Posted by Toby Smithson.
Join hosts Joan Hammel and Tony Skerbec as they quiz Toby and her guest Adam Bednarik about the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Both Toby and Adam are type 1, but both work with diabetes patients professionally. Just click on the player, and enjoy the discussion.
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Posted by Toby Smithson.
I read a great article on the Atlantic website that included blood glucose testing, but parts of the article really bother me. While the article was essentially about whether health tracking is useful with all of the new apps available for users, one angle of the article was about how unsuccessful home blood sugar monitoring has been over a 3o year period. The author called people with diabetes “early adopters” of health tracking, and pointed out that most hate it.
First, a 2001 study found only 5% of people with diabetes actually do daily testing, 65% admitting to testing less than once a month. More concerning to me, the reason people don’t test is that they see testing as an enemy – out to remind them how poorly they’re doing. Add to this a move in some circles to stop reimbursements for testing supplies based in large part on evidence that people with diabetes don’t use testing to change behavior, and a big problem is brewing. There is a terrible disconnect within our medical system.
I know how incredibly valuable testing is….with type 1 diabetes it’s simply impossible to work things out by guessing. But, testing can be valuable for type 2 diabetes too if you use the tool to get relevant information, and to make changes. Here’s an example. My friend Mike often tests after meal just to see how a certain food has affected his blood sugar. His behavior changes aren’t major – if his blood sugar goes too high he knows that particular food doesn’t fit his metabolism well. This is how blood sugar testing can serve to improve control over time, and improved control means better health.
Contrast this to another friend who has been prescribed one test each day, first thing in the morning. Essentially, a fasting glucose 365 times a year. Guess what? Her blood sugar is virtually the same every day. There is no data upon which to make changes, and there’s no data that could possibly be any more valuable than an A1C every 3 to 6 months. This is a waste of resources and a burden on my friend, but I can’t convince her to stop because this is what her general practitioner has told her to do. She hates it, of course.
Here’s the problem. Medical policy makers in government programs and with private insurers do not provide adequate coverage for education and support time with diabetes educators. More time with educators could result in a better understanding of testing, and less anxiety about doing it because a purpose could be defined. Some of the responsibility is with patients. But, most people want to do better with self management, and this complex condition does require active participation by those of us who stand to benefit the most – patients. I hope our members at DiabetesEveryDay will share their thoughts about testing with me. I am concerned about this marvelous tool being so misunderstood by those who could gain so much.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
We challenge our member’s every month to concentrate on one positive behavior change. Slowly, but surely, building new habits will make managing diabetes easier and more effective.
and be certain you’re doing everything you can to protect your health.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
Happy Valentine’s Day. It’s a day we think about our “significant other”, so here are a couple of gift ideas.
For you, Valentine’s Day could represent how important a focus on heart health has to be when diabetes is in our life. We say it again and again- diabetes raises our risk for heart attack or stoke by at least double, and that’s even if blood sugar is well controlled. Remember, the “ABC’s” of diabetes management are A1C, Blood pressure and Cholesterol- two of these are in the heart health basket. And, a new study suggests that many of us don’t realize there are diabetes management “targets” for blood pressure, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and HDL (“good”) cholesterol. A heart healthy diet and physical activity can be a Valentine’s gift for yourself.
And for your significant others? Ditto! What could be a better gift than to do all you can to make sure you are alive and healthy for many more years. On average diabetes can rob us of a decade of life, and can make more time than that miserable. We all tend to avoid thinking about the negative, but there are two very different ways to put those thoughts to rest. One is to just refuse to acknowledge how our lifestyle can impact our life and the future of those who care for us. The other is to make a commitment to do everything we can to reduce the risk. Guess which way is better?
There are many significant times of the year we could choose to make a commitment to health, but when you think about the gift of life it seems Valentine’s Day is perfect.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
Would you take this deal? For the next two days take your medication as prescribed, eat healthy and manage your carbs, exercise one of these days for 30 minutes, and for good measure make that appointment with your dietitian or educator. In return, add 1 day to your life…one extra day you can enjoy in good health. How about it?
November, 2012 is Diabetes Awareness Month in the US, and the “official” purpose according to the American Diabetes Association is…“to focus the nation’s attention on the issues surrounding diabetes and the many people who are impacted by the disease.” This is a great mission, but you and I are already “aware” about these issues, aren’t we? Let me suggest that we take Diabetes Awareness Month to focus on something else….the incredible promise of long term good health through effective diabetes self-management.
