Am I really diabetic?

[dodee97457]

I just recently had some blood work done at the Gynecologists office. My fasting blood sugar was 94 and my Hemoglobin A1c was 6.1. My triglerides are normal and my cholestral was slightly elevated. I am 49 and very overweight. My paternal Grandmother was native american and a diabetic. My Father passed away at 53 from cancer. just got laid off without prior warning in June and I will have no health insurance at the end of the month. The insurance I have has a 2500 deductable starting in june of every year. My primary care Dr's nurse just called me and told me they needed to see me as they consider me to be diabetic. The Gynecologists office said they wanted me to loose weight and go on the glycemic diet. a web site on the internet seemed to indicate that I was on the vorder of being diabetic. What do you think?

[Anita Ramsetty, MD]

Hi,
Your fasting blood sugars was within normal but your A1C was not(even so, the A1C is not the best way to screen for diabetes). You do have a number or risk factors including your weight and family history,so the chances are higher than normal that you will develop some glucose processing abnormalities in future if not already. I am sorry about your work and insurance situation as that can make some of the testing expensive.
Right now you would probably benefit from a 2 hour glucose tolerance test to determine if you have glucose intolerance, and also as a second test for possible diabetes.It is another expense but if you can have it done before your insurance runs out I think it is a good idea.
In any event, weight loss through lifestyle changes(exercise and diet) is the priority at this time, so I strongly agree with your doctor that you should meet with a dietician for some guidance. The diets based on glycemic index are good but there are many others that work as well. Be sure to pick a diet you think you will be able to stick to--that is the best predictor of success.
Best of luck and take care.