According to a recent article published in the New York Daily News women in perimenopause and menopause don’t realize they have diabetes. The symptoms of diabetes can be confused with symptoms of menopause including frequent urination, night sweats, anxiety, mood swings, foggy thinking, dry itchy skin, and vaginal infections.
In general, women with diabetes lose more years of life than men do. And while the death rate for women with diabetes has risen dramatically since the 1970s, it hasn’t risen for men with the disease. It’s estimated that girls born in the year 2000 have more than a 1 in 3 chance of getting diabetes in their lifetime.
Overweight women at any age with any one of the following risk factors should also be checked for diabetes: inactive, have a first-degree relative with diabetes, have polycystic ovaries, delivered a baby over 9 pounds, have high blood pressure above 140/90 or take blood pressure medication, have low good cholesterol. Be sure to measure your blood sugar regularly.
Divabetic (divabetic.org) is a national diabetes organization dedicated to women.
LISTEN NOW: On the Mr. Divabetic Show: That State Of Women’s Health we’re talking about the state of women’s equality and diabetes and sexual health post-election. While the outcome of the Presidential election means different things to different people, it is no secret that many of the words, values, and behaviors Americans have heard and seen during this election have deeply affected many people, including women.
Did you know that women are more likely than men to suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety and PTSD? Also, the numbers show us that women have not historically enjoyed the same power and privilege as men. For some women, the result may be a subtle but constant sense of vulnerability and vigilance.
From reproductive rights to Medicare coverage, there could be a lot of policy changes impacting US women over the next four years. Additionally, many women may feel threatened from hearing about a powerful leader’s many sexual assault accusations and the rising incidents of hate crimes post-election.
Guests include: Dr. Andrea Chisholm OBGYN, Peak 10 Skincare founder and Domestic Violence Advocate Connie Elder, Poet Lorraine Brooks, We Are Diabetes organization founder, Asha Brown, Mary Ann Hodorowicz RD, CDE and the President of Women in Government Relations, Kathryn Schubert.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Leona Lewis’ “Christmas, with Love” album courtesy of SONY Music.