When Exercise and Getting Aggressive is Not Enough.

Diabetics should exercise.  That was part of my recommended treatment.  Exercise does help burn glucose.  It's good for your heart and lowers blood pressure. Plus you get to look buff if you do it enough.  It's all good, right?  Maybe.  For an unlucky few exercise may hurt your heart.  Oh, yes,  and aggressively controlling your glucose level will prevent kidney disease.  Maybe.

The Numbers:

• Fasting Blood Glucose Level:  104 mg/dl
• Weight: 189ish.  At least that one's going down, albeit slowly after the weekend. 
• Exercise:  none.  Equipment failure, now repaired. 
• Mood:  6.0 sour. 

 The Menu:

• Breakfast:  The usual morning fruit medley and a whole wheat bagel for something different. 
• Lunch:  Leftover North African/Mexican inspired lentil and salsa and the last of the cole slaw. 
• Dinner:  French potato salad, andouille sausage and a salad.  This was one of my favorite meals as bachelor and fortunately the Charming Mrs. SWMBO likes it as well.  Mostly this is a tasty way to finish up some potatoes getting a bit old.
• Snacks.  A very small handful of chocolate chips also getting old. Very small.  Honest. 

Exercise May Increase Heart Risk for Some

Analysis from a group of studies shows that for about 10% of those exercising, one measure related to heart disease, blood pressure and levels of insulin, HDL cholesterol or triglycerides got worse. About 7 percent got worse on at least two measures.

So, if you are in that unlucky (or lucky if you really don't like exercising) group, what do you do?  I guess nothing, if heart health is why you force yourself to get sweaty.  If you just want to look buff, continue on your sweaty way.

There is one thing that all exercise studies seem to have in common.  None of these studies can say if in the long term exercise does any good.  Of the studies that do show an improved healthy response in the short term, it is implied that those benefits continue for the long term.  Whether that is true is not known.

Aggressively Controlling Glucose Levels May not Prevent Kidney Failure in Type 2 Diabetics.

Uncontrolled glucose levels can lead to kidney failure. That scary little fact was drilled into my head from the very beginning. I control mine through diet and exercise.  For many the treatment includes medication. For some the medication needed to control glucose levels is considered intensive or aggressive. I guess aggressive or intensive means taking taking a lot of it, more than usual.  

From studies of diabetics, intensively controlling glucose levels with higher doses of medication did "not definitively reduce the risk of impaired kidney function, the need for dialysis, or death from kidney disease."

My guess is that this group had the worst diagnoses and in need of dramatic treatment.  Just lowering their blood glucose levels, however, was too little too late.  The damage was done and undoing it was not possible.  At least that makes sense to me.

The fix I bet is to get diagnosed early.  See your doctor.