Reading of 6.7

[Helsbeth57]

Hi everyone my name is Helen I had blood tests done a few weeks had a call from the surgery said they wanted to redo the test as it was 6.7 but not to worry as it was only just over the accepted range. I have to go back on the 2nd November for more bloods. Should I be worried? As I’m not sure what the level should be, any help would be appreciated x

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi everyone my name is Helen I had blood tests done a few weeks had a call from the surgery said they wanted to redo the test as it was 6.7 but not to worry as it was only just over the accepted range. I have to go back on the 2nd November for more bloods. Should I be worried? As I’m not sure what the level should be, any help would be appreciated x

Welcome to the forum. You have been told your HbA1C result in the old units which is a % but that converts to 50 mmol/mol which is actually just over the threshold of 48mmol/mol which in the UK gives a diabetes diagnosis.
It certainly is at a level that you should take seriously and adopt some measures to reduce it to avoid some of the more unpleasant symptoms of high blood glucose.
It is perfectly possible to manage the condition with some dietary changes.
This link may help explain what it is all about and some ideas for modifying your diet. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Losing weight if you need to and increasing exercise if you can.

 

[Helsbeth57]

Thank You very much I will have a read through now x

 

[Wannie]

Hi everyone my name is Helen I had blood tests done a few weeks had a call from the surgery said they wanted to redo the test as it was 6.7 but not to worry as it was only just over the accepted range. I have to go back on the 2nd November for more bloods. Should I be worried? As I’m not sure what the level should be, any help would be appreciated x

Hi Helen and welcome to the forum, I was diagnosed with a HbA1c of 50mmol/mol or 6.7% on the 30th May. Anything 48 or above is diabetes 43- 47 is classed as pre diabetes or at risk.
I would suggest you have a look at the learning zone red tab at top of page, the site is full of information, tips, recipes etc
There are some amazing people on here who have a wealth of knowledge and experience who are more than happy to help, so any questions just ask. 🙂

 

[Helsbeth57]

Thank you very much I will take a look on the learning zone now it’s all a bit scary isn’t it!!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.
Technically I believe 2 HbA1c results of 48 or over are needed to confirm a diabetes diagnosis in this situation which be why a second blood test is scheduled in such a short time scale. if you can make some changes now you might actually be able to reduce it slightly by your next test and just sneak under the radar. It will be tight because the time scale is short, but even if you do get the diabetes diagnosis confirmed by that second test, you are only just over the threshold and a few simple lifestyle changes should get you into remission with a bit of effort. It is certainly possible.

If it helps you to understand the scale of the range. 20-41 is the normal range. 42-47 indicates that you are "at risk" of developing diabetes and 48 or above gets you a diagnosis but that can go as high as 3 figures if things have gone seriously awry. I was somewhere towards the top of being seriously diabetic with a reading of 112, which would equate to 12.4% compared to your 50mmol/mol or 6.7%. I am still alive and fit and healthy with all my fingers and toes and sight 3.5 years later and fully expect to remain so. I hope that makes you a little less worried and that whilst effort is involved this diagnosis actually has the potential to make you healthier rather than less so, if you use it as the kick up the pants to make some better choices, maybe lose a bit of weight and get a bit more active.

Good luck and let us know if you don't understand anything.... no matter how trivial or simple it may seem. We all started this diabetes journey with very little knowledge and probably a lot of misconceptions but thanks to this forum we learned and got better.

 

[Wannie]

Thank you very much I will take a look on the learning zone now it’s all a bit scary isn’t it!!

It was at first but surprised how quickly I got into the habit of checking carbohydrates, weighing food etc I think it seems scary because there was so much to be done in the first weeks - eye test, foot check, diabetes course , so much information to digest and understand.
I keep a food diary of what I've eaten, the carbs and calories in each meal, it is surprising which foods contain carbs. Bread is my nemesis my blood glucose ( I do use a blood glucose monitor finger pricking, and test before & after meals) always rises.

 

[Helsbeth57]

Thank you for your advice and help I had breast cancer 10 years ago and have been taking Tamoxifen which made me pile the weight on my consultant rang earlier and told me I can stop taking the medication so I’ve had some good news and some bad news this week. This has really made me rethink my life choices and am determined to lose some weight with starting eating a much healthier diet and exercising if I can kick cancer I’m sure I can get my sugar levels down with hard work and effort x

 

[rebrascora]

That is exactly the right attitude. This is a very minor battle by comparison. Go girl! You can do it and we will be here to help you and cheer you on.

 

[Wannie]

Technically I believe 2 HbA1c results of 48 or over are needed to confirm a diabetes diagnosis in this situation which be why a second blood test is scheduled in such a short time scale.

Interested in this because my HbA1c of 50 in May was the first result I'd had in the diabetic range. Checked when I saw Diabetic Lead Nurse at GP's last week for my recent results and she said to me if you get another HbA1c under 48 we can class you as person with diabetes in remission, when I asked why I had to be classed as anything was told it was for diabetic register.
Am curious as to why I'm on register if 2 tests over 47 are needed to confirm diabetes??

