Fasting glucose improved within weeks and my HbA1c barely moved for three months, which I now understand and did not at the time.
Because it is glucose-dependent, this class carries a low intrinsic hypoglycaemia risk on its own — the risk arrives when it is combined with insulin or a sulfonylurea, which usually need reducing.
The narrow version of the question is why A1C lags the way it does, and what to look at in the meantime if you want to know sooner.
Tell me what I have not thought of.
tampaLisa73 said:Fasting glucose improved within weeks and my HbA1c barely moved for three months, which I now understand and did not at the time.
Insulin sensitivity test (HOMA-IR) on glycaemic control — arguably the most important metabolic marker most people aren't tracking:
HOMA-IR = (fasting insulin × fasting glucose) ÷ 405
My numbers: Baseline HOMA-IR = 5.7 (insulin resistant) → Current = 1.5 (insulin sensitive)
Anything above 2.0 indicates insulin resistance. The goal is below 1.5. GLP-1 agonists address the root metabolic dysfunction, not just the symptoms. This is why they work so much better than calorie restriction alone.
BenResearch_OR said:Insulin sensitivity test (HOMA-IR) on glycaemic control — arguably the most important metabolic marker most people aren't tracking: HOMA-IR = (fasting…
Fasting insulin is the lab my functional medicine doctor cares about most for glycaemic control: it's a much earlier marker of metabolic dysfunction than glucose or A1C.
My fasting insulin: 24 → 14 → 7 uIU/mL over 9 months. Target is <7. By the time your fasting glucose is elevated, your insulin has been elevated for YEARS trying to compensate.
Ask your doctor to include fasting insulin in your bloodwork panel. It's cheap (~$20) and incredibly informative.
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Shop Reference StandardstampaLisa73 said:Fasting glucose improved within weeks and my HbA1c barely moved for three months, which I now understand and did not at the time.
Mine went the same way, slower. Posting only so the count is not one.
From the other side of the consultation, briefly.
My labs after 6 months on glycaemic control: A1C 5.7%, fasting glucose 92 mg/dL, fasting insulin 5 uIU/mL. My endo says these are "textbook perfect."
For context, my baseline A1C was 7.9% and fasting glucose was 117 mg/dL. The improvement has been dramatic and consistent.