Need help - posting on behalf of my boyfriend

[mhamid25]

6 isn't that high.
To confuse matters there are two scales that people use for HbA1c results (an old one, and a newer one). Unfortuneatly, even worse, the old numbers look like resutls from a finger prick test. They are completly different things though.
Ranges for HbA1c (in new figures) are:
30(?) to 41 "normal"
42 to 47 is called pre diabetic.
48 (6.5) and above gets your a diagnoses of diabetes (even if it then goes down below this, you're still down as diagetic).
Some people, at diagnoses, are in the 50's & 60's. A number of people on here were around 100 or higher at diagnoses.
48 in the new figures = 6.5 in the old figures.

So, an HbA1c of 6 is low for a diabetic.

HbA1c is an average for the last 90 - 120 days.
Finger prick test shows your BG at that moment, and will change throughout the day, and from day to day. Paticularly after eating.

Thank you I will ask him to do a prick test to see if I can see the results. I think I was looking at the old figures.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Oh, left out that HbA1c is usually done with blood taken from the arm. It then goes to a lab.

 

[Amity Island]

6 isn't that high.
To confuse matters there are two scales that people use for HbA1c results (an old one, and a newer one). Unfortuneatly, even worse, the old numbers look like resutls from a finger prick test. They are completly different things though.
Ranges for HbA1c (in new figures) are:
30(?) to 41 "normal"
42 to 47 is called pre diabetic.
48 (6.5) and above gets your a diagnoses of diabetes (even if it then goes down below this, you're still down as diagetic).
Some people, at diagnoses, are in the 50's & 60's. A number of people on here were around 100 or higher at diagnoses.
48 in the new figures = 6.5 in the old figures.

So, an HbA1c of 6 is low for a diabetic.

HbA1c is an average for the last 90 - 120 days.
Finger prick test shows your BG at that moment, and will change throughout the day, and from day to day. Paticularly after eating.

Ralph,
Great reply! Great info...

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you for joining on behalf of your boyfriend @mhamid25

You must be a very caring person.

It sounds like your bf has had a really rough ride, and really hasnt been well supported, or referred for extra help when it was clearly needed. He must be coming into contact with lots of different HCPs - but noone seems to have put the picture together and offered the extra help and support in a timely way.

It would be helpful if you knew the name(s) of the different insulin(s) he takes - as it will help members here share appropriate experiences.

Diabetes can be quite isolating, demotivating and relentless, and it isn't always easy to offer support in a way that doesn’t cause pushback, irritation, and ultimately become counterproductive - because diabetes can be VERY frustrating, and you can do all the ‘right’ things and still get numbers back that weren’t what you are aiming for. And you don’t always know why... or what to try next time.

But persistence is key. Keeping going. Keeping trying. Keeping on looking for patterns and trying to make better choices and better treatment decisions.

That is equally true if you think about and respond to your diabetes 50 times a day or only 5!

Its really hard to know where to suggest starting, but some sort of education about modern diabetes management will be really helpful.

It may be something as simple as trying to begin to understand the relationship between carbohydrates in food and insulin doses (a good introduction here: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...-and-diabetes/nuts-and-bolts-of-carb-counting

Or a full blown education course with detail on modern diabetes management, ratios, correction factors, alcohol, exercise and illness: https://www.bertieonline.org.uk/

You might also find this ‘etiquette’ guide gives some helpful pointers in how to open some of these conversations in a supportive way: http://behavioraldiabetes.org/xwp/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BDIAdultEtiquetteCard.pdf