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

Higher results than expected.

LionChild

Well-Known Member
Messages
302
Location
Birmingham UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
whisky
Just received my A1c result and it is considerably higher than my Libre indicates. Libre says 5.8 (40 mmol/mol), and A1c shockingly says 47.
I thought I was doing so well.
Also, despite all my efforts with food and exercise my cholesterol is still 5.8 which it was a year ago.

I can't believe it!

Any comments on these results?

A1c in particular is a big surprise.
 
Are you finger prick verifying at least some of your libre values, when I was on the libre it normally showed me about 1mmol below what I was actually at and its estimated HbA1c reflected that
 
Rokaab said:
Are you finger prick verifying at least some of your libre values, when I was on the libre it normally showed me about 1mmol below what I was actually at and its estimated HbA1c reflected that
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you for your response. Yes, occasionally I do a finger prick but not usually unless I feel the sensor is not operating properly. Sometimes a new sensor will wiggle about dramatically until it settles down....But even given what I think are frequently lower readings on the Libre, this 47 was not what I expected. I thought maybe 42 mmol/mol, just a couple over the Libre reading, but not as much as 7 !
In the future I will be less trusting of the libre readings!
 
Do remember that an average 1mmol difference on a finger prick reading does equate to about a 6 or 7 point difference in the HbA1c
 
Firstly, HbA1C is measured with a blood test.
The value from Libre is an estimate which relies on a different algorithm. There was a thread the other day about it (maybe @Antje77 can remember it) about this algorithm.

Secondly, HbA1C of 47 is not at all shocking it is very good, With Type 1 diabetes (and LADA) you are doing the job of a major organ at the same time as living your life which is a huge undertaking. To achieve a HbA1C below that which is considered for type 2 diabetes is pretty amazing.

My advice is to congratulate yourself on your achievement, focus on Time in Range and don't let diabetes take over your life.

Congratulations on such a great achievement.
 
An HbA1C of 47 is still a brilliant result and is the sort of reading most of us would be pleased with , I got a result last year of 44 and was told I was too low .
 
I agree with the others about your HbA1c and the Libre estimate.

As for your cholesterol, did you get the breakdown of how the total was made up? You need to know the HDL, LDL and triglycerides before taking any notice at all of the total. The total is pretty meaningless without this breakdown. Your HDL (the good stuff) could be high and your ratios could be ideal. You need these figures.
 
In Response said:
Firstly, HbA1C is measured with a blood test.
The value from Libre is an estimate which relies on a different algorithm. There was a thread the other day about it (maybe @Antje77 can remember it) about this algorithm.
Click to expand...

Yes, I started a thread about it
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...ed-a1c-on-libreview-vs-libre-link-app.182614/

My issue was the Libre Link App gives an estimated A1c based on average glucose.
The Libre View online portal, where you view your AGP, has an algorithm derived value called GMI which looks like an A1c & even uses the same units but is not called that.
 
Hi. That HBA1C is absolutely fine and I wish mine was that good. Don't worry about your total cholesterol even though the GP does. Look at the various ratios from a full lipids profile and see what they are.
 
Hi,

Triglycerides were 1.1 mmol/L, HDL was 1.58 mmol, and I wasnt told what LDL was... The doctor just says the 5.8 total, is too high for a diabetic and wants to put me on statins....
 
Daibell said:
Hi. That HBA1C is absolutely fine and I wish mine was that good. Don't worry about your total cholesterol even though the GP does. Look at the various ratios from a full lipids profile and see what they are.
Click to expand...

Thank you Daibell.
 

Thank you. Well, again, my total is 5.8, the Triglycerides is 1.1 mmol/L, and HDL is 1.58mmol/L, and nothing about LDL...There is some pressure from the GP to go on statins...
 
jaywak said:
An HbA1C of 47 is still a brilliant result and is the sort of reading most of us would be pleased with , I got a result last year of 44 and was told I was too low .
Click to expand...

thank you Jaywalk.
 
Thank you.
 
A1c is great for type 1 LADA. Well done, Libre is often 1mmol below actual. Don’t worry that’s a great result.
I had the same problem with cholesterol slowly edging up despite healthy eating. My diabetic nurse says just worry about triglycerides, I know my doctor disagrees with her though! depending on your age the range varies but seems like you are ‘in range’ regardless but obviously check. I had crept up to 6 for cholesterol, and finally tried statins after a couple of years refusing and suffered terrible side effects which disappeared after 3 days of stopping them. I then spoke to a nutritionist and have lowered my total cholesterol back down to 5, main differences were adding edamame beans to my diet and swapping yogurt for Alpro. I still eat a small amount of cheese with my salad at lunch but not much else in dairy. This has worked for me.
Lots of cholesterol sites listing the pros and cons, there is a lot online, it depends on your overall circumstances and is up to you. Statins could be a great help, my dad at 81, takes a low dose with no obvious adverse effects and always gets in range results. However I had a terrible few weeks and don’t really want to try anymore. It’s a very individual decision in my opinion. The nutritionist I spoke to offered me the best advise, my diabetic nurse referred me on the nhs.
 
LionChild said:
Thank you. Well, again, my total is 5.8, the Triglycerides is 1.1 mmol/L, and HDL is 1.58mmol/L, and nothing about LDL...There is some pressure from the GP to go on statins...
Click to expand...

Did you water fast for about 12 hours prior to the test?

Try inputting your results in this https://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php It will calculate your LDL and tell you how you are doing. Then try this https://cholesterolcode.com/new-report-tool-launched/ (don't forget to change the measurement units to mmol/L )

Your trigs are ideal and HDL is good enough. The decision on whether to take stains is yours, and yours alone. Don't be bullied by your doctor. The HDL is all good stuff. The trigs are the baddies. The higher your HDL and lower your trigs are, the likelihood is your LDL will be mostly made up of the good fluffy particles rather than the small dense ones that can cause harm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…