Vim & Vigor - Winter 2013 - University of Virginia - (Page 46)

VIRTUAL HEALTH BY LAURIE DAVIES Hysterectomy? There's an App for That One in three women will have a hysterectomy by age 60. One in three cellphone users seeks health information through mobile devices. It only stands to reason there would be overlap between the two groups. Enter, the HysterSisters app. Women seeking hysterectomy support can download the free HysterSisters Hysterectomy Support app for iPhone and Android mobile devices. The app opens up a virtual world of woman-to-woman hysterectomy support, including an online support community, a symptom tracker diary and weekly reminders for preparing and recovering from surgery. Visit hystersisters.com. The ABCs of Diabetes D 46 WINTE R 2 013 of heart disease in those with type 2 diabetes," he adds. The good news is, more people with diabetes in the U.S. are getting a handle on all three-up to 19 percent in 2010 from a paltry 2 percent in 1988. The bad news, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is that eight in 10 people with diabetes still are not managing one or more of the ABCs. "The fact that we've increased from 2 percent to 19 percent is great, but there is much more room for growth," Anderson says. To listen to an NIH podcast about the ABCs of diabetes, visit nih.gov and enter "podcast 0186" into the search field. Understand Your Diabetes Risk Are you at risk for type 2 diabetes? To find out, visit diabetes.org and search for "Diabetes Risk Test." Answer a simple series of questions, then receive a score that helps you better understand your risk. PHOTOGRAPHY BY THINKSTOCK AND HYSTERSISTERS ealing with diabetes isn't child's play, but ABC is an easy way to remember three important aspects of the disease: A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol. A1C is a test that measures your blood sugar levels over two to three months. "Controlling your blood sugar is the most important thing you can do to prevent long-term complications of microvascular diseases, such as kidney, eye and nerve disease," says John E. Anderson, MD, president of medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association. As for the B and C? "If you can control a person's blood pressure and cholesterol, you can help to markedly reduce the incidence QUIZ http://www.hystersisters.com http://www.diabetes.org http://www.nih.gov

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2013 - University of Virginia

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2013 - University of Virginia
Contents
Life in Balance
Is a Low-Salt Diet Good for Everyone?
Have You Done Your Monthly Breast Self-Exam Lately?
Waiting for a Heart
Got Excuses?
Managing Your Health with a DIY Tool Kit
Is It the Stress Talking?
The Wonderful World of Greens
Knee-to-Know Basics
On the Cover
Run for Your Life
14 Good-for-You Gifts
Special Delivery
Virtual Health
A Childhood Interrupted by Cancer
Cupcake Wars

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2013 - University of Virginia