New diagnosis
Understanding your HbA1c and sugar readings, and what to do first.
Diabetes care · Aminjikarai, Chennai
Diabetes care in Chennai
Diabetes is very common in Tamil Nadu, and good care is about much more than one sugar reading. It means protecting your heart, kidneys, eyes and feet over many years, with medicines and habits that fit your life.
Diabetes care
How I help
Tablets and insulin
Choosing the right medicines, and starting or adjusting insulin without fear.
Food that fits
Practical advice on rice, idli, dosa and festival sweets: portions and timing, not banned lists.
Complication checks
Kidney (urine albumin, eGFR), eye, foot and heart checks at the right intervals.
Weight and metabolism
Weight gain, fatty liver, cholesterol and blood pressure, treated together.
Home monitoring
A free sugar (CBG) chart to fill in at home and bring to your visit.
Good to know
Understanding your numbers
These are the commonly used diagnostic cut-offs:
- HbA1c: below 5.7% is normal, 5.7–6.4% is prediabetes, and 6.5% or above is diabetes
- Fasting sugar: below 100 mg/dL is normal, 100–125 is prediabetes, and 126 or above is diabetes
- Two hours after a glucose drink: 200 mg/dL or above is diabetes
Treatment targets are personal. An older person living alone may need gentler targets than a young person, to avoid dangerous lows.
Print the home sugar (CBG) chart, fill it in for a week and bring it to your next visit.
Don't wait for an OPD slot
Get help straight away for
- Very high sugars with vomiting, fast breathing or drowsiness
- Low sugar (sweating, shaking, confusion) that doesn't improve after taking sugar
- A foot wound that turns red, swollen, black or smells
- Chest pain or breathlessness
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can type 2 diabetes be reversed?
Some people with early type 2 diabetes bring their sugars back to normal with weight loss and lifestyle changes, and some can reduce their medicines. Doctors call this remission, not cure, because sugars can rise again, so regular checks still matter.
How often should HbA1c be checked?
Every three months while treatment is being adjusted, and every three to six months once your sugars are stable.
Is insulin harmful or habit-forming?
No. Insulin is a natural hormone your body already makes. Starting it is not a failure, and some people can later reduce or stop it.
Can I eat rice?
Yes, in smaller portions, with more vegetables, dal and protein on the plate. How much and when matters more than avoiding it completely.
Which tests should I bring?
Your latest HbA1c, fasting and after-food sugars, kidney tests, lipid profile, and your home sugar readings if you check them.
Do you consult in Tamil?
Yes. Consultations are in Tamil or English. தமிழிலும் பேசலாம்.
Patients visit from Aminjikarai, Anna Nagar, Kilpauk, Chetpet, Shenoy Nagar, Purasawalkam, Arumbakkam and across Chennai.
Appointments
88077 79174
Call or WhatsApp for appointments and timings. Please don't send reports or ask for treatment advice here; bring them to the OPD.
You can also book online at MGM Healthcare or call the hospital on 044 4524 2407.
More from the OPD
Other areas of care
This page gives general information and is not a substitute for a consultation. Timings, what to bring and more →