Can hba1c of 38 be bad?

[Rainbowblob]

Looking through an old health check and noticed this level and obviously stalked the internet until I found a source that said it could be. NHS says it’s normal. Not sure if I should follow up on it.

Had the test because of unexplained weight gain. Doctor never followed up on the result and it says on the form the number is in the normal range. I’m still putting in weight though. Never had weight problems until about two years ago. Now seem to be uncontrollably gaining weight :-(

I found that it’s just since I hit my 30s that weight gain became an issue - as we age our metabolism slows down and your body simply stores the excess.

38 doesn’t seem too high - it might just be time to have a look at dropping your calorie intake a little or go for a walk in your lunch break etc

I was told 42 is pre-diabetic range.

Thanks. I’m worried. 4 years ago my bmi was 22 now it’s 28 so I’m firmly in the overweight bmi group now. I’m 38 now. It’s has been a bit of a shock not being able to control my weight I’ve never had problems at all up until last few years.

Can’t seem to lose anything at all. Constantly dieting or doing something or the other to try to control it. Obviously getting everything wrong! Hate getting older!

Mine is consistently 39. I'm slim so no real weight issues. I do feel ill after eating anything sugary so avoid sugar.

I've also wondered if I ate "normally" maybe my result would be higher and I would be officially pre-diabetic?

Interestingly, my slim and fit pre-teen DD also had a result of 38.

38 is a perfectly normal HBA1c.

Undiagnosed type 1 makes you lose weight, not gain it and type 2 doesn't make you gain weight either.

Thanks @Gingerkittykat wonder why the doctor had me take that test then! I went in concerned about my weight.

Did you have tests to check your thyroid?

@HelpNeededBeforeIHaveABreakdown no but i am thinking to get this done. My GP is really hard to see atm so I have just left things but I keep piling on the weight despite trying to stop it.
Every year I’m another size up. Perhaps it’s age but I’ve never been big so this has come as a shock and I’m not getting it under control.

An HbA1c that low in a person with diabetes might indicate that they were having hypos that they might not be aware of, and so might need adjustments to their insulin regime to reduce the risk of having major hypos. For a person who doesn’t have diabetes, or has diabetes and isn’t on insulin, or medication that creates insulin production, that level is perfectly normal/fine.

HbA1c is a pretty standard test to do in a routine screening at your GPs. Type 2 diabetes doesn’t make you gain weight as a previous poster said, but being overweight can increase your risk of developing it. I think they were just ruling it out.

Definitely ask for a thyroid test. If you've gone underactive that could cause weight gain .

Thanks @GG1986 ive booked myself in for a private thyroid test tomorrow.

Because being overweight can cause t2dm (so he's checking for effect of the weight gain rather than cause of

Thanks @Destiny123 im so ignorant I thought t2diabetes caused weight gain!

Reading up on thyroid issues and tick almost everything on the list of symptoms for that so maybe I’ll get some answers soon.

It's within the range but isn't it at the top of the range?

@Rainbowblob I'm underactive thyroid. Keep an eye on your vit d levels and irom too as you get older. Mine fluctuate. I've learned to read my bodies needs.

I've not managed to keep the weight down unless I've stuck to 1200 call per day and I'm fed up of doing that now.

The values for HbA1C must be vastly different in the UK than in the US.

It is completely normal. The pre-diabetes range is 42-47, type 2 is diagnosed on 48+. Hope that reassures you.

Having said that, there is no harm in cutting back a bit on refined carbs and foods containing sugar.

Because being overweight can contribute to the causes of Type 2 diabetes, so they wanted to check to make sure you are not currently at risk. And you're not.

That would be equivalent to 5.6% if you use percentages-uk tends to use mmol/l most of the time now. In any case a normal Hba1c. I’m very surprised thyroid tests weren’t taken along with the original HbA1c though if weight gain was the issue though.

Thank you

Mine was 38 last year so also 5.6%. It is right on the borderline of how pre diabetes is defined in the US which starts at 5.7% https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4933534/#:~:text=Nondiabetes%20usually%20falls%20within%20the,higher%20HbA1c%20levels%20have%20diabetes.

I got a cgm and found I was getting very high glucose spikes in response to many of the foods I was eating. I changed my diet (mainly reducing bread, added sugar and starchy carbs) and cut upf. As a result I lost 15kg and my hba1c is now 32. I feel so much healthier with more energy and have lost all my sugar cravings.

I would really recommend you review your diet before it gets any higher. It is quite easy to reduce (look at the glucose goddess method for tips). Also building muscle is key as it acts as a glucose store.

@Itisnearlyspring thank you that is so useful. Tbh I need to get my weight down one way or another. Just really struggling and never struggled before. Having the thyroid tests tomorrow and may think about getting the hbac1 again just in case.

Hopefully will figure out how to get my weight down as well as I’m failing miserably. Cutting carbs sounds like a good plan.

Try not to worry. It is great you found out now before it got too high. There are loads of things which really help

1. Food ordering - eat any carbs last after protein, and fibre. The fibre will help slow down the absorption of the sugar
2. Exercise - a walk or even just soleus ankle raises after a meal lowers blood sugar
3. Definitely try to build muscle - more protein will help with this
4. Some people like to have acv before meals which also helps
5. Cook cool and reheat starchy carbs e.g potatoes, this really lowers the spikes. Waxy potatoes also give lower spikes than floury ones.

Are you getting any peri menopausal symptoms? Most women's hba1c goes up a lot then becuase it is harder for your body to deal with the sugar. If so you might want to consider hrt.