Re: Diabetes Screening for Older Adults?

[Guest guest]

>Anyway the gist of my question is, is there currently routine diabetes

screening for

>older adults? And if not routine, what kind of test(s) can be requested?

>

>(And for bonus points, how do I convince my mom to request a diabetes test?)

>

>Daphne

Every doc I've gone to routinely tests blood sugar ... it's not a

glucose-tolerance test, but if the blood sugar is high

they look into it. I did ask for a glucose-tolerance test

at one point in my life and it was AWFUL. Drinking

glucose on an empty stomach is just the pits, then

sitting around in an office for 4 hours? Yecch. That

is why I bought the meter ... the little lancets they have

now are rather painless, and if she won't do it herself

you can sit there and do it for her (like the nurse would

if she did it at the doctor's).

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

Daphne

Doctors are becoming much more aware, but phamacia controls so much in that

area that doctors knowledge of it is often poor. There are two sides of the

fence that have evolved - those still pushing low fat, and then those who

are using Atkins or another low carb program. The American Diabetic

Association is a joke - they still emphasize avoiding fats and eating lots

of carbs. They recently had a piece on their site about a bagel being

better than a doughnut to go with your insulin medication.

You had a blood sugar test, the Glucose tolerance test is a better one, much

longer and more involved. Even it does not identify insulin resistance

problems until they are pretty progressed. There is suppose to be a better

test out or coming out. The Atkins site explains the GTT -

http://atkins.com/Archive/2002/7/2-173300.html

You mother might respond to some of his writings, also maybe to his blood

sugar symptom questionaire. If she doesn't identify with that much on the

test, then she may not need it. I just got back from two grocery stores -

both have low carb products on sale in their ads. Walmart had a super big

display on the isle entering the store loaded with various low carb

products. Your mom has probably noticed the new trend, plus she is like me

and grew up before the low fat movement. I was taught to minimize carb

intake, sugar caused diabetes and made you fat.

http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/14-753571.html

Diabetes Screening for Older Adults?

The media is starting to make noise about diabetes as an epidemic but as

far as I can

tell that awareness hasn't penetrated standard medical practice. Do

older adults

routinely get screened for diabetes? For example, my mother, overweight

and in her

60's, should obviously (obvious to me) be screened for it, but she won't

go out and

start pricking her own finger. I got tested for gestational diabetes

recently

(incidentally I passed with flying colors, but I have a different body

type from my

mother). It was so simple... a sugar drink, then a blood test. They

should do it for

everyone who walks into a doctor's office.

Anyway the gist of my question is, is there currently routine diabetes

screening for

older adults? And if not routine, what kind of test(s) can be requested?

(And for bonus points, how do I convince my mom to request a diabetes

test?)

Daphne

[Guest guest]

, thanks. I didn't mention that my mother is hostile to Atkins. (Last time

I visited

we argued about me eating eggs every morning, and that's with me being pregnant.

Argh.)

I read the Atkins article you cited and it was interesting. Then I did some web

searching for a diabetes organization with a similar perspective to Atkins, and

came

up empty handed. The American Diabetes Assoc. recipie of the day was cinnamon

rice (with raisins). The NIH diabetes web site has a lovely picture on how to

manage

diabetes... breakfast is cereal, a banana, and juice; morning snack is crackers;

lunch is

a burger on a bun, and a roll on the side, and salad with (regular) salad

dressing;

afternoon snack is some kind of sherbert or ice cream; dinner is a chicken

drumstick

along with a potato, other veggies, a muffin, and an apple. The major dietary

message seems to be 'eat at the same times every day'. It would be hilarious if

it

weren't heartbreaking.

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/eating_ez/index.htm

(scroll down about 2 screens to see the picture I'm talking about.)

So, if you can steer me to any 'official' organizations or articles (besides

Atkins) which

recommend the GTT; and which talk about limiting carbs for diabetes... I would

be

most grateful. (Mercola won't cut it for my mom either, she is so

'establishment' on

health.)

Also, I'd appreciate information on the new and better diabetes test you

mention.

Daphne

> Daphne

>

> Doctors are becoming much more aware, but phamacia controls so much in that

> area that doctors knowledge of it is often poor. There are two sides of the

> fence that have evolved - those still pushing low fat, and then those who

> are using Atkins or another low carb program. The American Diabetic

> Association is a joke - they still emphasize avoiding fats and eating lots

> of carbs. They recently had a piece on their site about a bagel being

> better than a doughnut to go with your insulin medication.

>

> You had a blood sugar test, the Glucose tolerance test is a better one, much

> longer and more involved. Even it does not identify insulin resistance

> problems until they are pretty progressed. There is suppose to be a better

> test out or coming out. The Atkins site explains the GTT -

> http://atkins.com/Archive/2002/7/2-173300.html

>

> You mother might respond to some of his writings, also maybe to his blood

> sugar symptom questionaire. If she doesn't identify with that much on the

> test, then she may not need it. I just got back from two grocery stores -

> both have low carb products on sale in their ads. Walmart had a super big

> display on the isle entering the store loaded with various low carb

> products. Your mom has probably noticed the new trend, plus she is like me

> and grew up before the low fat movement. I was taught to minimize carb

> intake, sugar caused diabetes and made you fat.

> http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/14-753571.html

>

>

[Guest guest]

> http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/eating_ez/index.htm

In that page, they make the recommendation that you shouldn't

exercise if your blood sugar is above 300. Why not?