5 Tips to Help You Address Type 2 Diabetes in COVID-19 | Guest Column | Cheyenne Edition

Due to the ongoing epidemic of COVID-19 in Colorado and throughout the country, many people may be wearing masks again and avoiding the crowd. This can be especially true for 56% of Americans who have risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of COVID-19 complications such as type 2 diabetes.

It is important to note that for 30 million Americans with this disease and 88 million with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes is a major cause of medical complications, including heart disease and kidney damage. Type 2 diabetes is also more extensively costly to individuals and healthcare systems, contributing $ 327 billion annually in healthcare costs.

Unlike type 1 diabetes, which is generally caused by genetic or environmental factors, type 2 diabetes can be prevented or ameliorated by a combination of lifestyle choices. Importantly, studies show that existing diabetics with well-controlled blood glucose require less medical intervention and are more likely to recover from COVID-19. Similarly, approved COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be safe and effective and help reduce the risk of infection and hospitalization of this disease, including diabetics.

Here are five tips to consider after National Diabetes Month in November to transform type 2 diabetes from a lifelong chronic illness that requires medication to a state of remission.

Access to public resources.. Although it is possible to prevent or achieve remission of type 2 diabetes, it requires a balanced diet (restricting sugar and processed food intake) and efforts in daily life. To help with that, the American Diabetes Association is a 12-month online, called Living with Type 2 Diabetes, designed to help people learn about the disease and discover techniques for managing it. We offer a program. Another program, called Better Choices for Life, may help bring ADA guidelines to stores and make informed choices about the products to buy, from food and nutrition to diabetes treatment.

Monitor your weight.. Body mass index has potential drawbacks, especially for muscular athletes, but this calculation of height compared to weight can be useful for monitoring. This is because people with moderately elevated BMI may be at increased risk of developing diabetes-related complications. Check with your GP or use an online calculator to monitor your BMI. A weight loss program may help if your BMI indicates a potential risk. In fact, studies show that overweight people who lose only 5% of their initial weight can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than 50%. Check with your employer or health insurance for resources such as an online weight loss program focused on helping users develop healthier daily habits for help in losing unwanted weight. please.

Use an interval diet.. When it comes to preventing and managing obesity and diabetes, the cliché “you are what you eat” applies, but it may also be related to when and how you eat. Also known as intermittent fasting or time-limited fasting, intermittent fasting alternates between fasting and non-fasting periods during the day or throughout the week. Lifestyle changes to consider include waiting at least an hour after waking up and before eating breakfast, and avoiding eating within three hours of sleeping. In addition, people may pay attention to the order in which they eat. Each meal starts with lean protein (chicken, fish, turkey), vegetables (broccoli, green beans, carrots), carbohydrates (brown rice, pasta or sweet potatoes). This orderly approach can lead to lower postprandial glucose and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Consider a walk after a meal.. People who want better control of their blood sugar and weight can also consider taking a short walk after eating meals and light meals, especially after eating sugared foods such as juices and desserts. A post-meal walk helps the body move blood sugar from blood to muscle cells and normalize it. Whenever possible, make a 15-minute walk after meals. This reduces the risk of blood sugar spikes.

Leverage technology.. Smartwatches and activity trackers are potential resources that can help you monitor a variety of health measures such as daily steps, sleep patterns, and blood sugar levels. Recently, some diabetics have begun to use continuous blood glucose monitors. This technology uses a sensor that is often worn on the abdomen to continuously read blood glucose levels and send them to your smartphone. This provides users and healthcare providers with important real-time information and reveals the relationship between diet, exercise, and blood glucose levels that can be difficult to observe with the test strip and glucose meter alone.

Pandemics can cause stress on many Americans, especially those with chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes. By reviewing these tips, these difficult times may help people improve their health and reduce their risk of complications with COVID-19.

Donna O’Shea is the Chief Medical Officer of Population Health at United Healthcare.