Newly diagnosed with pre-diabetes

[nigel59]

I have been overweight but not obese since I was about 40 (I am now 54) and have never smoked. Nearly two years ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on an ACE inhibitor. Following this I reformed my diet and exercise regime and got my BMI down from 28 to 26 by losing a stone and a half, and have more or less managed to keep it down at that level. I have also taken a less stressful job four miles from where I live enabling me to walk in most days (sometimes both ways).

My blood pressure is now under control but when I took a routine blood test recently it showed high cholesterol (as previous ones did) and high glucose (6.2 after 12 hours fasting). My doctor has now put me on a statin and told me I have pre-diebetes.

Since I have already gone a long way to reforming my diet (porridge for breakfast, salad for lunch with a small amount of wholemeal bread, no carbs in the evening, no caffeine, less alcohol) I am not sure how best to respond. I am guessing that further weight loss would help as my BMI is still above the recommended safe level. I eat a lot of fruit, which has sugar in it, so perhaps I should eat less of this and more vegetables? Any suggestions?

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I am not sure from your post whether or not you have a meter. I assume you haven't. The vast majority of posters on here consider a meter as an essential item. You must take a reading before you eat and two hours after and then re-consider what you ate at that meal. Slowly learn the ropes.

It is unlikely that the NHS will give you a meter. They have a very strange attitude to people who want to do something to help themselves get better. I suggest you buy your own and then come back here with questions.

 

[nigel59]

Thanks for the advice. The blood test was done by the NHS. I will buy a meter and try to get a better understanding of what is going on with my blood sugar. I was the only boy in the Biology class at school who was too squeamish to jab himself to get a sample to test his blood group but from what I have seen on the net it should not be too difficult to do (I hope).

 

[pav]

Have a look on the web, at companies like abbott medisense, bayer, lifescan as they will more than likely send you a meter free by return of post if you ring them, takes a bit longer via their on line requests. These meters normally come with 10 test strips enough to start you off for a few days.

The problem for some of us is getting test strips, as GP's seam very reluctent to support type 2's in their testing. If you go down the route of having to buy your own tests strips there are a few lower cost strip options, like the SD code free and the supercheck2 meters, where strips are around £6 to £8-49 compared with others at £26 + for 50 strips.

Each manufacture has their own types of lancing device and lancets, some good and some one could say are a bit nafe, they all have one thing in common they have variable depth of penitration.

I even have a favorite lancet in the BD micro fine as it has the thinest needle at only 0.2 mm others are around 0.3 mm.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I was the only boy in the Biology class at school who was too squeamish to jab himself to get a sample to test his blood group but from what I have seen on the net it should not be too difficult to do (I hope).

The gadget that comes with a meter uses a small sharp point and this is spring loaded. When you press the button you don't have time to jump out of the way and it doesn't hurt so you should be fine.

Some meters come with an alternate front part so that you can take blood from elsewhere if you are worried about your fingers.