It's all a mystery. Hopefully will get to the bottom of all this.

[Agrippa]

Hello all

A 53 year male who hasn't been feeling well for some months. From around August last year to be fairly exact. I discovered I had hypertension in October and that all seems to have been sorted, for now. This cured the constant headaches I had been suffering with. However, I still didn't feel well I would feel tired and put that all down to walking too far. I had all the signs but lacked the intelligence to realise what they were. I was dry constantly and had huge munchie moments in the evening. I visited the toilet far too often and just didn't feel on top form. I would feel unwell and light headed at times if I hadn't eaten.

Now my doctor says I have diabetes and I have to admit I didn't know how serious it was to my health (and all of yours) until she told me to read this website for info. It's confusing and reading all these posts has put my mind to rest that it can be lived with. I have a meeting with the diabetes nurse in a few days. I refused to go straight onto tablets until I knew more. It seems I still don't know very much as I have only just discovered the truth. I am only aware that I have had two blood tests two weeks apart the first was a reading of 7.4 and the next was 7.2. I now know more and this site has given me the knowledge and confidence to ask some more questions of my local nurse and doctor. I don't know if i'm type 1 or 2 but will find out soon.

Thanks everyone for the posts and the responses. I'm gonna need some discipline.

 

[Lily123]

Welcome to the forum 🙂

Were the 7.2 and 7.4 blood tests taken from a finger prick of blood?

 

[Agrippa]

No from my arm from a vein.

 

[Lily123]

Ah, then it would be a HbA1C.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

No from my arm from a vein.

7.4 and 7.2 or 74 and 72? (The reason for asking is that we'd suspect the blood test was HbA1c (approximately an average of blood glucose over about 3 months), but in the current units 74 and 72 mmol/mol would be plausible. Could be 7.4% and 7.2%, but that would be older units, so is a bit less likely.)

7.4 and 7.2 mmol/l would be plausible spot measurements of blood glucose, but wouldn't scream diabetes. (I guess they're a bit high, but if you'd just eaten they'd be fine.) And that wouldn't be a test they'd be using for diagnosis.

Either are a bit high, but not massively so. Given your age Type 2 is more likely.

 

[EmmaL76]

I was told my hba1c in a percentage of 7.2 which I believe converted to 55. Some doctors still use this method, when I do my private tests through a company online they also give me the results in the old percentages. It can be very confusing.

 

[Agrippa]

Sorry if I'm confusing people. They were both taken after 12 hours of fasting and the doctor said anything over 6.9 was diabetes. Sorry I don't know anymore.

 

[EmmaL76]

Not confusing at all, you know more than i did on diagnosis !

 

[Bruce Stephens]

They were both taken after 12 hours of fasting and the doctor said anything over 6.9 was diabetes.

Could be either, I think. Though 6.9 in old HbA1c units would be 52 in new ones, and the cutoff there is 48 mmol/mol. Whereas I think for fasting blood glucose it is 6.9 (since a normal reading would be under 5.6mmol/l), though I thought fasting blood glucose wasn't recommended any more. (But then I'm not a doctor, so what do I know?)

Regardless, sounds like they're likely to say you have Type 2 diabetes. There's a good chance you can control it with acceptable changes to your diet (less carbohydrate, primarily) perhaps along with other generally recommended things (more physical activity, for example). But maybe not: many with Type 2 diabetes need medication of various sorts. (And all people with Type 1 need insulin, of course.)

 

[Leadinglights]

Sorry if I'm confusing people. They were both taken after 12 hours of fasting and the doctor said anything over 6.9 was diabetes. Sorry I don't know anymore.

I think those must be HbA1C tests with the result given in % rather than mmol/mol which is the current standard.
Usually because it is a 3 month average it is not necessary for it to be fasting. If your doctor said 6.9% is diabetes then that equates to 48mmol/mol which is the diagnostic level. It means at 7.2% you are only just in the diabetic zone so some dietary changes should be sufficient to bring it down. That means reducing the amount of carbohydrates you have. I would hope you will be given the opportunity to make the life style changes before having any medication.
This link you may find helpful as it explains the low carb approach that many people find successful.

