'Hello!' from a confused pre-diabetic

[Milli_Co]

Welcome to the forum @Milli_Co

Sounds like you are off to a solid start.

Good to know you are keeping an open mind about the possibility of T1 (which can come on more slowly in adults).

Keep up with those modest menu changes, and keep an eye on how thing progress over the coming weeks and months.

Sometimes it can take a while (years in some cases) for the situation to become clear.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm trying to make sustainable changes to my lifestyle, and fingers crossed that helps bring down my HbA1C.

Am I right in thinking that once we go over HbA1C 42, that means a certain degree of damage has been done, and even if HbA1C drops to 'normal range', our body doesn't cope with carbs in the same efficient way any more?

I downloaded the Freshwell app 2 days ago and checked out the infographics with my husband. Shocking! We have now made adjustments to our breakfast and dinner. Kids are not impressed , but I'm sure it's a change to the right direction.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Am I right in thinking that once we go over HbA1C 42, that means a certain degree of damage has been done, and even if HbA1C drops to 'normal range', our body doesn't cope with carbs in the same efficient way any more?

I don’t think there are any guarantees about hard and fast cut-off points. Some people can run high for a long time with no apparent long-term consequences. Others only stray a little, and unfortunately develop diabetes-related complications.

42-47mmol/mol is often described as ‘at risk’. People can run at those levels, and then make changes to go back below 42 and be ‘no longer at risk’.

However once you have a couple of readings above 48 and get a T2 diagnosis, you can reduce your BGs back to below 42, but your diabetes will be considered ‘well managed’, or if not taking any meds possibly ‘in remission’… but most HCP would still say you had T2.

What the body/metabolism makes of those labels is anyone’s guess!

 

[trophywench]

Daft question maybe - why on earth have you had your amylase level checked? Thought they only checked it if they suspected pancreatitis? (far as I know, I've never had mine checked in my life)

 

[Milli_Co]

Daft question maybe - why on earth have you had your amylase level checked? Thought they only checked it if they suspected pancreatitis? (far as I know, I've never had mine checked in my life)

Yes you are right. They normally only check amylase to diagnose pancreatitis. The initially test was to find out the reason for the frequent pain in my upper abdomen and similar area on my back. After finding nothing from the routine blood work, my lovely GP decided to check amylase 'just in case' for his and my peace of mind. Well, the results were over the normal range, twice, but somehow it dropped during the time my hba1c went up. Coincidence?

 

[trophywench]

Sorry - no idea whatsoever.

 

[JITR]

Am I right in thinking that once we go over HbA1C 42, that means a certain degree of damage has been done, and even if HbA1C drops to 'normal range', our body doesn't cope with carbs in the same efficient way any more?

Not sure anyone knows the answer to your questions.

What Professor Roy Taylor and his Newcastle University team established about 15 years ago in their Counterpoint study on T2D patients is (from memory):

1. Fat builds up in the body, liver and pancreas typically over a period of 10 years or more.
2. When it reaches the patient's body fat tolerance threshold T2D more fat accumulating in the liver.
3. At this point the pancreas is secreting about about 50% of the insulin it once did.
4. The team noticed the pancreas reduced in size just before the onset of T2D.
5. When T2D patients went on the Newcastle Diet to get liver and pancreas fat back to normal beta cells in the pancreas started producing more insulin again. The extent of this recovery was depended, on average, on the number of years since the onset of T2D.
6. Almost 100% of prediabetics and recent onset T2Ds recover, about 50% after 5-6 years, and maybe 20% after 20 years.

So I'd say substitute HbA1C 48 for HbA1C 42 in your question. Also accept HbA1C 42-47 indicates your body does not cope well with too many carbs. Ideally get down to HbA1C 35 or less and keep your carbs in check.

 

[Milli_Co]

Not sure anyone knows the answer to your questions.

What Professor Roy Taylor and his Newcastle University team established about 15 years ago in their Counterpoint study on T2D patients is (from memory):

1. Fat builds up in the body, liver and pancreas typically over a period of 10 years or more.
2. When it reaches the patient's body fat tolerance threshold T2D more fat accumulating in the liver.
3. At this point the pancreas is secreting about about 50% of the insulin it once did.
4. The team noticed the pancreas reduced in size just before the onset of T2D.
5. When T2D patients went on the Newcastle Diet to get liver and pancreas fat back to normal beta cells in the pancreas started producing more insulin again. The extent of this recovery was depended, on average, on the number of years since the onset of T2D.
6. Almost 100% of prediabetics and recent onset T2Ds recover, about 50% after 5-6 years, and maybe 20% after 20 years.

So I'd say substitute HbA1C 48 for HbA1C 42 in your question. Also accept HbA1C 42-47 indicates your body does not cope well with too many carbs. Ideally get down to HbA1C 35 or less and keep your carbs in check.

That's some fascinating information. I will read up on his research. Thank you so much for sharing this.