At a recent hypertension review I confided my fears of prediabetes to my usual dr.

[Gardengnome]

My A1c is 41mmol/mol which is the same as it was 12 months ago. Having ascertained from another dr in the practice that this is prediabetes - principally because I had adopted a more healthy lifestyle in the 12 monthsand that should have reduced it - he merely said to return in a further 12 months for a repeat. He said it would rise and the changes I had made had kept it where it was. My usual dr said not to worry and mentioned the oral glucose test that they usually do,but didn't elaborate on that. Not wanting to wait the best part of a year and find it has risen should I test myself ? Do I buy a meter or what? I should mention that I am not overweight, I am however on meds for hypertension and my age is 71, also my grandmother had diabetes. Is that relevant?

 

[Lazybones]

Some individuals can have a diabetic link to their relatives, but this is more common with someone much younger than yourself and would normally be linked to a Type 1 diabetic in their younger teenage years.
If you don't have diabetes, then if I'm honest with you, purchasing a B/G test meter though it will help in some regard, will not have the major benifit that you might be looking for,
If your are considered as having pre-diabetes, then continue with what you are doing, walking the dog, gardening etc: as this is GOOD exercise in it's own right, and follow a healthy low carbohydrate balanced diet, avoiding or at least resticting the foods that are generally known to give a rapid rise in B/G levels such as boiled potato, white rice and white bread.
Also avoid the highly processed foods that are loaded with sugar and salt, and drink water or diet drinks. Eat oily fish, mackeral, sardinees etc as these foods will suppliment the missing Omega 3 which would otherwise be missing from your weekly diet.
Have a read of the useful items of diet, exercise, and the techniques that many have adopted to avoid crossing over to becoming a FULL diabetic and hopefully in time thing will then show an improvement.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I am a little bit of a radical I suppose but I think that anyone who has been in a doctor's surgery where diabetes was mentioned should buy a meter. If this person does not have diabetes then they should be in a position to demonstrate that fact and not be left in the dark.

I will go further. I think that everyone should have the occasional random test.. If this was so maybe we wouldn't have hundreds of thousands of undiagnosed people at large.

After testing myself and reading shedloads I am now convinced that our diet is largely to blame for type 2 diabetes and the earlier people find that they are eating the wrong things the earlier re-training can begin.

 

[Gardengnome]

I know I'm being a fussy old f**t and think I can trace it all back to 12 months ago when I had an NHS health check and they found hypertension and made such a to-do about it. Quite right probably but it did turn me from being totally nonconchalent abut my health into someone who sees problems round every corner. I was always brought up not to make a fuss ,stiff upper lip etc etc but old age and the NHS changed all that!! If I were to buy a meter no doubt I'd be using it to excess which is not good!! Jury is out on that.

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

lf you over do things then over do a sensible diet and excercise.

l understand chemists do a diabetes test so maybe go there and get bloods checked at 3months and 6months see how it is going. They can also check blood pressure.

You can also keep a food diary and excercise as a guide. Dont need to go nuts on things but may just make you feel more in control and also see how you are progressing in general.

 

[DiamondAsh]

My A1c is 41mmol/mol which is the same as it was 12 months ago. Having ascertained from another dr in the practice that this is prediabetes - principally because I had adopted a more healthy lifestyle in the 12 monthsand that should have reduced it - he merely said to return in a further 12 months for a repeat. He said it would rise and the changes I had made had kept it where it was. My usual dr said not to worry and mentioned the oral glucose test that they usually do,but didn't elaborate on that. Not wanting to wait the best part of a year and find it has risen should I test myself ? Do I buy a meter or what? I should mention that I am not overweight, I am however on meds for hypertension and my age is 71, also my grandmother had diabetes. Is that relevant?

If that was me, I'd get a meter sorted out and test before and after eating and get to know the pattern of my Blood Glucose levels. Then you are in a better position to avoid full blown diabetes... which is where prediabetes is headed.

 

[Gardengnome]

Thanks all for your input, it's all helpful and enables me to make an informed choice.


Lazybones and Squire Fulwood - that advice about diet is all good but when diagnosed with hypertension a year ago I adopted all of that advice and still follow it. No white bread, potatoes, rice etc. that's why I was so upset the numbers hadn't dropped. Obviously there is something I'm doing wrong and I need to sort it.

Mud Island Dweller - I see you are fairly newly diagnosed and the metformin has dropped the A1c dramatically, that's good. Can I ask what your A1c was on diagnosis, and did you have any classic symptoms?

Diamond Ash - am I right thinking you are in the same boat re prediabetes, or are you just 'high risk'? Are you testing yourself and what other steps are you taking?

