What level should my blood be in the morning?

[Tish]

Hi,
I was diagnosed last week, but I have a nurse friend, who has been helping and guiding me for the prior 6 weeks while I had to wait to see the doctor for the diagnosis. I have radically changed my diet, dropped 10lbs and gotten my bloods to 6.1 before ratting first thing in the morning. When I went to see the doctor last week and told him this, he told me that it's not low enough that he wants me to be at a 5.0, and wants me to go on 3 tablets a day? My nurse friend is telling me, as long as I stay below 6.5 then I don't need tablets. I really don't know what advice is correct, would someone be able to give me a bit of advice as I don't want to be hurting myself by going or not going on the tablets - basically just want to know what my levels should be at in the mornings? And what my HB1C (or whatever that is call lol) should be if I am well controlled?

Help please!

Trish

 

[Amigo]

Hi,
I was diagnosed last week, but I have a nurse friend, who has been helping and guiding me for the prior 6 weeks while I had to wait to see the doctor for the diagnosis. I have radically changed my diet, dropped 10lbs and gotten my bloods to 6.1 before ratting first thing in the morning. When I went to see the doctor last week and told him this, he told me that it's not low enough that he wants me to be at a 5.0, and wants me to go on 3 tablets a day? My nurse friend is telling me, as long as I stay below 6.5 then I don't need tablets. I really don't know what advice is correct, would someone be able to give me a bit of advice as I don't want to be hurting myself by going or not going on the tablets - basically just want to know what my levels should be at in the mornings? And what my HB1C (or whatever that is call lol) should be if I am well controlled?

Help please!

Trish

Your nurse friend is giving you much more achievable recommendations it seems to me. The 'official' advice from NICE is that type 2's should be 7 or below fasting and no more than 8.5 two hours after a meal.

In terms of your Hba1c, ideally you should be below 48 (6.5) in order to avoid long term diabetic complications. But this isnt the 6.5 on your meter. It's a different way of measuring. Pre-diabeties starts at 41 and once you drop below 41, it's outside of diabetic range.

Keep doing what you're doing...carb reduction and weight loss combined with more exercise. 6.1 on a morning is pretty good going and better than I'm doing. I'm doing it diet and exercise alone with no meds. My last Hba1c was 40. Good luck!

 

[Tish]

Your nurse friend is giving you much more achievable recommendations it seems to me. The 'official' advice from NICE is that type 2's should be 7 or below fasting and no more than 8.5 two hours after a meal.

In terms of your Hba1c, ideally you should be below 48 (6.5) in order to avoid long term diabetic complications. But this isnt the 6.5 on your meter. It's a different way of measuring. Pre-diabeties starts at 41 and once you drop below 41, it's outside of diabetic range.

Keep doing what you're doing...carb reduction and weight loss combined with more exercise. 6.1 on a morning is pretty good going and better than I'm doing. I'm doing it diet and exercise alone with no meds. My last Hba1c was 40. Good luck!

Thank you - it's just so confusing and I had seen the advice on the diabetic website also, I thought my nurse friend was most probably giving me sound advice, it's just the doctor made me doubt myself

 

[Amigo]

Thank you - it's just so confusing and I had seen the advice on the diabetic website also, I thought my nurse friend was most probably giving me sound advice, it's just the doctor made me doubt myself

I'd suggest to him that you want an opportunity to get this under control yourself first Tish and prove to him with your next improved Hba1c that you can do it! Home testing is the way to go and listen to your friend! 😛

 

[Browser]

Your nurse friend is giving you much more achievable recommendations it seems to me. The 'official' advice from NICE is that type 2's should be 7 or below fasting and no more than 8.5 two hours after a meal.

In terms of your Hba1c, ideally you should be below 48 (6.5) in order to avoid long term diabetic complications. But this isnt the 6.5 on your meter. It's a different way of measuring. Pre-diabeties starts at 41 and once you drop below 41, it's outside of diabetic range.

Keep doing what you're doing...carb reduction and weight loss combined with more exercise. 6.1 on a morning is pretty good going and better than I'm doing. I'm doing it diet and exercise alone with no meds. My last Hba1c was 40. Good luck!

I understand that the HbA1c number (e.g. 6.5) is based on a three month average on the HbA1c Conversion Table (Glycaemic Control), but if, as you say, this is not the same as the finger prick BG reading (e.g. 6.5), what do you base that on?

 

[Amigo]

I understand that the HbA1c number (e.g. 6.5) is based on a three month average on the HbA1c Conversion Table (Glycaemic Control), but if, as you say, this is not the same as the finger prick BG reading (e.g. 6.5), what do you base that on?

Because an average 6.5 on your daily testing meter would give an estimated Hba1c of 38.8 mmol/L

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html


The measurement for the Hba1c makes a 6.5% the 48 cut off for the diagnosis of diabetes. Different measurement structure.

This chart explains;


http://baspath.co.uk/Hba1c_table.pdf

 

[Browser]

Because an average 6.5 on your daily testing meter would give an estimated Hba1c of 38.8 mmol/L

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html


The measurement for the Hba1c makes a 6.5% the 48 cut off for the diagnosis of diabetes. Different measurement structure.

This chart explains;


http://baspath.co.uk/Hba1c_table.pdf

I'm aware of the Baspath table but am unfamiliar with the converter. Tricky getting your head round it. For simplicity's sake, what is the range for Type 2 you would ideally want the fingerprick reading to be in?

 

[Amigo]

NICE quote below 7 waking and no more than 8.5 two hours after a meal. Many type 2's on here aim lower but those levels work for me generally.