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Features
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A life-altering disease:
diabetes
Part 4: High blood sugar increases
serious health risks
[MARCH
12, 2003]
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- New data from the
third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that
more than half of people with type 2 diabetes in the United States
have unacceptably high blood sugar levels, putting them at increased
risk for serious diabetes-related complications, such as blindness,
kidney failure, lower limb amputations, heart disease and stroke.
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[Part
1 in this series]
[Part 2: The 1, 2, G's
of diabetes]
[Part 3: Discovery to
management]
To address this critical health
problem, the National Diabetes Education Program, a joint program of
the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, is sponsoring an awareness campaign called
"Control Your Diabetes. For Life." The campaign encourages the 16
million Americans with diabetes to take steps now to control their
blood sugar levels.
Fewer than half (44.6 percent) of
people with type 2 diabetes in this national study had hemoglobin
Alc levels of less than 7.0 percent. This is the level the American
Diabetes Association recommends as the goal for people with
diabetes," said Dr. Rod Lorenz, chairman of the National Diabetes
Education Program. The hemoglobin A1c test, considered the best test
for measuring blood sugar control, is a simple lab test that
measures a person's average blood sugar level over the three-month
period prior to the test.
"Even more disturbing is that over
one-third (37 percent) of people with type 2 diabetes had hemoglobin
A1c values greater than 8.0 percent. This is the level at which the
ADA recommends that patients work with their health care providers
to intensify their treatment to improve blood sugar levels," noted
Dr. Lorenz.
The NHANES III survey also found that
more African-American women (50 percent) and Mexican-American men
(45 percent) had hemoglobin A1c levels above 8.0 percent compared
with other ethnic groups. This finding is significant because
minority populations are disproportionately affected by diabetes,
and they experience higher rates of the complications associated
with the disease.
"These data demonstrate that many
people with type 2 diabetes are in poor control," said Dr. Lorenz.
"We need to reverse this trend because research shows that
controlling blood sugar levels is the key to reducing the risk of
diabetes complications."
[to top of second
column in this article]
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Type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic
proportions in the U.S. The number of diagnosed cases has risen
sixfold, from 1.5 million in 1958 to 10.3 million in 1997. The
disease is hitting older Americans and ethnic minority populations
at staggering rates. African-Americans, Hispanics and Latinos,
American Indians, and certain Asian American and Pacific Islander
groups have significantly higher rates of diabetes than Caucasians.
The National Diabetes Education
Program's campaign to control diabetes recommends that people with
diabetes eat healthy foods in the right amounts, get regular
physical activity, take prescribed medications, test their blood
sugar levels regularly and get a hemoglobin Alc test at least twice
a year. "By following these steps, people with diabetes will not
only reduce their risk of developing the devastating complications
associated with diabetes, but they also can feel better, have more
energy and ultimately enjoy a better quality of life," said Dr.
Lorenz.
Television, radio and print public
service advertisements for the campaign have been designed to target
the various ethnic minority groups affected by diabetes. The
campaign is a key strategy of the President's Initiative on Race,
which is designed to reduce disparities and improve the health
status of America's racial and ethnic populations.
To help
people with diabetes control their disease, the National Diabetes
Education Program offers free educational materials that include
tips for following diabetes treatment plans, checklists and
questions to ask health care providers about diabetes care. These
materials are available for people with diabetes, their family
members and health care providers; call 1 (800) 438-5383 or visit
http://ndep.nih.gov.
[News release]
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A life-altering disease:
diabetes
Part 3: Discovery to management
[MARCH
11, 2003]
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[Part
1 in this series]
[Part 2: The 1, 2, G's
of diabetes]
How is diabetes diagnosed?
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually
develop over a short period of time, although beta cell destruction
can begin months, even years, earlier. Symptoms include increased
thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision,
and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a
person can lapse into a life-threatening coma.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop
gradually and are not as noticeable as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms
include feeling tired or ill, frequent urination (especially at
night), unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent
infections, and slow-healing wounds and sores.
