Indholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2023 i Diabetes Self-Management

Dear readers, As the classic song goes, “Summer days, driftin’ away.” Looking to take advantage of the long days before the season has passed by? You’ve come to the right place! With school out and vacation season in full swing, perhaps you’ve been bitten by the travel bug. Although taking a trip with diabetes requires a bit more preparation, you shouldn’t let it stop you from hitting the road. Learn about steps to take before your big adventure and factors to keep in mind while you’re away in “Get Ready, Get Set, Go!” (page 26). The warmer weather and sunnier days may also have you eager to get outdoors and get in a bit of physical activity. But for many people, questions about how to manage glucose levels during exercise…

Living with diabetes has its ups and downs, especially when it comes to blood glucose. For years, the hemoglobin A1C has been the gold standard for providing an overview of average glucose values from the previous two to three months. But now there is a new measurement in town—time in range (TIR). TIR comes from the data provided by CGMs (continuous glucose monitors). These devices obtain a glucose value every five minutes via a sensor worn on the body that transmits the information to a smartphone or personal device manager (PDM). There are currently four companies offering CGM systems in the United States: • Abbott (FreeStyle Libre 3, FreeStyle Libre 2, FreeStyle Libre 14 Day)• Dexcom (Dexcom G7, Dexcom G6)• Ascensia Diabetes Care (Eversense E3)• Medtronic (Guardian Connect) Research has…

A diet-based weight-loss program was found to be effective for weight loss and other health improvements regardless of how much physical activity participants were asked to engage in, according to a new study published in the journal Obesity. Research has shown that even moderate weight loss—up to about 10% of body weight—can have significant health benefits in people with type 2 diabetes, including remission of diabetes (normal blood glucose levels without taking any glucose-lowering drugs). For the latest study, 374 adults with overweight or obesity were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group (124 people) took part in a diet-based weight-loss program without being asked to engage in more physical activity. The second group (127 people) did the diet-based program and was asked to engage in 150…

Swimming is a great workout that builds strength and endurance while putting relatively little stress on the joints. If you never learned to swim, you might consider taking lessons, but there are other great exercises you can do in the water that offer many of the same benefits as swimming. Water workouts make use of the water’s resistance to turn ordinary movements into strength and endurance exercises. While some equipment, such as kickboards and foam dumbbells, can enhance your workout, there are plenty of exercises you can do without them. Ways to get a full-body workout Legs. For the legs, the simplest exercise is walking waist-deep in water for five or 10 minutes. It may sound easy until you actually try it! Stand tall, engage your core muscles, and walk,…

Condiments can turn a ho-hum food into something fabulous. They are, after all, intended to enhance or complement flavors. Some people are very particular about the kind and even the brand of condiment that they use. And, believe it or not, there is etiquette for the use of some condiments. For example, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council disapproves of adults putting ketchup on hot dogs! When it comes to condiments that give you a boost of nutrition, don’t expect too much. That’s because these flavorings are intended to be used in small amounts. Instead, focus on what you shouldn’t be getting: A lot of carbs, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, to be exact. Choose condiments that keep the carbs less than 5 grams, added sugar less than 4…

Ready to plan your next travel adventure? If you live with diabetes, planning for a trip involves much more than deciding which clothes to pack and when to book travel. In addition to organizing your diabetes supplies, securing extra medication and backup devices, determining whether your diabetes tech can go through security scanning machines, and more, you might also be thinking about what to eat and how different food might affect your blood glucose levels while away from home. The key to managing diabetes and eating well while traveling is having a plan you can rely on. Whether your upcoming trip is a weekend getaway with friends or a lengthy visit to an exotic destination, it’s exciting to experience new and delicious cuisine at a novel locale. Ready for a…

Imagine if your health care provider wrote a prescription for incorporating mindfulness into your routine at least five times a week to improve your diabetes care. This isn’t as far-fetched as it may sound. In fact, research suggests that mindfulness actually might just be the lifestyle medicine you need for better diabetes management. While it doesn’t take the place of needed medication, this approach can play a positive role in improving many different aspects of diabetes. The importance of lifestyle in diabetes management Lifestyle approaches to improving health—including mindfulness/meditation practice, good nutrition, regular physical activity, and sleep hygiene—aren’t new concepts, but they can sometimes get less attention than they should during brief health care visits, where conversations can revolve primarily around blood glucose numbers and medication adjustments. But research on…

