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I'm told I'm 'prediabetic' and I'm confused - please help!

S

swarah

Member
Messages
10
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello there

I had a blood test a couple of weeks ago for suspected glandular fever and didn't realise the doc was also testing my blood glucose. I was called back to the surgery and the nurse told me my blood glucose was quite high (41) which may indicate prediabetes and that she was repeating the test. I got a call again today from the surgery saying the number was still quite high and that the message from my GP was to 'lower my weight (I'm about 2.5 stone overweight), eat healthily, exercise and have my blood tested once a year.' I asked what the result of the blood test was and was told to ring back tomorrow to speak to someone else about this.

I'm left feeling quite confused about several things - 1) should I have been offered a consultation with my GP to discuss this further and do I need any more tests? 2) What do the numbers mean? I've seen numbers in the 40-odd range (like I was given), numbers in the 100-odd range and also percentage numbers refered to (online) when talking about blood glucose but I haven't a clue what the different numbers are - is someone able to explain these to me or point me in the direction of where I can find this info, please? 3) testing every year seems a bit inadequate when I've read that 'prediabetes' can progree to diabetes within a matter of months - would I benefit from taking matters into my own hands and buying a meter and testing myself to try and manage this? I've already started eating low carb since my 2nd blood test and understand that this may help turn things around and prevent diabetes. I also have 2 x 45 minute dog-walks a day so figured I'd got the exercise thing covered!

I'd be grateful for some advice from anyone who knows about these things. Also, please be gentle with me if I'm asking silly questions - I got made redundant today so I'm feeling a little delicate!!!

Sarah
 
Thank you very much for that - some great info there. I've taken the plunge and ordered a meter.

Any help on the different numbers used to measure blood glucose would be much appreciated
 
Hi @swarah welcome to the forum. Unfortunately it seems that, as far as Type 2 diabetes is concerned, most GP Surgeries feel that all they need to do is give the diagnosis and let the patient 'get on with it' without giving them the tools and information to do so. The reading of 41 will be your hba1c which is the average of glucose in your blood for the last 3 months. This is on the cusp of diabetes but is still non-diabetic so hopefully you should be able to lower you blood glucose levels fairly easily. The problem for most Type 2 diabetics is the number of carbs that are consumed as they turn to glucose pretty quickly. The main culprits are bread, pasta, potatoes, cereals and, obviously, cakes, partries and sweets. The upside is that proteins and fats don't affect the BS so much so for me low fat yoghurts and spreads are out and butter, full fat yoghurt, eggs, cheese, nuts etc are back on the menu!

As Sweetlucie said if you get yourself a meter you can test your blood pre and after meals and that will tell you whether or not what you ate caused your blood sugar (BS) to rise. In addition look at the nutritional information on the labels and see what the carbohydrate figure is. If it's too high (over 20-30 per 100g although others may think this too high or low)) it may be best to avoid however, if you do eat it, test with your meter and see what results you get. We are all individuals and i count myself lucky in that, unlike many on the forum, I seem to be able to eat more carby foods such as small amounts of bread, cereals, potatoes and pasta without it affecting my BS too much but I have tested these foods quite a few times to ensure that I can eat them.

Hope this helps, have a read around the forum and ask questions if you're unsure - we're a pretty diverse bunch so most questions are answered by one or the other of us!!
 
"2) What do the numbers mean? I've seen numbers in the 40-odd range (like I was given), numbers in the 100-odd range and also percentage numbers refered to (online) when talking about blood glucose but I haven't a clue what the different numbers are - is someone able to explain these to me or point me in the direction of where I can find this info, please?"

The 40-odd range is your hba1c result showing your 3 month average.
The percentage is the old method of reporting which some sites and docs still refer to.
The 100-odd range is likely from a USA site where they have a different unit of measurement (to confuse you more)

If you are in the UK, buy a meter that measures in mmol/L
 
swarah said:
Hello there

I had a blood test a couple of weeks ago for suspected glandular fever and didn't realise the doc was also testing my blood glucose. I was called back to the surgery and the nurse told me my blood glucose was quite high (41) which may indicate prediabetes and that she was repeating the test. I got a call again today from the surgery saying the number was still quite high and that the message from my GP was to 'lower my weight (I'm about 2.5 stone overweight), eat healthily, exercise and have my blood tested once a year.' I asked what the result of the blood test was and was told to ring back tomorrow to speak to someone else about this.

