Articles on Medical Matters:

Diabetes, The Other Silent Killer

Figures from the American Diabetic Association show that diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S, killing approximately 210000 persons every year. Medical and other related costs can soar over $100 billion a year!!

The good news is there is a great deal that you can do to help manage the condition at an early stage. Being informed truly is the best medicine. Learning as much as you can about your diabetes, how to control your blood sugar, complications and how to prevent them, can help you stay healthy. As always, be sure to consult your physician first before implementing or changing diet or exercise routines or taking any over the counter medications or nutritional supplements.

Diabetes is a serious condition. It is a chronic disorder of carbohydrates, fat and protein metabolism, characterized by fasting elevation of blood sugar level and a greatly increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and loss of nerve functions.

There are two major types of diabetes. Type I and Type II.

Type I is also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) and often occurs in children and adolescents. Individuals with Type I diabetes need to inject insulin everyday. It occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin (a hormone which helps deliver sugar from the blood to the body’s cells).

Type II is also known as Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) and is usually an adult disease. In type II diabetes, insulin is present but not appropriately available due to insulin-resistance. For a variety of physiological reasons, the hormone (insulin) is unable to do its job. The pancreas produces insulin but the body’s cells do not respond to its action and can’t absorb the glucose from the blood so glucose levels rise in the blood.
There are a number of causes which give rise to diabetes. Some of the causes are listed below; however, they should not be considered a complete list.
Heredity plays a major role. Some individuals or ethnic groups may be genetically susceptible than others.
Experts are convinced that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle also play a major role in the development of diabetes.
Impaired digestion and an overworked pancreas.
Syndrome-X (results from a combination of disorders such as hypertension, high cholesterol, blood clotting abnormalities and insulin resistance)
Chromium deficiency.
Prenatal factors. Recent evidence supports the concept that the nutritional status of the mother during pregnancy plays a role in determining whether the child will develop diabetes later in life.
Food with refined sugars and high glycemic index.
Imbalance between two critical hormones- insulin and glucagon.
Misplaced T7 (thoracic 7) vertebra.
Complications resulting from diabetes can be grave if not controlled.
Some complications include but are not limited to:

Hypoglycemia and diabetic coma.
Cataracts, diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, skin ulcers, gangrene leading to amputation, stubborn skin infections and heart disease.

There are some early warning signs you should be aware of if you suspect development of diabetes such as 1) Frequent urination 2) Constant thirst or hunger 3) Blurred vision 4) Numb or tingling hands or feet 5) Slow healing of cuts and bruises 6) Frequent skin infections.

Proper treatment is often delayed because diabetes is not diagnosed until a patient is already experiencing complications.

Diet is an extremely important part of diabetic therapy. Nutrition is the cornerstone for good health. A couple of diet considerations after consultation with your physician could include complex carbohydrates that are rich in fiber, fresh vegetables and fruits of low glycemic index, rather than simple carbohydrates such as breads and pastries.

Complex carbohydrates take longer for the body to break down and absorb and therefore provide a slower or more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. Your physician may even advise you to eat smaller frequent meals throughout the day. Along with diet, exercise is also of equal importance. Exercise will increase tissue levels of chromium and also increases the number of insulin receptors. In many instances, changes in diet and exercise may push borderline blood sugar down to a normal range.

The best prevention is adopting a healthy lifestyle. Because obesity is so strongly associated with TypeII diabetes, weight control is an important element of diabetic management. If you want to lose weight to control diabetes, high blood pressure and reduce the risk for developing heart disease then walk, walk and walk some more.

Insulin injections don’t cure diabetes. They enable you to live with it…..that is if you call injecting yourself multiple times a day, “living”. The key word is HEALTHY LIFESTYLE through diet, exercise and certain herbs and supplements.

For more information on diabetes mellitus, symptoms, management and other related information please visit the site.

Mayur Vibhakar
17 Feb 2007

Mayur Vibhakar is a health professional and editor of http://www.innervibrance.com/free_radicals.html, a site dedicated to achieving optimal health through natural means. For more information on Free Radicals please visit the site.

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Do You Have Sleep Apnoea? Try This Self-Test

Snorers are now able to screen themselves for sleep apnoea using a self-test strip believed to be the first of its kind.

The Israeli-invented, Singapore-made strip is almost as accurate as a standard sleep study, but cheaper and more convenient.

