Blood test results.

[rebrascora]

The nurse just rang with my blood test results from Wednesday.

HbA1c is down to 45. Consultant will not be as happy as the nurse was when I speak to him on the 14th as I was supposed to be aiming for low 50s, because my Libre shows too much time in the red (5%) in order to achieve that HbA1c. I am quite happy with the result as I work very hard to achieve it and Libre reads slightly lower than a finger prick for me so, whilst I know I sail quite close to the wind, I don't believe I spend as much time in the red as Libre suggests. I know that I cannot get lower without more hypos as I only have 2% above range for the last 90 days, so my management at 93% TIR is as tight as I can consistently manage it.

Cholesterol is down slightly at 4.5 but LDL is slightly higher at 2.1 presumably because I am currently losing weight, which I need to do and that can trigger an increase in LDL as fat stores are burned, from what I understand.

Apparently they didn't do a follow up vitamin D check despite my levels being low in the spring and needing a strong supplement prescribed, so there has been no follow up on that.

The main reason for the nurse ringing was I believe to offer me statins yet again, but with no significant change in my cholesterol levels and them still being at what I consider "normal levels", it was another polite refusal from me.

 

[Martin.A]

That's a really good set of results, Barbara - well done. Interesting to read the bit about cholesterol. My last result was 4.4 and no one rang me up to offer me statins (nor were they offered when it was 5.1).

 

[rebrascora]

That's a really good set of results, Barbara - well done. Interesting to read the bit about cholesterol. My last result was 4.4 and no one rang me up to offer me statins (nor were they offered when it was 5.1).

Generally they like us diabetics to be under 4 TC and anything above they want us on statins and as age increases, so does risk factor so it is quite surprising that you haven't been offered them. Would you be interested in taking them if they were offered? Just thinking it might be interesting to broach the subject and ask if you should be taking statins at your next review. Obviously, don't do that if you are not interested, as it does create a bit of an awkward situation if you then refuse, but I wonder if they have just assumed you are on them and therefore not mentioned it.
I had a flummoxed nurse rang me up 2 years ago saying that she had just been through my notes and I should be on them and she would prescribe them for me to collect and I said that as my cholesterol levels were better now than at diagnosis and my diabetes was very well managed and I could not do anything about my age or sex, which were the other two risk factors and I was fitter than I had been for years, I would take my chances and decline. 2.5 years prior to that, when I was first diagnosed I was told by both the nurse and the consultant on separate occasions that I didn't need statins and my HbA1c was in 3 figures at the time and cholesterol higher at 5.2 so they have clearly changed the goal posts to put more people on statins in the last years, probably since the new QRisk calculation came out.

 

[helli]

I was told some years ago the guidelines for everyone with diabetes over the age of 40 is to take preventative statins regardless of cholesterol readings.
Thankfully, the consultant who told me also explained that this is based on a study of people who have multiple precursors to CVD such as weight and lack of exercise. There has been no study for people in the recommended weight range who do a lot of exercise (such as myself), Therefore, like @rebrascora I declined the offer.
My cholesterol is pretty stable but I still get the statin offer at most reviews. My current endo suggested this was because people with diabetes see more variations in BG and the swings from high to low (and back again) put pressure on our heart regardless of our cholesterol level.
Once again, I declined statins and focus on my TIR to reduce those swings.

 

[nonethewiser]

Well done @rebrascora you must be so pleased.