Category Archives: Diabetes

The Diabetes Partnerships board of directors voted to dissolve the organization April 5, and began efforts to launch two groups to operate Camp Ho Mita Koda, the annual diabetes summer camp for children, and community programs that distribute insulin and ongoing diabetes self-management education.

Members of the board cited changes in the national healthcare landscape, the evolving needs of people with diabetes and the costs of owning and operating the camp in Newbury, according to a news release.

In effect, were going out of business, said William Murman, board chairman, in the release. Its a sad day for all of us who have dedicated our time and talents to this cause. But we know that in this case, the most difficult step can be the right step in finding a better way forward.

Two separate meetings are scheduled, one for those interested in saving and operating the summer programs at Camp Ho Mita Koda, and one for those interested in saving and operating the community programs. The meeting for the camp will be at 7 p.m. April 24 at Camp Ho Mita Koda, 14040 Auburn Road in Newbury. The meeting for the community programs will be at 7 p.m. April 18 at the Diabetes Partnership office, 3601 S. Green Road.

Anyone with questions about the programs or summer camp can call Tom Bennett, executive director of the Diabetes Partnership, at 216-591-0800 or email tbennett@diabetespartnership.org.

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Diabetes Partnership to dissolve - Cleveland Jewish News

Past Master Jerry Chambers of Midland's Masonic Lodge, presents a check to Jill Chambers, diabetic educator of the Diabetes Center of MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland.

Past Master Jerry Chambers of Midland's Masonic Lodge, presents a check to Jill Chambers, diabetic educator of the Diabetes Center of MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland.

Masons help Diabetes Center

Past Master Jerry Chambers of Midlands Masonic Lodge presents a check to Jill Chambers, diabetic educator of the Diabetes Center of MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland. With Chambers is center staff member Ashley Shankool. In the back row, from left, are center staff members Maxine Guettler and Mary Jane Hoshaw, center manager. Also looking on are Lodge Senior Warden Tom Sova and Lodge Steward Mike Palmer. This years donation is the 16th annual donation that Centre Lodge No. 273 has made to the diabetes center. The funds are raised each year by holding a benefit spaghetti dinner that is open to the public. These funds are then partly matched by the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation helping to provide a significant donation. The center uses the money to provide scholarships to individuals who need the Diabetes Center services but are uninsured or under insured. These include diabetic adults, as well as pregnant women who are experiencing diabetic medical concerns.

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Masons help Diabetes Center - Midland Daily News

To mark the WHOs World Health Day 2017 which, this year, focuses on depression, we talk to Robin Hewings, head of policy for the charity Diabetes UK.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from depressionthanthe average adult living in the UK andmay also have depressive periods for longer than those without diabetes, but it is an issue that is often ignored or forgotten because the clinical priority is seen to be stabilisation and management of blood sugar levels.Having depression could also have a knock-on effect on how well diabetes is controlled.

Although depression is not a clinical symptom of diabetes,it could be the result of a variety of factors such as coming to terms with a diagnosis, dealing with the day to day responsibility of managing diabetes or the development of a diabetes-related complication.

People with Type 1 diabetes, which often begins in childhood and happens because the body cannot produce insulin, may simply feel demoralised by the day-in, day-out regime of keeping on top of their blood sugar levels. Someone with Type 1may need to test their blood sugar levels several times a dayas well asdoses of insulinthroughout the dayeither as an injection or via a pump.Episodesof hypoglyaceamia (low blood sugar) can leavesome people with diabetesfeeling a like a failure as well as physically exhausted during the recovery period.

Around3.6million peopleare now diagnosed withdiabetes in the UK, and 90 per cent of them have type 2 diabetes, which islinked to obesity and usually occurs in adulthood. For them, the diagnosis itself may be a shock whichin turn could lead to depression.They may struggle to lose weight and take up regular exercise and so lose confidence in themselves and their ability to manage the condition.

The very serious complicationsof diabetes, including blindness, kidney failure and foot ulcers can meana constant fearfulness about the future as well asfrequent visits to hospitalwhichcan interfere with social and professional lives.

