- Messages
- 2,429
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Carbohydrates
I have good reason not to trust HbA1c as a guide to my control:
7-8 years diabetic T2 I was suffering crippling peripheral neuropathy, & various other problems.
HbA1c was 6.8 (50.8) which Dr did not consider the cause of the problems - basically diabetes is a progressive condition, & my diabetes was progressing as expected. Sad.
That HbA1c corresponded to my finger prick tests.
Dr suggested hospital tests but first I came on this forum, & took the low carb advice - cutting out all the obvious carbs.
Immediately my readings improved, & soon my health, so that in 3 months I went from crippled to playing tennis again.
As an experiment, with high carb food, I found that testing an hour after a meal gave readings in the teens, so that it became apparent that HbA1c - an average of 2-3 months blood sugar gives NO indication of highs & lows during that period. It's the highs that do the damage. [I was never in the hypo region.]
On the low carb diet I rarely go above 9.
Now - diabetic for 15 years, at 76 y-o, I am fully fit & without diabetes problems - & still play tennis at club standard.
The last HbA1c=49 (6.6).
It seems to me that the measure relied on by doctors is not a good guide.
One last thought: I suspect that the HbA1c units were changed to make it more difficult for diabetics to relate HbA1c to their finger tests.
7-8 years diabetic T2 I was suffering crippling peripheral neuropathy, & various other problems.
HbA1c was 6.8 (50.8) which Dr did not consider the cause of the problems - basically diabetes is a progressive condition, & my diabetes was progressing as expected. Sad.
That HbA1c corresponded to my finger prick tests.
Dr suggested hospital tests but first I came on this forum, & took the low carb advice - cutting out all the obvious carbs.
Immediately my readings improved, & soon my health, so that in 3 months I went from crippled to playing tennis again.
As an experiment, with high carb food, I found that testing an hour after a meal gave readings in the teens, so that it became apparent that HbA1c - an average of 2-3 months blood sugar gives NO indication of highs & lows during that period. It's the highs that do the damage. [I was never in the hypo region.]
On the low carb diet I rarely go above 9.
Now - diabetic for 15 years, at 76 y-o, I am fully fit & without diabetes problems - & still play tennis at club standard.
The last HbA1c=49 (6.6).
It seems to me that the measure relied on by doctors is not a good guide.
One last thought: I suspect that the HbA1c units were changed to make it more difficult for diabetics to relate HbA1c to their finger tests.