Hemoglobin A1c

[iron sing]

What do you mean fasting glucose or insulin? I don't think I've ever had my insulin measured?


Yes the post meal readings are ok, but they are also from a complete keto diet. So they shouldn't move much at all. When I eat carbs they go pretty wonky.
I have a cheat meal friday, when I do I will take my readings before, 30 mins after and 2 hours after.

next time get your doctor to measure your fasting insulin.

What is the fasting insulin test?​

When it comes to blood sugar issues, early detection is key. Detecting an issue early can help you avoid it becoming a full-blown chronic illness.

This is where the fasting insulin test comes in. The fasting insulin test – not to be confused with the fasting glucose test – is one of the most accurate tests available to detect a trend toward pre-diabetes. We call it the “pre-pre-diabetes test” because it measures your insulin levels, which typically become imbalanced long before glucose or HbA1C levels.

Most doctors screen patients for diabetes with the fasting glucose test. If that test comes back normal, they tell you you’re good to go. Unfortunately, it’s not always accurate at picking up a potential blood sugar issue: your body will often compensate for an issue by raising insulin levels to keep your blood glucose and HbA1c in check.

Even if the results of your blood glucose test are fine, you could still be in the early stages of developing a blood sugar issue. The fasting insulin test, however, will pick it up.

To be clear, blood glucose and HbA1C testing are valuable, but the fasting insulin test is ideal for predicting early signs of blood sugar trouble.

 

[Heraclitus]

I thought this too, but my fasting glucose done by the lab has been:
6.5
6.1
6.6
6.0
6.5
6.3
6.6
6.5

These numbers are from most recent to 2 years ago all taken fairly evenly apart.

Fasting insulin is a common blood test that measures insulin levels what you posted are glucose measurements.
it is assumed they are correlated because there is an assumption that everyone is eating a high carb diet.

But carb restriction lowers insulin levels.
Low insulin activates hormone sensitive lipase which breaks down fatty tissue and these fatty acids are mostly uesed up by muscle cells. This automatically induces insulin resistance in those muscles, sparing glucose for cells that cannot use fatty acids or ketones as fuel. Your body in general isn't "resistant to insulin", it is just partitioning it.

bottom line is if your blood sugar and insulin are both high, that is pathological.
If you have low/normal insulin and high blood sugar, this is an expected physiological response.

 

[Heraclitus]

....... When I eat carbs they go pretty wonky.
I have a cheat meal friday, when I do I will take my readings before, 30 mins after and 2 hours after.

people on low carb diets need to eat at least 150grams of carbs for 3 days to be able to pass a glucose tolerance test. (your cheat meal)
Takes time for the hormones to downregulate allowing the muscle cells to preferentially take up glycogen again.

 

[Peter Akara]

got mine done... 5.7%.. Anything less than 5.7 is condsidered normal... at 5.7% I am considered pre diabetic.

I am on a keto diet and still got 5.7% so I am guessing if I was eating carbs it would be higher..

I really want to go on metaformin to prevent diabetes.. I can't understand why my old doctor didn't want me to.. metaformin can prevent type 2 is my understanding not just treat it. Am I inccorect?

Based on an A1C of 5.7%:

-You are not diabetic or pre-diabetic.
-You do not need Metformin.
-Metformin does NOT prevent diabetes, metformin helps re-sensitize muscles to uptake glucose from the blood. Exercise and lowering dietary carbs is the much better way to do this anyways.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

PA

 

[Rocky]

got mine done... 5.7%.. Anything less than 5.7 is condsidered normal... at 5.7% I am considered pre diabetic.

I am on a keto diet and still got 5.7% so I am guessing if I was eating carbs it would be higher..

I really want to go on metaformin to prevent diabetes.. I can't understand why my old doctor didn't want me to.. metaformin can prevent type 2 is my understanding not just treat it. Am I inccorect?

I remember reading about how a keto diet can induce temporary insulin resistance that reverses once carbs are re-introduced to the diet, maybe that is why, it's done by the body to keep blood sugars elevated so you don't go hypoglycemic and die since you're not eating carbohydrates. (if i recall it was peter attia mentioning the research about this and said it only takes the body a few days after re-introducing carbohydrates for this effect to reverse)