Reply to: Diane Abbott is "ill"? Yeah, right.

[MrMarkyMark]

I've often thought people jogging along busy roads in London are doing themselves more harm than good, puffing and panting in all that ozone and NO2 and worst of all those noxious diesel fumes and particulates. It's absolutely bonkers.

I know pedestrians breathe the same air. But joggers are presumably more at risk because they must tend to take deeper breaths.

I even saw someone jogging through the Rotherhithe Tunnel recently

[OwlHoot]

That's interesting, I have asthma (diagnosed recently and triggered by exercise ...)

I've often thought people jogging along busy roads in London are doing themselves more harm than good, puffing and panting in all that ozone and NO2 and worst of all those noxious diesel fumes and particulates. It's absolutely bonkers.

I know pedestrians breathe the same air. But joggers are presumably more at risk because they must tend to take deeper breaths.

[SueEllen]

That's interesting, I have asthma (diagnosed recently and triggered by exercise and allergies) and I have to pay for everything too. Looks like I'll be on the meds now the rest of my life .... or at least whilst I'm still fit and exercising, and the sun is out

The worst part of the list is that some conditions they expected people to die before they reached adulthood e.g. cystic fibrosis.

[VectraMan]

I pay for prescriptions for Crohn's Disease, and the point of the meds is to stop me needing expensive surgery again. Perhaps it's just a question of numbers (i.e. Diabetes much more common).

[Whorty]

Nope.

The list is based on the old cost to the NHS of treating complications of the disease.

For example asthma isn't on the list even though it should be as when they made the list up people didn't commonly have asthma as an adult.

That's interesting, I have asthma (diagnosed recently and triggered by exercise and allergies) and I have to pay for everything too. Looks like I'll be on the meds now the rest of my life .... or at least whilst I'm still fit and exercising, and the sun is out

[vetran]

My better half has secondary progressive MS, is wheelchair bound, needs me as her carer, is registered disabled, and still has to pay for her own prescriptions.

Help with prescription costs - Health costs - NHS Choices

People with certain medical conditions can get free NHS prescriptions if:
they have one of the conditions listed below, and
they hold a valid medical exemption certificate.

...

a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months

I would suggest she would probably count, talk to your pharmacist. From the description I would like her to be entitled.

Have you got the annual prescription option?

[Whorty]

Yeah I know - that seems absurd. I thought the reason that diabetes prescriptions were free was because it's classed as a disability. I don't understand why your wife's condition would be any different.

If she is prescribed something directly related to her illness, say she was on disease modifying drugs like Rebif, then that would be free. As there is no drug available on the NHS for secondary progressive though she is not on anything. What she does need is pain relief (among other drugs) but she has to pay for these even though they are to relieve her symptoms. Seems strange.

Thankfully we can afford the cost but I'd be concerned for less well off families as prescriptions are not cheap anymore!

[SueEllen]

Yeah I know - that seems absurd. I thought the reason that diabetes prescriptions were free was because it's classed as a disability. I don't understand why your wife's condition would be any different.

Nope.

The list is based on the old cost to the NHS of treating complications of the disease.

For example asthma isn't on the list even though it should be as when they made the list up people didn't commonly have asthma as an adult.

[radish2008]

My better half has secondary progressive MS, is wheelchair bound, needs me as her carer, is registered disabled, and still has to pay for her own prescriptions.

Yeah I know - that seems absurd. I thought the reason that diabetes prescriptions were free was because it's classed as a disability. I don't understand why your wife's condition would be any different.

[Whorty]

I'm type 2 - borderline now - and pay for the prescriptions.

The money we coin in and free prescriptions doesn't sit well with me. The woman in the chemist is amazed anyone chooses to pay.

My better half has secondary progressive MS, is wheelchair bound, needs me as her carer, is registered disabled, and still has to pay for her own prescriptions.

[TheFaQQer]

What does that mean? That families tend to do the same (wrong) things?

My Dad has Type 2, but triggered from becoming overweight in his 60s.

There is a stronger link between family history for type 2 than type 1, but it ends to depend on environmental factors as well. Lifestyle has been shown to be a key indicator in developing type 2, and there is a link between type 2 and obesity. Obesity tends to run in families, and children tend to pick up bad habits from their parents.

Where a family has a history of type 2, it may be that anyone diagnosed gets it because of lifestyle factors or genetics - most research suggests that it tends to be a combination of both.

[SueEllen]

What does that mean? That families tend to do the same (wrong) things?

My Dad has Type 2, but triggered from becoming overweight in his 60s.

Families tend to have the same lifestyle so if one eats too much they all tend to. If one sits on his/her fat behind they all tend to.

Plus from the Dutch famine studies they have found that if the grandmother was starved while pregnant then all the descendants have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

So what happened to your grandmother and mother when pregnant plus your birth weight is important. The reason this was raised as they found that some people if they go slightly overweight for them e.g. on the BMI and other measurements they are not overweight or obese, they get type 2 diabetes.

[VectraMan]

Type 2 tends to be familial rather than genetic (though there is some genetic basis)

What does that mean? That families tend to do the same (wrong) things?

My Dad has Type 2, but triggered from becoming overweight in his 60s.

[TheFaQQer]

I rather eat what I like, not go blind, not have the risk of having my limbs amputated, etc and most of all not deal with GPs who don't give a f***.

So would I.

However, as I have said, the odds of me getting type 1 are roughly 1 in 2. I'm not entirely sure what I can do to reduce the chance of me getting diabetes beyond funding JDRF to try and find a cure.

[SueEllen]

I'm type 2 - borderline now - and pay for the prescriptions.

The money we coin in and free prescriptions doesn't sit well with me. The woman in the chemist is amazed anyone chooses to pay.

The prescriptions are free because you need more of them than healthier people.

It is also cheaper to give you a prescription for antibiotics - £11 compared to amputating your lower leg - £30K

So we, as taxpayers, are doing ourselves a favour by giving them to you.

(Oh and well done for sorting out your blood sugar - keep going.)