New to this, how do you calculate HbA1c?

[hayeshaun]

Hoping that somone can help me as i find google a little conflicting and sometimes you dont just get a straight answer. Recently diag with type 2 (about a month or so ago) i check my glucose regularly (wake up, before/after foods, before bed) and i have got it down to always green (e.g on track), with a little help with 1 x metformin AM and 1 x metformin PM. However just unsure if thats all i need to worry about? I also just dont have a clue how to measure or calculate if my HbA1c is on track? any help would be great.

 

[Docb]

You don't calculate it, you measure it and that is done by a blood test. You can get a rough estimate of HbA1c by taking the average of blood glucose spot readings if you are taking them in such a way you catch the highs, the lows and the in betweens and then using a chart like the one below



As a rough guide, if your average is below 8, the your HbA1c should be below 50.

 

[brisr949]

Morning hayeshaun and welcome to the forum.
Nicely done on getting things straight on track after a really recent diagnosis, well done on that.
Your hba1c is a blood test you have in which they measure how much glucose is attached to your hemaglobin..sp* over a 2 to 3 month period.
Did you have a blood test done on your diagnosis?

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Hayeshaun from a fellow T2.
The HbA1c is the result to a blood test. Usually blood is taken from the arm and sent off the to the lab. Some people are able to estimate it I believe, from lots of finger prick tests.
Ask your nurse about HbA1c. Don't put with any nonsens, they don't like tellings us about suck things and letting us be involved.

 

[hayeshaun]

Morning hayeshaun and welcome to the forum.
Nicely done on getting things straight on track after a really recent diagnosis, well done on that.
Your hba1c is a blood test you have in which they measure how much glucose is attached to your hemaglobin..sp* over a 2 to 3 month period.
Did you have a blood test done on your diagnosis?

thank you for your quick response really appreciate it. I did have a blood test done at the start and they quoted me a figure of over 100! i presume/think that was in ref to the hba1c. it was super dangerous level. it didnt take much to bring it down after a couple of weeks though. I am very organised so wanted to ensure the hba1c figure is okay but by the sounds of it, that is something i cant do at home, therefore subject to covid i need to get a blood test done at the doctors again

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @hayeshaun

As @Docb says, there isn‘t a direct conversion method. There can only be estimates. Partly because fingerstick BGs only capture a moment in time, rather than a continuum. So if your results are 4.5, 5.5, 10.5 the average would be pretty good. But if the two early results were 20 minutes apart and the last result stayed in double figures for 8 hours the average wouldnt be a fair reflection.

Having said that, if your results are fairly well spread, and capture post-meal highs as well as pre-meal lows there are several conversion estimates you can use.

Mostly these have been empirically derived, by comparing Average BG values with paired lab HbA1c values of different subjects and then trying to find a formula that provides the ‘best fit’. It will still only be an estimate though.

There are a few online converters you can try like this one: https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/tools-and-resources/average-blood-glucose-and-the-hba1c-test (see the bottom of the page)

 

[hayeshaun]

Welcome to the forum Hayeshaun from a fellow T2.
The HbA1c is the result to a blood test. Usually blood is taken from the arm and sent off the to the lab. Some people are able to estimate it I believe, from lots of finger prick tests.
Ask your nurse about HbA1c. Don't put with any nonsens, they don't like tellings us about suck things and letting us be involved.

thank you for your reply appreciate it also. I think come round the type 2 quite quickly as what with covid i couldnt help but think i was lucky! thank you

 

[SB2015]

Hoping that somone can help me as i find google a little conflicting and sometimes you dont just get a straight answer. Recently diag with type 2 (about a month or so ago) i check my glucose regularly (wake up, before/after foods, before bed) and i have got it down to always green (e.g on track), with a little help with 1 x metformin AM and 1 x metformin PM. However just unsure if thats all i need to worry about? I also just dont have a clue how to measure or calculate if my HbA1c is on track? any help would be great.

Welcome to the forum @hayeshaun , and congratulations on taking the bull by the horns and getting levels in the green.

It is great that you are testing both before and after meals as this will give you a measure of the impact of what you are eating, and you can start to make adjustments to the carbs you choose or to the portion size.

It is important to realise that ALL carbs that you eat will be turned into glucose once inside you. That includes all the more obvious ones like cakes and biscuits, rice, pasta and potatoes. A good rule of thumb I was given was if the veg grow
- under the ground they are high carbs (root veg)
- above the ground they are medium carbs (bean, sprouts, peppers, ...)
- in the ground they are low carb (lettuce, celery, ...)

You have already been given a clear explanation of HbA1c by @brisr949
It is repeated usually every 6 months initially and gives an overall measure of your progress.
Just keep a watch on your levels day to day and continue to make changes to keep these in target, and the HbA1c will look after itself

 

[hayeshaun]

You don't calculate it, you measure it and that is done by a blood test. You can get a rough estimate of HbA1c by taking the average of blood glucose spot readings if you are taking them in such a way you catch the highs, the lows and the in betweens and then using a chart like the one below

View attachment 14398

As a rough guide, if your average is below 8, the your HbA1c should be below 50.

perfect. this chart is great. i do have it below 8 ish i think.now so i guess not bad. i think could do with another blood test to give me comfort though. attached is my report excuse the spelling typos etc scroll right down to see where it all started!

