I currently consider myself pre-diabetic (fasting 103-109 and some post-prandial peaks at 140-160) even though my Dr. doesn’t and I’m wondering if I am more insulin resistent or deficient. I am in my thirties and not overweight. Ive noticed that if I do 30 or more minutes of aerobics that my blood glucose will barely elevate if I eat within a few hours after working out. I had ice cream the other night after working out and I was only at 87 1 hr after eating? Would this point more to an insulin resistance or insulin deficiency, or can you even tell???
Hi Drew,
Normal fasting is under 100 & post-prandial readings of 140-160 isn’t normal either, so you’re smart to be testing! Some diabetics have normal fasting, but spikes after eating. Since most doctors use fasting BG as an initial indicator, many people go without treatment until they’re quite ill. The accurate way to screen for diabetes is with a glucose tolerance test.
What happens after exercise isn’t an indicator of insulin resistance or lack of insulin. The only way to know is to have a C-peptide test done (this measures how much insulin your pancreas is producing) & a GAD antibody test (this shows if your beta cells are under autoimmune attack). You should also have an A1c done. Normal A1c is under 5.0.
With your postprandial numbers, you should get a referral to an endocrinologist. Your doctor is not taking your numbers seriously!
Drew, you are one smart person. " Can’t tell."
BUT, I CAN say that if your doctor is an endocrinologist, he will see that you are rockin’ those numbers where the AACE suggests an A1c may/should result in treatment being started, and he has you on a short leash so you’ll be tested again shortly.
I’m using “may” because there are errors in tests and s/he would want more than one result and would be justified in waiting a bit and retesting, too. Along with your own tests, s/he would decide about preventive, assistive treatment, medication to keep complications away and numbers below 140. Your exercise is commendable and you are apparently accomplishing the goal fairly well with it. The other piece is the kind and amount of carbs you eat, of which you are aware.
The fact that your Dr. doesn’t consider you pre-diabetic is a function of his training and his own specialties. If I were in your shoes, I’d want one who enjoys diabetes, in fact, delights in it to the point he has a CDE on his staff and is an endocrinologist who follows or is at the forefront of the the AACE.
I had an A1c done in Jan 2007 for a life insurance exam it was 5.3%. I also had one done June 2009, it was 5.2%. These are pretty normal numbers from what I read.
Normal A1c is 4.6-4.9. Not that 5.3 & 5.2 aren’t good, but it’s not the A1c of a “normal” person. A1c of 5.2 is an average of 103. An A1c of 4.6 is an average of 89. Normal BG is in the 80’s.