Diabetes UK seems hard to access and I don't have diabetes, I hope. I had an NHS health check last Feb and the urine glucose test was negative - test result was 01 whatever that means. However they also did an HbA 1c test: HbA 1c level - IFCC standardised [result 41mmol/mol]. They also discovered I had hypertension and i had numerous blood tests after that which were fine but a 24hr ambulatory monitor did confirm hypertension, 163/96. It was only this week when I accessed my medical notes online that all these numbers became apparent. They didn't mention any problem with the HbA 1c at the time, or since, but I'm reading that over 42mmol is pre-diabetes and they like to repeat the test in 2 months. Should I be concerned about pre-diabetes with a level of 41 mmol? Cholesterol was 5.9. I don't have any family history of diabetes.
Not sure this is the right site to ask... - Cholesterol Support
Not sure this is the right site to ask a question on diabetes but the site is always so helpful and I don't know where else to ask.
Hi bigleg, thanks for that reassurance. It was never been mentioned at the check so I never knew about it. She just said the urine dipstick thing was OK. There was a fasting blood test done at the time that went to the lab. Presumably they would have been in touch had it been an issue but I was nevertheless concerned when I saw the numbers that they indicated prediabetes. I was worried that a bomb was ticking away ready to burst into full blown diabetes.The reading of 163/96 was at the health check. A few weeks later I had an ambulatory monitor fitted for 24 hrs [not pleasant!]. That gave an average of 160/95 so not much different. I now am on medication and life style changes haven't made a scrap of difference. I have my own monitor now and take the readings to the dr who is satisfied with them, just as well as the last time she took it it was 200/102!! Since last Feb I have followed the LCHF diet - thanks to this site where I first heard of it - it has become so much part of my life now that I can't imagine how I ever used to eat all that bread, cereal and all the skimmed milk and other low fat gunk. Over ten months I went from 11 stone 7lbs down to 8 stone 10lbs and have never felt better. I combined it with the 5.2 diet for a while too. I also took up walking so that should have improved matters as well at least for the heart and for my knee arthritis which I wish to keep at bay. However I don't know what my blood numbers are now.
Re. access to online medical notes: I wrote to the dr asking for a password and he summoned me to the surgery to explain how I may see things I might not agree with or like. He was right there: I saw that apparently I smoked cigarettes in 1996 and gave it up at some point and am now an ex smoker!! A filthy lie - the last cigarette I had was in 1962 when I was a teenager!! There was no problem with access, and they are bound to grant your request if you ask. It said so in the Daily Mail ... so must be right!
Hello,
To control your numbers you can go on LCHF food intake and daily exercise. I have reduced my HbA1C number for 70 to 40 by both food intake, pleas avoid all the food that has sugar!, eat eggs, butter, coconut oil, lots of greens and three times a week 45 minutes Gym exercise!
Cholesterol is slow to go down., as I am 67!
My GP practice do not do blood glucose any more for me only HbA1C. My wife is going through 24-hour BP monitoring.
good luck.
Hi Gardengnome,
My glucose was also at the top level of normal and I have a lot of type 2 in my family. I think they now measure levels differently to confuse us all.
The very, very good news is that you can lower glucose levels by diet and exercise, yours has probably gone down already by losing weight. I am not an expert but I think glucose in your urine indicates that your blood glucose is high because the kidneys are trying to get rid of it, so that is a step further on from just having a higher blood level. You don't have that anyway.
At one time I did test my blood glucose with one of those home monitors, but I found I was getting a bit obsessive so stopped !
Hello,
Medical people are trying to confuse us!.
The nurse ask for a urine sample and then test it and say it is OK, I am not sure what units the nurse is looking for? OK. New testing is blood take at any time of the day and it is called HbA1C.
UK units arte different to the rest of the world.
