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Long Term Health risks with High Blood Sugar levels

M

murrayp

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Hi,
The question I am asking is on behalf of my brother.
What are the long term risks of High blood sugar (11-13mM)?

He is a gym instructor, working shifts, taking spinning classes and on his own gym program. He has been diabetic now for 13 years, aged 23 now. On four injections per day but in his own words "barely takes 3" Smokes, up to 10 cigarettes per day, and was fond of binge drinking at the weekend and can polish of 2 medium easter eggs in a sitting . You may think he could be over weight but would be a little over 9 stone. With poor diet habits and the belief that maintaining a higher blood sugar level is safer its a worry.

I am a personal training and I deal with people with poor diet habits, and health risk factors but I can not get through to my brother and it doesnt matter how much exercise you do, smoking and drinking is still bad.

I have grown up with diabetes in the family, my dad developed type 1 when i was only a year old, then my brother when he was 10. I would eat more like a diabetic myself and find it great but I must have the complete opposite views on health and fitness compared to my brother who is in teh same industry.

I am looking for peoples views on this as I want to help my brother out before it's too late. Any feedback is welcome
 
murrayp said:
Hi,
The question I am asking is on behalf of my brother.
What are the long term risks of High blood sugar (11-13mM)?

He is a gym instructor, I am a personal training

I am looking for peoples views on this as I want to help my brother out before it's too late. Any feedback is welcome
Click to expand...

Are you serious?????

You are both in the fitness world for goodness sake..........please do not patronise us!!! :evil:

If you are looking for evidence then either read through this forum or just Google it.
 
Blindness , lost limbs etc
Google is your friend , Diabetes is your enemy if you ignore the fact you have it. I don't mind people asking questions but a grown man of 23 should know the facts by now.
 
murrayp.
It isn't just the smoking and drinking which is bad for his health, it is also a fact that when your blood sugars become too high it is termed Hyperglycaemia. This is when your Bg levels rise above the target levels you set yourself. I presume he is a T1 in which case those target levels are:
Fasting(waking) ........between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals.......no more than 9 mmol/l.
Obviously if the post meal readings are lower then all the better. Never go below 4 mmol/l as that is considered Hypoglycaemia, a hypo, low blood sugars.

The higher your Bg levels go and the longer they stay at at those raised levels the more likely you are to feel generally unwell and experience symptoms of hyperglycaemia: Tiredness, lack of energy, feeling weak. Passing more urine on a frequent basis. Thirst. Blurred vision. Weight loss. Dehydration.

Having high BG levels and poor Diabetic control increases the risks of developing long term Diabetes complications which are all well documented. As shygirl says.....Google/Yahoo it.

All Diabetes treatments are aimed at controlling Bg lveles at the target levels as this will make you feel better and protect against damage to your blood vessels and nerves. Hyperglycaemia is easy to recognise and and can be managed very effectively.

Ken
 
Hello Murrayp.

If one has diabetes there has to be an acceptance before it can be dealt with and since it sounds as if your brother is in denial it is unlikely that you as a ‘mere brother’ will be able to help him until he allows you to do so.

Professionally his inability to deal with his own condition is unlikely to help him with his clients and they will no doubt treat his advice in the same way as he is treating his diabetes – they will just ignore him. That too can only go on for so long! :roll:

All you can do is to gently show support from the sidelines until he invites you to help; anything else will be counter-productive as you will probably know in your own sphere.

Being his brother will probably not help in this situation since you are too involved and you are better to discreetly pass this over to someone else.
 
Thank you for the posts,

I am well aware of google :roll: however, I have not come across information about individuals ever keeping bg levels so high for so long.

If anybody has then there experience would be usefull.

I personally understand the risks associated with poor control, and have done the research in to fitness and diabetes, I have a successfull pt business but dealing with relations :? is far from easy especially when that someone feels that diabetes is a flaw and is in denial about it after 13years. I can only hope that forums like this can provide experiences from people that may have been in the same position and have come out the other side with better appreciation. These experiences are a tool for me to use to softly persuade my brother to change
 
murray
if you want to know the effects of long term high sugars, look up the history of diabetes from before Insulin was discovered. you'll find out how the poor patients died. Usually about 6 months to a year after diagnosis
Try googling "diabetes pre 1922"
Hana
 
Hi,

I have been a T1 Diabetec for 22 years & have recently been diagnosed with Hypo Unawareness. It is a condition where you lose your symptoms when having a hypo;, ie Trembling, sweating, etc.

Following a recent visit to a new consultant, after showing him some past BG graphs, he confirmed it straight away & did state, this was due to "Tight Control" from my previous consultant/nurses, trying to aim for the famous 5% HBa1C NHS target!

As my Blood sugars have been controlled in the past (average of 7.2mmol/l for the year 2008), he wanted me to run my Blood sugars high for at least 3 - 6 months for a reason....to get my awareness back. He is not concerned with this, as the condition I have developed can be life threatening.

I have no choice but to go along with his advice, (which in a way I am glad!)

However, for your brother, If he does abuse this for no reason & he should know better by being a gym instructor, then he is jeopardising his health in a big way.
Although he does smoke, my concern would be more on the fact of the Binge Drinking as this puts enormous strain on his organs.
His diet as well is also a big concern......I am surprised he has not struggled with his job.
I have always tried to have a reasonably good diet of equal Carbs & protein, but since changing insulin a month ago, I now prefer more Protein in my diet & have since turned into a Right FRUIT EATING BAT!!!!

The Diabetes is with us all for life...... either we control it as best as we can or it will control us, with sometimes, very devastating effects, as I have experienced & had virtually no knowledge of this side effect! IT WRECKED MY MARRIAGE AS THE RESULT!

There is only one choice really.

Sorry if this is to the point.

Regards,

Steve
 
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