Oprah..Diabetes/Heart Disease Show and Info

[Guest guest]

Oprah had a show about diabetes and heart disease on May 30 and that is what

prompted me to go to the doctor the next day on May 31st suspecting that I had

diabetes. After the show she has the following on her website about diabetes

and about heart disease.

Diabetes 101

Millions of people have Type-2 diabetes, and many of them don't take the

disease seriously enough. However, diabetes is serious, it's deadly, and

according to Dr. Pennington, in most cases, it can be prevented.

Diabetes: The Facts

17 million Americans are living with diabetes, and one-third of them

don't even know it.

Diabetes kills more people each year than AIDS and breast cancer

combined.

Every year, one million new cases are diagnosed.

Experts are alarmed by the increase in Type-2 diabetes, which accounts

for 90-95% of all cases.

13% of African Americans have diabetes and African Americans are twice

as likely to develop the disease.

More and more children are being diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes,

something unheard of a decade ago.

What Is Type-2 Diabetes?

When you eat, with the help of a hormone called insulin, your body converts

the food into glucose, or sugar. But type-2 diabetics are resistant to

insulin, so instead of being used to fuel the body's cells, the sugar builds

up in the bloodstream and reaches dangerous levels.

What Are the Symptoms?

According to Dr. Pennington, early symptoms include:

Increased thirst

Frequent urination

Constant hunger

Yeast infections in women

Stomach pains

Dr. Pennington says that diabetes is often a silent killer: People don't

recognize their symptoms until they've become serious.

Risk Factors and Complications

One of the strongest risk factors for developing diabetes is obesity. Eighty

percent of Type-2 diabetes sufferers are overweight.

Among the many complications of diabetes are:

Heart disease

Stroke

High blood pressure

Blindness

Kidney disease

Amputation of limbs

The Facts About Heart Disease for Women

Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States-claiming more

lives than the next six leading causes of death combined. The good news:

Most heart disease is preventable. You can get your heart back on track,

beginning today!

Learn the Facts

Find sobering statistics on heart health.

Heart Disease Strikes Women

Did you know that heart disease strikes more women than men?

What African-Americans Should Know

Discover why African-American women are at the highest risk.

Causes and Solutions

Know what leads to heart disease and ways to prevent (or turn around) this

health hazard.

Heart Disease: Causes and Prevention

Heart disease is deadly, but it can be prevented. Everyday lifestyle choices

make a huge impact on beating heart disease. The great news is that with the

right changes, it's possible to reverse some of the effects of heart

disease!

Smoking constricts blood vessels in the brain, putting you at a higher

risk for stroke.

High cholesterol builds up inside the walls of arteries, clogging them

and constricting blood flow.

High stress and/or a sedentary lifestyle

Prevention

We've heard it before, but that's because it's true: Diet and exercise can

make an enormous difference in your health. According to fitness expert Bob

Greene, 38% of American adults do not engage in any physical activity. Just

a few minutes each day can lead to improved health. Because exercise dilates

blood vessels, it makes the heart work less.and that's reason enough to get

your whole body working!

Facts on Heart Disease

Heart disease is striking women in epidemic proportions. Become

knowledgeable about this silent killer. It might just save your life.

Heart disease is the number-one killer of women. It kills ten times

more women than breast cancer each year, and more than all other cancers

combined.

Heart disease refers to the blockages of the arteries. Dr.

Pennington, medical director for the Discovery Health Channel, says to think

of clogged arteries being " sticky " -and unable to let blood flow freely.

Dr. Judith Reichman says that it is estimated that one out of every two

women will die from heart disease.

One in ten women aged 45 to 64 already suffers from some form of heart

disease.

According to one study, nearly one fourth of women who died of heart

disease were between the ages of 35 and 44