Tag: insulin resistance

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Being Heart Healthy Doesn’t Have To Be A Drag!

Beloved Drag Queen Mutha Chucka, who is known for splashy costumes, striking hair and makeup, and humorous, politically pointed performances, is using her flair to promote heart health.

Back in 2016, Mutha Chucka landed in the hospital with a heart problem. Doctors diagnosed cardiomyopathy and “basically told me I was on death’s door,” Mutha recalled.

Today, Mutha Chucka exercises and eats lots of vegetables and not much red meat. Mutha, 58, is mindful of his family history of cardiovascular diseases. His grandmother had a stroke; both of his parents have high blood pressure; and his father has had high cholesterol and a heart attack treated with a stent.

As he strives to live a healthy life, he urges others to, as well. Mutha makes a point to educate the community about LGBTQ health and heart disease risk through charities, drag shows and online events.

“I just encourage everyone to take the best care of themselves,” he said. “It’s part of the persona of Mutha. I’m always telling everyone what to do.”

 

We’re talking about ‘HEART HEALTH & DIABETES‘ with musical inspiration from the rock band “Heart” on this episode of Divabetic’s popular Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes.

People with insulin resistance or diabetes in combination with one or more of these risk factors are at even greater risk of heart disease or stroke. However, by managing their risk factors,  people with diabetes may avoid or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease.

Guests include Author of ‘Nutrition & You’ Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Glucose SOS founder Pamela Heyward and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Heart’s “The Essential Heart” album courtesy of SONY Music

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How Do Perimenopause and Menopause Affect Women with Diabetes?

When you have your period, your estrogen and progesterone hormones are fluctuating and can affect how your body responds to insulin. During perimenopause, many women experience periods that are heavier or lighter, longer or shorter than usual. This is caused by the imbalance of progesterone and estrogen. For women with diabetes, the higher levels of estrogen can improve insulin sensitivity. However, higher levels of progesterone can cause insulin resistance. When your menstrual cycle is less predictable, you can expect your diabetes to be less stable on some days than others.

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We discuss the signs, symptoms and diabetes health-related issues of Menopause with special guest, Dr. Andrea Chisholm on this free Divabetic podcast.

Menopause happens naturally with age. But it can also happen as a result of surgery, treatment of a disease, or illness. In these cases it is called induced menopause or premature ovarian failure.

When menopause happens naturally, it tends to happen on average at the age of 51. But for some women it can happen before age 40. this is called premature menopause. The age when women enter menopause is thought to be mostly determined by their genes.

Andrea Chisholm, M.D. is a Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist practicing in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Chisholm graduated from Hunter College-CUNY (1991) and Boston University School of Medicine (1995). She completed her OB/GYN residency at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City (1999). Dr. Chisholm has been providing general gynecologic and obstetrical care to a diverse population of women over the last sixteen years.

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Sleep, Diabetes & Heart Disease

You probably already know that your family history, along with lifestyle choices, can affect your risk for type 2 diabetes. But did you know that your sleep habits can also play a role? Sleep deprivation is an often overlooked but significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of heart disease. 

The primary reason that regularly skimping on shuteye can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes is because your hormone levels get thrown out of whack according to the National Sleep Foundation. Specifically, with ongoing sleep loss, less insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar) is released in the body after you eat. Meanwhile, your body secretes more stress hormones (such as cortisol), which helps you stay awake but makes it harder for insulin to do its job effectively. The net effect: Too much glucose stays in the bloodstream, which can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

These effects have been seen with getting between four and a half to six hours of sleep per night. In particular, a decrease in slow-wave (or “deep”) sleep—which is thought to be the most restorative stage of sleep—seems to play a major role in maintaining proper insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.

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We’re talking about ‘Sleep, Diabetes & Heart Disease’ on August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from the iconic Phyllis Hyman on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST.

Dr. Patricia Farrell PhD joins us to share new research pointing to a lack of sleep being involved in insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes.

Our musical inspiration, Phyllis Hyman was a sensational singer-songwriter and actress. Deep-voiced and statuesque, Phyllis Hyman sang with a life-affirming energy and emotional intensity found in few other female vocalists.

Unfortunately Phyllis Hyman committed suicide, leaving a suicide note behind in 1995. Part of the note read “I’m tired. I’m tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you.”  It has been reported that she suffered from bi-polar disorder and depression and had a history of substance abuse which involved alcohol and cocaine. Who knows what accomplishments she would have achieved if she had lived longer?

August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Farrell PhD, Kristina Figueroa, ‘Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog’ Author Matt Pelicano, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach with Patricia Addie-Gentle.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Phyllis Hyman’ album courtesy of SONY Music.

TUNE IN

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Insulin Resistance Quiz

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 86 million Americans suffer pre-diabetes also known as metabolic syndrome.

Pre-diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance that develops when the body has trouble using the insulin that it produces. The more severe your insulin resistance, the greater your chance of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Dr. Sears Zone‘s Insulin Resistance Calculator helps determine your extent of insulin resistance, and also provides clinically-based dietary recommendations that may help reduce your levels of insulin resistance.

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Fibromyalgia & Insulin Resistance

Researchers have noticed that metformin can also address the pain of fibromyalgia, which has provided them with a new clue about this chronic condition reports Medical News.

“We showed that most — if not all — patients with fibromyalgia can be identified by their A1c levels, which reflects average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months,” said lead researcher, Dr. Pappolla from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX.

When the researchers compared the A1c test results of the people with fibromyalgia with those of age-matched controls, they found that the former group had significantly higher levels of hemoglobin A1c than the latter, indicating a measure of insulin resistance.

“[People with prediabetes] with slightly elevated A1c values carry a higher risk of developing central (brain) pain, a hallmark of fibromyalgia and other chronic pain disorders,” notes Dr. Pappolla, pointing out that this link between insulin resistance and fibromyalgia has been around for a long time.

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What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes abnormal pain all over the body, increased sensitivity to pain, and heightened feelings of fatigue, among other symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fibromyalgia affects 4 million people in the United States alone, which equates to about 2% of the population

Mr. Divabetic Raises Awareness for Diabetes at the Mermaid Parade

We’re talking about ‘Diabetes & Pride’ on June’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Ricky Martin.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stonewall Uprising (June 29, 1969). It is widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement.

Since Ricky Martin came out in 2010, he’s been a prominent voice for LGBT rights both in the U.S. and in his native Puerto Rico. Ricky Martin said, “I just wanna be free,” upon receiving GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award, which honors gay entertainers who promote equal rights. Martin opened up his life to Vanity Fair in its April 2012 issue and spoke candidly about his twins, Matteo and Valentino, and his longtime partner, Carlos Gonzalez.

As an openly gay man, Mr. Divabetic is proud to shine the spotlight on members from the LGBTQ+ community living with diabetes. Guests include Stephen Bernstein, Greg Rubin, Maria Salazar, Maya James and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

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