To wish my GP practice had told me about this upward trend earlier?

[polarband]

I have used a blood pressure medication to treat migraines for several years now. As a result I need to go for blood tests and a BP check every 6 months as my BP tends to be low on this medication. The blood tests are mainly to check my kidneys but they do other checks as well, after each test I just call and they tell me everything's fine and I go again in another 6 months.

This time after my check I got called back in to speak to the doctor and was told I have high cholesterol and prediabetes. I asked him what could have caused the problem so suddenly and he said it hadn't been sudden and that if he looked at my blood test results over the past 6 years he could see that my cholesterol and blood glucose levels had been creeping up but its only now just crossed over into clinical diagnosis. I am fit, a healthy weight, a non smoking, non drinking, active woman with ideal blood pressure who eats a healthy whole food diet so when I was told my results were normal I thought that meant I was healthy not that things were getting worse.

I'm not mad that it's happened because these things do happen of course, I'm 50 now and there is type 2 diabetes in my family but I just wish they had told me earlier when this upward trend was noticed and I could have made some changes to prevent getting to this level. My GP just said they don't treat at anything below clinical diagnosis level and anything below that is in the healthy range and therefore normal.

Is it so unreasonable to think that they should flag up something like this to patients?

@Paganpentacle- tracking trends and creating an advisory/alert based on threshold breaches, etc, is something a simple dashboard can do - not something individual staff would be expected to do.

hopefully this won’t be too far in the future for healthcare.

@polarband

Okay, I asked about betablockers as the can raise blood glucose levels. Something I was not aware of until recently and I have been on them for many years for palpitations due to heart defect.

I agree with you @KnewYearKnewMe - it seems sensible to alert people to downward trends, even if that is an opt in thing - some people would rather not know.

I understand why it isn't happening yet, it would be too time consuming for a human to do this, but the government is talking about using digital solutions and focusing on the NHS being about health rather than just fixing disease so maybe this is something that will come.

I should have had 5 of them by now then! I think it must depend on your GP/local area rather than being a national thing.

This is a good point and sadly points to a line I read recently in an article which said "GP services are pretty much being forced private and it seems like the government are on board with this, in an attempt to shelve off another service they won't be paying for anymore". It reminds me of NHS dentistry few decades ago now.

My GP now gate keeps all tests and it makes a mockery of trying to stay well and healthy.

the government still didn't wake up to the fact that a healthy population equals a productive population...

In Scotland?

I will double check the medication I am on to see if there is any similar issue, thanks for the heads up.

OP you could write to your MP demanding the app. I can't believe you don't have it!

I never had anything like that at 50 (or any age).

I also can't see any test results in the app, it says "you do not have access to this section". Yet, I've had plenty of tests over the years.

Despite all that, I always ask for printed versions of blood tests and check the levels myself online.

I’m also in Scotland and have the same difficulty getting blood results. My GP is great and will print them out if ask but obviously, they are not going to give me a GP appointment to get my blood results and the nurses and reception are less keen. I had a phone call last week to say I needed my blood rechecked next week as something had come back abnormal. When I asked what the result was the receptionist told she wasn’t clinically trained but she thought something was high! I suppose I should have pushed further but I’m a terrible people pleaser.

@polarband I’m going to try to be a bit more assertive and insist on a printout. I also had results that were “just over” normal limits recently and it’s a bit of a shock when everything has always been fine (as far as we know) up until now.

@Mini2025 The app does sound like a really valuable resource and I do hope that something similar becomes available here soon! I do agree with much of what you say, I do know they NHS can offer brilliant life saving care but there are big gaps and preventative care is still a pipe dream in many areas.

I have used B2 in the past but I didn't get a result so perhaps I don't have the right gene. I should perhaps get a DNA test done at some point.

I'm glad to hear you spotted your condition and were able to find a fix. I'm sure many chronic conditions which seriously undermine peoples quality of life, health and productivity are going under diagnosed and untreated.

