PreDiabetic - What do you think?

Hello… I am BRAND new to this community.

Back in May, I was diagnosed as a pre-diabetic as my A1C level was 5.9. I was shocked, but not nearly as much as when I found out soon after that my medical history had indicated numbers that were as high as 5.8, but never mentioned by my regular GP.

He told me there was no cause for concern: just watch what I eat & exercise.

I was floored by his cavalier attitude, but not surprised at the diagnosis: at 62 & 205 lbs, I’ve had the diet of a 12 year old, topped off by a deadly sweet tooth. I knew the day would come.

Well for 3 months, I dieted, exercised & laid off carbs & sugar (for the most part).

I lost 20 lbs. 2 weeks ago I had the test done again expecting a significant decrease: it was 5.8!! I was really surprised that it barely changed. My GP response: “I don’t know., maybe it’s just who you are… it’s no big deal. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

I’m curious what your reaction would be to what’s transpired since Memorial Day weekend. Thanks!

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Hi, @TomH.

Welcome to TuDiabetes! I moved your comment to a new discussion hoping more people might see it and reply.

5.8/5.9 may be high, but I believe they are considered within normal/non-diabetic range. This is just a non-medical viewpoint of someone who deals with type 1 diabetes, so perhaps not the most useful perspective. :slight_smile:

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Pre Diabetes is currently is defined to have an A1c 5.7 The numbers keep changing from the diabetes powers that be.
Your numbers are within the margin of error in most test.
Meaning it needs to be watched. And lowering your carb intake and increasing exercise will do you no harm.

Also, don’t blame yourself too much, since type 2 diabetes arises only in people having a genetic predisposition to develop it, so sedentary habits and excessive eating cannot cause it by themselves. I have encountered plenty of tall, thin, active type 2 diabetics when I have been a patient at diabetes clinics, but they just had a heavy genetic loading driving them into type 2 diabetes whatever they did.

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Are you testing your blood glucose (BG) to see what your day to day BG’s are? This is pretty much the most important factor in controlling diabetes, although if I could get my A1C down to 5.8 without serious lows I’d be ecstatic (long time type 1 here so different ball game). Diet and exercise should bring your A1C down eventually so it just may require some patience.

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Welcome, to the group. Anyone else in your family have type two? Yes genetics play a role in getting type two diabetes. Also your lifestyle has an impact. Making smart food choices and exercising are good habit to get into. Get a meter and check to see how your daily blood sugars are doing. And hang out here to get support. I’m the type 2 for 25 years. Again welcome to the group. Nancy 50

5.8 is a great number to have that is an average of 130. I understand with all the talk about being prediabetic (I term the drug companies came up with) that one can worry about it. Just ask your doctor to run an Aic every 6 months just to keep an eye on it.

Hello and welcome. Another thought, it is never smart to just assume that pre-diabetic means pre Type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs at all ages, and pre-Type 1 is a very real thing! Autoantibody testing can be used to distinguish autoimmune diabetes (Type 1) from non-autoimmune diabetes (Type 2, etc).

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Another thought, t2 is a real thing too.
Not everyone is T1!

Many adults get diagnosed as T2 by supposition, because they are not children.
This is not always the case so getting extra tests done is a good idea.

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@Melitta’s comment above does not dismiss or infer any disrespect for people with type 2 diabetes. The context for her remark is that approximately 10% of all people diagnosed with T2D are really T1D. These misdiagnoses can drag on for years and the patient then suffers real damage from sustained hyperglycemia. These misdiagnosed cases can often be avoided by the doctor ordering the auto-antibody blood tests.

TuDiabetes has done a great job respecting the needs of people with diabetes, no matter the type. Slow onset T1D (latent auoimmune diabetes in adults) in adults can often be misdiagnosed as T2D prediabetes.

I find the whole “prediabetes” term as disrespectful of people with diabetes. I see it as a euphemism and feeds the dysfunctional denial coping mechanism in many patients. Either your body can metabolize glucose or it cannot. Labelling this as “prediabetes” permits both the doctor and patient to dismiss the seriousness of this metabolic disfunction. It’s why many people diagnosed with T2D can present with significant long-term complications.

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Hello TomH.

I am pretty much in the same boat but my A1c has maintained 5.9-6.0. I decided to get a meter and start testing to see what is affecting my numbers. I have Kaiser and they use the Verio bit the numbers generated seemed off and it is not known as one of the more accurate meters. As a result, I bout a Contour next one and test strips from Amazon but I am paying out of pocket. The other reason was that my doc only gave me a prescription to test once per day but that’s not enough to figure out what’s going on. Also, since I’m paying out of pocket, the Contour next strips are cheaper. I just took an a1c test yesterday so I’m waiting to see how those results compare to my meter average. Hope this helps.

Out of pocket i use CVS advantage rated well
Just a note my Kaiser does not believe in low carb, which works for me.

I’ve been doing low carb also. Kaiser just told me how many carbs I should be able to eat to keep my blood sugar levels within range. Since I run and work out they asked if I was tired or not feeling well because of my activity level and the low carbs that I am eating. I’m not so they just gave me the number as a point of reference but didn’t discourage me. They said I should be able to eat 40-60 carbs per meal. I don’t normally eat that many but it’s good to know. Gives me a gauge to work with.

What does low carb mean to you? For me it is 30-40 carbs a day.
But i am a T2 who started out with an A1c of 12.0

My last A1c was 5.9.

I’m doing about 40-60 per day. My last a1c was 6.0. When I was diagnosed prediabetic it was 6.4.

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