Health for a Lifetime

Sweet Blood

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Don Mackintosh (Host), Victor E. Herry

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Series Code: HFAL

Program Code: HFAL000192


00:49 Hello and welcome to Health for a Lifetime.
00:51 I'm your host Don Mackintosh.
00:52 We're glad that you've joined us.
00:54 Today we're talking about a very important subject.
00:57 Many Americans are struggling with a disease called diabetes.
01:01 Perhaps you yourself struggle with this.
01:03 I'm sure that if you don't you know someone that does.
01:06 Today we're going to be joined with someone who is really an
01:10 expert in dealing with this.
01:11 He is a specialist in internal medicine.
01:14 His name is Dr. Victor Herry.
01:16 He's from the Washington, D.C. area where he practices
01:19 and has done so for over 20 years.
01:23 Dr. Herry, we're glad you're with us today.
01:25 Thank you.
01:26 You know, diabetes is something that many people
01:31 have heard about.
01:33 There may be someone out there that doesn't know
01:34 what diabetes is.
01:36 What is it exactly?
01:37 Diabetes actually is a group of disorders in the body resulting
01:46 in elevated blood sugar in the blood stream.
01:50 Underlying all of this is maybe a defect in the pancreas.
01:59 The pancreas is that organ lies right below the stomach and
02:02 that produces insulin.
02:04 In some people the insulin production is not enough
02:09 or absent.
02:11 In some people the insulin production is adequate but the
02:16 body is not accepting the insulin to push the sugar
02:19 into the blood cell.
02:20 The blood sugar remains in the blood stream.
02:23 It causes an elevation of blood sugar and so it is called
02:26 diabetes or hyperglycemia - elevated blood sugar.
02:31 They talk about two types of diabetes - type 1, type 2
02:36 What's the difference between those?
02:37 There are two types.
02:41 Type 1 is sometimes referred to as juvenile onset diabetes.
02:46 That has to do with the death of the cells in the pancreas
02:52 that produces insulin - the absence of those cells.
02:55 It is an autoimmune cell.
02:58 The body destroys those cells, the beta cells of the pancreas.
03:03 so that young person does not produce insulin.
03:07 That usually is from birth or it can happen at any time.
03:12 Anytime from the age 1 to age 18 before the person is an adult.
03:19 Now, you say the body attacks itself.
03:22 Why does it happen?
03:24 Do they know why it happens?
03:25 Why it happens we're not sure.
03:27 It's just autoimmune and that happens with many other
03:30 kinds of diseases.
03:31 The basis of it we're not quite sure why it happens.
03:35 Then there is the type 2.
03:38 The type 2 used to be called adult onset diabetes.
03:42 However, because now it is found in children it is called type 2
03:49 and not adult onset anymore.
03:51 The reason for that is because of changing in life style.
03:56 We find that we have young children who are markedly
04:00 overweight who do not exercise and as a result of that the
04:04 sugar in the blood stream becomes so high that they
04:08 develop diabetes.
04:10 So its changed from being adult onset to type 2 and that's
04:14 really a warning shot.
04:16 That makes this program even more important.
04:18 That's right because children have type 2 diabetes now.
04:21 So what are the symptoms of diabetes?
04:23 How can I know I have it?
04:25 There could be multiple symptoms.
04:29 One of the things one must remember is that if you have
04:34 a family history of diabetes
04:35 then one is to look for diabetes.
04:39 Some of the things like increased thirst.
04:42 One finds that one wants to drink water.
04:45 They're thirsty all the time.
04:46 Increased thirst is an indication.
04:48 Or one goes to the restroom a lot to pass water.
04:53 That too is an indication that there is diabetes.
04:58 So increased thirst, increased running to the bathroom
05:05 to pass water.
05:06 Increased eating, eating a lot, that may be an indication
05:10 that there is diabetes.
05:11 So those are some of the symptoms that one would find
05:14 that might indicate and of course there's a family history
05:18 that that person has diabetes.
05:20 But the only way you can know is to check the numbers.
05:22 Got to check the numbers - so what are normal numbers
05:28 when you get them checked?
05:30 Before one eats, if one is in a fasting state, that is you have
05:36 not eaten before midnight, and early in the morning, let's say
05:40 6:00, you're going to check your blood sugar.
05:43 If your blood sugar is greater than 110 it indicates that
05:49 you may be diabetic.
