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Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when an individual has three or more of the following; obesity, hypertension, high triglycerides, glucose intolerance and low HDL cholesterol. It is estimated that 47 million people or one in five overweight Americans has metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance is thought to be the link between these conditions. Patients should be referred to their physician if the following risk factors are noted:

• Obesity – especially abdominal obesity and a body mass index (BMI) above 25
• Hypertension
• Family history of type 2 diabetes
• Personal history – if heart disease, diabetes (including gestational) or polycystic ovary disease.
• Increased amounts of fats in the blood
• Low HDL
• High LDL
• High Triglycerides
• High Sugar Levels

Those with three risks have a slightly higher chance of dying of heart disease, those with all the risk factors are 6 times more likely to develop heart disease and those with metabolic syndrome may also face 2 times the risk for stroke than those who do not have the syndrome.

Even changing one aspect will improve steps to better health. Losing weight and exercising can reduce insulin levels, hypertension and blood sugar. Consuming less fat and calories and eating more fruits and vegetables will reduce cholesterol. Medication may be needed to achieve physical goals. Like any other disease entity, having it diagnosed early and learning about it will enable the individual to have it under control and perhaps even reverse it.

By Annette R. Karnash, R.N., M.N.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a trip to the dentist would be as pleasant as a trip to the hair dresser? Preventive dentistry means flossing, brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, getting regular professional cleanings twice a year and using a bacteria killing mouthwash. Modern technology has found additional preventive techniques that may even prove to be more beneficial – eating one ounce of certain types of cheeses such as Swiss, aged Cheddar or Monterrey Jack, eliminates the acid production of plaque.

Plaque is a soft film of bacteria, saliva and minute food particles that stick to the teeth and places you at higher risk for developing cavities. Of course what is good for your mouth does not necessarily hold true for your waistline or arteries – so not 4-5 ounces – only one ounce. Research has shown that chewing gum containing sorbitol for 10 minutes after meals or snacks helps to neutralize the acids that form on dental plaque which leads to cavities. It stimulates the flow of saliva and squirts it between the teeth into crevices where decay breeds. Even a gelatin-like Gummi Bear may produce a cavity reducing ability similar to that of sorbitol after 10 minutes of chewing. With the rubbery consistency and citric acid, which combine to produce the same effect as the gum, the candy acts as an inexpensive Water Pick, stimulating the flow of saliva and squirting it between the teeth.

Gummi Bears do contain sugars and corn syrup, two proven cavity producers, so it is best to brush and flush afterward. Whether the positives outweigh the negatives is a matter of debate.

Periodontal disease, or pyorrhea, is a painless disease of the supporting tissues of the gums, teeth and bones of the mouth. This condition is very difficult to eradicate. In assessing the oral cavity of a diabetic patient, check for bad breath, loose teeth, swollen, red or tender gums, bleeding gums, tartar formation and dryness of the mouth. Ask the patient if they feel pain on chewing, if teeth are sensitive to the temperature or a change in the way the teeth fit together when they bite. Dryness can be the result of either a high blood sugar, or defective salivary glands. Numbness of the mouth due to neuropathy can cause a burning sensation. The dentist should be made aware that the patient has diabetes and of the medications that they are taking.

By Annette R. Karnash, R.N., M.N.

Gastric by-pass surgery can improve or eliminate type 2 diabetes in obese individuals according to University of Pittsburgh researchers. Patients lose weight because their smaller stomachs can’t take in as many calories. Eighty three percent of obese patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent the surgery saw improvement in and even total reversal of their disease. They achieved excellent biomedical control and were able to reap clinical benefits of withdrawing from most if not all anti-diabetic medications, including insulin.

Younger patients with less severe disease may gain more from the surgery by circumventing years of progressive debilitating disease. Heart patients who have diabetes are likely to do better after having angioplasty or stent placement, if they control blood sugar levels. Those with diabetes are known to be at greater risk for restenosis than non-diabetics. A study performed at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, looked at 239 patients having angioplasty or stenting, including 179 people with type 2 diabetes. Sixty non-diabetics composed the control group. Each persons glycosolated hemoglobin (HBA1C) was taken before catheterization. The patients with diabetes who maintained the strict control had a significantly lower rate of repeat procedures within a year compared with patients with diabetes whose HBA1C exceeded 7%.

Only 15% of those with optimal glucose control required revascularization, compared to 34% of those with suboptimal HBA1C levels. The well controlled group also had lower rates of recurrent angina and cardiac related hospitalizations at 12 month follow-up.

Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when an individual has three or more of the following; obesity, hypertension, high triglycerides, glucose intolerance and low HDL cholesterol. It is estimated that 47 million people or one in five overweight Americans has metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance is thought to be the link between these conditions. Patients should be referred to their physician if the following risk factors are noted:

• Obesity – especially abdominal obesity and a body mass index (BMI) above 25
• Hypertension
• Family history of type 2 diabetes
• Personal history – if heart disease, diabetes (including gestational) or polycystic ovary disease.
• Increased amounts of fats in the blood
• Low HDL
• High LDL
• High Triglycerides
• High Sugar Levels

Those with three risks have a slightly higher chance of dying of heart disease, those with all the risk factors are 6 times more likely to develop heart disease and those with metabolic syndrome may also face 2 times the risk for stroke than those who do not have the syndrome.

Even changing one aspect will improve steps to better health. Losing weight and exercising can reduce insulin levels, hypertension and blood sugar. Consuming less fat and calories and eating more fruits and vegetables will reduce cholesterol. Medication may be needed to achieve physical goals. Like any other disease entity, having it diagnosed early and learning about it will enable the individual to have it under control and perhaps even reverse it.

By Annette R. Karnash, R.N., M.N.
Wouldn’t it be nice if a trip to the dentist would be as pleasant as a trip to the hair dresser? Preventive dentistry means flossing, brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, getting regular professional cleanings twice a year and using a bacteria killing mouthwash. Modern technology has found additional preventive techniques that may even prove to be more beneficial – eating one ounce of certain types of cheeses such as Swiss, aged Cheddar or Monterrey Jack, eliminates the acid production of plaque.

Plaque is a soft film of bacteria, saliva and minute food particles that stick to the teeth and places you at higher risk for developing cavities. Of course what is good for your mouth does not necessarily hold true for your waistline or arteries – so not 4-5 ounces – only one ounce. Research has shown that chewing gum containing sorbitol for 10 minutes after meals or snacks helps to neutralize the acids that form on dental plaque which leads to cavities. It stimulates the flow of saliva and squirts it between the teeth into crevices where decay breeds. Even a gelatin-like Gummi Bear may produce a cavity reducing ability similar to that of sorbitol after 10 minutes of chewing. With the rubbery consistency and citric acid, which combine to produce the same effect as the gum, the candy acts as an inexpensive Water Pick, stimulating the flow of saliva and squirting it between the teeth.

Gummi Bears do contain sugars and corn syrup, two proven cavity producers, so it is best to brush and flush afterward. Whether the positives outweigh the negatives is a matter of debate.

Periodontal disease, or pyorrhea, is a painless disease of the supporting tissues of the gums, teeth and bones of the mouth. This condition is very difficult to eradicate. In assessing the oral cavity of a diabetic patient, check for bad breath, loose teeth, swollen, red or tender gums, bleeding gums, tartar formation and dryness of the mouth. Ask the patient if they feel pain on chewing, if teeth are sensitive to the temperature or a change in the way the teeth fit together when they bite. Dryness can be the result of either a high blood sugar, or defective salivary glands. Numbness of the mouth due to neuropathy can cause a burning sensation. The dentist should be made aware that the patient has diabetes and of the medications that they are taking.