3B
LIFE/ lEge C^atlott£ $as!t
Thursday, August 31,2006
Managing your diabetes
Continued from page 1B
of these five dasses of med
ications listed below works in
a different way to lower blood
sugar levels.
1) The siilfonjdureas, which
have been in i^e since the
1950s, work by stimulating
the pancreas to release more
insulin. Available drugs on
the market in this class
indude: Diabinese, Glucotrol,
Micronase (also known as
Glynase and Diabeta), and
Amarjd.
2) The me^tinides are sim
ilar to the sulfonyiureas in
that they also stimulate the
release of insulin fi’om the
pancreas. Drugs in this dass
indude Prandin and Starlix.
3) The biguanide dass con
tains the medication
Glucophage, which lowers
blood sugar primarily by
decreasing the amount of glu
cose produced by the liver, but
also by aiding in the absorp
tion of glucose into musde tis
sue by making it more sensi
tive to insulin.
4) The thiazolidinedione
class includes the medica
tions Avandia, Rezuhn, and
Actos. All three medications
help insuhn work better in
the musde and fat tissues
and reduce glucose produc
tion by the liver. -
5) The alpha-glucosidase
inhibitors, help to lower blood
sugar levels by blocking the
breakdown of starches in the
diet, such as bread, potatoes,
pasta and table sugar while
in the intestines. This
frocess slows the absorption
of starches/sugars and thus
slows the rise of blood sugar
after a meal. The drugs
Precos and Glyset fall under
this category
Combination therapy
Because the five dasses of
oral medications work in dif
ferent ways to lower blood
glucose they may be used
together when one drug alone
is not effective. Patients are
fi'equently treated with a
combination of oral medica
tions fiom multiple dasses to
achieve blood sxigar control.
Also, because oral medica
tions help the body use
insiilin better, some patients
are given a combination of
pills and injectable insulin.
New injectable drugs
There are two new
injectable (non-insulin) dn^
that have recently been
approved for use. The first,
Symlin, is a syntiietic form of
the hormone amytin which is
produced by the pancreas and
helps to maintain normal
blood glucose levels. The sec
ond dri^, Byetta, is the first
in a new dass of medications
(called incretin mimetics)
used to treat type 2 diabetes.
It works by increasing insulin
secretion. Both of these drugs
are injected with a meal, and
patients taking these medica
tions have noted improved
diabetic control as well as
modest weight loss. However,
they are approved for use only
by people who have not been
able to achieve adequate con
trol with other medication
regimens
Controlling diabetes may
seem like an overwhelming
task, but with appropriate
lifestyle changes and medica
tion it is possible. Talk to your
doctor about these medica
tions and your therapeutic
choices. Remember, knowl
edge is power, but it is what
you do with it that makes all
the difference.
Contribution by Brenda Latham-
Sadler, MD.
For more information about the
Maya Angelou Research Center on
Minority Health, visit
htlp://www.wfubmc.edu/tninoriry-
health. Or, for health information
call (336) 713.7578.
Healthy habits for baby, family
Continued from page 1B
Parents should also use this
time during infancy to estab
lish healthy routines for the
entire family, doctors say For
instance:
Keep junk food out of the
house.
‘Tt is amazing to me how
many young children, even
under a year of age, are fed
sugar-sweetened soft drinks
and French files and other
fast foods,” Robihson says. ''If
a parent eats junk food and
has it in the home, that is the
food their child will learn to
eat, no smprise.”
Other than the occasional
chicken ni:^ets, or birthday
cake at school, Ma steers her
kids away from processed
foods and avoids them her
self opting instead for fiesh
vegetables, chicken and fish.
She sends her son to
preschool with bananas and
rice crisps for snacks.
Limit TV time for everyone.
The AAP recommends no
viewir^ for children under 2,
but Robinson notes that it’s
hard to discourage kids of any
age fiom watching too much
TV if mom and dad aren’t set
ting a good example.
“This is a good time for
them to consider reducing the
number of TVs in Ihdr home
and watching less them
selves,” he says.
While regular exercise is
important for toddlers,
infants get their workouts
naturally by learning to lift
their heads, roll over, sit up
and crawl, says Cdia Kibler,
owner of Funfit, Inc., a
Maryiand-based fitness cen
ter lor kids. “A baby at 6
months should have no trou
ble achieving the muscle tone
it needs,” says Kibler, whose
classes for infants focus on
bonding with parents, not
working out.
In what may be the t^^-
est advice to follow, Holmbei^
encourages parents to resist
the urge to compare their
babies with.others,
“That’s a very dangerous
thing to do,” he says. "All
babies are different.”
For more information:
mvwaap.org/hecdthtopics/over-
weight.cfin
www.cdc.gov/growlhcharts/
f 3
IFE CULTURAL AR1S CENTER INC. PRESENTS
i^unnuko
AFRICAN HERITAGE
FESTIHAL’
SATURDAY SEPT. 2ND
SUNDAY SEPT. 3RD
FRAZIER PARK CHARLOTTE, NC
1201 4TH STREET - LOCATED FOUR BLOCKS FROM
BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM BETWEEN SYCAMORE & SUMMIT
SATURDAY, 11AM-10PM SUNDAY, NOON-9PM
FOR MORE INFORMATIOM:
704>2-4i-03i9 OR
WWW.IQ U N NU KO-COM
cricket
.l.Wt-alUAvA .'J
-Say Yes To Success!
how to lead a healthy,
and successful life
“Dr. Arrln^on t
oalai
Dr. Carl Arrington, Director of Market Expansion
Make Your Own Way
One of the things that we may
eventually run into when we begin to
pursue our dreams are people who do
not see the possibilities of success as we
see them. Very often this can be the
people who are closest to us.
When we begin to share with others
our dreams and aspirations, some will
be quick to tell us that we are being
impractical. Others may tell us outright
that what we want can never happen.
if we have been paying attention
along the road to success, most of us
will notice that from time to time you
may encounter some obstacles to your
dreams.
However, those who are determined
to succeed know that roadblocks are
simply a part of the process. We know
that there will not be smooth sailingiall
the way. The successful actually
anticipate some of the hurdles they will
encounter. They approach them
prepared.
The difference between the
successful and those who do not achieve
their dreams is that those determined to
be successful refuse to give up. The
successful believe in making a way
where there seems to be no way and that
Life will show those so determined
where that w’ay lies.
The successful knows that if you
want to achieve your dreams you simply
have to do whatever it takes to make
them a reality, even if it seems
impossible. You today have the power
within you to make your own way. Use
that power to make your dreams come
true!
Learn to Stay on the Track to Success.
Contact Dr. Arrington
cla@maxirauni.siiccess.com
Your Source for Total Life Success!
Contactor. Arrington for details 704-591-1988 • cla(rt maximumsuccess.com
^Maximum ^otentid, Inc... into the Tozver of ybu! j
ISFOBMATION RF.OnEST FOR MOBF. nKTUl.S • FAX; 704.S(;fr87n4
Name_
CiR'
_Stace Zip Code_
Work Phone
Don’t Delay, Call Today!
Win up to
$5,000 for
your school!
Shop and dine to earn points for your school.
Each dollar spent between August 1 and September 30 equals
one point for the school of your choice. The top three schools
with the most points will win cash prizes. Bring receipts
to the Mall Office to add points to your school’s total.
; See the Mall Office or call 704.568,1263 for details.
Aspecial thanks to our sponsors: Wiggins Construction Co. of Monroe, All American Roofing. Nova Lighting,
-- T^mralCre^ienStferryscapes Landscaping and Mechanical Systems.
E A S T L A N ALL
www.eastlandmall.com