05:52 Your body is not handling sugar properly.
05:55 That's a different number than when I went to nursing school.
05:59 A number of years ago they said 120.
06:01 But it is now even going down.
06:04 As a matter of fact they're now thinking of putting it
06:06 down to 100.
06:07 So 100 to 110 fasting blood sugar in the morning.
06:13 Now, 2 hours after a normal meal if your blood sugar is greater
06:19 than 140 and even greater than 200 then the indications are
06:27 that you are diabetic.
06:29 So 2 hours after eating.
06:32 We call that post prandial.
06:34 You actually draw the blood right then?
06:36 Yes, draw the blood 2 hours after one eats.
06:39 The only way you can really know then is by those tests?
06:42 Yes, because what happens is there are many people who
06:46 have had observations of themselves.
06:49 For instance, patients would come and say, "I've been loosing
06:52 a lot of weight and I notice I've been running to the
06:55 bathroom. "
06:56 Weight loss, running to the bathroom frequently, I've been
06:58 hungry all the time, I've been drinking a lot of water - those
07:03 are indications but even then, even before that state comes,
07:08 if there's a family history one should annually check to make
07:14 sure that there is no indication that the blood sugar
07:17 is running high.
07:18 So we've talked about what it is, type 1 and type 2.
07:22 We've talked about some symptoms.
07:23 You also have down, what are the causes?
07:28 What causes diabetes?
07:33 First of all I mentioned that diabetes can be genetic.
07:37 So that through the genes.
07:42 However, the environment is very important both the internal
07:45 and the external environment.
07:47 What do I mean by that?
07:48 Now a person who is over weight is subject to diabetes.
07:54 So one cause of diabetes is obesity.
07:57 If we notice that we are becoming heavier and heavier
08:02 every day because we eat and we do not exercise.
08:06 Ok, so lack of exercise.
08:08 That's one cause.
08:10 Another cause of diabetes, as I mentioned, increased weight,
08:15 obesity, lack of exercise, bad habits of eating, eating foods
08:25 high in carbohydrates, overwhelming the body so that
08:31 the body cannot handle those.
08:32 Foods high in carbohydrates would be like potatoes, rice,
08:37 pasta.
08:38 I'm not saying that they are not good, I'm saying if you
08:40 eat too much of them the body is overloaded with the sugar
08:45 and glucose so your body cannot handle it.
08:47 So you've got to watch that.
08:49 We hear about the glycemic index of foods.
08:53 So you're saying foods high in the glycemic index?
08:56 No, I'm glad you mentioned glycemic index - that's correct.
09:01 We also have carbohydrates in almost everything we eat.
09:06 However, the natural complex carbohydrates are broken down
09:11 very easily.
09:12 Whereas, the ones that I have mentioned in the refined foods
09:15 tend to go through the body very slowly and as a result
09:19 converted to glucose into the blood stream which the body
09:25 cannot handle.
09:26 As a result these individuals develop diabetes.
09:30 The complex carbohydrates are broken down slower and these
09:35 processed foods are broken down faster?
09:37 The natural foods are broken down faster, yes.
09:42 And that causes it just to spike?
09:45 Spike in the blood stream.
09:47 So who is it that is really developing diabetes?
09:52 You've mentioned that it's happening with younger people
09:54 now, but what are the at risk populations?
09:58 The at risk populations people are the black Americans.
10:02 They are at risk for diabetes.
10:07 Why is it that they have such a risk?
10:09 It's probably both genetic and lifestyle.
10:12 There are certain areas of the United States, for instance
10:16 in the South East where that population diabetes is very,
10:21 very high in that African American population.
10:24 The lifestyle there in terms of what people eat and in many
10:31 cases lack of exercise activity resulting in a high incidence
10:36 of diabetes.
10:37 So tell me specifically what are they eating?
10:39 Foods that are high in carbohydrates, fat, foods that
10:47 produce high cholesterol and as a result you have increased
10:51 size and result in diabetes.
10:55 Those are the components of the foods but give me some
10:57 dishes, what are the names?
10:58 Rice, pasta, potatoes, ham hocks, all of those.
11:09 Ok, all of those different things.
11:10 People are going to go, "Oh, no!" because they are
11:14 very tasty foods.
11:16 Ok, Black Americans and who else are at risk populations?
11:20 The elderly.
