OMG!!! New A1C results

[seltaeb]

I got a free Reli-on A1C kit in the mail last week & decided to take it even though it's only been a month & a half since my last A1C was taken at my Drs. I got my results today & to my surprise I've gone from a 5.6 at the Drs. on Sept. 4 to a now unbelievable 6.2, all in just over a month. I'm not due for another A1c at the Drs. until the end of Nov. so I have no way of knowing how accurate this test was. I've always been very careful with my diet so this is a shock. The only thing I can attribute this to is I'm eating out a couple times a week now which I didn't do before although I'm very careful with what I do eat & where. No fast food. Other than contaminating the strips you put the blood on what can cause such a jump in so short a time?:eek:

[jtausch]

The test might not be that accurate, done at a differnet lab it could be off of what the lab your dr uses

[Gordonm]

I agree with the above. There is also a certain margain of error on all tests. The difference from a 5.6 to 6.2 is not that drastic. A 6.2 is still very good and most people would be extremly happy with that. Don't get to concerned.

[Moonglo]

I go in for my first a1c since diagnosis this Friday, and I would kill for a 6.2. I agree with the others, I would not stress over this number, as there could be a variance in the readings between the two labs.

[EeyoreButterfly]

If you are testing fairly frequently, your a1c should not be too much of a surprise. How have your tests been? Have you been running higher than normal? Had fewer lows than before? If it's completely out of the blue, I would think lab error. If, on the other hand you convert that number and compare it to what your meter says is your average and it is fairly close, I would be more concerned. It won't match precisely since the last month is what has the most dramatic impact, but i owuld think if you look at your 30 day average it should give you an idea as to the accuracy.

[yanki01]

id be happy with that 6.2, i currently cant get out of the 8's. just started the pump yesterday so hope this will help out!

[Chef Barrae]

Even different labs will have different results with an A1c because they may use different methods. Don't sweat it!
Just a word about your dinning out more often now. If you are eating at a national or regional chain type restaurant, not necessarily considered fast foods, like a TGI Friday's or Applebee's or Chili's, etc., they tend to cook with sugar and starchy thickeners in the strangest places. There have also been reports about investigations done that show their nutritional information is either misleading or completely incorrect concerning their "diet" entres on several occasions. I don't know if that is the type of restaurant you are talking about or not but we should all be aware of that anyway. BTW, your 6.2 doesn't sound so bad to me either! I would grap it and run! :D

[seltaeb]

There's a Bennigans near my job that I've been eating at. It sounds like that's the problem, so I guess I'll pack a lunch instead & see what happens to my readings. My insurance made me change meters about the same time I started to eat out & I've noticed it reads higher than my old one. Maybe it's the food & not the meter. I know 6.2 isn't bad but when it jumps from 5.6 in a little over a month that seems like a lot.

[jps]

First off, please realize, the same sample of blood run 10 minutes apart can yield slightly different results even with the best methodology or laboratories. For example, a sample with a true HgBA1c of 5.8 can very easily be a 5.9 or 5.7 when it is repeated 10 minutes later. Just the nature of the beast, there is some inborn variability.

Also, please pay attention to reference ranges. Even though most places call a normal A1c from 4-6, SOME may not have quite those same ranges. I know in my laboratory a normal A1c is considered 4.5-6.2. It's based on studies from the test manufacturer. So in that case, a 6.2 in our laboratory could be roughly equivalent to a 5.8 in a laboratory with traditional A1c ranges. So please, everyone, make sure you pay attention to reference ranges.

Lastly, try not and worry too much. Even if every thing is absolutely accurate, there is not a huge difference between numbers.