Health Tips for a Better Life

There are many elements that affect the way your blood glucose levels rise and fall when you have diabetes. But one fact is set in stone: that is keeping your blood sugars consistently within a healthy range plays a big part in significantly reducing the risk of potential long term health problems.

Here are a few results and guidelines from studies carried out by the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) in type 1 diabetes and the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) in people with type 2 diabetes:

Fact 1: Good control reduces risk. Challenged to achieve an average level (HbA1c) as close to the normal range as possible, people in the DCCT group registered major reductions of their likelihood of developing specific complications:

eye disease risk down by 76%
kidney disease risk cut in half
nerve damage risk down by 62%

Fact 2: Benefits are long lasting. The original study finished in 1993 and researchers continued to track 90% of the participants.

They found their intensive blood glucose control had also reduced the risk of:
any cardiovascular related problems by 42%
chances of non-fatal heart attack, stroke or death by 57%

Fact 3: Small changes make a difference. Even a small reduction in your average glucose level can make a large difference to your long term health prospects. The UKPDS researchers chose a group for more aggressive treatment. This included the use of oral medication and insulin where needed. This group managed to reduce their HbA1c level to 7% compared to 7.9% averaged in the conventional group.

This small difference translated into:
a huge 25% reduction in the risk of circulatory damage which would have led to eye, kidney or nerve disease
people with this group were 12% less likely to develop any diabetes related complications
and 10% less likely to die from similar causes

Fact 4. The lower the level the better. These findings allowed researchers to estimate that if you cut your HbA1c by just one percentage point, you can reduce:

your risk of damage to small blood vessels critical to eye health, kidneys, nerves and blood circulation, by 35%
your likelihood of dying from diabetes related causes by 25%
and dying from a heart attack by 18%

And if your HbA1c is above the normal range, researchers say the more you reduce it, the more positive the impact on your health.

The best way to take charge of your glucose levels and type 1 or type 2 diabetes, is to measure your levels regularly via a combination of home blood glucose testing and periodically monitoring your HbA1c levels through your health care provider.

Is it safe for men with high blood pressure to take viagra?

As men getting older, their arteries become less flexible and blood pressure rises. This problem is aggravated by obesity, too much cholesterol in the blood, diabetes, kidney disease, and so on. Viagra works by allowing arteries to dilate. For those with erectile dysfunction, this is a good thing because dilation allows more blood to flow into the penis and creates an erection. But if more arteries are affected, blood flows more rapidly around the body and this causes a drop in blood pressure. Viagra is designed to be reasonably specific, i.e. only to affect the penis. But if you are also taking one of the drugs designed to reduce blood pressure, e.g. ACE inhibitors, diuretics, alphablockers, etc., it was suggested the interaction could produce a more rapid drop in pressure which might be dangerous.

The question, obviously, is short: “how dangerous?” In 2002, the drug companies ran a full clinical trial to find out. Men with high blood pressure were invited to participate and took both Viagra and one of the other medications used to treat hypertension. Over time, less than 3% of the participants stopped taking the viagra. Indeed, some 75% found their erections improved without any side effect. The problem with a clinical trial is that this is one group of participants asked to report how they feel on a sensitive issue. It does not mean that viagra is safe for every man. So, if you have high blood pressure, viagra is probably safe and, more importantly, the improvement in sexual performance makes any actual side effects acceptable. But you should monitor the situation and, if you do experience problems, discuss them with your doctor. Remember, there is clear evidence that combining viagra with a nitrate is dangerous. This drug is usually prescribed to treat heart disease. Finally, you should take life easy for six months after a stroke or heart attack.

Can diabetics take viagra?

Diabetes can damage the nerve endings in different parts of the body. This interferes with the way in the body feels things and can cause erectile dysfunction. There have been a number of trials to measure the effectiveness of viagra among men with diabetes. To ensure a scientific result, the men were not told whether they were using viagra or a placebo. Some were allowed to change the dosage up or down from the standard 50 mg.

