“Is a glucose meter bought from a chemist accurate? Will intermittent fasting help bring down my HbA1C level? ”

Yes you can monitor the BS levels most meter are fairly accurate. You do not need to do daily sugars perhaps on fast and one before dinner once a month
insurance will not pay for the meter or strips unless your doctor give you the diabetic diagnosis meters and strips can be cheap on line.
I do see more auto immune diseases combined. I really think it is not necessary to do self monitoring. Yearly Chemistry profiles when you have your thyroid checked.

I would recommend you check a few of your glucometer readings against blood sugars drawn in the lab, and perhaps those from FDA approved glucometers before relying on the glucometer you got from your chemist.

Meters are available in most pharmacies and are reasonably reliable and 90% accurate, which gives good info as to varying glucose levels and can help improve metabolic control. A1c reflects the average glucose level over a 3-month interval. Intermittent fasting helps some people lose weight, which may improve responsiveness to medications and hence lower the average glucose.

Hello, hemoglobin A1c of 5.2% is well in the normal range but it only gives one part of the information regarding their insulin functioning. One can get more information about the status of their insulin functioning by getting a 12 hour fasting morning lab draw for insulin and glucose level at the same time. Goal insulin level (fasting) should be under 5 and concurrent glucose below 90mg/dl to have an optimal level. As the number on the insulin and the glucose check fasting starts tracking higher, suggests that one is slowly becoming insulin resistant which can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes.
Yes, 12 -14 hours of intermittent fasting overnight on a daily basis is one of the effective strategy to prevent developing insulin resistance and diabetes.

A glucose meter is a good first step in increasing awareness about the importance of proper meals and mealtimes. It is important to use a control solution provided for your meter to check its calibration and reliability. The most important time to check the blood glucose is before breakfast. A result less than 100 mg/dL is optimal. Achieving these scores is feasible , if late dinners are avoided. Check my book A Blueprint for Healthy Eating: Your Diet Guide for the New Millennium (2nd edition) available at www.mer-llc.com or through Amazon for details on the importance of eating major meals between 4 AM and 4 PM to control blood glucose and avoid weight gain.

Dear patient,

The glucometers purchased at the pharmacy are accurate. Intermittent fasting with then overeating will lead to weight gain, more insulin resistance, and elevated A1c. It is best to be on a low-carb, low saturated fat diet to lose weight and improve diabetic control.

Respectfully,

Marvin A. Leder, MD, FACP, FACE