I'm left feeling quite confused about several things - 1) should I have been offered a consultation with my GP to discuss this further and do I need any more tests? 2) What do the numbers mean? I've seen numbers in the 40-odd range (like I was given), numbers in the 100-odd range and also percentage numbers refered to (online) when talking about blood glucose but I haven't a clue what the different numbers are - is someone able to explain these to me or point me in the direction of where I can find this info, please? 3) testing every year seems a bit inadequate when I've read that 'prediabetes' can progree to diabetes within a matter of months - would I benefit from taking matters into my own hands and buying a meter and testing myself to try and manage this? I've already started eating low carb since my 2nd blood test and understand that this may help turn things around and prevent diabetes. I also have 2 x 45 minute dog-walks a day so figured I'd got the exercise thing covered!

I'd be grateful for some advice from anyone who knows about these things. Also, please be gentle with me if I'm asking silly questions - I got made redundant today so I'm feeling a little delicate!!!

Sarah
Click to expand...
Hi and welcome.

For HbA1c tests:
Normal is 20-41
Prediabetic is 42-47
Diabetic is 48+

So you are almost prediabetic. You have an early warning to make changes and stop it progressing. I will tag @daisy1 who has some info for newbies.

In answer to your questions:
1) In most cases this result would not mean a GP consultation but you are free to make an appointment any time if you wish. They will probably just repeat the same messages and you will get more detailed info from the forum.

Have you had your blood pressure checked recently? There is a set of routine diabetes-related blood tests for cholesterol, liver and kidney function that it would probably be a good idea to have. You could ask for these in 3 months time, along with a repeat HbA1c. You should always ask for printed copies of your blood test results, to check them and become more informed about your health.

These routine "wellness" tests are recommended for everyone over 40 to have every 5 years or more often if there are risk factors. Regardless of your age, based on your HbA1c result I recommend you have them every year from now on, along with a blood pressure check. You might want to suggest a check up for any family members who are overweight, over 40, or who have symptoms like tiredness, thirst or getting up at night to use the toilet. You could have genes predisposing you to diabetes (this does not mean you need to get diabetes... because you are taking action now :) )

2) Answered above. I'm confident you can get your HbA1c level down within 3 months :)

3) Yes, both using your own meter and having an HbA1c in 3 months are important. I think 12 months is too long but it is the norm unfortunately. If you have ordered the SD Codefree meter it only comes with 10 test strips and you will need more than that. Here is the link again:
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
There is a discount code if you buy 5 or 10 boxes, which brings the price down to about £5 for 50 strips.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

Other brands have test strips that can cost 10 times that amount. Crazy, eh?

Your exercise regime is excellent and will really help. Walking helps prevent osteoporosis because it is weight bearing.

If you still feel tired after say 3 weeks of low carbing, let us know and we can suggest some further blood tests. I have chronic fatigue so I know these tests well, lol.

And I'm so sorry to hear you were made redundant. Good luck finding a new job.
 
Wow! That's so much information and so very helpful - many thanks!

The nurse told me the doctor had ordered liver and kidney function tests but didn't mention cholesterol. I do remember having it tested at sainsbury's pharmacy a few years ago and it being high then. My mum, who passed away in June had high cholesterol and had been on statins for about a year. She also had osteoporosis so it's encouraging to hear that my walking will help with that. My blood pressure was checked last week at a sleep clinic I attend (I have sleep apnoea - both obstructive and central) and was OK.

Interestingly, I am on my 2nd frozen shoulder in 3 years - I hadn't previously realised that this may be related to high blood glucose and only found this out yesterday.
 
swarah said:
Wow! That's so much information and so very helpful - many thanks!

The nurse told me the doctor had ordered liver and kidney function tests but didn't mention cholesterol. I do remember having it tested at sainsbury's pharmacy a few years ago and it being high then. My mum, who passed away in June had high cholesterol and had been on statins for about a year. She also had osteoporosis so it's encouraging to hear that my walking will help with that. My blood pressure was checked last week at a sleep clinic I attend (I have sleep apnoea - both obstructive and central) and was OK.

Interestingly, I am on my 2nd frozen shoulder in 3 years - I hadn't previously realised that this may be related to high blood glucose and only found this out yesterday.
Click to expand...
Sorry for the loss of your dear mum. :(

Ideally your GP should have been testing your cholesterol because of your family history. Regarding osteoporosis, it might pay to ask for a vitamin D level blood test, because if you are deficient (as many people are) then this will reduce your ability to build bone with calcium. You might need vitamin D supplements on prescription - it is usually just one pill a month.

If I were you I would ask for cholesterol tests then look at your printed results to see what your HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are. A low carb diet should help improve your cholesterol results. It might be handy to be able to show your doctor in 3 months time that your cholesterol results have improved, as it might educate them about low carbing :)

I was diagnosed with high BP in my 30s, then sleep apnoea, then prediabetes, then diabetes. They are often all related. How long have you had sleep apnoea? Is it well controlled, and have they said what is causing the central apnoea? Do you have any issues with your nose or throat, as they can contribute to obstructive SA, and might be treatable. I'm guessing since you had a test for glandular fever that you are feeling tired and fatigued? Testing for thyroid function and vitamin B12 and iron are also important when investigating this. Sleep apnoea is often a factor in fatigue.

