chrismth
01-26-2001, 11:26 PM
Because my triglyceride levels kept going up despite increased exercise and a low fat diet my doctor tested my blood sugar. My fasting blood glucose was 90 and my Hemoglobin A1C was 6.3 He said it was normal, however I have read that thhe Hemoglobin A1C in most nondiabetics is about 5. I cut way back on the amount of carbohydrates I was eating and reduced my triglycerides from 400 to 167 in 6 weeks.
Is a hemoglobin A1C of 6.3 considered normal in a nondiabetic?
Chris S.
Is a hemoglobin A1C of 6.3 considered normal in a nondiabetic?
Chris S.
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Oldguy
01-27-2001, 09:00 AM
Hi Chris, No Worry...6.1 is good. God Bless, Oldguy
chrismth
01-27-2001, 09:30 AM
Hi Oldguy:
I realize that 6.3 is good for a diabetic. In fact, I read that "6.2" is the "goal". But isn't it a little high for someone who is not supposed to be a diabetic? The source I read said that even a difference in 1 point was very significant. In other words, a 6 is good, a 7 is not. This source said most nondiabetics had a Hemoglobin A1C of 5.
I know a fasting blood sugar of 90 is normal. However, I read that you can have a normal fasting blood sugar and still be developing type II diabetes.
I'm looking for a reason why my triglycerides were so high. Plus I have other problems that could point towards insulin resistance.
Thanks for answering
Chris S.
I realize that 6.3 is good for a diabetic. In fact, I read that "6.2" is the "goal". But isn't it a little high for someone who is not supposed to be a diabetic? The source I read said that even a difference in 1 point was very significant. In other words, a 6 is good, a 7 is not. This source said most nondiabetics had a Hemoglobin A1C of 5.
I know a fasting blood sugar of 90 is normal. However, I read that you can have a normal fasting blood sugar and still be developing type II diabetes.
I'm looking for a reason why my triglycerides were so high. Plus I have other problems that could point towards insulin resistance.
Thanks for answering
Chris S.
arkie6
01-27-2001, 02:31 PM
High triglycerides are caused by the consumption of excess carbohydrates (i.e. above energy requirements) which get converted to fats (triglycerides) and stored as fat. Actually, the consumption of fat in the diet has little to no effect on triglyceride levels. As seen by the first post, reducing carbohydrates is what it takes to reduce triglycerides. And the best ones to cut back on are sugars and starches like those found in breads, cakes, candies, pasta, and fruits (fructose also raises triglycerides).
Oldguy
01-27-2001, 08:08 PM
Chris, Go to my reply to Andrea that has a last post date of 1-08-2001. It'll clarify some of the Hba1c test. All of the other information therein is good also. Don't worry so much about bad things that may happen. If you follow the right eating pattern and do moderate exercise....what else can you do? There have been so many docs saying that obesity causes type II diabetes, but don't believe it. New findings indicate that insulin affects brain signaling which in turn stimulates fat building hormones.(In fact, I just got a newsletter today about it, and when I read it I'll share it). I don't want you to think taht there's nothing you can do now. Fight the fat urge and you'll be fighting the drift into type II. God Bless and care for you, Oldguy
chrismth
01-28-2001, 01:17 AM
Hi Old Guy:
I'm not too worried about what might happen, but I am looking for explanations for some problems. For example, I have exertional angina along with hypertension and elevated lipids. A nuclear treadmill test showed mild ischemia in the area of the left anterior descending artery. A cardiac cath showed no coronary artery disease! This sometimes happens with a condition called "microvascular angina" and often the patient is insulin resistant. I understand you can be insulin resistant without actually having diabetes. I guess its a matter of how insulin resistant you are. I'm looking at taking nitrates for the rest of my life (I guess I am lucky they work as I read they don't always work with this condition). I also just read an article on insulin and hypertension.
Chris S.
I'm not too worried about what might happen, but I am looking for explanations for some problems. For example, I have exertional angina along with hypertension and elevated lipids. A nuclear treadmill test showed mild ischemia in the area of the left anterior descending artery. A cardiac cath showed no coronary artery disease! This sometimes happens with a condition called "microvascular angina" and often the patient is insulin resistant. I understand you can be insulin resistant without actually having diabetes. I guess its a matter of how insulin resistant you are. I'm looking at taking nitrates for the rest of my life (I guess I am lucky they work as I read they don't always work with this condition). I also just read an article on insulin and hypertension.
Chris S.
