Re: Result!

I have 826 messages and 69 authors on my d'base.

Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

In order to manage on a daily basis.

It tells you whether it has been on average for the last 6 weeks or so. It doesn't tell you about what you might have done or not to achieve that, or about large peaks in BG levels which can be damaging. There is increasing clinical evidence that frequent, even short term peaks above 8mmol can be an issue.

Moreover, the NICE figure of 7.4% for HbA1c (for which doctors get payola) is 1.5% above the typical non-diabetic level. They have chosen a magic number that's easily achieved on average among the diabetic population, not one that is sensible.

If your GP surgery has told you that this is all that is necessary then they are selling you a long way short for reasons of cost saving.

Absolutely not unless you are precisely controlling mix of food groups and portion sizes. If you can eat the same things at the same times and predictably and have a predictable response, then occasional pre and post tests and an early morning one may be OK.

If you are managing to control these puely by diet and exercise, then it is certainly a good thing. However, it does mean that you are likely eating very predictably.

Arguably under these circumstances it is even more important to verify that results on a daily basis are what the HbA1c levels might suggest.

Nah, I have 400 test strips ATM, I must get around to using them. I tend not to as I can tell what my level is within +-1 by how I feel, can't everyone?

After you have been doing it for a few years you know what will happen when you eat stuff. Then you only need to test if something changes. Maybe mine is easier because I am on a more restricted diet due to the hyperglycemia?

Exercise? What's that?

Watch closely/ This year's number is higher in order to raise the bar

They will be out of date soon.

No and not always. I can sometimes if I stop and focus for a while. Not always possible.

Broadly but you can still be caught

That would certainly help, as does predicability of food and timings. I tend to have a lot more variables.

Apart from a daily regime, it's a great way, if you suddenly find yourself 2-3 mmol too high, to pull it down fairly quickly.

Ties and socks, mostly :-)

Owain

And hats? :)