FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 17, 2019 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 51
wellness
What you should know about type 2 diabetes and heart health
When you’re living with type 2 diabetes,
there is a lot to think about when it
comes to your health. Most people know
that eating healthy, staying physically
active, and following a prescribed treatment
plan are important to successfully
manage the disease. What many people
may not know is that it’s also important
to understand how diabetes impacts your
heart health.
An online survey was conducted on
behalf of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
by Th e Harris Poll in February 2018,
which found that nearly all of the 508 US
adults age 18+ with type 2 diabetes surveyed
said it’s important to stay active
(98%), eat healthy (99%), and follow
a treatment plan exactly as prescribed
(98%) in order to successfully manage
their condition.
Having type 2 diabetes increases your
risk for heart disease. In fact, people living
with type 2 diabetes are two to four
times more likely to die from heart disease
than people without diabetes.
Armed with this knowledge, Matthew
(60), a former postal worker who lives in
Tennessee, is diligent about managing his
condition and educating his loved ones
about their family history and increased
risks. Matthew has a long family history
of type 2 diabetes, and received his own
diagnosis during a hospital stay due to
symptoms of heart failure. Now on a successful
treatment plan, Matthew said, “I
wish I had asked my doctor about heart
disease earlier! I didn’t know my family
history soon enough.”
In order to manage his type 2 diabetes
and heart health, Matthew focuses on
eating healthy foods, exercising regularly,
and tracking his progress. He takes
INVOKANA® (canaglifl ozin) to lower
his blood sugar, which is also approved by
the US Food and Drug Administration to
reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular
(CV) events in adults with type
2 diabetes who have established CV disease.
INVOKANA® is the fi rst and only
oral diabetes treatment approved with
this additional CV indication.
INVOKANA® is a once-daily pill
used along with diet and exercise to
lower blood sugar in adults with type
2 diabetes. INVOKANA® can reduce
the risk of major cardiovascular events
such as heart attack, stroke, or death in
adults with type 2 diabetes who have
established CV disease. In most clinical
trials, the majority of people taking
INVOKANA® reached an A1C goal
of less than 7%, which is recommended
by the American Diabetes Association.
INVOKANA® is not for weight loss,
but may help people lose weight-on average
2-3 percent. INVOKANA® was
also shown in clinical trials to reduce
systolic blood pressure (on average 3-5
mmHg), though it is not indicated as a
blood pressure medication. Results may
vary by dose and when used alone or
with certain other diabetes medications.
INVOKANA® may increase the risk
of lower-limb amputations. Th e most
common side eff ects of INVOKANA®
include genital yeast infections, urinary
tract infection, and changes in urination.
Th ese specifi c adverse events were generally
mild-to-moderate in intensity and
infrequently led to discontinuation in
clinical studies.
If you have type 2 diabetes, here are a
few tips for living well with the condition
and managing your cardiovascular risk:
Learn about heart-healthy foods. Th ese
simple food swaps can help you create
healthy meals and lower your risk of
developing heart disease.Take the climb.
Incorporate cardiovascular exercise into
your daily routine - one great option is
taking the stairs! Did you know you can
do an entire workout on your staircase at
home? Th ese exercises will get your heart
pumping. Before any strenuous physical
activity, be sure to talk to your doctor.
Ask your doctor about your cardiovascular
risk. Your doctor can help you understand
if you are at risk for a cardiovascular
event, and what you can do to lower
your risk while managing type 2 diabetes.
Visit INVOKANA.com to fi nd more
heart-healthy recipes and cardiovascular
exercise ideas, as well as information
on reducing your risk for major adverse
cardiovascular events, important components
in a type 2 diabetes management
plan.
Courtesy BPT
Omega-3s: Do you really know what they are, and if you are getting enough?
Each day we are bombarded with heaping
helpings of health headlines - the latest,
must-know, must-do health advice.
Sometimes the tips seem obvious; but
oft en, it’s quite diffi cult to understand
what will produce health benefi ts - especially
when headlines and social media
can make legitimate advice seem irrelevant
in a moment.
Over the years, we’ve seen more confl
icting advice around omega-3 fatty
acids such as eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic (DHA). Th ousands of
published scientifi c studies have shown
the benefi ts, and we know that the human
body needs them to function but can’t
create them on its own. Among their
numerous benefi ts, EPA and DHA have
been associated with overall heart health
and improving eye, brain and joint performance.
Yet most are confused
Unlike many other important measures
of health, most people have no awareness
of their omega-3 levels.
Omega-3s are found in fatty fi sh such
as salmon, sardines and mackerel. But
the reality is, many people have diffi culty
achieving optimal levels with diet alone.
And according to one recent study, even
among people who believed they were
eating a balanced diet, 98 percent had levels
of omega-3s that were below the optimal
level.
“I had heard fi sh oil was critical to
a balanced diet,” said Schnelle “Nellie”
Acevedo, a fi tness blogger and mom of
three. “As an avid runner and working
mom, making smart choices about
my health is really important to me. As I
learned more about omega-3s and their
health benefi ts, I started worrying that I
could be omega-3 defi cient and wondering
what kind of toll that could be taking
on my health.”
What we can do
Today, there are resources available to
help us get an answer on where our levels
stand - the Omega-3 Index test is a simple
blood test that unveils what percentage of
red blood cells contain EPA and DHA.
Th ere’s also a brief quiz online that
provides a general guide for individual
omega-3 scores. Th e fi ve-question
quiz at www.knowyouromega3s.com was
launched by MegaRed, an omega-3 supplement
brand dedicated to helping support
overall health. By answering the simple
questions, you can determine if your
levels might be low, and learn helpful
tips and actions to ensure you are getting
enough omega-3s.
When it comes to health, knowledge is
just the fi rst step
Every health journey is unique, so
regardless of the latest trend, it’s key to
act to determine where you stand and the
changes that work for you. Like understanding
your cholesterol or blood pressure
levels, knowing your omega-3 levels
is an important marker of health.
“It’s tough to be sure of your health and
fi tness choices, but I got an answer when
it comes to omega-3s. Last year, I sent in
a test to check my omega-3 levels. When
I got my results, my numbers were not
nearly where I want to be. I needed to
supplement my diet to get my numbers
up!” said Acevedo. “It’s important for
you to know whether or not you are getting
enough omega-3s, and what you can
do to fi x it!”
Courtesy BPT
/INVOKANA.com
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.knowyouromega3s.com
/www.knowyouromega3s.com
