National Survey Shows Women Overlook Common Warning Signs Associated With Poor Blood Sugar Management, Raising The Risk For Diabetes And Heart Disease

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Blood / Hematology;  Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 26 Sep 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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For women, excess weight in the mid-section, frequent fatigue and carbohydrate cravings may be the warning signs of something more serious. A new survey commissioned by the not-for-profit National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) showed that 75 percent of women ages 40-65 who had not been diagnosed with, but had a family history of diabetes or heart disease, reported that they experienced these symptoms. However, nearly one-third (32%) of all women surveyed did not know they could be signs of impaired insulin function, a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The most common symptoms experienced were excess weight in the mid-section (62%), frequent fatigue (36%) and carbohydrate cravings (30%).

"When women who don't have diabetes hear the word 'insulin' they tune out because they think it doesn't apply to them. It is critical for women to look at these common symptoms as a wake up call and understand that insulin health is important for all of us," said Audrey Sheppard, President and CEO of NWHRC, the leading independent health information source for women. "Our goal is to educate women about the important role blood sugar plays in preventing disease and how simple physical and dietary changes can help improve their overall health."

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) and funded through an unrestricted grant by Nutrition 21, also found that 94 percent of U.S. adult women were unaware that low levels of the mineral chromium have a direct impact on blood sugar. Furthermore, only 10 percent of women reported that their daily diet contains sufficient amounts of chromium as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Chromium is an essential mineral that helps improve insulin health the same way calcium helps promote bone health.

In response to these survey results, a new campaign, What's This B.lood S.ugar - The Ins and Outs of Insulin Health, is being introduced to address this knowledge gap. Women can evaluate their insulin health and stay current on the latest news and research by visiting the campaign Web site, http://www.BloodSugarFactor.com. Additionally, NWHRC has created tools to help women better understand and take care of their blood sugar. These tools are available for download at http://www.HealthyWomen.org/bloodsugar or by calling the organization's toll-free number, 877-986-9472.

"After age 40, the risk for heart disease and diabetes increases significantly, especially if you have a family history of these conditions," said Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RD, and author of the best-selling book, The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous. "Insulin health needs to be a top priority in the women's health dialogue and this campaign is the first step. Hopefully, once they learn more, women will realize that the 4 o'clock craving for a cookie might be telling them something more about their health."

The Chromium Connection

Chromium is an essential mineral required to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Without adequate levels of chromium in the body, insulin cannot effectively do its job.

While chromium is found in many foods such as broccoli, cheese and bananas, it is at trace levels and is often poorly absorbed. This is where a chromium picolinate supplement can help. Chromium picolinate, the only form of chromium with a qualified health claim from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledging its safety, has enhanced absorption and efficacy. Numerous studies support the role of chromium picolinate in helping to improve overall insulin function. While the recommended dose can vary, clinical studies report that a daily dosage of 200-500 mcg can help achieve optimal health benefits.

"As a nutritionist, everyday I encourage people to be active and eat a balanced diet. However, the average American only gets about 1-2 mcg of chromium per serving, which is why a supplement is necessary. Women should choose a brand that is considered safe and effective. A good example is Chromax(R), the brand of chromium that has been shown to work best, is the most studied, and its safety has been validated by government health authorities," said O'Neil.

About the Survey

This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of the National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) between August 10 and August 14, 2006 among 1,377 U.S. adult women 18 years of age or older. Figures for region, age within gender, education, household income and race/ethnicity were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

With a pure probability sample of 1,377 adults one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/-4 percentage points. The sampling error for the sub-samples of women who take individual vitamin or mineral supplements (n=492), women ages 40-65 who have not been diagnosed with heart disease or type 2 diabetes and do not have a family history of heart disease or type 2 diabetes (n=682), and women ages 40-65 who have not been diagnosed with heart disease or type 2 diabetes but do have a family history of heart disease or type 2 diabetes (n=578) is higher and varies. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About NWHRC

The National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) is the leading independent health information source for women. The non-profit organization develops and distributes up-to-date and objective women's health information based on the latest advances in medical research and practice. NWHRC believes all women should have access to the most trusted and reliable health information.

About Nutrition 21

Nutrition 21 is a nutritional bioscience company and the maker of chromium-based supplements with health benefits substantiated by clinical research. The company markets Chromax(R) chromium picolinate, http://www.chromax.com/, which is the most-studied form of the essential mineral chromium. Chromax, a supplement for healthy and pre-diabetic people that promotes insulin health and helps improve blood sugar metabolism, cardiovascular disease, control carbohydrate cravings and fight weight gain, is now available through food, drug and mass retailers nationwide. Nutrition 21 also developed and markets Diachrome(R), http://www.diachrome.com/, a proprietary, non-prescription, insulin sensitizer for people with type 2 diabetes. It is available in select drug retailers nationwide. Nutrition 21 holds 36 patents for nutrition products and uses, 27 of which are for chromium compounds and their uses. More information is available at http://www.nutrition21.com.

The National Women's Health Resource Center was provided an unrestricted grant by Nutrition 21, the makers of Chromax, to help fund education efforts.

Nutrition 21
http://www.nutrition21.com