In 1997 the Expert Committee on the
Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes published new guidelines
for the diagnosis of diabetes. The guidelines lowered the blood
sugar values for diagnosis and recommended use of the fasting plasma
glucose test to diagnose diabetes, a simpler and faster test than
the commonly used oral glucose tolerance test. Glucose levels
greater than or equal to 126mg/dl with the fasting plasma glucose
test or greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl with the oral glucose
tolerance test indicate a diagnosis of diabetes. (1)
How is
diabetes managed?
Diabetes is a self-managed disease
because people with diabetes must take responsibility for their
day-to-day care. Much of the daily care involves keeping blood
glucose near normal levels at all times.
Management of type 1 diabetes: People
with type 1 diabetes need daily injections of insulin because their
bodies no longer produce insulin. Treatment requires a strict
regimen that typically includes a carefully calculated diet, planned
physical activity, self-testing of blood glucose and multiple daily
insulin injections.
Management of type 2 diabetes:
Treatment for people with type 2 diabetes typically includes diet
management, exercise, self-testing of blood glucose, and in some
cases oral medication or insulin. Approximately 40 percent of people
with type 2 diabetes require insulin injections.
The goal of diabetes management is to
keep blood glucose levels as close to a normal range as safely
possible, while avoiding blood glucose levels that are too high
(hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia).
Two major studies of diabetes among
type 1 and type 2 patients provide important direction for managing
diabetes.
The Diabetes Control and Complications
Trial showed that intensive blood glucose control in people with
type 1diabetes delayed the onset and progression of eye disease,
kidney disease and nerve disease, reducing the risk by 35 percent to
more than 70 percent by lowering hemoglobin Alc from 9 percent to 7
percent. (2)
The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes
Study showed that intensive blood glucose control in people with
type 2 diabetes delayed the onset of eye and kidney disease,
reducing the risk by 12 percent to 33 percent by lowering hemoglobin
Alc from about 8 percent to about 7 percent. (3)
[to top of second
column in this article]
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These studies further showed that any
sustained lowering of blood glucose helps, even if the person has a
history of poor control. The degree of risk reduction for the change
in hemoglobin A1c in the two trials was about the same.
Both the studies also shed light on the
relationship between blood glucose control and cardiovascular
disease. In both studies there was a trend toward reduced
cardiovascular disease with intensive blood glucose control. The
United Kingdom study also showed that lowering blood pressure to
normal significantly reduced the risk for all diabetes
complications.
What are
the major diabetes advances?
In recent years, advances in diabetes
research have led to better ways to manage diabetes and treat its
complications.
Major advances include:
--New forms of purified insulin that
are less likely to cause allergic reactions and are nearly identical
to the insulin naturally produced by the body.
--Development of external and
implantable insulin pumps that deliver appropriate amounts of
insulin, replacing daily injections.
--New oral medications to improve
control of type 2 diabetes.
--Better ways for patients, doctors and
other health professionals to monitor blood glucose -- notably, new
devices for self-monitoring of blood glucose, which is performed by
the patient, and the hemoglobin A1c (also called H-b-A-one-c)
laboratory test, which measures blood glucose control during the
previous three-month period.
--Effective treatment for diabetic eye
disease.
--Better ways to manage diabetic
pregnancies, improving chances of successful outcomes.
--Treatment strategies to reduce damage
to the kidneys, eyes and nerves.
(Adapted from Diabetes Overview.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, NIH Publication No. 96-3873, October
1995.)
Tomorrow LDN will bring you the final
installment in this four-part series, "High blood sugar increases
serious health risks."
You can learn more about diabetes:
--Diabetes
resources
--http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/
diabetes_module/dm1/movie1.html
[LDN and press release from
Illinois Department of Public Health]
(1) Report of the Executive
Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus.
Diabetes Care. 1997 July; 20 (7): 1183-97.
(2) The Effect of Intensive
Treatment of Diabetes on the Development and Progression of
Long-Term Complications in Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. The
New England Journal of Medicine. 1993 September 30; 329 (14):
977-86.
