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Health Tip: Eat Less Sugar

Posted 2 days 16 hours ago by Drugs.com

-- Too much sugar makes you gain weight and can harm your health. And you have to be especially careful about how much sugar you eat if you have diabetes. The American Heart Association advises: Not adding table sugar, syrup or honey to cereal, coffee, tea or pancakes. If you must add sugar, add half the usual amount. Drinking more water and avoiding soda. Opt for sugar-free drinks. Eating canned fruit in water, instead of sugar-laden syrup. Reducing sugar in recipes by at least one-third. Or instead of sugar, using extracts such as lemon, almond or vanilla. Using unsweetened applesauce in place of sugar. Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Diabetes, Type 2, Weight Loss, Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus, Abnormal Glucose Tolerance

Blame Diabetes: Rates of 2 Nerve Conditions on the Rise

Posted 2 days 16 hours ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, July 21, 2017 – Two particular types of nerve damage (neuropathy) have been increasing as more and more people develop diabetes in the United States, an expert says. Autonomic and small fiber neuropathy were once rare conditions. Both occur when small blood vessels supplying the nerves are damaged by diabetes because they don't get enough oxygen and nutrients, said Dr. Divpreet Kaur, a neurologist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Diabetes is one of the main causes of neuropathy, and about 30 million Americans currently have diabetes, Kaur said. More commonly, people with diabetes have nerve damage that causes numbness in the feet and toes. This is called peripheral neuropathy, according to the American Diabetes Association. Autonomic neuropathy affects involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure, digestion, sexual function, urination, temperature ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Peripheral Neuropathy, Insulin, Lantus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetic Neuropathy, Glucophage, Glipizide, Novolog, Humalog, Insulin Resistance, Janumet, Diabetic Nerve Damage, Glyburide, Invokana, Lantus Solostar, Levemir, Actos, Pre-Diabetes

Targeting 9 Risk Factors Could Prevent 1 in 3 Dementia Cases: Study

Posted 4 days ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, July 20, 2017 – One-third of dementia cases worldwide might be prevented by paying attention to nine risk factors throughout life, researchers say. These measures include: staying in school until you're at least over the age of 15; reducing hearing loss, obesity and high blood pressure in mid-life (ages 45 to 65); and reducing smoking, depression, physical inactivity, social isolation and diabetes in later life (65 and older). Taking care of these risk factors would possibly prevent 35 percent of dementia cases, the study findings suggested. In comparison, targeting the major genetic risk factor – known as ApoE – would prevent less than one in 10 dementia cases (7 percent), the study authors said. The three risk factors that could potentially make the most difference in preventing dementia include: staying in school (which would reduce dementia cases by 8 percent); reducing ... Read more

Related support groups: Depression, Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Major Depressive Disorder, Hypertension, Smoking, Dementia, Smoking Cessation, Alzheimer's Disease, Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, Dysthymia, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Diabetes Mellitus, Hearing Loss, Abnormal Glucose Tolerance, Hypertensive Heart Disease, Dementia with Depressive Features, Lewy Body Dementia

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

Posted 4 days ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, July 20, 2017 – Health initiatives typically center on diet and fitness. But the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society state that getting enough sleep is just as important as eating right and exercising. Your health can truly suffer if you're constantly shortchanging yourself on sleep. Heart disease, diabetes and obesity as well as the risk of accidents like car crashes top the list. More than the embarrassment of falling asleep at an important meeting, sleep deprivation can result in cognitive impairment – your judgment just isn't as sharp as it should be. Missing out on needed sleep leads to higher levels of stress hormones and the hormones that regulate hunger. That can lead to the possibility of overeating and gaining weight. Poor sleep also been associated with increases in the inflammatory markers often seen with autoimmune diseases. Over a ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Diabetes, Type 2, Sleep Disorders, Insomnia, Fatigue, Sleep Apnea, Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome, Diabetes Mellitus, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Abnormal Glucose Tolerance

Early Menopause May Be Tied to Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 5 days ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, July 19, 2017 – The earlier a woman begins menopause, the greater her risk of developing diabetes, a new study suggests. Following almost 4,000 women in the Netherlands, Dutch researchers found that those who went through menopause before age 40 were almost four times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as women whose menopause was late – at 55 or older. The average age for menopause in the United States is 51, according to the National Institute on Aging. Overall, the risk of developing diabetes fell 4 percent for each added year before menopause, according to the study. "Early onset of [natural menopause] is an independent marker for [type 2 diabetes] in postmenopausal women," wrote Dr. Taulant Muka and colleagues at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam. Their results were published July 18 in the journal Diabetologia. The study doesn't show a direct ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Hot Flashes, Menopausal Disorders, Glipizide, Insulin Resistance, Postmenopausal Symptoms, Janumet, Glyburide, Pre-Diabetes, Glimepiride, Atrophic Vaginitis, Amaryl, Perimenopausal Symptoms, Diabetes Mellitus, Prandin, GlipiZIDE XL, Glucotrol, ActoPlus Met, Dyspareunia, Glucotrol XL

