81 year old father diagnosed with type 2

[Doireallyneedanams]

So as the title says, my 81 year old father has been diagnosed with type 2. He’s not UK based, and seemingly it was diagnosed after a single fasting blood of 7.5.

Anyway, I know that’s not what we do in the UK, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that his last test a year ago was the same and that’s why they’ve done it. He doesn’t know, and doesn’t care to ask, he trusts his doctor.

They haven’t given him any dietary advice at all, they’ve just put him on metformin and told him they’ll repeat bloods in 3 months to assess. I don’t know if they’re useless, or considerate of his age and the likelihood of this actually getting a chance to impact him negatively. He has no diabetic symptoms!

Having had gestational diabetes twice snd gone on to eat a low carb diet, I am familiar with the do’s and donts, and lets just say they whilst my dad is doing what he thinks is right, there are a lot of wrongs because like many, he doesn’t really get the carbs thing and can’t get out of the sugar = bad thing.

Thing is, he’s 81. Is there any point in talking to him about denying himself life’s delicious treasures? I went pretty hardcore and cut out most carbs, but I was 30 years old and a diabetes diagnosis so early is completely different.

Would you bother advising or advocating for diet advice? Or just let him do as he wishes? His diet has always been a lot of mediterranean but obviously it’s in the genes since he and both my siblings now have type 2.

Thoughts?

 

[dawnmc]

Well my thoughts would be, let him get on with his life. I met an 83 yr old gent in the pub the other n8ght on his 3rd pint, he looked well and walked well. He was on a load of tablets, but was happy to let whatever happen, happen.

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

Well my thoughts would be, let him get on with his life. I met an 83 yr old gent in the pub the other n8ght on his 3rd pint, he looked well and walked well. He was on a load of tablets, but was happy to let whatever happen, happen.

yeah, I’m leaning towards this.

He’s got high BP managed well by meds but otherwise fit, activ and healthy. I don’t want it to wreak havoc on him, but I’m not sure it would. 7.5 is high but not THAT high.

 

[Antje77]

It takes a long time to develop complications, but it would be interesting to see what his post meal numbers or hba1c are.
Big difference between pp numbers in the low teens for a limited amount of time or approaching the 20's and staying there for hours. Big difference too between a hba1c of 54 and 84.

At 81 years old, the future likely won't be that long, anywhere between 2 and 20 years or so. Mildly elevated BG isn't very likely to cause any issues.
Can you convince him to ask for an hba1c test?

 

[AloeSvea]

Hi there @Doireallyneedanams .

I really understand your dilemma, as I went through the same thing with my mother when she was in her early 80s (she's turning 90 soon). She was in the prediabetic zone, so I talked to her about lowering her carbs to get in to the genuinely healthy arena, as blood glucose regulation is intimately connected to heart health, due to the impact of high BG on artherosclerosis. (She has angina.)

We had many discussions on the topic, back before dementia meant she wouldn't remember what her health issues were at any given time. This is what I would actively advocate for you - that you discuss this with your dad, fully, which I think you have already done?

And then of course, after the discussion, the decision is handed over to him.

When my mother and I were discussing her diet and her BG, I looked up the effect of diabetes on longetivity in very late onset T2D, and it was teeny tiny, as the growth rate of cells, and the effect on general health was so slow and very low. And I passed this info on to my mother. She weighed that up against the pleasure in and her addiction to wheat and sugar (I am pretty straight talking, and I believe we are talking sugar addiction here, which is the norm these days), and she chose stay relatively high carb, and the baked goods and the UPF food, which I totally understood.

Has her diet contributed to worsening dementia? This is the million dollar question and I am not equipped of course to answer it. But there is defnitely a jury in still on that one. Lots of studies and discussions on this question to be found online.

If (or when?) he goes into a care home, then it'is nstitutional food, and your influential work on his diet is done? is my experience at any rate. Hopefully this will change, that lowering ultra processed food and excess carbs and sugar may be standard in the future? But that is me being really optimistic!

And on that note - I just want to add that high BP means that your dad's arteries are not top notch. Understandable at his age?

But - as I said to my mother then and now - she has achieved the longetivity thing! What she did and choices she made in her life following her physically active passions means that she has been truly successful in this arena. Your dad too? But yeah she has angina, your dad artherosclerosis. Still pretty darned good going to have reached the advanced ages they have....

My mother's attitude - let me eat cake (and bread, and low quality institutinoal food and chocolate at easter etc) Totally understand it.

 

[Outlier]

What a dilemma for you. There is no right answer. Is there any room for compromise? Might he agree to a little less in the way of sugar and carbs or is he likely to push back and eat more of them just to state his independence?

It used to be that recommended readings for BP and BG cut old people some slack - so as long as the readings were only a little over ideal, the GP would keep a watching brief and not press for ideal. I'd be inclined to see where that leads, but it's your decision not mine. Hugs.