Posts Tagged blood sugar test
Managing Blood Sugar – The Diabetics Ongoing Struggle
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on November 8, 2012
Have you been diagnosed with diabetes? If you are like many diabetics, you are discovering (or have already found) that maintaining a steady blood sugar level is easier said than done. November is American Diabetes Month and worth our attention because this disease is one of the largest health issues our country currently faces. An estimated one in three Americans will develop diabetes by 2050 if we don’t make major changes to our 
lifestyles. If you have already been diagnosed with Type 1 as a child or young adult or Type 2 as an adult, the prevention information isn’t much use to you. I already have it so what do I do now? Your doctor has most likely already discussed diet and exercise with you and, if you are overweight, suggested that you need to lose some. Based on current research studies here are some tips:
- Follow your doctor’s advice and lose some weight. Even though recent studies, specifically one conducted by Look AHEAD subsidized by the National Institutes of Health, are now showing that losing weight may not affect your risk of having a stroke or a heart attack, the benefits to you from even small amounts of weight lose are huge: Improved hemoglobin A1c readings (which look at average blood sugar levels for the past three months), better blood pressure numbers, better fitness and, less medication required to control the diabetes. Overall, losing weight is one of the best things you can do for yourself if you are overweight, whether or not you have diabetes.
- Tight Control: This method as described by the American Diabetes Association is not for everyone and should be followed in conjunction with advice and supervision from your doctor. The intent is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to non-diabetic levels as possible. There are risks of hypoglycemia and weight gain, but this method can prevent or control the onset or progress of complications from diabetes, providing you with additional years of healthy, active life.
- Frequent testing of your blood glucose level. Even if the tight control idea is too much for you, consider testing your blood sugar more often. This is a step in the right direction and, in conjunction with weight loss and exercise, can help you control your blood sugar better by letting you know where you stand before you eat and two hours after eating. Getting a hemoglobin A1c test every few months will also let you know how you are doing and help you make adjustments.
If you are pre-diabetic or obese and worried about the possibility of developing diabetes you may want to consider drinking black tea. Studies are showing a very high correlation between a low incidence of diabetes and the consumption of black tea.
Controlling your diabetes, however you choose to do it, is key to preventing many of the devastating complications of diabetes such as amputations and blindness. There is no doubt that managing your blood sugar is difficult, time consuming and an overall hassle, but the rewards are extremely high.
Written by labtestingnow.com
Does This Mean I Don’t Have to Lose Weight?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on August 10, 2012
An interesting study has been released in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that obese people who contract diabetes live longer than normal weight people who develop the disease! What’s up with this? So now, if I have diabetes, I don’t have to worry about losing weight? Not so fast. As always, the results aren’t clear cut and the researchers are trying to determine what the results mean for how people with diabetes 
should react. The study followed 2,600 people who developed diabetes during the study. 12% of them were of normal weight. 2.8% of the normal weight participants died during the study while only 1.5% of the obese participants died. The study controlled for age, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking, which are all factors for heart disease. The death rate was twice as high for lean diabetics than for their obese peers. Normally, heart disease is linked to obesity, which is causing some head scratching among the researchers, although this “Obesity Paradox” has been seen in other diseases.
It appears that there may be something about being obese that protects the heart or it could be that those who are of normal weight and develop diabetes have other things going on that causes their higher mortality. The findings apply to a growing segment of the population and will make it more confusing for doctors who are treating the lean diabetes patient. Controlling blood sugar and exercising will still be key for controlling diabetes but losing weight may not be as important. The next step in studies like this may shed more light on how to handle the “Obesity Paradox” as some researchers have dubbed it. Doctors will want to watch normal weight people who contract diabetes more carefully as they are at a higher risk of death, but what should they tell them that they haven’t already been telling diabetic patients? If you have diabetes, you’ll want to follow this study and others like it carefully, along with all the other monitoring of blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight that you are already tracking.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Saving Your Life: Diabetes Prevention
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on November 8, 2011
Do you know anyone who has diabetes? Does it seem like a minor hassle, not a big deal to watch your sugar intake? Children who need to prick their fingers every day and watch every bite they take might make us think about the high price paid by those with diabetes. This high price is now also paid by adults who have developed diabetes type 2. But, if they had thought about it before blowing off exercise and gaining weight, would it have made a difference in their lifestyle? I would like to think so. And so would the American Diabetes Association. The ADA’s Diabetes 
Awareness Month this year is focusing on how individuals can make a difference, both in their own lives and in their communities. Their “Stop Diabetes” campaign includes taking a pledge to stop diabetes in your own life and a test on Facebook to determine your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Most of us assume that if we don’t have it we don’t have to worry about diabetes but there may be some facts that you didn’t know about diabetes:
- Every 17 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes.
- Diabetes costs $174 million per year in the US.
- 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes by the year 2050 unless we all take action to stop diabetes.
