- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- Needling Away Your Headaches With Acupuncture
- Traditional Chinese Therapy May Help Ease Eczema
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- BONES & JOINTS
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Hits Women Harder
- Put Your Best Foot Forward Next Year
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- CANCER
- Asthmatics Who Quit Smoking May Reverse Lung Damage
- Lifting Weights Can Ease Arm Swelling in Breast Cancer Survivors
- Green Tea May Help Prevent Oral Cancer
- CAREGIVING
- TV Watching Doesn't Fast-Track Baby's Skills
- Bariatric Surgery Centers Don't Deliver Better Outcomes
- Falls Are Top Cause of Injury, Death Among Elderly
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Salt Boosts Blood Pressure in High-Risk Patients
- Walk 100 Steps a Minute for 'Moderate' Exercise
- A Brisk Pace May Keep Stroke at Bay
- COSMETIC
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Care Helps Control Type 2 Diabetes and Its Complications
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- Scientists Find Gene for Tooth Enamel
- DIABETES
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
- Fish Twice a Week Cuts Diabetics' Kidney Risks
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Iced Teas Pose High Risk of Kidney Stones
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Occaisonal Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer, Study Says
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Agent Orange Exposure Tied to Prostate Cancer Return
- Think You Are Lead-Free? Check Your Soil
- Where You Live May Affect Your Cancer Diagnosis
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Action-Filled Video Games Boost Adult Vision
- Ordinary Chores Cause Half of All Eye Injuries
- Unconscious Learning: In the Eye of the Beholder?
- FITNESS
- Living With Less TV, More Sweat Boosts Weight Loss
- Women Who Run May Benefit From Extra Folic Acid
- Occupational Therapy Plus Exercise Benefits Osteoarthritis
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Health Gains From Lowered Smoking Rates in Jeopardy
- Eating Lots Of Vegetables, Olive Oil May Extend Life
- Hidden Salt in Diet Haunts Many With Heart Failure
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Omega-3, Some Omega-6 Fatty Acids Boost Cardiovascular Health
- Psychiatric Drugs Might Raise Cardiac Death Risk
- Irregular Heartbeat Tied to Alzheimer's Disease
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- KID'S HEALTH
- Keep Safety in Mind While Your Kids Are Cooling Off in the Water
- Too Many Infants Short on Vitamin D
- Wood Fires Can Harm the Youngest Lungs
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count
- Countdown to Hair Loss
- Could Chinese Herb Be a Natural Viagra?
- MENTAL HEALTH
- How to Attack Holiday Stress Head-On
- Have a Goal in Life? You Might Live Longer
- Keeping Mentally Active Seems To Keep The Brain Active
- PREGNANCY
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- Obesity May Affect Fertility in Young Womene
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- SENIORS
- The Healthy Habits of Centenarians
- Life Expectancy in U.S. Hits New High
- Healthy Diet Could Cut Alzheimer's Disease Risk
Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
By eHolistic.com Published: 05/08/2008
THURSDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Arthritis strikes more than half of the 20.6 million American adults who have diabetes, and the painful joint condition may be a barrier to exercise among these patients, a new government report shows.
Being physically active helps people manage both diseases better by controlling blood sugar levels and reducing joint pain, according to the report in the May 9 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The prevalence of arthritis is astoundingly high in people with diabetes," said Dr. John H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. "Over half the people with diabetes have arthritis."
Although there appears to be a connection between arthritis and diabetes, the reason for it isn't known, Klippel said. A possible explanation is obesity, which is a risk factor for both osteoarthritis and diabetes, he speculated.
"In addition, those individuals who have diabetes and arthritis are less physically active," Klippel said. "We know that physical activity is critically important for the control of diabetes, both for the control of blood glucose and the prevention of complications."
Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC researchers found 29.8 percent of people with both diseases were more likely to be inactive, compared with 21 percent of those who only have diabetes, 17.3 percent of those with arthritis alone, and 10.9 percent of those with neither condition.
For people who suffer from both diabetes and arthritis, arthritis appears to be a barrier to being physically active. But being physically active by doing aerobic exercise, strength training, walking, swimming or biking can benefit people with both diseases, according to the CDC.
"Public health efforts to control diabetes are going to have to begin to pay attention to this problem of arthritis, if we ever hope to get people physically active," Klippel said.
Klippel thinks the importance of physical activity needs to be emphasized. "Many people with arthritis don't exercise because it hurts them. But they have to understand that if they exercise, it will actually reduce their pain and prevents the disease from progressing," he said.
One of the keys to controlling diabetes is exercise, Klippel stressed.
"People with diabetes are going to have to pay a lot more attention to their arthritis if they hope to achieve better control of their diabetes," Klippel said. "People with arthritis are going to have to recognize that there is an association between diabetes and arthritis."
For people with arthritis and diabetes, the Diabetes Foundation recommends getting physically active by taking a walk at least three days a week.
The foundation recommends starting with a 10-minute walk, increasing it to 30 minutes over time. Before taking that walk, it's important to stretch your legs, lower back, chest and arms, Klippel said.
To keep yourself motivated, walk with a friend, the foundation suggests.
In addition, maintaining a healthy weight will place less stress on joints, particularly the knees. Also, being overweight can cause you to tire more quickly and give up on your exercise program.
More information
For more on arthritis, visit the Arthritis Foundation.
SOURCES: John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO, Arthritis Foundation, Atlanta; May 9, 2008, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Last Updated: May 08, 2008
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