Hi everyone - new to this forum so thought I would ask for your help. I had some blood tests about 4 months ago that came back 'normal'. I had an appointment to discuss under active thyroid with doc who then said he was concerned about my HB1AC reading of 48 mol and therefore I had the test repeated last week - levels the same 48 - again told by receptionist this is normal - I'm confused as doc seemed to think I could be type 2??? Any advice??
What HB1Ac reading would mean you have Type 2
- Thread starter Mand1oo
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bulkbiker
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Hi and welcome..
I'm sorry to have to tell you that your receptionist is wrong and the doctor is correct
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
Less than 41 is "normal" (whatever that is)
42-47 is "prediabetic"
48 and over is considered to be diabetic
The great news is your HbA1c is a lot lower than most of us when diagnosed and should be fairly easily rectifiable down to pre-diabetes or even "normal" levels with some dietary changes.
I'l tag @daisy1 for the intro message to our select club..
I'm sorry to have to tell you that your receptionist is wrong and the doctor is correct
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
Less than 41 is "normal" (whatever that is)
42-47 is "prediabetic"
48 and over is considered to be diabetic
The great news is your HbA1c is a lot lower than most of us when diagnosed and should be fairly easily rectifiable down to pre-diabetes or even "normal" levels with some dietary changes.
I'l tag @daisy1 for the intro message to our select club..
4 months ago had blood tests done due to extreme fatigue which I put down to having under active thyroid. I was told that my results were normal. Attended the docs as still felt rough who then pointed out he was concerned about HB1AC result of 48 mol. The test was repeated last week and again I was told results were normal - I asked what they were and again it was 48mol - should I make appointment with doc or as they say is this level fine???
Thank you I've found your reply - I will make another appointment!!!
paulus1
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- HbA1c below 42 mmol/mol (6.0%): Non-diabetic
- HbA1c between 42 and 47 mmol/mol (6.0–6.4%): Impaired glucose regulation (IGR) or Prediabetes
- HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) or over:
paulus1
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Nicksu
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Guzzler
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Hi there and welcome to the forum. You were right to question what the receptionist told you. The good news is that a result of 48 can be reversed and controlled. You have a bit to learn before you make any decisions about your treatment so have a wander around the site and ask as many questions as you like. We all remember what it is like to be diagnosed and will help you to understand your condition. Best wishes.
Bluetit1802
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Hi and welcome to the forum,
You are in the right place for advice and support, so read round and ask as many questions as you like.
I would also suggest you ask your surgery for a print out of your blood test results so you can see for yourself where you stand. Your thyroid tests and other blood tests will also show on the print outs. One thing you may learn on here is that doctors, nurses (and receptionists!) are too fond of filtering out information and saying "you are fine" or whatever, when in fact you may be teetering on the edge of not being fine. If there are things on the print outs you don't understand you can ask what they mean on here. Also, if you are in England, your test results may well be available on-line as surgeries were all asked to do this before May 2016. You would need to register for this and your surgery can tell you how.
You are in the right place for advice and support, so read round and ask as many questions as you like.
I would also suggest you ask your surgery for a print out of your blood test results so you can see for yourself where you stand. Your thyroid tests and other blood tests will also show on the print outs. One thing you may learn on here is that doctors, nurses (and receptionists!) are too fond of filtering out information and saying "you are fine" or whatever, when in fact you may be teetering on the edge of not being fine. If there are things on the print outs you don't understand you can ask what they mean on here. Also, if you are in England, your test results may well be available on-line as surgeries were all asked to do this before May 2016. You would need to register for this and your surgery can tell you how.
daisy1
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@Mand1oo
Hello Mand and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope this will be helpful to you. Ask questions when you need to 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 276,000 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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello Mand and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope this will be helpful to you. Ask questions when you need to 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 276,000 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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
- 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.
It seems most week someone comes along to say they have reduced their HB1AC from over 80 down to below 35 by a combination of one or more off.
@Mand1oo, if you commit and learn about carb, along with removing nearly all carbs from your diet, I see no reason why your AC1 can't be below 35 within 3 months. https://www.dietdoctor.com/ is a good website to start with. Breakfast is the best meal to start with, as most of us used to have many carbs at breakfast time.
Remember that high BG is due to too much sugar in the blood, and most of this sugar comes from the carbs we eat.
- Low carb eating
- Intermittent Fasting
- Resistance Training
- HITT
- 8 weeks blood sugar diet
@Mand1oo, if you commit and learn about carb, along with removing nearly all carbs from your diet, I see no reason why your AC1 can't be below 35 within 3 months. https://www.dietdoctor.com/ is a good website to start with. Breakfast is the best meal to start with, as most of us used to have many carbs at breakfast time.
Remember that high BG is due to too much sugar in the blood, and most of this sugar comes from the carbs we eat.
