Results and Queries

[fighter71]

I am still managing Diabetes by Excercise and Diet only(last 20 months). My recent test results are as below:

A1C - 5.4
Total Cholesterol 149
LDL - 96
HDL - 33
Triglycerides - 99
TSH - 12.7
T3/T4 a bit low

Results are almost consistent but I am worried about few things :
1.) How do I increase my HDL levels ?
2.) Is 5.4 a good A1C or should I work harder to improve it ?
3.) Are Hypothyroidism and Diabetes related in anyway ?

[gettingby]

IMHO, an A1C of 5.4 sounds wonderful.
Quite a few diabetics have hypothyroidism. I do.
Not sure about the HDL. I've never had to worry about that. I've always been told that my HDL, LDL, etc. have been in the normal ranges.
Sorry that I couldn't be more helpful.

[Cyborg]

Great job :top:

You can increase your HDL by eating healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, olives, nuts, etc. Try looking at the Mediterranean Diet for some ideas.

[DonnieD]

Fish Oil suppliments have worked for me to increase HDL ... since I'm not a fish eater. Nordic Naturals produces a good line of suppliments and I use their OMEGA-3 product (although a little more costly than other readily available brands).

[seacomp]

Quite a few diabetics have hypothyroidism.
Yes, but I believe that association is part of the general autoimmune difficulties that beset T1s. I've not heard of a direct relationship between thyroid problems and T2. Of course, it is possible to have both problems and for them to interact.

Your A1C is very good. If you can kept it there, you'll be fine.

[fighter71]

Thanks a lot for the replies.

I am also a pure vegetarian and so other options suggested should be good enough for increasing HDL.

For A1C, my doc says that his aim was to keep it below 5, if possible. He might suggest some medications soon to achieve that. Do I really need any meds. for Glucose, Kidney or Heart at this stage, when A1C is consistently at 5.4 ?

[Cyborg]

5.4 is a pretty low a1c... :hmmmm:

[RBmumsie]

Doctors typically do the "happy dance" if a diabetic's A1C is below 6.0

[Intrigue]

Hypothyroidism and diabetes definitely have a connection in that, according to my ENT, hypothyroidism makes diabetic symptoms worse, but the opposite can happen as well....he said it can become a viscious cycle. Someone posted that, until she was able to get her TSH numbers under control, her doctor said her bg's would remain high and he was right. I see my ENT this Friday and am anxious to see if my high bg's are affecting my TSH....which was 35 a month ago due to my total thyroidectomy.

Did you mean to say your TSH is 12.7 or 1.27? Since ideal TSH readings range from .02 to 5.0, with optimal being around 1.0, are you experiencing any hypothyroid symptoms? Seems like you surely would be.

Best of luck to you....it helps to know someone else is struggling with both hypothyroidism and diabetes. Makes life much more exciting, yes? ;)