diagnosis of pre-diabetes

Mamie I've posted this link before, but you might find it interesting - how a doctor's personal experience led him to question the current wisdom that obesity causes type 2 diabetes
www.ted.com/talks/peter_attia_what_if_we_re_wrong_about_diabetes

So what in your opinion is causing the horrendous rise in type 2 diabetes then janeainsworth?

I wouldn't presume to have an opinion Aka, since I am not an endocrinologist.
I just put the link up to show that there is uncertainty about the whole thing. A case of the more you know, the more you realise you don't know, and things are a bit more complicated than they might first appear.
This is what makes it difficult for public health bodies to give accurate advice to the general public.

durhamjen thank you for your very helpful comments and information, and yes DH certainly wont be seeing that particular practice nurse again. He was furious; when he said we were going to tackle this diagnosis with diet and exercise changes, she said it was irreversible, and although I am not an endocrinologist I beg to differ. DH has had a warning and plans on listening to it. As we eat very little meat, no red, just chicken a few times a week, we are probably eating too much refined white flour ( pasta) and we eat lots of basmati rice. I have found lots of helpful links and websites and we will make changes. Bullying and patronising attitudes from health professionals are not the way to motivate people, especially when you go to them asking for help, and ironically she was rather overweight herself!

silverfish You say you have a phobia of hospitals, clinics, doctors etc.

My son has been a type 1 diabetic since age 13. He is 40 now, and is losing his sight.
He has monthly injections in his eye, and regular lasering too.

Surely the thought that the same could possibly happen to you is a pretty good incentive to modify your diet?

Good luck to all of you who are pre-diabetic, it is not easy.

I doubt there is any 'uncertainty' that the rise in type 2 diabetes is linked to the rise in obesity, which in turn is linked to a change in eating habits and lifestyle.

That said there will always be a small proportion of people who develop this condition who are normal weight, eat well and exercise.

As Gill points our there is emerging evidence that a change in lifestyle can halt the progress of this condition. Some of these practice nurses are not up to the job. I had a similar interview with one when Mr Aka was diagnosed as pre diabetic. It soon became obvious that my knowledge of the condition was far greater than hers. So go for it Gill there's too much to lose otherwise.

Aka the point I was trying to make, but obviously failed, is that there is
no excuse for health professionals like Gill's DH's practice nurse to adopt a bullying, blaming attitude towards patients.

And the whole point of science is to question what people regard as 'certainty'.
Withouth that, progress would never be made.

From my son's experience, a lot of practice nurses have excellent knowledge, but some nurses and quite a few doctors too are sadly quite ignorant.

'But obviously failed' I find that very rude. Let's keep this discussion polite please.

Don't presume to lecture me on science either. You don't know my background or my qualifications. However if you are trying to suggest there is no link between obesity and type 2 diabetes then come out and just say that.

I think everyone agrees there is no excuse for health professionals to be rude, surely that is a given?

Yes Lona there are some great medical professionals and some who are sadly quite ignorant and I can say that coming from a medical family.

Jane just a point of interest, I think I must be having a senior moment....I've searched this thread and cannot find where you said there was 'no excuse fir health professionals like Gill's DH practice nurse......'

Please help.

We suffered at the hands of a bullying nurse when DH went for his pre-op checks for his second hip replacement. Although he was well on the way to recovery from a stroke she nagged him about his weight and although we had already had the go ahead from the surgeon, she cancelled the op on the spot. When I queried her right to do this she snapped, 'He got off lightly last time. If he has another stroke do you want to be looking after a cabbage?' We drove home in total shock and our GP put in a formal complaint on our behalf. The operation was delayed by three months but went ahead with no problems and was a complete success.

We had a written apology from the hospital. I wonder if she still has a job??

merlot that is shocking, especially to go as far as cancelling the operation.

