Diabetics should check their vitamin B12 levels

Most diabetic patients are above 60 and also taking metformin, both of which are associated with vitamin B12 deficiency.



This affects the nerves of hands and legs and there is numbness, tingling,burning sensations in hands and legs (peripheral neuropathy)




This is treated by taking the injections of vitamin B12 and folic acid

Inj. VITCOFOL 10 ml vial

2ml per injection.given once a week

Total 5 injections

These injections should be given in the buttock

Vitamin D in diabetes

Most diabetics have a deficiency of vitamin D 

This leads to 

• High Hb A1c levels (uncontrolled diabetes)

• Albumin in urine (nephropathy)

Every diabetic should have a normal level of vitamin D( 30 ng /mL)

• There is no vitamin D in foods. Only a limited amount in some foods

• If you expose to sunlight for 90 minutes per day then you get vitamin D, just enough for the day. 

• Only reliable way of getting it through the supplements which are available as sachet or tablets

Diabetics suffer from depression

Depression is both a cause and effect of diabetes

A study of 272 diabetic patients showed that 60% had depression


Following features were seen

• Physical inactivity
• smoking 
• Alcohol intake
• Albumin in urine

• Poor control of diabetes
• poor quality of life
• Neglect of proper diet

P.S.

• Depression remains unrecognized and hence untreated
• Diabetics will not take professional help
• They are not proactive  
• They do not complain 
• They just accept the problem and do nothing about it.

Diabetics should monitor their blood pressure

100 diabetics who had normal blood pressure were studied.
These patients had fluctuations in the blood pressure which are as follows

• Early morning rise
• Night time surge (Nocturnal hypertension)
• Fluctuations during the 24 hr period

Such variations were associated with

• Albumin in urine
• High HbA1C (Average blood sugar during the last 3 months

Do they need medicines to lower the blood pressure?
No. 
These patients are not hypertensives.


But they should monitor their blood pressure at home 


Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring:

Use the same arm. Place the cuff on bare skin, not over clothing. 

Rest your arm,on a table raised to the level of your heart. If needed, place a pillow under your arm to elevate it to the level of heart

P.S.

These variations in B.P. will stop when we control our diabetes.

• Reduce weight and abdominal circumference
• Reduce calories
• Stop eating out

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