For PAD Pain, Dual Approach Appears Best
By Diane Fennell
For people dealing with pain and reduced mobility from peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, an approach that combines a vessel-opening procedure and exercise appears to be better than exercise alone, according to research presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2013. Up to one-third of people with diabetes over the age of 50 have PAD.
PAD is a condition in which arteries leading to the legs and feet (or, in some cases, the arms) become clogged with fatty deposits called plaque, reducing blood flow to these areas. Symptoms include cramping, tiredness, pain, slow wound healing, or ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 22, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
So Life Happened, And…
By Scott Coulter
A few weeks ago, I shared a resolution here and promised to update everyone on my progress. The resolution: to dedicate myself to my daily music practice, and renew my focus on progressing my career with full effort and concentration. That was my resolution, and I invited others to share, as well.
So, three weeks on, how am I doing? I'd give myself a B-. As luck would have it, life crept up on me in a big way and most of that time and energy had to be diverted to crisis management. I haven't been able to get out and hit the area late-night jam sessions as I was hoping to do, but I'll give myself a pass on...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 21, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott Coulter Source Type: blogs
Statins
By David Spero
According to new guidelines, everyone with diabetes should take a statin drug to lower cholesterol. It doesn't matter how low his cholesterol already is. This makes little sense to me. See what you think.
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association just released these new guidelines. In one way they look like an improvement. According to Harlan Krumholz MD, the guidelines say doctors should be treating people, not just cholesterol numbers. Only those at "high risk" of heart disease and stroke should be treated.
"The question is not whether a drug makes your lab tests better," says ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 20, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Test Strip Trouble
By Quinn Phillips
Last week, an op-ed column by two doctors — one American, one Irish — was published in The New York Times. The authors describe an incident that occurred while they were working together at a remote, impoverished hospital in Haiti. A 12-year-old boy with Type 1 diabetes was brought in by his father, on the verge of death, in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis with his blood glucose levels off the charts due to an infection he had had for several days. Most people in Haiti cannot afford glucose meters and test strips, and the local health center nearest to the boy and father was out of test strip...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 20, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
"It's Over There — Just Out of Reach"
By Jan Chait
"Could I please talk to the manager?" I asked our server after she took our drink order.
"Aw, geez," said my grandson, slapping the cover shut on his menu. "There goes my appetite."
What the 22-year-old doesn't have an appetite for is sitting there while his grandmother suggests how facilities could be made better for differently abled customers. In this case, it was an unreachable soap dispenser — something that could be remedied by installing one lower down and to the side of the washbasin area or by simply placing a bottle of liquid soap on the vanity.
Rather innocuous, I thought.
Then, since my easil...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 19, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
Facing the Fats
By Amy Campbell
Fat is a necessary nutrient, and we need it to sustain health. But it's also had its share of hard knocks in the past, and many people (including some dietitians) are still leery about promoting its goodness. In light of the new cholesterol management guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, as well as the FDA's recent proposal to ban trans fat, I decided to write about the different types of fat in our diets this week.
I won't get into either of these stories in much detail, but suffice it to say that cholesterol has been in the news big-time recently. New guid...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 18, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Study on Relationships in Type 1
By Web Team
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are seeking volunteers to participate in a 30- to 40-minute phone interview about how young adults with Type 1 diabetes navigate romantic relationships. To be eligible, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30, have Type 1 diabetes, and be in a romantic relationship (dating, living together, or married). To learn more about the ROAD (Relationships of Adults With Diabetes) Study, contact Dr. Vicki Helgson at vh2e@andrew.cmu.edu.
This blog entry was written by Web Editor Diane Fennell.
------------------------
Copyright (C) 2013 R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. All Rig...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 16, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Gluten May Contribute to Development of Type 1
By Diane Fennell
The dietary protein known as gluten may contribute to the development of Type 1 diabetes, according to a new animal study from researchers at Mayo Clinic. An estimated three million people in the United States have Type 1.