(3) United Kingdom Prospective
Diabetes Study Group: Intensive blood-glucose control with
sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and
risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33).
Lancet 352: 837-853, 1998.
United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study Group: Tight blood
pressure control and risk of macrovascular and microvascular
complications in type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 38). BMJ 317:703-713, 1998.
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A life-altering disease:
diabetes
Part 2: The 1, 2, G's of diabetes
[MARCH
10, 2003]
Diabetes
mellitus is one of the most common and serious chronic diseases in
the United States. About 16 million Americans have diabetes, 5.4
million of whom do not know they have the disease. Each year,
approximately 800,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes. The
prevalence of diabetes has increased steadily in the last half of
this century and will continue to rise with the aging U.S.
population, the growth in minority populations most susceptible to
type 2 diabetes and the increasing prevalence of obesity among
Americans.
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What
is diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the body does not produce
or properly use insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert sugar,
starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Diabetes
is characterized by high levels of blood glucose (sugar).
What
are the different types of diabetes?
There
are three main types of diabetes:
-
Type
1 diabetes
-
Type
2 diabetes
-
Gestational diabetes
Type 1
diabetes, formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or
juvenile-onset diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that results when
the body's immune system attacks and destroys its own
insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. People with type 1
diabetes need daily injections of insulin to live. Type 1 diabetes
develops most often in children or young adults and accounts for
about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States.
Although risk factors are not well defined for type 2 diabetes,
autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors are involved in its
development.
Type 2
diabetes, formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or
adult-onset diabetes, is a disease that occurs when the body makes
enough insulin but cannot use it effectively. This form of diabetes
usually develops in adults over the age of 40. About 90 to 95
percent of people with diabetes have type 2; about 80 percent are
overweight. Type 2 diabetes is more common among people who are
older; obese; have a family history of diabetes; have had
gestational diabetes; and are of African-American,
Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Pacific Islander and Native
American ethnicities.
[to top of second
column in this article]
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Gestational diabetes develops or is discovered during pregnancy.
This type usually disappears when the pregnancy is over, but women
who have had gestational diabetes have a greater risk of developing
type 2 diabetes later in their lives.
What
is the scope and impact of diabetes?
Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death
and disability in the United States. It was the seventh leading
cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 1995 and
contributed to 187,800 deaths that same year.
Both
type 1 and type 2 diabetes are associated with long-term
complications that threaten life and the quality of life. Diabetes
is the leading cause of adult blindness, end-stage renal disease and
non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations (as a result of nerve
disease). People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to
have coronary heart disease and stroke than people without diabetes.
In addition, poorly controlled diabetes can complicate pregnancy,
and birth defects are more common in babies born to women with
diabetes.
Diabetes costs the United States $98.2 billion each year. Medical
costs for diabetes care including hospitalizations, medical care and
treatment supplies total $44.1 billion. Indirect costs, including
disability payments, time lost from work and premature death, total
$54.1 billion.
Tomorrow LDN will bring you Part 3 in this four-part series,
“Discovery to management.”
You can learn more about diabetes:
--Diabetes
resources
--http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/
diabetes_module/dm1/movie1.html
[LDN and press release from
Illinois Department of Public Health]
[Click here for Part
1 in this series] |
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Diabetes
resources
[MARCH
10, 2003]
These resources will help
people with diabetes and their family members find information on
diabetes and how to stay healthy. The organizations listed below
provide information about healthy foods, recipes, physical activity
and other materials for people with diabetes.
