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If you thought someone was going to rob you, how many locks would you put on your house?" nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator Sabah Al-Marashi asked her patients with diabetes. "Diabetes is a robber," she continued. "Even if it does not kill you, it can take away your quality of life."
She knows what many people apparently do not. A recent report found that two-thirds of Americans with Type 2 diabetes do not have it under control. Poorly controlled diabetes opens the door for a host of health invasions such as vision problems, nerve damage, and heart and kidney disease. But it doesn't have to be that way, experts say, if you learn the facts.
Here is a short diabetes quiz:
-You know you have diabetes if: a) you eat M&Ms for breakfast; b) a fasting blood glucose test on two occasions is 126 or higher; c) you weigh more than your horse. Answer: b. (The diagnosis of diabetes has changed recently to get people into care before complications set in.)
-"Pre-diabetes" means: a) you don't have diabetes ... yet; b) your fasting blood glucose test result is between 100 and 125; c) you may be able to prevent diabetes if you change your ways. All are correct.
-Your diabetes is considered in "good control" if: a) you only eat ice cream on your birthday; b) you always take your medicine; c) an A1C lab test result is less than 6.5 percent. Answer: c. (A low A1C means you are at a lower risk for diabetes complications.)
-The best diet to control diabetes is: a) carbohydrates are the devil; b) high in fiber; c) low in saturated fat; d) "carbohydrate-controlled." Answers: b, c, d
-The main reasons to count carbohydrates are to: a) make your life miserable; b) understand how many carbohydrates your body can handle at one time; c) give you freedom to eat a variety of foods and still control your diabetes. Answers: b, c.
-The only nutrition professionals credentialed to provide medical nutrition therapy for diabetes are: a) registered bridal consultants; b) registered dietitians; c) your barber. Answer: b.
-You can keep diabetes from robbing your health if you learn how to: a) put locks on your doors; b) deal with stress; c) eat correctly; d) take medications; e) stay active. Answers: b, c, d, e.
-"CDE" professional credentials mean a) Can Do Everything; b) Certified Diabetes Educator; c) Cunning Diabetes Expert. Answer: b.
-Learning how to control your diabetes can a) save big-time medical costs; b) preserve more good days in your life; c) make you a shining example for family and friends. All are correct.
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(Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Calif. Readers may send her an e-mail at bquinn(AT)chomp.org.)
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(c) 2005, The Monterey County Herald (Monterey, Calif.). Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
