# HBAC1= 41



## obroni (Apr 18, 2016)

Hello
Just had result back from my Hbac1 blood test, only spoke to receptionist but  told "everything normal reading of 41"
Now I was diagnosed with type 2 last June, put on Metforminin 2000mg per day, Rampril 5mg per day and Atorvastatin 10mg per day.
I have lost over 3st in weight and do now take moderate exercise and stopped drinking.
Am I cured ? I thought once diabetic you were diabetic for life, so my blood test shows a normal 41, is my diabetes is now in the non diabetic range.
Do I need to talk to my doctor?
I'm a bit confused to say the least
thanks


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## Amigo (Apr 18, 2016)

Hi obroni. I as diagnosed last Feb and managed on diet only to reduce my Hba1c to 41 too including weight loss. However I'm not considered 'cured' just having good control. As you're continuing your healthy eating, exercise and meds, you may continue to maintain or even improve on your Hb level which is fantastic but this isn't considered 'cured' and a lapse could cause it to increase again.
Important thing is you've achieved excellent levels and massively reduced your chances of diabetic complications long term. Well done!


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 18, 2016)

Eat a doughnut & test your blood sugar. Seriously though,  you're more likely to have a very well controlled diabetes than cured.  Diabetics can have normal HbA1c readings when well controlled but start eating what you shouldn't eat & it can start climbing again. 41 is an excellent result. Keep it up.


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 18, 2016)

You beat me to it,  Amigo.


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## Northerner (Apr 18, 2016)

It's great news!  The changes you have implemented and your fantastic weight loss mean that your body is now able to cope with the diet you are following - this is precisely what you were aiming for with all your efforts, so well done!  As the others have said, a return to weight gain and the wrong sort of food and the chances are your blood sugar control will deteriorate, so keep up the good work


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## AndBreathe (Apr 18, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> Eat a doughnut & test your blood sugar. Seriously though,  you're more likely to have a very well controlled diabetes than cured.  Diabetics can have normal HbA1c readings when well controlled but start eating what you shouldn't eat & it can start climbing again. 41 is an excellent result. Keep it up.



Mark, whilst I would urge anyone who has ever been in the diabetic range, then back out of it, to be very cautious about their ongoing dietary management, there are a number of people who are truly able to eat and drink as they wish, with no detrimental impact on their bloods.  One another forum, I know, fairly well, at least two such individuals.

Personally, I believe them when they say what they can and can't eat.  One lady did the Newcastle Diet, in its early period, under the close supervision of her GP and allied HCPs and the other, a chap, did a "real food" variant of the ND - effectively a vlc diet.  Both lost significant amounts of weight.  The chap has, thus far, not regained any - probably 18 months after achieving his non-diabetic HBA1c (which has not deteriorated, but improved since), but the lady has regained some of the weight she lost, impacted by some accident related immobility, but is still in the non-diabetic ranges, with the non-spiking ability to eat simple, white carbs at will.

I don't know where I am on the spectrum.  I can certainly eat far more carbs now, without troubling the bigger numbers, but I don't have any appetite (pardon the pun) to really push the boundaries whilst eating as I do is pleasurable and I am so, so well.

It's a really emotive subject, and I believe we each have to set our risk dials according where we feel comfortable in trading off "something" today against the potential for a less palatable (again, pardon the pun) "something" tomorrow or the next day.


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## AndBreathe (Apr 18, 2016)

Really well done @obroni !

As a matter of interest, did you modify your diet and how did you go about trimming your weight?


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 18, 2016)

Since I started losing weight I've noticed I can tolerate some carbs more. But I've still got a work in progress so still keeping it low most of the time. Though why I can't get below 6 mmol today I don't know.


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## DeusXM (Apr 19, 2016)

Your diabetes is well controlled, not cured.

If you stopped taking your Metformin, stopped exercising and stopped watching your diet, your A1C would shoot right up again.

Be pleased that what you have done is an example of exactly what can be possible with good diabetes management - the changes you've made will give you the best possible chance of ensuring diabetes has no impact on your long-term health.


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## obroni (Apr 19, 2016)

Im still taking all my drugs, only got this result yesterday.
I changed my diet e.g. no take aways no fry ups and no alcohol 
Fresh veg/fruit proper cook meals watching calories and fats and walking that got the weight off, think the stopping beer helped the most.
Im getting the diabetic nurse/Doctor to call me to answer a few questions.
I done all this cause don't want a amputation know a few people that have been that unlucky.

thanks


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