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American Association of Diabetes
Educators
To find a diabetes teacher near you:
1 (800) TEAMUP4; 1 (800) 832-6874
http://www.aadenet.org
American Diabetes Association
1 (800) DIABETES; 1 (800) 342-2383
http://www.diabetes.org
Information on all aspects of
controlling diabetes
American Dietetic Association Center
216 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
1 (800) 877-1600
Consumer nutrition hot line: 1 (800)
366-1655
http://www.eatright.org
Information on diabetes management for
patients and diabetes educators
Food and Nutrition Information Center
National Agricultural Library/USDA
10301 Baltimore Blvd., Room 304
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
(301) 504-5719
Directory of free or low-cost food and
nutrition materials
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
Building 31, Room IOA24
Bethesda, MD 20892
1 (800) 4-CANCER
www.nci.nih.gov
Diet, nutrition and cancer prevention
booklets
National Diabetes Education Program and
National Diabetes Information
Clearinghouse
1 Diabetes Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3560
1 (800) 438-5383
http://ndep.nih.gov and
ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Free booklets to help you learn more
about controlling diabetes and food choices
[to top of second
column in this section]
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National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute
Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
(301) 592-8573
(301) 592-8563 fax
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Information on the prevention and
treatment of heart, lung and blood diseases
Office of Minority Health Resource
P.O. Box 37337
Washington, DC 20013
1 (800) 444-6472
www.omhrc.gov
Information on diabetes materials
available for minority populations
President's Council on Physical Fitness
and Sports
701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20004
http://www.fitness.gov/
Weight-Control Information Network
I Win Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
1 (800) WIN-8098
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/win.htm
Free brochures on physical fitness and
weight management |
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Health care program implemented:
It's OK to Ask
[MARCH
6, 2003]
Embracing patients as
partners with their physicians, nurses and all others responsible
for their care, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital and Memorial
Health System are celebrating the start of
National Patient Safety
Awareness Week (March 9-15) by launching "It's OK to Ask" -- a
program to increase awareness of the important role patients play in
the hospital care they receive.
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It's OK to Ask encourages patients,
family members and guardians to ask questions about the care being
administered or request assistance when it is needed. The new
program also addresses the need for safe and effective care in the
home following a hospital stay.
"The physicians, nurses and staff at
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital are dedicated to providing
skilled, compassionate care," said Woody Hester, president and CEO
of ALMH. "Patients who see themselves as partners in their care will
be comforted and reassured by knowing their questions, comments and
requests are encouraged and welcomed by all of us.
"By further embracing patients as
partners, It's OK to Ask reduces the risk of accidental injury and
improves overall quality of care at ALMH."
It's OK to Ask provides information
about five key health care topics to help patients make important
contributions as partners with their caregivers.
Infection control -- It's OK for
patients to ask nurses and physicians to wash their hands, or that
they wear gloves, before examining them or giving a medication. It's
also important to ask well-wishers not to visit if they feel ill.
Reducing medication errors --
Patients can help their caregivers prevent medication errors by
making sure their doctor knows about all the medications (including
prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements, such
as vitamins) they are taking, telling their physician of allergies
or adverse reactions they have had to medicines, and asking about
the medicines being prescribed.
Preventing falls -- Asking for
help is the most important thing patients can do to prevent a fall
during their hospital stay. It's okay for patients to let caregivers
know they are uncomfortable or in pain.
[to top of second
column in this article]
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Safe health care at home --
Following a hospital stay, it's important for patients to stay in
contact with their physician or pharmacist, asking questions and
taking notes. Arranging for others check up on them and having the
needed home health equipment and supplies are also important.
Improved communication --
Through It's OK to Ask, patients are encouraged to ask questions,
provide information and take an active part in decisions about their
treatment and care.
"Quality of care, clinical
effectiveness and patient safety are all benefits of It's OK to
Ask," said Dolan Dalpoas, ALMH director of quality management. "It's
also important that this program is patient-centered."
"We are listening for all the
needs of the patient. Can the patient be made more comfortable? How
can family members assist while the patient is hospitalized? How can
family members help once the patient is discharged? How can
outpatient therapy or other treatments be designed to accommodate
any special needs that might exist?"
"It's OK to Ask strengthens the voice
of the patient," Dalpoas concluded. "We pledge to listen to that
voice. That is a pledge we will continue to honor."
Hester said It's OK to Ask reflects
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital's century-long commitment to
skilled, compassionate patient care.
"At ALMH,
skills, expertise, knowledge and experience are combined with
compassion, empathy and genuine concern for every patient's
well-being," Hester emphasized. "By joining these values with
heightened patient awareness of their importance as partners with
caregivers, we grow our ability to provide safe, clinically
effective care."
