26May

Type 2 Diabetes – Obesity and Diabetic Retinopathy

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Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness. One in three diabetic adults over the age of 40 has diabetic retinopathy, although it is not obvious until it begins to impair vision. Controlling blood sugar and blood pressure helps to prevent diabetic retinopathy.

Researchers at the Centre for Eye Research at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, set out to discover whether obesity and other measurements of body shape could also be associated with diabetic retinopathy. Their work was published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science in April 2011.

Four hundred and ninety-two volunteers with Type 2 diabetes were included in the study. Obese participants were found to be more than 6.5 times more likely to have diabetic retinopathy than were those with normal weight. High neck and waist circumferences were also associated with the condition and those with high neck and waist circumferences tended to have more severe cases than those with normal neck and waist circumferences.

This news gives Type 2 diabetics more reason than ever to normalize their weight and keep it that way. A normal body mass index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.9. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and 30 or more is termed obese. To find your BMI go to the website: nhlbisupport.com/bmi and fill in your height and weight. If it is 25 or above, it is time to plan an eating plan and exercise program that will get rid of some of the body fat. Check with your doctor for a rational, realistic plan.

One pound of human fat contains 3500 calories, so to lose one pound you need to use 3500 more calories than you take in. Lowering your calorie intake along with exercise is the best way to do this…

bicycle riding less than ten miles per hour or performing water aerobics, uses up about 300 calories per hour, so riding or performing aerobics in the pool for about 12 hours would use up one pound of fat
taking in 300 calories per day fewer than usual would cause one pound of fat to come off in about 12 days
spending an hour a day performing moderate exercise and eating 300 calories fewer per day would take off two pounds in twelve days. Keeping up that program for four months would mean the loss of 20 pounds.

How to lower your calories?

try a vegetarian eating plan. It is known to be good for preventing and treating Type 2 diabetes, and it tends to be lower in calories than high-fat meat and dairy products
if there is a kind of food you can’t live without but it’s high in calories, try having smaller portions
you can stay on a reduced-calorie diet eating one cup of spaghetti once in awhile.

Consult a dietitian or look up the calories in all the foods you eat and control your portions. Weight loss is possible when you have a plan you know you will stick to.

25May

Choosing Health Insurance Plans for Diabetics

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Diabetes is a disease that is defined as a metabolic condition in which someone has high blood sugar because their body is unable to create substantial insulin or because the cells in their body are unresponsive to the insulin that is produced. It can have a great negative effect on certain body organs like the heart, the kidney and eyes and can cause damage to them or even lead to strokes. Currently it is approximated that 18 million Americans have diabetes. Similarly, 1 million people are diagnosed with this condition annually.

The control of this disease can be mastered quite well but the treatment can be rather very expensive. The American Diabetes Association estimates that around $11,744 is spent on medical issues pertaining to diabetes; monitoring it, treating it and generally trying to control the blood sugar levels. Someone who has diabetes can actually take up full time employment and also be in line for health insurance benefits.

It is estimated that most diabetes patients are financially unable to cope with the demands of the disease and are therefore not able to properly look after themselves.

It is not exactly easy to come across a cheap health insurance program because the majority of the insurance companies look at diabetics as difficult to insure because there is a great likelihood that there will be complications arising every now and again.

In addition, the complications that arise during diabetes usually call for specific and special medical care systems. Ordinary health issues that affect these diabetics will still require specialized treatment because of the nature of the disease which needs extreme attention.

There are instances where coverage is given but at a very high cost. Sometimes it even forces the person to begin living a less comfortable life because they are trying to cater for these expenses. This is why many people decide to remain uninsured. There are however some plans from the Government that one can rely on to help them with the diabetes.

One such program is Medicaid which is jointly offered by the State Government and the Federal Government. This program offers help to people who are suffering from diabetes but are financially unable to cater for all the medical expenses related to the disease. Original Medicare in turn covers the expenses in terms of services, equipment and supplies. It also caters for preventive coverage for individuals who might be at risk of getting diabetes.

The Government also offers SCHIP which offers health insurance to children who are from families that are not able to cater for themselves when it comes to health costs. This program is very low cost and is offered to children who are under 19 years of age.

In case one works in a company that offers health insurance state laws call for such a person to receive appropriate attention and help with the condition. Most times when companies go for health coverage, they include diabetes and therefore are able to provide supplies for the diabetics who are covered. This might be quite expensive but it is the most reliable alternative

23May

What Do You Need To Know About Diabetes Supplies?

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The treatment for diabetes can be quite expensive and it is estimated that about $11,744 is spend on health care with particular reference to diabetes supplies. This figure is much higher than that spent on other health issues outside diabetes. Many people require some kind of assistance with the problem of diabetes.

Anyone who has Medicare will find this very useful because it offers some great help with the supplies. Individuals who are 65 years or older are entitled to this Federal Health Insurance. Also those who are younger than 65 but have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or may have disabilities are entitled to this insurance. Apart from that, individuals of any age who might have the end-stage renal disease are also entitled to this insurance plan.

It is up to you to decide upon how you would like to receive your prescription and drug coverage as well as the Medicare Advantage Plans (HMOs PPOs). Also, you need to know that Original Medicare is helpful when it comes to catering for services of diabetes for instance supplies lancets, glucose monitors, insulin pumps as well as insulin and test strips.

Those who are recipients of the Medicare Advantage Plan need to constantly seek for information pertaining to their membership and how their membership can help them get supplies for diabetes and the treatment. It is helpful to make inquiries be ready with all the information that is needed. You should call the Medicare hot-line to get as much information as you can.

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Medical Assistance which is also known as Medicaid, is yet another path that one could decide to take as they look for a way to battle their condition of diabetes. This program is run by the state government together with the federal government to help sort out the medical expenses which would otherwise be incurred by individuals who can not afford these resources. Each state has different programs, benefits and limitations in this respect. One should go to the Medicaid office to find out if they are eligible for these benefits or not.

There are also many pharmaceutical companies that are ready to offer some of these supplies at a discount for people who are not lucky to have an insurance to cover them. These discounts can also apply to people who just can not afford these benefits because their financial position is not good at the moment.

Take some time and find out if there is a provision for the group insurance coverage in your state. This one is usually for people who are unemployed or totally uninsured because of low income levels. You also need to look for more information on the internet to see where you can get some of these diabetic supplies.

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