I refused to take any medication. As I said earlier managed to bring it down by food intake and exercise. My weight has not gone down that much, BMI still high but HbA1C is low, cholesterol is coming down. Am happy I got to 67 with out much medication, this is all down to my mum's milk!, want to enjoy life without any medication. Had echo cardiogram and electro cardiogram, (stress test), for my age not 100% but can still do 30 minutes on the tread mill in the gym, heart rate is OK.
Life style change was very difficult but now I am OK and can say no to food and drinks!!!
Am planning to attend the food meeting in London on 8th January. Greens and fresh coconut with onions and garlic, full fat milk and butter, cheese and cream, olive oil & coconut oil and many more.
Hello Concerned, I'm never totally sure what is meant by this. I rarely drink fruit juice preferring the whole fruit, and don't add sugar to things but use canderel or similar. Is this what you mean? Always surprised to see packets of fructose powder on Morrison's shelves though. Who buys it; it should come with a health warning like cigarettes, but then so many things should.
Aliwally you are so right about becoming obsessed, 12 months ago I was so casual about my health and the health check did make me sit up and take notice, but at the same time obsession isn't healthy!
Bala you've done fantastically, I do remember reading some months ago that your dr told you bluntly that your numbers indicated that you now have diabetes, how dreadful that must have seemed. I'm so convinced the low carb way of eating is so much healthier than the NHS eatwell plate. That is such BAD advice [just my opinion] but must in some way contribute to the obesity and diabetes epidemic.
Re. HbA1c: this is apparently the new measurement for diagnosing diabetes and pre diabetes. I had no idea until I saw it in my notes that they had done it.It must have been done when they tested for electrolytes and Lord knows what else. It's just that the number was 41 mmol/mol and 42> is pre diabetes which they say is most likely to turn into full blown type 2. My grandmother had that, not my mother, my father died years ago but his sister most probably had it though I'm not certain; she was grossly obese and unable to move far at all. Died of a heart attack or stroke.
From October 2011 the results of the HbA1c test are given in mmol/mol not percentages, as previously. 42 is equivalent to 6.0%. A non diabetic reading is from 3.5% to 5.5%, I think mine was 5.5% , so the top end of normal.
There is also quite a leeway before you get into real diabetic levels.
There is a convertor on the Diabetes UK website.
Thanks for this, will take a look and mention my worry to dr next time. Have just looked and 41 mmol = 6% in old numbers. As you say Aliwally, top end of normal.42 mmol being pre diabetes! A close shave I'm thinking, good thing perhaps that I decided to follow the LCHF diet to lose weight. It might have been a different matter had I followed the NHS advice and gone for low fat high carbs! Maybe that has something to do with the reason for the diabetes epidemic that we hear about. Trouble is the 'experts' give us advice which is often flawed and never admit mistakes.
I think you are right about the LCHF diet, it works very well for some people. My husband is no longer pre-diabetic after joining me in a change of diet. I think a high carb diet can also work for some people, as long as it is high fibre, not processed, and does not contain added sugars.
Hello,
Do you have any type 2 diabetic issues for you to worry about?
All the wording, pre diabetic and then diabetic....
Please make an appointment with your practice nurse for 30 minutes, for full diabetic check up. Ultra sound of foot and many more. Just keep a record of any diabetic conditions, if you think there is. Google will give you lots of information. Watch out any cuts the can infest very quickly if you are diabetic!
Hi Bala, If by issues you mean diabetic symptoms, then no I don't think so, except that I was having to get up at least 3 and often 4 times a night to go to the loo, with a full bladder each time. Excessive I thought but imagined it was my age [70 at the time, 71 now ;(]. But then pre diabetes often doesn't have symptoms and for that matter type 2 symptoms can be very slow to manifest themselves I believe. No excessive thirst either. I was working hard at the LCHF during last summer to try and lower the hypertension, I didn't want to be given diuretics for that given the nocturnal problem I already had!! Never gave diabetes a thought, but perhaps the low carbs dealt with it for me. I will certainly mention my worry to the doctor in the new year and imagine she'll tell me whether or not to see the nurse about a check for that.
Hi there. Gdn Knome!
