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 November 2006
Spotlight
Health by the Numbers
What's in a number? When it comes to preventing diseases like diabetes, numbers can be critical. As November and Diabetes
Awareness Month draw to a close, we're reminded of the need to watch the figures that matter most to our health.
Before people receive a diagnosis of full-blown diabetes, they
almost always have a condition called prediabetes.
Their blood sugar
levels are probably higher than normal, but not yet high enough to
serve up a diagnosis of diabetes.
Right now there are about 41 million
middle-aged Americans who can be considered prediabetic. And experts
say that the health consequences associated with diabetes, such as
heart disease and circulatory problems, are already at work. So how can numbers help you learn if you're at risk?
To start, you need to know your body mass
index (BMI), blood
pressure, and
cholesterol
levels. To find out if you have elevated blood sugar levels
you will need to get a fasting
plasma glucose test or two-hour glucose
tolerance test. This is especially important if your BMI is 25 or
greater, you have a family history of diabetes, or if you had
gestational
diabetes or a baby weighing more than nine pounds.
You'll also need to take an honest look at your lifestyle
habits and to
address other cardiovascular disease risk factors you may have (tobacco
use, hypertension, high cholesterol). But start with the basics - learn your numbers - and you'll be on your way to a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Featured
HealthBlogs
Here are this issue's featured posts from the Health
Matters HealthBlog
Network:
'Tis
the Season - Preventing Colds and Flu
Well, it's that time of year
again - time to begin thinking of the rapidly approaching holidays, of
spending time with loved ones, and how to avoid one of the major risks
that can put a damper on our celebrations - those nasty respiratory
viruses that plague us in the late fall... more.
Read Straight
Talk from the ER.
Bending
Right is Fitness as a Lifestyle
Readers
asked for more pictures of healthy bending around the house and
workplace during daily life. They've been getting excited about the
idea that daily life is the way to physical ability and health... more.
Read The
Fitness Fixer.
The
Health
Nudge
 Since
blood relatives share their
genes, as well as their environment,
lifestyle and habits, having a relative with diabetes or colon cancer
for example, can increase the chances that you will also get the disease.
That's why health care providers like to trace the illnesses suffered by
your parents, grandparents, and other family members so they can
predict the disorders for which you may be at risk.
As we gather around for the holidays it might be a good time to take
the opportunity to ask relatives what they know about your family
health
history so you can pass the information on to your doctors.
To help you track your family history as a tool to promote health for you and
your loved ones, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has
developed a Family
History Resource and Tools site.
Site Feature
of
the Month
New - Search for Medical Definitions
 Have you ever come across a medical term from a doctor, an article, or a TV program and
wondered what it meant? Now you can quickly look it up using the new Healthline dictionary
search feature with definitions from Merriam-Webster's Medical Desk Dictionary and Stedman's
Medical Dictionary, the best medical reference dictionaries available. It's easy - enter a
medical term on Healthline, select the "Dictionary" choice above the search box, and press
"Search."
Now, when you visit your doctor and she
mentions things like tinnitus,
angioplasty,
or medulloblastoma,
you can go straight to Healthline and get definitions, pronunciation guides, correct spellings, and search results for related resources on Healthline.
© 2006 Healthline Networks
Healthline
Networks, Inc.
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