I really didn't expect my HbA1c to have been the same as a year ago and neither did the doctor. Said the numbers would rise and he'd have the metformin ready. [was he joking or not, this was said in an email] Also he said that although being overweight is a risk factor, in fact there are plenty of thin people who develop diabetes. I didn't want to have the test done again in less than a year and find things were worse without at least trying to do something and know what was going on.

On balance I think I will get a meter and test for myself. Knowledge is power etc etc !! Also I believe hypertension [now under control] goes hand in hand with type 2?

 

[AnnieC]

My A1c is 41mmol/mol which is the same as it was 12 months ago. Having ascertained from another dr in the practice that this is prediabetes - principally because I had adopted a more healthy lifestyle in the 12 monthsand that should have reduced it - he merely said to return in a further 12 months for a repeat. He said it would rise and the changes I had made had kept it where it was. My usual dr said not to worry and mentioned the oral glucose test that they usually do,but didn't elaborate on that. Not wanting to wait the best part of a year and find it has risen should I test myself ? Do I buy a meter or what? I should mention that I am not overweight, I am however on meds for hypertension and my age is 71, also my grandmother had diabetes. Is that relevant?

Yes often Type 2 does run in families

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

GG l don't think l had an Hb at the start l see Dr on 25th so l will be asking him then. You probably followed a normal nhs diet hence your hb if you go low/lower carb it should drop down. Assuming no other health problems that mean you can not?

 

[DiamondAsh]

Diamond Ash - am I right thinking you are in the same boat re prediabetes, or are you just 'high risk'? Are you testing yourself and what other steps are you taking?

I have to keep checking the figures... but I think I'm right in saying that I'm high risk at the mo. Mom, Dad and maternal Grandfather all diabetic, Type 2. I have a sweet tooth so I know that I need to get this thing under control OR ELSE! I'm just using diet at present. I want to try the LoCHoF diet (as I call the LCHF) when I feel I know what I'm doing. For the present I have to eat what is in the cupboards so am trying to control portion sizes to keep my BG levels in the safe zone.

 

[Gardengnome]

I have to keep checking the figures... but I think I'm right in saying that I'm high risk at the mo. Mom, Dad and maternal Grandfather all diabetic, Type 2. I have a sweet tooth so I know that I need to get this thing under control OR ELSE! I'm just using diet at present. I want to try the LoCHoF diet (as I call the LCHF) when I feel I know what I'm doing. For the present I have to eat what is in the cupboards so am trying to control portion sizes to keep my BG levels in the safe zone.

High risk/prediabetes, aren't they all the same thing ? Suffering from information overdose at the moment - need to sort out what is relevant and what isn't. Trouble is it's all relevant to some degree and I can't take it all in. Altzheimers kicking in I suppose !! Much of what you post Diamond Ash I can relate to.
If it's not too cheeky how did you know you had prediabetes, apart from genetic factors which obviously put you at high risk. Did you have any of the tests they do at the surgery [ie. HbA1c, or the OGTT, or the random test] or did you have any symptoms? I will go ahead and get a glucose meter and hope that will tell me what is what, at least I'll have some idea.

 

[Gardengnome]

GG l don't think l had an Hb at the start l see Dr on 25th so l will be asking him then. You probably followed a normal nhs diet hence your hb if you go low/lower carb it should drop down. Assuming no other health problems that mean you can not?

GG l don't think l had an Hb at the start l see Dr on 25th so l will be asking him then. You probably followed a normal nhs diet hence your hb if you go low/lower carb it should drop down. Assuming no other health problems that mean you can not?

GG l don't think l had an Hb at the start l see Dr on 25th so l will be asking him then. You probably followed a normal nhs diet hence your hb if you go low/lower carb it should drop down. Assuming no other health problems that mean you can not?

Hi Mud Island. I'm trying to go more low carb. Until recently I would have said I was eating that way and had lost weight that way; then another diabetic friends suggested I bought a small carb counter book and I realise I've been quite wrong. Never realised for example how many 'hidden' carbs are in fruit, and how different carbs are to calories. I need to do a complete rethink.

You've done well though, if you were diagnosed only in November last year and your A1c was reduced to 37 mmol/mol by last month: Was that the metformin that did it, or diet, or both? Were you put on that when diagnosed and what were your numbers in November. Did you have symptoms or was it a shock revelation?

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

I forgot to ask the numbers but as it is to far past what the heck life moves on.

l was given misinformation by a gyno who was treating me in 2010 (or if not misinformation none of the dr's or nurses have understood the info) so since my husband passed in 2010 l thought l was starting the menopause. l was not interested in the pill and quite frankly l have stuff all faith in the medical profession in this area at least l decided to tough it out.
It was getting to difficult to cope steadily worse (had pretty much 20 odd symptoms of menopause, turns out they were diabetes symptoms as well) so l went to the Dr for the pill for menopause.... ended up on the wrong or right pill depending how you look at it.