11:22 As you age you tend to loose some of your beta cells
11:28 and as a result if your diet is improper then you are at risk.
11:32 Just getting older?
11:34 Yes.
11:36 The elderly Americans, the Black Americans, any others?
11:40 Those who don't exercise.
11:42 So that could be young or old.
11:45 We've talked about what it is, the causes, and who develops it.
11:50 What about risk factors?
11:52 Anything different we could add there?
11:54 Now I've mentioned some of the risk factors in diabetes.
11:58 I've mentioned exercise, and I'm coming back to diet,
12:04 coming back to weight gain, and age is a risk factor.
12:11 If you notice we've mentioned genetics as a risk factor.
12:16 Know your genetics.
12:17 If your mother, your father, an aunt or an uncle has diabetes
12:21 it means then that you might be prone to the disease.
12:25 Therefore, you need to take precaution.
12:27 That precaution you need to take, first of all is to check
12:30 with your physician for an annual physical.
12:33 Additionally, you need to be active in your lifestyle.
12:37 You need to exercise.
12:39 What are some of the effects of diabetes?
12:42 In other words, again people say, "Look I got a little more
12:45 sugar in my system, I'm just sweeter than I used to be!"
12:48 What are some of the effects of having high sugar in your blood?
12:54 Here is what high sugar does.
12:56 1. It reduces the oxygen capacity of the blood
13:01 and you need oxygen for clear thinking.
13:03 It increases atherosclerosis - the plaques that build up
13:09 on the vessel sides.
13:10 So diabetes increases that.
13:13 It also increases the risk for heart attack.
13:16 The person who is diabetic is two and a half times more likely
13:22 to get a heart attack than the person who is not.
13:24 It also increases stroke.
13:27 Diabetes also increases stroke.
13:32 So we talked about increased heart attacks,
13:34 increased strokes, and increased heart failure.
13:40 All of those are the consequences.
13:43 Not only that but you notice that in some blindness.
13:47 Because of the fact of the elevated blood sugar
13:52 causes premature growth of additional blood vessels.
13:57 These tiny blood vessels choke off the sight and so
14:03 blindness come as a result of diabetes.
14:06 Increased amputation, loss of limbs because diabetes tend to
14:14 effect the very tiny vessels first.
14:17 The vessels of the eye, the vessels of the extremities,
14:21 the vessels of the kidneys - the tiny vessels - those are
14:26 effected by diabetes.
14:28 That's why in African Americans, for instance, who have a high
14:32 incidence of diabetes there is also high incidence of renal
14:36 failure in African Americans.
14:38 That is because of both diabetes and hypertension.
14:42 When you have the combination of diabetes and hypertension
14:47 it is extremely important that you control your blood pressure
14:52 and that you lower your blood sugar.
14:54 Because any of those can lead to premature death.
14:58 All of these things you have mentioned have to do with the
15:01 smallest capillaries like your eyes, the kidneys, and all these
15:05 different things.
15:06 This really seems to effect, first of all, where the small
15:09 intricate vessels are and just impacting that.
15:14 We're talking with Dr. Victor Herry.
15:16 We're talking about diabetes.
15:17 It's a dangerous disease.
15:19 It's not just something to just say, "Hey, I'm sweeter than
15:21 the day before. "
15:22 We've got to take care of it.
15:23 I think you're going to find real good news when you come
15:27 back in the second half of our program.
15:29 We hope you join us.
15:33 Are you confused about the endless stream of new and often
15:37 contradictory health information?
15:39 With companies trying to sell new drugs?
15:41 Special interest groups paying for studies that spin the facts?
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15:57 produced this helpful booklet of 24 short, practical health
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16:33 Welcome back.
16:34 We're talking with Dr. Victor Herry.
16:35 We're talking about diabetes.
16:36 We've learned that it is a deadly disease
16:39 impacting the small capillaries and vessels of the body.
16:44 We've learned that it's something not to just say,
16:47 "I'm sweet, I've got sweeter blood. "
16:50 It really causes problems.
16:52 We've learned the causes, the risk factors, and as we've
16:55 talked to Dr. Herry, though, we've also started to get a
16:59 glimmer of something we hope to get much brighter in this half
17:03 which is hope and help for you if you have type 2 diabetes,
17:07 isn't that right, Dr. Herry?
17:08 That's correct.
