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A1C low but Fasting blood Glucose above 100
Hi,
This is for one of my friends..
for the last 5-6 years A1C is on the lower side below max being 4.5 but Fasting blood Glucose above 100 ranging between 100 and 115.
Fructosamine test have been done couple of times and they were also with in range all the time.
The other medications they take is for Epilepsy (earlier Tegretol and then Lamotrigine for the last couple of years.
Their Hemoglobin also has been low below 13 for the last couple of years.
Is this normal or Is there anything to worry?
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@sreesatya Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It sounds like your friend has a lot going on! I want to make sure I’m not missing something.
1). A concern about blood sugar and A1C. The numbers you mentioned sound good to me. I am not familiar with the “Fructosamine Test”.
2). Epilepsy and seizure medications.
3). Hemoglobin monitoring (for lowness).
I do not know how the epilepsy & meds relates to this. What I do know is that there may be a connection between the first and third thing. Another name for A1C is glycosylated hemoglobin test. It is a measure of the hemoglobin that have glucose stuck to them. It stands to reason that if the hemoglobin is low the A1C might be low also. (However the fasting blood sugars are pretty good.) Whether this is “normal” or not is a question for your friend’s providers. Remember that everyone has their own “normal”. Does your friend have good trusted providers?
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1 Reaction@cehunt57 - Thanks you very much for your response and the information you shared here. It actually makes sense considering the connection between A1C and hemoglobin. It is true that my friend has a lot going on!
Your question "Does your friend have good trusted providers?" is an interesting question... I am not sure if I can answer this. Here there is another twist..he also has dental issues.
His dentist suggests from his experience, his dental gums issue could be due to being diabetic. This is where he gets lost on how all these are related and who is right and who is wrong. What does the blood tests mean and to interpret them.
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2 ReactionsYes, people with diabetes can be prone to dental issues. Here's the link to an informative article by the NIH.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/gum-disease-dental-problems
@my44 - Thank you.
The article is helpful but raises more questions on the diabetic state. What are the other ways to find the right levels of a person's diabetic status other than the fasting Glucose test, A1C and Fructosamine test.
My friend is in the San Jose area, Can anyone suggest any physician or institution he could reach out to for advice.
@sreesatya, even with your friend's fasting glucose level being 100- 115, her A1C is 4.5 which is well within the normal range of 4% and 5.6% for person without diabetes.
Doctors can do a glucose tolerance test. If she doesn't already, your friend could use a finger stick meter or a continuous glucose moniter to see what her numbers look like at various times throughout the day. If those are all normal, then perhaps your friend's fasting glucose of 100-115 is normal for her. Everybody is different and their bodies and glucose levels respond differently to various factors. But it seems like your friend's numbers throughout the day would fall within the normal range since her A1C is 4.5. Not being from the San Jose area, I don't know anything about institutions there that could help, Has your friend's doctor expressed any concern regarding her fasting glucose level?