Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that your body needs to work properly. It is a type of electrolyte. It helps your nerves to function and muscles to contract. It helps your heartbeat stay regular. It also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. A diet rich in potassium helps to offset some of sodium's harmful effects on blood pressure.

Many people get all the potassium they need from what they eat and drink. Sources of potassium in the diet include:

• Leafy greens, such as spinach and collards
• Fruit from vines, such as grapes and blackberries
• Root vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes
• Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit

Your kidneys help to keep the right amount of potassium in your body. If you have chronic kidney disease, your kidneys may not remove extra potassium from the blood. Some medicines also can raise your potassium level. You may need a special diet to lower the amount of potassium that you eat.

Preconception Care

If you are trying to have a baby or are just thinking about it, it is not too early to prepare for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. You should see your health care provider for preconception care.

Preconception care is care you receive before you get pregnant. Your health care provider can help you figure out which steps you need to take now, such as:

• Finding and taking care of any problems that might affect you and your baby later, like diabetes or high blood pressure
• Increasing the amount of folic acid you get to prevent neural tube defects
• Getting up to date on vaccines
• Avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs
• Trying to reach a healthy weight

By taking action on health issues before pregnancy, you can prevent many future problems for yourself and your baby. Once you're pregnant, you'll get prenatal care until your baby is born.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Prediabetes

What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes means that your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Too much glucose in your blood can damage your body over time.

If you have prediabetes, you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. But if you make some lifestyle changes now, you may be able to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

What causes prediabetes?

Prediabetes usually happens when your body has a problem with insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. A problem with insulin could be:

• Insulin resistance, a condition in which the body can't use its insulin properly. It makes it hard for your cells to get glucose from your blood. This can cause your blood sugar levels to rise.
• Your body can't make enough insulin to keep your blood sugar levels at a healthy level

Researchers think that being overweight and not getting regular physical activity are major factors in causing prediabetes.

Who is at risk for prediabetes?

About 1 out of every 3 adults has prediabetes. It is more common in people who:

• Are overweight or have obesity
• Are age 45 or older
• Have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
• Are African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander American
• Are not physically active
• Have health conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Have had gestational diabetes (diabetes in pregnancy)
• Have a history of heart disease or stroke
• Have metabolic syndrome
• Have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

What are the symptoms of prediabetes?

Most people don't know they have prediabetes because usually there are no symptoms.

Some people with prediabetes may have darkened skin in the armpit or on the back and sides of the neck. They may also have many small skin growths in those same areas.

How is prediabetes diagnosed?

There are a few different blood tests that can diagnose prediabetes. The most common ones are:

• Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, which measures your blood sugar at a single point in time. You need to fast (not eat or drink) for at least 8 hours before the test. The results of the test are given in mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter):
  • A normal level is 99 or below
  • Prediabetes is 100 to 125
  • Type 2 diabetes is 126 and above
• A1C test, which measures your average blood sugar over the past 3 months. The results of an A1C test are given as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher your blood sugar levels have been.
  • A normal level is below 5.7%
  • Prediabetes is between 5.7 to 6.4%
  • Type 2 diabetes is above 6.5%

If I have prediabetes, will I get diabetes?

If you have prediabetes, you may be able to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes:

• Losing weight, if you are overweight
• Getting regular physical activity
• Following a healthy, reduced-calorie eating plan

In some cases, your health care provider may also recommend taking diabetes medicines.

Can prediabetes be prevented?

If you are at risk for prediabetes, those same lifestyle changes (losing weight, regular physical activity, and a healthy eating plan) may prevent you from getting it.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Prenatal Care

Prenatal care is the health care you get while you are pregnant. It includes your checkups and prenatal testing. Prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy. It lets your health care provider spot health problems early. Early treatment can cure many problems and prevent others.

Your doctor or midwife will give you a schedule for your prenatal visits. If you are over 35 years old or your pregnancy is high risk because of health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor or midwife will probably want to see you more often. You can also expect to see your health care provider more often as your due date gets closer.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

Raynaud Phenomenon

What is Raynaud phenomenon?

