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Diabetes: It's a Family Affair
A current article at Web MD discusses the increased risk of heart disease among kids with diabetes; 1 in 5 of children with any form of the disease was found to have 2 or more additional risk factors for early heart disease.
Diabetes itself is a risk factor for heart disease, and type 2 diabetes is strongly linked with obesity. For children with type 2 diabetes the heart disease numbers were higher; nearly 9 out of 10 children with this form of the disease had two or more additional risk factors for heart disease. These children are also more likely to have serious kidney disease and be at risk for early death, compared to those who are diagnosed with diabetes as adults.
Recent studies present some of the strongest evidence yet that being young does not protect one from the chronic diseases commonly seen in people with diabetes, according to American Diabetes Association (ADA) president Robert Rizza, MD, talking with WebMD; "clearly this is not a more benign disease in children." He also notes, "we are getting a better picture of the great tragedy of diabetes in children and adolescents. They are exposed to the full spectrum of diabetes complications, but [these complications] are occurring in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, instead of later in life."
If you are an adult with type 2 diabetes, consider the impact that your disease, and lifestyle choices, may be making on the children in your life. What kind of example are you setting by continuing to eat too much food? By not losing weight? Not exercising? Today IS the first day of the rest of your life. Find help to set a better example, before your children, and your grandchildren are following you down the path of diabetes and heart disease. It's a family affair.
Laurie
As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself.
Adelle Davis
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Diabetes Discipline, Dieting Tips for Diabetics
Technorati Tags: diabetes, heart disease, diabetes complications
Diabetes itself is a risk factor for heart disease, and type 2 diabetes is strongly linked with obesity. For children with type 2 diabetes the heart disease numbers were higher; nearly 9 out of 10 children with this form of the disease had two or more additional risk factors for heart disease. These children are also more likely to have serious kidney disease and be at risk for early death, compared to those who are diagnosed with diabetes as adults.
Recent studies present some of the strongest evidence yet that being young does not protect one from the chronic diseases commonly seen in people with diabetes, according to American Diabetes Association (ADA) president Robert Rizza, MD, talking with WebMD; "clearly this is not a more benign disease in children." He also notes, "we are getting a better picture of the great tragedy of diabetes in children and adolescents. They are exposed to the full spectrum of diabetes complications, but [these complications] are occurring in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, instead of later in life."
If you are an adult with type 2 diabetes, consider the impact that your disease, and lifestyle choices, may be making on the children in your life. What kind of example are you setting by continuing to eat too much food? By not losing weight? Not exercising? Today IS the first day of the rest of your life. Find help to set a better example, before your children, and your grandchildren are following you down the path of diabetes and heart disease. It's a family affair.
Laurie
As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself.
Adelle Davis
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Diabetes Discipline, Dieting Tips for Diabetics
Technorati Tags: diabetes, heart disease, diabetes complications
20 Comments:
I am in a situation where I cannot exercise. I had my stomach stapled in 2000. I weighed 392 lbs. I lost 167 lbs. I had had foot surgery in 2001 where I had bone on bone arthritis and had to have 2 joints fused. When this surgery happens I am bed bound for 6 to 8 weeks non-weight bearing, another 4 weeks partial weight bearing and another 4 weeks in a cam boot. That surgery, I'm sorry to say failed. What happened was the pain got so bad that I had to have the surgery re-done 2 years later and went through the whole thing all over again. At that time I started to regain my weight. A year later 2 other joints in this same foot had to be fused as they developed arthritis in them and became very painful. So, I went through the whole situation all over again. I gained more weight. This surgery did not work either. My foot was so painful that I could barely walk. The surgery was re-done less than a year later which was this past February so, I had to go through the whole thing all over again. It is the end of July and I will be in the cam boot until the end of August because of my foot not wanting to fuse. During all of this I forgot to mention that I have arthritis in both feet, both ankles, both knees, both hands, all the way down my spine and 3 bad discs. I also have bad fibromyalgia. While all of this surgery was happening my other arthritis has gotten much worse. My knees have been bone on bone for some time now and need to be replaced but my back is bad so I don't know if it's worth getting them done. I also suffer from Migraines (inherited) and other headaches from fibromyalgia. I do not have diabetes but my fathers father had it and his mother had it. None of my siblings have it nor does my mother have it and she is 71. My father died when I was 5 from Lymphoma. I do not have high blood pressure and all my blood counts are good. I do have a low potassium count but I take a prescription for that but that is it. My thyroid and everything else is good. I have not regained all of my weight but have regained quite a bit of it back. I also have valvular regurgitation problems due to diet drugs and may need my mitral valve replaced. So, at this point in time I cannot exercise at all and half the time can barely walk. I pray that this time my foot will actually heal. I will not redo this surgery again if it does not. If it does not heal I will have a great deal of pain and will never be able to walk again very well on this foot. As for water exercises I will look into it in the future if I can ever afford it. The closest to us is 30 miles away and they are expensive. With gas prices the way they are and my husband just lost one of his jobs we can barely afford groceries right now. That will have to wait until my boot comes off anyway. Just wanted to let you know not everyone can exercise. Linda
Maybe anynomous needs to do less worrying about her can'ts and concentrate on her cans. I lost over 90 pounds with very little exercising. The key to weight loss is not just exercising, it is cutting out of calories. Believe me, it is no more expensive to eat properly and healthy than it is to eat too much red meat and potatoes.
