New to the forum and need some advice/help on recent blood test results

Hello and welcome,

This sounds like an HbA1c test, which is the test they use to diagnose diabetes. A score of 6% is very marginally above the true non-diabetic level and in what is known as the pre-diabetic range. It has to be 6.5% before it falls in the diabetic range, so you are not there yet! A second test within 2 weeks of the first is the correct action as the second test is needed to confirm or otherwise the first test when someone such as yourself are borderline.

These are the ranges
up to 5.9% is non-diabetic
6% to 6.4% is pre-diabetic
6.5% and above is diabetic.

Lipids are part of your cholesterol test. We are tested for:
Total cholesterol, HDL LDL and triglycerides

What you need to know are the actual figures for each of these. I suggest you ask for a print out of your test results so you can study them at home to see what is what. If you ring the receptionist she will be able to provide you with a print out. You are entitled to these. If you are in England your surgery should be putting test results on line. You can ask if they do, and how to register for this. It is important you know all the details.

Your second test may well also include another cholesterol (lipid) test, so I advise you very strongly to fast for about 12 hours before the test (water only), so best to make the appointment an early one.

Please do not panic about this. Most of us have raised cholesterol if we use the standards the NHS pushes at us. There is no rush whatsoever to see anyone about it. 2 or 3 weeks is fine.

daniel-lewis-1985 said:

Thanks for the quick response ive literally just received a phone call telling me a doctor can see me today at 5:30pm as an appointment has been cancelled so will get all the relevant info regarding test results but have to wait for another appointment for secondary tests.

I beyond abused my body through out my 20's so whatever this comes back as its the result of making positively stupid life style choices I guess.

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Good news about your appointment. Don't forget to ask for the print outs. Whatever you don't understand on them all you have to do is ask. I will bet my bottom dollar he offers you statins. Most of us are offered statins. Many of us refuse. The reasons are many, and there is a wealth of information about them on this forum for you to read and digest.

daniel-lewis-1985 said:

Hi everyone I recently had a few blood tests taken and today called the GP for the results. Not a lot of information could be given over the phone but this is what I was told.

They want me to have another HAB1C test as my level exceeded 6%, ive never heard of this test before so I have no idea what this means.

She also mentioned abnormal lipids level (again I don't know what this means).

She asked me If I have diabetes which I currently have not been diagnosed with but im assuming these tests are leaning to that diagnosis?

Could someone please break this down for me and make it a bit clearer as she sounded very worried on the phone which is odd because the staff at my local health centre are usually abrupt and don't really give any info out. Im not asking for a diagnosis but I would rather speak to people actually going through this than drive my self nuts by googling every possibility.

I am told I have to make another appointment to see my GP for another test but I cannot get one for at least 2 weeks but if this could be serious shouldn't they see me before that? Maybe i'm just being paranoid but when the member of staff says "abnormal" and sounds worried what am I supposed to think?

I am only 33 and have always been slim but recently I cant shake the fat around my waste its very uncarracteristic and it looks abnormal on someone so slim (sorry for that very un sexy image).

I really hope this isn't diabetes or something worse as I have had tests which show I have a fatty liver.

Thanks advance everyone

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The HbA1c numbers are pre-diabetic, which means you can still get ahead of this thing, if the next testresults confirm it. (They don't always). The fatty liver is something a lot of us have, as well as high cholesterol. It's part of metabolic syndrome, together with high bloodpressure and diabetes. It's a bit of a chicken-egg thing, but as you've spotted the growing of your waist, that's where the problem is. About 10% of diabetics are slim and don't fit the usual stereotype, but there is fat densely packed on the liver and pancreas which you often can't see, which creates problems. If you can get that off, that'd help loads. Important thing to know is this: All carbs, not just sugar but starches too, are turned to glucose once ingested. And that just floats around your bloodstream, (or gets stored in fat cells where you really do not want them). If you cut back on the carbs, so that means bread, pasta, rice, cereal, corn, potatoes and whatnot, it's entirely possible you go from pre-diabetic, assuming your 2nd test confirms it, to non-diabetic. If you don't cross the diabetic threshold, you're fine. Something to keep in mind.

Good luck!
Jo
PS: Cutting back carbs has been known to reduce fatty liver disease and high cholesterol as well.

Welcome to the forum! I'm tagging @daisy1 for her introduction email which answers a lot of questions if you do in fact find you have diabetes.

I have spent quite a lot of my life being asked if I was pregnant (which I assume you do not get asked) with mine related to the fact that I carry all (literally all) my weight around my stomach, but am otherwise slim. According to my diabetic nurse, this is a "diabetic shape". I have no idea if that's true or not, but there is at least me also out there who's also annoyed at the 'slim with a much larger stomach' look.

I had gestational diabetes (when I was actually pregnant!) at age 30, and I suspect I hovered around being prediabetic throughout my 30s, although no one thought to take a blood test for it until a few years ago.

@daniel-lewis-1985

Hello Daniel and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

Hi there Daniel, you say your level 'exceeded' 6% which could mean it was a lot higher, please come back to us and let us know how you get on. Quite often they give you results in a vague way, what does 'over 6%' mean? Make sure you ask for a print out of the full details.

daniel-lewis-1985 said:

Thanks for the quick response ive literally just received a phone call telling me a doctor can see me today at 5:30pm as an appointment has been cancelled so will get all the relevant info regarding test results but have to wait for another appointment for secondary tests.

I beyond abused my body through out my 20's so whatever this comes back as its the result of making positively stupid life style choices I guess.

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Hi Daniel, Hope your doctor's visit was useful? Try not to beat yourself up for whatever you did in your 20s. It sounds as if you have a predisposition to 'carbohydrate intolerance' i.e. you tend to store excess carbs as fat around the middle. We all have an individual tolerance level for this kind of visceral or belly fat and yours may not be very high! Conversely there are people out there who have to be lifted out of their houses because they are so fat but they are not diabetic. Whatever the doc says you will do yourself no harm by cutting back on processed foods especially refined carbs whilst filling up on veggies, eggs, cheese, nuts, avocados and decent quality meats. You may well find you feel better, have more energy and lose the belly fat.
Whatever you try I'd go back and get retested though particularly if you start to get any more serious signs of diabetes e.g. blurry vision, exhaustion, needing to pee a lot, thirst, infections slow to heal etc. The doctor will be looking to see if you have late onset type 1 which often gets misdiagnosed as type 2.