Newscaster:...for our weekend day break health segment with Doctor Randy Fagin who answers your questions about mens health. Good morning doctor Fagin, how are you doing?
Dr. Randy Fagin: Good morning, very well thanks.
Newscaster:Well, November is American diabetes month, that affects over fifty million people, but what are some of the signs that you might be suffering from diabetes?
Dr. Randy Fagin: You know, it's hard, because diabetes really doesn't have any hard and fast thing that it actually causes, it causes a lot of problems, but the best way to find it is by seeing your doctor on a regular basis and to check out your blood or urine for sugar level.
Newscaster:Now, how does this disease directly impacts mens health?
Dr. Randy Fagin: Oh, in an enormous number of ways, we can break it down literally from head to toe. If you start with somebody's eyes, diabetes is actually the number one cause in new onset blindness in men through the vacuity disease aspect of it. And your heart, number two, diabetes actually is increasing the risk of heart attack in men by up to six percents, huge increased risk of death with diabetes in men. Then we move on down to erectile dysfunction, ED. Men with diabetes have an increased risk of ED, in fact they experience ED ten to fifteen years sooner than men without diabetes. And then moving on down to your circulation, especially your feet, circulation is affected by diabetes and in fact, diabetes is the number one cause of non-traumatic amputations in men due to poor circulation in their lower limbs, their feet.
Newscaster:SO basically what you're saying is a man not treating his diabetes can be extremely dangerous.
Dr. Randy Fagin: Absolutely, and what's unfortunate is, so many of these problems are very very treatable, it's very easy, things like diet, exercise, some oral medications, seeing your doctor and checking your glucose levels, or checking them at home! There are simple blood glucose monitors that allow you to check your glucose at home typically around meal time and bed time, and these simple steps cannot only help to improve your sugar levels, but they can extend the life of men with diabetes.
Newscaster:Now I know the American diabetes association recently released information about men with diabetes. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Dr. Randy Fagin: Yeah, it's very sad actually, it's only about lack of information. Men with diabetes, thirty percents of these men, have very little knowledge about their disease state. In fact, twenty five percents of these men weren't even following basic diet and exercise protocols. What's good though is over sixty percents of these men wanted to learn more about their disease, they wanted to be more active in helping them to be healthier, which is why information and seeing your doctor and screening are so very important.
Newscaster:Alright doctor Randy Fagin, thank you so much for being with us; we appreciate it and all the great information.
Dr. Randy Fagin: My pleasure.
Newscaster:And don't forget, we'll have doctor Fagin on every other week and if you have a question for him or a topic you'd like him to discuss, log on to kvue.com and go to our web links section, ask him your question on his website and he'll answer.
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11-22-08 Dr. Fagin on Healthvueby urologyteam624 views
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