Raynaud phenomenon is a condition that affects your blood vessels (the tubes that your blood flows through). It causes your blood vessels to narrow, which decreases blood flow. This is called a Raynaud episode or "attack." The attacks usually affect your fingers and toes, causing them to become cold and numb. They may also change color, usually to white or blue. These attacks happen in response to cold temperatures or stress.

Raynaud phenomenon may also be called Raynaud disease or Raynaud syndrome.

What are the types of Raynaud phenomenon?

There are two types of Raynaud phenomenon:

• Primary Raynaud phenomenon is the more common type. Its cause is unknown.
• Secondary Raynaud phenomenon is usually caused by another disease or problem, such as lupus or scleroderma. Other causes may be exposure to cold or certain chemicals. The type can be more serious than the primary type.

What causes Raynaud phenomenon?

Researchers don't know exactly why some people develop Raynaud phenomenon. But they do understand how the attacks happen. When you are exposed to cold, your body tries to slow the loss of heat and maintain its temperature. To do this, the blood vessels in the top layer of your skin constrict (narrow). This moves blood from those vessels near the surface to vessels deeper in the body. But when you have Raynaud phenomenon, the blood vessels in your hands and feet react to cold or stress by narrowing quickly. They also stay narrowed for a long time.

Who is more likely to develop Raynaud phenomenon?

Anyone can develop Raynaud phenomenon, but some people are more likely to develop it:

• Primary Raynaud phenomenon has been linked to:
  • Your sex. Women get it more often than men.
  • Your age. It usually develops in people younger than age 30. It often starts in the teenage years.
  • A family history of Raynaud phenomenon. You are more likely to develop Raynaud phenomenon if you have a family member who has it.
• Secondary Raynaud phenomenon has been linked to:
  • Certain diseases. These include lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), carpal tunnel syndrome, and connective tissue disorders.
  • Certain medicines. Medicines that treat high blood pressure, migraines, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may cause similar symptoms to Raynaud phenomenon or make your symptoms worse.
  • Work-related exposures, such as repeated use of vibrating machinery (such as a jackhammer), or exposure to cold or certain chemicals.

What are the symptoms of Raynaud phenomenon?

Raynaud attacks most often happen when you get cold, for example when you grab something cold from the freezer or go into an air-conditioned building on a warm day. Attacks usually affect your fingers and toes. But sometimes they can affect other parts of your body, such as your ears, nose, lips, or nipples.

An attack causes the skin to become cold and numb. Your skin may also turn white or blue due to a lack of oxygen. As the blood flow returns, your skin may tingle, throb, or turn red. An attack may last a few minutes or a few hours. If you have darker skin, you may not be able to easily see the skin color changes.

For many people, especially those with the primary type, the symptoms are mild. People with the secondary type often have more severe symptoms. They may develop skin ulcers (open sores caused by poor blood flow) or skin infections.

How is Raynaud phenomenon diagnosed?

There is no specific test to diagnose Raynaud phenomenon. To find out if you have it, your health care provider:

• Will take your medical history and ask about your symptoms.
• Will do a physical exam.
• May order blood and other lab tests to check for other conditions which could be causing your symptoms and/or to help decide which type of Raynaud phenomenon you have.

What are the treatments for Raynaud phenomenon?

Most people with Raynaud phenomenon can keep their symptoms under control by avoiding getting cold. But if this is not enough, medicines and, in some cases, surgical procedures can help.

Secondary Raynaud phenomenon is more likely to be serious and to need more treatments. It's also important to treat the condition or problem that is causing your Raynaud phenomenon.

You may need to see a specialist such as a rheumatologist, a doctor who treats diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones.

Can Raynaud phenomenon be prevented?

Raynaud phenomenon cannot be prevented, but you can help prevent attacks and manage your symptoms by:

• Placing your hands or feet in a warm place when you have an attack. This could mean putting them under warm (not hot) water or under a heating pad.
• Keeping your body, especially your hands and feet, warm in cold weather.
• Avoiding triggers, such as certain medicines and stress.
• Quitting smoking (or not starting smoking).
• Managing stress.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases