My 56 year old retired husband (5 feet 10 inches tall, 190 pounds), who is very active (still playing hockey three times a week and in the summer golfing four or five days a week) has been told that he has a high blood sugar. We are reading labels and trying to control this by diet, but I have read a recent article about the thiazolidinediones [Actos (pioglitazone) and Avandia (rosiglitazone)]. Will they work for him? What are the side effects ?

The trouble with ads and articles in lay magazines, is that they give only part of the story. It sounds like your husband needs better control — good for you both! You and your husband need to meet with your doctor and decide the best course of action and/or drug to try. There are serious consequences to any drug choice, and the two-edged sword theory applies here, but glucose control is important too. Meet and decide the best medicine for him.

LD

[Editor’s comment: You don’t say whether or not your husband has been diagnosed with diabetes, only that he was told his blood sugar is high. In any event, meal planning, weight loss, and exercise are the cornerstones to prevention (see The Diabetes Prevention Program at the Diabetes Monitor), and management of type�2 diabetes. Drug therapy is added if these measures result in lack of blood glucose control.

I suggest that you and your husband ask his physician for a referral to a diabetes education program where you can meet with a nurse to learn blood glucose monitoring and a dietitian to help develop an individualized meal plan that will optimize glucose control and is acceptable to your husband’s tastes and lifestyle.

SS]