Upstate Senior Living 2020

www.UpstatePhysiciansSC.com | www.HealthLinksUpstate.com SL 5 | 37 of your drinks. Getting rid of soda, juice, Kool-Aid and sweet tea gets some people back to normal. Fruit juice is the same as drinking a Coke. Eat the fruit; don’t drink the juice.” He added that exercise also is important, both aerobic – walking and running – and resistance – lifting weights. “That increases muscle mass, and the more muscle you have, the more sugar gets burnt,” he said. Another option would be to take metformin, a drug used to control high blood sugar. However, Dr. Bond cited a study published in 2002 that compared the effectiveness of lifestyle changes to that of taking medication. “They found that lifestyle intervention was superior to metformin in reducing the incidence of diabetes,” Dr. Bond said. She pointed out that there are three different tests to determine if a person has diabetes. One looks at blood sugar level, while another, he- moglobin A1C, shows the average blood sugar of the previous three months. The third is an oral glucose tolerance test where the patient is given a set amount of sugar, then his or her blood sugar is measured two hours later. Dr. Cotter pointed out that the phenomenon of aging pushes a person toward diabetes. “It’s often said that if you live long enough, you will become diabetic,” he commented. He added, however, that he often sees prediabetes in chil- dren, mainly since they are overweight, a result of what they eat and drink and because they don’t get enough exercise. Both Dr. Bond and Dr. Cotter agreed that early diagnosis is important if patients with prediabetes, both young and old, are to avoid the effects of type 2 diabetes. Dr. Bond said screening is indicated for patients with symptoms that include increased thirst, increased urination, unexplained weight loss or blurry vision. She added that people with major risk factors, such as a family history of diabetes, being overweight or having high cholesterol or high blood pressure, should be screened regularly, along with people of certain ethnicities, such as African Americans, Asians and Native Americans. Testing for diabetes is recommended for everyone over the age of 45 as well. According to Dr. Bond, even senior citizens should be con- cerned if they are diagnosed with prediabetes. “They should attempt to change their lifestyle as best they can,” she said. “If they have conditions that prohibit exer- cise, such as arthritis, they should try to maintain a normal weight and stay as active as possible. If they have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, they should be managing those problems with their physician to improve their overall health.”