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Pre diabetes?

L

LizzieP

Well-Known Member
Messages
61
Hi there,
I'm pretty sure my husband has prediabetes. Sometimes, for fun (I use the term fun loosely, here!), we test his sugar with my meter. I have always thought he was running a little high (randoms between 5.4 - 7.3) but to make sure, we did a fasting blood glucose test the other morning and he came out at 6.2. He's made an appointment with the doctor for Thurs where hopefully, he'll be sent for an oral glucose test. He is maybe a few pounds overweight but has been going to the gym 4-5 times a week for months now to try to lose weight and get his cholesterol and b.p down and has had some sucess here (apart from with the cholesterol). He could stand to lose a little more weight I guess...We already eat healthily because of me being Type 1 (see, we were made for each other!) but I am really worried that he'll end up Type 2. Is there any reason (clutching at straws here) that a fasting blood glucose of 6.2 can be just entirely a one off? :?
 
Is there any family history of Type 2 or cardiovascular disease?

IMO there's a population carrying the genes for Carbohydrate Intolerance Syndrome

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/ ... drome.html

probably around 30%

In other situations this would be advantageous: as someone said, we are designed to survive famines but feasts kill us.

There can be a prolonged progression between "normal" and "diabetes". Catch it early as you seem to have done and he may be able to slow or halt the progression.

Good tests apart from the GTT would be a Full Lipid Panel, also blood pressure tends to go south.

You may need to revise your definition of a "healthy" diet though

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-prim ... continuum/

many of us need to stay around the 50 - 100g mark, some of us need even less

Whatever the result, testing like this

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -test.html

would be a plan
 
Thanks so much for that post.

There is no history of Type 2 Diabetes in his family or any cardiovascular problems.

Last year, during a regular check-up with the doctor, he found that he had high blood pressure and quite high cholesterol. He started excising to attempt to bring it down but his doctor's appointment from Tuesday showed that his blood pressure has gone up. The doctor explained that some people are unlucky and have naturally high bp and cholesterol levels. He's only 39 and I'm wondering whether he should be on tablets for both of these. Anyway, his second fasting blood sugar reading at the doc's was 5.7 and he's off for an GTT in a couple of weeks. His BMI is 25. It just seems so unfair as he's fit and active and not massively overweight.

As a Type 1, I eat about 100 grams of carb per day (possibly a bit less usually) but he eats more than that. I am trying to get him to read stuff about lower carbing and have sent him that link you have posted. Many thanks.

In a way, I feel glad that I have Type 1 and therefore have a meter which has meant that we have been able to catch early and hopefully can do something about it.
 
Keep testing him and whack those carbs down until his BG no longer spikes.

Your doctor has half a clue, there is often a strongly genetic component, however as the old saying has it genes load the gun but the environment pulls the trigger. By moderating his environment such that the genes are no longer expressed (the bit he didn't explain to you) you can come much closer to normal numbers.

Lipids come from the excess carbs (NOT dietary fats), the high BP is a response to the high insulin levels he is generating to deal with the carbs. They call the thing "metabolic syndrome" or "Syndrome X", the prime researcher was Gerald Reaven.

Don't be afraid of BP meds, the customary starter drug is an ACE inhibitor and if that causes a cough or other side effects an ARB which is usually side effect free but more expensive. Both have kidney protective effects as well as the direct BP lowering and IMO are worthwhile. I'd try the dietary approach before hitting the statins though, also see if he can get a Full Lipid Panel as the various subfractions of cholesterol are important.
 
Thanks, Trinkwasser.

He's having his lipids done next Tues along with his GTT. He is taking it all very seriously and is going to start monitoring his carb intake and we are going to work together to reduce it. I'll give him my spare meter. He knows what he needs to do and is motivated to do it so I'm feeling reasonably positive.

Great advice in this post. Many thanks.
 
Excellent news! Thanks to the advice I received elsewhere I now have largely normal BG and my lipids are frighteningly good! That's why I spend my time passing the information along.

Do report back with his results.

Then let's see how much better we can get them for his next tests.
 
Well, husband telephoned the clinic for his OGTT results today and he was told 4.9 and normal!!! :P

I was a bit confused about the tests he had; they sent both his fasting and his 2 hours after the glucose drink tests away to the lab so I don't really know what the 4.9 actually represents. I was imagining that they would do a finger prick test for each. Could the 4.9 be his HBA1C? Can anyone enlighten?

His cholesterol is still high at 6.2 so he is going to see the doc about it on Friday to get a full explanation of how this breaks down and how to tackle it.

So, I think I should be relieved! (will still be keeping an eye on things as I am still puzzled by those fasting readings of 6.2 and 5.7....)
 
I would guestimate that the 4.9 is his A1c.

Pity they didn't give you the 1 hour GTT number, that might well have been diagnostic. My 1 hour numbers were likely to be high and my three hour numbers low, so only looking at my FBG and 2 hour numbers wasn't that useful. :( AFAICR my 1 hour number was 10.8 ( so technically "only" glucose intolerant) by two hours it had dropped to around 8. After that I don't know as I couldn't stay awake.

I'd do some tests an hour after a carby meal which is when he's most likely to peak, and at other random times, you'll almost certainly find he is glucose intolerant and at a stage where reducing the carbs and attacking the insulin resistance he may well be building up (I predict low HDL, high LDL and sky high trigs) will improve his chances of never becoming diabetic.
 
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