# Hi from a newbie!



## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi there!

First of all i want to say i am not diabetic atm, but on my last health checks my doc has told me that i am at increased risk of getting diabetes. I am 43 years old so it seems too early for getting diabetes i thought.   Thats basically why i am here. It seems to be a vere nice forum!

Cheers!


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi @Andy_me and welcome. I assume the "at risk" comment was on the back of a blood test called an HbA1c. Do you know what the number was? It should have been between 42 and 47. Maybe you could tell us a bit about yourself? Typical diet, do you have weight to loose, are you active? That way people can tailor their responses to your situation


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi Andy, age doesn’t really come into things but as Adrian mentioned, if you could share more details about the test results and lifestyle and also any symptoms you may already be displaying that would help us advise.


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi!
Yeah sure i can tell some more about myself, 42 year male. After i grew up i have progressively been putting on weight. Been more or less overweight since my 20ies. In my 20ies i gained up to i guess 190 lbs or so from around 150-160. Then during my early 30ies i went up to around 230-240 lbs. last years i have been hovering 255-270 lbs. She also told me that of course my waist size did not help either since i got a bit of my weight located in my belly. Last few years also my blood pressure has gone up whish she said was a risk too.


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

Andy_me said:


> Hi!
> Yeah sure i can tell some more about myself, 42 year male. After i grew up i have progressively been putting on weight. Been more or less overweight since my 20ies. In my 20ies i gained up to i guess 190 lbs or so from around 150-160. Then during my early 30ies i went up to around 230-240 lbs. last years i have been hovering 255-270 lbs. She also told me that of course my waist size did not help either since i got a bit of my weight located in my belly. Last few years also my blood pressure has gone up whish she said was a risk too.


Do you have the HbA1C figure to hand? That’s the test for a sort of the month average blood glucose level.


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Well what i remember now is that my last blood pressure was like 154/99. I think i must log on to the health portal to access my lab results, but i can look into that and see what i can find!


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

Have they prescribed you any meds for the diabetes or for your blood pressure? 

I'd suggest buying a blood glucose monitor and also a blood pressure monitor so that you can track them yourself and see how various foods impact your levels.


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

No at that point they did not give me one which surprised me but i have had white coat hypertension too. 
I did not have diabetes, i was only at risk for it as far as i have understood.

I found some data online from a check in january this year!
Total cholesterol: 5.9 mmol
LDL-chol (direct): 4.7
HDL-chol: 1.2
Triglycerids: 2.4 mmol
Fasting glucose: 6.0 mmol


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

Be useful to see what your latest test results are, especially the HbA1C.


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

aah you wouldn't get any useful out of those numbers?


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## Lucyr (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi and welcome. I was diagnosed T2 age 20 so I don’t think 43 is too young! Its good you know about it now as hopefully with a few changes you can improve your levels


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

oh thats nice to hear


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi again @Andy_me 

The best approach is probably to loose some weight and to have a look at your diet. Carbohydrates are the problem for diabetics. This includes starchy things (rice, pasta, bread, potatoes) as well as obviously sweet, sugary things. The body rapidly breaks down carbs into glucose. As you are only at risk of diabetes then a few tweaks to reduce the amount of carbs you eat (smaller portions) should get you sorted. Some gentle to moderate exercise will also help. A combination of reduced portions of carbs and some exercise should see the pounds drop off as well which will help further.

I was nearly 20 stone last year and weighed in at 13st 6lbs this morning and I feel fitter and healthier than I have done in years


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

adrian1der said:


> Hi again @Andy_me
> 
> The best approach is probably to loose some weight and to have a look at your diet. Carbohydrates are the problem for diabetics. This includes starchy things (rice, pasta, bread, potatoes) as well as obviously sweet, sugary things. The body rapidly breaks down carbs into glucose. As you are only at risk of diabetes then a few tweaks to reduce the amount of carbs you eat (smaller portions) should get you sorted. Some gentle to moderate exercise will also help. A combination of reduced portions of carbs and some exercise should see the pounds drop off as well which will help further.
> 
> I was nearly 20 stone last year and weighed in at 13st 6lbs this morning and I feel fitter and healthier than I have done in years


Did you do this all through strict low-carb? If so what's your carb limit on an average day?

It's a great result and it must make your tailor very happy!


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi @ColinUK 
I was dieting when I was diagnosed. Low calorie and I had bought a peloton. Then when I was diagnosed I went low carb. I don't count carbs so don't know how many I eat but I have cut out bread, potatoes, rice etc. I never had a sweet tooth so no changes there. Celeriac mash and spaghetti, Courgette Spaghetti, turnips in stews, cauli rice and mash etc are my usual substitutions or I just have a bigger portions of the sauce part of the meal e.g. a big bowl of curry rather than a bowl of curry and rice.


