A year ago a health check revealed stage 2 hypertension and borderline high cholesterol.

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I vowed to try and sort this by losing weight, exercise, reduced/no salt. It didn't work and after 2 months I reluctantly accepted medication [Ramipril initially, then losartan due to the cough] and things improved. Now I find that my HbA1c that was done at the check was almost at the prediabetic level: it was 41 mmol/mol or 5.9%. I understand 6% is classed as prediabetic and in the USA it's 5.7%. So well within the danger level.of type 2 diabetes.My dr agreed with me and a year later I've just had it done again and despite lifestyle changes and a BMI of <19 the a1c is exactly the same. the dr says i've done the right things and i have to just wait for the numbers to rise to 6.5% and he'll have metformin for me - he's not joking either, he says they will rise. do you think this a1c and the hypertension and high cholesterol were connected. the="" a1c="" is="" exactly="" the="" same.="" the="" dr="" says="" i've="" done="" the="" right="" things="" and="" i="" have="" to="" just="" wait="" for="" the="" numbers="" to="" rise="" to="" 6.5%="" and="" he'll="" have="" metformin="" for="" me="" -="" he's="" not="" joking="" either,="" he="" says="" they="" will="" rise.="" do="" you="" think="" this="" a1c="" and="" the="" hypertension="" and="" high="" cholesterol="" were="" connected.="">

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6 Replies

  • Posted

    I am not convinced that reducing salt intake is the key here. I managed to reduce my bp by doing all of the following ( it took about 2 months)

    1. More exercise (daily) - walking/ running/ interval training. Not overdoing it but aiming to be doing something for at least 40 minutes a day.

    2. Cutting down on eating rubbish slightly

    3. Taking C0q10 enzyme.

    4. Reducing amount of alcohol.

    but none of those really worked till I gave blood. A couple of days later I was depressed as systolic 150.

    So went to Doctor today but systolic was about 138 ( about 3 weeks after donating) - still borderline but much better.

    Anyhow - pre-diabetes. Only suggestion is to cut down on the carbs if you can - eat a bit more protein to fill you up instead. Unfortunately we were meant to subsist on a starvation diet - which is almost impossible given today's food riches. Not sure if you saw that program with the doctor twins on the evils of mixing fats and sugars....

    As a girl I wouldn't recommend the 5-2 diet as much as if you were a bloke. Ultimately you just have to eat less.

  • Posted

    Hi, thanks for your reply. Apart from the COq10 enzyme I've done more or less the same as you except that I don't think I ate much rubbish/junk anyway. I followed a similar regime over 10/11 months and lost over 2 1/2 stone. I don't understand the significance of your blood donation sending your BP high, why would it do that, however it looks as though it's going in the right direction now for you which is good. All my efforts including the salt reduction had no effect except of course that it was only in the first 2 months that I was able to tell as after that I was on medication for what a 24 hr monitor said was 163/96. Now a year on it is down to below 130/75 but of course I take meds so who knows the real score !! I think my cheerful dr is so convinced that the HbA1c will rise as he feels I have 'nowhere to go'. It should have dropped given the improvements on lifestyle I'd made but had stayed the same and I'd apparently done off my own bat what he would have recommended had he realised the A1c level. so I have to sort my carbs myself and it all looks horribly confusing. Hope your BP continues to remain stable.
  • Posted

    Sorry my BP was high prior to giving blood. Giving blood reduced it, though not straight away. BP was up a 160/100 initially.
  • Posted

    For getting the blood sugar down I would again just suggest that lowering carbs so that you get into a state of ketosis might help. For blood pressure Coq10 may help but I think it might be better for men and post-menopausal women.
  • Posted

    I am post menopausal actually - well passed!! You're right about the carbs though. As far as pre diabetes is concerned it's not just [as I had thought] reducing carbs as in weight loss: seems to me it's more complicated than that and I'll need a degree in order to get my head around it. It is of course only pre diabetes but if I don't sort it at this stage it is only going to become full blow type 2, that's what the dr is saying. I fondly thought being thin and fit was a deterrent but some folk are pre disposed to it it seems, unfortunately I seem to be one of them sad(
  • Posted

    Ketosis? must google that, I had thought it was bad news but perhaps not?

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