A1C went from 7.4 to 5.6 over nine months and my prescriber was more interested in the fasting insulin, which I did not expect.
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 bit I cannot resolve on my own is why A1C lags the way it does, and what to look at in the meantime if you want to know sooner.
I have searched first, so if this is covered somewhere point me at it and I will read it.
WendyG_ATL said:A1C went from 7.4 to 5.6 over nine months and my prescriber was more interested in the fasting insulin, which I did not expect.
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 = 5.3 (insulin resistant) → Current = 1.1 (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.
Dr.RenalNash 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: 25 → 13 → 5 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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Browse GL BiochemWendyG_ATL said:A1C went from 7.4 to 5.6 over nine months and my prescriber was more interested in the fasting insulin, which I did not expect.
Same pattern here, and in the same order. Nothing to add that would improve it.
Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.
Glycemic variability as the key metric for glycaemic control success: my coefficient of variation (CV) on CGM dropped from 39% to 21%. Target is <36%, with <30% being ideal.
Why this matters more than average glucose: large glucose swings cause oxidative stress, endothelial damage, and promote advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). A flat glucose line at 95 mg/dL is metabolically healthier than oscillating between 60 and 160, even if the average is the same.