17:09 Now I want to emphasis also that world wide there are about
17:12 150 million diabetics according to the
17:16 World Health Organization.
17:18 And what is noticed, too, is that in the developing countries
17:22 there's an increase in the growth of diabetes.
17:26 That means that as these countries become more
17:30 Westernized and change their diet and lifestyle they develop
17:34 diabetes.
17:36 So it's a risk factor to be an American or be in a
17:39 Western country.
17:40 That's right.
17:41 We eat too many bad things.
17:42 And so these underdeveloped countries are now getting a
17:47 burden that they cannot afford.
17:48 So diabetes is a problem world wide.
17:52 You specialize in preventive health.
17:57 You're part of the preventive care network, you and the group
18:01 of physicians there in Washington, D.C.
18:02 While you treat with traditional medicine and
18:06 are very up on that, you want to prevent things like diabetes.
18:11 What can we do to prevent it and what do we do if we have it
18:16 and want to see it reversed?
18:20 If a person is markedly over weight and has developed
18:28 diabetes because of obesity, when that person looses weight
18:32 then we see a reversal in the body's ability to control
18:37 the blood sugar.
18:38 So if one wants to talk about "curing" of diabetes in some
18:43 instances as weight loss... weight loss is the big thing...
18:48 Now in addition to that there is exercise.
18:53 As you exercise the body uses up more sugar.
19:00 Exercise and weight loss become important.
19:06 Now it must also be remembered that when you gain weight
19:10 there are some people who gain weight in different
19:12 parts of the body.
19:13 So if your weight gain is in the trunk area, in the potbelly
19:18 kind of weight gain, where a lot of the fat is concentrated
19:22 around the abdomen.
19:24 Person's of that nature are at high risk for diabetes
19:28 if they're not yet diabetic.
19:30 Because the fat cells tend to inhibit the insulin and as a
19:36 result the insulin cannot do its job in terms of getting the
19:42 blood sugar into the cells.
19:44 It is very important therefore, that we try to loose weight.
19:50 Or not gain weight.
19:52 That can be done by eating properly.
19:54 In terms of prevention, to answer your question
19:58 specifically, then one needs to eat properly.
20:02 Nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, those are some of the
20:07 things as opposed to the high carbohydrate content -
20:12 white bread as opposed to grain wheat bread,
20:15 white rice as opposed to brown rice,
20:19 or any of those high carbohydrate meals.
20:22 Many times you have people say, "Well, I'm a diabetic because I
20:26 guess I've been eating too much sugar. "
20:28 That's really not the issue?
20:30 It is not the issue.
20:31 The issue is fat you're saying?
20:33 The issue is fat.
20:34 The issue is overloading the body with carbohydrates
20:37 which eventually changes into sugar.
20:39 Because of that there are certain defects in the body
20:44 that results.
20:45 The defects in the body will result in the liver because the
20:50 liver stores sugar in the form of glycogen.
20:55 So the liver has to break down glycogen and as a result of that
20:59 the liver itself, at night when you're sleeping, has to make
21:03 sure that the brain gets enough glucose.
21:05 If you have too much storage of glycogen when the liver
21:09 breaks that down and your body cannot handle that extra sugar
21:12 then of course you have increased sugar
21:14 in your blood stream.
21:15 That's why it's elevated when you get up in the morning.
21:19 In addition to that the muscles not taking up enough of the -
21:24 they can't get enough of the sugar
21:27 because there is a defect there.
21:29 That's why exercise becomes important because as you
21:32 exercise it reduces those receptors and allow them to take
21:36 handle the blood sugar so the blood sugar can go right in.
21:40 So really you just have to be on the move.
21:43 On the move, exercise every day, eat appropriately and properly,
21:49 and please, please do not gain any weight.
21:53 Now you know the typical American... I graduated from
21:56 college, just used myself - I hope I'm not a typical American,
22:00 in some senses, but I think it's pretty easy to gain weight
22:04 just maybe a pound or two a year and then it just kind of
22:07 adds up.
22:08 So you have to be at this from very young to be on top of it.
22:13 That's true.
22:15 Let me give you an example.
22:17 If you were to exercise for 20 minutes, let's say on a
22:21 treadmill, at 3.5 miles per hour.
22:27 You would only burn about 200 calories.
22:29 Wow, that's not very many.
22:32 That's not many calories.