At Diabetes UK, we are encouraging doctors and healthcare professionals to look for symptoms of depression in patients who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. A simple question like how do you feel about your diabetes? at the annual care planning session can start a conversation about low mood and depression. Diabetes UKs new Mood information prescriptionoutlines the key areas of a collaborative care management plan.

GPs are in the front line when it comes to managing patients with diabetes and they have an important role to play in helping people manage their depression as well. Of course, every individual needs a different approach. Some people with serious clinical depression may need to be referred to specialist services and have some kind of drug therapy to keep symptoms under control. For many people with diabetes who suffer with episodes of low mood, dietary and lifestyle changes such as taking regular exercise and getting enough sleep can help to ease the problem.

At Diabetes UK, we see a much greater scope for evidence-based talking therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for people who have diabetes and are suffering from depression. These therapies could be tailored towards the unique experience of people with diabetes and have a big impact on their quality of life.

Robin Hewings is head of policy for the charity Diabetes UK.

Read more from the original source:
Depression and diabetes - The Hippocratic Post (blog)

Tommy Lowe, 18, a pitcher for the Mountain Ridge High School baseball team in Glendale, holds on to dreams of playing in college after discovering that he has Type 1 diabetes. He has received a scholarship from New Mexico State University.

Tommy Lowe, 18, is a pitcher for Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, who found out he has Type 1 diabetes. He practices his pitching motions at the school, Tuesday, April 4, 2017.(Photo: Tom Tingle/azcentral sports)

Tommy Lowes senior season stat line coming into the week was two innings pitched, four strikeouts and a 10.50 earned run average.

But hell take that, knowing this is just the beginning of a final year at Glendale Mountain Ridge that appeared lost a month ago when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and was down to 138 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame.

An All-Arizona pitcher last season when he won nine games, had a 1.84 ERA and won two state tournament games on his teams run to the 6A final, Lowe has seven regular-season games and the playoffs still to make it memorable.

Lowe wasnt sure hed take the mound at all after he found out he had diabetes while treating a stretched ulna nerve in his right elbow.

At school, there is a girl in one of my classes who has diabetes, Lowe said. She was just messing around and said, Hey, let me test your blood. So she tested my blood and it wouldnt read on her monitor. And shes like, Thats either too low or youre above 700, and Im like, What?

I didnt feel bad. Nothing felt different. I went to the doctor for my arm that day. And we told him about it. So he goes, All right, for precautionary, lets check your blood. He reads it and he goes to me, You need to go to the hospital right now. Your reading is off our charts, and theirs goes up to 700, as well.

Lowe said that he had been up to over 170 pounds, but when he went to the hospital, his weight was 138.

He said he is back up to 165 now.

But its been a slow climb back to the mound.

He has to regularly monitor his blood-sugar levels. He has learned to give himself insulin shots each day, injected into his stomach. He has to make sure he doesnt go above 75 grams of carbohydrates a day. He cant drink soda with sugar anymore.

I got a diet soda in the dugout right now, he says, because that has zero carbs.

I used to drink a lot of soda. Im drinking diet cherry Pepsi now.

Lowe said the insulin has helped him regain weight, but its been a season-long adjustment, not only trying to get his elbow healthy but keeping the diabetes under control.

When I first got on insulin and my blood sugar was leveling out, or at least trying to, Id be up and down a lot. When my blood sugar gets really high, my vision gets super blurry. I never had a problem with my vision before. Sometimes, Ill be out here wearing cheaters, because I cant get a prescription, because it changes every 20 minutes.

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Lowe has had his emotional ups and downas he watched helplessly from the dugout, as junior left-hander Matthew Liberatore (5-0, 0.68 ERA) has taken over the ace role on the staff.

Lowe, who logged 57 innings and faced 255 batters, throwing what he said he believes was 1,100 pitches his junior season, felt pain in his pitching elbow during a winter game.

He said the injury is in the ulna nerve. He said there is no tear, no need for surgery. It is stretched/strained, Lowe said.

The diabetes, his father, Floyd, said, has made the elbow slower to recover.