[Abraham
Lincoln Memorial Hospital
news release] |
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A life-altering disease: diabetes
[MARCH
6, 2003]
The year is 1995. Local
pastor Don Hoover and his wife Deb are on their way to Michigan. Don
makes them stop at every rest area and gas station they pass.
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Deb, being a nurse, was worried. She
took his blood sugar and discovered it was very high. When they
returned home Hoover went to see a doctor, who confirmed his wife's
suspicions. He had diabetes.
What is
diabetes?
Diabetes, according to the National
Diabetes Education Program, is "a metabolic disease in which the
body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is
needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed
for daily life." In other words, the body of a diabetic cannot
process sugar and therefore can develop dangerously high blood
sugar. This can lead to blindness, kidney failure, lower limb
amputations, heart disease and stroke.
There are four types of diabetes: type
1, type 2, mature onset diabetes of the young (MODY) and
gestational.
Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus; juvenile-onset diabetes) occurs when the pancreas
does not produce insulin. This means that a person with type 1
diabetes will need daily insulin shots to live. This type of
diabetes usually develops in children or young adults.
Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus; adult-onset diabetes) occurs when the body cannot
properly use the insulin it produces. This type of diabetes is
usually found in adults over the age of 40 and often in people who
are overweight or have a family history of diabetes.
[to top of second
column in this article]
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MODY is an early development of type 2
diabetes. It occurs in children or youth but is not type 1.
Gestational diabetes develops during
pregnancy and usually disappears after the pregnancy is over. Women
who have gestational diabetes are at a higher risk of developing
type 2 diabetes later in life.
Watch this spot in LDN as we bring you
more information on this life-altering disease.
So what
happened?
There are many levels and several forms
of diabetes. Treatment varies according to the type, the discipline
and the lifestyle of an individual. To control Hoover's diabetes,
the doctor put him on a low dosage of Glucotrol, a medicine that
makes the pancreas create more insulin, and a diet consisting of
fewer carbohydrates and sweets and more protein and vegetables. He
also began to exercise more.
To find out more about his disease,
Hoover went to a seminar given by diabetic Amy Olsen, who was the
dietician at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital at the time. Through
that conference and subsequent talks with Olsen, he learned about
living with his diabetes.
With the
help of his wife, Hoover has been able to control his diabetes
through medication, exercise and healthy eating. He encourages
anyone with diabetes to get control and to maintain control of their
life.
[LDN and press release from
Illinois Department of Public Health] |
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Health Matters
A monthly feature from
Logan County Health Department
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A preventable cancer
[MARCH
4, 2003]
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The facts
Colorectal cancer -- cancer of the
colon or rectum -- is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in
the United States. In 2002, there will be approximately 148,300
colorectal cancer diagnoses, and 56,600 people are expected to die
from the disease.
But you can take steps to protect
yourself from the disease:
More than 90 percent of colorectal cancer is preventable.
Colorectal cancers can develop in both
men and women. More than 90 percent of cases are found in people
over the age of 50.
Risk
factors
Since people are more likely to get
colorectal cancer as they get older, everyone age 50 or over should
undergo regular screening for the disease. Some people, however,
have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
If you fall into one of the following
groups, you should talk to your health care provider about starting
colorectal cancer screening at an earlier age:
--Personal or family history of
colorectal cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease.
--Personal or family history of
ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer.
African-Americans have higher
colorectal cancer incidence and death rates than other ethnic
groups, in part because they are less likely to be screened for the
disease.
Screening
for prevention
Following colorectal screening
recommendations can detect polyps -- grapelike growths on the lining
of the colon and rectum that can become cancerous. Removing these
polyps can prevent colorectal cancer from ever developing.
There are four common tests used to
screen for colorectal cancer. Your health care provider can help you
decide which test is best for you.
A fecal occult blood test is a
simple chemical test that finds blood present in stool samples. You
can perform an FOBT yourself at home with a kit that you can get
from your health care provider and send to a laboratory for results.
