Type 2 Diabetes - Does Blood Sugar Control Give a Better Quality of Life?
Controlling your blood sugar level is important for a number of reasons, and living a happy life appears to be one of them according to a study reported in the journal Quality of Life Research, November 2011.
Investigators at VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, looked at improvements in the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) percentage and how the health related quality of life affected blood sugar levels.
In this particular study, four hundred and forty-seven volunteers with Type 2 diabetes and poorly controlled blood sugars took part.
With the help of insulin, these diabetics found their HbA1c levels decreased from an average of 8.
8 to 7.
7 in 6 months.
The volunteers' Diabetes-Related Symptom Checklist (DSC-r) average score improved from 17.
7 to 13.
6.
Their average WHO-5 well-being score increased from 56 to 65.
The study was consistent with earlier work which was published in June 2010 in the journal Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes.
Researchers at Democritus University in Thrace, Greece, looked at 146 diabetics.
The WHO-5 scores were highest for diabetics with the lowest HbA1c scores.
The diabetic volunteers with HbA1c scores of less than 7 had significantly higher WHO-5 scores than those with HbA1c levels of 7 or more.
Both sets of researchers concluded that feelings of well-being correlated with good control of blood sugar levels, and the Amsterdam study also concluded quality of life was associated with diabetes control.
What is the DSC-r? This is a set of questions designed to measure the amount of:
It was found to be valid in a study performed by Eli Lily and Company and published in March 2010 in the journal Global Health Outcomes...
371 volunteers with Type 2 diabetes, and 481 volunteers with Type 1 diabetes were given the checklist.
Their answers were found to yield consistent results throughout the checklist and to correlate with measures of well-being and satisfaction.
The investigators concluded the test was reliable and valid for taking an inventory of symptoms of diabetes.
What is the WHO-5 well-being index? This index is a simple two-week inventory consisting of five statements: 1.
I have felt cheerful and in good spirits.
2.
I have felt calm and relaxed.
3.
I have felt active and vigorous.
4.
I woke up feeling fresh and rested.
5.
My daily life has been filled with things that interest me.
The test-taker marks how much he or she agrees with the statement on a 0 to 5 scale, 0 being at no time, and 5 being all the time.
The numbers are added up and multiplied by 4.
A score of 0 shows the worst possible quality of life, while a score of 100 indicates the best.
Reduce your stress level, be cheerful, improve your health related quality of life, and you will find both your blood sugar levels and HbA1c percentage will improve.
Investigators at VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, looked at improvements in the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) percentage and how the health related quality of life affected blood sugar levels.
In this particular study, four hundred and forty-seven volunteers with Type 2 diabetes and poorly controlled blood sugars took part.
With the help of insulin, these diabetics found their HbA1c levels decreased from an average of 8.
8 to 7.
7 in 6 months.
The volunteers' Diabetes-Related Symptom Checklist (DSC-r) average score improved from 17.
7 to 13.
6.
Their average WHO-5 well-being score increased from 56 to 65.
The study was consistent with earlier work which was published in June 2010 in the journal Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes.
Researchers at Democritus University in Thrace, Greece, looked at 146 diabetics.
The WHO-5 scores were highest for diabetics with the lowest HbA1c scores.
The diabetic volunteers with HbA1c scores of less than 7 had significantly higher WHO-5 scores than those with HbA1c levels of 7 or more.
Both sets of researchers concluded that feelings of well-being correlated with good control of blood sugar levels, and the Amsterdam study also concluded quality of life was associated with diabetes control.
What is the DSC-r? This is a set of questions designed to measure the amount of:
- distress,
- tiredness,
- high blood sugar, and
- low blood sugar levels
It was found to be valid in a study performed by Eli Lily and Company and published in March 2010 in the journal Global Health Outcomes...
371 volunteers with Type 2 diabetes, and 481 volunteers with Type 1 diabetes were given the checklist.
Their answers were found to yield consistent results throughout the checklist and to correlate with measures of well-being and satisfaction.
The investigators concluded the test was reliable and valid for taking an inventory of symptoms of diabetes.
What is the WHO-5 well-being index? This index is a simple two-week inventory consisting of five statements: 1.
I have felt cheerful and in good spirits.
2.
I have felt calm and relaxed.
3.
I have felt active and vigorous.
4.
I woke up feeling fresh and rested.
5.
My daily life has been filled with things that interest me.
The test-taker marks how much he or she agrees with the statement on a 0 to 5 scale, 0 being at no time, and 5 being all the time.
The numbers are added up and multiplied by 4.
A score of 0 shows the worst possible quality of life, while a score of 100 indicates the best.
Reduce your stress level, be cheerful, improve your health related quality of life, and you will find both your blood sugar levels and HbA1c percentage will improve.
Source...