Its one of those things that if he did not have diabetes, his body would have already healed, said Floyd, a teacher at Glendale Community College who is retired from law enforcement. We didnt know that. Thats why the arm has been a problem.

Lowe felt invincible his first three years in high school. He pitched 47 innings his sophomore year on varsity, going 5-2 with a 2.53 ERA.

I always had a rubber arm, I could throw forever, Lowe said.

Since he was finally medically cleared to pitch last week, he has been ordered to throw no breakingpitches, only fastballs and change-ups. One of his big out-pitches was his slider. But this he feels will make him a more cerebral pitcher, relying on location and change of speed and pitching angles in his windup.

Coach Lance Billingsley said he is hoping that Lowe will be healthy enough to start a game as the playoffs near.

Lowe was clocked at 84-85 mph in his outing last week, when he gave up four hits and three runs in an inning in a 4-2 loss to Glendale Apollo. Last season, he was clocked in the high 80s.

He pitched for the Sun Belt team in the summer. He threw some for Mountain Ridge in fall and winter leagues.

I think his body wasnt recovering and he was pushing it physically, Billingsley said. By any account, hes lucky to even be here. For us to worry about him pitching, thats minute compared to what hes gone through.

Whats more important for him and his future is to be healthy enough to pitch next year.

Last year, Lowe accepted what he calls basically a full-ride from New Mexico State, in order to help his twin sister, Beth, become a certified nursing assistant. With almost all of his college expenses taken care of, thats relief for his parents, who can focus on helping Beth get through college.

About a foot shorter than her brother, Beth goes to Mountain Ridge in the morning and takes nursing classes in the afternoon, getting straight As, to get a jump on her career.

Hes proud of his sister, Floyd Lowe said. Being in the spotlight in baseball, he could think, Im the man. But he respects what she is doing.

Lowe isnt giving up on his senior season.

He is hoping to make an impact in state. By then, he believes he will be starting, his velocity will be up, and hell be getting hitters out.

Im getting stronger, getting better, he said.

Suggest human interest stories to Richard Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him at azc_obert

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Mountain Ridge pitcher Tommy Lowe battles elbow, diabetes on way back to the mound - AZCentral.com

A family sells pastries in Mexico City. As Mexicans' wages have risen, their average daily intake of calories has soared. Meghan Dhaliwal/for NPR hide caption

A family sells pastries in Mexico City. As Mexicans' wages have risen, their average daily intake of calories has soared.

Mario Alberto Maciel Tinajero looks like a fairly healthy 68-year-old. He has a few extra pounds on his chest but he's relatively fit. Yet he's suffered for the last 20 years from what he calls a "terrible" condition: diabetes.

"I've never gotten used to this disease," he says. Maciel runs a stall in the Lagunilla market in downtown Mexico City. This market is famous for its custom-made quinceaero dresses and hand-tailored suits.

Diabetes has come to dominate Maciel's life. It claimed the life of his mother. He has to take pills and injections every day to keep it under control.

"I've never gotten used to this disease," says Mario Alberto Maciel Tinajero, at his dress shop in the Lagunilla market. "Imagine not being able to eat a carnitas taco!" Meghan Dhaliwal/for NPR hide caption

"I've never gotten used to this disease," says Mario Alberto Maciel Tinajero, at his dress shop in the Lagunilla market. "Imagine not being able to eat a carnitas taco!"

And because of the disease he's supposed to eat a diet heavy in vegetables that he views as inconvenient and bland. "Imagine not being able to eat a carnitas taco!" he says with indignation. His doctors have told him to stop eating the steaming hot street food that's for sale all around the market tacos, tamales, quesadillas, fat sandwiches called tortas. His eyes light up when talks about the roast pork taquitos and simmering beef barbacoa that he's supposed to stay away from.

"A person who has to work 8 or 10 hours has to eat what's at hand, what's available," he says. "It's difficult to follow a diabetic diet. The truth is it's very difficult."

Diabetes is the leading cause of death in Mexico, according to the World Health Organization. The disease claims nearly 80,000 lives each year, and forecasters say the health problem is expected to get worse in the decades to come. By contrast, in the U.S. it's the sixth leading cause of death, with heart disease and cancer claiming 10 times more Americans each year than diabetes.

