1. Introduction.

I was diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic in January of this year (2005). I am a semi-retired 64-year old male living in Cornwall, England. I am 6'5" tall and weighed 16 stones [US 224 lbs.] when diagnosed. I've also had a heart irregularity for some 12 years and mild asthma for many more years than that. These conditions can both be triggered by air pollution, alcohol, overworking or overtiredness - to list but a few causes.

The reason I went to my doctor in the first place was because my heart irregularity seemed to be getting more frequent. He subsequently arranged for me to have an ECG and a heart scan then to see a cardiologist to analyse the results.

To cut a long story short, it turns out that my heart condition needs an ACE inhibitor medication (smallest possible dose) and a dispersable aspirin every day. These were to bring down my blood pressure which was a little higher than it should be have been - 166/89. No other action was prescribed.

As I wanted to know my cholesterol levels, however, I requested a blood test. My doctor agreed and arranged to have several other blood tests done at the same time - some 8 blood samples were taken in early December 2004.

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