I just passed the 44th anniversary of my diagnosis- more than 16,000 days managing diabetes- and I have my health. Having my health is not a “knock on wood” stroke of luck, however….it didn’t just happen. The fact is, if we leave our long term health to luck it’s likely our “luck” will be of the bad variety. But we can have an incredible amount of power to control the effect diabetes on our life if we just make a commitment to accept the assignment. Some data show that lowering A1C by 1%….say from 8% to 7%…reduces complications by 40%.
My “deal” for you, 1 extra day of life for every 2 days spent managing diabetes well, would depend upon a lot of factors like at what age and what stage your diabetes was diagnosed. But, your focus on self-management will pay dividends….there’s no “down side.” So, take November to become aware of the opportunity you have to give the incredible gift of health to yourself.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
This 4 part HBO series is a “must see” for all Americans, and you can watch it online here.
The obesity epidemic is literally becoming an issue of national security, with the health of our workforce compromised and the cost of obesity related illness racing toward overwhelming. Worse, our children are almost certainly going to be less healthy than our current adult population.
Part 4, Challenges, expands on the immense challenges, but highlights some success stories too.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
This 4 part HBO series is a “must see” for all Americans, and you can watch it online here.
The obesity epidemic is literally becoming an issue of national security, with the health of our workforce compromised and the cost of obesity related illness racing toward overwhelming. Worse, our children are almost certainly going to be less healthy than our current adult population.
Part 3, Children in Crisis, focuses on the challenges for both children and parents, including school lunches and targeted advertising.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
This 4 part HBO series is a “must see” for all Americans, and you can watch it online here.
The obesity epidemic is literally becoming an issue of national security, with the health of our workforce compromised and the cost of obesity related illness racing toward overwhelming. Worse, our children are almost certainly going to be less healthy than our current adult population.
Part 2 reviews some choices to reduce obesity for both individuals and communities.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
This 4 part HBO series is a “must see” for all Americans, and you can watch it online here.
The obesity epidemic is literally becoming an issue of national security, with the health of our workforce compromised and the cost of obesity related illness racing toward overwhelming. Worse, our children are almost certainly going to be less healthy than our current adult population.
Part I explores the systemic effects of extra weight, including, of course, type 2 diabetes. This will be a difficult “watch” for some- obesity and obesity related disease is complicated physically and emotionally. But, this episode in particular confronts my first essential commitment to diabetes self-management- reality. I suggest you watch it with all of your attention no matter how uncomfortable you find it. Before we confront this challenge personally we must feel the urgency intensely.
We’ll post episode II next week, and episode III and IV after. If you want to watch it in one dose click here to visit HBO.
Posted by Toby Smithson.
It was “Derby Day” in Kentucky Saturday- the run for the roses. I lived in Lexington,the center of Kentucky horse country (even though the Churchill Downs is in Louisville), and I can promise you that it was party day at many homes around that state. For our Kentucky members….I’m trusting that you watched what you ate and drank.
The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the “Triple Crown”, which also includes the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes…I’m unsure of the order. Few horses win the Triple Crown, in part because each race is different. I guess it’s hard for a horse to be really good in three very different circumstances. The Kentucky Derby is extra special because only the winner here has the opportunity to win them all. Athletic contests are like that- the winner gets all the attention. You may have noticed that if you watched the race’s aftermath.
There’s a “Triple Crown” in diabetes management too…..I call it the diabetes management triangle. The three “races” are medical treatment and monitoring, diet, and physical activity. And guess what? We can win the diabetes Triple Crown without winning one single “race”……… but we can’t win the diabetes Triple Crown without competing in them all.
Too many of us focus all of our attention on only one area….probably the “race” we’re best at, and that’s often the medical “race” because at first the medical race is the easy one. But, if we don’t even compete in the diet and exercise “races” (the “lifestyle” factors) we might just find that winning the medical one hands down isn’t enough. Diet and exercise play a key role in reducing our elevated risk for heart disease and other complications, AND help our medications work better.
So, as we watched the winner of the Kentucky Derby get all of the attention Saturday let’s remember that effective diabetes management doesn’t require us to be a thoroughbred or a winner. Our “run for the roses” is a different race all together- we can win none and still be the big winner if we devote ourselves to doing our best in all three “races”.
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