glucose level 127, hemoglobin 5.9. bad? (Metformin, blood, diet, require)

[semidevil]

So I got my blood drawn and I had glucose level of 127. My dr told me to go back for another lab and my hemoglobin ended up at a 5.9, which he said is upper normal. He wants me to be under 6.0. I'm due to go back for another set of labs in 3 months.

I asked him what this means and all he said was that I need to eat a bit healthier and get in regular exercise, or this can turn to diabetes, and didn't really tell me more.

I"m 28, about 148lbs, so not overweight ( I don't think).

So just a couple of questions.

Is this bad? 5.9 and 127? Do I need to start eating 0 grams sugar going forward? I"m going to start cutting on the refined flour and sugar, but some of my diet still has 2 to 3 grams of natural sugar here and there (greek yogurt, natural peanut butter, raw nuts, etc etc).

I'm just trying to gauge the severity of 5.9, and how much sugar it takes to get to 6.0.

[timneh5]

Your 5.9 number is called an A1C; it's a 3-month average of your blood levels. It matters when your blood was drawn to get a 127 number. Did you eat breakfast or lunch and then go to your appointment?

Over 125 is considered diabetic. Can it be 127, because you ate poorly for three months and is temporary? I'm not sure about that. You need to get yourself a glucose (blood) monitor to know how you are doing. You have to test your blood when you wake up (before eating), before meals and two hours after eating. Take these numbers to your next appointment and show these to your doctor. Are you on any medications? Metformin?

Also, many foods turn into sugar after you eat it, so it's not just the obvious sugar you need to be aware of. Here' a link to a site that has a lot of easy to understand information for you: Blood Sugar 101

Good luck~

[semidevil]

well, I wasn't expecting a blood test, so I did have a cup of cappuccino and some pita with hummus probably 30 minutes before the appointment, so I hope that was the reason it went to 127. The Dr. knew that too.

for the A1C, I also had a cup of oatmeal probably 3 to 4 hours before.

[timneh5]

Originally Posted by semidevil

well, I wasn't expecting a blood test, so I did have a cup of cappuccino and some pita with hummus probably 30 minutes before the appointment, so I hope that was the reason it went to 127. The Dr. knew that too.

for the A1C, I also had a cup of oatmeal probably 3 to 4 hours before.

Having blood taken for the A1C doesn't require a fast. This test is a 3-month average, so eating right for a couple of days before the test won't matter.

Get a monitor.

[Lolipopbubbles]

5.9 isn't considered good? are you people serious? My doctor doesn't want me that low. I am always told to fast before my 3 month A1c blood tests. I have to make sure I don't eat anything after 12 midnight the night before. The next morning I must drink water to get the blood flowing which makes it easier to get my drawn.

When I went for the first time I was well over 350 I think I was about 389 at that time. I was also over weight. You are only at 127 for the last 3 months and at 5.9 I am wondering why the hell are you considered at risk? Next time fast before going to get a better and, I think, more accurate reading. You want the last 3 months without the immediate morning breakfast to interfere. I would go for a second opinion after this.

[PAhippo]

kind of agree with lollipopbubbles.
I'd get the glucose checked again, preferably fasting but glycohemoglobin (aka a1c) of 5.9 is well within normal range.

[suzy_q2010]

See here about blood sugar:

Glucose Tests: At a Glance

Fasting Blood Glucose (drawn after 8 to 12 hours with nothing to eat or drink)

GLUCOSE LEVEL INDICATION
From 70 to 99 mg/dL: Normal fasting glucose
From 100 to 125 mg/dL: Impaired fasting glucose (pre- diabetes)
126 mg/dL and above on more than one testing occasion: Diabetes

See here about Hemoglobin A1C:

A1c and eAG: At a Glance | A1c and estimated Average Glucose

The Hemoglobin A1C may be drawn at the same time as blood for tests that do require fasting, but it is not necessary to fast for the A1C itself.

"In screening and diagnosis, some results that may be seen include:

A nondiabetic person will have an A1c result between 4% and 6%.
Diabetes: A1c level is 6.5% or higher.
Pre-diabetes (increased risk of developing diabetes in the future): A1c is 5.7% - 6.4%."

