Hello to all. I have been hanging around a while without posting but am a bit confused about the pre-diabetes thing. So a couple of months ago I asked the GP to check out my legs, I was having numbness and burning feet. She said it might be blocked arteries so got me in for a doppler test and took my bloods. Doppler test was fine, so assume arteries in legs are OK. Then, out of the blue got a standard letter from GP saying I had high blood sugar and was in danger of getting diabetes in the future (this has never been on my radar) so I arranged an appointment, I thought with the GP. It wasn't, it was with a HCA who just referred me to online information, she didn't even know I'd had a heart attack. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Pre diabetes after heart attack? - British Heart Fou...
Pre diabetes after heart attack?
What was your glucose levels in last blood test? Hba1c or some figures like that.Apparently that tells how your glucose levels have been for last 3 months.
Please excuse me if I'm wrong in this--- I'm only new to all this stuff.
They should have told you what your sugar levels were. Mine were a bit high (pre-diabetic) during lock-down, so the surgery put me on a WW course for pre-diabetics, to try and control blood sugar by diet and exercise. It seems to have worked for me.
Diabetes and the link with heart problems deserves to be more widely discussed and better understood. In the standard set of blood tests that most of us take there's a test called the HbA1c test.
If your score is 42 or above you're considered pre-diabetic.
My GP said roughly a third of his heart disease patients were at least pre-diabetic (or indeed had full blown type 2 diabetes). The problem is that many doctors don't want to ring alarm bells, so long as you're under 42 they probably won't mention it. That does nobody any favours. You should be monitoring your HbA1c scores every year for several years, and even if they're increasing (but still below 42) then you're probably insulin resistant and need to make changes.
The good news is that caught in the early stage most people can reduce their HbA1c back into the healthy zone just through life style changes. Zero snacking between meals, cut out excess carbs and all processed foods, lose weight, and take regular exercise. Do all these things and you'll almost certainly see your HbA1c scores, and your risk of future heart attacks, plummet.
Looking back at my HbA1c scores over many years during annual company medicals I went from high 20's to mid 40's. It was never raised as a problem...right up until I needed a heart bypass operation!
But with the life style changes that I've now implemented I've got my HbA1c back down to low 30's, and kept it there for four years. My heart attack risk is now no greater than that of the general population.
Taking responsibility for our heart health via life style changes can be done, maybe not for all off us but probably for most of us. And HbA1c is great place to start!
Good luck!
Excellent advice, BUT make changes to your diet slowly and having spoken to your GP and or a dietician. Ensure the changes you make are measured with regular blood tests to monitor there effects on your glucose levels.Exercise is an easier one, just start slowly and build up but if that hasn't been your forte up to now speak to your GP for guidance prior to starting.
I was prediabetic, hba1c was 42, 3 years ago. It rapidly dropped to 38 and I assumed it was probably due to an illness from prescribed medication. Blood tests earlier this year had it back to 42, but was told "tell patient OK. "At least one of my heart meds note that there can be an increased risk of problems with blood sugar.
Mine started at 41 but every test it goes up. I am already on a strict diet and exercise by my own choice and risen to 46 last week over 18 months since HA. I though it was the tablets. I dont get it though... I have a diabetic nurse appt tomorrow and another review appt today so maybe I will get more info.
I also know they send out standard letters in my area for oneyou courses here for all people at a certain age or at risk..
Hi Strangetown!
Chappychap gives good advice although it's not always possible to reverse type 2 diabetes so you definitely need to take action now. I've been type 2 for 8 years and believe me it's not nice.
My Hba1c is around the upper 50s. I eat a very low carb diet, mainly salads, vegetables (although some are high carb!), and protein. Im also on loads of meds. Whilst you've got the chance to reverse your pre-diabetes I recommend you cut down bread, potatoes, white rice, pasta and obviously cut out the obvious stuff like cake/chocolate/biscuits/sweets etc. It has to be a whole of life thing I'm afraid.
I'm predisposed to diabetes as its runs in past generations of my family. I also now have severe heart disease which runs in my family. I feel like I had no choice but to go through what I am going through. My cardiologist said I could have had this since the age of 5.
Anyway, enough of me. Take control of your diet and do what exercise you can with your heart condition but do it now. Diabetes doesn't forgive and its pretty nasty once it takes hold. Good luck, Susie x
The answer Chappychap gave you is well considered and very helpful . Simple carbs like sugar, white bread, white pasta appear to be the culprit in elevating blood sugars. Complex carbs reportedly do not give the spikes but give a slower release.
Michael Mosley, Dr Greger, Rangan Chatterjee and others have written/made programmes about this issue.
It has stuck in my mind how Chatterjee would visit a home and empty the kitchen of white bread, cake, sugar laden cereals, crisps, confectionery, pizzas, fruit juice and cordials etc to demonstrate just how unwittingly carb heavy the average diet is. Alcohol contains a lot of sugar too.
Intermittent fasting or only eating meals within a set time window and not eating after eg 6 or 7 pm with definitely no snacks but absolutely no late night snacks also reportedly helps regulate/reduce blood sugars.
There should be more discussion and awareness of this (but presumably the food and drink industry is desperate not to discourage consumers. )
I have said this before, but being "pre diabetic" is a bit like being "a bit pregnant" . If your Blood Glucose is not normal it needs investigation, it could be meds or other things, and if you can't eat a normal healthy diet without pushing your BG up beyond normal then that is diabetes. I have been diagnosed T2 for nearly 20 years but probably had it before then, I have heart problems and other effects of diabetes, some are not nice. Diet and excercise will control you BGs I manage to keep mine in the normal range ( 38 ish) but I STILL HAVE DIABETES. Have a look at the Diabetes UK site diabetes.co.uk/ lots of good info there. You might consider buying a finger prick test meter and strips, the results are an eye opener.
hi motorman please May I ask what device you use to measure your blood glucose? I am planning on a purchase lots of bad press out there about some devices and nothing like an experienced insight. Despite adopting the whole food low carb diet and restricting eating to a 10 hour window and maintaining a healthy BMI my A1c score is stuck at 41 same result as last 10 years! I sometimes thing the lab is just copy and pasting my ‘last’ number 🙈 along with low iron I am getting now ever with achieving ‘good’ numbers
I use an SD Codefree, (Amazon £17) mainly because the strips are cheaper. A new one comes with 100 strips. Ask your GP or Diabetic Nurse if they have any freebies, they often do. Getting strips on prescription is a post code lottery, my GP wont prescribe, my friends GP (all of ten miles away) does. 41 is not so bad, cutting out sugar, cakes, biscuits, white bread and anything else nice should get that down to mid 30s . Add some excercise (30 mins walking each day) should get it down even further. No smoking, little alcohol, and losing weight all make a difference. I keep within normal A1c range but I have still got heart valves problems. Good Luck MM
Not sure I'd agree that you can be alittle bit pregnant!
Cannot add much to previous comments, only share my own experience. Had A1c stuck at 41 + or minus 1 for 10 years never moves despite fundamental change in diet and exercise since stent in 2014, ticked all the relevant best guidance boxes 📦 including 10 hour restricted food intake and BMI but it’s like a copy paste when I get my blood results, same on LDL, stuck on 1 mmol. Have managed to get myself an appointment at specialist lipids clinic next week so will be asking why I appear insulin resistant? Despite my efforts. Good luck to you.
Be interested to hear how you get on as your history is sounding like mine although mine is only a couple of years. Certainly I'm finding the usual treatment/advice didn't/doesn't suit me currently much to my frustration.
Hi Will hopefully have something positive to report. I fear it’s genetics and medication, the latter being statins I am on atorvastatin.
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