More Than 100 Million Americans Have Diabetes or Prediabetes: CDC

Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 18, 2017 – More than 100 million U.S. adults have diabetes or prediabetes, health officials say. As of 2015, more than 9 percent of the population – 30.3 million – had diabetes. Another 84.1 million had prediabetes, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. People with prediabetes have elevated blood sugar levels, but not so high that they have full-blown diabetes, which requires medication or insulin injections. With exercise and a healthy diet, prediabetics can halve their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the CDC noted. However, awareness levels remain too low. The new report found that nearly 1 in 4 adults with diabetes didn't even know they had the disease, and less than 12 percent with prediabetes knew they had that condition. If not treated, prediabetes often leads to type 2 diabetes within five years, the CDC said. "More than a ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Insulin, Lantus, Glucophage, Glipizide, Novolog, Humalog, Insulin Resistance, Glyburide, Lantus Solostar, Levemir, Actos, Pre-Diabetes, Glimepiride, Novolin R, Amaryl, Novolin N, Pioglitazone, Diabetes Mellitus

More Evidence That Midlife Weight Gain Harms Your Health

Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 18, 2017 – For many adults, weight gain is slow and steady, but new research suggests that even a few extra pounds can boost your risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. "People don't become obese overnight," said study lead author Dr. Frank Hu. He's a professor in the departments of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. "On average, people gain about a half a pound to a pound per year. Most people gain weight all the way to 55 and up," Hu said. "But once you cross the obesity threshold, it's difficult to go back. This study provides very strong evidence that prevention of weight gain is very important." The researchers found that for every 11 pounds gained, the risk of diabetes went up 30 percent. The same weight gain was linked to a 14 percent increased risk of high blood pressure and an 8 ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Hypertension, Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Hypertensive Heart Disease

Could Artificial Sweeteners Raise Your Odds for Obesity?

Posted 7 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, July 17, 2017 – Artificial sweeteners may be less helpful than many believe in helping people lose weight and avoid health problems associated with extra pounds, a new evidence review suggests. Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and other artificial sweeteners did not lead to any significant weight loss in more than 1,000 participants in seven clinical trials, said lead researcher Meghan Azad. Clinical trials are considered the "gold standard" of medical research, added Azad, an assistant professor of pediatrics with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. At the same time, the combined data from 30 observational studies involving more than 400,000 participants showed that artificial sweeteners are associated with obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart health problems. Observational studies cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship, however. These ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Hypertension, Weight Loss, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes Mellitus, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Hypertensive Heart Disease

New Diabetes Treatment Teaches Rogue Immune Cells to Behave

Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, July 14, 2017 – A treatment targeting wayward immune cells in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes may help even years later, a new study finds. For the treatment, researchers take blood from a person with diabetes and separate out the immune system cells (lymphocytes). They briefly expose those cells to stem cells from umbilical cord blood from an unrelated infant. Then they return the lymphocytes to the patient's body. The researchers have dubbed this treatment "stem cell educator therapy," because when exposed to the stem cells, the errant lymphocytes seem to re-learn how they should behave. "Stem cell educator therapy is a safe approach" with long-term effectiveness, said the study's lead author, Dr. Yong Zhao. He's an associate scientist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease, occurs when the body's immune system ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Insulin, Lantus, Diabetes, Type 1, Glucophage, Glipizide, Novolog, Humalog, Insulin Resistance, Glyburide, Lantus Solostar, Levemir, Actos, Pre-Diabetes, Glimepiride, Novolin R, Amaryl, Novolin N, Pioglitazone

Docs Should Counsel Even Healthy People on Diet, Exercise, Experts Say

Posted 13 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 – Lifestyle counseling could help protect the long-term heart health of adults who aren't yet at high risk for heart attack and stroke, a panel of medical experts says. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on Tuesday reaffirmed its 2012 recommendation that doctors consider extra counseling on diet and exercise even among their low-risk patients. "The Task Force encourages primary care clinicians to talk to their patients about eating healthy and physical activity," said task force vice chair Susan Curry. If patients are interested and motivated to make lifestyle changes, doctors should offer to refer them to counseling, she said. Obese people and those who have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, diabetes, or problems maintaining normal blood sugar levels are at higher risk for heart disease. The USPSTF already advised doctors to offer their ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Hypertension, Weight Loss, Heart Disease, Heart Attack, High Cholesterol, Myocardial Infarction, Diabetes Mellitus, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Ischemic Heart Disease, Myocardial Infarction - Prophylaxis, Hypertensive Heart Disease

