DIABETES

PS The more people know about this the better things will become

Please pass information onto you friends and families

Our local GP does regular tests. DH's was discovered at the pre-diabetic stage and although he now has it it is so controlled he no longer needs medication. Pancreatic problems run in DH's family, both diabetes and cancer of the pancreas so, we were very aware of it.

I have a check every year and have no problem at all. But, again, no one in the family has it nor did the generation above (which was large). I am also not overweight.

Firstly may I point out that it is only T2 which in some cases can be reversed.
Also it is not only those who go undetected who can suffer the complications you mention. It can also happen to those who are T1 and T2 and are on medication. I know from experience !
Having said that I of course support the need for early diagnosis.

Yes of course I should have mentioned type 2 diabetes can be reversed and not type 1

As far as I was aware if Diabetes is well controlled there should not be complications but you say different How so

People forget that diabetes is a killer. It can cause blindness, renal failure, limb amputations, heart failure and increased risk of dementia.

Even ‘well controlled’ means you still have it but not getting out of control.

MY GP has never suggested a check, so I bought a home testing blood glucose monitor, it cost only around £20. My reading did go up to 6, which could indicate pre-diabetes, but I very easily got it back down to 4.6 by adjusting my diet.
I like to feel that I have some control over my health so also have a home blood pressure monitor as I have 'white coat syndrome', and also some urine test strips.

Serkeen DD's partner is T1 he has digestive problems as a side effect which results in him suffering DKA and hospitalization 4-5 times a year. His latest admission revealed kidney failure All this despite DD ensuring he eats well and keeps up his drug regime.
l was diagnosed with T2 about 10 yrs ago, my levels are within the limits but I am suffering eye problems.

Hi ninathenana when you say within the limit what does that mean, what is that limit in terms of your Hba1c or your home testing

What eye problems re you having if you don't mind me asking

Average reading 5-7 not perfect but my specialist is happy.
I am having injections in my eye for diabetic retinopathy. Why do you ask please ?

Shysal I hope you are not relying on those testing strips to know if you have diabetic tendencies or diabetes itself. All they do is give a snapshot of what your level is at a particular time and they will not help you to understand how your body is coping with a meal unless you test before eating and then again two hours after you eat. Again it will depend on what your meal consisted of. The HBA1C is a full blood test which gives an average over the previous three month period which includes all the spikes or peaks and troughs which occur after eating and exercising. When you are tested for diagnostic purposes you are usually given a hefty amount of glucose first and tested after a set time to see how your body copes with it.
It is more complex than you would think to properly manage T2 on diet alone but it can be done when the patient is determined and organised. T1 is a totally different ballgame as are the other types too. Keeping control of the carbohydrate content of meals is key to all types whether by insulin, tablets or diet or combinations of same. It is denial which is deadliest and can cause severe problems .

I controlled and eventually got rid of my late mothers diabetes by diet many years ago.I've had friends ,good friends who frankly didn't believe me.Tonight I watched a programme on ITV about reversing type 2 in just 8 weeks by a low calorie diet.It would be worth watching for any of you who think you could stick to the quite harsh regime .It was called either Fast Fit or Fast Fix ...Diabetes
Maybe my friends will believe me now ...lol

This way of "curing" type two diabetes was devised in Newcastle on Tyne university over the last few years.

It is still though a major task to get people to be able to change their lifestyle and diet but it's got to improve happen or we will be in a real mess.
The costs to to the NHS of type two diabetes is huge. Just look at the size of people today compared with 20 yrs ago.

I cannot help thinking that it will be very difficult to get enough people to change diet and lifestyle etc.

It's not just individuals who need to change but the food manufactures as well. Most supermarkets have several aisles selling soft drinks and advertise that they sell items for snacking etc .
I fear this Genie cannot be put back in the bottle.

Synonymous, sorry my post was misleading. The urine test strips are just for use if I suspect I have an infection.

Nelliemoser THIS diet is different in that it only takes 8 weeks to reverse diabetes ,sure they will hae to be careful with their diet aferwards but the main effects ,the high blood glucose,fatty liver etc will be gone

My DH has type 2 diabetes and has never been even slightly overweight.

DH has recently spent a month in hospital with some serious health issues. He finds it hard to lose weight and has been borderline type 2 for two years. I cook everything from scratch, monitor calorie intake and without nagging (I hope) make sure he doesn't weaken because he has always had a sweet tooth.

