HBA1C Test results

This topic contains 14 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by  PeonyLover 7 years, 8 months ago.

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  • Hi,

    I do not normally post anything on forums but on this occasion I feel I must spread the good news. I am semi retired, 66 and have had a high BMI for the last 10 years. My HBA1C readings have been getting higher each year. Last year June 2015 they reached 45 which is in the Pre-Diabetic range of 42-47 with 48 being in the Diabetic range. I was advised that I had to do something or it would inevitably move into the next range. I started by cutting back on “bad” foods and following a non over eating “diet” of “good” mainly low GI foods. I also got myself a bike. I had not ridden a bike for 30 years so that was fun and now the car stays in the garage most weeks and I cycle an average of 5 miles a day( mainly shopping!). I knew about 5:2 and purchased the books before I started in January this year. The thing I like the most is that you can chose your days and what keeps you going is the fact if you have a bad fast day( trouble sleeping) you can eat “normally” the next day ( within your TDEE). I did not weigh myself ( no scales) but I knew I was losing some weight as my shirt sizes started losing the X’s ( I did think the label printer had jammed there were so many!). The main reason I started however was the increased insulin sensitivity results predicted. Early this month I went for the HBA1C blood test having been on the diet for 5 weeks. I scored 39, yes 39 six points lower than previously and 2 within the normal range!This was also my lowest reading for 4 years.
    As HBA1C is an average of the last 2-3 months I can only conclude that 5:2 must have played any important part in this result factored in with the weight loss and exercise since the previous readings in June last year.

    One thing I must say if you believe in omens after day 1 on the diet I was crossing Waterloo bridge when I thought I know that face. It was the man himself Dr Max! I thought can I stop him and ask him about the diet as he must be incredibly busy and may not take kindly to being stopped so I bit the bullet and stopped him. He was a delight and a really nice guy. I asked a few questions and told him what I was doing and he was really interested. You cannot get better information than that my own consultation with the author! Good luck to everyone on the diet.

    Glad you wrote in! I’m a new member and have an a1c reading which I have been watching for over a decade (US version). I’m curious whether yours has reduced further? I found an immediate reduction after going to a vegan diet, then gradually creeping up again as I added non-plant protein to my diet. I now sometimes have moderate amounts of boiled or poached chicken eggs, fish, roasted chicken meat, and lately, split pea soup made in a slow cooker with a ham hock. My a1c reading shot up at this last item! Otherwise my diet has not changed. I am now wondering if digestion time is a factor? And the rest during the fast daya gives me time to digest everything – no prolonged back-up?

    Hi,

    I am also interested as my results were the first time they have gone down. They are in the normal range so I do not need to reduce them further however I need to wait a couple of more months before I have another blood test. The problem is that now that I am in the normal range I should be re-tested very 12 months according to my local surgery. As I was tested in March I could ask to be tested again in August\September some 6 months after my results. I know I have lost weight and feel much fitter but I am wary of too much monitoring and in fact only recently got a set of scales. I keep a spreadsheet and record monthly changes to my weight and measurements. I also take my BP readings. I am lucky in that I am not a sweet lover and prefer savoury items but I do eat cheese and treat myself to a pasty or pie once a month. I am also not a great drinker and can easily have a coke on a night out. On my non fast days I do stick well within my TDEE and again like salads! One thing i have noticed is that when you go all day on 600 KCal a ‘normal’ meal on your non-fast days now seems a lot.

    Another reason for monitoring too much is simple. The ups and downs get averaged out as I know it will take a couple of ‘bad’ results and I would probably slip back to my old ways. It is like that message about dogs, this is for life not just Christmas. Keep up the good work.

    Of course! The frequency of testing you describe for yourself sounds reasonable, as does your strategy to even out the ups and downs. After 5 “fast-weeks”, my weight seems to have decreased by 8 pounds. I have a scale that measures in stone, but haven’t used it for a decade or more. I, too, have noticed that after the fast period is over, I look forward to eating copiously. But in practise, I don’t! This A. M. I experimented with slicing a portobello mushroom cap so that the pieces resembled bacon. That recipe was featured on the Dr. Oz TV program (doctoroz.com). The result was surprisingly good!