This testing is recommended every year.
While an FOBT tests for warning signs
in the stool, the three tests described below look inside the body
to find polyps.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy
is a visual examination of the rectum and lower portion of the
colon, performed in a health care provider's office or in a clinic
or hospital. A flexible tube about the thickness of your finger is
put into the anus and slowly moved into the rectum and lower part of
the colon. Your health care provider can view the area by looking
through the eyepiece of the tube. This testing is recommended every
five years.
Colonoscopy
is like a sigmoidoscopy, but it lets
your health care provider examine the lining of your entire colon
rather than just its lower portion. Removal of polyps can be
performed during colonoscopy to prevent cancer. This testing is
recommended every five to 10 years.
A double-contrast barium enema
uses an X-ray to look at the colon and is performed in a hospital or
clinic. The double-contrast technique involves injecting a liquid
called barium sulfate and air into the rectum in order to get a view
of the large intestine. This testing is recommended testing every
five to 10 years.
Symptoms
Although colorectal cancer can develop
without symptoms, there are some warning signs for the disease.
If you have any of these symptoms,
contact your health care provider for testing:
- Rectal bleeding
- Blood in or around your stool
- A change in the shape of your
stool
- Stomach discomfort, including
bloating, fullness or cramps
- Unexplained weight loss or
fatigue
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Prevention tips
Since how you live affects your health,
you can take steps to help lower your risk for colorectal cancer.
Healthy dietary choices, being active and regular screening can help
lower your risk.
While regular screening is your best
bet for lowering your risk, research suggests that being physically
active can help protect against the disease. In addition to exercise
and maintaining a healthy weight, eating a low-fat diet full of
fruits, vegetables and whole grains may help prevent colorectal
cancer.
Staying away from tobacco and alcohol
can also lower your risk. In 2002, 170,000 Americans are expected to
die from colorectal and other cancers caused by tobacco use. If you
don't smoke, don't start, and if you do smoke, quit. And if you
drink, do so in moderation; aim for one drink or less per day.
National
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
March is National Colorectal Cancer
Awareness Month, founded by the Cancer Research and Prevention
Foundation in collaboration with many partner organizations. The
campaign to designate the special month was launched in March 2000.
The goal is to generate widespread awareness about colorectal cancer
prevention through screening and healthy lifestyle choices.
Colorectal cancer is preventable. It is
easy to treat and often curable when detected early. Talk with your
health care professional about colorectal cancer.
To learn more, visit
http://www.preventcancer.org/colorectal/.
Colorectal cancer myths and realities
Myth:
There is nothing I can do about getting
colorectal cancer.
Reality:
Colorectal cancer can be prevented.
Screening tests can detect polyps (grapelike growths on the lining
of the colon or rectum) that can turn into cancer. Removing these
polyps can prevent colorectal cancer from ever occurring. Starting
at age 50, men and women who are at average risk should be screened
regularly for colorectal cancer. Men and women who are at high risk
of the disease may need to be tested earlier and should talk to
their health care professional about when.
Myth:
Colorectal cancer is usually fatal.
Reality:
Colorectal cancer is usually curable
when detected early. More than 90 percent of patients with localized
colorectal cancer confined to the colon or rectum are alive five
years after diagnosis.
Myth:
Colorectal cancer is a disease of older
white men.
Reality:
An equal number of women and men get
colorectal cancer. An estimated 75,700 women and 72,600 men were
diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2002. African-Americans are more
likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer at later stages of the
disease.
Myth:
Screening tests are necessary only for
individuals who have symptoms.
Reality:
Since symptoms of colorectal
cancer are often silent, it is important to get screened regularly.
Screenings test for a disease even if the patient has no symptoms.
About 75 percent of all new cases of colorectal cancer occur in
individuals with no known risk factors for the disease, other than
being 50 or older. If you have a personal or family history of
colorectal cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease, you may
need to be screened before age 50. Talk with your health care
professional.
