Worried about Test results

[aja8888]

If you click on the ? relevance is given for each question.

A second calculator -

https://qxmd.com/calculate/calculator_236/findrisc-diabetes-risk-calculator

2nd test score is Low to Moderate due to age. (risk score = 7)

 

[5Miler]

2nd test score is Low to Moderate due to age. (risk score = 7)

Scored the same as you did on both tests.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

As I implied on my post on page one, the guidelines and thresholds are highly generalized by their nature and biased towards overdiagnosis of risk in healthy individuals.

Please read the excellent blog post I linked by Dr Guess WRT my athletic peer group with elevated fasting blood glucose and HgA1c values.

"Prediabetes" in athletes

Yes, the quotation marks are there for a reason

drguess.substack.com

 

[aja8888]

As I implied on my post on page one, the guidelines and thresholds are highly generalized by their nature and biased towards overdiagnosis of risk in healthy individuals.

Please read the excellent blog post I linked by Dr Guess WRT my athletic peer group with elevated fasting blood glucose and HgA1c values.

"Prediabetes" in athletes

Yes, the quotation marks are there for a reason

drguess.substack.com

The Octogenarian friends I hang with have other health problems than diabetes (arthritis, vascular issues, cancer, BPH, etc). Seems like an 80 year old pancreas treated well over all that time is not a high risk to go south like a heart or kidney is.

 

[Amethyst]

As I implied on my post on page one, the guidelines and thresholds are highly generalized by their nature and biased towards overdiagnosis of risk in healthy individuals.

Please read the excellent blog post I linked by Dr Guess WRT my athletic peer group with elevated fasting blood glucose and HgA1c values.

"Prediabetes" in athletes

Yes, the quotation marks are there for a reason

drguess.substack.com

I read the blog post and took the FINDRISC test (for some reason, the U.S. Type2 test wouldn't appear for me). My FINDRISC score was 9, based largely on cousins, one grandparent, and siblings with T2. (Three of my grandparents died long before T2 was a known thing, but one of them was obese and sedentary, so it's a good guess he had it ).

I liked Dr. Guess's description of people who would never call themselves "athletes" (like me - I play no sports!) but who do a lot of exercise. I'm not into endurance. I just wanted to get my strength and agility back after a bad injury, and it turned out to require far more exercise, for far longer, than I ever would have expected!

 

[Amethyst]

Amethyst,


Finally, if you have concern that “nosy busybodies” might question if you are wearing a Stelo, examine why you care about what they think.

I don't. I just don't like nosey busybodies.

 

[joesxm3]

This was a very good discussion of glucose, insulin and related lab tests/

 

[More Cowbell]

I don't. I just don't like nosey busybodies.

Get your RBF on in the gym and shut those busybodies down!

 

[Amethyst]

This was a very good discussion of glucose, insulin and related lab tests/

I wish there were a written version.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

I wish there were a written version.

Transcript -

#265 - How do you know if you are healthy and what your labs tell you? | Dr. Robert Lustig & Mike Haney

www.levels.com

 

[audreyh1]

I wish there were a written version.

He has a chapter in his book Metabolical that discusses lab tests. The entire book is well worth a read.

 

[Koolau]

This was a very good discussion of glucose, insulin and related lab tests/

Transcript -

#265 - How do you know if you are healthy and what your labs tell you? | Dr. Robert Lustig & Mike Haney

www.levels.com

All very interesting and it would suggest that most PCPs are leaving several potential clues not looked for (tests not run).

With that said, how do we know that the authors are correct? It sounds "valid" but I'm not knowledgeable enough to evaluate the veracity of the video/text. If all the docs I've ever had don't buy into it, what does that suggest? That THEY are all wrong? That they are all misinformed? Well, sure, it could be. But maybe the docs in the video are off. How do we know and what should we do if our PCPs don't buy in? Buy our own tests? Then what?

Should we buy what the video is selling? How do we know it's valid?

Just musing and I realize no one person here has all the answers. I'd like to have a better understanding of my particular risks and know more about how to stay healthy. But I'm not sure this is the way.

Thoughts?

 

[badatmath]

Took the test. I am high? Why? 174 - 200 lbs, 81 years old, 5'10", active with no family risk? White, No HBP?

The test is BS.

I was a 3, low risk but I still thought it seemed like BS.

I'm not worried about it in the slightest. Doesn't run in the family and I am not overweight etc.

 

[engineernerd]

Amethyst, I think you're fine. Average Hemoglobin A1c for nondiabetics varies with age (as well as sex), according to research.

Here's a link to one research article that studied a nondiabetic Taiwanese population.

Hemoglobin A1c Levels Associated with Age and Gender in Taiwanese Adults without Prior Diagnosis with Diabetes - PMC

Several studies have reported that Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels increase with age for people without diabetes. However, HbA1c levels associated with age and gender have not been well investigated for Taiwanese adults. The objective of this study ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The female participants aged 60-70 averaged 5.86 and each younger age bracket had a lower average. The average for female participants aged 30-39 was 5.40.

I would not panic over a value of 5.7 at age 68. Even in the all-ages reference range information I see on my blood tests, 5.7 is much closer to the normal range than to the diabetic range, which starts supposedly at 6.5.

 

[badatmath]

IMO some people are over tested for things that will never become an issue.

I realize that is very unpopular so no need to flame me. We can all choose our own path.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

All very interesting and it would suggest that most PCPs are leaving several potential clues not looked for (tests not run).

With that said, how do we know that the authors are correct? It sounds "valid" but I'm not knowledgeable enough to evaluate the veracity of the video/text. If all the docs I've ever had don't buy into it, what does that suggest? That THEY are all wrong? That they are all misinformed? Well, sure, it could be. But maybe the docs in the video are off. How do we know and what should we do if our PCPs don't buy in? Buy our own tests? Then what?

