My blood glucose test is HBA1C is now 48, I'm very worried. (2024)

Does an HBA1C result of 48mmol/mol mean that I am now Diabetic 1. The message I got from the Health Centre was that everything was satisfactory and to go for a new blood test in 6 months time.

I've now got the report print out and it states in follow up action, "Need to repeat test". I'm very concerned about this as 48mmol/mol is the diagnostic cut off for Type 2 diabetes. I don't know exactly what this means, am I now diabetic 1 or do I still have some headroom at level 2?

I'm currently on Metformin 500mg and my pre breakfast finger prick tests or never over 6.8 and often in the mid 5s. I rarely test at the other 3 stages.

Whilst I think my diet is quite good do I have to go on a full diabetes type 1 diet and consider insulin?
Iam really very worried and confused so any advise/comment would be very welcome, thanks

It doesn’t mean you are type 1 no. People with type 2 can have a figure in the three digits.

Mine was 75mm/mol on diagnosis. My current is 47 which puts me back into the pre-diabetic range (just). I will always be considered as a type 2 diabetic though, even if I retain that good control.

You don't change from one type to another unless you have been wrongly diagnosed in the first place. Type 1s have completely lost the ability to make any insulin of their own, current thinking is that it is an autoimmune reaction which completely destroys the pancreas cells. Type 2s do still make their own insulin but their body is resistant to it and doesn’t use it properly. Type 1s always have to have injected insulin to replace what they can't make any more, type 2s can be diet controlled alone, or on various different types of pills which all work in a slightly different way, or can even progress onto insulin, if that happens they are still classed as type 2 though, because they still make insulin but need much more of it. Some people can manage perfectly easily on diet control alone, others can't, everyone is different!

You are unlikely to be type 1 with a hba1c of only 48 (my daughter's last one was 49 after a lot of hard work to try and keep her numbers stable) , but to be honest what type you are is less important than whether the treatment you are on is working. We'd be well happy with numbers like yours every morning! If you're worried though you could try testing before meals and then 2 hours after for a few days, and see how much your numbers rise after eating. I think the guidelines are that if the rise is more than 3 mmol/l then you need to be trying to cut down your carb intake. Unfortunately whichever type of diabetes you have, it's flippin' hard work if you want to keep yourself as healthy as possible

No it doesn't change you to a Type 1, there are many diabetics that would dream of a hba1c of 48 and as Sally has mentioned even Type 2 can need insulin but they are known as insulin dependant Type 2's they don't change type

You say your diet is quite good but what do you include in your diet? what is a typical days menu to you? I'd also like to point out there is no

Bob M said:

full diabetes type 1 diet

Click to expand...

A type 1's diet can be the same as any "normal" persons diet but some choose to stick to a lower carb diet but it's not because they have to and plenty non diabetics follow low carb diets too

The only way you can build a picture is to test more often and see where spikes might be happening, so pre meal and 2 hours post meal, test before bed etc
xx

Many thanks for all your quick, helpful reassuring replies, and explaining what the cut off point actually means. I'm now in a much happier place.

I'm obviously a duffer as I interpreted the 48 cut off point as being the progression from diabetes type 2 to type 1, thanks to your replies I now know that its the progression from pre to diabetes type 2 doh, Ive always considered myself as 2 so I was much comforted by this knowledge.

Once again thank you all for your excellent replies and I hope you merrymunky achieve your rainbow dream, wow 5 met a day respect.