Diabetes isn’t just the well known “prick your finger and inject yourself with insulin” disease. It is the leading cause of kidney failure and blindness and can increase your risk for heart disease and other infections. Many organizations are providing discounted diabetes tests this month in honor of Diabetes Awareness Month including Fasting Glucose to indicate diabetes, Hemoglobin A1c which can identify prediabetes and determine if current diabetes is well controlled and a Diabetic Urinalysis test which indicates how well your kidneys are functioning.
Do your part this month: get yourself tested, look at your risk of contracting diabetes type 2 and do what you need to do to prevent diabetes in yourself, your family and your community. We can save ourselves a lot of money and the pain and misery of living with diabetes, but only if we take action today.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes: There May Be A Surgical Option
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on June 24, 2011
Type 2 diabetes continues to rise in the United States and the sad fact is that approximately 90% of type 2 diabetes is caused by obesity. In most people, obesity and therefore, type 2 diabetes, is completely preventable through diet and exercise. The ability to reverse or improve type 2 diabetes is as simple as reversing obesity. 
The problem with that solution is that many Americans aren’t able to do that without serious intervention, namely gastric bypass or gastric banding surgery. A study conducted by Dutch researchers and published in the Archives of Surgery reported that a type of gastic bypass surgery known as Royx-en-Y or RYGB reversed type 2 diabetes in 83% of the participants and gastric banding surgery reversed type 2 diabetes in 62%.
Glucose serum testing can clearly identify diabetes and assist in diabetes maintenance and a Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) test can pinpoint risk factors and markers for Metabolic Syndrome or prediabetes. Changing your diet, losing weight and beginning an exercise program can prevent or even reverse the disease. Knowing that you are at risk, either through testing or being overweight or obese can give you the opportunity to change your life and avoid medication, constant monitoring and serious diabetes complications. Yes, surgery could take care of your obesity and your diabetes, but so could a sensible approach to eating and a walk around the block every day.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
The Newest Obesity Attack: A Plate?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on June 3, 2011
How many times do we need to be told what to eat? How many different ways? If you haven’t figured it out by now, will a pretty 
picture of a plate help you? I doubt it. Many doctors doubt it, but the USDA continues to try. Kudos to them for working on it but maybe we just need to get more aggressive. I’ll say it again, I’m tired of my taxes paying for people who aren’t willing to take care of themselves!
The new plate graphic is snazzy and from the website, each type of food, dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables and proteins, is a link to information about how much and what type of food should be eaten. It is a lot easier to decipher than the most recent pyramid with rays shooting out of it. If you want more information and are willing to eat right and get healthy, the USDA is making it a lot easier.
The issue of course is with individuals and lack of willpower. Obesity is known to lead to many disorders and diseases. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension to name just a few. Losing weight may allow you to live longer, stop taking medications for these disease and just feel better overall. So what are you waiting for? Fill your plate properly and stop wasting our tax money. In many cases, these diseases are preventable and it starts with what you put on your plate.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Itchy Skin Goes A Lot Deeper
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on May 17, 2011
Who would have thought that psoriasis, that pesky, itchy skin disease, could be other than an irritant? If you thought your troubles ended there, you are wrong, very wrong. Apparently, psoriasis is associated with a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome. The more severe 
the psoriasis, the higher the association. And, it’s not limited to metabolic syndrome, a precursor to Diabetes Type 2, but also to obesity and hypertension. Although the reasons aren’t clear, it may be that psoriasis is a systemic disease either having wide-ranging effects on the body or that those with a disposition to develop metabolic syndrome, Diabetes and hypertension have immune issues that also cause psoriasis.
The research, presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology, was included only in abstracts and not papers that have published yet and more studies are needed. Whatever the cause, 0ne of the results may be that doctors will recommend more metabolic syndrome screenings for their patients who have psoriasis. Psoriasis increased the incidence of metabolic syndrome by 40% and children with psoriasis also had a much higher rate of obesity (approximately 50% versus 30%). If I had psoriasis, I would be running to my doctor’s office for testing and treatment! I wonder if proper treatment of psoriasis would reduce the chances of developing metabolic syndrome or Type 2 Diabetes? At this point, we don’t know, but you may want to jump on it…
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
New Drug for Prediabetes: Cure or Delay Tactic?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on March 25, 2011
If you are at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, you’ll be interested to know that a drug that is currently used to treat diabetes may prevent the disease. The drug, pioglitazone, reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 72% in patients with prediabetes. Although the best way to prevent Type 2 diabetes is to lose weight and exercise, many Americans continue to struggle with this idea. Looking for a “quick fix” is our standard approach and the medical community is working hard to help out. 
The question is, Do you have to take the daily pill for the rest of your life? Is that really prevention or are you just pre-treating the disease? How much will this cost taxpayers? And it’s not 100% effective!
