Results, good and bad!

[paintylady]

Hello, firstly thank you for all you advice (ok not to me specifically but reading everyone's questions and answers has helped me beyond words) diagnosed back in March with a terrifying hba1c of 112! Today's results down to 47!
The problem is my cholesterol! Am I correct that having breakfast shortly before the blood test will affect the results? In my quest to stop a horrid case of dp I have been experimenting, currently trying coffee with cream and a bit of cheese (I can't swallow my tablets without a bit of something)
Hdl 1.1 up from 1
Ldl 1.6 also up from 1.4
Trig 3 up from 1.7!
I know I've still got a lot of work to do but the trig reading has really quashed my delight with my hba1c! I had my coffee and cheese about an hour and a half before the blood test but have read somewhere that I should have only had water, why didn't they tell me this (if it's true).
Also my blood pressure has gone down (not high to start with) as has my weight (still too high but now I'm having to buy new smaller clothes) so not all doom and gloom!

 

[bulkbiker]

Yes the trigs will be directly affected by eating before the test that's why most of us fast beforehand even if not told too.
Personally I don't worry about cholesterol and will always refuse statins because of what I have read.

 

[Hiitsme]

My understanding is that the trigs need to be tested after fasting, only water allowed.

 

[DCUKMod]

Hello, firstly thank you for all you advice (ok not to me specifically but reading everyone's questions and answers has helped me beyond words) diagnosed back in March with a terrifying hba1c of 112! Today's results down to 47!
The problem is my cholesterol! Am I correct that having breakfast shortly before the blood test will affect the results? In my quest to stop a horrid case of dp I have been experimenting, currently trying coffee with cream and a bit of cheese (I can't swallow my tablets without a bit of something)
Hdl 1.1 up from 1
Ldl 1.6 also up from 1.4
Trig 3 up from 1.7!
I know I've still got a lot of work to do but the trig reading has really quashed my delight with my hba1c! I had my coffee and cheese about an hour and a half before the blood test but have read somewhere that I should have only had water, why didn't they tell me this (if it's true).
Also my blood pressure has gone down (not high to start with) as has my weight (still too high but now I'm having to buy new smaller clothes) so not all doom and gloom!

Hi paintylady - That's a fantastic change in HbA1c in a few months. You should be very happy.

Are you saying that you had eaten before you had your blood test done? Not fasting unfortunately can impact on the accuracy of the lipid panels.

One other thing to consider is when in a period of weight loss, that can impact on the lipids, but usually settles once the weight has settled.

What next steps do you have, coming away from your appointment?

 

[Prem51]

Hi @paintylady Well done on lowering your HbA1c so much in only 5 months. Keep up the good work and you might be able to lower your bs levels more into the non-diabetic range (below 42) by your next HbA1c test.
Re the cholesterol, the HDL increase is good. HDL is the 'good' component of the total cholesterol figure.
The LDL is still within NHS guideline target figure for T2s, which is below 2.0.
Your trigs are higher than the recommended target figure of 1.7 or below. But as @bulkbiker and @Hiitsme say this could be higher because of not fasting before the test.
More important than the individual figures are the ratios to each other. You can get these by entering your figures on the online Cholesterol Ratio Calculator:
http://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php

I expect your ratios will be good or ideal.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Yes, your trigs will be up because you ate, particularly as most of it was fat. When you eat, more triglycerides are made by your body to help with the digestive process. Any food energy your body doesn't need immediately will be converted to trigs. So eating will cause trigs to be manufactured by your body and will be swimming about in your blood stream doing their job.

It used to be the case that we were asked to fast before a cholesterol test, but NICE in its wisdom decided this wasn't necessary (because it inconveniences the surgery by having to make all appointments early in the day and therefore causing longer waiting times). Next time make sure you fast and hopefully you will see a big difference.

 

[Guzzler]

Congratulations on your Hb@1c numbers, You Rock! And you are so right about this forum, the knowledge and advice constantly makes my jaw drop.

 

[berylc]

Thanks for the fasting advice. I'm due a test on 24th, so I will be fasting from 10pm. Even though I was told this was a non-fasting test.

 

[derry60]

I have my annual blood tests once a year and am always told not to eat or drink coffee/tea etc,only water

 

[paintylady]

Hi paintylady - That's a fantastic change in HbA1c in a few months. You should be very happy.

Are you saying that you had eaten before you had your blood test done? Not fasting unfortunately can impact on the accuracy of the lipid panels.

One other thing to consider is when in a period of weight loss, that can impact on the lipids, but usually settles once the weight has settled.

What next steps do you have, coming away from your appointment?

Yes I had eaten, not a lot, just a coffee with cream and a piece of cheese to help my medication go down! I won't make that mistake again. As for a plan, I am booked to see the DN next week to discuss my results (they were posted to me) and as she is a great supporter of lchf I may beg her for a repeat lipid test. Apart from that I will continue to be lc but be a little more careful with the fat side of things, I still have a fair bit of weight to lose so hopefully that will help. I am really happy about the HbA1c, as I told my mum 'I'm almost normal!'

 

[paintylady]

Congratulations on your Hb@1c numbers, You Rock! And you are so right about this forum, the knowledge and advice constantly makes my jaw drop.

Thank you, I won't say it has been easy but this forum has helped me stay focused and I'm so glad I found it

 

[paintylady]

Yes, your trigs will be up because you ate, particularly as most of it was fat. When you eat, more triglycerides are made by your body to help with the digestive process. Any food energy your body doesn't need immediately will be converted to trigs. So eating will cause trigs to be manufactured by your body and will be swimming about in your blood stream doing their job.

It used to be the case that we were asked to fast before a cholesterol test, but NICE in its wisdom decided this wasn't necessary (because it inconveniences the surgery by having to make all appointments early in the day and therefore causing longer waiting times). Next time make sure you fast and hopefully you will see a big difference.

Thank you and yes I'll remember for next time! If only I had realised I would have fasted no problem and saved my meds and coffee for after ( the appointment was 10.45am so hardly an issue)

 

[paintylady]

Hi @paintylady Well done on lowering your HbA1c so much in only 5 months. Keep up the good work and you might be able to lower your bs levels more into the non-diabetic range (below 42) by your next HbA1c test.
Re the cholesterol, the HDL increase is good. HDL is the 'good' component of the total cholesterol figure.
The LDL is still within NHS guideline target figure for T2s, which is below 2.0.
Your trigs are higher than the recommended target figure of 1.7 or below. But as @bulkbiker and @Hiitsme say this could be higher because of not fasting before the test.
More important than the individual figures are the ratios to each other. You can get these by entering your figures on the online Cholesterol Ratio Calculator:
http://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php

I expect your ratios will be good or ideal.

Thank you for that link I will certainly have a look at it, and yes I will hit that 42!! I think I will beg for another test, if I explain how much this upset me when I opened the envelope and how I feel like a complete idiot for not realising, you never know the DN might take pity on me!! However I won't hold my breath