Important lab testing information (A1C, Glucose, deep veins; quercetin)
What to do for elevated A1C, a health marker you can determine on your own, resolving the issue of deep or small veins; )
Triglyceride-Glucose Index
What is it, and why should you know this lab marker?
The TyG Index is a measurement to determine insulin resistance and predict the likelihood of future complications such as type 2 diabetes and CVD.
Studies have indicated that this index is a reliable predictor of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes but is not a marker seen on standard blood work.
The good news is that you can determine this yourself from your lab work using an online calculator. You need your fasting glucose number and the triglyceride number.
Take your fasting triglyceride number in mg/dL and your fasting glucose in mg/dL and place the numbers into the calculator at this link https://www.mdapp.co/tyg-index-calculator-359/
The number ideally should be below 4.5. A number below 4.5 is associated with a reduced risk of insulin resistance and CVD. A number above is associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome risk.
Sources
https//www.optimaldx.com/research-blog/blood-glucose-regulation-biomarkers-triglyceride-glucose-index
https://www.mdapp.co/tyg-index-calculator-359/
Blood Draw For People with Small or Deep Veins
Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash
Have you been told you have small or deep veins? Does it take more than one try to search for a vein for a blood draw? If so, this can cause a slight rise in fasting glucose, putting your value above the optimal range. The multiple sticks by the phlebotomist can cause a release of adrenalin, which increases the fasting blood sugar value.
What You Can Do to Improve the Process
Drink 30 ounces of water before the blood draw to help find the veins. If you are advised to make a fist and pump it to assist with the phlebotomist locating a vein, stop making the fist and stop fist pumping while they are drawing the blood. If you do not stop, it could cause serum potassium to be elevated above the normal range.
The information above from Balancing Body Chemistry with Nutrition, LLC, Phoenix, AZ
Quercetin and Elevated A1C
Quercetin is a phytonutrient in some whole foods, such as apples and onions. It is touted as a histamine reducer for people with seasonal allergies. Lately, quercetin is getting more press for its benefits in stopping viral replication.
Quercetin may also be helpful for people with type 2 diabetes.
A1C is a blood sugar marker looking at the averages of your blood sugar over several months. If your A1C is 6.0 or higher, quercetin may be a valuable supplement to block the sorbitol pathway. According to Balancing Body Chemistry with Nutrition in AZ, the recommendation is 500 to 1000 mg of quercetin thrice daily. The sorbitol pathway is the primary route that excess glucose takes to enter the nerves, eyes, and kidneys, three tissues that require little glucose to function and can lose function if too much glucose is allowed to enter.