How diabetic am I?

[DMWinter88]

My doctor phoned me today to say I have a hb1ac level of 53, which is severely diabetic, and I must start medication immediately. Is this correct? I am struggling to find a conversion table that puts this in terms that make sense.

Here's one from this very website, for example:

It says it's a hbA1c indicator, but those numbers don't get close to 53!?

I'm so very confused. Please help me to understand.

 

[ThoseRainyDays]

I believe the UK and US use different numbers which can make things difficult when you're first diagnosed!

In the UK, levels below 42mmol is normal (non diabetic), 42mmol to 47mmol is prediabetes, 48 and above is diabetes.

 

[EBe66]

Hi There,
You are looking at the wrong conversion page. Try this one: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html Hba1c is either expressed as a mmol/mol value (your 53) or a percentage.
Your 53mmol would be about 7% in the picture you posted which translates to an average glucose level of 8.5.

53 is not dramatic by the way, but it isn't good too.

 

[Ryhia]

Try this one.

I was diagnosed with an Hba1c of 54 then confirmed at 52, doc didn't think it was that high as I was given time to sort by diet, not sure why they are wanting you on meds but all surgeries are different. You could ask for 3 months to try to sort by diet if that is what you want to do. I went very low calories then eventually keto and soon got my levels down below the cut off point which in the UK is 48. It does take work and motivation but for many normal levels are achievable. Plus your HbA1c of 53 is not too bad there are many who have had much higher HbA1cs and managed to reduce levels drastically within a few months.

Good luck.

 

[Goonergal]

My doctor phoned me today to say I have a hb1ac level of 53, which is severely diabetic, and I must start medication immediately. Is this correct?

In my opinion, no. The diagnostic criteria for diabetes in the UK is 48, with pre-diabetes 42-47, so you are clearly in the diabetic range, but I wouldn’t call it ‘severely’ diabetic. Nor would I say that immediate medication is required.

Many of us here have started much higher than that - my own HbA1c at diagnosis was 108 - and brought our numbers down to non-diabetic levels using dietary control only.

The key to that is reducing your carbohydrate intake - severely in my case - as all carbs turn to sugar in the blood. Plenty f advice about that here if it interests you.

 

[KennyA]

I was diagnosed with an HbA1c of 50. As others have said, many people are diagnosed with much higher levels so I don't think the word "severely" is justified. Diabteic, yes, severely, perhaps not.

I was back in normal range in four months, with no medication but by using a low-carb "keto" approach - around 20g carbs/day. I was "offered" medication at diagnosis, but chose not to take it and am glad I didn't.

That approach worked for me - I find it easier to cut all carby food rather than try to count and monitor a higher intake. Other people have got to the same result using different techniques, and you have to find what works for you.

One thing I would suggest is getting hold of a blood glucose monitor and using it to test the effect that various foods have on the glucose in your system. Whatever you do, getting the feedback from the testing is really a key piece of information about how you are managing things day to day.

Best of luck!

 

[Resurgam]

I might be a bit blasé about it, but I went from 91 to 41 in 6 months, and felt a lot better for it, so your level is something I'd expect you to be able to turn around fairly easily, assuming that you are an ordinary type 2 diabetic.
I don't need medication, just low carb.

 

[Ronancastled]

My doctor phoned me today to say I have a hb1ac level of 53, which is severely diabetic, and I must start medication immediately. Is this correct?

48 HbA1c is the magical tipping point of diagnosis so you are not "severely diabetic", you are on the lower rung of the diagnostic ladder.
The reason 48 was chosen btw is because it was when they noticed a marked increase in cases of retinopathy.

My guess is that you could easily put this in remission with lifestyle & diet changes.
Good luck

 

[Roggg]

IMO, action needs to be taken, but it doesn't necessarily need to be meds.