For those with and without diabetes alike, medical emergencies are an unfortunate fact of life. When it comes to diabetes, there are a variety of factors that are linked to an increased risk. For instance, some of the medicines used for managing high blood glucose can result in low blood glucose, leading a person to pass out or otherwise become unresponsive. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), in which chemicals called ketones build up to dangerous levels in the blood due to a lack of insulin, is another life-threatening diabetes-related emergency. Fortunately, if you ever find yourself in such a situation, there is a valuable tool that can help convey critical information even when you can’t: medical identification jewelry. Medical ID jewelry has been available since at least 1953, providing information to both…

What Is Raynaud’s Syndrome? Everyone gets cold fingers and toes at times, but some people experience an extreme version where the skin turns white or blue. This may be a sign of a condition called Raynaud’s syndrome. Learn about risk factors, symptoms, treatments, and more. bit.ly/3KiSht2 EXERCISE Using the FITT Principle to Get Fit A lot of barriers can pop up when you are trying to become and stay physically active. How can you choose the fitness program that will work best for you? Here’s where the FITT principle comes in. bit.ly/3ZTHqvr MENTAL WELLNESS Stopping Stress Eating In Its Tracks Stress is no stranger to any of us. If you find yourself frequently turning to food for comfort when times are tough, read on to find ideas to try to…

People with type 2 diabetes who take a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drug are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and death, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. PPIs are a widely used group of drugs to treat acid reflux and include both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) options. For the latest study, researchers looked at the relationship between taking a PPI and various cardiovascular and mortality outcomes in 19,229 adults with type 2 diabetes. During a follow-up period that lasted a median of 10.9 to 11.2 years (depending on the outcome researchers looked at), there were 2,971 new cases of coronary artery disease (CAD), 1,827 heart attacks, 1,192 new cases of heart failure, and 738 strokes among study participants, along with 2,297…

Etekcity Smart Scale It’s good to weigh yourself regularly, but you could be getting so much more from your scale if you use the Etekcity Smart Scale. For starters, using the VeSync app, you can track not just your weight but also 13 body measurements, including body fat, muscle mass, and body-mass index (BMI). You’ll also be able to set weight-loss goals, monitor your nutrition and daily calorie intake, and keep tabs on how much water you drink, too. You can even sync your data with a variety of tracking apps. The Etekcity Smart Scale helps to motivate you to reach your personal health and fitness goals by giving you firsthand data. A smart investment in your health! etekcity.com Twinings Cold Infuse Flavoured Cold Water Enhancer Feeling a bit bored…

We all know we need to stay hydrated, but it is especially important for people managing diabetes. How to maintain adequate hydration, especially during the summer months, is one of the top areas of concern for many of my clients. I’ve compiled a list of the most popular questions I get on this topic to help guide you toward drinking the right fluids and eating the right foods during the warmest months of the year. Q I’ve heard that dehydration can raise my blood sugar levels. Is that true? A The body thrives when it has an adequate amount of hydration. Dehydration can indeed contribute to elevated blood glucose levels because the ratio of water to glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream has changed. In other words, having less water in…

If you have a goal to travel the world, see new places, and meet new people, go for it! Don’t let diabetes get in the way. But be prepared. Travel requires a lot of planning, and if you have diabetes, you’ll want to ensure you’re extra ready so that your trip is both fun and safe. Different time zones, unfamiliar foods, delayed mealtimes, and more physical activity than usual are just a few of the factors that can make managing your diabetes challenging if you aren’t prepared. By dealing with these issues before you get to your destination, you’ll have a few less things to worry about and can spend your time enjoying your trip! Get ready. Once you’ve decided where you’ll go, how long you’ll be gone, and how…

Diabetic retinopathy, damage to the retina of the eye caused by high blood glucose, is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among people ages 20-74 in developed countries. There are several types of treatment for diabetic retinopathy, but the best approach is early detection and treatment, which can reduce the risk of blindness by 95%. What causes it The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It detects light and sends signals that travel to the brain by way of the optic nerve to create the images that we see. Chronically elevated blood glucose levels associated with poorly controlled diabetes gradually damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina. The damage causes these vessels to leak fluid or bleed, distorting vision. In advanced cases,…

Everyone knows everything about diabetes—particularly those who don’t have it. Uninformed family members, friends, and even strangers think they know all about your diabetes and are quick to judge you, give you advice, or ask whether you can do whatever the activity under discussion is. There are numerous myths regarding diabetes. Some are archaic scraps of information that are simply no longer true. Others were never true in the first place but have been believed by people both with diabetes and without it. Finally, some myths are just … well … bizarre. The following are truths to dispel some of the fiction surrounding diabetes. MYTH #1: People with diabetes can’t eat any sugar. TRUTH: I doubt there’s a person with diabetes who hasn’t been asked, “Can you eat that?” And…