 

[Helsbeth57]

It was at first but surprised how quickly I got into the habit of checking carbohydrates, weighing food etc I think it seems scary because there was so much to be done in the first weeks - eye test, foot check, diabetes course , so much information to digest and understand.
I keep a food diary of what I've eaten, the carbs and calories in each meal, it is surprising which foods contain carbs. Bread is my nemesis my blood glucose ( I do use a blood glucose monitor finger pricking, and test before & after meals) always rises.

I work in a supermarket and had a good look at a lot of the packaging earlier I couldn’t believe how much sugar there is in certain products especially diet bars with 99 calories I used to have one of these every night with a coffee before I went to bed ‍♀️It’s a real eye opener isn’t it I’m going to leave out carbohydrates as much as I can, going to stick with fish, chicken, soups salad and veg until I get my bloods done and hope that there will be a decrease in my reading when I have my next blood test. I might invest in a blood glucose monitor I can keep an eye on it at all times then, thanks so much for all your help

 

[Helsbeth57]

That is exactly the right attitude. This is a very minor battle by comparison. Go girl! You can do it and we will be here to help you and cheer you on.

I’m so glad I joined this forum I’ve had such good advice and tips, everyone is so positive and friendly, although I’m only a newbie I’m also here for you all x

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you very much I will take a look on the learning zone now it’s all a bit scary isn’t it!!

It is scary but not as scary as a condition which you can do nothing about. The remedy is something which in in your hands and you have control of.
I made dietary changes following a low carb approach which is a regime I enjoy, and I can sustain.
For example, today I had full fat Greek yoghurt, blueberries and strawberries with 15g low sugar granola for breakfast, for lunch a cracker, beetroot, tomatoes, hummus, cheese and an apple, for dinner, mushroom omelette and salad and a slice bread, and half a Kvarg desert.

 

[Wannie]

I work in a supermarket and had a good look at a lot of the packaging earlier I couldn’t believe how much sugar there is in certain products especially diet bars with 99 calories I used to have one of these every night with a coffee before I went to bed ‍♀️It’s a real eye opener isn’t it I’m going to leave out carbohydrates as much as I can, going to stick with fish, chicken, soups salad and veg until I get my bloods done and hope that there will be a decrease in my reading when I have my next blood test. I might invest in a blood glucose monitor I can keep an eye on it at all times then, thanks so much for all your help

I found the book carbs and cals (calories) one of the best tools as it is illustrated - every page - recommended by people on here, it was useful as you could see portion sizes. it also comes as an app and the basic is/was free, but am told it now has a subscription.

 

[Helsbeth57]

That all sounds delicious and a lot more than I would normally eat, I’m terrible to miss out meals especially breakfast. I wasn’t sure if I could eat fruit as it contains a lot of sugar x

 

[Helsbeth57]

I found the book carbs and cals (calories) one of the best tools as it is illustrated - every page - recommended by people on here, it was useful as you could see portion sizes. it also comes as an app and the basic is/was free, but am told it now has a subscription.

Thank You I will have a look how much the subscription is x

 

[Leadinglights]

I work in a supermarket and had a good look at a lot of the packaging earlier I couldn’t believe how much sugar there is in certain products especially diet bars with 99 calories I used to have one of these every night with a coffee before I went to bed ‍♀️It’s a real eye opener isn’t it I’m going to leave out carbohydrates as much as I can, going to stick with fish, chicken, soups salad and veg until I get my bloods done and hope that there will be a decrease in my reading when I have my next blood test. I might invest in a blood glucose monitor I can keep an eye on it at all times then, thanks so much for all your help

It is better to reduce your carb intake slowly as you are less likely to get issues with your eyes and nerves. I reduced my Total carbs to 70g per day and got issues with my eyes, I didn't realise it could cause problems until I read on here. People suggest estimating what you are having and cutting down by a third for a couple of weeks, then another third etc until you get to where you want to be. If you are going the low carb route, then less than 130g total carbs per day is suggested.

 

[Leadinglights]

That all sounds delicious and a lot more than I would normally eat, I’m terrible to miss out meals especially breakfast. I wasn’t sure if I could eat fruit as it contains a lot of sugar x

But it is still approx 70g carb. Berries are the best fruits.
Portion size is important.
What would you typically eat.?

 

[Helsbeth57]

It is better to reduce your carb intake slowly as you are less likely to get issues with your eyes and nerves. I reduced my Total carbs to 70g per day and got issues with my eyes, I didn't realise it could cause problems until I read on here. People suggest estimating what you are having and cutting down by a third for a couple of weeks, then another third etc until you get to where you want to be. If you are going the low carb route, then less than 130g total carbs per day is suggested.

I’m not working tomorrow so am going to spend the day writing down a lot of the advice and tips you have all given me and do a diet plan - thank you