Why are my numbers different?

Q. Why are my numbers different?  

I see people on line and some of the numbers look like the numbers on my meter, but others look sort of like my A1C looks, only a bit "off."

What gives?

A. Where do you live?

In the United States, our blood glucose meters use the measurement of mg/dl.  That stands for milligrams (of glucose) per deciliter (of blood.)

In Canada (and other pasts of the world) the meters use a mmol/l measurement.  That stands for millimole* (of glucose) to a full liter (of blood.)

Here is a link to a chart that includes mg/dl and mmol/l and A1C conversion.


 *A millimole is 1/1000 of a mole, which is a measurement for the mass/area of molecules)

To to that off...

We also have the AlC number.

The A1C test is a test that is done at a lab (there are at-home tests, but not very accurate and I have not had luck using them) and the test shows the average of all your blood glucose over the last three months.

Glucose binds itself to the hemoglobin in your blood and the hemoglobin cells last about three months, so by taking the average of how much glucose has attached to your hemoglobin cells, we see a reflection of your true average.

Q. Why is an A1C better than just averaging out my meter numbers?

We tend to use our glucose meters on a schedule (either by certain parts of the day, or based on when we eat) AND/OR if we're feeling a bit wonky (either high or low.)

So we miss those high numbers or low numbers that happen when we don't test, or while we're sleeping (*that's why my A1C was higher than my meter average - I don't test during the "Dawn Phenomenon.")

Our meter numbers are really good for planning our eating and exercise, but the A1C is good for knowing our glucose "status" and adjusting medication.

If there's anything I missed, let me know and I'll add it!