Recent T2

[Eddy Edson]

Hi forum! I've been trying to hoover up info since the DX & this seems to be the best forum around. I'm posting from Oz - hope that's not an intrusion??

So: HbA1C = 10.3% and FBG = 15.6 (eek!) at diagnosis in March. I would have had it for years, probably; only found out after optometrist noticed early signs of retinopathy while he was checking me for new glasses. Hadn't had a medical exam for 25+ years - but now ... "Welcome to my world!" as my new buddy the GP says.

Fortunately, here you get a free blood meter on DX & are encouraged to test. I only started doing this really about 5 weeks ago, but it obviously makes a huge difference for getting a handle on what's what. For the moment I'm testing 6-8 times a day, which is probably a bit obsessive but what the hell & I think it gives me a better picture of avg BG than I would get from the HbA1C estimate. I'll benchmark that view with my next HbA1C test.

I also find it very useful to track 7-day and 14-day avg daily BG, not least as a motivational tool, to see the numbers tracking down. I'm at 7.2 - 7.4 now, which should correspond to HbA!C around 6%.

Question I'm pondering at the moment: is there any particular value in dragging things lower? At these levels I can continue with carefully-selected carb types and portion-sizes, which I want. Taking things lower might involve upping the proportion of fats, which I don't want, all else being equal.

I see conflicting or ambiguous or inconclusive studies on the benefits/drawback of targeting sub 6% levels. Does anybody more knowledgeable than me have a view on that?

Thanks all & have good days.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Sorry, another geeky question, if anybody has a view. I see comments here that you should try to limit post-prandial BG to no more than 2-3 mmol/L above pre-prandial. This seems reasonable enough but does anybody have any pointers to a source for the recommendation?

Is it based mainly on just controlling post-prandial as a means for controlling avg BG in general, or is there something to do with BG variability as a separate factor? Again I don't see any studies with clear conclusions on this. Eg this: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/38/8/1615.full-text.pdf suggests that there's no good evidence at this stage for variability having much impact beyond possible microvascular effects. (EDIT: Not counting hypos, of course.)

 

[Northerner]

Hi Eddy, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but it sounds like you are dealing with it very well 🙂 An HbA1c of 6% is perfectly fine, so if you are comfortable with your diet and quality of life then there's no real benefit in making what may be difficult and unsustainable further changes in order to try and drop it lower - it's quite possible this will happen anyway, it's still very early days for you 🙂 Anything below 6.5% is good - this has been chosen as this is the point at which the risk of complications begins to increase:



The reason for the 2-3 mmol/l post-prandial rise is because limiting 'spikes' in blood sugar levels is beneficial. Again, the risk, particularly of microvascular complications (eyes, kidneys) is thought to be greater if you experience large, regular spikes rather than smoother rises and falls, even if your overall HbA1c is very good. So, they are two different things, but both aimed at reducing the risks of complications 🙂 More information on this page:

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

Please let us know if you have any further questions, and we will be happy to help! 🙂

 

[Eddy Edson]

Thanks very much, @Northerner. Really appreciate the work you do here!

 

[Northerner]

Thanks very much, @Northerner. Really appreciate the work you do here!

We aim to please! 🙂

 

[Stitch147]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

[CathyB]

Welcome Eddy