[From the
Logan County Health
Department]
All information in this article was
provided by the Cancer Research Foundation of America, 1600 Duke
St., Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22314;
(703) 836-4412;
www.preventcancer.org.
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Red Cross
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West Nile Virus
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West Nile virus links
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LDN articles
Federal websites
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State websites
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Honors & Awards
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Announcements
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CICBC
blood drives monthly at paramedics' building
Blood supplies across the
nation are critical. In some areas, there is less than a one-day
supply. Fortunately, thanks to the dedicated donors in central
Illinois, these tremendous shortages have not yet touched our
hospitals. However, the blood supply is a resource that must be
renewed. Every three seconds someone needs a blood transfusion of
some kind. To accommodate this constant usage, community members
must continually help replenish the supply. Since a donor can donate
whole blood only every eight weeks, Central Illinois Community Blood
Center needs community members to come forward and help with this
lifesaving effort.
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Central Illinois Community Blood Center
provides all of the blood and blood products for 12 area hospitals,
including those in Lincoln, Hopedale and Springfield. No other
organization provides blood in these hospitals. CICBC is a
community-based blood center whose mission is to provide a safe and
adequate blood supply for patients in local hospitals in a
cost-effective manner.
When you donate blood through CICBC,
you help to keep a safe and adequate blood supply for your
community. You also help keep local medical costs under control.
|
Regularly scheduled blood drives are on
the first Monday of each month (except Labor Day) at the Logan
County Paramedic Association
building, 1300 N. Postville Road. (See
schedule.) Please help by donating blood.
CICBC also provides other services for
the communities served, such as therapeutic phlebotomy at no charge
for patients with hereditary hemochromatosis.
For more
information, call Terry Bell at 753-1530.
[CICBC press release]
|
|
CICBC blood drive schedule |
-
April 7,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
-
April 11,
at Lincoln Community High School
-
May 5,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
-
May 14,
hours and location to be announced
-
June 2,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
-
July 7,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
-
July 15,
hours and location to be announced
-
Aug. 4,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
-
Sept. 8,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
-
Sept. 24,
hours and location to be announced
-
Oct. 6,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
-
Nov. 3,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
-
Nov. 12,
hours and location to be announced
-
Dec. 1,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
|
|
|
Mobile health unit schedule
The
Rural Health Partnership has announced the schedule for its mobile
health unit for 2002.
|
Morning: 9-11 a.m. |
|
Afternoon: 1-3:30 p.m. |
Monday |
1st and 3rd |
Hartsburg |
1st and 3rd |
Emden |
|
2nd and 4th |
San Jose |
2nd and 4th |
Greenview |
Tuesday |
Weekly |
Chestnut |
Weekly |
Mount Pulaski |
Wednesday |
Weekly |
New Holland |
Weekly |
Middletown |
Thursday |
1st and 3rd |
Elkhart |
Weekly |
Atlanta |
|
2nd and 4th |
Friendship
Manor-Lincoln |
|
|
Friday |
1st, 2nd,
4th |
Village Hall-Latham |
1st |
Beason |
|
|
|
2nd and 4th |
Broadwell |
|
3rd |
Maintenance/ special
events |
3rd |
Maintenance/
special events
|
The mobile health unit does not operate on the following dates for
holidays during 2002: Jan. 21 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), Feb.
18 (Presidents' Day), March 29 (Good Friday), May 27 (Memorial Day),
July 4 (Independence Day), Sept. 2 (Labor Day), Oct. 14 (Columbus
Day), Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), Nov. 28-29 (Thanksgiving break) and Dec.
24-25 (Christmas break).
For more
information on the mobile health unit schedule and services, contact
Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409.
|
|
Community resource list
This family
resource list to save and use is provided by the Healthy Communities
Partnership and the
Healthy Families Task Force, 732-2161, Ext. 409.
