Numbers ? UK and the USA differ

Nigel Fenton said:

Hi people,

Being as the diabetic problem is a global problem it makes me wonder why different areas assign different number systems. In the UK 5 is not bad whereas in the USA 90 is deemed not bad. I admit after a few years it gets easier to convert but wish my meter did it automatically.

</rant off>

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In Canada where I live - we use the same standard as the UK - but living next to the USA - a lot of American Measurements often creep in, doesn't matter if its weight, distance or any other kind of measurement. There's much to be said for those Conversion Apps that can be found on the Internet,

The problem with blood test results, is that you can't just convert based on the units, as the conversion factor between mol/l and dl/l is different for each test.

This site will convert most medical units.
http://unitslab.com/

Mr_Pot said:

I see from @Dark Horse 's table.....
Diabetes is a very complex disease for the average
person to manage, it should be taken seriously and
under the expert guidance of a veterinarian.
That't where I have been going wrong!

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Yes, poor old cats have been falling foul of excess carbs (actually - just any carbs) in their diets too! I liked very much that the table was for cat owners re diabetes in cats. We're all in this together - whether it be mg/dl or mmol/L. Humans, or cats!

Bluetit1802 said:

It isn't just blood glucose measurement units that differ. The USA (and maybe other places) have some weird and wonderful measurement units for other blood markers, too.

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For me, unscientific and fairly innumerate as I am, the initial shocking surprise of realising I was travelling fast in the direction of diabetes was made much more difficult by the variety of numbers being quoted. What a confusing nightmare! I started out with an HbA1c (of 41), which term I somehow found impossible to get into my head, because I had for a long time no idea that Hb=haemoglobin. Then I began reading books and because the best ones were American, HbA1c was quoted as eg 7%. Then I began testing and found the numbers on my meter were expressed in mmols/L (eg 7.0) and seemed to bear no relation to my A1c of 41 or to the meter readings mentioned in books as mgd/dl (eg 100).

When I read I tend to hear the words in my head, but mgd/dl forms a kind of stumbling block, an indigestible hiccup in my mind. OK, I have learned to multiply and divide by 18 when reading my favourite diabetes texts, but it's still an extra layer of fog to have to peer through. As for the A1c, I have in front of me a printout from a helpful chart by Diabetes.co.uk showing a sort of rainbow where I can more or less see that my 41 is a bit worse than 6% and maybe a bit worse than 7mmol/L home readings, but not as bad as 42, which is definitely worse than 6% in America and 7.0 on my meter. And I have identified that the A1c I'd like but will probably never attain is 31 ie a bit worse than 5% and 5.4. I daresay in a bit the European Union, or the UK NHS, or President Trump will decide that actually they'd prefer to see diabetes expressed in carats or millimetres, and off we'll go again.

I can tell you this, any time a new arrival on the Forum needs the numbers around diabetes explaining, it's no use tagging me!

Alexandra100 said:

Then I began testing and found the numbers on my meter were expressed in mmols/L (eg 7.0)

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Funny you should pick 7% and 7mmol/l as your examples. My DN didn't know the difference either on my second visit to her. My diagnostic tests were HbA1c of 53 (7%) and my fasting plasma glucose was 7mmol/l. I had already worked out the difference and had a bit of a debate with her about the different measurement units. I don't think she got it.

I don't test my brain by dividing by 18. I just use the converter http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html which is on my bookmarks bar.

ringi said:

Is not so much a USA system and a UK system. It is more a world wide system, then the USA thinking they know better.....

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Actually there are quite a few large countries also using mg/dl including France, India, Italy, Japan.

France goes one further, although we use a mg/dl meter, the doctors express this as g/l ie 100mg/dl = 1 g/l .We recently had someone posting from Morocco who also used g/l

fletchweb said:

In Canada where I live - we use the same standard as the UK - but living next to the USA - a lot of American Measurements often creep in, doesn't matter if its weight, distance or any other kind of measurement. There's much to be said for those Conversion Apps that can be found on the Internet,

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Well said, and although I have said before, but I can relate to this, my own case, I am between two countries spain and New Zealand. Spain I am resident and have to respect their diagnosing levels, New Zealand home has different. The outcome of this..
in short.
The same A1C test is viewed differently two countries. ie.spain diagnoses diabetic v. New Zealand diagnoses pre diabetic. Who is right, both, they both follow the criteria levels of their respective countries, that does not help the ones in the middle awaiting test results.

Not a good spot to be in, it all boils down

Ultimately "it depends where you reside in the world time of diagnosis" sadly.

I am sceptical and suspicious due to this situation, is it the Doctors who prescribe us or in reality the politicians and pharmas?

Its delicate and complicated and the question of doubt continues "Numbers"??? which is correct...

Remember that metformin is used to prevent type2 in people who are at high risk. Therefore it can be used on both "sides" of a diagnosis "cut off". Likewise with lowcarb diets.