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

Oh - and pork scratchings have replaced crisps as a snack


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

adrian1der said:


> Oh - and pork scratchings have replaced crisps as a snack


I don't think I can find kosher versions of those!


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

ColinUK said:


> I don't think I can find kosher versions of those!


Might be tricky


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi again! I found a report where my HBA1C was 45! That was what you asked for, right?


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

That's the one. Your HbA1c is a measure of your average blood sugar over (approximately) the last three months. It measures the amount of glucose bound to your red blood cells and red blood cells live for approximately three months. Below 42 is normal 48 and above is diabetic and the bit from 42-47 is pre-diabetic or at risk of diabetes. You're pretty much bang in the middle so hopefully you should be able to bring it down with a little effort.


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Good to hear!! I am actually scheduled for bloodwork / checks tomorrow morning and then the doc after lunch.  That's why i went onto this site. So curious what will come up. They scheduled this with a shorter interval.


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

That's not so bad. As Adrian said, with a little effort you should be able to get that HbA1c down. The added benefit of making the effort will also be to drop some pounds. When I was diagnosed I was heavier than you are now and although I've put back on about 10kgs since my lowest I'm now about 94-95Kgs and can feel the difference when it does creep up a bit. 

What does your typical meal look like? And for a typical day? Let's see if we can't suggest some really simple switches you can make.


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Oh, how heavy were you?


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Well guess i eat fairly normal,  although at my size i might eat a bit more than average.  Now and then i go for seconds.  Otherwise its pretty standard with some carbs ( pasta/potaoes), meat/sausage sauce and veggies


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

If I've done the sums right I was 278lbs and have dropped to 188.6


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## ColinUK (Sep 30, 2021)

I was 275lbs and am now about 200-205lbs - more to go.


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## adrian1der (Sep 30, 2021)

@ColinUK Don't beat yourself up about putting a bit back on. 70lbs down from where you started is still fantastic!


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

Thats really well done both of you! And yes you might have been a notch heavier than me. )


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2021)

What did you guys wanna say about food n stuff?


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## ianf0ster (Sep 30, 2021)

@Andy_me Weight isn't just about how many calories you eat and how many you 'burn' up in doing exercise. the Resting Metabolic Rate has a much larger effect than exercise. Also hormones have an effect both on how hungry you are (or not) and on whether you 'burn' body fat or store it.

Your HbA1C is low enough that you can easily make small reductions in consuming carbohydrates and get your HbA1C back into the 'normal' range. Cutting carbohydrates down a little helps in 3 ways:
1. Carbs turn into glucose soon after you put them into your mouth. So reducing carbs will reduce your post prandial Blood Glucose and longer term (because it's an average over around 3 months) your HbA1C.

2. Natural insulin is produced by the pancreas in response to the Blood Glucose. Insulin is known as the 'fat storage' hormone because if there is any excess Blood Glucose not taken up by muscles and other cells, the insulin will attempt to force it into either existing or new fat cells. When insulin is high it's not possible to 'burn' excess body fat.

3. Carbs hold water in the body which in turn holds sodium (salt). Thus reducing carbs means you hold less water and salt, so both your weight reduces due to retaining less water, and also tends to reduce you Blood Pressure.

Good swaps for potato and pasta are : celeriac, Swede, 'courgetti' and egg or bean low carb pasta (available from Aldi, Asda and other supermarkets).


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## Andy_me (Oct 1, 2021)

Thanks for all the good ideas and information all of you helped with! 

Since i have my bloodworl and later today my GP appointment, would there be anything special i should bring up with them or ask for?


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## Felinia (Oct 1, 2021)

Hi

You've had lots of good info about losing weight and food changes.
I want to touch on white coat syndrome which I have had for around 40 years.  I can measure at home and be 125/82 and 5 minutes later, having driven to the surgery, been 210/110!  Under advice from my GP I bought a home blood pressure measuring kit - the armband variety.  At least twice a year I do a 3 week testing regime and record the results.  I recorded twice in the morning and twice at night, 5 minutes apart, after I have been seated for 30 minutes and not had anything to eat or drink in that time.  I've set up a spreadsheet and it works out the average for me.  
You will find as the weight drops off, and you build in exercise, your BP will also drop naturally.  Best wishes


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## Andy_me (Oct 1, 2021)

Hi Felina, and thanks for all insights! That is a good thing to remember. Maybe time to buy a blood pressure home testing kit if its too high att the surgery.


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## ColinUK (Oct 1, 2021)

Andy_me said:


> Hi Felina, and thanks for all insights! That is a good thing to remember. Maybe time to buy a blood pressure home testing kit if its too high att the surgery.


