| Welcome to the November
2007 edition of Access Digest. If you'll pardon
our nagging, we're still recommending that people
with diabetes carefully consider getting flu and
pneumonia shots as soon as they are available
in your area. As always, consult with your doctor
after you've read the benefits explained in this
month's articles.
Our Lifestyle Tip
for November is actually a yearly tip -- to get
a flu shot each year in order to be protected
from the latest strains of this killer disease.
Our Recipe of the Month is a delicious
and healthy salad, Apple and Walnut Chicken
Salad, that can be either a main course or
a side dish.
As always, when you see "Read More" at
the end of an article, or something that is underlined,
you can click on it to be linked to another
Web site where you'll find more information. When
you find a site that you may want to visit again
in the future, you can bookmark it.
Each month we receive
questions from our readers. We post some of the
more frequent questions and answers for everyone
to read. If you have questions or comments of
your own, please e-mail them to us at the end
of this issue.
We hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter.
Thank you for making Access Diabetic Supply
your choice for diabetic supplies. |
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If you have diabetes, a flu shot could
save your life |
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For people with diabetes, the
flu can be more than aches and pains. It can mean
longer illness, hospitalization, even death. Uncontrolled
diabetes can make the immune system more vulnerable
to severe cases of "the flu" (influenza). Everybody
with diabetes, of any age, should get this cheap
and easy protection.
Sometimes for a few days after the vaccine, you
may develop some mild flu-like symptoms. These
mild symptoms may increase blood sugars slightly
and may temporarily increase insulin or diabetes
pill requirements slightly for a few days.
Flu vaccines are available at little or no cost.
The cost is covered by Medicare Part B, and by
State Health Departments. You can get your flu
shot at doctors' offices, clinics, pharmacies,
grocery stores, and your county health department.
But talk to your doctor first: there are a few
people who shouldn't get vaccinated.
Flu shots should be obtained every autumn, as
the virus changes somewhat from year-to-year.
Read More |
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Diabetes
May Raise Risk of Death from Pneumonia |
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People with type 2
diabetes or elevated blood sugar are at increased
risk of dying after being hospitalized for pneumonia,
according to a new study. Results showed that
glucose (blood sugar) on admission is a very important
clinical indicator among patients with pneumonia.
The findings come from a population-based cohort
study of nearly 30,000 adults who were hospitalized,
for the first time, for pneumonia between 1997
and 2004.
Overall, nearly 10 percent of patients had type
2 diabetes -- a disorder that is closely associated
with obesity. The investigators found that death
rates at both 30 and 90 days after admission were
higher in diabetics than in non-diabetic patients:
20 percent vs. 15 percent and 27 percent vs. 22
percent, respectively.
On admission to the hospital, a high blood sugar
level (14 mmol/L or greater) raised the risk of
death by 46 percent in diabetic patients and by
91 percent in those without diagnosed diabetes,
the report indicates.
The findings suggest that in patients with pneumonia,
much of the elevated illness and death seen with
diabetes is mediated through the presence of high
blood sugar levels.
Read More
The Benefits of
Vaccination
Giving flu shots to older adults -- especially
people with diabetes -- is a highly effective
way to prevent influenza and pneumonia-related
hospitalizations and death in this highly vulnerable
population. Vaccination has been associated with
a 27% reduction in the risk of hospitalization
for flu or pneumonia and a 48% reduction in the
risk of death in members of several of the nation’s
largest HMOs followed for up to 10 flu seasons.
While there is still debate among the experts
about just how effective flu shots are in older
populations, there is widespread agreement that
elderly people should be vaccinated, a researcher
says. “Everyone understands it would be great
to have a better vaccine, but the one that we
have clearly does work and it is very well-tolerated,”
he says. “Vaccination is one of the best ways
we have to protect older people.”
Read More
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FDA Approves New
Flu Vaccine |
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A new flu vaccine named
Afluria has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The vaccine will be available in limited supplies
to patients starting this fall, the agency said.