The OP's A1C is pre-diabetic. It would be helpful to know what the fasting blood sugar is, though.

OP, your doctor should have access to someone who does diabetes education. Ask for a referral. You need to to learn how to count the carbs in your diet and how to spread them out over the day.Without knowing your height, it is hard to know whether you might need to lose a few pounds, but it does not sound like you need to lose a lot. Your total calories per day will depend on whether you do need to lose some weight.

The educator can also teach you how to use a glucose monitor. Different doctors want you to test on different schedules. Find out what your doctor wants you to do. The monitors are cheap; the test strips are obscenely expensive. Your insurance may cover some of the cost. I do not think you will need to test 5 or 6 times per day, like some people who are on insulin need to do. You can test in the morning before you eat breakfast (fasting), and then before and after other meals on a random basis, once you get an idea of what you need to do with your diet.

For example, one day you might test fasting, then 2 hours after lunch and two hours after supper.

Another day, you might test before and after supper.

Another day before and after lunch.

If you have your carbs spread out properly, there should not be wide swings in the numbers.

The monitor will store some of the results for your doctor to look at, but it is helpful to also keep a log. If you do that and write down what you eat, you can find out if there are some specific foods that spike your sugar and that you need to avoid.

http://www.lantus.com/docs/consumer/pdf/BloodSugarLog.pdf (broken link).

Note that the chart is for someone on insulin. you do not need to test all of these times every day, and you do not need to get up at night and do it!

Regular daily exercise is essential. It can be as simple as walking.

Your goal is to normalize the Hemoglobin A1C. If you do that, you postpone the time at which you might need to be on medication for true diabetes. Your situation has apparently been caught early, so you have a great opportunity to take care of it now.

Busy doctors do not have time to discuss the nuts and bolts of diabetes with every patient, but just about every community has someone who can teach you what you need to know.

[ElkHunter]

Have a Blood Sugar of 127, 30 minutes after having something to eat, is not a bad reading. A person tends to go up 20 or so after a slight meal. So figuring you probably had closer to 107-110 is not a bad reading.

The 5.9 A1C is also not a real bad reading. Watch your diet a little bit and it will bring that down even more. But 5.9 is nothing to be alarmed about.

Did you tell your doctor that you had that small breakfast or meal 30 minutes prior to going to the lab?

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by Lolipopbubbles

5.9 isn't considered good? are you people serious? My doctor doesn't want me that low. I am always told to fast before my 3 month A1c blood tests. I have to make sure I don't eat anything after 12 midnight the night before. The next morning I must drink water to get the blood flowing which makes it easier to get my drawn.

When I went for the first time I was well over 350 I think I was about 389 at that time. I was also over weight. You are only at 127 for the last 3 months and at 5.9 I am wondering why the hell are you considered at risk? Next time fast before going to get a better and, I think, more accurate reading. You want the last 3 months without the immediate morning breakfast to interfere. I would go for a second opinion after this.

Your doctor is probably concerned about episodes of hypoglycemia, especially if you are on medication. That is why he does not want your A1C to be at the bottom of the normal range.

One meal does not make a significant difference in the A1C, so it does not have to be done fasting.

If you do have any test that requires fasting, do not eat or drink anything (including water) before the test.

The slight overnight dehydration is factored into the normal results of the test.

Drinking water will not make it any easier to draw the sample, and it can skew the results of some tests. If you are hard to stick, ask for a warm towel to be placed on your arm for a few minutes. That will dilate the blood vessels and make it easier to find a vein.

The OP's Hgb A1C number is in the pre-diabetic range. That is why his doctor wants to keep an eye on things.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Have a Blood Sugar of 127, 30 minutes after having something to eat, is not a bad reading. A person tends to go up 20 or so after a slight meal. So figuring you probably had closer to 107-110 is not a bad reading.

The 5.9 A1C is also not a real bad reading. Watch your diet a little bit and it will bring that down even more. But 5.9 is nothing to be alarmed about.

Did you tell your doctor that you had that small breakfast or meal 30 minutes prior to going to the lab?

The numbers are not "bad", but they are in ranges that suggest a pre-diabetic state, or "glucose intolerance."

And a fasting sugar of 100 or higher is considered glucose intolerant.