Diabetes Life Lines Newsletter, Vol. 32, No. 3, August/September 2018
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University of Georgia Family & Consumer Sciences Volume 32 ♦ Number 3 ♦ August/September 2018 Diabetes Life Lines New Blood Pressure Guidelines that it was better to lower the blood pressure guidelines and start treating Do you have high blood pressure? If you people for high blood pressure sooner didn’t before, you might now. The than later. So what does this mean for all American College of Cardiology (ACC) people? And what does it mean for and the American Heart Association people with diabetes? (AHA) recently changed the definition of high blood pressure, or hypertension Well, for everyone, it means that your (HTN). The chart below shows the old doctor may decide to start you on and new definitions of high blood medication or ask you to make changes in Inside this pressure. A healthy blood pressure is still your lifestyle. For people with diabetes, it issue: 120/80 mm Hg or lower. Under the old is very important to protect your heart. guidelines, if your blood pressure was Remember, having diabetes makes it 140/90 mm Hg or higher, you had high more likely that you will get heart disease. • New Blood blood pressure. Now, if your blood Since high blood pressure increases your Pressure pressure is 130/80 mm Hg or higher, you chances of getting heart disease, your Guidelines have high blood pressure. Let’s say your doctor will want you to do everything you blood pressure is 135/85. Under the old can to get your blood pressure under • Back to School: guidelines, you would not have been told control. Does this mean that everyone Guidance for by your doctor that you have high blood with a blood pressure 130/80 mm Hg or Parents of pressure. Under the new guidelines, you higher will be given blood pressure Children with do have high blood pressure. medication? No. Diabetes You and your doctor will decide the best • American treatments for you. For some people with Diabetes Old New Definition Definition a blood pressure between 130/80 and Association 140/90 mm Hg, lifestyle changes like Resources Healthy lower than lower than eating better and getting more physical blood 120/80 mm 120/80 mm activity may be enough to lower blood • Recipe: Corn, pressure Hg Hg pressure to a healthy level. The following Zucchini and lifestyle changes have been shown to Tomato Bake High 140/90 mm 130/80 mm lower blood pressure: blood Hg or Hg or pressure higher higher • Weight loss for people who are overweight or obese (losing just 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of excess Why was this change made? Studies show weight has been associated with a 1 that when blood pressure was treated at mm Hg decrease in blood pressure!) the lower cutoff of 130/80 mm Hg • Eating less salt compared to the higher cutoff of 140/90 • Following the Dietary Approaches to mm Hg, people had fewer heart attacks Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet (see and strokes. So, ACC and AHA decided below) Continued on next page Page 2 Diabetes Life Lines • Eating more fruits and vegetables Back to School: Guidance for Parents of • Limiting alcohol (no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day Children with Diabetes for men) • Decreasing time spent sitting and The number of children with diabetes is increasing physical activity increasing each year. For parents of children with • Stopping smoking diabetes, going back to school involves more than just shopping for school supplies and meeting The DASH diet is the go-to diet for helping treat new teachers. It means buying diabetes supplies high blood pressure. It includes: and working with school staff to help keep your • 4-5 servings of vegetables per day child safe throughout the school year. These tasks • 4-5 servings of fruits per day can be overwhelming for both new and seasoned • 6-8 servings of grains per day, mostly parents of children with diabetes. whole grains Still, you know your child better than anyone. • 2-3 servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy products per day This is why it is important to meet with school staff before the school year starts. The National • 6 or fewer servings of fish, poultry, and Diabetes Education Program’s (NDEP) Helping meats per day the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for • <2,300 mg sodium per day School Personnel is a guide to help parents and schools work together. The guide has many If these lifestyle changes do not lower blood helpful tools. It has a Diabetes Medical pressure enough, or if your blood pressure is Management Plan that parents and school staff much higher than 130/80 mm Hg to begin with, can complete together. This plan includes the your doctor may decide to try medications. medications and supplies the child uses, how Whatever the case, follow your doctor’s often to check blood sugar, and how much instructions. carbohydrate the child can eat. The guide also has forms to help plan for emergencies of low blood If you have high blood pressure under the new sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar guidelines, don’t get discouraged. Let your (hyperglycemia). It is important to have this diagnosis be a wake-up call to take control of information on file at the school in case the your health. Making these lifestyle changes is teacher or nurse is absent. something you can do to have a positive impact on your health! Don’t wait. Start today! References: LeFevre, M. (2018). ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline: What Is New? What Do We Do? American Family Physician, 97(6): 372-373. De Boer, I. H., Bangalore, S., Benetos, A., Davis, A. M., Michos, E. D., Muntner, P., Rossing, P., Zoungas, S., & Bakris, G. (2017). Diabetes and Continued on next page Hypertension: A Position Statement by the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care, 40: 1273-1284. Page 3 Diabetes Life Lines The School Guide encourages parents of children • Plan for before and after school activities: with diabetes to follow these tips before the school Tell school staff (teacher(s), coach, others as year begins to prepare for a safe and successful appropriate) when your child plans to school year: participate in school activities before or after • Tell school staff (the school nurse, your school or off campus. child’s teacher(s), the school principal, and • Meet with school nutrition staff to get the school counselor or psychologist) at the information on carbohydrate counts for meals beginning of each school year that your child and snacks served at school. They can help has diabetes. you see how school meals fit with your child’s • Ask your child’s doctor to help you carbohydrate needs at each meal. complete the Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) found in the School Guide. While going back to school can seem overwhelming This plan contains the medical orders for your for a child with diabetes, school can also mean child. Include accurate and current contact returning to much needed structure and schedules. information for you and your child’s doctor in Take advantage of the resources mentioned here and case of emergencies. Give a copy of this plan the team support your child can receive at school. to the school nurse at the beginning of each These resources and support are life saving for a child school year. If your child’s health changes with diabetes! during the school year, give the school nurse an updated plan immediately. Additional Resources: • American Diabetes Association (ADA) “Safe at • Meet with the school nurse to go over your child’s school health care plan. The school School” nurse will use your child’s DMMP to prepare • JRDF School Advisory Toolkit your child’s routine and emergency diabetes care plans at school. The Individualized References: Health Care Plan found in the School Guide National Diabetes Education Program. (2016). Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel. Retrieved from: provides an example of items to include in https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/communication- this plan. programs/ndep/health-professionals/helping-student-diabetes-succeed-guide- school-personnel • Bring all your child’s daily and emergency National Diabetes Education Program. (2016). Actions for School Personnel, supplies to school. Examples of items the Parents/Guardians, and Students. Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel (section 3). Retrieved from: school will need include: blood sugar https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/communication- (glucose) meter, strips, lancets (needles), programs/ndep/health-professionals/helping-student-diabetes-succeed-guide- school-personnel/actions-for-school-personnel-parents-students alcohol wipes, insulin and/or other medications, supplies for taking insulin, National Institutes of Health. (2017). Rates of new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on the rise among children, teens. Retrieved from: snacks, quick-acting glucose products, a https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/rates-new-diagnosed-cases- glucagon kit, and supplies for urine and blood type-1-type-2-diabetes-rise-among-children-teens ketone testing. Communicate with the school nurse to restock these supplies when needed throughout the school year. Continued on next page Page 4 Diabetes Life Lines American Diabetes Association • Tips to eat healthy and move more. If Resources you are overweight or obese, it is especially important that you work to The internet is a doorway to a world of achieve a healthy weight through a information. This can make finding resources for healthy diet and physical activity. The diabetes easier. But, it also makes it harder to ADA’s resources for weight loss, food, know the best place to go to find the most and fitness can help you control your diabetes or lower your chances of getting dependable diabetes information.