Oldguy
01-28-2001, 08:44 AM
Hello Chris, OW! What you have is serious business and so similar to my wife's condition, except that she is a brittle diabetic. When you say the left anterior descending artery and angina, I take it that the artery is on that on the back of your heart and not one of the femoral arteries in your left leg. Besides being on nitrates, I also take it you are on so called blood thinners such as Plavix, coumadin, etc. Ischemia inevitably leads to ischemic damage if the muscle is overtaxed at all, and this means slow atrophy and pain, ie: angina and eventual heart attack. Many doctors will diagnose this without consideration of triglyceride levels because so little is known about them. I guess it's because the rheology (viscosity measurement) of blood serum doesn't change with triglyceride numbers. None the less, blood aggregates are very common with high triglycerides, and these do plug the microvessels and cause pooling, discoloration (usually tan spider lines on the skin) and pain (to the touch if external). These aggregates are not formed by oxidative stress, but seem only to materialize with the high tg's, and dissolve away once the tg's are down to about 500 or less. I've never heard of insulin resistance without having diabetes, but I'm not a doctor. A 6.1 Hba1c indicates a continual blood glucose average of about 130 to 140, which is above normal. It does indicate that glycation and /or glycosylation is present, This is damage in the form of protein modifications by attachments of sugars to the proteins. The latter term means by the catalyzation by an enzyme or metal such as free haem iron. With ischemia, I can picture free iron resulting from dying blood corpuscles at a relatively low blood sugar level. I can give you an alternative drug regimen that you can follow, and which I believe will reverse your condition with exception of controlling your glucose level. In your case, you can do this by eliminating most carbohydrates, especially bread, in your diet. If you eat a potatoe, eat it with butter; bread also. The butter prevents the immediate assimilation and tempers the spikes that normally occur from such ingestion. Avoid them if you can. I've gone on and on far too long, but there is a lot to say, and it's all important. I'll advise you to E me at bobtravis@hotmail.com for more info. God bless and care for you, Oldguy
chrismth
01-28-2001, 09:27 AM
Hi Old Guy:
Thank you for your informative response. The cardiologists dont think I have a problem at all. In fact, one of them doesn't even think this microvascular syndrome exists. (they call it syndrome x, but not to be confused with the metabolic syndrome x, even though both conditions have a lot in common) The other recognizes it, but doesn't think I have it and sees no reason for further testing. Fortunately my own pcp is taking it more seriously. He says people with normal coronary arteries still have heart attacks.
Yes, the left anterior descending (LAD) artery is in the front of the heart, on the left side. No, I'm not on any anticoagulants, just toprol xl, imdur (nitrate) and lipitor. I was on aspirin also. I dc'd it myself, maybe I shouldn't. Apparently this microvascular condition does not lead to heart attack but my feeling is that they do not know that much about it. It is more common in women. In fact, they say that 50 percent of women with chest pain that appears to be cardiac have normal coronary arteries.
My triglycerides were never as high as you are describing, but who knows they might have gotten there. They doubled in a month. In sept they were 200 (up from 179) and a month later they were 400. This was on lipitor and the same low fat diet I was on when they were 179. Lipitor acts on the LDL but also has some affect on triglycerides, so they shouldn't go up.
I followed a modified Zone diet which is similar to what you are describing. It seemed to have worked but it is tough. I love carbohydrates. Apparently you can be insulin resistant to a certain degree, requiring higher amounts of insulin, without actually being considered diabetic.
So you think a Hemoglobin A1C of 6.3 is abnormal for a person who is not supposed to be diabetic? I wondered myself. I think the test is used mainly for screening diabetics blood sugar control, so doctors don't think in terms of normal and the nondiabetic.
Chris S.
Thank you for your informative response. The cardiologists dont think I have a problem at all. In fact, one of them doesn't even think this microvascular syndrome exists. (they call it syndrome x, but not to be confused with the metabolic syndrome x, even though both conditions have a lot in common) The other recognizes it, but doesn't think I have it and sees no reason for further testing. Fortunately my own pcp is taking it more seriously. He says people with normal coronary arteries still have heart attacks.
Yes, the left anterior descending (LAD) artery is in the front of the heart, on the left side. No, I'm not on any anticoagulants, just toprol xl, imdur (nitrate) and lipitor. I was on aspirin also. I dc'd it myself, maybe I shouldn't. Apparently this microvascular condition does not lead to heart attack but my feeling is that they do not know that much about it. It is more common in women. In fact, they say that 50 percent of women with chest pain that appears to be cardiac have normal coronary arteries.
My triglycerides were never as high as you are describing, but who knows they might have gotten there. They doubled in a month. In sept they were 200 (up from 179) and a month later they were 400. This was on lipitor and the same low fat diet I was on when they were 179. Lipitor acts on the LDL but also has some affect on triglycerides, so they shouldn't go up.
I followed a modified Zone diet which is similar to what you are describing. It seemed to have worked but it is tough. I love carbohydrates. Apparently you can be insulin resistant to a certain degree, requiring higher amounts of insulin, without actually being considered diabetic.
So you think a Hemoglobin A1C of 6.3 is abnormal for a person who is not supposed to be diabetic? I wondered myself. I think the test is used mainly for screening diabetics blood sugar control, so doctors don't think in terms of normal and the nondiabetic.
Chris S.