Diabetes Self-Management July - August 2017

There’s no reason you can’t enjoy cookouts and other food-heavy get-togethers. Dear Readers, NOW THAT we are finally in the throes of summer, it’s time to turn our attention to adopting and tweaking self-management strategies that enable you to relish the season while maintaining control over your diabetes. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy cookouts and other food-heavy get-togethers—as long as you stick to a reasonable set of guidelines. Before heading to your next barbecue, read the tips from Laura Hieronymus about how to handle yourself and your diabetes (page 32), including portion control, the best food and alcohol choices, and cookout carb counting. Whether you’re bringing a dish to a get-together or hosting your own shindig, our On the Grill menu has you covered with five savory recipes, ranging…

Is there a link between diabetes and cancer? At this point, scientists aren’t sure, but a recent study suggests this just might be the case. A team of researchers at the University of Toronto examined the incidence of cancer in more than one million adults, paying special attention to the time at which the diagnosis of cancer was made. They discovered that people with diabetes were more likely than people without diabetes to have been diagnosed with cancer in the 10 years before a diagnosis of diabetes. The difference wasn’t huge—1.23 times more likely—but according to study leader Iliana Lega, M.D., it was enough to support “existing hypotheses that shared risk factors may be contributing to both cancer and diabetes diagnoses.” The researchers also found that a diagnosis of cancer…

Aloe vera is a shrub that grows in semi-arid regions. It makes an attractive potted plant, but it’s also used in folk medicine and for therapeutic purposes. Scientific evidence for its effectiveness is spotty, but recently, researchers in Thailand looked at its possible value in diabetes. The researchers analyzed eight clinical trials of aloe vera involving 470 patients; most of the studies had been conducted in Iran. The studies compared the effect of aloe vera to a placebo or to no treatment at all. The subjects had either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. The forms in which they took aloe vera varied: crushed aloe leaves, fresh aloe vera juice, aloe vera gel powder and aloe vera extract. Treatment was administered for two to three months. The researchers found that aloe…

1. How do damaged nerves and blood vessels make it more difficult to brave the heat when you have diabetes? More than one answer may be correct. A. They prevent nerve signals that detect temperature from reaching the brain. B. They keep you from sweating. C. Diabetic neuropathy prevents circulation in the limbs, which can make limbs feel cold. D. Blood vessel damage has no impact on the ability to detect or respond to heat. 2. True or False : It’s easier to stay cool when it’s hot and humid than when it’s hot and dry. 3. Which of the following statements is true? A. Having diabetes makes it easier to stay hydrated. B. Diabetes does not affect your ability to stay hydrated. C. People with diabetes are…

It’s understandable that anyone with diabetes might experience occasional bouts of depression, but a new study has found that diabetes-related depression is a global phenomenon, although rates vary by country. Researchers from Open University in the United Kingdom examined data from diabetes patients representing countries from all parts of the world: Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Thailand, Uganda and Ukraine—some 200 patients in each country. The mean number of years that the subjects had diabetes was 8.8, their mean age was 54.1 and slightly more than half (55 percent) were women. According to Catherine E. Lloyd, Ph. D, one of the researchers, the study was, as far as they knew, the first “to look at this issue outside of the U.S. and U.K.,…

INTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION Aching, cramping pain in the leg, especially in the calf, that occurs during activity such as walking and subsides after a short period of rest. Intermittent claudication is a classic symptom of peripheral artery disease (PAD), in which arteries in the extremities become narrowed from atherosclerosis. Risk factors for PAD include smoking, diabetes, blood lipid disorders and hypertension (high blood pressure). According to various estimates, approximately 8.5 million people in the United States have PAD, and one out of every three people with diabetes over the age of 50 has the condition. A number of different treatments can help alleviate intermittent claudication. People can improve the underlying PAD by exercising regularly and quitting smoking. Managing diabetes by scrupulously controlling blood glucose levels also can help. For people with…