Some people think that
the medical community is picking on folk who are significantly
overweight. I heard this a lot about “Sista’ Big Bones.” I have some
dear friends who are overweight but that still does not mean I will
stop explaining to folk that obesity causes multiple medical
problems and kills people. Recent research shows that as weight
increases the likelihood of diabetes increases. Most weight gain is
around the abdomen and that is why waist circumference becomes an
important factor. Men should make every effort to keep their waist
below 40 in. and women below 35in. (This is the data for African
Americans.). Another important factor is caloric intake. Decreasing
what you eat and increasing your activity level plays a major role
in diabetic control, particularly in patients over 50 years of age.
This is unpopular information, but it is a truth that African
Americans will have to accept if the prevalence of this major
disease in our community is going to decrease. Finally, diabetes is
a major reason why African Americans have more strokes, heart
disease, kidney failure, and vascular disease (amputations). In
medicine we call this “end organ failure.” Talk to your doctor about
this “Good Information.”
Stroke:
Time is everything Part I of II
Are
you familiar with the signs and symptoms of a stroke? African
Americans in general don’t seem to be aware of the signs and
symptoms of a stroke and that may be a contributing reason why there
is a high prevalence of strokes in African Americans that live in
the southeastern part of the United States. South Carolina is a
major part of the “stroke belt”. Interestingly enough research shows
that people who are in fair to poor health are more likely to report
stroke symptoms. Even highly medically sophisticated patients are
often unaware of the symptoms of a stroke. This lack of awareness
has led to a number of programs that try to bring African Americans
and others up to par. As a result of this unfortunate dilemma the
wastage from strokes is also highest in the African American
community. Time is very important when a stroke is on the horizon.
Generally there is a window of 1-2 hours when immediate treatment of
a stroke can diminish or prevent devastation. Knowing the classic
warning signs of a stroke are important and awareness is a must if
the victim is to have a chance at recovery. Act immediately by
getting the stroke victim to the emergency room (ER) first. Notice I
said go to the ER first then call the physician. Take the patient to
the ER immediately. Be aware of these more common symptoms of a
stroke:
Sudden numbness or weakness in the arms,
legs, or face
Sudden confusion or trouble speaking,
inability to understand speech, sudden blurred vision out of one
or both eyes
Loss of balance or coordination, sudden
headache or dizziness
Time is very important and, remember, the patient could be you.
Stroke:
Timing is Everything Part II of III
I hope you know the
signs and symptoms of a stroke and of equal importance you know to
get the victim to the Emergency Room quickly. Strokes are primarily
a medical problem of African Americans who live in the Stroke Belt.
The stroke belt states are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. If you live in one
of these states, you are more likely to have a stroke. It should
come as no surprise that these are the same states that have a high
prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, people who live a sedentary
life style and folk who smoke. These are the risk factors for
stroke. Age is also a risk factor that is often forgotten. Another
factor is patient mistrust of the medical system. As a result they
don’t get needed checkups and suffer the consequences. This mistrust
is high among African American men and so are strokes. Recent
research shows that one in five African Americans age 45 or older
have undiagnosed stroke symptoms and patients, as well as
physicians, often miss the symptoms that could be important. I am
Dr. Thaddeus John Bell--- Closing the Gap in Healthcare.
Diabetes
and Control
This month is Diabetes
Month and there is a lot of new information available to help
patients live longer with diabetes. You may remember that singer
Janet Jackson recorded a hit song called “Control”. She was not
singing about controlling diabetes but controlling one’s life. Well,
to my way of thinking, if you have diabetes and don’t keep it under
control, your life is going to be full of complications. Folk who
don’t control their diabetes experience more heart disease, kidney
failure, amputations, blindness, and erectile dysfunction than
anyone else. If you have to be hospitalized, controlling your blood
sugar becomes critical to the outcome of your stay. Control of
diabetes, as well as blood pressure, is of paramount importance.
What you eat is just as important as how much you eat. If you are
not sure about your meal plans, become educated and speak with a
nutritionist. People who are educated about their medical problems
are healthier. Also, know your A1C. If you have never heard of an
A1C then you will probably have some complications. An A1C of 7 or
less means you have good control of your diabetes. An A1C of 6.5 or
less means better control and 5.6 is the best control. Talk to your
physician and ask him about your A1C.
