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help with numbers

fumanchu

fumanchu

Well-Known Member
Messages
393
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Diet only
Could I have some advice please... hubby is type 2, diet controlled. He has heart probs and recently went to the doc with that. They took bloods and we got the result today, with a note that he needs seen again in 3 months. They wouldn't say why. Receptionist said everything's stable, but I made her give me the numbers. Cholestrol 4.4, Glucose 9.2, TSH 0.15. Does this make sense to anybody? He thinks poss glucose was 6. something, his cholestrol was 3. something, and TSH must be thyroid. He has pernicious anaemia and is on thyroxine for that. The surgery has always been less than helpful, which is why I'm asking your opinions here :)
 
Hi,

Were they fasting tests for the cholesterol and blood glucose?

In my (completely not medically trained) view, the cholesterol looks fine. It would be nice to know what the breakdown is for triglycerides, HDL and LDL, but the fact you don't have those details suggests it may not have been a fasting test. Maybe ask for that next time?

The blood glucose (BG) result is a bit high. Ideally, it should be below 7 before food and under about 8.5 after food. See here.

If that is his fasting BG reading, then he has some serious work to do (overall diet adjusting his carbs downwards to levels that bring his BG down).
If it is his non-fasting BG reading, then he needs to work out what it was in that last meal, that caused the rise, and either avoid it, or reduce his portion sizes.

Does he have a BG meter? If not, buying one and testing BG before and after meals is a great learning experience. He will learn very quickly what foods send his BG up, and which don't. Then it's just a case of eating the things that don't. :D

Lots of us on here are in the same boat, so there's plenty of discussion, advice, recipes, experience and understanding on this forum!

I'm afraid I can't comment on the TSH. Hopefully someone will be along soon to explain that for you.
 
No Brunneria, it was just non-fasting bloods done because he went in with chest pain, and he had been eating before it. He had porridge and yoghurt about 2 hours before. Thanks very much for that, yes he has a meter but only tests first thing in the morning and that reading is always around 5.4.
 
fumanchu said:
No Brunneria, it was just non-fasting bloods done because he went in with chest pain, and he had been eating before it. He had porridge and yoghurt about 2 hours before. Thanks very much for that, yes he has a meter but only tests first thing in the morning and that reading is always around 5.4.
Click to expand...

That's good then.

But if porridge and yog is sending him to over 9 after two hours, then it would be a good idea for him to make some adjustments.

I'll bet he's been told that whole grains are good for the heart, hasn't he? And they are.
So long as the accompanying BG rise doesn't do more harm than the benefit from whole grains...

He can check it out by testing before food, then 2 hrs later.
Ideally he should stick to the guidelines in that link I put in my last post.
It may mean reducing portions, or replacing some oats by stirring in ground almonds. Or ground flax seeds. Or choosing whole rolled oats, rather than finely milled oats...

Personally, as soon as I saw what porridge did to my BG, I switched to a different breakfast immediately. ;)

If you want to look into different food options, then you will find many helpful people and forum threads here.

Oh, and welcome!
:happy:
 
He used to be ok with porridge but this has shocked him. Although I personally think he eats far too big a plate... We tested today, and he was 8.1 after an hour, then it dropped sharply to 5.9 after two hours. Is this too extreme do you think? See he has heart probs too and am wondering if that is interfering with the BG readings. O god I have a headache lol
 
fumanchu said:
He used to be ok with porridge but this has shocked him. Although I personally think he eats far too big a plate... We tested today, and he was 8.1 after an hour, then it dropped sharply to 5.9 after two hours. Is this too extreme do you think? See he has heart probs too and am wondering if that is interfering with the BG readings. O god I have a headache lol
Click to expand...

8.1 at 1 hour and down to 5.9 at 2 is fine. How does this compare to what he would normally expect?
 
Thanks Andrew. He says he hasn't been testing for months and months, apart from first thing when he wakes up. A sign for us to get back on track and be a lot more careful, I thought he was on top of this but seemingly not.
 
A TSH of 0.15 indicates he is hyperthyroid, that is too much thyroid hormones. He needs to get his free hormones, FT4 AND FT3 tested soonest, preferably along with all three types of thyroid antibodies, TPO-AB, Tg-ab and TRAB.
 
Thanks Totto. They want him back in 3 months, should we talk to to the doc about this or wait the full 3 months? Sorry to bug you xx
I just googled and this would explain the abnoirmal heart rthymn which is why he went to the doc in the first place. I think i will get him to give them a call. :) ty
 
Last edited by a moderator:
fumanchu said:
Thanks Totto. They want him back in 3 months, should we talk to to the doc about this or wait the full 3 months? Sorry to bug you xx
I just googled and this would explain the abnoirmal heart rthymn which is why he went to the doc in the first place. I think i will get him to give them a call. :) ty
Click to expand...
I think he should get the free thyroid hormones tested as soon as possible and so would any reasonably clued up GP say too.

And of course the antibodies, he already has PA so likely to get more of the same as autoimmune often comes in bunches.
So yes, tell him to make appointments and to have blood tests.

If he is interested in thyroid matters I have found TPA-UK a good site.
 
Have had a look at that site and will join and read up on stuff for him, ta xx
 
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