Taking all the trials together, none of the men reduced the dosage. The majority taking the standard or a higher dosage reported an improvement in their ability to achieve penetration and maintained the erection over time. Some 60% achieved significantly better levels of sexual satisfaction. This is a good performance from a group suffering nerve damage that cannot be cured. Only about 2% of the participants stopped using cheap viagra because of adverse side effects. The most common problem was feeling thirsty which was easily resolved by drinking water. More serious side effects were rare. A few suffered hypo- or hyperglycemic events, and one or two found their eyesight was affected.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) or male impotence as it is usually referred to is a health condition when a man is unable to produce or maintain an erection suitable for successful sexual intercourse. It is not commonly discussed as compared to other health issues, but it is quite common, affecting about 10% of men regardless of age and race.

Common causes of erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by a large variety of factors, which may be divided into three main groups:psychological, physical, and pharmaceutical.

1. Psychological factors are the primary cause for ED, and include such conditions as stress, depression, anxiety relationship issues, insomnia, etc. 2. Physical factors causing impotence are connected to the four major health issues:

• Blood flow influencing conditions such as various heart diseases, blood pressure issues, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, etc. (this factor can be significantly reduced by medications like Cialis)
• Nervous system issues, such as spinal diseases, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, tumors, etc.
• Hormonal balance disorders, including hypogonadism, thyroid issues, and Cushing’s syndrome
• Structural deformations in the penile area, such as Peyronie’s disease, and hypospadias

3. Some medications can cause erectile dysfunction as a side-effect. Usually the effect wears off after you stop taking the drug, so don’t rush taking Cialis or other ED medications if that’s the cause. Here are some of the most common medications know to cause male impotence:

• Diuretics – these medications are used to induce urination, and are usually prescribed for treating hear failure, high blood pressure, and kidney disease
• Beta-blockers – these drugs act as anti-hypertension drugs, lowering the blood pressure.
• Fibrates – medications for reducing cholesterol levels
• Antipsychotics – these medications are used to treat severe psychiatric disorders
• Antidepressants – drugs used for treating depression symptoms
• Steroids – an entire class of medications used to treat a variety of health issues such steroid hormone deficiency, Aids and other conditions causing the decrease in muscle mass
• Immunosuppressants – drugs used to reduce the activity of the immune system
• H2-antagonists – medications prescribed for a variety of stomach acid related diseases.
• Anticonvulsants – drugs used in cases of epilepsy and bipolar disorders

Article by Cynthia Waldin

My son is eight years old and has kidney disease, when he told me his wish was to ride on an airboat in the Florida Everglades and see alligators, all my mom instincts went into hyper drive. My first thought was to say an absolute no. I mean, how safe could a ride on a small craft propelled by a big fan be? I was concerned about alligators, what would happen if the boat died in the water, could we have access to food and water and what if my son had to go to the bathroom? My answer would have remained an absolute no had I not found Cypress Airboat Rides online.

We had already carefully planned out a vacation to the ocean with my son’s doctor. We had references for local hospitals, and when we went to his last doctor’s visit before our scheduled trip my son told our doctor about wanting to ride an airboat and see the alligators. That was the final clincher, because his doctor said to go for it. How was I to argue with that? So, I began doing some fast and furious research and found Cypress Airboats.

Our experience was beyond excellent, and I was so thrilled to see my son’s face light up when alligators and beautiful birds seemed like they were just inches from him. During our time on our airboat ride I didn’t worry about his safety because I was so enraptured by the sheer look of joy on his face. All the fears and stress from dealing with his kidney disease disappeared on our airboat ride through the Florida Everglades.

Cypress’s staff assured me ahead of time that we were perfectly safe. My son liked the idea of a 300 horsepower aluminum sled and that it weighed 600 pounds. It’s funny what kids think about compared to parents. I was pleased it was top of the line and maintained and that the staff had a long-standing reputation of safe airboat tours. However, once all my questions and concerns were addressed, I felt totally comfortable surrendering control for an hour and letting these third generation natives of Florida, who call the Florida Everglades their “back yard”, take over.

Cypress Airboats staff was totally accommodating for my son’s special needs. They provided a custom tour that offered an experience my son and I will never forget. We were able to take many photographs of all the lush vegetation and my son got his wish to see the alligators, way closer than I would have ever allowed if I were not certain we were totally safe. I can’t thank the staff at Cypress enough for helping an overprotective mom give her son’s dream reality. I know we will be traveling to Florida again in the future, and when my son asks to ride the airboat, this time my answer will be a fast, resounding yes!