3 Responses to “Glucose Intolerant vs. Diabetic”

1. admin says:

   January 29 at 2:51 am

   In article <409atq$f78_…@cpbgppp6.epix.net>, a…@epix.net says…
   

   >I have received a lot of e-mail from folks telling me that there’s no such
   >thing as being a "borderline diabetic," or having "diabetic
   >tendencies," that, in the words of one of my correspondents, it’s like
   >being "a little pregnant."  The reasons given for this make sense to me,
   >but I have a question.  My doctor told me that my BG levels are withing
   >normal levels until I have an intake of sugars (e.g. at a meal), then it
   >temporarily jumps into the diabetic range, and eventually falls back to
   >within normal.  He called this being "glucose intolerant."

   At the risk of offending some of my bretheren, all of the cut off points
   distinguishing between normal glucose levels and elevated levels under
   different circumstances (fasting, x hours post y grams glucose challenge)
   are somewhat arbitrary.  The normal range is usually set at something
   like 2 standard deviations around the mean.  I don’t know what critera
   were used to set the diabetes cut off level, but there are several
   standard sets of diagnostic levels and they all vary somewhat.

   >The question is: Is this any different than what I first described?  Is
   >"glucose intolerant" a legitimate category?  He told me that it means I’ll
   >almost certainly develop into full diabetes, and it’s just a matter of how
   >long I can delay this through diet and exercise.  This also makes sense to
   >me, as much as the above does.

   The official name for values above normal, but
   below the cutoff for frank diabetes is Impaired Glucose Tolerance.
   Informally, the condition is called borderline diabetes, diabetic
   tendencies, glucose intolerance and stuff like that.  What treatment
   if any, is appropriate given the finding of impaired glucose tolerance
   is a clinical decision based on a mulitude of factors.  There is a
   continuum from someone who is barely above the high end of normal who
   may just slightly out of range, to someone just below the "official"
   cut off point for a diagnosis of diabetes.

   There are two opposing tendencies.  One is to minimize the trauma of
   the diagnosis and say, "It’s just boderline diabetes".  The other is
   to try to encourage serious diet/weight/life style change by saying,
   "You have diabetes, it just isn’t full blown yet."  They are both true
   statements.  (I am tempted to make some comments about Aristotle’s Law
   of the Excluded Middle, but after Occam’s Razor, I have second thoughts.)

   >My take on this is that the net result is that I have to modify my diet and
   >begin an exercise program of some kind, so either way I wind up doing the
   >same thing.  The only difference is when I start on meds.  OTOH, I’m new to
   >this, so what the hell do I know?  :-)

   I think you have a good understanding of what’s going on.

   –
   Charles Coughran (ccough…@ucsd.edu )
2. admin says:

   January 29 at 2:51 am

   In article <409atq$f78_…@cpbgppp6.epix.net>, a…@epix.net says…
   

   - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

   >I have received a lot of e-mail from folks telling me that there’s no
   such
   >thing as being a "borderline diabetic," or having "diabetic
   >tendencies," that, in the words of one of my correspondents, it’s like
   >being "a little pregnant."  The reasons given for this make sense to me,
   >but I have a question.  My doctor told me that my BG levels are withing
   >normal levels until I have an intake of sugars (e.g. at a meal), then it
   >temporarily jumps into the diabetic range, and eventually falls back to
   >within normal.  He called this being "glucose intolerant."

   >The question is: Is this any different than what I first described?  Is
   >"glucose intolerant" a legitimate category?  He told me that it means
   I’ll
   >almost certainly develop into full diabetes, and it’s just a matter of
   how
   >long I can delay this through diet and exercise.

   My understanding on glucose intolerance "borderline diabetic" is that the
   person will have normal fasting BG levels but their levels jump over the
   180 limit after meals.  The only people I’ve heard who care about the
   distinction between glucose intolerance, and NIDDM are insurance
   companies.  

   My sister was diagnosed just last week 8/4 as NIDDM, having been told for
   the last 3 years that she was borderline diabetic.  When told she would
   have trouble getting new medical insurance unless she could get the doctor
   to report it as glucose intolerance, the docter sited the fact that her
   fasting sugars were 184, and he did not do a glocose tolerance test.

   Borderline diabetic means that the BG readings are high, but not yet high
   enough to require medical intervention.  They do require monitoring,
   because that could change very quickly.  For some people this state could
   last for years.  If you wanted to extend the period for as long as
   possible, learn NOW what you can do through diet and exercise to help your
   body regain control.  

   I guess I agree with the "little bit pregnant" philosophy, a borderline
   diabetic is a NIDDM diabetic.  The only difference is the degree of
   control needed.  I have known true type II diabetics who control their
   sugars completely with diet and exercise.  Nobody tries to tell them that
   their no longer diabetic.

   Jim Bell (NIDDM 2yrs, IDDM 5yrs, never "borderline")
3. admin says:

   January 29 at 2:51 am

           I was going to various doctors, because I had peripheral
   neuropathy, but had normal readings on the fasting blood sugar test.  The
   neurologist finally had me take a postprandial blood glucose test which
   was high.  I then took a glucose tolerance test.  The chart from this test
   closely matched one in a book labelled as glucose intolerant.  By the end
   of the 6 hours, my bg levels were down to the normal range, but early in
   the test, they were over the maximum "safe" levels.
           My doctor reported it as Diabetes Mellitis and now the insurance
   company is going to pay part of the test strip cost.  I have received the
   strips, but not the bill for the difference yet.  (PruCare in Texas)
   

           Harold

   Harold L. Menzel  - HAROL…@AOL.COM
   Richardson, TX