Studies show significant decrease in diabetes and high cholesterol rates. What are you doing to get/maintain your "good numbers"?

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 12:55:57 -0500

Since my retirement, I've stopped smoking, significantly reduced alcohol consumption (0 since the beginning of this year), began eating healthy again, and got back into regular exercise (To include addressing other veteran related issues), which has improved my numbers and health all around! What are you doing to get/maintain your "good numbers"?

New statistics show the number of Americans being newly diagnosed with diabetes is falling, reversing a trend that makes diabetes a major killer.

And a second study shows fewer Americans have high cholesterol. Experts say it may be that people are starting to slowly take health warnings seriously.

In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 1.7 million new cases of diabetes. By last year, it dropped to 1.4 million.

"We are looking at some progress we have been making in America," said Dr. Gerald Fletcher of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, who is a spokesman for the American Heart Association.

Still, the total number of people with diabetes is going up. CDC says 22 million Americans had been diagnosed with diabetes in 2014, about the same as in 2013 and up from 20.7 million in 2011 and 10 million in 1997.

Diabetes directly kills more than 71,000 people a year, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Most cases are type-2 diabetes, which is linked to poor diet and a lack of exercise.

"Of all the fat countries we always been the fattest top three or four in the world," Fletcher said. More than two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, and extra pounds cause cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure to rise.

A second report shows levels of unhealthy cholesterol are also starting to fall.

"The prevalence of high total cholesterol has declined," Margaret Carroll, an epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics who led the cholesterol study, told NBC News.

Her team found that 12 percent of U.S. adults had high cholesterol levels - defined as a reading of 240 - in 2011 to 2014. That's down from 13.4 percent in 2009-2010. "It's a good sign," Carroll said.

While the widespread use of cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins is certainly a factor, it cannot explain everything, Carroll said. Statins, which include Lipitor, Mevacor, Crestor and Zocor, are extremely popular. They're prescribed to about 15 percent of U.S. adults.

But, Carroll said, "We found a decline in mean (average) cholesterol even among people not on cholesterol-lowering medications," she said.

"Drugs are wonderful," Fletcher said. "But at the same time, people are beginning to do more regular exercise."

Fletcher, who says he works out on a stationary bicycle, treadmill and elliptical machine, said doctors and nurses alike are beginning to urge patients to exercise and it pays off quickly.

"We are getting more user-friendly for exercise in many parts of the country." Sidewalks, trails for runners, bikers and walkers and even neighborhood gyms can all help.

Smoking is also linked with high cholesterol, Carroll noted.

"I believe smoking has decreased. That could be one thing," she said.

The CDC says the number of smokers has plummeted by nearly 20 percent in the past 10 years to less than 17 percent of the population.

Carroll notes that food companies have moved to get rid of trans-fats in processed foods. These artificially hardened fats have been shown to worsen cholesterol levels even more than naturally saturated fats such as butter.

The Food and Drug Administration is moving to limit their use but groups such as the American Heart Association have been warning people about them for years.

The cholesterol patterns were not all good. Carroll's team also found that fewer people had high enough levels of so called good cholesterol - the high density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. They found 18.5 percent of adults had HDL levels under 40, compared to 21 percent in 2009-2010. It's not clear why.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/heart-health/startling-studies-show-diabetes-high-cholesterol-rates-falling-n472796

Could Americans Finally Be Doing Something Right?

Two startling studies show that fewer Americans are being newly diagnosed with diabetes, and fewer have high cholesterol levels.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 12:59 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 12:59:37 -0500

Step 1: Push away from the table (helps with weight loss).
Step 2: Moderate intake of greasy and sugary foods.
Step 3: Drink more water than other liquids.
Step 4: Eat more mixed nuts.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Dec 2 at 2015 1:15 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:15:29 -0500

My doctor treats me aggressively to maintain the numbers, and I watch my diet and get regular exercise.

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Dec 2 at 2015 1:15 PM

SSG Audwin Scott — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:15:36 -0500

I found out last year that I was a type 2 Diabetic and didn't even know it. Both parents are type 2 so mines was more the less hereditary, I basically try to watch my sugar intake.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Dec 2 at 2015 1:23 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:23:15 -0500

For me in addition to the cholesterol medication I take, I have found that triple omega has helped reduce my LDL and triglyceride levels [the high triglyceride level was inherited from my dad] MSgt Curtis Ellis. I tested it 6 years ago under a doctor's supervision and it showed a measurable reduction. Fish oil is good for many but I can't tolerate it.
Cinnamon capsules help some people to control their blood sugar.
I stopped smoking in 1986 and drinking in 1987. Eliminating both of those habits cold turkey has helped but hereditary roles stall are a factor.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Dec 2 at 2015 2:52 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:52:22 -0500

Exercise. My father and brother had extremely high cholesterol levels and suffered for it. My father began having strokes in his mid-40s. My brother has total blokage of his carotid arteries. Their problem was they both could eat anything and never gain weight while I gained just watching them eat. Diet never affected my cholesterol. However, if I exercise regularly, my cholesterol drops.

Response by 1SG Nick Baker made Dec 2 at 2015 2:53 PM

1SG Nick Baker — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:53:33 -0500

This time of year, I will take the 5th.

Response by MSgt Daniel Attilio made Dec 2 at 2015 3:05 PM

MSgt Daniel Attilio — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:05:47 -0500

I hop on my treadmill regularly, has been beneficial to own one. Can't make excuses. I also run in local 5Ks and and will be doing Polar Bear Plunge on 1 Jan.
We are vegetarians Mon-Fri, eat lots of fruits and drink gallons of water.

Response by SSgt Paul Esquibel made Dec 3 at 2015 11:59 AM

SSgt Paul Esquibel — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:59:36 -0500

Well I would say a social trend has begun again like in the 80's among civilians. When I returned from living overseas I noticed that the "Gym lifestyle" had become more faddish. You had the explosive expansion of Crossfit, which even though I disagree with that type of training influenced people to get back into the gym. Additionally the model of what is attractive in women has changed, society now views a woman who squats an exercises with weights to be more attractive, so because of this view it has influenced more women to want to workout which in turn motivates a healthier lifestyle and as far as men same goes as the women they want to meet may require them to be more in shape. Additionally more knowledge has been spread out now, knowing that Diabetes is directly linked to high fruitose, fast burn sugars and carbohydrates. The knowledge that more protein, complex carbs and activity have lessened the affects of Diabetes on our culture. Gym are no longer just for meat heads like myself but for the average guy or professional woman. I maintain a Atkins lifestyle, not diet because diets only work for professional looking to obtain a specific goal, I maintain a high intake of chicken, pork, beef, and fish and stick to mostly green veggies, I have one cheat meal a week which is usually just selected fast food place, this has been the only way for a person who is 6"4 255lbs to maintain and lose body fat because I am proned to more of a Endomorph body type, I can gain size/mass amazingly fast but I gain the fat too which is harder for me to burn off. I advocate a Atkins Lifestyle because it's the only scientific proven results and it lowers your blood preasure, HC1/HC2.