I'm sure it doesn't have to be like this. I was just reading recently about a British woman in France getting dental treatment, even as a private patient her treatment was less than NHS prices here. Something is badly wrong with the system, not the actual staff.

@Threeboystwocatsandadog Yes to ask for them, I agree that its fairly easy to get them once you are in front of a GP but otherwise its like pulling hen's teeth. I'm relieved to see other people from Scotland back me up here!

I was supposed to hear from a friend in Scotland they don't have the NHS health checks or the app.

I said I'm not being rude but the health and diet in Scotland generally is not great, you'd think they would want to pick up problems early and share that with people!

I'm Scottish originally but now live in England and got the health check at 40 and 45 (I'm late 40s now)

@Mini2025 I think NHS Scotland is still working to design it's own app "Digital Front Door" it isn't even clear from the website that test results will be available via the app. It is apparently being rolled out to one Health Board (not mine) this summer and the rest of us will get it in time.

Digital Front Door - Digital Healthcare Scotland

They don’t because even if levels are increasing for many people it doesn’t cross the threshold for any treatment. Even if you were given a copy of your results it would show a normal range and you probably wouldn’t take much notice. High cholesterol can be familial rather than diet related.

They will only flag it is there is an issue. But you can check for yourself. All results are available on the NHS app. I always check mine after blood tests

Hopefully not.
And hopefully we wont be having to have multiple extended conversations around normal test results and worried well, because we don't have enough hours in the day to deal with the abnormal results....

Then you need to complain to the Practice Manager! The person most responsible for your health and well being is you OP and without the correct support and information there’s not a lot that you can control. Demand access to your GP medical records, either via SystmOnline or through the GP website and look at these for yourself, there should be a normal parameter guidance for all blood tests to enable comparison.

Sorry I didn't realise the app wasn't available in Scotland.

I'm 52 and haven't been offered this in England.

I have the app and there are no test results or other records on it. I don’t know how they would get on it without someone doing something and they aren’t going to, are they. Like everyone else says it is very hard to get given the detail of test results.
I have something similar hanging over me and I just don’t know what to do. I am supposed to be being referred to a clinic as if there is a choice but only one comes up. When I try to get an appointment - “there are no appointments”. That’s it.

@Horserider5678 I disagree I would have taken notice. There is no Familial hypercholesterolemia in my family, there an apparent higher likelihood of type 2 diabetes which must be genetic and I suspect the higher cholesterol is to do with this given that higher blood glucose can alter blood fat control.

There are things I wish I had known when I was in your position.

I agree using a CGM for just 15 days would be helpful. You can get your first one for free otherwise you pay. A key thing I have learnt is the order you eat food e.g. have salad/veg first, makes a difference. Have a “treat” at the end of a meal not on its own.

Small changes make a difference. 10 minute walk after each meal rather than a full on work out once a day.

WRT Cholestorol this can be your genes rather than what you eat. I’ve met women who are very restrictive in what they eat and still can’t get theirs to reduce.

It’s not too late if you are pre diabetic to make changes.

This is the charity my Diabetic Nurse recommended the 6 week course was helpful. https://www.xperthealth.org.uk

Good luck

i'm in Scotland too OP. My area also has no access to any App. I have asked for bloods results and been told 'you don't need them' or 'the GP has to approve' & I never get them. Worse my Ds has just asked for his records, 28 days has gone by & head GP, backed up by HoPractice, says 'they don't have to adhere to GDPR if they are busy, so it will be 3m+ at a minimum'. My local PALS says 'complain to Ombudsman but this takes months & doesn't always fix things'.

Trying to be responsible for & proactive about one's health is exhausting.

@MyDeftDuck As has been said now by myself and multiple other people these services are not always available in Scotland and the culture towards requests for test results can be downright hostile. My GP practice offers neither access to test results, appointments or records via the website or SystmOnline. The only option they have is for repeat prescriptions.