Inspira Health Network, Inc.

FALL 2017

Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.

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24 Preventive Care Smoking increases the risk of death from heart attack in people who have diabetes by 52 percent, according to a study in BMJ Open . To increase your chances of kicking the habit, get support by calling the national tobacco quit line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). Or, join an online stop-smoking program, or participate in the American Lung Association's Freedom from Smoking in-person program. For more information, visit Freedomfromsmoking.org. Managing rising insulin costs Good health is priceless, of course. But injectable insulin can be quite expensive. "For some patients, insulin costs them over $1,000 for a month's supply," says Dr. Victor de Villa, an endocrinologist at Bellin Health Systems in Green Bay, Wis. Smoking and diabetes don't mix To make injectable insulin more affordable: • Ask your doctor or diabetes educator for less expensive options. The newest types of insulin are priced at a premium—about $300 per vial. But human insulin, an older insulin form, can be effective for managing Type 2 diabetes at a fraction of the cost. Walmart, for example, sells the ReliOn brand of human insulin at just $26 per vial. • Ask for help. Call the insulin manufacturer's customer service line and find out if the company offers a pharmaceutical assistance program. Whatever you do, don't cut back on insulin to make it last longer. "The amount of insulin you use should match the amount your body needs," says Dr. de Villa. Short-changing your body on insulin can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis—the buildup of acid in the blood—as well as long-term complications associated with poorly controlled blood sugar, including heart disease, kidney failure, diabetic neuropathy, and blindness.

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