We are offering a routine blood tests to those patients who have been identified as at risk of developing diabetes, as per NHS guidance. This may be a recent blood test or one they had a while ago. There have been some new guidelines about diabetes risk and we are contacting all of our patients who are affected by these changes.
REASON
Your blood tests indicated that your blood glucose level is raised and either your fasting blood glucose or Hba1c levels are a little higher than they should be.
This is a non-diabetic hyperglycaemia level. The box below shows you where your readings lie compared with normal glucose readings and diabetic glucose readings.
| Test | Normal | Non- diabetic hyperglycaemia | Diabetes |
| Fasting Glucose | < 5.5 | 5.5 – 6.9 | >=7..0 |
| HBA1C | <42 | 42 – 47 | >=48 |
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
You have non-diabetic hyperglycaemia (sometimes also called pre-diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glycaemia) which means your blood glucose is raised beyond the normal range but it is not so high that you have diabetes. However, you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. You are also at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke).
What are the symptoms?
Usually there are no symptoms at all and this is picked up on routine blood tests. It is not an illness itself and you do NOT have diabetes, but it is a risk factor.
What is type 2 diabetes?
This is a condition where the amount of sugar (or glucose) circulating in the blood stream is too high, because the body can’t use it properly. This may be because you are not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or because your cells are resistant to the actions of insulin; often it is a combination of the two. This can affect every part of the body and can cause particular problems with the heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves and feet. Unfortunately, once the disease is well established some complications are irreversible, so catching it early is the key.
WHY ME?
We don’t always know why some people develop diabetes, but there are a number of risk factors, the commonest of which are obesity, physical inactivity, having high blood pressure or a history of heart disease or stroke. People of South Asian, Black African, African Caribbean backgrounds and those with a family history of diabetes are also at increased risk.
WHAT CAN I DO?
The good news is that if non-diabetic hyperglycaemia is treated it can help to prevent the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The most effective treatment is LIFESTYLE CHANGES:
· PHYSICAL EXERCISE– 30 minutes of raising your heart rate, 5 times a week- this can be broken up over the course of the day e.g. two 15 minute jogs
· LOSING WEIGHT -if you are overweight o
· DIETARY CHANGES– more fibre and less fat
HOW CAN THE PRACTICE HELP?
We are offering all of our patients with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia a blood test- HBA1C. We are also recommending (as per guideline) repeat the test at least once a year to monitor your glucose level.
You can make an appointment with the nurse for a review to discuss the result, identify any other risk factors and put together a personalised action plan for you.
There are some useful websites with more information about diabetes and pre-diabetes: www.diabetes.org.uk, www.diabetes.co.uk.