07 March 2010

Diabetes Tattoos Replacing Non-Permanent Types of Medical Identification

eMax Health
Removable medical identification jewelry is being voluntarily replaced with tattoos. Medical identification is important for patients in case of emergencies such as car accidents or collapsing in public, but some patients aren't privy to wearing jewelry or watches that might have their medical info inscribed on the inside because it's irritating. The caduceus symbol and a "T1" or "T2" specification is now permanently gracing the wrists and ankles of diabetics around the world.

The familiar caduceus is generally depicted as two serpents twisting around a herald's staff with wings outstretched at the top. Many ID bracelets or necklaces will have this symbol with the medical condition transcribed on the back. A necklace or bracelet isn't permanent however and some people can't stand wearing jewelry. This growing phenomenon is now testing the waters of whther tattoos are as taboo as some people might think.
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HbA1c better predictor of diabetes, heart disease than fasting blood glucose

Endocrine Today
HbA1c tests provide similar diabetes measurements to the traditional fasting blood glucose test, but the HbA1c excels in predicting future heart disease and stroke risks, researchers concluded in a new study.

As a diagnostic tool, “HbA1c has significant advantages over fasting glucose,” researcher Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology and medicine in the department of epidemiology at the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a press release.

The researchers compared the prognostic value of fasting glucose vs. HbA1c in identifying adults at risk for cardiovascular disease or diabetes. They measured samples from more than 11,000 black and white adults with no history of diabetes or CVD who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (1990-1992).
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Hoyas star Austin Freeman is far from alone in living with diabetes

Washington Post
You don't need to be an athletic marvel to successfully manage diabetes.

More than 285 million people, or 6.4 percent of the world's adult population, live with the disease right now, and it's safe to presume most of them can't make a layup on a 10-foot basket to save their lives.

Having said that, the traits that have helped Austin Freeman become a productive Division I basketball player, an elite college athlete, should serve him well in managing diabetes.
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