One of the difficulties of diabetes is that it causes the progressive loss of beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells create, store, and release insulin, and insulin controls the amount of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. Without enough beta cells, blood sugar can get out of control. Beta cells have been extensively studied, but researchers have yet to find a medication that will prevent beta cell loss in people with diabetes. Now, however, researchers in Belgium have released a study that might point to a way of protecting these crucial cells—exercise. The researchers, who were from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, published their paper in the European medical journal Diabetologia. The researchers recruited 46 healthy young non-obese subjects, 26 women and 20 men, and organized them…

Failure of the type 2 diabetes medication metformin—meaning that the drug doesn’t adequately control blood glucose levels—was found to be common and linked to certain traits, especially a higher A1C level (a measure of long-term blood glucose control) before starting on the drug, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Metformin is widely considered the first-line drug for type 2 diabetes, and its overall safety and effectiveness profile is considered excellent. The drug may also carry benefits aside from blood glucose control, including a lower risk for neurodegenerative diseases and a lower risk for needing joint replacement—benefits that may be linked to improvement in cellular function throughout the body. But sometimes metformin isn’t enough to adequately control blood glucose, and a large proportion of adults…

Q At my recent endocrinology office visit, I met with a new physician. They noticed some low blood sugars on my FreeStyle Libre CGM (continuous glucose monitor) history. Without my knowledge, they contacted my state’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and my driver’s license is now suspended. Is this legal? I have never had a serious low while driving, and my CGM alerts me when I am starting to drop. What should I do? A Driving laws, which vary from state to state, are in place to protect both drivers and the general public. Licensed health care providers have a professional (and, in some cases, legal) obligation to report to the DMV anyone who might cause injury due to driving with an impairment. Reports are usually related to substance abuse…

Summer is the best season for losing or maintaining weight. Indeed, not only do we naturally eat fewer calories at this time of year, but we also tend to be more active because of the longer days. However, too much heat can wreak havoc with glucose levels, making this a time when you need to be extra vigilant about your diabetes self-management. Here are some tips to help you reap the weight benefits of summer without negatively impacting your diabetes. A summer-based diet Our bodies need foods with a high water content in the summer to help cool us down and keep us hydrated. This is fantastic for weight management as well because these sorts of foods (such as fruits and vegetables) are typically quite healthful. For tasty summer fruits…

If you have diabetes, you have a higher risk of getting foot sores, or foot ulcers, as they’re often called. Between 15% and 25% of people with diabetes will develop one at some point. Foot ulcers can take weeks or months to heal, and if not caught and treated properly, they increase the risk of amputation. Learn more about foot ulcers and what you can do to prevent them. What is a foot ulcer, and what does it look like? Foot ulcers are open sores or wounds that don’t heal or that keep recurring. They may develop under a callus on the foot due to pressure and rubbing; they can also result from an injury or trauma to the foot. Foot ulcers usually occur on the bottom of the foot.…

Having high blood sugar, a situation also called hyperglycemia, means that there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood, often due to a lack of insulin or the body’s inability to use insulin properly. (Insulin is a hormone that helps move glucose from the blood into the cells for energy.) For people who have diabetes, other factors can contribute to high blood sugar as well, such as eating too much carbohydrate, not getting enough physical activity, being sick or stressed, forgetting to take or not taking enough diabetes medication, or taking other medications that can raise blood sugar. The downsides of high blood sugar Hyperglycemia can cause immediate, or acute, side effects, including thirst, frequent urination, headaches, hunger, and blurry vision. It can also make you feel tired. Very…

5 According to the Lonely Planet website, the longest commercial flight in the world, running from 1943-45 between Australia and Sri Lanka, took over 30 hours. The shortest commercial flight, between neighboring locations in the Orkney Islands, takes less than two minutes. Thanks to the location of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska is both the westernmost and easternmost state in the U.S. Interested in more travel facts? Visit “Get Ready, Get Set, Go!” (page 26). 4 President Theodore Roosevelt is rumored to have read a book a day, says the website ImprintDigital.com. One in five adults worldwide can’t read or write. Nearly 50 books can be made from one tree. According to one study, reading regularly is linked to a reduced risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Can’t get enough…