Agency |
Phone number |
Address |
Lincoln
agencies |
911 |
911 (emergency)
732-3911 (office -- non-emergency)
|
911 Pekin St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital
|
732-2161
|
315 Eighth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
American Red Cross
www.il-redcross.org |
732-2134 or
1 (800) 412-0100
|
125 S. Kickapoo
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Catholic Social
Services
www.cdop.org |
732-3771 |
310 S. Logan
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Lincoln/Logan County
Chamber
of Commerce
www.lincolnillinois.com |
735-2385 |
303 S. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Community Action (CIEDC) |
732-2159
|
1800 Fifth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Crisis Pregnancy
Center/
Living Alternatives |
735-4838 |
408 A Pulaski St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
DCFS (Department of
Children
& Family Services) |
735-4402 or
1 (800) 252-2873
(crisis hotline)
|
1120 Keokuk St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Heartland Community
College
- GED program |
735-1731 |
620 Broadway St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Housing Authority |
732-7776
|
1028 N. College St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Illinois Breast &
Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP)
www.logancountyhealth.org |
735-2317 or
1 (800) 269-4019
|
109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Illinois Employment and Training Center (replaces JTPA office) |
735-5441 |
120 S. McLean St., Suite B
Farm Bureau Building
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Lincoln Area YMCA
|
735-3915 |
319 W. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Lincoln/Logan Food
Pantry |
732-2204
|
P.O. Box 773
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Lincoln Parents' Center |
735-4192 |
100 S. Maple
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Lincoln Park District |
732-8770 |
1400 Primm Rd.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Logan County Department
of Human Services (Public Aid)
www.state.il.us/agency/dhs |
735-2306 |
1500 Fourth St.
P.O. Box 310
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Logan County Health
Department
www.logancountyhealth.org |
735-2317 |
109 Third St.
P.O. Box 508
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Logan-Mason Mental
Health |
735-2272 or
732-3600 (crisis line)
|
304 Eighth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Logan-Mason
Rehabilitation Center |
735-1413 |
760 S. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
The Oasis
(Senior Citizens of Logan County) |
732-6132 |
501 Pulaski St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Project READ
|
735-1731 |
620 Broadway St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Salvation Army |
732-7890
|
1501 N. Kickapoo
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Senior Services of
Central Illinois |
732-6213 or
1 (800) 252-8966
(crisis line)
|
109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
U. of I. Extension
Service
www.ag.uiuc.edu |
732-8289 |
980 N. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Springfield
agencies |
Department of Aging
www.state.il.us/aging |
785-3356 |
421 E. Capitol, #100
Springfield, IL 62701-1789
|
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org |
546-7586
(24 hour) |
1305 Wabash, Suite J
Springfield, IL 62704
|
Community Child Care
Connection
www.childcaresolutions.org |
(217) 525-2805 or
1 (800) 676-2805
|
1004 N. Milton Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702-4430
|
Hospice Care of
Illinois |
1 (800) 342-4862
(24 hour) or
732-2161, Ext. 444
|
720 N. Bond
Springfield, IL 62702
|
Illinois Department of
Public Health
www.idph.state.il.us |
(217) 782-4977
|
535 W. Jefferson
Springfield, IL 62761
|
Legal Assistance
Foundation |
(217) 753-3300 or
1 (800) 252-8629
|
730 E. Vine St., Suite
214
Springfield, IL 62703
|
Sojourn Shelter &
Services Inc.
http://www.sojournshelter.org/
|
732-8988 or
1 (866) HELP4DV
(24-hour hotline)
|
1800 Westchester Blvd.
Springfield, IL 62704
|
U. of I. Division of
Specialized Care for Children
www.uic.edu |
524-2000 or
1 (800) 946-8468
|
421 South Grand Ave.
West
Second Floor
Springfield, IL 62704
|
Logan County
libraries |
Atlanta Library |
(217) 648-2112 |
100 Race St.
Atlanta, IL 61723 |
Elkhart Library |
(217) 947-2313 |
121 E. Bohan
Elkhart, IL 62634 |
Lincoln Public Library
www.lincolnpubliclibrary.org |
732-8878 |
725 Pekin St.
Lincoln, IL 62656 |
Mount Pulaski Library |
792-5919
|
320 N. Washington
Mount Pulaski, IL 62548
|
|
(updated
2-15-02) |
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