    Hi,

    8 pounds in 5 weeks that is good progress. It is another trick all dieting clubs use try carrying around the equivalent in bags of sugar all day and you soon appreciate the loss. As for other tips, soup is mine that helps on fast days. A 200 K cal carton of soup works wonders. Another trick I have learnt is the addition of a diced apple or pear to a salad plus a few almonds and a walnut( a poor mans Waldorf salad), obviously no mayo! Some supermarkets do a coleslaw mix that just contains the sliced cabbage etc also without the mayo. You have also noticed the sneaky side of the fast diet in that when you can go all day on 500 K cals a “normal” plate of food seems massive! I also think giving your body a rest a couple of days a week must help in your overall health and throw in the fact that you can eat normally the rest of the week and we have cracked it.

    Our comments have centered on weight-loss and foods. Actually I am most interested in the 5-2 (or 6-1) procedure’s impact on ‘diabetes’. In the book named ‘The FastDiet’ the section that caught my attention most was The Science of Fasting, particularly the portion beginning on page 16. I’ve had numerous blood analysis results showing that ALL factors are within normal ranges EXCEPT the A1c. A vegan diet (we have both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s grocery stores nearby, as well as a diner that serves such items as parsnip and carrot fries, and roasted sweet potato, onion and basil leaf wraps) has made a huge difference in the A1c readings. I speculate that the difference is not the food content. It is the digestion time required for the food items. Now I have a manual that lists foods by time to digest. I am experimenting with the items on the list as well as this diet which allows ‘catch-up times’ during fast days so that digestion can complete each week. I look forward to my next A1c reading. Maybe it will go down? Also I look forward to my next health assessment. The word ‘Obese’ on my mostly perfect personal report has rankled me for a long time!

    Hi,

    Pages 60-64 are very useful in understanding how fasting helps in diabetes. It is odd if all factors are in normal range why the HBA 1C is not . It is supposed to be an average of 2-3 months however If you read about the test then they say there are factors that can give an inaccurate reading so I do think if your HBA 1C results are not moving in the right direction then maybe you need ask a Doctor the question why. It sounds like you have a list of GI foods i.e foods that release energy slowly so that is useful. As for the obese be grateful that they have not added the word morbidly as it is another stick to beat people with!

    I wouldn’t describe potatoes as a good low sugar/carb content vegetable. Or onions and carrots for that matter. Go for you cruciferous vegetables if your HBA1C is high.

    Why not buy a blood glucose meter and monitor your BG every morning and keep track of it. Makes it easy to see which food sources cause your BG to spike. Not everyone responds to the same foods the same way. The meters are really very cheap to buy and the test strips are about 30 cents each.

    First, (to ‘tessauc’) the description “morbidly obese” – even worse than “obese” – continues to liven my imagination (chuckle)! Am I ‘obese’? Random photos of myself… confront the horrible truth… Second, the list I refer to came into existence way before hypoglycemic ideas were popularized. Its title is “Composition and Facts about Foods…” by Ford Heritage, first published ca. 1968, although I own a 1993 reprint. [American Indian reprint?]

    I hypothesize that the assumptions behind the whole GI and GL analysis may be only partly “on track”. Decades ago, candy sellers during the holiday season were trying to boost their products by claiming them suitable for diabetics because they didn’t cause sudden spikes in a1c measurements – their GI/GL numbers were better. (What does that say about the a1c concept?) Here in the U.S., much the same arguments are made for red-skinned potatoes (GI 88/ GL 16) vs. russet (Irish?) potatoes (77/23). As for sweet potatoes, well, for the same size portion they clock in at (48/11). These numbers are taken from “The New Glucose Revolution…” by Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller, Kaye Foster-Powell and David Mendosa, 2006 edition. (Yams are rated 37/13.)