Its availability may persuade sufferers to get tested. Many currently do not want to spend the time and money to do so. Yet the disorder can cause serious problems such as stroke and even marital discord.

Sleep apnoea causes people with narrowed airways to stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer repeatedly during sleep. It can lead to hypertension, heart disease and stroke. The condition affects about 15 per cent of people here, and 88 per cent of snorers. Patients can be treated using dental splints, oxygen masks or surgery.

Internationally, 90 per cent of sleep apnoea sufferers go undiagnosed, a figure which prompted the strip's Israeli inventor, Mr Noam Hadas to develop it. He said that this way at least some of them will be detected and get medical help they so needed.

He chose Singapore company MFS Technology to make the strip over others from China and India because of the quality of its work. Sleep apnoea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep study, in which wires are placed on the sleeping patient's head and body to monitor brain waves, eye movements and breathing patterns.

The study is best done in a hospital, but it costs more than $900. Technicians can hook the patient up at home for a simpler $600 version. Hospitals can also loan patients a device which resembles a watch, to conduct the test at home, for $300.

The self-test, called SleepStrip, has three sensors to detect breathing pauses longer than 10 seconds and tracks the number of times breathing pauses. Users have to sleep with the strip stuck below the nose for at least five hours. They can read the results - 0, 1, 2 or 3 - an hour after removing it.

Those who score zero do not  have apnoea. For the rest, the higher the number the worse the apnoea. The strip costs SGD$120 to SGD$200 and is available form a handful of doctors and dentists.

From March, the Singapore distributor, MeirHealth Asia, will sell the strip via mail order, for $85. Details will be posted on www.meirhealth.com in February.

Lee Hui Chieh
The Straits Times
Mind Your Body
Singapore
22 Feb 2007

This article is an abstract from The Straits Times, Mind Your Body, January 24, 2007.

High Cholesterol = Heart Attack

Lifestyle and food are two elements that can have a dual effect. They can improve your health or cause it to deteriorate, sometimes beyond control. We do not realize these facts till we cross the age of 40 and then it may be too late in some cases.

Cholesterol is one of the bad outcomes of a mismanaged lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. It is a soft waxy substance found in the lipids (fats) in the blood stream. It is important to understand the role of cholesterol in your body so that you can prevent it from causing damage and protect your heart and live a longer and healthier life.

Over a period cholesterol builds up on the inside of the blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to thicken and restricts blood flow to organs, which means reduced oxygen supply. In severe cases the blood flow is restricted to extreme that it causes the organs to fail. Heart attack or stroke is a direct outcome of this process.

Reduced levels of cholesterol in blood will decrease your chances of getting heart disease, strokes and angina. Changing food habits eating less fatty food, exercising regularly and maintaining an active lifestyle are key to looking after your heart.

Sometimes medication may become necessary to counter high cholesterol levels in your blood. Atorvastatin is one such drug that lowers cholesterol levels within safe limits and prevents buildup in blood vessels. This drug works best together with alterations in your lifestyle including food, exercise and if necessary, weight reduction.

This drug is classified as a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. In simple terms it slows the production of cholesterol in your body. Generic Lipitor is another drug in this category that is effective.

The medication must be used under qualified medical supervision. You must discuss you medical details and inform your doctor incase you plan to get pregnant or are breast feeding a child.

It is administered orally and you should maintain a definite schedule for taking the drug. Overdosing can be dangerous, so stay away from such practice. Once you begin to take the medication stay in touch with your doctor and seek immediate help in case you detect some abnormal reactions.

While taking the medication do not consume fatty food for obvious reasons. Avoid alcohol or other forms of addiction as they may nullify the good effect or worse complicate the situation.

There may be some side effects associated with Atorvastatin but these should be mild and go away gradually. If any allergic reaction persists, seek medical attention.

Store the medication in its container and keep the same at room temperature. All unused and expired medication must be disposed properly.

Atorvastatin is a prescription medicine and should be purchased against a valid prescription written for your specific needs.

Fighting cholesterol begins by altering your lifestyle.

Dunham
02 Mar 2007

Dunham is an associated editor to the website www.finegenerics.com. It is committed to provide visitors with complete information on all generic drugs, weight loss, men's health, women's health and other major health issues. Your feedback & comments will be highly appreciated at conroydunham@gmail.com