Advice

[Jacinta (Australian)]

hey everyone , I’m more curious then anything , how come when I went to my old doctor when I had my HBA1c test it came back as 12% (which is extremely high as far as I know ? She didn’t tell me to fasten for that test and I ate yoghurt that was flavoured would it been because of that ???
then been on low carb (been on it for 5-6 weeks) back then and went to my new doctor my HBA1c test came back as 8.2 = 66 ???
So sorry I’m just very confused on how that works ???? I should of asked my doctor but we get talking about what happens next so she doesn’t pull me the other way filled of other worries etc etc , I talk to my specialist on Telehealth next month and I’m nervous .

 

[Leadinglights]

Because the HbA1c is a test that gives the average glucose over a period of approx 3 months, it is irrelevant whether you have eaten or what you have eaten on that day or even a few days before. So if you have the test on say 1st May it will be an average of Feb, March and April. If the test is then repeated in June then it will be an average of March, April and May. It will therefore be including a month were your levels were only just starting to come down. But waiting 3 months from when you change your life style that will not then include a period of time before those changes.
Tests may be done very close together to confirm a diagnosis just to be sure that there is nothing that could have affected the result like an infection, anaemia or similar.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I agree with @Leadinglights, it won’t make any difference to fast on the morning of your HbA1c test, because it’s measuring how many red blood cells have been affected over the last 120 days, and not just that morning.

You’ve also had your results provided in the old units (%) as well as the new IFCC standardised units (mmol/mol).

Diabetes UK has a conversion tool and more information here:

What is HbA1c?

HbA1c is your average blood glucose (sugar) levels for the last two to three months. If you have diabetes, an ideal HbA1c level is 48mmol/mol (6.5%) or below. If you're at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, your target HbA1c level should be below 42mmol/mol (6%).

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Jacinta (Australian)]

Because the HbA1c is a test that gives the average glucose over a period of approx 3 months, it is irrelevant whether you have eaten or what you have eaten on that day or even a few days before. So if you have the test on say 1st May it will be an average of Feb, March and April. If the test is then repeated in June then it will be an average of March, April and May. It will therefore be including a month were your levels were only just starting to come down. But waiting 3 months from when you change your life style that will not then include a period of time before those changes.
Tests may be done very close together to confirm a diagnosis just to be sure that there is nothing that could have affected the result like an infection, anaemia or similar.

Thankyou so much for the explaination leadinglights I really appericate it a lot . Ah I now understand , cause I was told by my old doctor it was 6 months but when I asked my new one she shock her head and said no it’s based off 3 months . I’m not so confused anymore again Thankyou for explaining it and getting me to understand it better.

 

[Jacinta (Australian)]

I agree with @Leadinglights, it won’t make any difference to fast on the morning of your HbA1c test, because it’s measuring how many red blood cells have been affected over the last 120 days, and not just that morning.

You’ve also had your results provided in the old units (%) as well as the new IFCC standardised units (mmol/mol).

Diabetes UK has a conversion tool and more information here:

What is HbA1c?

HbA1c is your average blood glucose (sugar) levels for the last two to three months. If you have diabetes, an ideal HbA1c level is 48mmol/mol (6.5%) or below. If you're at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, your target HbA1c level should be below 42mmol/mol (6%).

www.diabetes.org.uk

Thankyou everydayupsanddowns , I noticed that not every doctor surgery use the same lab test people to do the tests on the blood and I think that’s why the old doctors used the % and my new ones used the other way to get results . I’m so glad I got my HBA1c results redone again cause for some reason my gut was telling me something wasn’t right about the 12% result don’t know why or how. But Thankyou for the explaination I appericate it .

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think it’s also just like the change from imperial to metric measurements in the UK, many older people don’t have an instinctive ‘feel’ for what a weight in kilos means, like they would in stones… or for feet and inches rather than metres. Many clinicians will have spent their whole careers dealing with % and it can take a while to transition!

I’ve only really started to understand the 48s etc in the last couple of years, but instinctively I still think in % really

 

[Leadinglights]

I think it’s also just like the change from imperial to metric measurements in the UK, many older people don’t have an instinctive ‘feel’ for what a weight in kilos means, like they would in stones… or for feet and inches rather than metres. Many clinicians will have spent their whole careers dealing with % and it can take a while to transition!

I’ve only really started to understand the 48s etc in the last couple of years, but instinctively I still think in % really

I often think it is context based, at work we were always working in milligrams, grams, mol. litres etc but at home visualising 200g or 500mls was for cooking was completely alien yet quarter of a pound or half a pint was natural.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I often think it is context based, at work we were always working in milligrams, grams, mol. litres etc but at home visualising 200g or 500mls was for cooking was completely alien yet quarter of a pound or half a pint was natural.

And reference points too… I know 48mmol/mol is 6.5%, and I know the ‘at risk’ levels are 42-47… but I don’t instantly have a pairing for 7%, 7.5%, 8%, 10%, 12% etc… so I would have to do a conversion for those!

 

[Lucyr]

And reference points too… I know 48mmol/mol is 6.5%, and I know the ‘at risk’ levels are 42-47… but I don’t instantly have a pairing for 7%, 7.5%, 8%, 10%, 12% etc… so I would have to do a conversion for those!

I have to ask for a conversion every time! I know the 48 too but I’m lost after that. Not sure I’ll ever think properly in the new numbers! I’m fluent in kilos rather than stones though. I do sort of get stones, but kilos are more natural.