Gluten is the name for a family of proteins found in certain grains, including wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. Both human and animal studies have indicated that gluten may play a causal role in the development of Type 1 diabetes, but the research has not shown the mechanisms by which this might happen.
To investigate this question, researchers used nonobese diabetic mice, or mice...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 15, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
Slow Changes
By Scott Coulter
When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I could tell when my blood glucose dipped below 70. Sixty was downright scary, and anything in the 50's or lower was cause for alarm. That was almost 20 years ago. Today, my blood glucose can get well into the 40's or 30's before I feel the signs. The nature of the signs have changed, too. When I was younger, the signs were entirely physical sensations. I don't remember a time when I got so low that I had cognitive effects — confusion, difficulty putting my thoughts together, disorientation, etc. That's not the case any longer. These days, I might not notice ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 14, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott Coulter Source Type: blogs
What Keeps You Going?
By David Spero
What inspires you? When things are hard with diabetes or any other part of your life, where do you get the strength to keep going? Or to try something new? I have found some ways, but they don't always work.
What inspires me? Sometimes other people do. They overcome hard lives and make something beautiful out of their pain. Viktor Frankl was like that; he survived the Nazi concentration camps, helped others survive, and wrote some great books about it, including Man's Search for Meaning.
We all know of people who amaze us with their courage. They get through life with great disabilities, or without any money...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 13, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Errors and Apologies
By Quinn Phillips
Last month, Pennsylvania became the 36th state to adopt a "benevolent gesture" law following its unanimous approval by the state's House of Representatives and the signature of Gov. Tom Corbett. As noted in an article in The Pennsylvania Record, a legal journal, the law allows medical professionals to discuss medical errors with patients — including apologizing for mistakes — without the risk of their words being used against them in a lawsuit, if the patient (or his or her family) decides to sue over the matter. Despite the overwhelming support that the measure ended up receiving, its support...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 13, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
Lookin’ at Blue Skies. For Now.
By Jan Chait
Happy birthday to me! I now qualify for all senior citizen’s discounts. And Medicare. If I could figure out how to apply for it. Luckily, we still have insurance and my husband’s employer is self-funded so it doesn’t fall under the “Affordable” Care Act. Yet. But I still must get Medicare so it becomes my secondary insurance. That’s probably a good way to spend my birthday.
My Sweet Baboo and I spent the weekend in Cincinnati with friends from Virginia. They were about four hours away from there and we live around three hours away, so it was a good place to meet in the middl...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 12, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
Gluten Sensitivity: Real or Hype?
By Amy Campbell
What's your take on gluten? Have you cut it out of your diet? Do you scour the grocery store for gluten-free foods? If so, you're not alone. According to a survey done earlier this year by the NPD Group (a market research company), almost 30% of Americans are trying to "cut down or be free of gluten." Another survey, conducted by Packaged Facts (also a market research company) in 2012, found that 18% of Americans buy or eat gluten-free foods. The market for gluten-free foods was $4.2 billion in 2012 and is expected to increase to $6.6 billion by 2017. The question is, why?
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protei...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 11, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
"Diabetes Won't Stop Me" Campaign
By Web Team
Not gonna let diabetes stop you? Then share your message with the world!
The You Can Do This Project and Jerry the Bear have teamed up for a video campaign called "Diabetes Won't Stop Me." People with diabetes are invited to make a short video — less than 30 seconds — talking about the dreams and goals that they have or want to accomplish. Starting on November 14, World Diabetes Day, the videos should be uploaded onto a platform such as YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, or Vine, along with the hashtag #DWontStopMe. (Alternately, videos can be submitted here.) Every video will be featured on the You Can ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 9, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Good Cholesterol Helps Control Glucose
By Diane Fennell
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as HDL or "good" cholesterol, helps control blood glucose levels by improving the function of skeletal muscles and reducing fat levels, according to research recently published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.
Rates of cardiovascular disease are significantly increased in people who have Type 2 diabetes; low levels of HDL cholesterol and one of its major components, apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), serve as a strong predictor for the development of cardiovascular disease. To investigate this connection, scientists in Germany and ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 8, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
