Diabetes News – October 2020

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. ​Although breast cancer is more prevalent among American white women, African-American women tend to die from the disease more often. Overall, only one percent of American males are diagnosed with breast cancer, but African-American men just like women in their community, are more prone to die from the disease. An estimated 2,670 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the United States and approximately 500 will die. 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers.

A risk factor is anything that increases your chances of getting a disease, such as breast cancer. But having a risk factor, or even many, does not mean that you are sure to get the disease. Certain breast cancer risk factors are related to personal behaviors, such as diet and exercise. Other lifestyle-related risk factors include decisions about having children and taking medicines that contain hormones.

Lifestyle-related Breast Cancer Risk Factors include:

  • Drinking Alcohol – The American Cancer Society recommends that women who drink have no more than 1 drink a day.
  • Being Overweight or Obese – being overweight after menopause is more strongly linked with an increased risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, whereas some research suggests that being overweight before menopause might increase your risk of the less common triple-negative breast cancer.
  • Not being physically active – The American Cancer Society recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week (or a combination of these), preferably spread throughout the week.

For women:

  • Not having children – Women who have not had children or who had their first child after age 30 have a slightly higher breast cancer risk overall.
  • Not breastfeeding -breastfeeding may slightly lower breast cancer risk, especially if it’s continued for a year or more
  • Birth Control – Some birth control methods use hormones, which might increase breast cancer risk.
  • Hormone therapy after menopause – Use of combined hormone therapy after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer
  • Breast Implants -implants have not been linked with an increased risk of the most common types of breast cancer. However, they have been linked to a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)

Many of these risk factors overlap with diabetic risk factors/preventions. Higher insulin levels have been linked to some cancers, including breast cancer. Managing your diabetes by keeping a healthy insulin level and lifestyle, you may also lessen your risk factors for breast cancer. Breast cancer is sometimes found after symptoms appear, but many women with breast cancer have no symptoms. This is why regular breast cancer screening is so important. Talk to you PCP about risk factors, screenings and other things you can do for disease prevention and/or treatment.

If you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover mammograms, the resources below may help you find a low-cost or free mammogram (or help with the cost).

  • The Komen Breast Care Helpline can help you find low-cost breast cancer screening in your area. Call the helpline at 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET.
  • Some Komen Affiliates fund breast cancer education and screening projects in their communities. Find a local Affiliate and learn about programs in your area.
  • The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides access to breast cancer screening to low-income, uninsured and underinsured women ages 40-64. It also provides access to diagnostic testing if results are abnormal, and referrals to treatment if breast cancer is diagnosed.

Call today to discuss getting your mammogram scheduled.

The Diet-Betus 

Pumpkin pie flavors, decorations, lattes and candles Pumpkins here, pumpkins there, pumpkins everywhere! So why not try some pumpkin soup! It a great way to warm up after a chilly afternoon of apple picking, leaf blowing and Halloween decorating.

Savory Pumpkin Soup Ingredients:

  • ½ Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 head cauliflower, florets diced (about 5 cups of florets total)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree (about 1.75 cups total)
  • 1 tsp. salt, to taste
  • 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk (or substitute with heavy cream)
  • Optional garnish: sliced green onions, chives, pumpkin seeds or sour cream
  • Like to spice things up a little, try adding a dash or two of cayenne pepper or a squirt of

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent (about 5-10 minutes). Add garlic, cumin and curry and cook for about 1 more minute, stirring.
  2. Add cauliflower, broth, and pumpkin. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer (covered) for about 20-30 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
  3. Stir in milk and salt.
  4. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, just transfer the soup to a large blender and puree until smooth. Be careful with the hot soup!

Community offerings:

* Many community offering have been postponed, changed or canceled as a result of the coronavirus/COVID 19.

Please call the number listed for the event to verify availability, dates and times.

If you have questions regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19 please call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634)

Or, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html or https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/.

Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP) – Erie County Senior Center

COST:  Free

CONTACT:  Tina Elmlinger, 419-624-1856

The Diabetes Empowerment Education Program [DEEP] is offered every Wednesday for six weeks. Good attendance is important. This free program is for diabetics, pre-diabetics, and spouses or caregivers of a diabetic.  Residents of Erie County, aged 60 or older, please call 419-624-1856 to register.

Diabetes Support Group – Firelands Regional Medical Center

The Diabetes Support Group presented by Jean Feick CNP,CDE, meets the third Wednesday of each month September-November and January-May from 12:00pm –1:00pm.  This meeting is free to the public and no registration is required. Attendees are welcome to purchase lunch in the hospital cafeteria and come to the adjacent Cafeteria Meeting #1.  A different topic will be reviewed each month. If you have questions, please contact the Diabetes Education Department at 419-557-6992.

HEALTH & WELLNESS SCREENING – offered by Firelands Regional Medical Center

You must Pre-register for all Lab Work at 419-557-7840.

Castalia Health & Wellness Screening

Dr. Kuns
101 So. Washington Street, Castalia, OH

Saturday, October 17
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM

 

Port Clinton Health & Wellness Screening

Dr. Braniecki and Dr. Widmer
3960 East Harbor Road, Port Clinton, OH

Saturday, November 7
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM

 

Huron Health & Wellness Screening

Dr. Williamson and Dr. Rousseau
300 Williams St, Huron, OH

Saturday, November 5
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM

 

Health & Wellness Screenings include:

  • Complete Blood Count with Metabolic & Lipid Panel (No Eating or Drinking for 12 Hours – Water Allowed – includes liver and kidney function studies, fasting blood sugar, thyroid, cholesterol, HDL/LDL and triglyceride levels along with a complete blood count.) – $45;
  • Hemoglobin A1C (A three month report card on how well your blood sugars have been running. A test used to diagnose diabetes and/or to evaluate how well your treatment plan is working.) – $25;
  • PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)- $30;
  • Vitamin D – $35;
  • TSH – $25

Diet and exercise are an essential part of diabetes management, so is routine testing.

The A1C test—also known as the hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c test—is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. It’s one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, and is also the main test to help you and your health care team manage your diabetes. Higher A1C levels are linked to diabetes complications, so reaching and maintaining your individual A1C goal is really important if you have diabetes.

Last quarter, 71% of our diabetic patients had an A1C of less than 9%. Talk with your provider to discuss the right options for you.