Diabetes Pharmacist : Diabetes Pharmacist Blog : Focus Express Mail Pharmacy : Insulin Pumps, Diabetes Supplies and Information

A recent  study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that over the next 4 decades,  the number of adults 40 and older with diabetic retinopathy— the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults — will reach 16 million in 2050, up from 5.5 million in 2005. People with diabetic retinopathy ,which is damage to the small blood vessels in the retina, usually do not have symptoms until they actually start to lose vision. As a result, many skip the recommended annual eye exams.The study further states that elderly Hispanics and blacks will be hit hardest because of their higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes.

Dr. Jinan B. Saaddine, an epidemiologist at the disease centers and an author of the study. said that “This calls for more awareness and more action, not just to do something about the condition before it develops but to do more to PREVENT DIABETES to start with.”

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Adam Voiland  had a fantastic blog in US News and World Report called A Crash Course in Diabetes for Men where he lists six reasons why men should take care of their diabetes.

1.  Diabetes will make you less of a man. Testosterone deficiency is common among men with diabetes. In addition, diabetes promotes erectile dysfunction by damaging the blood vessels and nerves that control erections. Typically, men with diabetes develop erectile dysfunction 10 to 15 years earlier than men without the condition.
2.  It might well blind you and snatch a limb as well. Diabetes, which damages the capillaries that nourish the retina, is the leading cause of new cases of blindness. And vascular damage often affects the feet; more than 60 percent of nontraumatic lower limb amputations occur in people with diabetes.
3.  It will probably mess with your mind. Studies show that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than people without the problem.
4. There's a good chance it will kill you. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates two to four times as high as adults without diabetes.
5. There are some ways to foil diabetes short of medication. Unlike many diseases, such as cancer or Alzheimer's, there's a lot that you can do to avoid the symptoms. The most important: Keep your blood glucose levels under control by eating and exercising right. Choose a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat foods, and get at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week.
6. Monitoring yourself is key. Finally, make sure to see a doctor regularly for checks of your glucose and cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Many complications of diabetes are preventable
    

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A growing number of overweight American children and adolescents are being diagnosed with chronic diseases once considered illnesses of adulthood.

In addition to the well-known rise in Type 2 diabetes among U.S. youth, children affected by obesity also are suffering from fatty liver disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and sleep apnea.  Concern is mounting because the long-term effect of developing chronic diseases early in life can lead to a slew of health issues.

"The earlier you develop diabetes, the more likely you are to develop complications," says Dr. Paula Butler, chief of endocrinology at Mount Sinai Hospital. "People will be having eye problems early, heart problems early, strokes early and go on dialysis. They will suffer knee and back pain, have sleep problems. They may not be able to work. It affects quality of life."

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"I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.”                                -  Ex-President George H. W. Bush

Little did Mr. Bush know at that time how important broccoli may be to people with diabetes. A compound called sulforaphane has been found in broccoli by researchers at the University of Warwick. This compound seems to have protective benefits for blood vessel damage caused by high glucose levels in people with diabetes. It is believed that sulforaphane causes a protein to become activated which then protects cells and tissues from damage. Damaged blood vessels increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease by five fold in people with diabetes

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