Pre-diabetes

[AndyPeace]

Almost going to praise the NHS for their health screening but I feel a little lost at the generic advise they've sent me, after detecting a risk of developing type2 diabetes in the far future.... the advise is telling me to loose weight and exercise more. For those who don't know me, I am around 183cm, 63kg and cycle an average of 10 hours a week. I know in cycling terms there are many who cycle more than this but in terms of maintaining basic health, I think I do plenty and it would be nuts for me to loose weight!!!. Obviously, I'm making an appointment to speak to someone to clarify what I should be doing but I'd welcome any advice!

 

[Cycleops]

I am the same position as you as being near borderline type 2. You can manage it by following eating guidelines. Your local quack should be able to give you an info booklet on how to deal with it. It's not so much to do with weight. You also need to check your cholesterol if you haven't already done so.

 

[Dzzi]

...im 183cm tall ...and i weigh 90-92 kilos depending on beer consumption and food i don't cycle anything like 10 hours a week... 5 if im lucky...i had a full health check recently as part of the private healthcare my job provides....and while i clearly need to loose some weight BMI wise there were no dire warnings of type 2...

Obviously we are all different and maybe something in family history or blood tests set of some kind of Generic Alarm....? unless of course you filled out the diet sheet and you exist entirely on KFC
As you say have a chat with a GP .... but id be surprised if you are really at risk

 

[vickster]

As above, do you have family history of diabetes or CVD? Did you have a fasting blood test and a heavy meal the day before - if so your triglycerides may have been high, which is more common in diabetes. Get retested, after a night of salad!

 

[ayceejay]

There is a hormone that has the job of distributing glucose through the body, if there is a shortage of this hormone some of the glucose stays in the blood, if there is a permanent shortage this hormone needs to be taken as a supplement - this condition is known as diabetes. As people have said above a blood sugar test will show different results depending on what you have eaten and the time of day - after exercise etc so unless your fasting level is in double figures you should check several times before jumping to conclusions.
I think you should avoid gels and energy drinks as a first step as these will raise your blood sugar levels very quickly but drop off quickly too - the objective is to maintain a balance that the pancreas deals with under normal conditions.
The cause is uncertain but people of a certain age and ethnicity are susceptible as are those with diabetics in the family.

 

[Julia9054]

There is a hormone that has the job of distributing glucose through the body, if there is a shortage of this hormone some of the glucose stays in the blood, if there is a permanent shortage this hormone needs to be taken as a supplement - this condition is known as diabetes.
.

Type 2 diabetes is not a shortage of insulin. People with type 2 produce normal levels of insulin but their muscle and liver cells react abnormally and are unable to take up the glucose and convert it into glycogen for storage. The result is - as with type 1 - abnormally high levels of blood glucose. Type 2 is usually managed by strictly controlling the diet rather than by injecting insulin.

 

[ayceejay]

rather than by injecting insulin.
I hadn't meant to imply that Julia.
You mention only one symptom of type 2 diabetes which, as you say can be managed by diet but that is not the full picture "People with type 2 produce normal levels of insulin" is not always true and in this case the pancreas needs some help from medication.

 

[Cycleops]

I think these NHS health check indicators are based on algorithms taking into account age, weight, height, activity levels, etc, and don't involve any blood tests at that stage.

That's true, but what is happening now is that your GP is charged if he sends you for tests at a hospital, so they want to save money. My GP only wanted to do a very basic test but luckily I know nurse at the local cottage hospital and she just took the GP's form and just ticked all boxes for a full series of tests!

 

[dan_bo]

I cba to read the thread through but I imagine they say summat like; get on with it; live your life-dont worry about it. Either way that's what I'd do.

 

[AndyPeace]

I think these NHS health check indicators are based on algorithms taking into account age, weight, height, activity levels, etc, and don't involve any blood tests at that stage.

I think my result was based on a blood test as well as those other factors you listed and the letter I received said "Your recent blood test shows you have a condition called pre-diabetes". I only tick two boxes in the risk factor...family history (my mum has type 2 diabetes) and age (I hit 40 last year).

I am the same position as you as being near borderline type 2. You can manage it by following eating guidelines. Your local quack should be able to give you an info booklet on how to deal with it. It's not so much to do with weight. You also need to check your cholesterol if you haven't already done so.

This seems more likely what it is about, food choices rather than loosing weight. The leaflet I was posted is clearly written for inactive, overweight patients...a category I don't fit. If I'm honest I do eat a lot of cakes/biscuits/fast sugars inbetween meals.

I cba to read the thread through but I imagine they say summat like; get on with it; live your life-dont worry about it. Either way that's what I'd do.

I'm pretty sure it's no big issue but if they didn't want me to take note they wouldn't have bothered telling me? What they have said rather than 'don't worry' is a shout to say 'make some changes or loose your health!'. Don't know about you but I have aspirations to be legendary pensioner out riding 100 milers, so I'll take any advice that helps achieve that!

 

[dan_bo]

Didnt mean to come across as flippant- merely outlining my general approach to such matters. Eat properly and keep moving.

 

[Cycleops]

They have the same system in Ghana?

I meant that the stuff about fasting before blood tests is probably a bit premature. Lots of us would tick the boxes for pre-diabetes, it's not necessarily a panic button.

No, here you have to go to a private clinic and pay. I had my tests done when I was in the UK. I found that the GP's really don't want to do much for you at all. When I asked him if I could have a test for prostate as I had symptoms he said no, despite prostate cancer being the single biggest killer in men over the age of fifty. Won't even give you Viagra now either, mean b*****s!

 

[summerdays]

I had one of those screening tests recently. I'm female and and the wrong side of a BMI of 25 (I too like cakes!). They didn't really stress over anything in my results, apart from the top blood pressure reading, which she took again with a different machine which she reckoned was more reliable and also lower!

 

[Binka]

Try to avoid food which are high in sugar and go for low GI type stuff instead where possible. Sadly sometimes with the best diet and health if you're genetically predisposed to it you'll get it anyway. But its worth trying what you can change.

 

[fossyant]

Type 2 is quite easy to manage anyway. You can avoid it by adjusting your diet slightly, if you've been put at the 'at risk'.

We're 5 weeks into getting on top of my lads Type 1 and we are all getting there - big team effort.