Diabetes Self-Management

Dear readers, It’s a winter wonderland! Now is the season for skating and sledding, building a snowman, spending quality time with family and friends, and snuggling up by a crackling fireplace. But with the cold weather and shorter days, for many, it’s also a time of year when the hankering for carb-heavy comfort food hits. Fortunately, there are ways to satisfy these cravings and keep your blood glucose levels in check. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or cooking a weeknight dinner, you’re likely to find the tips and one of the tasty recipes in “Low-Carb Comfort Foods” (page 34) a good fit! Speaking of glucose levels, between holiday meals, reduced activity levels, and extra stress, this is a time of year when many find they have more difficulty staying in their…

Getting Your A1C to Target Lowering A1C often takes a multi-pronged effort and typically involves a combination of medication and lifestyle factors. Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved in getting your A1C to target. bit.ly/3Cbbr06 How Diabetes Can Lead to Dry Eye If your eyes burn or sting or constantly feel uncomfortable, you may have dry eye. Find out more about this condition, including what you can do to treat it, as well as how dry eye is linked with diabetes. bit.ly/3SUuz9l Master Holiday Health Pitfalls The holidays are upon us, which can spell danger for those who are trying to lose weight and stick with a healthful eating and activity routine. This year, make a plan to master those holiday pitfalls so you’re on track with your 2023 health goals. bit.ly/3yekvjA How SAD Can Affect Diabetes Seasonal…

Metformin, one of the most popular medications used in the front-line treatment of diabetes, appears to improve mitochondrial function in people with diabetes, reports a new study from researchers in Spain. Mitochondria are what are known as organelles. Organelles are components of body cells that have a specific function to perform, such as storing genetic information or producing chemical energy. Sometimes mitochondria are referred to as the “powerhouses of the cell” because they help turn the energy contained in foods into energy that body can utilize. It’s estimated that mitochondria produce 90% of the energy required by the human body. Sometimes, however, mitochondria fail to do their work properly, often because of a disease, resulting in a condition called mitochondrial dysfunction, which is known to contribute to type 2 diabetes. For their…

Taking a combination of drugs to treat pain from peripheral neuropathy tends to provide more pain relief than taking a single drug, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet. There are many treatments available to relieve pain from diabetic peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage, usually in the feet and legs, caused by elevated blood glucose levels over time. For the latest study, researchers randomly assigned 130 participants with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy to at least one course of treatment (some participants dropped out of the study before more than one course of treatment could be evaluated). Each course of treatment lasted 16 weeks, with participants starting on a single drug for six weeks and then adding an additional drug for 10 weeks if the original drug didn’t provide enough…

Traveling can be a source of both negative and positive stress for everyone, and especially for those living with diabetes. But it does not have to be a negative experience, and diabetes should not stop you from taking trips. Yes, there are some extra precautions that you must take, but it is well worth the additional planning to have safeguards in place. And along with its other benefits, traveling is a great opportunity for you to improve your sense of control when it comes to living with diabetes. How much do you know about traveling safely with diabetes? Take this quiz to find out! 1. People with diabetes should refrain from crossing time zones when traveling, as it makes managing medications too challenging. ○ True ○ False 2. A common oversight when traveling…

The hand disorder known as trigger finger is more common in people with diabetes who have a higher A1C level (a measure of long-term blood glucose control), according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care. As the study authors noted, diabetes is known to increase the risk for trigger finger—a painful disorder in which a person’s fingers lock in a bent position. But it wasn’t previously known whether good blood glucose control reduces the risk for trigger finger—just as it reduces the risk for many different potential complications of diabetes. Trigger finger develops when the protective membrane of the flexor muscles, which are engaged when you curl your fingers, becomes overgrown. Experts believe that this tissue becomes overgrown due to long-term exposure to elevated blood glucose levels, causing…