Oldham heart attack survivor loses four stone and reverses pre diabetes diagnosis

Terry Blinco

An Oldham man who suffered a heart attack and later developed a pre diabetic condition has lost four stone and transformed his health through an NHS prevention programme.

Terry Blinco says making small changes to his lifestyle helped him reverse his diagnosis and rebuild his confidence.

The 47 year old is sharing his experience during Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week, which runs from 25 to 31 May, in the hope of encouraging others to take steps to improve their own health.

Terry suffered a heart attack in August 2023 and underwent treatment involving two heart stents. He said the experience had a significant effect on his mental health and daily life.

He said, “Following the heart attack, I had a mental breakdown and refused to leave my room for 12 months due to the fear of having another heart attack. During this time, I gained five stone and became pre diabetic.”

Terry joined the NHS Healthier You programme in December 2024 after routine blood tests identified him as being at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Initially he had doubts about taking part.

He said, “My thoughts revolved around I don’t need telling what to do, I can cook most of my meals from scratch and I can’t exercise due to my heart condition therefore this is going to be a waste of mine and their time.”

Support from family members persuaded him to continue and, after discussions with his cardiologist, he started making gradual changes including light exercise, checking food labels and tracking calorie intake.

Terry said, “The weight slowly started to come off. After about seven sessions people started to notice the changes in me. Not just the weight loss, but also my confidence.”

He has since lost four stone, improved his mental wellbeing and is no longer considered pre diabetic.

Claire Lake said, “We hope that Terry’s story will show everyone out there that continuous small changes to their lifestyle can make a big difference to their lives and health that will ultimately prevent Type 2 Diabetes and other health conditions.”

NHS Greater Manchester says around 250,000 people across the region are considered pre diabetic and may benefit from support programmes such as Healthier You. Since 2019, more than 37,000 people in Greater Manchester have started the programme.