Diabetes, Middle-Age, and Eating Disorders

I used to think that anorexia and bulimia were diseases of adolescence, until I cam across the following link earlier today:

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=602851

Perhaps older people can indulge in binge eating without others knowing. Come to think of it, I do know some people who seem to undertake severe fasts and diet restrictions on occasions, though I have not associated such behavior with anorexia until now.

Eating disorders, at any age, have serious implications if you have diabetes. Anorexic thoughts can lead to potentially fatal hypoglycemia, while complications of diabetes may surface quickly if a person with a glucose metabolism problem indulges in bulimic behavior.

An HbA1c test will help a physician uncover eating disorders in a patient with diabetes, and such doubts can be reinforced by keeping track of changes in the BMI (Body Mass Index).

It remains to be said that rigorous and unvarying adherence to a given diet is a fulcrum on which diabetes management is balanced. Therefore, please seek urgent medical help if you have diabetes and develop strange feelings about how much-or how little you eat!

Please email me in confidence if you wonder whether you may have anorexic or bulimic tendencies, which could complicate your diabetes condition. I can guide you with points to discuss with your physician.

Diabetes and Strong Bones

Let me start with a disclosure: I make a living partly from ultrasound evaluation of bone quality. However, no ulterior motives prompt me to warn you today that you should ask your physician about your bone quality at least once a year, if you have diabetes. Older women are especially vulnerable, but obese men with sedentary lifestyles, and those who abuse nicotine in any form or alcohol, are also likely to have osteoporosis. The latter is a silent condition, so will never know for sure without an annual check.

Diabetes puts indirect strain on bones, especially as you grow old. This is because persistent fluctuations in blood glucose levels affect nerves and blood vessels, making you stumble and fall more frequently than others with good eyesight, strong limbs, and flexible joints.

Take a look at the following link I accessed earlier today:

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/adult/health_library/reuters/2007/04/20070410elin025.html

Regular checks on bones matter for all women in or near menopause, and for older men as well. However, it is doubly important if you have diabetes as well.

Write to me if you would like more information on osteoporosis and fragile fractures in older people.

Diabetes and Allergies

Type 1 diabetes and allergies are both disorders of the auto-immune system. Yet these two medical conditions are most probably controlled by entirely independent sets of genes. People with diabetes do not necessarily have allergies and vice-versa. Take a look, if you have a penchant for medical statistics, at the following link I accessed earlier today:

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/ejep/2005/00000020/00000008/00007920

Type 2 diabetes develops for reasons completed unrelated to the immune system. You may have all your white blood cell counts in order but enjoy normal glucose metabolism. However, what about the reverse? A person with diabetes who also suffers from allergies can present special problems for clinicians. Sneezing and a cold can play havoc with blood glucose levels and affect diabetes medication dosing as well.

Take a look at the following link I came across today:

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/plagued-by-pollen?ecd=wnl_day_040907

Keep this excellent article handy. Share it with friends as well. It could be the best present to welcome the summer which is around the corner, or even upon us, depending upon your longitude!

Allergy management, especially the preventive aspects, matters for everyone, but is especially important if you have any form of diabetes.

Fight Aging through Diet in Diabetes

Who wants to become old? It is sad that elixirs to stay young are so elusive for most people, because adding the right ingredients to your daily meals is such an enjoyable way of keeping senility at bay.

Diabetes exacerbates the problems and threats of old age because even brief periods of abnormal blood sugar destroy brain cells and the blood vessels which keep our minds in fine fettle.

Here is a link I accessed today, which is full of fresh ideas about how to eat well, and keep the ageing process under control at the same time:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/aging-well-eating-right-for-longevity?ecd=wnl_day_030707

It does not matter whether you have diabetes or not, as far as these eating habits are concerned: the ideas in this outstanding article should work for all of us!

Delicious and Filling Ideas for a Diabetes Diet

A diabetes diet requires expertise. You could get the calorie balance wrong, or leave out some vital ingredients, if you are not trained in nutrition matters, and try to scramble a diet together on your own.

Nevertheless, there is no harm in letting your diet expert know what you like to eat and when. Snacking is a common bug bear because many of us love to do it, though diet experts seem to focus on major meals alone.

Here is a link I cam across today:

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/tips/snacks.html

These healthy, delicious, and filling ideas should go a long way in making any diabetes diet most bearable.

Enjoy!

Food for Thought if You Have Diabetes

Take some deep breaths slowly, lie down in a calm and cool place, and then access the following link:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_47383.html

This link is available on the Internet for a limited period of time. Please write to me for the substance of information available on this link if you happen to try and access it after it has been removed.

Diabetes and hospital visits have an unfortunate but undeniable correlation. Hopefully, you will steer clear of complications by following your doctor’s prescription to a T, but regular visits for check ups, and even overnight and short duration admissions in rooms and wards of hospitals cannot be ruled out.

The link in this post relates to hospitals in the United States, but that does not mean that medical institutions and services in most other countries are any better.

Errors in hospitals are never desirable, but they can spell especially serious problems for people with diabetes. Planning ahead makes the difference between landing up in a poorly managed hospital, and choosing a well run one for your care.

Ask your physician for hard data on hospitals in your place of residence, and ensure that your insurance policy covers care in the most reliable institutions available.

No Short Cuts for Physical Exercise in Diabetes!

I do not know about your place, but the health supplement in my Sunday newspaper invariably carries an advertisement for an electrical device which substitutes a daily walk or any other form of working out.

This apparently magic device costs just about $100 and I almost fell for it until I came across the link below:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/poole-exercise.jsp

Now one may argue that a large trial could show that electrical stimulation does indeed burn as many calories as conventional physical exercise, but I would not believe this until I read a paper in a respected medical journal.

So save yourself the embarrassment of asking your physician if you should buy an electrical stimulator, and get your walking shoes out instead! However, you should let me know if you come across a valid alternative to exercise for diabetes management, because I am as lazy as anyone else!

Menopause and Diabetes

I do not mean to be a male chauvinist, but older women need to be extra watchful for diabetes and its management.

Men do tend to put on inches around the waist as they age, but weight gain is distinctly more pronounced for many women as they journey in to menopause.

Some women may develop pre-diabetes or even Type 2 diabetes after they stop menstruating, while others who have suffered from diabetes even before reaching menopause may experience insulin resistance as they age.

Take a look at the following link which I accessed earlier today:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/karelis-reduced-insulin-sensitivity.jsp

Ladies, do consult your physician as you approach menopause to keep close tabs on your glucose metabolism! Everyone needs checks at least once a year, while those with established diabetes should monitor their conditions once every six months.