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Free testing, information for diabetes risk factors offered On Wednesday, March 22, Annie Cruzan, MUSC Harper Student Center, and Nicole Hitte, wellness intern from East Carolina University, will provide information concerning diabetes and exercise in the Children’s Hospital lobby.   Cruzan and Hitte will conduct waist measurements, body mass index analyses, blood pressure readings and the American Diabetes Risk Test. Additional information from the American Diabetes Association (ADA)and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) concerning weight management and exercise for those with diabetes will also be available.   Even for those who don’t have diabetes, it never hurts to become informed of the risk factors surrounding the disease.   According to the ADA, diabetes results when the body does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that converts food into energy) or cannot use it properly. Approximately 7 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes and roughly 210,000 people die from the disease annually. Many are unaware they may have the disease.   There are four major types of diabetes. Type I or Insulin Dependent Diabetics (IDD) require insulin, and are typically younger than 30 years old. According to the ACE, this group accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all diabetics. Risk factors for this group include genetic, autoimmune, and environmental elements. Type II diabetics are typically older than 30 years of age, and account for 90-95 percent of diabetes cases in the U.S. This group may require dietary intervention, oral drugs and/or insulin injections to help control blood glucose levels. Risk factors include a family history of the disease, a lack of physical activity, waist measurements of greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, and approximately 80 percent of those diagnosed are also overweight or obese.   Gestational diabetes affects about 4 percent of all pregnant women and typically blood sugar levels return to normal after birth. Pre-diabetes, according to the ADA, occurs when a person’s blood glucose level is higher than normal but not high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. To determine pre-diabetes, the ADA recommends either a fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) or the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). For the FPG, blood sugar levels are considered normal with a reading less than 100 mg/dl and normal for OGTT with a reading less than 140 mg/dl. If a test shows levels higher than those listed, the individual may have diabetes of pre-diabetes. Editor's note: The preceding column was brought to you on behalf of the Employee Wellness Program. Striving to bring various topics and representing numerous employee wellness organizations and committees on campus, this weekly column seeks to provide MUSC, MUHA, and UMA employees with current and helpful information concerning all aspects of health.     Friday, March 17, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island papers at 849-1778, ext. 201.