It’s been approved for adults 18 years of age and
older.
The FDA gave Afluria a fast-track approval as part
of a move to rapidly increase both the number of
manufacturers supplying the U.S. and boost the number
of doses for sale. Fast-track approval means that
officials approved Afluria based on its ability
to produce an immune response in the body that is
"likely to be effective in preventing seasonal influenza."
It has not technically been proven to prevent flu
disease. Additional studies will be done to confirm
its effectiveness in flu prevention.
Doctors, clinics, and patients were confronted with
shortages in 2004 when a major vaccine production
plant in England was shut down. Nearly half of America's
flu vaccine supply came from that one plant.
Read More
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Healthy Living: Lifestyle Tip &
Recipe of the Month |
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| November Lifestyle
Tip:
Know your Flu Facts
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine
has reported some good news: flu vaccination in
seniors reduces the risk of hospitalization for
pneumonia or influenza, and cuts down the risk
of death.
Here are some facts about the flu:
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Flu symptoms include high fever,
fatigue, headache, dry cough, muscle aches,
sore throat and runny nose. Some may have
nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
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Complications of Flu include
pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, dehydration,
and aggravation of chronic medical conditions,
such as heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
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Flu viruses spread from person
to person through coughing or sneezing. Occasionally
people may become infected by touching something
with flu viruses on it and then touching their
mouth or nose. Those with the flu may be able
to infect others beginning one day before
symptoms develop and up to five days after
becoming sick.
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The best way to prevent the
flu is to get the flu vaccine each year.
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| March Recipe: Apple
and Walnut Chicken Salad |
| This
month our featured recipe is a salad that
could serve as a side dish or as a light meal.
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| Ingredients: Apple and
Walnut Chicken Salad |
| Ingredient |
Measure |
| Dry
white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc |
1/2 cup |
| Black peppercorns |
10 |
| Lemon
juice |
Juice
of 1 lemon |
| Fresh thyme |
2 sprigs |
| Boneless, skinless chicken breasts |
4 breasts,
about 4 ounces each |
| Non-fat sour cream |
1/2 cup |
| Apples, cored and chopped |
2 |
| Diced celery |
1/2 cup |
| Diced
red onion |
1/4 cup |
| Chopped, fresh parsley |
1 tablespoon |
| Salt
and pepper |
to taste |
| Mixed salad greens |
8 cups |
| Chopped walnuts, toasted |
1/4 cup |
|
Preparation
1. In a large saucepan combine the wine,
salt, peppercorns, lemon juice and thyme.
Add the chicken breasts and enough water
to cover them. Bring the liquid to a boil,
reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let the chicken
cool in the liquid.
2. In a large bowl, mix the sour cream,
apples, celery, red onion and parsley together.
3. When the chicken is cool enough to handle,
remove it from the liquid. (Discard the
liquid.) Cut the chicken into small pieces,
add it to the sour cream mixture and toss.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate
until ready to serve.
4. Divide the salad greens among four plates.
Top the greens with the chicken salad and
garnish with walnuts.
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Nutritional
Information - Apple and
Walnut Chicken Salad |
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| Serving Size: 1 salad. Number
of Servings: 4 |
| Calories: |
259 |
| Protein: |
29
g |
| Sodium: |
100 mg |
| Saturated fat: |
1
g |
| Fat: |
8 g |
| Carbohydrates: |
16
g |
| Fiber: |
4 g |
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Questions & Answers - Ask the
Experts |
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| Each
month our staff answers questions and asks for your
feedback. However, if you have urgent questions
about your order or your meter, we encourage you
to call our customer care department at 1-800-276-5712.
We do our best to answer all questions, but we also
encourage you to consult your physician.
Below are a few of the typical questions
our customer care department has answered on this
month's theme. Each question is linked to a Web
site that gives an answer and provides more detail.
We hope you find this section helpful. |
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Access Diabetic Supply |
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