 

[hayeshaun]

Welcome to the forum @hayeshaun

As @Docb says, there isn‘t a direct conversion method. There can only be estimates. Partly because fingerstick BGs only capture a moment in time, rather than a continuum. So if your results are 4.5, 5.5, 10.5 the average would be pretty good. But if the two early results were 20 minutes apart and the last result stayed in double figures for 8 hours the average wouldnt be a fair reflection.

Having said that, if your results are fairly well spread, and capture post-meal highs as well as pre-meal lows there are several conversion estimates you can use.

Mostly these have been empirically derived, by comparing Average BG values with paired lab HbA1c values of different subjects and then trying to find a formula that provides the ‘best fit’. It will still only be an estimate though.

There are a few online converters you can try like this one: https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/tools-and-resources/average-blood-glucose-and-the-hba1c-test (see the bottom of the page)

thank you will take a look! cant believe how quickly people contribute on this page, its a breath of fresh air!

 

[Ralph-YK]

Oh, if possible, get your results printed out. It saves you trying to remember, and you can check it later on. That is harder than just getting your results verbally 😡.
It's a bug bear of mine that everyone insists that everything has to be done verbally (generally, as well as medically), when printed out can be so much better.

 

[hayeshaun]

Welcome to the forum @hayeshaun , and congratulations on taking the bull by the horns and getting levels in the green.

It is great that you are testing both before and after meals as this will give you a measure of the impact of what you are eating, and you can start to make adjustments to the carbs you choose or to the portion size.

It is important to realise that ALL carbs that you eat will be turned into glucose once inside you. That includes all the more obvious ones like cakes and biscuits, rice, pasta and potatoes. A good rule of thumb I was given was if the veg grow
- under the ground they are high carbs (root veg)
- above the ground they are medium carbs (bean, sprouts, peppers, ...)
- in the ground they are low carb (lettuce, celery, ...)

You have already been given a clear explanation of HbA1c by @brisr949
It is repeated usually every 6 months initially and gives an overall measure of your progress.
Just keep a watch on your levels day to day and continue to make changes to keep these in target, and the HbA1c will look after itself

thank you for your help. got lots to read up on now.

 

[rebrascora]

Looks like your lunchtime results are almost all in target but breakfast is the meal that is mort often to cause you to go too high. What do you normally have for breakfast?
Many people are more insulin resistant in the morning or suffer from Dawn Phenomenon which is where the liver which ordinarily trickles out glucose to keep your vital organs supplied during the times when you are not getting any from food (ie overnight) throws out some extra glucose to give you energy to start your day.... historically it may have been to provide us with the energy to go and hunt or forage for our breakfast in the says when we didn't have fridges and cupboards.
Due to these factors it can be beneficial to have a very low carb breakfast like an omelette or fry up but without bread or toast, or hash browns, or creamy Natural Greek yoghurt with nuts and seeds and a few berries.... or lots of other low carb options..... just something to think about if you wanted to improve your score a bit more, but looks like you are doing great and I would expect your next HbA1c to be much normal than your previous result.

 

[hayeshaun]

Looks like your lunchtime results are almost all in target but breakfast is the meal that is mort often to cause you to go too high. What do you normally have for breakfast?
Many people are more insulin resistant in the morning or suffer from Dawn Phenomenon which is where the liver which ordinarily trickles out glucose to keep your vital organs supplied during the times when you are not getting any from food (ie overnight) throws out some extra glucose to give you energy to start your day.... historically it may have been to provide us with the energy to go and hunt or forage for our breakfast in the says when we didn't have fridges and cupboards.
Due to these factors it can be beneficial to have a very low carb breakfast like an omelette or fry up but without bread or toast, or hash browns, or creamy Natural Greek yoghurt with nuts and seeds and a few berries.... or lots of other low carb options..... just something to think about if you wanted to improve your score a bit more, but looks like you are doing great and I would expect your next HbA1c to be much normal than your previous result.

thank you for getting back to me. i will keep an eye on the breakfast one 's. usually its home made gronala bars or yog with fruits etc. even if a little high it doesnt take long to get right down again which is good. lucky i only need 2 x metaformin atm as tried 3 and that didnt agree with me!

 

[ColinUK]

thank you for getting back to me. i will keep an eye on the breakfast one 's. usually its home made gronala bars or yog with fruits etc. even if a little high it doesnt take long to get right down again which is good. lucky i only need 2 x metaformin atm as tried 3 and that didnt agree with me!

What sugars do you put in the granola bars? And what grains/oats etc? You may find that they're impacting the BG levels - similarly the fruit that you're having with the yogurt, what fruit are you opting for and roughly how much? Berries are best as they're the lowest carbs but even then it's not like you can have a bowl full without it impacting your blood glucose levels.
I've found that berries are a treat rather than an everyday thing. You may be better off whipping up something egg based for breakfast perhaps.

Oh and welcome 🙂