Guinea Pig for a Day

[Guest guest]

I am aware that I am at risk for cardiovascular disease because not

only do I have rheumatoid arthritis, but also type 2 diabetes. In

addition, my father died from strokes and my mother died from heart

attacks.

Someone at Wake Forest University Medical Center called me a few months

ago about a study they're conducting on Diabetes and Heart Disease in

Families, but it's only for siblings. My brother who has diabetes lives

in land, but he agreed to come to NC to visit me and to participate

in the study. We had forms to fill out, some about our medical

histories, and some about diet.

We went yesterday for all of the tests. They took waist and hip

measurements. They drew lots of blood to measure the levels of lipids

and blood sugar. DNA will also be taken from the blood to be used to

investigate genes that may contribute to diabetes and heart disease. We

agreed to let our blood be kept to be used in future research. We also

had to contribute a urine sample.

They did a bone density of the kind that just tests the heel (referred

to as a heel ultrasound device), but they also did the other kind that

tests the hip, spine, arm, and total body. Part of the study also has

something to do with diabetes and its effect on bone density. And of

course rheumatoid arthritis affects the bones. The last bone density

test I had showed that I have osteopenia. I've been taking calcium with

vitamin D and Evista, so it will be interesting to see if they have

helped.

They did an electrocardiogram and also an ultrasound of the carotid

arteries. In addition, CT scans were done to measure calcium in the

blood vessels of the heart, neck, and abdomen, and in the bones of the

spine.

We arrived at 8:30 and finished about 2:00, with time out for lunch, so

it was a pretty thorough workup, and all for free. Besides contributing

to science, we'll even be paid a little money. Quite an interesting,

worthwhile day.

Sue