highblood presure

[jo smith]

l am 55years old, who is obese, lam on hypertension drugs, on a routine check up at the doctors i had a venous blood sample and the plasma blood glucose was 7.2mmol/l....
why might this not provide evidence for a diagnosis of diabetes?
why would tests on the urine help in the diagnosis?
will i be at risk of diabetes?

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

Hello Jo --
If your test was done "routine" and not fasting, then your number may mean nothing.  Even folks without diabetes can have routine blood sugars at 129.  However, being obese does raise your risk for eventually developing Type 2 diabetes, so -- do heed the advice to safely exercise & lose some weight.  I know, it's much easier to say than to do.

Urine tests are sometimes used to check kidney function and other things, and not just blood sugar, so it's often part of a routine physical exam.

I'm not a physician so before you make any changes -- even a weight loss program -- be sure to check in with your doctor, so you're sure to follow a routine that's safe for you.

Take good care of you!

[JDRF-Team-cb]

I don't think I could add anything else to that answer, but to tell you how much better you will feel if you lose weight.  I know that probably sounds trite-I am a Type I diabetic and in good health.  I have had two children and gained 50 lbs. with each and lost it and it was hard, but I did it and am very proud of myself-so I got a taste of what it feels like to have extra weight on.  Even losing a little wieght-by eating right and exercising will lesson your chances of developing diabetes.

[JDRF-Team-RL]

Hi, Jo.  I'm not a medical professional, just the dad of a kid with diabetes.  I had to find a conversion formula to change the 7.2 mmol/l to the mg/dl that we use.  For anyone interested, here it is:

To convert mmol/l of glucose to mg/dl, multiply by 18.

To convert mg/dl of glucose to mmol/l, divide by 18 or multiply by 0.055.

Anyway, that converts to 129 in my units.  A healthy adult is supposed to be in the 90-120 range, or so.  That converts to 5-6.7mmol/l.  You're slightly high, but not overly so.  Had you eaten within a few hours of that test?  If you're concerned about possible diabetes, test again after fasting.  

A urine test has a chance to help diagnose, but it only shows what your blood glucose level was a couple hours ago.  

From your self-description, I'd say you're more of a candidate for type 2 diabetes.  Between your hypertension drugs and weight, I'd say the best thing you can do to help yourself is consult your doctor about an exercise regimen and diet that might work for you, and then stick to it.  Get a buddy who will exercise with you and assist you with your diet, that helps.  But remember, I'm just a dad.

Good luck.