Health Claims

If you have type 2 diabetes and your red blood cells don’t live very long, there’s a math formula that can give a better picture of your blood sugar control by adjusting your HbA1c test result.

Lots of people with type 2 diabetes have red blood cells that don’t live as long as usual, and because of that, their A1c blood sugar test might show lower numbers than reality — meaning the test could be misleading for many.

If someone with type 2 diabetes has red blood cells that don't live as long as usual, their A1c test might show better blood sugar control than they actually have — meaning doctors could miss signs of high blood sugar over time.

Sometimes, changes in blood cells that happen as people age might mess with blood sugar readings, even if their blood is otherwise healthy.

Some types of cysts or tumors in the pancreas might mess with blood sugar control, even if a person doesn’t have diabetes or obvious pancreas problems.

Even if your protein levels look normal, inflammation can make them not last as long, so the fructosamine blood sugar test might still be too low.

Even if someone’s blood sugar test (HbA1c) looks normal, doctors might still find high blood sugar using other tests like CGM or OGTT—especially if they have certain health issues like inflammation or pancreas problems.

Some people with chronic inflammation and certain blood and pancreas conditions might have normal blood sugar readings on standard A1c tests, even though their actual blood sugar is high — because inflammation makes red blood cells die faster, so there's less time for sugar to stick to them.

If someone with diabetes has confusing blood sugar and A1c results, a special blood test called hemoglobin electrophoresis can help find rare blood conditions that might be messing with their A1c, even if their regular blood tests look mostly normal.

If someone has certain blood conditions like sickle cell trait, their A1c test might show lower blood sugar levels than they actually have, which could trick doctors into thinking diabetes is under control when it's not — especially if they don't also check regular blood sugar tests.

If someone with diabetes has blood sugar numbers that don't match their A1c test, it might be due to a hidden blood condition — even if their blood tests look mostly normal. In those cases, a special blood test could help get the right diagnosis.

After 10 weeks of endurance training, female rat liver cells become more sensitive to a stress hormone called norepinephrine, meaning they start producing more sugar with much smaller amounts of the hormone compared to untrained rats.

In rat liver cells, a type of fat called palmitate boosts sugar production just as much as a stress hormone does, and adding both together doesn’t do more — suggesting they work through the same switch in the cell.

In female rats that were trained for endurance, their liver cells used more lactate to make glucose when stimulated, and this extra fuel use completely explains why they made more glucose—meaning the key change was how much lactate got into the cells, not how fast the cells processed it.

Liver cells from female rats that were trained for endurance produce way more sugar when triggered by a stress hormone, compared to liver cells from untrained rats — showing their bodies are better tuned to respond under stress.

Female rats that did treadmill training for 10 weeks made more glucose in their liver cells, even when resting and without hormones, compared to rats that didn’t train.

In mice, turning off one of two specific liver genes doesn’t hurt their stamina or blood sugar control after exercise, because their bodies can use backup systems to keep making glucose.

In mice, when two specific liver genes are turned off, their liver cells don't process energy as well—even during exercise—because they can't get enough fuel, not because they're missing the tools to do the job.

When two specific genes are turned off in the livers of mice, their bodies make less blood sugar—both when resting and exercising—because the liver can't use certain fuel sources as well. This shows those genes are important for keeping blood sugar levels up when the body needs more energy.

Mice that had two specific liver genes turned off couldn't keep their blood sugar stable after exercise, and their sugar levels dropped a lot compared to normal mice.

When mice are genetically changed so their liver can't take in two key energy-related molecules at the same time, they get tired faster during exercise — but only when both are blocked, not just one.

Doing really intense endurance workouts might raise your blood sugar levels and make it look like you have diabetes, even if your body is actually super healthy.

Eating a lot of saturated fat might make your body less responsive to insulin and cause fat to build up in your liver. If you also eat a lot of protein, it could push your body to make more sugar, which might raise your blood sugar—especially if you're prone to it.

Eating only animal-based foods might help reverse type 2 diabetes for some people, leading to better blood sugar control instead of making it worse.