DebRD_ATL said:

Complete metabolic panel trending on glycaemic control — sharing because comprehensive data helps everyone: Test Baseline Month 3 Month 6 Month 12…

Fasting insulin is the lab my functional medicine doctor cares about most for glycaemic control: it's a much earlier marker of metabolic dysfunction than glucose or A1C.

My fasting insulin: 22 → 14 → 7 uIU/mL over 9 months. Target is <7. By the time your fasting glucose is elevated, your insulin has been elevated for YEARS trying to compensate.

Ask your doctor to include fasting insulin in your bloodwork panel. It's cheap (~$20) and incredibly informative.

Dr.ReproEndo said:

Fasting glucose improved within weeks and my HbA1c barely moved for three months, which I now understand and did not at the time.

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

After 7 months: periods became regular for the first time in years, testosterone levels normalized, acne cleared significantly, and — unexpectedly — I got pregnant naturally after 4 years of trying.

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.

JennaRN 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…

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.

One thing that is still open after julia.endo’s answer:

Did your prescriber agree with that reading, and if not what was their objection?

Dr.SurgeonPGH said:

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

My labs after 3 months on glycaemic control: A1C 5.7%, fasting glucose 87 mg/dL, fasting insulin 8 uIU/mL. My endo says these are "textbook perfect."

For context, my baseline A1C was 6.9% and fasting glucose was 132 mg/dL. The improvement has been dramatic and consistent.