    For some 3 years (after my stroke, but not because I thought that event was related – I was just bored at my slow recovery of physical energy) I privately wrote to document all food I ate, when I ate, and my periodic home meter readings of blood pressure and blood sugar. Besides, writing was one more tool for recovery. Although by long habit I rarely indulged in sugary foods, I noticed that my vegan-style of eating, my slow addition of occasional boiled or poached eggs, fish and then poultry protein (never red meat), and my low-salt diet had the most impact on meter readings.

    Now I realize that my insistence on a vegan diet at the time of my hospitalization 4 years ago was a blessing in disguise! I lost weight just because hospital and recovery-center meals were meat-centered. Token peas and carrots were common. The rest was generally inedible to a vegan. Within months I became ‘normal’ in weight and frequently did not require diabetic medication (insulin or metformin, eg.) at all, based on daily measurements by hospital staff.

    {To ‘bigbooty’): Your references make me think that you are familiar with diabetic concerns… I would like to hear more about your personal experiences, if it is not too intrusive. Our local Whole Foods store has several long counters of freshly prepared healthful foods. When I first came home a neighbor was able to drive me to that store, then help me dish out selections into carry-out cartons, sufficient to feed myself between shopping trips. At that time I was heavily dependent on a walker. I had very low energy, needing periodic naps during the day. Now, four years later, I get most of my sleeping at night, prepare my own foods, drive, garden outdoors, etc. – no walker. The local YMCA has an ‘adaptive services’ program, allowing persons with disabilities to exercise under supervision. On the Web, people who have had a similar stroke testify that a measured 8-year recovery period leads back to full functioning as the brain rebuilds.

    While I realize that ‘type2 diabetes’ may encompass numerous diseases, all lumped into one category based on current a1c measurements of high blood sugar, I am eager to hear from other diabetics with real-life experiences – UK or Aussie residents? whose medical experiences may be different from the typical U.S. patient’s…

    Hi PL,

    No Im not a diabetic but I have a reasonable understanding of what causes type 2. Its an occupational hazard but I need to research things and understand them. Hence my mid life crisis involved becoming healthy and eating healthy. After some research I came to realise that most of what we had been told by health “officials” was utter crap. 40 years of well intentioned misinformation regarding what constituted a healthy diet. Most diabetic societies, doctors and allied health officials still push this misinformation, which just astounds me. Its almost they are now trapped in their own lies and cant come out and say, actually we’ve been wrong for the last 50 years. Sorry.

    Great to hear that you’ve progressed so well. As I jokingly say. I’ll eventually die healthy.

    (to ‘bigbooty’, Jun 18) Your response is intriguing… I refer especially to “…most of what we had been told by health “officials” was utter crap. 40 years of well intentioned misinformation regarding what constituted a healthy diet… ” But my conjectures of what you mean might not be the same as your actual meaning… Can you give some examples of the ‘misinformation’ ? And any personal experiences that led you to such a conclusion?

    (to ‘tessauc’, Jun 16) The phrase in your sentence “…however If you read about the test then they say there are factors that can give an inaccurate reading…” caught my attention! I found a glossary in my Glucose Revolution reference that defines the a1c as measuring the percentage of “glycated hemoglobin” proportional to the amount of glucose in the blood (I’ve tried to condense the nine lines I found).

    Do you have any more detailed Web reference I can look at? Or can you give me any clues what those inaccuracy factors might be? As to consulting “my doctor” – well, I confess to having reservations on that matter. First, ‘my D.O. doctor’ – whose help I valued – has left the local health facility, and is no longer employed. There has been a financially necessitated organizational ‘take-over’ recently. Secondly, post-take-over unfortunately, financial aspects seem to compete with restoring patients to health (that policy makes patients less of a financial resource?)

