Fasting for HbA1c???

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DanW81

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Type 1
I cant remember having fasted for one before (even though they always say to). but this time the doc has specifically asked for a 10 hr fast and last week the nurse wouldnt do it, cause i hadnt fasted.

so im gonna do the fast, but 10 hrs sounds a long time and knowing how busy the blood test clinic is, it could take ages. How have other people coped with fasting for 10 hrs ish? do u let it run a bit high before bed the night before or what?
 
Hey all,

I have never fasted before a hbac1 and have never been asked to fast for anythin else either??

are you meant to? lol
 
aint got mine till may shall tell you then :D:D x
 
litto-miss-loz said:
Hey all,

I have never fasted before a hbac1 and have never been asked to fast for anythin else either??

are you meant to? lol
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i havent either, i know they have mentioned it to me before but i havet bothered. but ive read that it doesnt matter cause its an average of last 3 months.
 
Had my first one since diagnosis last week. No one told me to fast so I didnt. It didnt even cross my mind that I should so hope they didnt want me to.
 
aww thats ok then lol

im sure after four years if i had to fast then they would of said by now lol

yh it shouldnt be a problem as its for the past 3 months or so.
 
They may be doing other glucose tolerance tests at the same time.
Check with the clinic ref drinks.
 
The point of HbA1C was that it was the accumulation of the past 2-3 months of glucose on the red blood cells.

The fasting element is usually for Lipids, where there are two options, random (non-fasting, but not preferred) and fasting, this I thought was 12-14 hours and then they don't give you first appointment in the morning, well, they do the second time with me after they've just had their head chewed off!
 
ill think ill prob just have breakfast. like i said i never have either so dont think it really matters
 
Dan,

If it's lipids (cholesterol) they are also testing then its important what you observe the fasting window, otherwise your results could be completely inaccurate and you might end up on medication you don't need to be on.
 
Einstein said:
Dan,

If it's lipids (cholesterol) they are also testing then its important what you observe the fasting window, otherwise your results could be completely inaccurate and you might end up on medication you don't need to be on.
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That's right - they can't give a measurement for LDL cholesterol if you haven't fasted, although they can give a total cholesterol measurement. If you've been asked to fast I would think it's down to something else on your list. They always give me an envelope with the requirements ticked on it - do you have one you could check?
 
Northerner said:
That's right - they can't give a measurement for LDL cholesterol if you haven't fasted, although they can give a total cholesterol measurement. If you've been asked to fast I would think it's down to something else on your list. They always give me an envelope with the requirements ticked on it - do you have one you could check?
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yeah looks like the lipids thing is ticked. so how do u cope till mid morning? do u take a little less night before or what? what if it goes low just before the test???
 
DanW81 said:
yeah looks like the lipids thing is ticked. so how do u cope till mid morning? do u take a little less night before or what? what if it goes low just before the test???
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I'm afraid I can't answer that one Dan, as I haven't been asked to do it. I'd probably do as you suggested earlier and try going to bed higher than normal and hope that I didn't drop low. I think if you do drop low, you've no choice but to treat the hypo and abandon the test until another day.:(
 
Northerner said:
I'm afraid I can't answer that one Dan, as I haven't been asked to do it. I'd probably do as you suggested earlier and try going to bed higher than normal and hope that I didn't drop low. I think if you do drop low, you've no choice but to treat the hypo and abandon the test until another day.:(
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yeah thats all i can think of doing, seeing as i had to cancel last time i really need to get it done tomorrow. hopefully it goes according to plan!
 
When I have a fasting one it's usually because lipids are on the list as well, at the hospital they usually say fast for 12 hrs and my GP surgery say 14 hrs, so I get mine done at the hospital lol... you can have water to drink. I tend to have been running high so have never had a problem with going hypo when fasting.. but now that I have seen the dietician and she has got me looking at carb counting etc.. and my sugars have gone down by half I am glad that my next HbA1c they dont need done as fasting as my cholesterol is good now...
 
When arranging/rearanging a blood sample appointment I tell them I must have an early morning appointment because I need to eat
 
Fasting is for lipids and definitely not required for A1c. Lipid tests are important since total chol is relatively meaningless. This is why I routinely "correct" my bloods envelope before a blood draw and add it to the tests to be done.

There is an increasing body of opinion that the important measure with respect to cholesterol is the trigs/HDL ratio since this indicates the level of VLDL. The level of overall LDL does not seem to indicate risk particularly, despite this being used to justify handing out statins like smarties.

In fact low overall cholesterol has been shown to increase death rates in the elderly.

HDL should be as high as possible of course and trigs as low as possible.

HDL can be increased by consuming more fish oil, nuts etc. Trigs are manufactured by the body from carbs.

I make sure I get to see a nurse for a blood draw before 9. Water only for 12 hours beforehand. No smoking. Exercise routine for a couple of days before the test should not be changed.
 
I know that I didn't fast for my Hba1C. I did ask the nurse if I needed to fast and she told me not too so I didn't!
 
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