11 NOVEMBER 2018 BODY OF CHRIST NEWS "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church: and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." — James 5:14 Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease that leads to continuous medical care and strategies that are used to reduce the risk of heart and blood ves- sel disease, or so-called cardiovascular disease. This means there is the risk of diseases of the heart, blood vessels and in addition the incidence of these diseases are 2 to 4 times as great as the risks in the general population. This means a higher incidence in affected people of strokes, and heart attacks. There is also an increased risk of kid- ney disease, and a painful condi- tion affecting the nerves called neuropathy. Whatever medical intervention that can be done for Type 2 diabetes will relieve a lot of suffering. All types of diabetes are a risk factor for a good deal of illness, but we are talking here about type 2 diabetes. A landmark medical study was done in Sweden that was pub- lished in August 2018 in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study was looking at med- ical treatments that can have the greatest impact by control- ling risk factors and habits that can be controlled. I would like to share this information as it can help many people. It turns out that with adequate care and med- ical supervision, if five risk factor variables are kept within the tar- get ranges there is no excess risk of death, heart attack, or stroke as compared with the general population. These risk factor variables are as follows: 1. Glycated hemoglobin level (or Hemoglobin A1C) that can be done in a doctor's office every 3 months and is a commonly performed test 2. Elevated low density lipoprotein-commonly done on a cholesterol or lipid panel blood test also commonly done in a doctor's office 3. Excess protein in the urine referred to as albu- minuria 4. Smoking 5. Elevated blood pressure Again if these 5 variables are controlled they can have a profound impact on the health of someone with type 2 diabetes. The strongest predic- tor of stroke and heart attack was an elevated glycated hemo- globin (Hemoglobin A1C). The strongest predictor of death was smoking. It is clear that lifestyle and personal choices have a large role to play here. We can include eating a healthy diet, exercise and weight control and stop- ping smoking, as critical habits to adopt. These things as just noted, can help to control blood pressure. Please note that this is not rocket science at all! What is required is good medical super- vision, and compliance with a prescribed medical regimen. The Swedish study cited above gives crucial parameters we need to strive for to help the threat of type 2 diabetes. We know what is needed, and now we need to strive to achieve the suggested goals. What a person needs to do who has type 2 diabetes is to sit down with their physician and discuss what needs to be done to achieve the suggested goals. Achieving the goals noted can be a blessing and help to those at risk, and help people to live longer and better. I trust that the information noted will be a boost to longevity and quality of life for many. May God help you to that end! New Information About Diabetes Dr. Conner By Byron E. Conner, M.D. HEALTH A landmark medical study was done in Sweden that was published in August 2018 in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study was looking at medical treatments that can have the greatest impact on diabetes.