I'm type 2

[Mike78]

Now, as I said a few weeks ago, I'm newly diag type 2 and trying to sort it by diet - (5 and 2). On the whole, it's getting my weight down gradually but I'm testing blood sugar at home - using an SD BG monitoring system.
Now, having been 'borderline' for 2 years, the practice nurse called me in after a routine 6 monthly test to say my reading had slipped over the threshold as it was showing 48. I suppose I should have asked 48 what? But I didn't. My home readings have always been around 6 - 9.5... latest (Sunday) was 6.1. The blurb with the monitoring system says that's in mmol/l.
Now, that figures and ties in nicely with my history, and Diabetes UK says the averages should be - and I quote from their website -

• 3.5–5.5mmol/l* before meals
• less than 8mmol/l, two hours after meals.

So, what on earth is the nurse talking about 48 for?
48 what?
Any ideas?

Graham

I'm not 100% sure but I think it's the ha1bc test thing as mine came back 54&53

 

[Graham Follett]

Another thing I meant to ask earlier - tomorrow I'm enrolled on a DESMOND course. Meaning Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed. Run by the local hospital Trust.

It's a whole day course - anyone been on one? Are they any use? Or do they put the frighteners on you?

Graham

 

[Ralph-YK]

Could easily be HbA1c. See my post above

 

[Lanny]

Graham, the finger prick tests you do are what your blood sugar is at that precise moment. The HA1BC tests are the average blood sugar from the last few months, from all the other times when you were not testing: when asleep. This gives a better indication of where your diabetes is heading as, depending on when you test, some highs & lows are not seen in spot of time tests.

 

[Graham Follett]

Thanks, everyone - I now see the 48 referred to ha1bc. But if that was just one test - taken by the hospital and looking at more than just blood sugar, how can it be an average? Or am I a dimwit....duh!

 

[Lanny]

Graham here is a link that might help. No, you’re not a dim wit! We all started off in the same place & not knowing anything.

https://patient.info/health/diabetes-mellitus-leaflet/tests-for-blood-sugar-glucose-and-hba1c

The two tests, finger prick & HA1BC, measures different things. The second one measures the glucose in the cells & it takes longer & happens at a steady rate. The spot tests you do are the glucose floating around your bloodstream that hasn’t been taken up by the cells yet.

 

[Mark Parrott]

HbA1c is measured in mmol/mol. Finger pricks are mmol/l. Old HbA1c measurements were a percentage which some GP surgeries still use, just to confuse things.

 

[Lanny]

Oh, sorry Graham. I was rushing off to cook dinner & eat so, didn’t fully explain.

The HBA1C is an average because when you use a conversion table, there’s a link to one below, you get an average figure for the glucose in your bloodstream: the same thing you’re testing for. That number changes all the time depending on the time of day, your level of resistance, when & what you eat etc.

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

Hope this helps.

 

[Maz2]

Welcome to the Forum. You will get lots of help and advice here.

 

[Graham Follett]

Thanks Lanny. I suppose the important thing is that I'm about 48 which is only just in type 2. Hopefully, I can hold it down before it gets higher, through diet and exercise. G

 

[JMyrtle]

I think she is quoting a reading in mmol/mol which is the form used by GPs when they take a reading.
The difference is that when we take a test with our meters it reflects the b/ g level at that moment in time and is shown on mmol/l
The Gp's test records a reading taken over two to three months and is in mmol/mol.
If you Google you can find a chart which will convert one to the other although I think I am right in saying that 48 just slips into the bottom of the diabetic range.

 

[CathyB]

Great question Graham, I am also confused with the different numbers!