The FastDay Forum

I got my bloods back today but not sure if I fully understand them. The first answer was that they were all within 'Normal' for my age 64, height 5.575", weight 9st 4lbs, BP 130/70. So I asked for more details and this is what I was told they are:

Fasting Glucose 5.5
Cholesterol 4 broken down into:
HDL 1.6
LDL 4
Serum HDL ratio cholesterol 3.8
Serum overall cholesterol 6.1

The last time I had a check done was 2010 and the figures then were:
Cholesterol 5 broken down into:
HDL 1.5
LDL 3.5

Happy that I have 'nothing to worry about' even if I don't really understand the figures.

A ratio of 3.8 is pretty good, its well to the left on the heart risk charts at http://heartuk.org.uk/health-profession ... isk-charts

If you also have normal or low blood pressure you'll be in the bottom left low risk corner of the charts.

Thank you so much, PhilT. That chart gave me a real boost this morning, the start of another fast day.

Nora, thanks for posting your results.
I got mine today, minus glucose profile, which may turn up tomorrow.
Total cholesterol 3.8 mmol.
HDL 1.5 mmol.
LDL 1.87 mmol.
Ratio 2.6.
Triglycerides 1 mmol.
I looked on internet for an explanation, but found mostly American sites which don't help me to decipher the results.
After 6 weeks 5:2ing, exercise, and watching diet I have lost about 9 lbs, and my BMI is 24.4, so, if my glucose results come back improved, I will be a happy bunny!

Good figures 150lbs. Thanks for sharing and I'll be interested in your glucose when you get it

Figures are fun but I agree some of the web sites are very confusing. My doctor wouldn't do my triglycerides so mine will remain a mystery.

Nora, I hope to post decent results when they do come, but I am doing intense home blood monitoring i.e. 4 times daily, in anticipation of seeing a consultant diabetic specialist next week, so I have an up to date profile to show him.
As the lab results will show my HbA1c, (the 3 month picture of my blood glucose history )made up of only 6 weeks 5:2ing, and the other 8 weeks of life as it was before the Fast Diet, (including the indulgent festive season ), I want to be able to present with results showing just how well things are on 5:2.
I can tell you, I am staggered!
Since 19 February, I have only had one high of 8.3mmol, and 1 low of 4.4mmol. All the rest are consistently between 5.2mmol and 7.5mmol ( 7.5mmol being a morning fasting result, which could be seen as a bit worrying). But, believe me, I have not seen numbers like this in years!
So....on I go....just beaming with enthusiasm for this new eating style, discovered as a 65 year old.

[carorees]

Hi 150lbs! The high morning result is predictable...termed the "dawn phenomenon" seems to be due to low basal insulin at night. May be related to leptin secretion at night. 5.2mmol is great!

Caroline, you are so supportive, thankyou. It didn't occur to me about leptin, although I did think about the 'dawn phenomenon', which I see as a totally natural state i.e. the body preparing to get up for the day's work ahead.
But Dr M did say that his GP considered his fasting BM of 7.3 to be a pre diabetic state,, which gave him the impetus to do the Fast Diet research.
If it is known that our morning fasting glucose is elevated, then why is a raised level indicative of an impending diabetes diagnosis? Seems a bit of a conundrum, doesn't it.
I am amassing loads of info regarding the global explosion in type II diabetes, its causes and implications, and would like to share it with the forum when I can put in some logical order, if folks are interested. Off to do my final glucose reading before bed!

[carorees]

Well I assume most doctor appointments are not at dawn? The bg should come down after rising even though you're still fasting cos your activity will extract glucose and your leptin decreases allowing insulin to work.

But Dr M did say that his GP considered his fasting BM of 7.3 to be a pre diabetic state,, which gave him the impetus to do the Fast Diet research.
If it is known that our morning fasting glucose is elevated, then why is a raised level indicative of an impending diabetes diagnosis?

He did say that, and a comment on his blog from a Doctor pointed out that 7.3 is Diabetic by the WHO criteria - not indicative or pre but actually diabetic.

http://shp.missouri.edu/vhct/case2600/dx_criteria.htm summarises it.

Some people do exit "dawn phenomena", myself included, but there's nothing to say that a fasting blood test has to be taken in the morning (though this is often the case).

If fasting blood glucose is persistently high then the HbA1c level via the laboratory is usually used for confirmation - it is efectively a weighted average blood glucose over recent weeks.

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/Our ... diabetes_/

To complete my results, my HbA1c has come back as 52 mmol, equivalent to 6.9%, which, considering I have only been 5:2ing for 6 weeks, is lovely news. It will be interesting to see the result next time, after having followed the Fast regime for the whole period covered by the test. So the components of metabolic syndrome are showing positive signs of improvement. I.e.
1) glucose is stabilising.
2) weight reduced to acceptable BMI, along with waist:height ratio reduced to 47%.
3) B/P consistently at a healthy reading.
4) all cholesterol levels good.
5) triglycerides low.
I have no reason to stop this way of eating, as I seem to be responding well to it. I don't know what else to say, other than I feel well, and relieved that I appear to have found a way of stopping the decline in my health that I thought was unstoppable.

[janeg]

That is so cool 150lbs. You must be well chuffed. It's good to see success backed up with empirical evidence. YAY