Top tips to help you manage CF-related diabetes

How do you diagnose CFRD?

Julie: Mostly people are diagnosed at their annual reviews. We also check blood glucose for all our inpatients for three days; if there are any abnormal results, we get them to test at home and if these results continue, we will diagnose them with CFRD.

How does CFRD affect the dietary advice you give to people with CF?

Julie: It’s largely the same advice we give to people without diabetes; eat complex carbohydrates like bread, potatoes, and cereal, which are slower to digest and cause a slow rise in blood glucose, and cut down on sugary drinks and sweets, which are easily digested and can cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. If someone has a low BMI we would advise having sugary drinks and sweets at meal times only.

What do you find is the biggest challenge for people with CFRD?

Julie: People don’t like pricking their fingers to measure their blood glucose, but it’s essential for good diabetes control. There is a new sensor called the Freestyle Libre, which stays on the arm and allows you to measure blood glucose with a reader or a smart phone.

How do you decide the best way for someone to manage their insulin?

Julie: We use blood glucose data from different points throughout the day, a detailed food chart and information about exercise, then work with the CF nurses and the endocrinologist (specialist doctor in diabetes) to decide the best insulin for the individual.

What should friends and family know about CFRD?

Julie: People with CF will be given advice from a CF Specialist Dietitian; there is not one diet for all, so if you see someone eating cake or chocolate, or having a spoon of sugar in their tea or coffee, that’s okay!