I'd recommend an Omron wrist monitor. It's very accurate and it's connected to an app so it automatically records the stats,


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## Leadinglights (Oct 1, 2021)

We have a Omron arm monitor and it comes with a certain cuff size but it got a puncture and when we sent for a replacement realised different sizes were available and also read it was important to have the correct size for your arm.
It is very reliable and is often the make the G Ps use.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Oct 1, 2021)

Welcome to the forum @Andy_me

You’ve had some great ideas and suggestions already, so I just wanted to say ‘hi’.

If you want to access some additional help and support for your efforts to lose weight and lower your HbA1c you may he able to refer yourself under this pilot project which has recently been extended









						At risk of diabetes? You can refer yourself for extra support
					

As part of a pilot programme, people at risk of developing T2 diabetes in England can now refer themselves for additional supoort as part of the NHS diabetes prevention programme. (If you live in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland you will still need contact your GP if your risk is moderate or...




					forum.diabetes.org.uk
				




One common suggestion for newcomers here is to begin keeping a food diary. A ruthlessly honest one! Note down everything you eat and drink, along with a reasonable estimate of the total carbohydrate content (not just ‘of which sugars’). This can feel like a bit of a faff, but it will give you hugely helpful guide as to which meals and snacks are the main sources of carbs in your menu - and therefore which are most likely to be raising your BG levels.


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## Andy_me (Oct 1, 2021)

That is good to know! yeah i guess that could be worthwile trying out. maybe my GP could have reffered to that program already?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Oct 1, 2021)

Andy_me said:


> That is good to know! yeah i guess that could be worthwile trying out. maybe my GP could have reffered to that program already?



Let us know how it works out if you give it a go!


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## Andy_me (Nov 9, 2021)

Hey folks! At least i went there and the bld prs was better but not the best.  145/92, but they still wanted me to try lifestyle intervention instead of medicine.  Is that normal?


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## ianf0ster (Nov 9, 2021)

Andy_me said:


> Hey folks! At least i went there and the bld prs was better but not the best.  145/92, but they still wanted me to try lifestyle intervention instead of medicine.  Is that normal?


No, it's not normal - feel very lucky!
As I said earlier, you can improve Blood Pressure by lifestyle  (a Low Carb way of eating) plus moderate exercise. They seem to agree to some extent, which is nice.


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## Leadinglights (Nov 9, 2021)

Andy_me said:


> Hey folks! At least i went there and the bld prs was better but not the best.  145/92, but they still wanted me to try lifestyle intervention instead of medicine.  Is that normal?


It is very good that they are offering you the opportunity to try dietary changes before rushing in with medication as you would need to do that anyway as meds alone are not a magic bullet. But as you are still in the prediabetic range it would not be usual to immediately put people on medication for their diabetes though they may want you to have medication to reduce your blood pressure if that is high.
Some modest changes to your diet should have some positive effect,


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## Andy_me (Nov 9, 2021)

Leadinglights said:


> It is very good that they are offering you the opportunity to try dietary changes before rushing in with medication as you would need to do that anyway as meds alone are not a magic bullet. But as you are still in the prediabetic range it would not be usual to immediately put people on medication for their diabetes though they may want you to have medication to reduce your blood pressure if that is high.
> Some modest changes to your diet should have some positive effect,


Yep let's hope it helps a bit! They put me on a tighter follow up


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## Andy_me (Jan 7, 2022)

Hey again!

So due to the covid and everything my checkups have been a bit delayed but this week i at least got the bloodworks done.  
Meanwhile i checked my bp at home and it was somewhat elevated at 150/97.
today i got my labworks back which was kinda interesting:

Tot Chol 5.3 mmol
LDL 4.5
HDL 1.1
LDL/HDL Quote 4,1
Glucose 5.9 mmol

But i dont know maybe xmas food and everything just affects it....
Next week i  am due for a real visit so lets hope it is not rebooked...


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## gll (Jan 7, 2022)

Yay another white coater 

I just do my own bp before going to appointments now and tell them it before they even bother trying. 

I know my nurse asked me to do a bp reading twice a day between appointments to get my average bp. Maybe worth doing that for a few days?

Are you checking your bp under the following conditions:
no smoking, drinking or eating for 30 mins
sitting upright with feet on floor and having sat for a few mins at least before taking it
not distracted when taking the reading (ie watching tv or reading)
did you re-check it 10 mins later

I spot check mine on the fly and if it seems a bit rogue I make sure I do the above and check it again


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## Andy_me (Jan 7, 2022)

Yeah i have tried that now a couple of times but i still end up basically in the 140-150 range and usually also in the 90-105 range for the dialostic pressure. Before i was always able to get it down below 140 and also close to 90 if not even below. Now its really rare that i manage to get it down so low (did not occur the last  months)


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## gll (Jan 7, 2022)

Id still take the twice daily ones between now n then and take them with you to the appointment next week so they can address it and get you sorted out 
No point them working on "in surgery" BPs and the more info you can take the better.