Should we buy what the video is selling? How do we know it's valid?

Just musing and I realize no one person here has all the answers. I'd like to have a better understanding of my particular risks and know more about how to stay healthy. But I'm not sure this is the way.

Thoughts?

For the record, I am not endorsing the video - just answering the call for a written version.
I'm a skeptic.
What I like about science is that you can claim just about anything.... but you do have to prove it.

If you are curious enough, I suggest doing a search on "Dr Lustig debunked"

 

[Koolau]

For the record, I am not endorsing the video - just answering the call for a written version.
I'm a skeptic.
What I like about science is that you can claim just about anything.... but you do have to prove it.

If you are curious enough, I suggest doing a search on "Dr Lustig debunked"

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[target2019]

For the record, I am not endorsing the video - just answering the call for a written version.
I'm a skeptic.
What I like about science is that you can claim just about anything.... but you do have to prove it.

If you are curious enough, I suggest doing a search on "Dr Lustig debunked"

Yes, everything should be questioned. Social media presents a problem. Things posted up can be polished to appear as gold.

 

[Koolau]

Yes, everything should be questioned. Social media presents a problem. Things posted up can be polished to appear as gold.

Also, I never know how to approach a PCP with the latest "idea" on such things. I've heard about some of the tests and he simply doesn't call for them. A1C and fasting glucose are about it for diabetes and LDL, HDL, TriG for lipids.

One thing PCP has that I don't have is (wait for it) experience with multiple people. I only have one person (well, two if I count DW.) So morbidity and mortality vs "numbers" are things my PCP lives every day. Hard to question that too harshly.

 

[jgrdarrash]

You can use them in other places besides the back of the arm. Google for yourself the options

 

[Aerides]

IMO some people are over tested for things that will never become an issue.

I realize that is very unpopular so no need to flame me. We can all choose our own path.

I wouldn't say over-tested, but yes there are a LOT of things that can raise a red flag to a PCP, but once referred to a specialist, and more in-depth tests, become a "eh...no biggie, but let's watch that every 6 months" - I have a couple of those things (I think it's the law after 50 you get one or two of these added every few years).

So now, despite no symptoms and generally very good blood work and stuff, I have a cardio for my totally benign low-count PVC's, an epidemiologist for my totally benign thyroid nodule, and a hematologist for my totally benign protein spikes on a few tests. All things my PCP caught, and all things that had a small chance of being very-not-benign, and all have a small chance of one day being something worse, to varying degrees.

But I'm glad I know about them while they are NBD, and have a plan for monitoring, so I'll catch them if/when they first become signs of trouble, vs. the alternative.

 

[badatmath]

Also, I never know how to approach a PCP with the latest "idea" on such things. I've heard about some of the tests and he simply doesn't call for them. A1C and fasting glucose are about it for diabetes and LDL, HDL, TriG for lipids.

One thing PCP has that I don't have is (wait for it) experience with multiple people. I only have one person (well, two if I count DW.) So morbidity and mortality vs "numbers" are things my PCP lives every day. Hard to question that too harshly.

You can always get another opinion from a different doctor if you are really concerned. . .

I mean of course you know this already. But if a result was causing me some sort of anxiety I'd follow up.

 

[Koolau]

I wouldn't say over-tested, but yes there are a LOT of things that can raise a red flag to a PCP, but once referred to a specialist, and more in-depth tests, become a "eh...no biggie, but let's watch that every 6 months" - I have a couple of those things (I think it's the law after 50 you get one or two of these added every few years).

So now, despite no symptoms and generally very good blood work and stuff, I have a cardio for my totally benign low-count PVC's, an epidemiologist for my totally benign thyroid nodule, and a hematologist for my totally benign protein spikes on a few tests. All things my PCP caught, and all things that had a small chance of being very-not-benign, and all have a small chance of one day being something worse, to varying degrees.

But I'm glad I know about them while they are NBD, and have a plan for monitoring, so I'll catch them if/when they first become signs of trouble, vs. the alternative.

Yeah there's always a chance of going down the rabbit hole based on tests. PSA is an example. PCP talked me into ceasing this test because false positives could lead to invasive testing for limited potential benefit. It's tough to think in terms of dying WITH PC rather than from it. I'm still sorta writhing on the fence about it.

 

[Koolau]

You can always get another opinion from a different doctor if you are really concerned. . .

I mean of course you know this already. But if a result was causing me some sort of anxiety I'd follow up.

I think the issue with me is that my numbers please my PCP and he doesn't consider the other (more specific) tests mentioned in the YouTube/Transcript to be useful at this point. I guess I prefer more specificity if it's available. I think I will have a talk with PCP at next check-up.

 

[Joseph]

A1C of 5.8 is just barely in the pre-diabetic range. Fasting glucose of 88 is excellent. If one does nothing to change their diet and exercise, it takes about 10 years to become diabetic. You should not have any symptoms with those numbers.

If I were you, I would add more protein, and reduce high carb vegetables. Consuming more vegetables won't help your blood sugar.

I have been pre-diabetic for easily 20 years, but through diet, I have not progressed on to being diabetic. My weight is in the normal range although I would like to lose 10 pounds.
I try to keep my A1C to under 5.6.

5.8 is fine for an A1C reading. It isn’t close to 6.5 diabetes range. As long as it doesn’t increase every test. , I wouldn’t worry about it at all. Pre diabetes diagnosis didn’t even exist 20 yrs ago. It’s nice to know and track but honestly, that’s a solid reading