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

You could also look at the Learning zone (orange tab at the top)
But do come back with any questions.
It would be useful if you could confirm if the result was % or what units it has been given in.

 

[janw]

If you look in my signature, it shows the percentage and it's equivalent.
My first one was 7.4% which equals 57 mmol/mol
My second was 6.5% which equals 48mmol/mol
My readings are copied from my GP's online results

I hope this helps

 

[Lucyr]

Sorry if I'm confusing people. They were both taken after 12 hours of fasting and the doctor said anything over 6.9 was diabetes. Sorry I don't know anymore.

These will be spot glucose readings not a 3 month average (a1c) as others have said, because you needed to fast for them. It’s an older way of diagnosing people but still valid.

It basically means your only just over the threshold into diabetes and with some changes to diet and exercise things should soon head in the right direction.

 

[EmmaL76]

These will be spot glucose readings not a 3 month average (a1c) as others have said, because you needed to fast for them. It’s an older way of diagnosing people but still valid.

It basically means your only just over the threshold into diabetes and with some changes to diet and exercise things should soon head in the right direction.

Do they do those from the vein usually though ?

 

[Lucyr]

Do they do those from the vein usually though ?

Yes, from your arm.

 

[EmmaL76]

Yes, from your arm.

It’s worth consideration that he may of been asked to fast for any other tests that were being done at the Same time. I have always been given hba1c results in percentage

 

[Lucyr]

It’s worth consideration that he may of been asked to fast for any other tests that were being done at the Same time. I have always been given hba1c results in percentage

The diagnostic criteria for glucose levels (not a1c) is two readings of 7.0+, which is what they said. You also wouldn’t have to fast twice if you were only fasting for other tests like cholesterol and not for fasting glucose, as those other tests like cholesterol wouldn’t be repeated.

The diagnostic criteria for a1c (3month average) is 2 readings of 48 / 6.5%+ not 6.9%

 

[Agrippa]

Thanks for all your replies. It seems it was the older test rather than this new one. If I have this right, the new test has a lower threshold. I'll take all advice on board and see where it takes me. I don't have a problem with exercise its all the rubbish i'm addicted too. I have already changed my diet over the last couple of days and gone cold turkey. Lets see what happens.

Thanks again all

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks for all your replies. It seems it was the older test rather than this new one. If I have this right, the new test has a lower threshold. I'll take all advice on board and see where it takes me. I don't have a problem with exercise its all the rubbish i'm addicted too. I have already changed my diet over the last couple of days and gone cold turkey. Lets see what happens.

Thanks again all

I would maybe go 'warm' turkey as dropping your blood glucose too quickly can cause eye issues, so maybe cut your carb intake by a third for a couple of weeks, then another third until you get to where yo need to be.
There are a few threads discussing eye issues from reducing carbs too qiuckly.

 

[ColinUK]

Thanks for all your replies. It seems it was the older test rather than this new one. If I have this right, the new test has a lower threshold. I'll take all advice on board and see where it takes me. I don't have a problem with exercise its all the rubbish i'm addicted too. I have already changed my diet over the last couple of days and gone cold turkey. Lets see what happens.

Thanks again all

Advice is to cut carbs by 1/3rd and hold there for a couple of weeks before cutting that amount by 1/3 and holding that for a couple of weeks etc.
Yes it takes longer to cut the carbs down significantly overall but it minimises the possible negative effects on vision which can occur if one cuts carbs too far too fast.
I was lucky because the impact on my vision was totally reversible however not everyone is as lucky.

 

[EmmaL76]

Mine was. I can see the result (20.5) on Patient Access and the unit is mmol/L. I'd been told to fast for this test.

I have read that two results of 7 or over, a week apart, is a marker for diabetes but I would expect that would be followed up with an HbA1c test to confirm.

So I suppose this could be either, as @Lucyr says. At least @Agrippa will know to ask the question now.