As it is immune system based and the death of a close family member can knock your immune system out it would be spot on for the problem to start then. I got a huge mouth ulcer within 2 weeks of hubs death the dentist said yup right on target and that l was to have no elective treatment or surgery for 2 years as it takes that long for the immune system to recover. If l had anything elective a good chance of my body breaking down the whatever it was. Maybe l was pre diabetic as in 2012 when l finished doing night work l had done 11 years another warning sign for diabetes. So 2 big warning sighns flagging.

I do not always take the metformin as l forget..helped by the fact l hate tablets so case of did l or didn't
As far as l am concerned it is diet and exercise the pills are a by product. I was put on a week on 1 a week of 2 a week of 3 then about mid Dec l went to see the DN with my BG numbers and she knocked the middle tablet off.
When l went for the last check up she did not say to come off and l figure l need a settling period to see how it goes. if the numbers stay solid then l may well end up off them and keeping a close eye on things.

Yes it is a shock how many carbs there are that we don't realise in food and everyone obsesses about calories, a very good ploy from the food companies and nhs.

The calories l have never had faith in and since a time ago when a radio 4 programme debunked them and why they are outdated... a bit like GI it depends what you put them with and the testing is over 100yrs old still same method used l just totally ignore them.

 

[DiamondAsh]

High risk/prediabetes, aren't they all the same thing ? Suffering from information overdose at the moment - need to sort out what is relevant and what isn't. Trouble is it's all relevant to some degree and I can't take it all in. Altzheimers kicking in I suppose !! Much of what you post Diamond Ash I can relate to.
If it's not too cheeky how did you know you had prediabetes, apart from genetic factors which obviously put you at high risk. Did you have any of the tests they do at the surgery [ie. HbA1c, or the OGTT, or the random test] or did you have any symptoms? I will go ahead and get a glucose meter and hope that will tell me what is what, at least I'll have some idea.

No they are not the same.. prediabetes is a higher than normal range of BG readings which are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes itself. Before that there is the Glucose Intolerant range of figures. All the info can get a bit full-on but just keep going over and over it and eventually you'll know the bits that you need. I didn't have any symptoms as such but I knew I had to be careful and improve my diet. As a result some things I was experiencing healthwise have cleared up ... Result!!

 

[aqualung]

No they are not the same.. prediabetes is a higher than normal range of BG readings which are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes itself. Before that there is the Glucose Intolerant range of figures. All the info can get a bit full-on but just keep going over and over it and eventually you'll know the bits that you need. I didn't have any symptoms as such but I knew I had to be careful and improve my diet. As a result some things I was experiencing healthwise have cleared up ... Result!!

diamond ash what are the glucose intolerant range of figures?

 

[DiamondAsh]

diamond ash what are the glucose intolerant range of figures?

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/impaired-glucose-tolerance.html says :
Blood glucose of 7.8 mmol/L or more but less than 11.1mmol/L after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

BUT for a fasting test :
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html says:

• Normal: 4.0 to 5.9 mmol/l (70 to 107 mg/dl)
• Prediabetes or Impaired Glucose Glycemia: 6.0 to 6.9 mmol/l (108 to 126 mg/dl)
• Diagnosis of diabetes: more than 6.9 mmol/l (126 mg/dl)

It was learning this info that made me start to watch my own levels.,

 

[aqualung]

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/impaired-glucose-tolerance.html says :
Blood glucose of 7.8 mmol/L or more but less than 11.1mmol/L after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

BUT for a fasting test :
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html says:

• Normal: 4.0 to 5.9 mmol/l (70 to 107 mg/dl)
• Prediabetes or Impaired Glucose Glycemia: 6.0 to 6.9 mmol/l (108 to 126 mg/dl)
• Diagnosis of diabetes: more than 6.9 mmol/l (126 mg/dl)

It was learning this info that made me start to watch my own levels.,

thank you. my last Hba1c was 5,8 so just in the normal range. I just have to keep it there or reduce it further if I can.

 

[DiamondAsh]

thank you. my last Hba1c was 5,8 so just in the normal range. I just have to keep it there or reduce it further if I can.

The ranges I gave above are not relating to the A1c test... they relate to fasting glucose levels.

 

[aqualung]

The ranges I gave above are not relating to the A1c test... they relate to fasting glucose levels.

oh OK. Don't know what my fasting glucose levels are...

as a prediabetic (or high risk) do you count carbs or just cut down?

 

[DiamondAsh]

oh OK. Don't know what my fasting glucose levels are...

as a prediabetic (or high risk) do you count carbs or just cut down?

I cut down, especially the refined carbs.... they really spike my sugars! I avoid overloading my body with sugar and carbs. Maybe one day I'll have to seriously count the carbs but I'm hoping that'll be prevented for a few years yet..