Economics of Diabetes

Sickness Is Profitable... Wellness Is Not

MEGABUCKS FOR CRISIS CARE, PENNIES FOR PREVENTION

The problem is that American health-care dollars flow mainly toward acute, last-minute, lifesaving crises, rather than toward primary care and prevention. While it is not profitable for the health-care industry to provide preventive care for chronic diseases such as diabetes, it is hugely profitable to treat their acute complications. It has been reported that diabetes care centers lose tens of thousands of dollars per year teaching patients to monitor their sugar levels, follow a healthy diet and get regular exercise -- strategies that would keep diabetes under control and prevent complications. Conversely, $30,000 amputations -- which occur when diabetes spirals out of control -- are very profitable for hospitals.

According to Ray D. Strand, MD, author of Healthy for Life (Real Life), the US health-care system relies too heavily on money-making high-tech and pharmaceutical interventions. Conventional medicine is great at opening up an artery with a stent or curing a raging infection with penicillin... but when there's no operation or pill to cure a disease, individuals are left scrambling. When it comes to diabetes, he believes that modern medicine focuses too much on drugs and procedures to address its consequences, and pays too little (and sometimes no) attention to one of the underlying problems -- insulin resistance.

INSULIN RESISTANCE: A PRODUCT OF POOR LIFESTYLE CHOICES

Insulin resistance -- in which the body can no longer make proper use of insulin and correctly process glucose and fat stores -- is the precursor of diabetes, when blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. This condition is the result of poor lifestyle choices, primarily a diet of fast and processed foods, a lack of exercise and obesity. If you do nothing to make better choices, Dr. Strand warns that the scales will eventually tip and you will develop metabolic syndrome -- a devastating combination of prediabetes, abdominal obesity and high triglyceride levels, high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. It affects 25% of American adults.

There is no Food and Drug Administration-approved pill to cure insulin resistance, notes Dr. Strand. This may be why modern medicine largely ignores it -- it's the "where there's no pill, there's no disease" way of thinking. However, he stresses that in most cases you can reverse insulin resistance and prevent diabetes by changing your lifestyle and consistently making healthier choices. Even if you already have diabetes, positive strategies such as a proper diet and regular exercise will help you manage it more effectively and prevent complications.

THREE STEPS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

Type 2 diabetes doesn't develop overnight, observes Dr. Strand. It is the product of years and years of unhealthful lifestyle choices. The sooner you address and correct lifestyle issues, the better chance you have of reversing or avoiding insulin resistance and diabetes. Dr. Strand recommends...

• A healthful diet that does not spike blood sugar. Conventional doctors don't appreciate the science of the glycemic index, and feel that a carb is a carb is a carb, explains Dr. Strand. Not so. The glycemic index is a ranking of foods according to how rapidly there is a rise in blood sugar. (Read more about it in Daily Health News, September 20, 2004.) Dr. Strand recommends that you choose low-glycemic index foods, such as many fresh fruits and vegetables, lentils and oatmeal, which trigger only a modest rise in blood sugar and enter the bloodstream slowly. Likewise, avoid high-glycemic foods (potatoes, cornflakes, white bread, doughnuts, etc.) that send blood sugar soaring.

• A moderate, consistent exercise program. To get started, just dust off your walking shoes and take a walk around the neighborhood. Over time, work your way up to 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise (for example, brisk walking or bicycling) five days a week. For consistency and accountability, it helps to buddy up with a friend or join an exercise group.

• High-quality nutritional supplements. According to Dr. Strand, most conventional physicians do not appreciate the use of nutritional supplementation, which has a great benefit in pre-clinical diabetes and diabetes. To boost cellular nutrition, he advises that you take a high-quality antioxidant (vitamins C and E are among his favorites) with each meal. Other helpful supplements include chromium, magnesium and selenium.

Note: Read more about Dr. Strand's program to reverse insulin resistance at www.firststeptherapy.com. He has just completed a clinical trial in which all 25 pre-clinical diabetic participants were able to reverse their insulin resistance within 12 weeks.

DO THE RIGHT THING

Instead of offering patients an opportunity to address their health with lifestyle changes, physicians are too quick to simply write a prescription, notes Dr. Strand. The bottom line is there's not much profit for the health-care industry with changes in diet and exercise. However, these lifestyle changes can return your body to health -- turning around insulin resistance, holding diabetes at bay and reducing or even eliminating the need for drugs and other interventions. As I have written about many times, the same holds true for many health challenges, from arthritis to allergy, and gastritis to heart conditions. Medical science has done many great things for the health of our nation, but they are missing the mark when it comes to simple preventive measures. Individuals must take control of their own lives. Prevention and lifestyle changes are still cheaper no matter what, even if insurance doesn't cover them. And, while it's easy to get mad at the insurance companies for not covering some of those measures, keep in mind that insurance is really for "the big stuff" -- you don't need insurance to pay for you to eat right and take a walk each day.

The Best New (Old) Energy Booster

Rhodiola rosea may be, as the famous herbalist Kerry Bone describes it, "the new kid on the energy-boosting block," but this amazing herb isn't really new at all. It's actually been used since the times of the Vikings to boost endurance and treat fatigue and depression. Lately, I've been hearing more and more about this herb, so I decided to check it out.

"Rhodiola rosea is simply the best adaptogen plant I've ever seen or used," Decker Weiss, NMD, a naturopathic cardiologist and consulting staff physician at the Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix. An adaptogen, Dr. Weiss explained, works like a thermostat. When a thermostat senses that the room temperature is too high it brings it down, but when it senses that temperature is too low it brings it up. An adaptogen does the same things with hormones. "All the good things you've ever heard about Panax ginseng, Rhodiola does," says Dr. Weiss.

"Cortisol is one of our main stress hormones," Dr. Weiss explained. "For example, if you drink coffee on an empty stomach, as many of us do, it's very hard to balance cortisol. Too much cortisol can lead to the feeling of being wired, yet tired. It contributes to weight gain, especially around the belly. And it can contribute to exhaustion, fatigue, depression and a whole host of ailments. By acting as an adaptogen -- a kind of hormone thermostat -- Rhodiola literally helps balance cortisol. If it's too high, it can bring it down. If it's too low, it can bring it up." That's why, he explained, Rhodiola is so useful for increasing energy while easing fatigue and depression.

PROOF OF PRODUCT

The research on Rhodiola is compelling. When Belgian researchers gave 24 people a placebo or Rhodiola (200 mg daily) the latter group experienced a noteworthy jump in stamina. And according to a comprehensive review in HerbalGram, the journal of the American Botanical Council, the herb lessens the release of stress-related hormones and increases levels of feel-good compounds called endorphins.

"It's also great for time-zone changes because of its adaptogenic ability to modulate melatonin," Dr. Weiss told me. "And it will help you sleep. It's one of the few herbs I won't travel without." Dr. Weiss recommends using Rhodiola manufactured by a reliable company to ensure product quality -- he suggests Enzymatic Therapy, which makes it in pill form, or Herb Pharm, which makes it in a tincture. While generally thought of as safe, it is best to check with your trained practitioner before adding Rhodiola to your supplement mix. Rhodiola is a stimulant, so it is best taken early in the day on an empty stomach.

Dr. Weiss' last word on Rhodiola? "There are very few botanicals you can count on like Rhodiola."

Be well,

Carole Jackson, Bottom Line's Daily Health News

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