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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

| Translate/Traduisez/Übersetzen Sie/Traduzca/Traduca/Traduza: Article Keywords: Stroke

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... Does Acupuncture Really Work The Way It Should? Acupuncture therapy for stroke-caused conditions such as paralysis, speech and swallowing problems, and depression is commonly used in the Orient. In China and Japan, an acupuncturist is likely to start therapy as soon as possible after a stroke. However, my recommendation is a delay of 2 weeks before acupuncture for strokes caused by bleeding in the brain, 10 to 20% of strokes (instead of the usual blood vessel block or clot). The wait is due to studies showing that acupuncture opens blood vessels for better flow and decreases clotting and inflammation. These effects are desired early when arteries are blocked, but after a stroke caused by bleeding has occurred, it is safer to wait until the bleeding blood vessel has clotted and is unlikely to bleed further before providing the acupuncture. Acupuncture is done on a daily basis in China. Uncertain as to whether daily acupuncture is essential, even in Western countries, some acupuncturists with experience in treating stroke with acupuncture believe treatment 3 times a week is optimal. Several different approaches have been used to treat stroke, demonstrating that acupuncture for this disorder remains a healthcare art: Traditional Chinese Yang meridian point therapy, Chinese scalp acupuncture. Does acupuncture really work to help stroke victims improve? Many studies involving thousands of patients have been published in China and Japan, and 2 of 3 studies from Scandinavia, demonstrated significant help. These studies indicate that patients get well faster, perform better in self-care, require less nursing and rehabilitation therapy, and use less healthcare dollars. However, since most studies come from China, they get little credence from the Western medical community because researchers in China do not appear to be...