Michael Steen Larsen has lived with type 2 diabetes for 25 years and was always told it wasn't something you get rid of. In six months at Cue, his long-term blood sugar has dropped from 90 to 43, and today he is in the prediabetes range.
Michael Steen Larsen is 65. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at around 40, during a health check at his workplace. At the same time, he was told the condition was hereditary. Both of his parents had it.
"I've always been told that I have type 2 diabetes, and that it's probably not something you get rid of."
With that message in the back of his mind, Michael has lived with his diagnosis for a quarter of a century.
A starting point with room for improvement
When Michael started at Cue, his HbA1c was around 90 mmol/mol. HbA1c, or haemoglobin A1c, is a measure of long-term blood sugar, and according to his doctor at Cue, his diabetes was severely dysregulated.
The programme was therefore built around several things at once. The team looked closely at his diet and his training, and Michael was fitted with a continuous glucose monitor so he could learn for himself what in his diet was affecting his blood sugar negatively.
Seeing your body react
For Michael, the glucose monitor became a turning point. Suddenly he could see what was happening in his body every time he ate or drank something.
"It was a real game changer for me. Every time you had something, whether it was food or something to drink, you were curious to see what effect it had on your body. And it gives you a feeling, somewhere in the back of your mind, that this is the way to go."
Alongside the changes to his daily life, his existing medication was optimised and new medication was added. His intake of specific vitamins and minerals that his body was lacking was also adjusted.
From 90 to 43 in six months
The results came quickly. After three months, Michael's HbA1c had dropped to around 60. Three months later it was 43, which places him in what is known as the prediabetes range.
"It's absolutely phenomenal that he has been able to make that change in six months," says his doctor at Cue.
Michael clearly remembers seeing the result.
"I was in with Anders recently, and he showed me all the markers on the screen. He pointed to one, which was my diabetes, and how it had developed. And he said: 'You should take a picture of that, because it's exceptional that it has dropped so much.' I hadn't believed myself that it could ever get to that point."
Hoping for a life without insulin
His blood sugar is now so low that coming off insulin is being considered. That is what Michael is hoping for. But in the end, it is about something bigger than a single number.
"What we all want is to feel as good as possible, for as long as possible. I still feel like a relatively young man, and I'd like to feel that way in 20 years too."
About this case
Michael Steen Larsen, 65, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 40. He is currently on a programme at Cue focused on blood sugar regulation through diet, training, continuous glucose monitoring, medication optimisation and targeted vitamins and minerals.
Cases on Cue Learn share members' own experiences. A Cue programme is tailored to the individual and complements, rather than replaces, the treatment you receive from your regular healthcare provider.