Is this a waste of time?

[Kaylz]

@Docb a rather large amount of my hba1c's have been performed at the hospital via finger prick and compared to labs the numbers are the same from both tests in my experience so I'm unsure why you think that if they want a number then go for a proper blood test, the finger prick sample is put in a machine for analysis right away and gives a pretty accurate number within a few minutes xx

 

[Newbie777]

Whilst haemoglobin lives about 3 months, it doesn't all die at once, so at any given time we have older and newer cells in our blood.

Whilst the NHS does tests every three months, the result of an A1c most closely reflects the condition of your blood over the last couple of months, so redoing every couple of months can be useful.

I know of a GP who works with many patients living with T2, and for those adopting a LC diet, he retests at 6 weeks, as that gives an indication of what's going on, and his patients find it very motivational.

If your GP won't agree to an early A1c test, you could do something yourself. You could use a private testing service, such as MonitorMyHealth (there are others out there too, like Medichecks, Blue Horizon), who run an A1c, from a finger prick test for £29 https://monitormyhealth.org.uk/ For this you collect your blood sample at home and post it off, with results arriving within a day or so of the sample reaching them.

Or you could do one at home, again from a finger prick test. I have used these tests: https://millermedicalsupplies.com/d...g/hba1c/a1cnowr-hba1c-whole-blood-tester.html Although that particular pack contains 10 tests, you can buy packs of 4 tests, but the saving isn't proportional.

With the A1cNow tests, you do those totally in your own home (or wherever you choose to do it), so no post involved.

I like the home test and I can only see the 10 or 20 piece kit, which is fine.

Do you how accurate the reads were?

At the moment am working from home, so no issue, but this kit will come very handy when I work from home.

 

[grovesy]

@Docb a rather large amount of my hba1c's have been performed at the hospital via finger prick and compared to labs the numbers are the same from both tests in my experience so I'm unsure why you think that if they want a number then go for a proper blood test, the finger prick sample is put in a machine for analysis right away and gives a pretty accurate number within a few minutes xx

I suspect the Hospitals machine is regularly tested and calibrated.(I mean the finger prick one.)

 

[Newbie777]

I suspect the Hospitals machine is regularly tested and calibrated.(I mean the finger prick one.)

I think there are medical advances, when I go to the Optician they use a big ficked machine to check my eye pressure.

I go to Moorfields or Manchester Eye Hospital and they use a small handheld cordless machine to do the same thing.

 

[grovesy]

I think there are medical advances, when I go to the Optician they use a big ficked machine to check my eye pressure.

I go to Moorfields or Manchester Eye Hospital and they use a small handheld cordless machine to do the same thing.

I would expect an eye hospital to have more advanced than an optician.

 

[Docb]

@Docb a rather large amount of my hba1c's have been performed at the hospital via finger prick and compared to labs the numbers are the same from both tests in my experience so I'm unsure why you think that if they want a number then go for a proper blood test, the finger prick sample is put in a machine for analysis right away and gives a pretty accurate number within a few minutes xx

Bit of cross purposes here I think. My research was confined to the hand held monitors with a test strip like the blood glucose monitor we all know and love. I did not get as far finding the more sophisticated machines such as those you are familiar with. I can see that something like that would work OK and my comments would not apply. Thanks for putting me straight! 🙂

 

[trophywench]

When we adopted the IFCC measurement for HbA1c results, initially the Wolfson unit (they are a separate company now) at B'ham Uni did the QA for the lab machines/methods. So they took 'whole armfuls of blood' from shedloads of PWD and divided each armful into X100 individual vials (can't remember if it was 300 or 600) and sent them off to individual labs for A1c tests, keeping 2 vials for themselves. They didn't care what the results were, only that every single one matched the result they got from Vial 1. If most didn't agree with theirs, but did agree with each other, then they tested Vial 2 (or the lab at the QE hospital did) to make sure theirs was correct before contacting the labs that didn't agree.

When it was just the odd one or two which didn't agree, then they tackled the ones concerned pdq to investigate. All very interesting! But, only academically.

No idea about Lab QA day to day.

 

[Newbie777]

Hello,

Sorty, I may sound a bit dumb here what is the objective of the exercise and the outcome?

Thank you

 

[Maca44]

Hi,

Which one did you order?

Thanks

Monitor My Health

Monitor My Health. Easy, safe home blood testing service conducted in our own NHS laboratory - results online

monitormyhealth.org.uk

Couldn't tell you if they are any good but I will have my NHS test mid March so will see if they compare.

 

[Newbie777]

Monitor My Health

Monitor My Health. Easy, safe home blood testing service conducted in our own NHS laboratory - results online

monitormyhealth.org.uk

Couldn't tell you if they are any good but I will have my NHS test mid March so will see if they compare.

Ok good luck

 

[AndBreathe]

I like the home test and I can only see the 10 or 20 piece kit, which is fine.

Do you how accurate the reads were?

At the moment am working from home, so no issue, but this kit will come very handy when I work from home.

I have used a lot of these; mainly from boxes of 10.

When I first tried them, I did one on the same day, at the same time as a hospital clinic blood draw - to compare results. The results had a difference of 0.1%, which I considered perfectly acceptable.

 

[Newbie777]

I have used a lot of these; mainly from boxes of 10.

When I first tried them, I did one on the same day, at the same time as a hospital clinic blood draw - to compare results. The results had a difference of 0.1%, which I considered perfectly acceptable.

Wow, that's accurate.

I am tempted by the price for the 20, a bit annoyed there is some tax, but I guess no shipping costs.

How much are extra 10 to buy please.