    I’m aware that the instant “strip tests” are quite different from the a1c. Online, there is a formula to convert strip test results to a1c result equivalents (for comparison). Also, I’m aware that when the strip tests are administered in relation to meals, etc., there’s a huge difference in test results…

    To tessauc: Sorry if my questions are so elementary! But, it seems that each answer simply raises more questions… Now I have discovered the ‘glycated hemoglobin’ entry in Wikipedia. And on and on! I’ve taken to writing down my questions, then using the Internet to try to find answers. The FastDiet book (and method), particularly Dr. Mosley’s accurate descriptions, is a big boost for me to get closer to an answer: Why is the glycation percentage increasing in my tests thus indicating my diabetic potential? Or reality?

    Guess I’m now in a one-way conversation? Further investigation got me to this article May 7, 2013 issue of Cell Metabolism, referred to in the Joslin Center in Boston.
    https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/discovery-of-new-hormone-opens-doors-to-new-type-2-diabetes-treatments/

    All of this is to say that the Hba1c measurement is a point of some question to me! I understand that it is the accepted way to measure diabetes in a person. But I continue to question whether there is some better, more relevant way that is more applicable …

    And, best of all, The Fast Diet is squarely on point! I’m still going downward toward a ‘normal’ weight. Fasting periodically really is working for me! If losing weight does make my diabetes symptoms diminish, then I can take it as confirmation of the Harvard studies’ findings?

    Hello,

    I am not ignoring you but I have been conducting a test on myself. I have been on 5:2 since January this year so as a test I came off it to see if my weight changed. It is also a way to recharge the batteries although it is an easy diet to follow I was constantly thinking of which fast days to follow and it was getting tedious.
    Interestingly although I have not lost any weight I have not put any on. I have only recently started weighing myself and when I was told I was pre-diabetic last year my Doctor did weigh me. I had an appointment recently and as aside she noticed my weight loss and weighed me again. So with 6 months cutting back and exercise and 6 months 5:2 I had lost 20 Kgs, or 44 lbs in old money. Hence I thought I would see which one worked but at the moment none the wiser.

    As for HBA1 C it is an average taken over a few months and is an useful indicator as with all the readings such as Blood pressure, Cholesterol so while they should be taken into account the movement is the key if they go up then there is a problem if they go down then you are on the right track. I take the point about Doctors mentioned previously as they are always catching up with the latest research and the Harvard findings are an example. The role of saturated fats are now being questioned by the latest findings and I am sure there will be some more findings that will confirm or refute any research. The key to me is what you are saying in that you are losing weight symptoms are diminishing and fasting is working. All weight loss stories without exception are positive and fasting has been around since biblical times.

    I am a great believer in stone age man school of thought in that he did not have 3 meals a day probably went hungry most days and exercised daily chasing something to eat sounds like 5:2 to me!

    Keep heading towards a normal weight you know it makes sense.

    I have reservations about the HBA 1c test first because I have wondered about its behavior in my own case. Then I began to investigate its details via the Internet. First, the ‘a or A’ part. Apparently hemoglobin types include A, but there are many others. And, depending on one’s nationality (genetic ancestry) there may be varying or no type A hemoglobin in one’s red blood. Increasingly, in the U.S. and other places, one’s ancestry may be quite unusual mixtures? Not always known?

    Secondly, the glycated hemoglobin (of Type A) once glycated remains so during the life of the red blood cell. Since the glycated hemoglobin is expressed as a percentage of all hemoglobin in the sample, the percentage for the same amount of glycated hemoglobin will vary depending on one’s own blood composition. (Assuming my understandings are correct…)

    And then, there are numerous varieties of HBA1c tests. In my own case, when my doctor’s sponsoring hospital was taken over by another agency (and another blood sampling tester), my a1c test results ceased being stable and began to increase showing greater and greater percentages with every test. The only change in my diet was perhaps more protein? My frequently measured weight did not change. Because blood pressure measurements by the general clinic vs. my doctor’s private measurements taken ca. 30 minutes later were often significantly different (the doctor’s always lower), I wondered about those – a1c, and blood pressure – discrepancies.

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