Diabetes Patients Encouraged To Take Control Of Their Own Care

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Diabetes Patients Encouraged To Take Control Of Their Own Care activities you enjoy: walking,jogging, bicycling, aerobic dancing, (NAPSA)—There are 21 million people with diabetes in the United States, says The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new program may give these people the confidence to treat and manage the disease. According to a recent survey of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who inject insulin, conducted by TideWatch Market Research and Consulting, the majority of people with the disease regularly adjust their insulin injections based on what they are planning to eat, as well as their blood glucose readings. The survey also found that the balancing act of eating right remains difficult, regardless of age, years using insulin or the number of times per day a person has to inject insulin. Although exercising is viewed more favorably than eating right, respondents admit it’s hard to remain motivated and know if exercise is working. KeyStatistics The survey found that only one of eight persons with diabetes is currently involved with any program, either through a health care provider or insurer, for help actively managing diabetes. As well, only 4.7 percent are currently involved in a support group for diabetes and 65.4 percent had never attended such a group. Diabetes Management Tips To help some people with the condition improve their diabetes management, a demonstration project has been developed called the BD Diabetes Makeover program. It has some of the leading clinical, diabetes education, nutri- tion, fitness and lifestyle organization experts, dubbed the BD Diabetes Dream Team. The team offers these diabetes managementtips: swimmingor rowing. , CAME |. : { A number of people with diabetes have found help and hope through a special group program. Prepare a daily schedule of exercise, diet, medication and monitoring and keep a diary, giving structure to activities. Find a partner or a buddy (not necessarily someone with diabetes) and report to that person on a weekly basis about blood glu- cose level, exercise and other activities, as a way to feel responsible and to get positive feedback for ongoing successes. Do your homework and ask your doctor and nurses questions about yourcare. Watch what you eat. Talk to your dietitian or diabetes educator about what’s best for you and to create a meal plan that fits your lifestyle. The benefits include: weight control; meeting nutritional needs; control of blood glucose levels; lowering high blood pressure; and reducing cholesterol levels. Exercise. You'll not only control your weight and lower your blood sugar level, you'll also feel better about yourself, with more energy and less stress and cholesterol, as well as a feeling of control. Before starting an exercise program, talk to your doctor about what kindsofactivities are right for you. Most doctors recom- mend aerobic exercise. Choose Try for a healthier lifestyle. Plan active weekends; skip the elevator and take the stairs; park at the far end of the parking lot and walk to the office or store, or walk a few blocks before getting on your bus and get off a few blocks before your stop; rake your leaves; wash your car or push a lawn mower. Drink lots of water. Have at least 15 ounces of water 30 to 60 minutes before you exercise and then continue to drink 12 to 15 ounces every 15 minutes during exercise—evenif you're notthirsty. Team Approach The BD Diabetes Makeover team creates individualized fitness plans for participants, adjusts their medication regimens where applicable, recommends how dietary habits could be positively changed, encourages improved lifestyle management skills and provides ongoing support, education and problem-solving through a case managerand conferencecalls. “People with diabetes want to take care of themselves,” says Dr. Valentine Burroughs, Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of Medicine at East Harlem New York’s North General Hospital and Dream Team Endocrinologist. “But new patients often are overwhelmed by the prospect and longer-term patients become discouraged by poor results and lack of positive feedback. The demonstration program helps patients pull together the information and support they need.” Learn More For information about the program, visit www.bd.com/dm. For more information about managing diabetes, visit www.bddiabetes. com/us.

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