Shall I change it or shan’t I?
"Diabetes Superstar" should surely be the moniker for your good self..I have logged into my profile several times to change my diabetic classification, and hovered over the Type 2 (in remission) button. There is also a ‘Reversed’ option too. I don’t really like either term as I just consider myself very well controlled with my last three HbA1cs in the mid 30s. I feel I deserve one of the alternative classifications (sorry, blowing my own trumpet) and I think I prefer ‘In Remission’. Shall I change it or shan’t I? What do you all think?
I believe doctors typically use an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) as a method which can help to diagnose instances of diabetes or insulin resistance.One very important question to consider in this debate: Does any of us really know what our personal beta cell reserve is like? Those of us who control this condition with a low carbohydrate diet are choosing to put very little stress on our pancreatic beta cells, so that those beta cells that we have left (and we are all individuals with different reserves - some may have more than others) will be able to cope with what we challenge them with, without resorting to medications or insulin.
Sorry, disagree. I don't think you can put stopping doing something damaging to your health in the same bracket as taking medications or having surgery. Many of us change our diet at various times in our lives (eg adopt or give up vegetarianism, learn to cook or live out of the local takeaway). Stopping doing something that is bad for you (and arguably for most people, diabetic or not) is simply a lifestyle choice.Personally, in terms of the definition immediately above, I would include major dietary change in the hypoglyceamic therapy group
Those trying to define their diabetic state may be interested in this from the International Diabetes Remission Registry http://www.diabetesremission.org :
Definition of Diabetes Remission
Following international standards [1,2] a person goes into diabetes remission when the following conditions are fulfilled:
- Had a diagnosis of diabetes
- Fasting Serum Glucose (FSG) is less than 100 mg/ml (5.6mmol/l)
- HbA1c is less than 6.0% (42mmol/dL)
- There is no active hypoglycemic therapy (either pharmacological or surgical)
We define three levels of remission:
- Initial. When the conditions are fulfilled for three months
- Complete. When the conditions are fulfilled for one year
- Operational cure. When the conditions are fulfilled for five years or more
James is at the "Complete" stage with "operational cure" coming up later this year. My own view is that he has reversed T2D, progression has stopped and there has been significant, indeed "amazing regression" ( words used by his opthalmology consultant). Of course he could make himself ill again by adopting a bad diet, but why would he want to do that?
Sally
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