{"id":199,"date":"2012-01-17T19:04:08","date_gmt":"2012-01-17T19:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/?p=199"},"modified":"2012-01-17T19:11:33","modified_gmt":"2012-01-17T19:11:33","slug":"a-touch-of-sugar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/a-touch-of-sugar\/","title":{"rendered":"A Touch of Sugar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">By: <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Jude A. Lauffer, BSEd., RN, BC, Gateway Health Plan<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.soulpittmedia.com\/images\/gatewayhealthplan_logo2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"203\" \/>How many times have you heard those words? Do you know what a \u201ctouch of sugar\u201d means? Your life or the life of someone you know may depend on knowing that answer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Diabetes is quickly rising to the level of an epidemic and causes major complications when it is untreated or poorly managed. A lifestyle with limited or virtually no activity coupled with poor choices in diet are leading to obesity and increasing the risks for diabetes. Most people can name at least one individual they know with diabetes, but can you name the things that put people at risk?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Risk factors that cannot be changed are age and race. African American adults face a serious and disproportionate likelihood of developing diabetes. They are twice as likely as non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.<sup><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><sup><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">i<\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/sup><a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn1\"><sup><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><sup><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">If you are African American, you already have a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. This list from the American Diabetes Association identifies other risk factors and notes the first four also pertain to children. The more risk factors you can check off, the higher your chance of developing diabetes; and, type 2 diabetes is rising steadily in the pediatric population.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Certain racial and ethnic groups (e.g., Non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanic\/Latino Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and American Indians and Alaska Natives) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">People with a family history of diabetes <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">People who are overweight <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">People who do not exercise regularly <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">People over age 45 <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">People with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and\/or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">People with low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides, high blood pressure <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Women who had gestational diabetes, or who have had a baby weighing 9 pounds or more at birth<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Personal empowerment comes from the awareness of risk factors with emphasis placed on prevention. Personal empowerment also motivates family and friends. The first step to empowering you is to make a doctor visit for an annual physical and follow through with lab tests the doctor orders. The reason is: <strong>A Touch of Sugar.<!--more--><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">In reality, there is no such thing as a \u201ctouch of sugar\u201d or a \u201clittle bit of sugar.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"> You either have diabetes or you don\u2019t. Just because a family member developed it does not mean it is your destiny. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">If you do not have diabetes, you may not be in as safe a place as you think, depending on your lab test results. Your doctor will talk to you about food choices and physical activity AND will have you retest within a few weeks if: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Results from a fasting glucose test come back between 100-125<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Results from an A1c test are 5.7 to 6.4. This test shows an average blood sugar level over the last 2-3 months. This is a non-fasting test.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">If your rates fall in these ranges, it means you might have <strong>pre-diabetes<\/strong>, a warning sign that diabetes is hiding around the corner. Knowing these numbers allow you to take aim at preventing diabetes by making better food choices and increasing physical activity for weight control. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Once diabetes develops, complications that cannot be reversed develop as well. Too many times, someone learns they have diabetes when a complication takes them to the doctor or hospital. Many know about heart disease, amputations, blindness and kidney problems but <strong>many do not know diabetes can cause erectile dysfunction. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s projected, 35% to 75% of all men, regardless of race, who have diabetes will develop erectile dysfunction within their lifetime. Also, they tend to develop it 10 to 15 years before men who do not have diabetes.<sup>ii<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"white\" width=\"4\" height=\"4\">\n<table width=\"479\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h4>Important:<br \/>\nYou have the power to prevent pre-diabetes from turning into diabetes<br \/>\nand the power to keep diabetes under control if it does develop!<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Know your risk factors<\/li>\n<li>Make a doctor appointment for a physical<\/li>\n<li>Follow up after the doctor appointment to know your results<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><br style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Did you know that help is available through the American Diabetes Association, specifically for African Americans with diabetes? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">The <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Live Empowered\/African American Programs<\/span><\/strong> were designed for all people of African descent, regardless of how they identify themselves. Workshops and events are, or can be, scheduled in your community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Project Power<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"> is a faith based program that offers six educational workshops and engages the church in year round activities. This is a powerful workshop that discusses the seriousness of the disease, risk factors and risk reduction. Physical activity, healthy eating demonstrations and heart disease and stroke prevention are discussed. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Choose to Live<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"> is a separate program designed for the 35-55 year old age group. Heart disease is the #1 killer of African Americans with uncontrolled diabetes and yet many don\u2019t recognize the close ties between diabetes and heart disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Most importantly, we need to protect our children and provide the tools they need to stay healthy. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Train Up the Child <\/span><\/strong>is a workshop that teaches ways to help youth become healthier. Activities encourage involvement with all members of the family by increasing awareness of healthy living. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Just A Touch- A Lesson about Nerve Damage<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"> is offered and discusses all types of nerve damage, including \u201cautonomic neuropathy,\u201d the nerve damage that causes erectile dysfunction. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">To learn more about these programs, visit the American Diabetes website at: <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">http:\/\/www.diabetes.org\/in-my-community\/<span style=\"color: black;\"> and click on Community Programs. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Scroll down to African American Programs and <strong><em>start a new year feeling empowered to help prevent and control this disease.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" \/>\n<p><sup><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\"><sup><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">[i]<\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/sup> The Office of Minority Health\u2014Diabetes and African Americans<br \/>\nhttp:\/\/minorityhealth.hhs.gov\/templates\/content.aspx?lvl=2&#038;lvlID=51&#038;ID=3017<\/p>\n<p><sup><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\"><sup><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">[ii]<\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/erectile-dysfunction\/guide\/ed-diabetes<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By: Jude A. Lauffer, BSEd., RN, BC, Gateway Health Plan\u00ae How many times have you heard those words? Do you know what a \u201ctouch of sugar\u201d means? Your life or the life of someone you know may depend on knowing that answer. Diabetes is quickly rising to the level of an epidemic and causes major [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gateway-health-plan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206,"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thesoulpitt.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}