Moan about meaningless doctors letter

client1_2

I'm diabetic.

Went in for a blood test (3pm so wasn't a fasting one).

Got a letter back stating

"your cholesterol is raised at 5.6"

"your glucose monitoring level is high at 79"

5.6 what? 79 what? Someone too lazy to write!

5.6 is UK average.

79 (mmol/L) is assume. Whats is based on, give me the range of normal.

Nope, just dump a couple of figures down and tell me to come in.

Horseunderwater

79 is not the m/mol reading. More likely is mg/dl which if you enter that into a converter comes out at 4.38 m/mol -so pretty normal. Was it done as an HbA1c test? Usually clinics/dr do it every 3-6 months depending on their diabetic patient types. Some need more regular checks than others. Mine gets done every 3 for example, but I also have a self checker which if used every day gets and average per 30 days m/mol on it. Your cholesteral while 5.6 is not too bad, but nanny state want it to be 4.0 now. Used to be 5 until 18 months back. Mine is 8.3%, but this is due to other medical problems and drugs that I must take. Hopefully once I can get my treatment for that stabilized the other thing can get lowered via diet. Your GP or if you have one diabetic consultant may wish to pop you onto a statin to help lower the cholesterol - not an option for me as I have an autoimmune illness that is incurable and has contra indications for statin use. So GP etc have to live with high level for now.

client1_2

I assume it was a HbA1c (although that should have been a fasting)

4.38 m/mol I wouldn't call HIGH.

7.9 m/mol would be high. So again more confusion on a simple letter.

I hate medication, they had me on high blood pressue tablets, I had HBP at the time, I stopped them, and now have normal blood pressure again.

sizzler1893

HBA1c measuring has recently been changed to mm/ol although the classifications are totally different to home glucose readings.

the 79 mm'ol equates to a hBA1c of 9% old style so yes it is out of range.

HBA1c tests do not have to be fasting as it takes the reading of the amount of glucose attached to cells over the previous 4wks.

The link goes to the DiabetesUK website page that will do the coversions for you

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Professionals/Publications-reports-and-resources/Tools/Changes-to-HbA1c-values/

HTH