 

[AndBreathe]

If I can mediate in this... Did a bit of looking up when the subject of finger prick testing for HbA1c was raised previously. The conclusion I came to was that finger prick testing was available and gave a Hba1c value. Two things struck me. First it is quite expensive. Second that the error on the test result is likely to be a bit larger than you might be comfortable with.

As such it seemed to me that the finger prick Hba1c test is of little value as a home testing option. You can see it being of use in a hospital where a clinician might want to know in a hurry whether somebodies HbA1c was in the green, amber or red zone. If they want a number then go to a proper blood sample.

To come back to the OP's question, quite what the optimum interval between HbA1c tests is, is debatable. The longer it is, the more confidence you can have in drawing conclusions on the effects of any changes in diet or medication that have been made. In the end its down to the pros who are looking after you.

I'm curious why our feel home A1c testing is without value?

Personally, when I was working on reducing my blood scores, I found it motivational to know my direction of travel - especially as I was spending several months at a time away from the NHS. The prospect of utilising multiple overseas labs appealed less then utilising a home test, from a globally recognised provider, procured via a reputable medical goods supplier.

As I have stated in another reply, I have calibrated against an NHS lab, and for me it was very close.

Bearing in mind this, from the BMJ: https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m149/rr-7 It rather strikes me we have to take a view on all the data that is put in front of us, and standardise our inputs to minimise the likelihood of random variables.

 

[AndBreathe]

I like the home test and I can only see the 10 or 20 piece kit, which is fine.

Do you how accurate the reads were?

At the moment am working from home, so no issue, but this kit will come very handy when I work from home.

I should have added, you can also buy packs of 4, but the 4 test option comes in about £70, so pro rata more expensive. https://home.bhr.co.uk/a1cnowr-self-check-4-test-pack-cardiochek

Personally, because of how haemoglobin works, I wouldn't do tests more frequently than monthly or longer.

In my experience the expiry dates were always long, but you could ask before ordering. Unused tests should be kept in a fridge of not using them soon. (Can't recall how long they can be out of the fridge, but for a 10 test kit, fridge it is.)

 

[AndBreathe]

Monitor My Health

Monitor My Health. Easy, safe home blood testing service conducted in our own NHS laboratory - results online

monitormyhealth.org.uk

Couldn't tell you if they are any good but I will have my NHS test mid March so will see if they compare.

I haven't used MMH for an HbA1c, but do regularly use them for their thyroid service.

I rate them. The labs used are the NHS labs at the Exeter Hospital in "quiet hours", so I feel pretty certain their protocols will be robust.

 

[AndBreathe]

Wow, that's accurate.

I am tempted by the price for the 20, a bit annoyed there is some tax, but I guess no shipping costs.

How much are extra 10 to buy please.

No idea. I am their customer; not an agent.

The website should have contact details for enquiries, but I would urge no more than 10 at a time, as it doesn't make sense to use them more than monthly, so you have about a year's worth of tests in a 10-pack.

As the tests not in use very soon need to be kept cool, storing many, many tests just clogs up fridge space.

 

[Newbie777]

No idea. I am their customer; not an agent.

The website should have contact details for enquiries, but I would urge no more than 10 at a time, as it doesn't make sense to use them more than monthly, so you have about a year's worth of tests in a 10-pack.

As the tests not in use very soon need to be kept cool, storing many, many tests just clogs up fridge space.

Sorry, my apologies

I was asking if buying 10 was expensive, if they were I would buy the 20 version, but I will check on the website, thank you.

I want to use them initially before the HbA1c at the GPs and then in between future ones this will just give me some direction.

As well as the BG monitor, I have other medical gadgets, including BP monitor, oxygen sensor, temp sensor, ECG tester, heart rate monitor etc so don't mind buying technology that will help me.

I will also fimd out if there is an expiry date, which may also make a difference.

 

[Newbie777]

I should have added, you can also buy packs of 4, but the 4 test option comes in about £70, so pro rata more expensive. https://home.bhr.co.uk/a1cnowr-self-check-4-test-pack-cardiochek

Personally, because of how haemoglobin works, I wouldn't do tests more frequently than monthly or longer.

In my experience the expiry dates were always long, but you could ask before ordering. Unused tests should be kept in a fridge of not using them soon. (Can't recall how long they can be out of the fridge, but for a 10 test kit, fridge it is.)

Sorry just read this post now.

Ok great thank you.

 

[AndBreathe]

Sorry, my apologies

I was asking if buying 10 was expensive, if they were I would buy the 20 version, but I will check on the website, thank you.

I want to use them initially before the HbA1c at the GPs and then in between future ones this will just give me some direction.

As well as the BG monitor, I have other medical gadgets, including BP monitor, oxygen sensor, temp sensor, ECG tester, heart rate monitor etc so don't mind buying technology that will help me.

I will also fimd out if there is an expiry date, which may also make a difference.

No worries. I'd just urge you to consider how often you would be doing these tests, so as to get the best value, versus storage, versus practical aspects.

There is always an expiry date. My point was not to purchase, say, a 10 test pack, with only 5 months left before expiry, then find you have out of date tests, which may, or may not work.

(Bearing in mind how the "meter" and tests work together, I'd be inclined to think they would not stop working, but a test being out of date may make it less accurate, but I speculate.)

 

[helli]

Another slightly tangeni thought.
The limitation of finger prick tests on seeing progress is that you don't know what is happening between tests. This is why HB1Ac has value - it shows the average over 3 months
Instead of focusing on Hb1aC, there are other ways of finding out what happens between pricks. For example, you could get a Libre sensor. Over 2 weeks, you can see what is happening to your blood sugars all the time. Libre uses this to estimate a Hb1Ac. I don't know how accurate that is but it is an indication.
And, the value of continuous monitoring is you can see the impact of different foods. The test 2 hours after may miss the peak but the sensor doesn't.