High h1ac level

#1

my h1ac level came out high. It was just one or so points over the max it should be. I’ve never had diabetes. Any ideas what could cause this?

#2

What was it? A point meaning a full point or two, or a couple 10th’s?

The only thing that does, you working your way up with diet. Do you track what you eat?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

HbA1C is a useful measure, but it’s not perfect. Using HbA1C as a three-month average of serum glucose carries the implicit assumption that our red blood corpuscles live exactly 90 days, no more, no less.

As Prof. Ben Bikman points out, if we are eating a healthier diet, our red blood corpuscles can end up living longer, thus picking up more glycation and giving a reading that appears higher than it actually is. I believe that our level of hydration at the time of the blood draw can also affect the reading.

So take your HbA1C reading in context. If inflammatory markers are low, heart rate and blood pressure are good, and so forth, then you probably don’t have much to worry about.

(Joey) #4

Everything @PaulL says, plus this thought…

The “norm” ranges are established based on large population averages. If you’re truly carb restricting, there comes a point where your intraday glucose levels often become much more stable, albeit it at a slightly higher mid point than the larger up and down swings of those who are spiking their insulin levels through the SAD diet.

If you’re entering that phase in your (healthier) metabolism, your “elevated” HbA1c may be reflecting that slightly higher average - coupled with potentially longer-lived red blood cells as noted above.

Context is everything. Being “average” among a sickly population is not a goal for which I would be striving.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #5

Good point, Joey. Context is all.

#6

Thanks for the info. I’m not too worried about it. It was just strange to have that come up. I never began keto because of diabetes, or to lose weight. It happened slowly over time in my young 20’s after developing gastritis (I cut out a lot of things in my diet and it just kind of evolved into a keto diet over many years and I found I felt better mentally)