Newbie needing info on blood sugar and HbA1c measurements.

dagi70 said:

Good evening,

I write from Italy.
I don't understand wich measuring device do you use to mesure your HbA1c because my device mesure the Sugar Blood at the moment (it is a glucometer) and in the morning before breakfast is between 130 / 150.
If I understand correctly the HbA1c index show the medium range in the last 2/ 3 months, Why do you use it and not the Glucometer that show the sugar blood in this moment?
I am a new diabetic person and I want understand more things.
Thank you

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The HbA1c is a test usually done by the lab in the hospital. There are at-home versions, but they're expensive and not always accurate. The HbA1c is done once every three months when someone's recently diagnosed, then it tapers off to twice a year, then once a year from then on in, ordered either by the doctor or diabetes nurse. We do use a glucometer like you do, to keep track of what our bloods are doing in the meantime, so we know what foods agree with us and such. So really, we use both tests, the HbA1c and the glucose monitor's.

dagi70 said:

Good evening,

I write from Italy.
I don't understand wich measuring device do you use to mesure your HbA1c because my device mesure the Sugar Blood at the moment (it is a glucometer) and in the morning before breakfast is between 130 / 150.
If I understand correctly the HbA1c index show the medium range in the last 2/ 3 months, Why do you use it and not the Glucometer that show the sugar blood in this moment?
I am a new diabetic person and I want understand more things.
Thank you

Click to expand...

Ciao dagi70,
I am from Italy as well. If there is any information I can help with, please let me know. Only I don't know what type of diabetes you are living with. I am a type 1 so I am not terribly knowledgeable about type 2, but as for very general questions like the one you posted here, I guess I can manage.
If there is anything unclear in JoKalsbeek's perfect answer, just ask so perhaps I can translate it into Italian.
I hope you are well and OK. You seem to be facing your diabetes diagnosis with the right spirit, getting information, asking questions and looking for support in the community. Best wishes and look after yourself!

The measurement for blood glucose used in the UK is 18 times less than the other units - so your 150 is 8.3mmol/l.
The Hba1c is done in a lab and is an indication of the average of the blood glucose levels over the last few months.

Hello, and welcome to this Forum!

HBA1C is Blood test that is sent away to be analysed and determines just what a Diabetics body is dealing with the condition. I’ve never heard of any of us doing it.

The A1C is what we do at home. I do one first thing I wake up and before breakfast. I do another one at 4pm and before my evening meal. I then do another test at least two hours after.

Again, welcome to our Forum. There’s lots of people who will give you assistance with answering your questions.

Estragon said:

The A1C is what we do at home. I do one first thing I wake up and before breakfast. I do another one at 4pm and before my evening meal. I then do another test at least two hours after.

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A1c is just short for HbA1c. What you do at home with a meter is a Blood Glucose test.

dagi70 said:

Thank you to everyone for the frendly and polite answers...

1) I am and live in Italy... I write here because I have never see a so big diabetes comunity where there are so many answer

2) I am 180 meter and my wight is 67. I am T2 diabetes... In this spring I was losting my view with HbA1c at 98 and blood glucose in the morning at 295

3) Doctor is giving me 1mg METFORMINA in the morning and 1 mg METFORMINA in the evening

4) after 4 months in August HbA1c was 49mmol/mol or 6,6% Hb Total and the morning gloucose was 118

5) But in these last days I am waching my gloucose device always from 130 / 150 and I am very sad and unhappy.

6) I walk and run 30/40 minutes every day and as your advices I have eliminated removed PIZZA PASTA RICE SUGAR BREAD from spring

Before talk with the doctor I try to find answer here because in Covid Time doctors have others priority.

Bye and Thank you

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Hello again,

I'm Dutch, and I have to agree with you: this is an excellent place for information, and actual global input. The Dutch forums are very hopeless and depressing, and they are rather behind the times. Not this joint!

I have to convert your blood sugars a little because my machine measures in mmol/l rather than mg/dl, which is what yours is doing. I have to say, why are you sad about the 130 to 150? It's the higher side of normal, yes, but still within the non-diabetic range. I have to ask: did you get a flu vaccine recently? It always ups my blood sugar levels for one to two weeks, and then they come down again. Also, if you're ill, sleeping badly (nightmares or interrupted sleep, insomnia) or are stressed, they might go up a little. And these are indeed stressful times. There's also been accounts from T2's who had Covid-19 who had a little trouble getting their blood sugars back under control for months afterwards... There are so many things that influence what our glucose levels do, so please... Don't be discouraged. You're doing pretty good. The daily runs might also up blood glucose a little, as with strenuous exercise, our liver tends to dump a little glucose into our systems to "help". Walking, however, is a very, very good option, where a dump doesn't usually happen.

Next time you test your fasting blood sugars, do it the moment you open your eyes. have your device on your nightstand. We all get a morning glucose dump (Dawn Phenomenon), and it'll be worse for some the moment they get up out of bed and walk around. It's called Foot-on-the-Floor, so maybe your numbers will be better if you check them sooner. Also, you've cut pizza, pasta, rice, sugar and bread... Which is excellent. What are you eating now? Maybe there's hidden carbs here or there that might still be replaced or eliminated.

Good luck,
Jo

DCUKMod said:

Estragon, I think you may be a bit confused about what you are testing at home, around your meals. The ones on rising from bed are your fasting blood glucose test and those before and after meals are just that. If you want to apply the technical jargon they would be your pre-prandial and post-prandial blood glucose tests.

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O...K... And this is for me: I wake up and take my A1C and eat Breakfast. I have done 2 hours after breakfast but now do it 2 hours before evening meal, which is typically 6pm. I then take my pre bed at 3 hours after. I don’t typically have a Lunch and rather eat nuts or non carbo snacks. As I said, here, I used to do FOUR tests and now reduced it to THREE. I noticed that the middle day testing wasn’t telling me much.

In the future I’ll refer to the pre-prandial and post-prandial blood glucose tests and apply my additional notes for clarification.

Thanks for the Feedback.