Feb. 21, 2007

COLLEGE STATION – A diagnosis of diabetes is for life, said Dr. Carol Rice, Texas Cooperative Extension health specialist. But that diagnosis is easier to live with, thanks to blood glucose monitoring, she said.

"The most important thing to realize is we don't have a cure for diabetes but we do have the means to stay healthy and still have diabetes," Rice said.

"There is no magic cure."

The American Diabetes Association ( http://www.diabetes.org/ ) defines diabetes as "a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin ... (which) is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life."

Basically, the association continued: "Diabetes means that your blood glucose (sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because the body needs glucose for energy to keep you going. Too much glucose in the blood is not good for your health."

That's where monitoring comes in, Rice said. Blood glucose monitors require a tiny amount of blood and testing strips, but can give results instantly.

"Because we have the ability to check blood glucose and know what it is at any time, we can tell if a treatment plan is working or it's not," she said.

And that can be a lifesaver, Rice said.

"The better control you have of your blood glucose, the healthier you will be even if you have diabetes," she said.

The diabetes association recommends that blood glucose levels before meals are between 90 and 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and no higher than 180 mg/dL when taken two hours after eating.

"Doctors who specialize in diabetes might recommend even lower ranges," Rice said.

Keeping a careful watch over blood glucose levels can reduce or eliminate many of the expected complications of diabetes, Rice said, including burning or tingling in the feet or problems with the eyes.

"People believe that complications have to happen but they don't," she said. "Because we know about testing blood glucose, people with diabetes now have the ability to avoid complications unless they happened before they knew they had diabetes."

Monitoring is one part of self-care for people with diabetes, Rice said. The other steps are: eating the right amount of carbohydrate foods, being physically active and taking medications if prescribed.

Determining the right amount of carbohydrate foods isn't always easy, she said.

"No food is off limits; you just have to determine the amount of carbohydrate foods you can eat and balance that with physical activity and medicine, if needed," Rice said. "It's not an exact science. Two people with diabetes may eat the same foods and one may have high blood glucose and the other may not. If you have type 2 diabetes and need help with your food choices, the best source of information is a registered dietitian."

Physical activities can include walking for at least 30 minutes a day, doing chair exercises or water aerobics, swimming or bicycling, Rice said. Jogging is not recommend because of potential damage to the joints and feet.

"Check with your physician before starting an exercise program," she said, especially if it involves weight lifting or resistance exercises.

That's because "weight lifting or other resistance exercises may involve straining because people have a tendency to hold their breath," she said. "Straining could cause eye and other problems."

Diabetes is a ‘silent disease,' Rice said, because people often don't know they have it. Symptoms include fatigue, thirst and frequent urination.

Risk factors include age (although younger people can and do have diabetes, risk increases with age), being overweight, high blood pressure, a family history of diabetes, gestational diabetes during pregnancy, giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, and physical inactivity, Rice said. Also people of African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian-American or Pacific Islander descent are more at risk for developing diabetes.

People who are about 40 to 45, "especially if they have a family history, need to get tested for diabetes," she said.

Diabetes has no cure, she said, magic or otherwise. But with self-care and conscientious monitoring of blood glucose levels, people with diabetes can live long, productive and healthy lives.

For more information on self-care, contact the local Extension about Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes. Information on county Extension offices across the state is available at http://county-tx.tamu.edu/ .