Hba1c test frequency

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Tony Holdsworth

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi,
most things I read say the Hba1c should be tested every 3 months but where I am it's 6 months which as I'm in my first year seems too long.
Is this same across the UK or just Northern Ireland?
I'm thinking about going private to get an interim 3 month sample.
Has anyone any experience of this?
Many thanks,
Tony
 
It's not supposed to be three months, the reading it gives the amount of glucose attached to red blood cells of last 3 months. It is not unusual for people who are classed as stable to have annually. So having your 6,monthly is not to bad. I personally have 6 monthly.
 
Tony Holdsworth said:
Hi,
most things I read say the Hba1c should be tested every 3 months but where I am it's 6 months which as I'm in my first year seems too long.
Is this same across the UK or just Northern Ireland?
I'm thinking about going private to get an interim 3 month sample.
Has anyone any experience of this?
Many thanks,
Tony
Click to expand...

I haven't had one for a year. GP said after my last one six months or a year in frequency now.
 
Unless you were exceptionally high at diagnosis, 6 months isn't an unreasonable time for meds & lifestyle changes to take effect. You may get more value from a glucose meter rather than paying for another HbA1c.
 
If you have a cgm it pretty much gives you the average bs itself, so not so much need for a1c. Probably a1c more useful for t2 these days
 
Tony Holdsworth said:
Hi,
most things I read say the Hba1c should be tested every 3 months but where I am it's 6 months which as I'm in my first year seems too long.
Is this same across the UK or just Northern Ireland?
I'm thinking about going private to get an interim 3 month sample.
Has anyone any experience of this?
Many thanks,
Tony
Click to expand...
Annually is the norm here
 
I've just been DX as pre-DB, after the Covid gap of not having any HB test since before lockdown (I'll bet that is very common right now). Because I'm high end Hb (45) the doc is going to retest next month, ie, a three month interval. Until I do get my readings down (and hopefully (!!) out of pre-db range) I really would like another one in another three months after that. Pre-db crept up on me, and it's been a shock. I'm working hard (diet and exercise) to drive it down, and I don't want it to creep up on me again.

Nice recommendations are always suspect! Are they medically arrived at, or just with the cash cost in mind???????????

However, the converse can be true, too - eg, if websites all across the USA urge Hb tests every three months, well, that's money in the bank for the doctors there....!!!
 
Tony Holdsworth said:
Hi,
most things I read say the Hba1c should be tested every 3 months but where I am it's 6 months which as I'm in my first year seems too long.
Is this same across the UK or just Northern Ireland?
I'm thinking about going private to get an interim 3 month sample.
Has anyone any experience of this?
Many thanks,
Tony
Click to expand...

I usually just ask if I want one.
It can vary from three months at my request, to 6 months to a year then the surgery will chase me.
However I just hit the age for every test the NHS seems to have, and I'm there every three months or so now, and they usually slip one in when they see me.
 
My surgery does mine every 6 months, but I have private ones done in between so that the overall effect is precisely every 3 months. The private ones cost £100 a time.
 
I insisted on 3 months. I need to be comfortable that my BG is at a stable level before moving to 6 month intervals. My request has been accepted.
 
I have my HBA1C tested for my annual diabetes review which is held every 14 months.
But, as others have said, if you are testing your blood sugars, especially if you have a CGM such as Libre, you should have a good idea of what your levels are doing.
Libre provides a HBA1C estimate. I find this a useful number to track but not a great indication of my "true" HBA1C. But the Libre provides the really useful information about Time in Range whereas a "good" HBA1C could be achieved through lots of hypos or through a constant lower BG.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top