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## Andy_me (Jan 7, 2022)

Yeah true, usually my pulse is around 85-90 when i am in surgery so probably my body gets stresset. Much better at home where my resting heart rate is more like 60-70.


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## Leadinglights (Jan 7, 2022)

Andy_me said:


> Hey again!
> 
> So due to the covid and everything my checkups have been a bit delayed but this week i at least got the bloodworks done.
> Meanwhile i checked my bp at home and it was somewhat elevated at 150/97.
> ...


Glucose result at 5.9mmol is a bit confusing as if it was an HbA1C then it would be some number 42mmol/mol  to 47mmol/mol for you to be prediabetes or above 48mmol/mol or higher for diabetes or was it a spot test which would be in mmol/l but is not a diagnostic test.
Perhaps you could get them to clarify your result.


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## Andy_me (Jan 7, 2022)

Hi, Thanks for your input!
My glucose was 5.9 mmol/L which is equal to 106 mg/dl. the HbA1C was never taken at this occasion but i agree it would be better to also get it. Yeah I will discuss it next week! it was only a spot glucose test, fasting.


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## ianf0ster (Jan 7, 2022)

OK. so it was a finger-prick test rather than drawing a vial of blood for a lab test. 5.9 is fine.


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## Andy_me (Jan 7, 2022)

Naa it was drawing blood for a real lab test. But still it was only glucose.


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## ianf0ster (Jan 7, 2022)

Ah, right so it was 5.9% which also isn't bad (just sneeks in as 'normal' in the UK, but still pre-diabetic in the USA)


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## Leadinglights (Jan 7, 2022)

Andy_me said:


> Naa it was drawing blood for a real lab test. But still it was only glucose.


That would be for the cholesterol, sounds like somebody forgot to tick the box for the HbA1C


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## Andy_me (Jan 7, 2022)

i think since my HbA1C was so good last time i maybe they skipped it?


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## ColinUK (Jan 7, 2022)

Andy_me said:


> i think since my HbA1C was so good last time i maybe they skipped it?


Ask them. Sometimes the lab forgets to do the test.


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## Mrs Mimoo (Jan 9, 2022)

ColinUK said:


> I don't think I can find kosher versions of those!


crispy salmon skin? or crispy chicken skin. mmmm


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## Andy_me (Sep 30, 2022)

Andy_me said:


> Hey again!
> 
> So due to the covid and everything my checkups have been a bit delayed but this week i at least got the bloodworks done.
> Meanwhile i checked my bp at home and it was somewhat elevated at 150/97.
> ...


Hello again!

I was for bloodwork the other week again in connection with my blood pressure follow up and it was interesting because i did get an explanation as to why my cholesterols didnt add upp correctly on the earlier checkup(compare the sum of LDL and HDL to the total chol in the previous post). 

The reason they explained was that the methodology for direct LDL measures was not good so they have reverted and now use a formula based on total chol, HDL and Triglycerids instead. It should be as good as the other method.

So with those changes my last report looked like this:
Total Chol 5.5 mmol
HDL 1.3 mmol
LDL 3.6 mmol
LDL/HDL Quote 2.8
Triglycerids 1.2 mmol
Glycose 5.6
HbA1C was 34 mmol/mol.
They also took APO A1 and APO B but i didnt put the numbers here.

At least it gives some sense because before the maths did not really sum up.....Have a nice day everyone!


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## Proud to be erratic (Sep 30, 2022)

Andy_me said:


> Hello again!
> 
> I was for bloodwork the other week again in connection with my blood pressure follow up and it was interesting because i did get an explanation as to why my cholesterols didnt add upp correctly on the earlier checkup(compare the sum of LDL and HDL to the total chol in the previous post).
> 
> ...


HbA1c at 34 is brilliant, comfortably outside the prediabetic zone. Great news and we'll done.


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## Mrs Mimoo (Oct 1, 2022)

ColinUK said:


> I don't think I can find kosher versions of those!


crispy parmesan ?


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## Andy_me (Monday at 11:04 AM)

Proud to be erratic said:


> HbA1c at 34 is brilliant, comfortably outside the prediabetic zone. Great news and we'll done.


Thanks for that!


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## rebrascora (Tuesday at 1:03 PM)

Andy_me said:


> Hello again!
> 
> I was for bloodwork the other week again in connection with my blood pressure follow up and it was interesting because i did get an explanation as to why my cholesterols didnt add upp correctly on the earlier checkup(compare the sum of LDL and HDL to the total chol in the previous post).
> 
> ...



Just seeing this now.

Many congratulations. Excellent result. Hope the festive season hasn't undone too much of your hard work and if it has, hopefully you have plenty of time to redo it before your next test. 
Well done!


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