Just been diagnosed with Type 2 and struggling to understand my levels

[sharon1234]

I have just been diagnosed with type 2 and my surgery printed out my blood test result which says my HbA1c level is 74 mol/mol.
I purchased a blood sugar monitor and my readings vary but show figures between 9.3 and 12 depending on if it’s before a meal or after.
I feel confused about why there are different figures to describe blood sugar levels and what they all actually mean.
all my doctor has said is that my readings are high.
I feel so confused.
I have drastically changed my diet and bought myself a treadmill to get myself moving more. I have just been prescribed slow release metformin 500mg which I have to take one a night for the first week, increasing another tablet each week until I am taking four a night.
is this a normal dosage?

 

[Deleted member 21371]

It is.
But the treadmill will make a good difference too.

 

[Leadinglights]

The difference you see in the numbers are because they are different units. Your HbA1C is in mmol/mol but your blood glucose monitor is in mmol/l and although they both indicate your blood glucose level they measure different things. The connection being that the higher your HbA1C the more likely your spot tests from your monitor will be higher numbers.
The yardstick for TYpe 2 is 4-7mmol/l before meal or fasting and no more than 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours post meal.
However, if your starting level is quite high then people use the guide that your 2 hour post meal reading should be no higher than 2-3mmol/l than before you eat.
As those meal increased are kept within that guide your overall level should start to reduce.
Make your testing regime something that gives you information so you can make better food choices.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I feel confused about why there are different figures to describe blood sugar levels and what they all actually mean.
all my doctor has said is that my readings are high.

One's HbA1c

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/hba1c

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

You meter is giving you a moment in time, an immediate reading of what your blood glucose is right now.

This can be very useful to see how you respond to different foods or meals, and answer the age-old question “can I eat that?”

Whereas the HbA1c is a reflection of what has been happening, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over the past 3-4 months. So it isn’t swayed by one winky reading, and allows you to assess how things are going generally (but not specifically to any one meal).

So they are both really useful pieces of the puzzle, and can show you quite different things.

🙂

 

[harbottle]

Same dose I started on - 1000mg (hba1c of 83) after a week of 500mg. I think it’s pretty normal, Max dose is usually 2500mg or 2000mg.

 

[offspin]

You meter is giving you a moment in time, an immediate reading of what your blood glucose is right now.

This can be very useful to see how you respond to different foods or meals, and answer the age-old question “can I eat that?”

Whereas the HbA1c is a reflection of what has been happening, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over the past 3-4 months. So it isn’t swayed by one winky reading, and allows you to assess how things are going generally (but not specifically to any one meal).

So they are both really useful pieces of the puzzle, and can show you quite different things.

🙂

Hi , that's just really summed up all my questions that I could have asked in the next few month.Thank you.