbie 1210
 
Newbie,

Somewhere on the internet there is a page where you can convert this number. I was looking at it yesterday but I cleared my history last night and can't remember what it was :(

I seem to recall that they (the NHS?) changed the way they reported it last year and there was a conversion chart. I'll keep looking for it. I'm sure someone will be along with an answer soon though :)
 
By the way are you sure it was 507 and not 50.7. I'm pretty new to all this too but I'm sure that is how it is shown? If it was it would make it somewhere around 6.5% which is good??

Don't take anything I say as gospel though, it could be the blind leading the blind!
 
Hi newbie 1210. Think you need to check the figure (just ring the receptionist) and come back to us. In new units, or any units I know, it won't be 507. They normally seem to quote whole numbers, so even 50.7 sounds a bit odd. If it is 50.7, it equates to about 6.8% on the old units, so not normal. It would make you diabetic, althouigh a pretty low result for a diabetic which is good meaning you've been found at an early stage. But still diabetic. So do go back and check.
 
Hi Topsec! You might be getting confused between what is ok for a diabetic, and what diagnoses a person as diabetic.
To diagnose a person as diabetic, the world health organisation says anything above 6.5% diagnoses diabetes, whereas between 5.7% and 6.5% suggests a person is at risk of diabetes. Between 6.0% and 6.5% is seriously at risk (pre-diabetic). Remember, these people are just being diagnosed and probably on a normal high-carb diet.
Once you ARE diagnosed, NICE suggest currently that below 7% is a good result. Different organisations use different levels. WHO say below 6.5% is good control, as do most USA and Canadian diabetes association. I think it's the USA Endocrinologist organisation that suggest below 6% "if safe", meaning if therew is not a risk of the person having hypos (e.g, not on insulin)
Most of us aim to be a lot lower than the 7% that NICE recommend. We like to get nearer to non-diabetic levels, and aim for less than 6%. Some can't get there without undue sacrifices (to the individual) on food (carbohydrate) intake or without unacceptable (to the individual) levels of medication. Generally, the lower the better within limits. 5.5% is the top end of a non-diabetic measurement (they vary from 4.6% to 5.5% on average), so I'd like to get to 5.5 but may not make it!
Don't be overwhelmed by numbers; loads of type 2s don't get below 7. If you do, well done. If you can then graduallyt tweak your diet to get lower a bit at a time, all the better.
 
It's illogical, but in the Uk the target for diabetics trying to control it is above the level at which diabetes can be diagnosed.
However, my cousin [T1] who lives in Germany has been iven a target of 6% to 6.5% HbA1c. Normal non-diabetic HbA1c is somewhere around 4.5%. For me that's the only sensible target. That's not to say I'll hit it
Also, I can't get to grips with the DCCT numbers.
Hana
 
Re: HBA1C - good news!

Hello All,

As you can see from my above post, I'm quite happy with my result - and I have also been allowed to come off insulin and try gliclazide (although i am worried about comments it can speed up any damage?)

Not blowing my own trumpet or anything but please give me a pat on the back. :clap: I have struggled to carry on the past few weeks.

Thanks for all your replies and hope everyone is well.

Newbie1210
 
Back
Top