Millions of Americans already suffer from prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. High blood sugar, obesity, and high cholesterol combine to create the right environment for developing type 2 diabetes. Tests can determine if you already have prediabetes, which with the right diet and exercise can be reversed. It isn’t known yet if this medication could do that or if the effects continue after you stop taking the medication. There are also side effects including weight gain and edema (swelling due to water retention). If you are at risk, it’s time to get on the treadmill and lay off the burgers! Unless you can’t be bothered…best of luck with the “easy” route.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Staving Off Diabetes Is As Easy As Walking
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests on January 21, 2011
Here we are…mid-January. How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? I hope you haven’t fallen off the resolution wagon already, but if exercise is your goal and it’s getting too difficult there may be an easier way to keep going. A recent study printed in the British Medical Journal found that walking 10,000 steps a day 
can prevent diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and will reduce your body fat over time. Even better, you don’t need to start out with 10,000 steps per day. People who took it slow and increased the amount gradually, aiming for 10,000 steps a day, still saw these benefits. Some companies are helping out by providing pedometers and encouraging exercise, but you can (and should) do it yourself.
Some easy ways to get there are:
- Invest in a pedometer. You can find them for as little as $15-$20.
- Find a friend to walk with or to compete with. This will encourage you to keep it up.
- Report your walking numbers to your friend or spouse. Being held accountable helps.
- Recognize your accomplishments. Tell your buddies you need a pat on the back, then let them know you’ve reached your weekly goal so they can cheer you on.
Diabetes is a very expensive health issue costing taxpayers millions of dollars per year in treatments and causing long term health problems. Type 2 Diabetes is preventable! The natural inclination to eat too much sugar and fat and then follow huge meals with lounging on the couch are contributing to unnecessary health problems. Glucose tests are easy to get and can let you know if you are already heading in the wrong direction. Even if long walks seem too hard to fit into your day and too painful, start with a short walk. The alternative of obesity, insulin injections and long term cardiovascular disease don’t look that attractive. In view of the choices, what’s a brief 30 minute walk at lunch, parking at the back of the parking lot or walking the dog around the block a couple of times after work?
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Health Care Reform Changes Launched Jan. 1: Will They Affect You?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on January 5, 2011
Most of the changes launched January 1 are to the Medicare and Medicaid programs that will assist seniors in reducing the donut hole and reform payments to doctors and individuals. One that might help some folks with their New Year’s Resolutions is the new incentives in Medicaid for prevention of chronic diseases. It’s about time folks get some help with this! 
This is clearly needed for those folks who are having trouble living a healthy lifestyle on their own, for many reasons including insufficient access to fresh fruits and vegetables and preventive care. Since we are all paying for the medical costs of people who smoke, are obese and don’t exercise, regardless of their income, I’m all for this change. $25 million in state grants will be used to help Medicaid recipients address health conditions including tobacco use and weight control.
The timing is perfect because these incentives fall right in line with some of the top New Year’s resolutions:
- Quit Smoking
- Drink Less
- Lose Weight
- Exercise
It will be interesting to find out how these funds will be used and how these chronic health conditions will be addressed. In conjunction with medical tests that are accessible with or without health insurance coverage people will hopefully have more access to the information and tools they need to make better choices about their lifestyles. Based on the tremendous cost of health care for easily preventable disease, the $25 million may be a good trade. We can all use a push in the right direction and for those of us who aren’t receiving Medicaid benefits, we can take all take a hint and get our behinds off the couch and our cigarettes out of the house!
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Can Better Nutrition Labels Halt the Rise of Obesity?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on November 17, 2010
How many times have you read lately about the rise of obesity in our country and the numerous health problems that this causes? Too many! The obvious solution is for people to stop eating so much food and get off their behinds to at least walk around the block. Clearly this message, though printed, posted and nearly shouted from the rooftops, is not getting through. Apparently, our government feels that they need to step in and help out. People complain that the tiny, little nutrition boxes currently on most foods are too hard to read and understand. They seem pretty clear to me and most of my friends and I think we all know that Big Macs are not a good idea if you’re trying to eat healthier.
The solution, reported by the Washington Post, that is being proposed by the government comes from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and is to put easier to read information about calories and nutrients on the front of the packages. Obama’s health secretary stated at an obesity summit in Mississippi that several food makers and retailers had agreed to voluntarily put the labels on the front, and consumers could start seeing the new labels in the next six months. It is about time that the food industry started taking responsibility for their part in making foods too salty, sugary and fatty so this is good news. It’s a shame that people can’t figure this out on their own and that the food industry and the government needs to hold their hands to get them to eat healthy.
For those out there who need the help, I hope this makes a difference for you. Take control of your health. Get tested if you suspect you are developing metabolic syndrome or diabetes. Read labels and stay away from the junk — you can do it!
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
CDC H1N1 Flu Updates:- Press Briefing Transcript: Dr. Thomas Frieden's Remarks at the 2010 Influenza Workshop for Journalists
- HHS News Release: WHO Declares End to 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic
- WHO Statement on H1N1 in post-pandemic period
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update
- MMWR: Regional Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccination Campaign -- Skokie, Illinois, October 16--December 31, 2009
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update