Sitting down all day is bad for your health...

It's well-known that sitting down all day, be it at your desk, on the couch or in a car, is bad for your health. 

It's well-known that sitting down all day, be it at your desk, on the couch or in a car, is bad for your health. People know they should be getting up regularly, stretching their legs and simply moving their bodies more, but how many actually do it? Not enough.

Twenty-three percent of adults globally -- and an alarming 80% of adolescents at school -- failed to be as active as they should have been in 2015, according to a new study. The potential health consequences are big, particularly for people who spend more of their day sitting.

READ MORE....

Extreme Heat and Your Health

Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable, yet annually many people succumb to extreme heat. An important goal of this web site is to provide easily accessible resources for members of the public, local health departments and other organizations, assisting ongoing outreach efforts to those most vulnerable to extreme heat events.
READ MORE...

Diabetes-Related Financial Coverage

Does Medicare cover diabetes-related medical expenses?

Medicare covers supplies for people with diabetes, whether or not they use insulin. These include glucose testing monitors, blood glucose test strips, lancet devices and lancets, and glucose control solutions. There may be some limits on supplies or how often you get them. Medicare also covers the cost of therapeutic shoes, self-management training, nutrition counseling, flu and pneumococcal pneumonia shots, and glaucoma screening for people with diabetes.

For more information, see Medicare Coverage of Diabetes Related Supplies and Services at the Medicare Web site.

READ MORE...

Managing Diabetes in the Heat

How to keep your cool during the hottest time of year.

Did you know that people who have diabetes—both type 1 and type 2—feel the heat more than people who don't have diabetes? Some reasons why:

• Certain diabetes complications, such as damage to blood vessels and nerves, can affect your sweat glands so your body can't cool as effectively. That can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which is a medical emergency.
• People with diabetes get dehydrated (lose too much water from their bodies) more quickly. Not drinking enough liquids can raise blood sugar, and high blood sugar can make you urinate more, causing dehydration. Some commonly used medicines like diuretics ("water pills" to treat high blood pressure) can dehydrate you, too.
• High temperatures can change how your body uses insulin. You may need to test your blood sugar more often and adjust your insulin dose and what you eat and drink.

READ MORE