NOW is the time to look at what you eat! Our gut s are designed to live on a 'cave man' Food. There is so much food available to us we forget this. I am pre-diabetic also. Reduce your fat intake, throw the fry pan out! No more sweets. If you like fizzy drinks only get diet ones. No sugar in your tea ( try a sweetener). You CAN save your self from medication at this time.
ATB.
Robert
Robert 787, I've been looking at what I eat since last May!! The low carb high fat diet is what I've followed and still am. LCHF - check it out. It's probably what you're talking about, and I hate fizzy drinks, even champagne! I have lost over 2 stone since May and have a BMI 0f 19>. Am hoping any danger of diabetes has passed now, not sure of course and I will check and ask. My problem was that at the health check the nurse never mentioned the Hb1Ac results so it was only when I saw my med notes online that I realised
Here is my bible on the subject. "Reverse Diabetes Diet" by Dr Neal Barnard. 13Gbp cash or the local library can get it foe you.
I don't push books, but I found this very helpful. I don't like the sound of a hi fat meal.
Will look into that book, but my opinion [and lots of more informed people than me agree] is that it is SUGAR that is the bad guy, not fat and not saturated fat either, which always gets an unfair slating probably thanks to the big pharma folk who plug the flora and benecol rubbish. Once again, my opinion only, but butter does taste nicer! Also I eliminated low fat yogurts as I realised how much sugar is in them, it seems they have to add it if they remove most of the fat to make the product palatable. Still, I've no idea what my glucose levels are now but would like to know.
Hello,
The only way you can check glucose level is to do home testing or at a chemist or supermarket and this will cost you say £10.00.
GP practice are now looking at HbA1c only. do not know why?
When I checked my glucose level at the chemist last time it was very high!, I am still walking.
probably won't bother at that price. better not to know!
Now I don't know what to do for the best! I wrote to my dr on another matter and mentioned in passing my concern at the HbA1c level from the health check. He said it is normal to measure this at a health check and yes mine was/is borderline pre diabetic. The cholesterol was also borderline and the BP high. Had I not had access to my notes I would never have known until the inevitable happened. He's offered to let me have it done again and here is my quandary: do I have it done or is it better not to know?
Hello,
Please take a look at the BP for over 60 in the Mail health section. Cholesterol, we need it. Blood sugar, you can reduce it by life style change and exercise.
Go for the test, keep a record of all the results in a printed format. work on the life style change and exercise, have another test in six months time. Good luck.
Yes, they are right, Sugar is the bad stuff. Push your GP for a glucose test. I have almost eliminated butter from my food. I may have a slice of bread now and then, 'bout once a week, thin on the butter tho.
Those spreads like flora are MUCK in my book. I love apricot compote, but only on rare occasions!
Hi,
I am sorry the real butter and 100% fresh milk is good for us. Bread once in a while OK. Coconut oil again good for us. Green vegetables cooked in butter or coconut oil and rock fort cheese is what I eat !. Sugar and carbohydrates are out.
I quite agree with you, and it tastes so much better than the low fat gunk!
Hello,
On LCHF food I have maintained my weight.
After 45 minutes in the gym, for lunch today had 100g of boiled spinach, 50g of rock fort cheese and 150 grams of beetroot, pre cooked by ASDA and a banana. First time I checked the weight of food intake.
According to me GP practice I am on the diabetic register of our GP practice, the GP practice call me once a year for checks, foot, blood and eye. This is because of one high reading of 70 for HbA1c, so far have not had any medication for diabetic. But I have to inform travel insurance, car insurance that I am diabetic.
Bala , was being diagnosed with T2 a shock and being put on the diabetic register and having to inform insurance a real blow? Sounds like you decided to sort yourself rather than just take the pills. Good on you! After some correspondence with my dr he has told me to book in for an HbA1c test in the New yr. He said the level would probably be fine due to life style changes I've made in the past 12 months but for peace of mind better to have it done. So fingers crossed.
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