Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, resulting in high levels of sugar in the bloodstream. Although there are actually many different types of diabetes; the most common are type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is linked with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, poor blood circulation to the legs, overall cardiovascular disease, weight gain, premature aging, and damage to the eyes, feet and kidneys. Early diagnosis and a constant effort to control blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels can help to prevent or delay many of the complications associated with diabetes. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle such as regular exercise and healthy diet, can significantly reduce both the risk of developing type II diabetes mellitus, as well as decrease the risk of complications if you have already been diagnosed. But what role do our other hormones play in diabetes diagnosis, treatment, and prevention?
Over 50% of men with Type 2 diabetes have a less than optimal testosterone level. Men with Type 1 also tend to present with chronically low testosterone levels. Research for women also indicates that that women with diabetes very often have low estrogen levels. In fact, by treating these women with bio-
identical estrogen , there was a clinical correlation indicating a decreased risk for kidney and heart disease in these patients. Women with diabetes tend to have too little estrogen and/or too little testosterone. This lack of estrogen and testosterone is associated with increased kidney disease and worse outcomes. This is similar to research in men with low testosterone levels. By supplementing bio-identical testosterone, men with diabetes had far less complications, and also had a significant increase in longevity.
This sex hormone/diabetes connection may be very important in the treatment of diabetes and overall health. In fact, bio-identical hormone replacement has been reported help with insulin resistance, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and improve glucose control.
The value of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women has been questioned recently. But HRT still shows clinical signs of both preventing and assisting in the management of heart disease in women both with and without diabetes. A large study at Kaiser which involved over 22,000 women showed a 16% decrease in risk for heart attack for those taking bio-identical testosterone who had not had a recent heart attack. There was a significant 25% reduction if taking both progesterone and estrogen in addition, and a 12% reduction in women taking only estrogen.
The science and research is there, addressing hormone issues can and will help to both protect and manage diabetes both type I and type II. If you want to learn more about how you can protect yourself from the damage that diabetes can cause, call us at LifeXL today where we can provide specialized hormone testing, as well as a diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular comprehensive risk assessment. Know where you stand, know your risk factors, knowledge is prevention, and early prevention is key!
Contact us: Lazo Pipovski, MD, Bethany Kulpeksa, CMA
For Scheduling: Call Sue Meyer, Office Manager
CALL 941.266.4469 OR 941.702.5972
5602 Marquesas Cir, Ste #107, Sarasota, FL 34233
IMPORTANT! All information provided in this article is supposed for informational purposes only rather than for the intended purpose of medical advice. Statements made in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The given information contained herein is not designed to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.