my grammy has borderline Diabetes and lately her sugar has been so high like as 600 and as low as 325she has a very small budget and I'm afraid for her she has no insurance no money and I moved in to help her pay the basics but I've been on the net reading and never hear of any higher then 250 max.comments to this please.....
from a concerned grandaughter
I'd like to get some advice from women who have had children and are type 1 diabetics. Especailly if you live around the New York area. Please email me at beabellegirl@yahoo.com thanks
really worried nygirl
I had a heart attach and bypass surgery in May 2003. Overall I feel fine. My major concern is a pain I experience in my chest. If I turn right or left, I feel pain.Bending over is not a problem. It feels like muscle, rib or back. My PCP said it is from the surgery, but it never get any better. Any suggestons?
I'm not sure that I am writing this to the right area.
What do we really know about taking arginine and citruline to generate nitrous oxide in the body to promote vascular health and, questionabl, coraonary artery disease.
to anonymous who wrote at 9:55AM
My sister is a diabetic, she has type one and your blood sugar level should be about 80-120, and if my sisters blood sugar level goes above 300 she could go into a coma, and if she doesnt get help right away she could possible die, and if she does get help her organs will take a beating from it being so high especially her eyes, so you should try to get your grandparent some insurance because having her sugar level at 600 can be very fatal
I was wondering if they can test for Diabetes in infants. Diabetes runs on my father's side of the famliy. Both my grandmother and one of my aunts has it. I also had a gestional Diabetes scare when I was pregnant with my daughter. My husbamd thinks our one-month old may have it because she seems comotose after feedings sometimes.
PLEASE HELP!!! i have a qustion for anyone whocan help. My da is 63 years old he has lots of health problems including diabeties. Here lately he has had HUGE mood swings. I mean really he could be talking to you like your his best friend the next minute without any reason just flip out and go crazy like he has a light switch going on and off. A doc told me because diabeties effects your blood vessils and it already has in his eyes that it could be effecting his vessils in his brain causing this has anyone else had this problem or heard of this mood swing thing??? Please e- mail me@ jazman1504@aol.com thanks so much any help and comments is appericated THANKS AGAIN
Jane Duet
I am a Type 2 diabetic. I have not been diligent in taking care of myself. I hadn't taken my blood sugar readings for over a month. I am also not a great pill taker. I thought, however, that I was keeping my numbers within okay levels. How wrong I was. I just checked my blood glucose level and it was 492!!! I am panicking. I don't want to end up in a coma. How do I get my levels down quickly? I took my oral medications as well as my insulin injection. I am on Humalog 75/25 (13uAM, 24u PM), Avandia (1 AM, 1 PM), Precose (1 3x day) Prandin (2 3x day). I am on other meds for high blood pressure. I need some feedback if at all possible. I can't do this alone. I'm going to be seeing my doctor the first week of April. I need help.
my 5 year old is a diabetic type 1. He has an unknown heart problem. He is unable to tell when he has to go to the bathroom.He has had numerous medical problems since he was born. He had a severe drop to 17 and could not move the left side of his body.If any one has any suggestions i will take them. One more thing,since he had the drop he is now unable to ride a bike with out training wheels.Any idea why?