Daily Jolt of Java May Bring Longer Life

Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, July 10, 2017 – Here's news to perk up your day: Drinking coffee might help you live a little longer, two new studies suggest. Researchers found that daily coffee drinkers were up to 18 percent less likely to die over the next 10 to 16 years, versus non-drinkers. The findings – based on over 700,000 middle-aged and older adults – add to the growing list of benefits linked to moderate coffee drinking. Studies have already tied the habit to lower risks of various diseases – from heart disease and type 2 diabetes, to liver cancer, to neurological diseases like Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. None of those studies prove coffee, per se, provides the benefit. And it's unlikely that doctors will start recommending coffee as some sort of elixir, according to Veronica Setiawan, the senior researcher on one of the studies. "But if you've always been a coffee drinker," she said, ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Heart Disease, Heart Attack, Caffeine, Fioricet, Angina, Excedrin, Alert, Pre-Diabetes, Myocardial Infarction, Fiorinal, Excedrin Migraine, Cafergot, Diabetes Mellitus, Esgic, Stay Awake, Keep Going, Fiorinal with Codeine, Norgesic, Headache Relief

Reset Your Taste Buds for Less Sugar

Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, July 10, 2017 – Did you know that flavored yogurt in the United States has a lot more sugar than it does in other countries? That's because our national sweet tooth is out of control. And the more sugar we eat, the more we want. Studies show that replacing sweet foods with sugar-free versions doesn't help. Artificial sweeteners don't satisfy a sugar craving. The answer is to reset your taste buds for less sugar. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, you can do this over a short amount of time, just as it's possible to reduce a desire for salt. Cut back on the amount of sweets you eat every day, but do it gradually. Some experts say going cold turkey can lead to a binge later on. Resist temptation by limiting the cookie and candy stash in your kitchen cabinets. Add fruit to your diet – you'll be getting nutrients along with the ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Diabetes, Type 2, Weight Loss, Glucose, Diabetic Neuropathy, Insulin Resistance, Diabetic Nerve Damage, Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Dextrose, Abnormal Glucose Tolerance, Insta-Glucose, Dex4, Dex4 Sour Apple, Dex4 Orange, Dex4 Watermelon, Relion Grape, BD Glucose

For Many, Friends Are Key to Happiness in Old Age

Posted 29 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, July 29, 2017 – As you age, the friends you keep wield an ever-greater impact on your health and sense of happiness, new research reveals. They may even outstrip family in terms of the sway they have over you, according to the pair of new studies. Lead investigator William Chopik cited several reasons why friendships might pack a bigger punch than blood relationships when it comes to influencing health and well-being. "We spend leisure time with friends. We freely choose to continue relationships with friends," said Chopik, an assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University. If the friendships last until older adulthood, "clearly these are good friendships," he added. "As we age, we prune away at some of the friendships that are more superficial and acquaintance-like," he said. That means that as older adults, "we're left with the ones that are deeper and make ... Read more

Related support groups: Depression, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Cancer, Major Depressive Disorder, Cough, Osteoarthritis, Hypertension, Ischemic Stroke, High Cholesterol, Bronchitis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Maintenance, Transient Ischemic Attack, Dysthymia, Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Acute, Ischemic Stroke - Prophylaxis, Bronchiectasis, Thromboembolic Stroke Prophylaxis

Fewer Americans Hospitalized for Heart Failure

Posted 27 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, June 27, 2017 – The number of Americans hospitalized for heart failure has dropped substantially since 2002, but blacks still face higher risks, a new study finds. Between 2002 and 2013, heart failure hospitalizations fell by 30 percent nationwide, the study found. At the same time, disparities between whites and Hispanics closed. By 2013, the hospitalization rate for Hispanic adults was just 6 percent higher than for whites – down from a 45 percent difference in 2002. On the other hand, hospitalizations for heart failure remained stubbornly high among black Americans. Over 5 million Americans have heart failure, according to the American Heart Association. It's a chronic disease in which the heart can no longer pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body's needs. As a result, people with the condition often become fatigued and breathless, and they may develop swelling in ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure, Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, Left Ventricular Dysfunction, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertensive Emergency, Abnormal Glucose Tolerance, Hypertensive Heart Disease, Left Ventriculography

Boozing Can Age You Right Down to Your Cells

Posted 26 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, June 26, 2017 – The more you booze it up, the more your cells age, increasing your risk for age-related health problems like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia, a new study suggests. Researchers studied 134 alcoholics between the ages of 41 and 85 and a control group of people in the same age group who weren't alcoholics. DNA samples revealed that the alcoholics had shortened telomeres. "Telomeres, the protein caps on the ends of human chromosomes, are markers of aging and overall health," said study leader Dr. Naruhisa Yamaki, a clinical fellow at the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. Every time a cell replicates, a tiny bit of telomere is lost, so they get shorter with age. As time passes, that leaves chromosomes less protected so cells may be unable to function properly. But some people have shorter telomeres for reasons other than aging. "Our ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Cancer, Heart Disease, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Alcohol Dependence, Alcohol Withdrawal, Alcoholism, Pre-Diabetes, Hangover, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Diabetes Mellitus, Arteriosclerotic Dementia, Ischemic Heart Disease, Abnormal Glucose Tolerance, Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy, Acute Alcohol Intoxication, Alcoholic Dementia, Alcoholic Psychosis

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