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Copyright 2003, Health Partners of New Hampshire, Inc.
The Partnership works with patients in our community that have been diagnosed with diabetes or cardiovascular disease (CVD). The members of this partnership are you, the patient, your doctor, and Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.
We are committed to helping our patients with a diagnosis of diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease, reach their goal of living a healthy and productive life. In order to accomplish this goal, we must work together as a team in making decisions, which will help prevent the complications that can occur.
Diabetes occurs in about 8% of the population.
There are two types of diabetes:
Type I Diabetes occurs in about 10% of the diabetic population. In this type the body cannot produce insulin that helps sugar move into the cells for energy use.
Type II Diabetes is more common and occurs in about 90 to 95% of the diabetic population. The organ in our body called the pancreas either produces too little insulin or the body’s cells that use the insulin to convert sugar to energy become resistant and cannot use the insulin produced.
How do I know I have to see my doctor because I am concerned about diabetes?
Diabetes can present in many different ways:
- Increased thirst and urination.
- Increased appetite with weight loss.
- Fatigue and weakness.
- Decreased sensation in legs.
- Erectile Dysfunction in men.
- Or no symptoms at all.
Due to the variation in symptoms or no symptoms at all it is important to have a physical once a year.
Once you have been diagnosed, diabetes is treatable with medication and certain lifestyle changes. The partnership requires a meeting with your provider every 3 months with some blood work prior to your visit, giving both you and your doctor a snapshot of the variation in your blood sugar and cholesterol over the last 3 months.
For more information please call and set up an appointment with your provider. You can also access the following website for more information on diabetes. http://diabetes.org
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is common in the general population, affecting the majority of adults past the age of 60. Heart disease is the major cause of death for people with diabetes. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease.
CVD includes four major areas:
- Hardening or narrowing of the arteries that supply oxygen to the heart cause a decrease in the blood flow to the heart which can cause a heart attack. Coronary heart disease can produce angina, heart attack, heart failure, and even death.
- Narrowing of major arteries of the brain cause strokes (brain attack) or TIA (angina of the brain).
- Narrowing of the smaller arteries in the leg can produce intermittent leg pain while walking or loss of sensation in the leg.
- Dilation of major blood vessels in the chest or abdomen is called an aneurysm, which can tear or rupture and even cause death.
Factors that increase your risk for heart disease:
- Smoking
- High Blood Pressure
- Being Overweight
- Your age
- Being a male and having a family history of heart disease
- Diabetes
- High Blood Cholesterol
- Low Good Cholesterol (HDL)
Through regular checkups with your doctor and maintaining the bad cholesterol (LDL) under 70, good blood pressure control, along with exercise, you can decrease the risk of CVD.
http://www.americanheartassciation.org
http://delicousdecisions.org
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