new

Hello,
It really isn't the end of the world.
Given that doc has suggested diet changes I am assuming she is type 2. There is a low carb forum here with lots of meal ideas.
As you are both young there is more reason to sort this out and be there for your family.
Diabetes can be controlled and life lived to the full.
Her A1c isn't stupidly high so she has likely done little damage so far.

This is a good explanation: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html

young confused said:

Hi all,
my wife recently did the HbA1C test and it came back with a reading of 7.5
Her doctor explained basically it's not the end of the world but she should change her diet and exercise more.
Can someone please break down what the 7.5 represents and what it actually means as I am worried about it as we are both young parents...my wife is 37 and I am 36...please help me understand what this means

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The 7.5 is really 7.5% DCCT. This is the old style of measurement. Back in about 2011 the measurement units were changed to mmol/mol and converting your wife's result to the new measurements it would be 58mmol/l. Don't worry that your wife's result is in old measurements. Several labs still use these.
To put it simply:
under 42mmol/mol is non-diabetic
42 to 47mmol/mol is pre-diabetc (at risk)
48 and above is diabetic.

If you have a look at the chart partway down the page that @NoCrbs4Me gave you a link to you will see where your wife is on the chart. So not at all drastic, but could be better! Your doctor was right. It most certainly is not the end of the world and with commitment and some effort she can bring her levels down to normal.

Diet is the key. Carbohydrate is the problem. As all carbs convert to glucose once inside the system, and as we diabetics can have too much glucose in our blood stream already, it is obvious we need to cut down on the carbs and eliminate the worst ones. That way we can reduce our blood glucose levels. Some of the ones that cause most problems are bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry, batter, breakfast cereals and anything made with flour. Have a look at this site and follow the links. You will see lists of foods that are acceptable and a list of foods to avoid or cut back on. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

Do have a good read round the forums, keep posting or get your wife to join, and ask as many questions as you like.

young confused said:

Thank you very much for your detailed explanation......We live in Trinidad so I am assuming that the 'new' style measurement has not or is not widely used because of the mentality of the medical fraternity who try to stick to what they know.....

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We still use % HbA1c in Canada also. I think it works perfectly well and probably has nothing to do with the mentality of the medical fraternity.

in this graph you can see the diffrent levels , green is the non-diabetic levels yellow the prediabetic levels and orange up till dark-blood-red are diabetic areas

Hi @young confused .. and welcome
You have made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need .. in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

Managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your Blood Glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..

I have tagged @daisy1 for you and I would suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. and, as @Bluetit1802 has said above, the following Diet Doctor websites ...
Low Carb Intro and Information
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

I highly recommend that your wife gets herself a test meter and I suggest that you try the website at: https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/ for the SD Codefree meter or: http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/ who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free. The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. I'm testing 3-4 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can manage them
Hope this helps

@young confused

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want 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 well over 235,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.