October 7, 2008
Diabetes Information For Men Makes Recent News Headlines
The effects of elevated blood sugar and other diabetic info are described in a recent online issue of U.S. News and World Report. It’s a sobering account of all the health problems that diabetes can cause in addition to high blood sugar symptoms. The article is based on a survey of men showing that they are more attentive to their health than previously thought, but need more information about exactly how to lower blood sugar levels and minimize the potential for complications.
The survey, by the American Diabetes Association, found that while only 30 percent of men who have diabetes feel they know a lot about the disease and only 25 percent stick to a diabetes diet, 60 percent said they could manage their blood sugar levels better if they had more information. Nearly two-thirds of the men surveyed said they would also use that information to have substantive conversations when they see the members of their health care team.
This is both good news and bad news. The good news, of course, is that men really want to pay attention to their health. The bad news is they don’t instinctively know how and, like asking for directions, it’s just not an intuitive guy thing. Health care providers like physicians, dentists and certified diabetes educators are more than happy to provide as much information as necessary to help their patients stay on track with maintaining a normal blood sugar count.
So, please, for the men in your life – whether a spouse, sibling, cousin, coworker or friend – who have diabetes, do whatever it takes to get them the information they need and chances are, according to the survey, they’ll put it to good use. I truly hope one of the resources you give them is the information on this blog and our Web site about good dental hygiene and how it can help them stay in the normal blood sugar range, avoid diabetes-related complications with their teeth and gums, and stay well away from the potentially dangerous cascade of health risks that can occur when diabetes and gum disease interact.
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