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How To Reduce A1C Level Quickly?
I have been working on weight loss for 1 year. I was obese and still am but I am down 54 lbs. My A1C, at 37 lbs down and 6 months of diet and exercise, was 5.9. I just tested again, after another 6 months and now 54 lbs lost and my A1C is still 5.9. I have been on a low carb eating program, self dictated, in the past 6 months I have increased my exercise to 1 hour walking daily. If the weather is too bad to go to the mall and walk, I use a recumbent bike for 45 min to 1 hour on those days. Obviously I still have more weight to lose and will keep working on it, but my body is not cooperating. I am barely losing 1-3 lbs a month, now. All this being said, the A1C result after all this work, didn t move even .1. Other than taking medication, why won t my A1C go down?
posted on
Tue, 7 Mar 2017
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 12 Nov 2018
Answered on
Thu, 15 Nov 2018
Last reviewed on
Hello,
You haven't mentioned any medical history so I gather you don't have any diagnosed disorders. You'll have to make sure you don't have any endocrinological problems (like hypothyroidism, etc). If you do, then correcting them may lead to significant improvements in glucose control.
If you're otherwise healthy then the only thing you can do is to keep losing weight and exercising regularly. Your HbA1c is not abnormal as it is and there is nothing to worry about regarding your glucose control right now. Losing more weight may reduce your insulin requirements and may help you to get to lower HbA1c levels.
The only thing that may explain your stable HbA1c is that your weight loss was not enough to reduce the insulin requirements significantly or that your body has developed a reduced ability to excrete insulin in adequate amounts or on the right time, therefore leading to higher glucose excursions. Don't be disappointed though. Losing more weight is guaranteed to improve your glucose control.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis,
Internal Medicine Specialist
You haven't mentioned any medical history so I gather you don't have any diagnosed disorders. You'll have to make sure you don't have any endocrinological problems (like hypothyroidism, etc). If you do, then correcting them may lead to significant improvements in glucose control.
If you're otherwise healthy then the only thing you can do is to keep losing weight and exercising regularly. Your HbA1c is not abnormal as it is and there is nothing to worry about regarding your glucose control right now. Losing more weight may reduce your insulin requirements and may help you to get to lower HbA1c levels.
The only thing that may explain your stable HbA1c is that your weight loss was not enough to reduce the insulin requirements significantly or that your body has developed a reduced ability to excrete insulin in adequate amounts or on the right time, therefore leading to higher glucose excursions. Don't be disappointed though. Losing more weight is guaranteed to improve your glucose control.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis,
Internal Medicine Specialist
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