A normal A1C doesn’t always mean you’re in the clear. Many people have normal blood sugar averages — but their metabolism is already under stress.
At Fishtown Medicine, we go beyond A1C to detect early signs of insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, years before they show up as prediabetes or diabetes.
🔍 What A1C misses:
A1C is a lagging indicator (3-month average) of blood sugar — but it doesn’t show:
How much insulin your body is pumping to stay “normal”
What happens after meals
How quickly your blood sugar recovers
Silent inflammation or mitochondrial overload
🧪 What we test instead:
Fasting insulin — often elevated long before glucose rises
Fructosamine and Glucose (fasting and post-meal) — tells us how your body responds to food
HOMA-IR — a calculated score of insulin resistance
Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio — a proven metabolic risk marker
Genetic insights — to understand inherited risk
CGMs (continuous glucose monitors) — a tool we use regularly to track real-time trends and tailor interventions
🧠 Why it matters:
Metabolic dysfunction often starts quietly — with fatigue, fog, belly weight, or food crashes. If we wait for A1C to change, we miss the chance to reverse course early.
Detecting and addressing these early shifts can help prevent:
Type 2 diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Cognitive decline
Chronic inflammation and hormone disruption
Cancer risk
✅ What we do with the results:
Once we have your data, we help you:
Understand what your body’s doing behind the scenes
Adjust food timing, types, and rhythm
Support better insulin sensitivity through targeted movement, recovery, and supplements
Track change over time with periodic labs and CGM feedback
Personalize your care to your body, not a population average
You don’t have to wait for a diagnosis to act. If you want to explore this further, we’ll walk you through the testing and strategy that fits your needs.