If I had to hazard a guess I would say that my OH suffered some kind of metabolic change in his forties. He had a highly stressful job with masses of travel (to Australia to give a 40 minute input at a conference for example). He suffered from disrupted digestion and sleep patterns for several years. He then got high blood pressure which I suspect went undiagnosed for a few years (nobody checked) and was 230 / 120 when it was discovered. It took a long time to find the right medication and then a few years after that his cholesterol went up and he was put on statins. From the time that everything went haywire he started to put weight on his abdomen, but remained normal size everywhere else. The pre-diabetes has only started in the last two years.
So what the doctor is Jane's link says makes a lot of sense to me.
I don't doubt that bad diet and too much mucked about processed food is also causing the rise in Type 2 diabetes. I was horrified when we were in Spain last year to see so many obese Brits and watch them shovelling down chips and fizzy drinks (our apartment was over a café).
It isn't about that for everybody though and it is very upsetting when people automatically make assumptions and give little lectures about eating the wrong things, when you have never done that.
That is why we have spreadsheet; it takes the wind out of their sails. Actually our French doctor could only suggest that we should only eat cheese on Sunday.

Gill - that nurse shouldn't have been so rude. My DH has type 2 diabetes and is stick thin and always has been. He has always taken regular long walks and is very fit at 68. Obviously if people are overweight, losing weight will help the condition. I'm just saying being overweight was nothing to do with my DH getting type 2.

Aka, sorry but I can't be bothered arguing with you.

Haven't read the whole thread but must say that Type 1 & Type 2 diabetes are not the same condition. Merlotgran seems to suggest that Type 1 (sometimes called insulin-dependent or juvenile onset diabetes) can develop from Type 2. It can't. Some people with Type 2 may also be prescribed insulin but Type 1 cannot, at present, be prevented, is not caused by lifestyle and will require insulin injections. Understanding of diabetes is further confused because although children, even babies typically develop Type 1 ("juvenile onset") many children are developing Type 2 nowadays because of obesity. What the two have in common is that once you've got diabetes, diet and exercise can help to control and manage it.

Read the literature that comes with your medication, certain types of drugs can lead to the onset of type 2 diabetes. This was explained to me when I asked about 6 monthly blood tests.

Type 1 is caused by the immune system destroying the insulin producing cells. it is an auto immune disease. Type 2 is metabolic.

Wish I'd put it like that, JessM!

In response to the OP I too have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic and have done a great deal of research. I am currently on a very low calorie diet, as trialled by Newcastle University and supported by Diabetes UK:
www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm
www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/newcastle-study-600-calorie-diet.html

I'll keep mum!

Thank you for all your input, and yes I do know the difference between type 1 and type 2 and do believe that with some changes in lifestyle we can halt the onset of type 2. We are seriously considering putting in a complaint about the rude bullying of the practice nurse. When DH asked what to do, she said 'well, it is obvious, lose weight' she then advised him to cut down portions sizes, did not say anything about avoiding/limiting processed carbs, told him to eat fruit at lunchtime instead of a sandwich. Now, from the little I have read so far, this is misleading and incorrect, having a bowl of fruit which is full of sugars, albeit natural ones, would surely be a disaster for him? So, we shall tackle it ourselves, but what if we didn't have the wit or means to do so? When she asked him to roll up his sleeve so that she could take his blood pressure she said 'I dont suppose the cuff will fit your arm' . Then she said, 'oh your arms are quite slim aren't they' his blood pressure was fine, despite DH feeling that he was going to explode due to her attitude.

grannyactivist thank you for the links, I shall download and print it and have a read at home. It contradicts, I am delighted to say, what the bully practice nurse says, and yes, type 2 can sometimes be halted/reversed. When I put my mind to something I am like a terrier with a rat, I shall do my research, and will share it on here.

Gill - that nurse needs to go to charm school. We have one at our practice who is nice enough but she is huge and she lectures people about their weight

Why are you keeping mum Galen you're a doctor?