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Author:
ARA

(ARA) - Diabetes is a complex disease that can be difficult to understand and an even greater challenge to manage. The most life-threatening complications of diabetes are heart disease and stroke, which strike two out of three people with diabetes. Alarmingly, most people who have diabetes are unaware of their increased risk for heart disease and stroke. The good news is that people with diabetes can help reduce these risks by understanding and properly managing their disease.

First, managing the ABCs of diabetes -- A1C (a blood test which provides a “big picture” of your average blood sugar), Blood pressure and Cholesterol -- will help reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke and other health problems. Beyond managing the ABCs, successful diabetes care also means understanding the disease itself and how it affects your body. Link for Life is an interactive, online tool filled with practical tips and valuable information about diabetes.

“Type Two Lou,” an animated character who hosts the program, takes visitors into a virtual classroom, Diabetes 101. Link for Life consists of four distinct “courses”:

1. What is diabetes?

2. Diabetes and related health problems

3. The ABCs of diabetes

4. Medications

Through colorful animation, Link for Life describes how diabetes affects your body and describes the key components of diabetes care. Special features include tips on meal planning, managing medicines, diabetes self-care, and getting the most from visits with your health care providers. Most importantly, the program shows that by increasing knowledge and taking charge of diabetes, people with diabetes can reduce their risk for heart disease, stroke and other long-term health problems. To log onto Link for Life, visit www.diabetes.org/makethelink and click on the Link for Life icon in the center of the screen. To learn more about the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, call (800) DIABETES (342-2383)

Courtesy of ARA Content





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Courtesy of ARA Content

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Stroke Report... Cholesterol: A Guide To High And Low Foods! The excess accumulation of cholesterol can lead to a stroke or heart attack. This happens because the build-up of excess cholesterol begins to clog the blood vessels leading to arteriosclerosis. It is believed that the overall incidence of strokes and heart attacks could be reduced by as much as 50% if Americans could reduce their cholesterol level by 25%. In fact, for every 1% of lowered blood cholesterol, the chances of having a heart attack are reduced by 2%. However, all cholesterol is not bad, as most know by now. There are two types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL helps to remove excess fats from your blood while high LDL is known to lead to a higher incidence of strokes and heart attacks. So the question is how can we follow a diet that helps us reduce LDL while still gaining the benefits of HDL? Below you will find a list of foods to avoid and foods you should eat in order to reduce overall cholesterol levels. Food To Avoid Eggs - Eggs have very high levels of LDL. (Note that the white of an egg is not bad for you.) Fats and Oils - Fried foods, hydrogenated oils and excess amount of other oils are all considered to be very high in LDL. Sugar Products - Most sugar products will increase LDL almost exclusively. Avoid them. Meat Products - All meat products have very high levels of HDL and should be avoided. Shell Fish - Though overall fish are healthy and help to reduce cholesterol this is not the case with shellfish. Crabs, shrimp (prawns), lobster and other such foods are very high in LDL. Dairy Products - All dairy products have high levels of LDL. It is recommended that you use non-fat dairy products instead. Fast Foods - Most,...