22:34 That's only a sliver of cake.
22:36 Or less than a glass of ice cream.
22:39 It shows you that diet is important in that aspect.
22:46 You said 20 minutes at 3.5 miles an hour you only burn a little
22:51 over 200 calories.
22:53 That's like one M&M.
22:54 So it's important to recognize what you put in.
23:01 If your lifestyle is sedentary it means that your caloric
23:08 intake must match your lifestyle.
23:10 I'm sure you find patients that are well down the road.
23:13 They are in so much trouble that it's very hard for them to
23:16 even exercise.
23:18 What do you do with a person like that?
23:20 Everyone can exercise but you need medication.
23:24 Medication is important.
23:26 The medications are oral medications that can be used
23:32 for the treatment of diabetes.
23:34 Or there is insulin and multiple forms of insulin today to treat
23:38 diabetes.
23:39 In the type 1 diabetic, of course, insulin is all
23:43 important because that's all they can use.
23:44 In the type 2 diabetic you can use oral agents or pills so that
23:54 those pills help to reduce the sugar.
23:57 But you have to help it by exercising
24:00 however little you can every day.
24:03 You have to move, walk, swim, whatever form of exercise
24:08 you can use.
24:09 Because that helps to lower blood sugar.
24:11 I've interviewed other people and some of these
24:14 lifestyle programs.
24:15 Once you start exercising a lot of people can actually
24:19 go off those pills.
24:21 Why is it that they are able to go off those pills
24:24 after they start exercising?
24:25 When you exercise you burn up a lot of glucose - that's one.
24:31 Two - you loose fat.
24:33 By loosing fat, by loosing weight, then the body's
24:38 consumption of glucose drops.
24:42 The body's consumption of insulin drops.
24:44 Not only that but physiologically
24:47 the receptors, there are some
24:49 on the cells of the body that are receptors, and those
24:54 receptors are better able to take insulin and that brings
25:00 sugar into the cells.
25:02 So the fat gets out of the way, the receptors become available
25:07 and then the insulin can do its work getting the sugar
25:10 into the blood cell.
25:11 True or false from listening to this?
25:13 If you're on insulin you're in worse shape than if you're just
25:16 taking a pill?
25:17 I would not say that.
25:20 That's not the right way to put it.
25:23 But if your insulin is only one form of treatment.
25:27 Because we have many different agents today some physicians
25:33 choose to exhaust the agents before using insulin.
25:36 Some physicians, however, use insulin very
25:41 early in the treatments.
25:42 So it depends upon choice.
25:43 However, it means we have the kind of ometarian we need
25:49 to treat the disease.
25:50 But even though we have that there is an
25:54 increase in diabetes.
25:56 The increase is due to lifestyle and I want to emphasize that.
26:02 Lifestyle - lack of exercise, weight gain, not eating the
26:08 right things, or eating too much.
26:13 Your patient come in, you show them what to eat, and how to
26:17 exercise and you give them medicine if they need help
26:20 the short term.
26:21 But you try to get them off that if possible.
26:23 That's correct.
26:24 Now you see a lot of people with this?
26:28 You said it was a high risk population in terms of
26:30 African American as well.
26:32 Any closing thought you would have
26:35 on the treatment of diabetes?
26:37 Yes, because diabetes is such a heavy burden on the health care
26:42 industry it is extremely important that if there's a
26:49 family history of diabetes that you incorporate into your
26:52 lifestyle those things that can prevent you from getting
26:56 the disease.
26:57 If you have the disease you must remember the negative
27:03 effect of the disease on the human body, the increased risk
27:07 of heart attacks, the increased risk of strokes, the increased
27:11 risk of loosing your limbs, the increased risk of blindness,
27:15 and because of all of these it is extremely important to get
27:19 that sugar number down below 100 or 110 in the morning.
27:27 And 2 hours after you eat so that exercise becomes important.
27:31 Eating the right things become important.
27:33 So it all goes back to what do I eat.
27:36 As you eat, so you are.
27:38 You are what you eat.
27:40 We've been talking with Dr. Victor Herry.
27:43 We've heard bad news today about diabetes and what it
27:46 can do to you but we've also heard some good news
27:50 and that is you can start to address it, even perhaps
27:54 reverse parts of it or all of it with God's help.
27:58 We're glad you've joined us for Health for a Lifetime.


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Revised 2014-12-17