Blog entries

SVR associated with lower risk for diabetes in HCV

Administrator — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:17:46 +0100

ORLANDO, Fla. — Patients with hepatitis C who achieve a sustained virologic response after treatment have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to research presented here at Digestive Disease Week.

But it can be difficult for loved ones who want to offer diabetes support to know the difference between being helpful aRead More...

Is Colon Cleansing Necessary?

Administrator — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:34:43 +0100

If digestive health problems like constipation, diarrhea, gas, or heartburn, put a damper on your day-to-day, you may have thought about a colon cleanse, but you don't have to undergo the procedure to improve your health. Before you sign up, be sure to get the facts and decide whether the benefits really outweigh the risks.

It’s not always easy to know when you've got a seasonal allergy and when you're suffering from a cold.

“Seasonal allergies are just that, seasonal,” according to Mark Moss, MD, an allergist with the University of Wisconsin School Read More...

Triggers That Change Your Metabolism

Administrator — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:22:48 +0100

If you’ve ever had trouble losing weight, you’ve probably placed at least some of the blame on a slow metabolism. It’s true that your basal metabolic rate — the rate at which your body uses energy — can affect your ability to shed pounds. But there are also a few external, controllable factors that can slow down that metabolic rate, says Michael West, MD, an endocrinologist with WashingtoRead More...

Signs of High and Low Blood Sugar

Administrator — Tue, 07 May 2013 04:41:13 +0100

One of the challenges of managing diabetes is maintaining consistent blood sugar (glucose) levels. Even with diligence, some situations can cause high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, while others can bring on low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.

There’s a lot you can do to minimize blood sugar ups and downs andavoid complications&Read More...

Top Reasons Not to Quit Coffee

Administrator — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:56:27 +0100

Many studies have found that coffee has numerous components — many of them antioxidants — that can be good for your health. Although too much caffeine can be dehydrating, drinking at least one cup of coffee a day, according to a recent Japanese study, can cut your risk for bleeding in the brain.

Keep coffee drinking as healthy as possible by drinking it black or with a little bit of skim milk. Adding whole milk, half and half oRead More...

Time Vs. Intensity: What Matters Most in a Workout

Administrator — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:10:12 +0100

When it comes to working out, slow and steady may be the way to go.

Longer periods of slower, less-intense exercise — or simply moving more throughout the day — might be better for you than the short, high-intensity interval workouts tRead More...

Start With a Better Breakfast

Administrator — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:05:13 +0100

Here’s a good deal of science behind eating a balanced breakfast — it sets you up to succeed for the entire day. “Studies support that you need to start your day off with a healthy breakfast,” says Bethany Thayer, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and manager of wellness programs and strategies at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

More than half of all American adults take multivitamins or other dietary supplements, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women in particular have been quick to jump on the supplement bandwagon, despite past research that challenged the effectiveness of multivitamins in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. Recent studies have founRead More...

Can A Broken Heart Cause Heart Attack?

Administrator — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:55:55 +0100

More than a romantic sentiment, a broken heart may be physically possible, according to the findings of a recent study. An international group of researchers interviewed nearly 2,000 people hospitalized after a heart attack. One of the questions they asked was whether a loved one had died within the past six months. Based on the participants’ responses, the researchers were able to calculate that heart attack risk rises to as much as 21 times higher than normal within the first day after the Read More...

Brisk Walking May Equal Running for Heart Health

Administrator — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:32:41 +0100

Brisk walking is as good as running for reducing blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes risk -- three key players in the development of heart disease, a new study finds.

It's a maRead More...

Diabetes Prevention Research: A Small Sliver of a Big Pie

Administrator — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:05:20 +0100

Most diabetes research focuses on treating the disease with medications rather than preventing it, according to a new analysis from researchers at Duke University. Their research also uncovered the fact that few trials specifically target seniors and children, groups that may require specially tailored diabetes prevention and treatment approaches.

Experts project that more than 550 million people worldwide will have diabetes by 2030, and nearly 400 million more may be living with prediaRead More...

Top Diets for Diabetes

Administrator — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 06:49:23 +0100

According to government figures, more than 85 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese (although excess weight isn't the only risk factor for this type of diabetes). But for people with type 2 diabetes who fall into that 85 percent, dropping the pounds can help stabilize blood sugar levels and even eliminate the need for diabetes medication.

So which diet can help you achieve your weight-loss goals? There's no one right answer. But, says Nora Saul, RD, CDE, aRead More...

Why Is It So Hard to Exercise?

Administrator — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:42:31 +0100

You know you should do it. And you know why: Exercising -- simply put, moving instead of sitting -- is critical for safeguarding your health and setting a good example for your kids. So why does it seem so hard to get yourself moving?

The truth is: You can. But knowing how and why to exercise isn’t enough. You need to develop the right mind-set to get and stay motivated.

"Change is hard!" saRead More...

Overcoming Barriers

Administrator — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 05:14:23 +0100

A barrier is something that keeps you from doing something else.

If you're not active, it's likely that you have at least one reason why. Perhaps you've never been very active. Maybe you're afraid you'll get low blood glucose. Think about what's keeping you from being active and then check out some of ouRead More...

A Buyer's Guide to Sugar Substitutes

Administrator — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 04:13:40 +0100

According to a recent survey, seven out of 10 adults say they want to reduce or avoid added sugars. To do so, they’re turning to sweeteners that deliver zero or minimal calories. Data from Mintel, a market research group in Chicago, shows that while sales of caloric sweeteners like sugar have been declining in recent years, sales of "diet"-friendly substitutes have skyrocketed, increasing by about 50 percent from 2000 to 2Read More...

Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep Troubles

Administrator — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 06:33:45 +0100

Sleep is important for everyone, but it’s especially important when your body experiences changing blood sugar levels and other symptoms of type 2 diabetes. “Sleep deprivation causes changes in the effectiveness of the body's control of appetite, which can lead to weight gain, higher blood sugar, and increased resistance to insulin,” says Richard Castriotta, MD, director of the division ofRead More...

Certain Contraceptive May Pose Risk of Type 2 Diabetes for Obese Women

Administrator — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 05:02:12 +0100

A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) indicates that healthy, obese, reproductive-age women who use long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) containing the hormone progestin have a slightly increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes when compared to those who use non-hormonal contraception.

The research concludes that progestin-releasing LRead More...

High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy May Signal Later Diabetes, Heart and Kidney Disease Risk

Administrator — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 05:53:09 +0100

High blood pressure during pregnancy — even once or twice during routine medical care — can signal substantially higher risks of heart and kidney disease and diabetes, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

"All of the later life risks were similar in pregnant women who could otherwise be considered low-risk — those who were young, normal weight, non-smokers, with no diabeteRead More...