During his stay in hospital the meals consisted of pies, puddings, rice, potatoes etc., etc., They were well cooked and DH is not one to deny himself!! I took in prepared fruit but as they'd removed all his teeth to try and find a mystery infection he found most of it difficult to eat. Fortunately his room had a fridge so I was able to provide low fat yoghurts.

One day he asked if he could have fruit instead of a pudding so they gave him tinned peaches in syrup.

When he finally came home the sugar laden diet and lack of exercise meant he'd put on well over half a stone. so I'm dreading his diabetic check next week.

However.... Thanks to the wonderful treatment he received he has thankfully recovered from dangerous and debilitating sepsis so I can now concentrate on getting his diet back on track but it does seem ironic that the very institution that is buckling under the strain of Type 2 diabetes fills you up with sugary foods the minute you get in there.

The general opinion seems to be "fat=diabetes risk." Yes, weight plays a part, but so does hereditary and ethnicity. I was about a stone overweight (who isn't) when I was diagnosed with type 2, and I take medication for it, but as my mother was diabetic, and I am mixed race, I was a prime candidate for it. Someone mentioned complications even when type 2 is controlled. Has anyone had any experience of this?

KatyK its not about the fat you can see its the internal fat .Have a look at the TV programme it was very interesting.Two of the participants weren't ver overweight et had bad fatty liver and high glucose levels .After just 4 weeks on the diet there was a massive improvement.
My late mother was never more than 8 stone in her life and yet she had type 2 ...we changed her diet ...long term and she reversed the diagnosis

Antonia re complications with controlled T2
See my post at 20.08 and 20.40 yesterday

Thank you paddyann I try with the diet, being careful about carbs, and have lost a few of, so my last Hb1c came out at 42, which is good control. I would love to get it lower, even reverse it, but I don't think I could stick to 800 calories a day. Also my understanding is that the reversal is not permanent, it lasts around 3 months, and then the diabetes comes back. That aspect of it isn't much publicised. It would effectively mean doing 800 calories a day every three months, and I like my food!

B....y auto correct! I mean, I lost a few kg.

I know several people who have succumbed to T2 after serious illness and/or the consequences of strong medication. None were overweight but when the body is 'broken' it is only too easy to pile on the pounds and the there is confusion between cause and effect.

Also as can be seen from what merlot has said it can be difficult for an inpatient to eat suitable foods unless you are focussed because when you are unwell you tend to go for the comfort food options or just those items you feel you can manage. In any case the nhs catering is not focussed on health but rather on economy which is understandable but not helpful in some cases.

It is a fallacy that you only get diabetes because you are fat because, as can be seen from other posts above, this is not so. It is extraordinarily difficult for some people to take off/keep off the weight once your body is 'broken' and cannot process your food as it was designed to do. Sadly many people have been sold the wrong message and can be very hard on those who are really struggling to do all the right things to no effect. It can cause much mental anguish.

Meant 'only when you are fat' but thinking further I also know many 'fat' people who are very fit and do not have T2.

It's very important that once you are over 40-50 (depending on your individual risks) you check with your provider about having an annual fasting glucose done. As you say, many people with diabetes don't know they have it because Type 2 diabetes often presents with few or no symptoms.

Risk factors for diabetes include:
-family history of Type 2 diabetes
-being overweight
-lack of exercise
-schizophrenia (due to the medications, not the disease itself)
-having had gestational diabetes or having had a baby weighing over 9 pounds at birth (could be undiagnosed gestational diabetes)
-history of polycystic ovary syndrome or other insulin resistance syndrome

Not every heavy person develops diabetes, and it's possible to develop diabetes even if you're not overweight. For example, between 5-10% of women have a disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. PCOS is fundamentally an insulin resistance syndrome - your body needs more insulin than normal to lower your blood sugars. Approximately half of all women with PCOS are overweight or obese, and they often struggle greatly in trying to get the weight off, due to the insulin resistance. (Insulin makes your body store fat.) The other half of women with PCOS may be normal or even underweight, but they are still at risk for developing diabetes because of the insulin resistance.

Note: Some women may wonder if they have PCOS because they have a history of ovarian cysts. The answer is, not necessarily. It's possible to have ovarian cysts and not have PCOS, and it's possible to have PCOS and not have ovarian cysts. The cysts that are present in PCOS stem from the insulin resistance problem. Cysts can be caused by other issues that have nothing to do with insulin resistance, so if you're not sure, see your provider for blood testing.