Diabetes is a disease in which the body either lacks insulin or does not produce enough insulin to break ingested glucose into cells. As a result, the glucose remain in the blood and damage blood vessels. A high content of glucose in the blood is called hyperglycemia and is often a precursor to heart attack and stroke. People who have diabetes have twice as much of a chance of having a heart attack and stroke as those without this condition.
In addition to diabetes itself being a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, there are other risk factors that people with diabetes should be aware of to reduce their risk factor for heart attack and stroke. This includes central obesity. Studies by the American Heart Association have indicated that while obesity in itself is a risk for a heart attack, carrying excess weight around the waist increases your risk of heart attack. This is believed to be due to the fact that abdominal fat increases bad cholesterol more than fat on other areas of the body.
Speaking of cholesterol, those with diabetes should carefully monitor their cholesterol carefully. Because the blood vessels are already weakened by the excessive glucose in the blood level, people with diabetes have to be especially careful about their cholesterol levels as their arteries can become blocked easier than those without diabetes. Monitoring cholesterol is important for everyone, but imperative for those with diabetes.
Hypertension is also a dangerous condition for those with diabetes and can lead to heart attack or stroke. Damaged blood vessels having to work harder to pump blood from your heart throughout your body can cause heart damage, stroke, and even eye problems.
Clearly, those who have diabetes must not only carefully monitor the disease, but he complications that can rise from diabetes. While it is important for everyone to check their blood pressure, cholesterol and maintain an ideal weight, it is even more important for someone who has diabetes.
In order to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke for people with diabetes, it is important, first of all, to manage the disease. By eating proper foods that are recommended for people who have this condition, exercising and taking your medication, you can maintain a good glucose level in your blood that will reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. By monitoring your cholesterol and blood pressure and seeing your physician on a regular basis, you can stop a potential problem before it begins.
By empowering yourself to learn all you can about managing diabetes and complying with the instructions of your physician, you can live an active and long life with diabetes. Knowledge and facing the situation is the key. Those who refuse to follow advice, who prefer to eat whatever they feel like, not exercise and pretend that the disease does not exist put themselves at the most risk.
Type II diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. It does not have to be a killer. People who follow instructions, learn about the disease and comply with their physician have an excellent chance at reducing their risk of acquiring any of the complications associated with this disease. Despite the link between diabetes, heart attack and stroke, those who maintain their health can avoid these conditions.
Showing posts with label diabetes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diabetes. Show all posts
Friday, February 8, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
What is Glycemic Index?
The Glycemic Index is a concept developed in the University of Toronto in 1981. The purpose of the Glycemic Index is to measure the effect carbohydrates have on blood glucose levels. The Glycemic Index is imperative for anyone who needs to monitor their glucose level due to diabetes or hyperglycemia. With diabetes reaching epidemic levels in the United States, the development of the Glycemic Index could not have come at a better time. Each year, more people are diagnosed with this potentially life threatening disease that can cause many serious complications. It is important for anyone with this condition to familiarize themselves with the Glycemic Index so they can empower themselves and learn which foods should be avoided.
Carbohydrates are a diverse group of foods and all have different ways of breaking down in the system. People with diabetes have a difficult time breaking down certain foods, particularly those high in carbohydrates, in their system. Digestion is slow and sugars and starches are absorbed into the blood stream, causing an excess in blood glucose. Diabetics are often warned to limit their carbohydrate intake because it takes such a long time for most carbohydrates to digest. However, this is easier said than done and it is difficult, if not impossible, for many diabetics to eliminate carbohydrates from their diet. This is one of the reasons many diabetics are non-compliant in their treatment. Because diabetes does not often cause serious complications at onset, many patients refuse to take their medicine and continue eating foods that are high in sugar and starch.
The Glycemic Index is very helpful because it rates different carbohydrates based upon their effect on the different levels of blood glucose. Those foods that digest rapidly cause the less harm to the system and have a low glycemic index. The carbohydrates that take a longer time to digest have a higher rate as they cause more harm to the blood glucose level.
The Glycemic Index ranges from one to one hundred. A low food in the glycemic index has a rating of below 55. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and some pastas. Foods that fall between the 56 to 69 range are considered "medium" in the Glycemic Index. They include candy bars, croissants and some rices.
Surprisingly, although a candy bar scores in the medium classification of the glycemic index, it is not as harmful as those carbohydrates that score in the high glycemic index range. These include corn flakes, white rice, white bread and baked potato. In other words, it is easier for a diabetic to digest a candy bar than a baked potato.
Knowledge of the glycemic index is imperative for anyone who has diabetes or who has been diagnosed as borderline diabetic. To be able to understand which foods have the most impact on blood glucose levels is crucial for anyone fighting this potentially life-threatening condition.
If you or a loved one suffers from diabetes, become familiar with the Glycemic Index so that you learn about the different categories of carbohydrates and which groups should be avoided. There are many substitutes for carbohydrates that rate high in the Glycemic Index and are available at most grocery stores. While diabetes is currently without a cure, there are many different ways that people with this disease can life long, productive lives.
Carbohydrates are a diverse group of foods and all have different ways of breaking down in the system. People with diabetes have a difficult time breaking down certain foods, particularly those high in carbohydrates, in their system. Digestion is slow and sugars and starches are absorbed into the blood stream, causing an excess in blood glucose. Diabetics are often warned to limit their carbohydrate intake because it takes such a long time for most carbohydrates to digest. However, this is easier said than done and it is difficult, if not impossible, for many diabetics to eliminate carbohydrates from their diet. This is one of the reasons many diabetics are non-compliant in their treatment. Because diabetes does not often cause serious complications at onset, many patients refuse to take their medicine and continue eating foods that are high in sugar and starch.
The Glycemic Index is very helpful because it rates different carbohydrates based upon their effect on the different levels of blood glucose. Those foods that digest rapidly cause the less harm to the system and have a low glycemic index. The carbohydrates that take a longer time to digest have a higher rate as they cause more harm to the blood glucose level.
The Glycemic Index ranges from one to one hundred. A low food in the glycemic index has a rating of below 55. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and some pastas. Foods that fall between the 56 to 69 range are considered "medium" in the Glycemic Index. They include candy bars, croissants and some rices.
Surprisingly, although a candy bar scores in the medium classification of the glycemic index, it is not as harmful as those carbohydrates that score in the high glycemic index range. These include corn flakes, white rice, white bread and baked potato. In other words, it is easier for a diabetic to digest a candy bar than a baked potato.
Knowledge of the glycemic index is imperative for anyone who has diabetes or who has been diagnosed as borderline diabetic. To be able to understand which foods have the most impact on blood glucose levels is crucial for anyone fighting this potentially life-threatening condition.
If you or a loved one suffers from diabetes, become familiar with the Glycemic Index so that you learn about the different categories of carbohydrates and which groups should be avoided. There are many substitutes for carbohydrates that rate high in the Glycemic Index and are available at most grocery stores. While diabetes is currently without a cure, there are many different ways that people with this disease can life long, productive lives.
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