GLP-1 and gluconeogenesis — my results so far

COA_Karl said:

Fasting insulin is the lab my functional medicine doctor cares about most for glycaemic control: it's a much earlier marker of metabolic dysfunction…

My labs after 3 months on glycaemic control: A1C 5.9%, fasting glucose 79 mg/dL, fasting insulin 4 uIU/mL. My endo says these are "textbook perfect."

For context, my baseline A1C was 7.3% and fasting glucose was 134 mg/dL. The improvement has been dramatic and consistent.

carlos_SATX 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.

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.

anders_CPH said:

My labs after 3 months on glycaemic control: A1C 5.9%, fasting glucose 79 mg/dL, fasting insulin 4 uIU/mL.

PCOS success story with glycaemic control: as someone with polycystic ovary syndrome, this medication has been transformative beyond weight loss.

After 11 months: periods became regular for the first time in a decade, testosterone levels normalized, acne cleared significantly, and — unexpectedly — my fertility specialist is optimistic about future conception.

GLP-1 agonists address the insulin resistance at the root of PCOS. For PCOS patients, this isn't "just" a weight loss drug — it's treating our underlying metabolic dysfunction.

One thing that is still open after fiona_glasgow’s answer:

Was that from a primary source or from a summary of one?

Dr.MetabolicMD said:

PCOS success story with glycaemic control: as someone with polycystic ovary syndrome, this medication has been transformative beyond weight loss.

Patient selection optimization for glycaemic control: emerging predictive biomarkers for GLP-1 agonist response include:

The 4-week early responder criterion is the most clinically actionable: if you haven't lost ≥3% by week 4 at a therapeutic dose, discuss optimization strategies with your provider.