Paying Attention to the other Important Things Besides Blood Sugar
Posted on: Monday, August 20th, 2007 at 5:48 amThe New York Times has posted a very interesting 4-page article I think is worth takin a look at. It goes into the dangers of neglecting the other important factors for surviving diabetes, such as cholesterol.
They showcase a story of a man who was only concerned with his glucose levels and pretty much neglected everything else but ended up paying the price with a stroke. There is also a video up.
“Nearly 73,000 Americans die from diabetes annually, more than from any disease except heart disease, cancer, stroke and pulmonary disease.Yet, largely because of a misunderstanding of the proper treatment, most patients are not doing even close to what they should to protect themselves. In fact, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just 7 percent are getting all the treatments they need.”
Take a look: Looking Past Blood Sugar to Survive with Diabetes
Related Posts:
- Feeling Fine versus Being Fine–do high glucose numbers matter?
- Just how much sugar is in your food?
- HbA1C tests, the results and what they mean to you
- 10 Tips for Travelling with Diabetes
- The Henry VIII syndrome–diabetes only for old and obese?
- New Feature: TrustedVue - Share your Blood Sugar and Diabetes Statistics
August 20th, 2007 at 10:27 am
While this issue is certainly a legitimate concern, some of us also believe that we also need separate cardiovascular risk models for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Last year, researchers found that cardiovascular risk models are not predictive for patients with type 1 diabetes because risk models only exist for the general population, and for patients with type 2 diabetes. Yet, many of us are treated as if we had the same risk for heart attack and stroke. In addition, last year researchers at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA reported that the cause of cardiovascular inflammation in patients with type 1 diabetes appears to be autoimmunity, not the risk factors often observed in type 2 patients, including hypertension and obesity, suggesting that while all people with diabetes need to be concerned with cardiovascular disease risk, the approach for treating many may include treatments (such as statins) which are not only costly, but may do nothing to limit the risk for people with type 1. The real question is why isn’t anyone working on a type 1 cardiovascular disease risk model?
August 20th, 2007 at 10:51 am
Scott,
Great comment, I agree as well. I don’t really know why it happens like that, the differences can be vast and should be handled accordingly. Having separate and detailed risk models should be mandatory, maybe it is in some parts.