HbA1c data

[Browser]

While reading threads on this website, I've seen that some folk refer to their HbA1c result in pretty high figures. When I had my HbA1c I think my result was 16 and my daughter said that that was pretty high. Are there two forms of expressing the result.?

 

[Andy HB]

When I was diagnosed they expressed HbA1c in terms of a percentage. 6.5% was the magic number, below which one shouldn't have too many issues with complications. The percentage refers to the proportion of red blood cells with glucose attached. When I was diagnosed, my measurement was 13.3%. Definitely not good!

Then, along came the mmol/mol measure. In this case the magic number is 48mmol/mol.

So, your number of 16 is either very very bad. Or, it could be extraordinarily good!

Next time, when given a number by the medical types. Ask for the unit of measure. It is rather important!

Andy

 

[Amigo]

While reading threads on this website, I've seen that some folk refer to their HbA1c result in pretty high figures. When I had my HbA1c I think my result was 16 and my daughter said that that was pretty high. Are there two forms of expressing the result.?

I think you're confusing different measurements there Browser. I don't think you can have a Hba1c as low as 16. See this chart. It was probably your BG level as Andy says and 16 is pretty high.

http://baspath.co.uk/Hba1c_table.pdf

 

[Browser]

I think you're confusing different measurements there Browser. I don't think you can have a Hba1c as low as 16. See this chart. It was probably your BG level as Andy says and 16 is pretty high.

http://baspath.co.uk/Hba1c_table.pdf

Hopefully I've misheard the figure of 16. I don't go back to see the nurse for five weeks so I suppose I won't know till then. As you say, 16 seems extremely high and I would have thought she would have emphasised this, if that was the case. Anyway, I'm expecting delivery of a monitor in the next couple of days so I'll be able to
get a better idea.

 

[Amigo]

Hopefully I've misheard the figure of 16. I don't go back to see the nurse for five weeks so I suppose I won't know till then. As you say, 16 seems extremely high and I would have thought she would have emphasised this, if that was the case. Anyway, I'm expecting delivery of a monitor in the next couple of days so I'll be able to
get a better idea.

I think you've misheard Browser. If your blood glucose level was 16 mmol/L (the finger prick test), then it would be high but not dangerously so at first being diagnosed. That level doesn't equate to Hb levels as you'll see from the chart. My Hba1c level was 40 at last testing and that's under the 42 pre-diabetic level.

 

[Andy HB]

The thing to remember as well is that this is early days. So even if the number is high, you can reasonably expect it to come down with medication and diet/exercise changes.

Within just months, I was below the 6.5% level and have remained so ever since.

Andy 🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

I think you're confusing different measurements there Browser. I don't think you can have a Hba1c as low as 16. See this chart. It was probably your BG level as Andy says and 16 is pretty high.

http://baspath.co.uk/Hba1c_table.pdf

I've looked. I know I'm tired, however I'm sure it goes down to 5.
It appears a lot of people on here get there HbA1c in the scale where 16 is high. In that scale, you're diagnosed diabetic when you hit 6.5 or higher.
In the other units (that I get my results in) 48 is the diagnoses level. Non diabetic levels would be below 42.

 

[Ljc]

High @Browser . You were most likely given your results as a %. When I was first diagnosed back in the 90s my blood test was 15% which is off the scale that @Amigo gave.😱
A few months later due to Metformin and changing my diet, my % was much lower. By My third blood test I was down to 7%.
So Browser though your level is very high atm don't get disheartened, it's doable 🙂 .

 

[Rosiecarmel]

It's very confusing as medical professionals still use old terms. The % is supposed to be out dated now, but many of our members still get their results in %. I admit that the %s mean nothing to me.

I was told mine was 101 and that was it. 101 what?! Mmol/mol is what hba1c is measured in. Anything above 48 mmol/mol is classed as diabetic.

Now, I was also told my finger prick was 17.6 which also meant nothing to me! Finger prick tests are measured in mmol/l which is NOT mmol/ml

It's a lot to get your head around but hopefully this explained it a little better.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Managing-your-diabetes/Testing/

If you scroll half way down this page there is some good information there

 

[Browser]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I've got my head round it now.

 

[Mark Parrott]

It's very confusing as medical professionals still use old terms. The % is supposed to be out dated now, but many of our members still get their results in %. I admit that the %s mean nothing to me.

I was told mine was 101 and that was it. 101 what?! Mmol/l is what hba1c is measured in. Anything above 48 mmol/l is classed as diabetic.

Now, I was also told my finger prick was 17.6 which also meant nothing to me! Finger prick tests are measured in mmol/ml which is NOT mmol/l

It's a lot to get your head around but hopefully this explained it a little better.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Managing-your-diabetes/Testing/

If you scroll half way down this page there is some good information there

I thought HbA1c was mmol/mol & finger prick test mmol/l.

 

[Rosiecarmel]

I thought HbA1c was mmol/mol & finger prick test mmol/l.

Oops I got those the wrong way round. Post corrected thanks!!

 

[Steff]

Totally confused with this to I'm seeing people with saying 45 53 etc. My nurse used the new measurement with me then told me what that was in old money lol

 

[grovesy]

Totally confused with this to I'm seeing people with saying 45 53 etc. My nurse used the new measurement with me then told me what that was in old money lol

45 would be between 6.0 but not as high as 6.5 . 53 is 7.0 . There is a conversion chart on Diabetes UK main site.

 

[Greyhound Gal]

This is what I use. Top one is HBA1c in mmol/ml, 2nd is old %, and bottom is mmol/l.

 

[Amigo]

A Hba1c of 16 would have to mean in percentages so expressed as 16%. A Hba1c of 16 (in the new way of describing it), would mean no glucose in your system and I'd be surprised if someone was still upright!

16% Hba1c is off the scale high though and would give average daily glucose readings of 21 on a meter.

I still think the nurse meant the random finger prick test result was 16.

 

[Robin]

A Hba1c of 16 would have to mean in percentages so expressed as 16%. A Hba1c of 16 (in the new way of describing it), would mean no glucose in your system and I'd be surprised if someone was still upright!

16% Hba1c is off the scale high though and would give average daily glucose readings of 21 on a meter.

I still think the nurse meant the random finger prick test result was 16.

My HbA1c was 16% at diagnosis, and I was still functioning, ( though feeling a bit like I was wading through treacle when I walked uphill).
One of the nurses did comment that she was surprised I was still upright!

 

[Steff]

45 would be between 6.0 but not as high as 6.5 . 53 is 7.0 . There is a conversion chart on Diabetes UK main site.

Thanks grovesy

 

[Amigo]

My HbA1c was 16% at diagnosis, and I was still functioning, ( though feeling a bit like I was wading through treacle when I walked uphill).
One of the nurses did comment that she was surprised I was still upright!

Yes, as I said 16% Robin but not a Hba1c of 16 which was suggested. If an average non diabetic has a Hba1c of 34, a Hba1c of 16 would mean the person was drained of glucose! 😱

I can imagine how a Hb of 16% impacted on you and glad you're much improved now. It was just that Browser was suggesting it was low at 16 and my understanding is 16% is mega high and 16 doesn't exist in Hb terms.

I wish they'd find a simpler unified way of doing this. It's the most complicated system for people to get their heads round! 🙄

 

[Ljc]

Strangely at 16% I still had no symptoms.
I wish they would choose a system and stick to it. One time I'm given my results as a % another time it's mmol/ mol