Frozen shoulder is linked to high glucose levels but can also just happen on its own. There are several threads about it here. Steroid injections only provide short term relief and they increase BG levels. Massage is thought to be a good therapy.

Sorry to hear you have these medical problems but I am confident you will be able to optimise the management of them. I enjoy helping people by sharing the information I've picked up over the years. :)
 
@swarah

Hello and welcome to the forum :) In addition to all the useful advice from members above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
I think I need to have a chat with my GP to check a few more numbers!

I have an appointment to see a different specialist about the central sleep apnoea. I've had sleep apnoea for a few years but only sought help about a year ago. I snored heavily at the time and it was thought to be obstructive only and I was given cpap but couldn't tolerate it as I'm a mouth breather at night! More recently the snoring is much reduced but the apnoea remains regardless.

The glandular fever test was because I had a nasty viral thing a couple of weeks ago where my glands all swelled and I was covered in a horrendous rash and had a raging fever and aching joints. So I think myself lucky that the high blood glucose seems to have been picked up incidentally. That particular little illness has also but gone now save for aching joints, particularly in my hands and feet.

I am definitely tired all the time but the quality of my sleep is pretty rubbish!
 
swarah said:
I think I need to have a chat with my GP to check a few more numbers!

I have an appointment to see a different specialist about the central sleep apnoea. I've had sleep apnoea for a few years but only sought help about a year ago. I snored heavily at the time and it was thought to be obstructive only and I was given cpap but couldn't tolerate it as I'm a mouth breather at night! More recently the snoring is much reduced but the apnoea remains regardless.

The glandular fever test was because I had a nasty viral thing a couple of weeks ago where my glands all swelled and I was covered in a horrendous rash and had a raging fever and aching joints. So I think myself lucky that the high blood glucose seems to have been picked up incidentally. That particular little illness has also but gone now save for aching joints, particularly in my hands and feet.

I am definitely tired all the time but the quality of my sleep is pretty rubbish!
Click to expand...
Full face CPAP masks that cover the nose and mouth are available. Mouth breathing is often caused by nasal congestion... it was in my case... apparently about 30% of people have a structural blockage that narrow one or both nostrils, and it can be corrected with surgery. I have had this surgery and now breathe much better. If you happen to have enlarged tonsils, getting them removed may treat OSA. I hope you are able to find some kind of CPAP or PAP therapy that you can tolerate, because sleep apnoea can affect your weight, blood sugars, blood pressure, and mood. There are PAP therapy devices that can treat central sleep apnoea but as they are more expensive, you may have a fight on your hands to be given one by the NHS.

The viral infection does sound nasty... glad you have recovered from it! Hopefully the joint pain and fatigue improve on their own, but if not, it would pay to keep asking for answers.

As part of sleep apnoea diagnosis, have you been given a short quiz about your likelihood of falling asleep during the day? It's a really good assessment tool for seeing how you are doing with sleep apnoea. Here's a link if you are interested. Your CSA specialist might ask about it:
http://epworthsleepinessscale.com/1997-version-ess/
 
Yes I've done the sleepiness scale. I tried a full face mask but struggled with a dry mouth (I wasn't offered a humidifier). A mouth guard was suggested but then ruled out as I have such a clicky jaw! I don't think there's any obstruction in my throat as I have no tonsils! I'm currently wearing a wrist monitor for 3 weeks which is checking my sleep patterns (as if by magic!) and the lovely doc I see about this has ordered another sleep study for me.
 
swarah said:
Yes I've done the sleepiness scale. I tried a full face mask but struggled with a dry mouth (I wasn't offered a humidifier). A mouth guard was suggested but then ruled out as I have such a clicky jaw! I don't think there's any obstruction in my throat as I have no tonsils! I'm currently wearing a wrist monitor for 3 weeks which is checking my sleep patterns (as if by magic!) and the lovely doc I see about this has ordered another sleep study for me.
Click to expand...
Yeah the technology is amazing isn't it? Hopefully they offer you a humidifier next time... I wouldn't be without mine.
 
Ask for a humidifier makes a big difference as will using a cpap if you get used to it
 
I have mild sleep apnea was shocked to find out as I was thin never fell asleep during the day or anything like that bit I felt rubbish for months couldn't figure out what was wrong then one day I done my blood pressure was rather high then the Mrs told me about stopping breathing during the night because my snoring to cut a long story short made a big difference when I got the cpap and I'm sure it will to you the humidifier definitely makes a difference
 
I wish I'd asked for one now - I'm back soon so I'll ask then.
 
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