I postewd the comment about the 5 yearold diabetic.and some of his problems. If anybody has any ldeas you can contact me at mudmo2@yahoo.com.Please help!!!!
Hi Jessica,
It sounds like there is a lot going on with your son and I hope you'll continue to pursue answers with his doctors.
In the meantime, I encourage you to post your first message to our Pediatrics message board.
help my granddaughter is 10 soon tobe 11 is prepuberty and is red and dry in the private area i have told my son to have her tested for diabetes. she also doesn't wash very well. i need to find out the symptoms for juvinele diabetes,i by the way am type two and am on byetta 5mg plus metformin 750mg 2x aday i need help also E.
To those of you with questions about diabetes of either type, please post to one of our Diabetes message boards.
I am a 30 year old woman who has a family history of Diabetes.
My grandpa on my father's side had it and my grandma on my mother's side had it and I had gestational
Diabetes when I was pregnant. I am concerned that I might have it, as well! I am having dry mouth, and i also have a callus on the bottom of my left big toe. but, I have had dry skin problems since i was little. I also urinate alot, but, I am wondering if that is due to my frequent soda intake? Any advice for me? i am trying to lose weight, I am 5'6 and 195 pounds.
I was diagnosed with diabetes February 21. I am taking Glucotrol 10mg. and Metformin 1000 mg. twice a day. I lost 17lbs. in 31/2 weeks. Is this normal. Right now, I have lost a total of 22lbs. since diagnosed. My concern is loosing too fast. My doctor has me taking lisinopril, which is a hbp medicine for my kidneys and i don't have high blood pressure. She will tell me oh, it won't affect your pressure, etc. I'm going for a second opinion.
I was dignosed with type 2 and my doctor put me on lisinopril also. I was told to go on a strict diet and maybe I won't need insilin.
I took it serious and lost 40 lbs about 1-1/2 pounds per week. My blood sugar stays at normal levels and I stay on my diet, and weight with no problem. So I wonder why I should take the Lisinopril, because I haven't felt the same since I started it. Recently because of sinus infections he put me on antibiotics with potassium. I have been in the emergency room 3 times in the past week, and I ready were Lisinopril should not be mixed with Potassium. I am taking my self off all the meds and going to do this with exercise and diet. I think the medicine can be as bad as the illness it's self.
I recently married the love of my life on September 6th. He has type 1 diabetes, and was diagnosed at a little over 1 year. This is very hard for him. He went through a period (until we got married) where he didn't have insurance. He has only had 3 "episodes" in all of his 23.5 years. His last one happened at the beginning of october. We were married only one month and I almost lost him. This was the worst one by far. He was dying alone in our bed and I was speeding home from work to get to him. I just knew something was wrong. Anyways, I'm getting off topic, I apologize. We've started to talk about having children, we aren't physically ready to have a child, but we're doing our research and looking into saving money for a baby, so we're prepared in a few years. As I'm at work right now, doing my research, I'm worried. I had heard a "rumor" that Diabetes skips a generation. Neither his mother or biological father has any sort of diabetes. His grandmother has type 2. So it made sense to me. Now I saw that there's a 1 in 17 chance that our child/ren will have diabetes. And that it doubles if he had developed the disease before age 11 (which he did). I told myself that the odds were so low that I wouldn't need to worry. My husband is making an appointment soon, and i'm going to go with him so I can ask my questions. But now I'm worried that I'll have to give our kid shots, and hurt him and I'm not even pregnant yet. I'm worried. I just need a straight answer I guess. I'm sorry if I went off topic a few times. I have so much info in my brain that it just comes out at once. Any thoughts?
In response to nygirl.
I would take your Grandmother to the doctor and have her blood work done. With blood sugar as high as 600 and as low as in the 300s that is very bad... my parents and grandparents are type 2 diabetics and high for them is in the 200s. Their blood sugar should be around 100-110 for a normal level... so I would talk to a doctor about your grandmother.
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