Rising rates of obesity combined with a genetic predisposition for Type 2 diabetes has caused a slow steady rise in the condition in Mexico over the last 40 years. Now roughly 14 percent of adults in this country of 120 million are living with what can be a devastating and even fatal health condition. Diabetes poses an increasing burden on the nation's hospitals and clinics. The surge in diabetes threatens the very stability of Mexico's public health care system, according to new reports.

For many people with diabetes in Mexico, like Maciel, managing the condition is a constant and significant challenge.

"I'd say I have it about 50 percent under control," he says, even though he was diagnosed two decades ago. "I take my medicine. I inject my insulin twice a day, in the morning and the night. I try to eat a proper diet as much as I can."

At times he says he can't afford his medications. And trying to cut down on the amount of sugar, salt and fat in his diet, as his doctors tell him he should, is easier said than done.

And Maciel's experience helps explain how Type 2 diabetes has become the leading cause of death in Mexico.

Type 2 diabetes is often considered a lifestyle disease because it's far more likely to develop in people who are overweight. Mexico has seen a rapid increase in obesity, with the number of people categorized as overweight and obese tripling over the last four decades.

The obesity problem is in part a side effect of Mexico's economic progress. As wages have risen, the average daily intake of calories has soared. In 2012 Mexico was the world's top per capita consumer of soda in the world guzzling 176 liters per person per year, according to the Mexican government. That's nearly 500 cans of soda for every man, woman and child. (Mexico was recently overtaken by Argentina, the U.S. and Chile.) Coca-Cola is practically the national drink in Mexico. Type 2 diabetes has skyrocketed as soda consumption has risen.

"In the middle of the 1970s and especially after the '80s, the prevalence of diabetes exploded," says Dr. Carlos Aguilar Salinas, the vice head of the endocrine department at Mexico's National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition in Mexico City.

"Diabetes is now one of the biggest problems in the health system in Mexico," he says. It's the first cause of death. It's the first cause of disability. It's the first cause of early retirement. It's the main cost for the health system."

Diabetes costs the Mexican health care system billions of dollars each year.

The disease can lead to serious eye problems including blindness, nerve damage that requires amputations and kidney failure, among other issues.

Mexico's public health care system attempts to manage the huge number of people with diabetes by trying to get them to manage their blood sugar levels, alter their diet and exercise more.

But there diabetes is typically a lifelong condition. Once someone is diagnosed, the goal is to get the disease under control and keep it from getting worse.

Just around the corner from where Mario Alberto Marciel Tinajero has his dress-making shop, Dr. Rosa Estrella Calvillo Gomez runs a one-room medical clinic in the Lagunilla market.

Dr. Estrella Gomez says her patients don't want to accept that they have a disease for which there is no cure. "Tell me anything but don't tell me I'm a diabetic," they say to her. Meghan Dhaliwal/for NPR hide caption

Dr. Estrella Gomez says her patients don't want to accept that they have a disease for which there is no cure. "Tell me anything but don't tell me I'm a diabetic," they say to her.

The free clinic was set up by the local government. People can come in for any kind of health problem. But Calvillo says roughly half her patients are coming for complications with diabetes.

"Diabetics don't just come in with high blood sugar," Calvillo says sitting behind a desk overflowing with promotional drug samples that she gets from pharmaceutical representatives. "It's about controlling multiple health problems at once," she says, and most of her patients with diabetes don't have the disease under control.

"The problem that I have here first, is the denial and second, the cost of the medication."

Patients don't want to accept that they have a disease for which there is no cure. "Tell me anything but don't tell me that I'm a diabetic,'" she says they tell her. She melodramatically puts her hands over her eyes and shakes her head. "They deny it."

Also, diabetes isn't an easy condition to manage. The public health system treats severe complications like nerve damage or blindness, although dialysis and kidney transplants are not available. For the daily management of diabetes, patients are largely on their own.

Easy access to rich foods, such as those sold at this bakery in a Mexico City Metro station, contributes to Mexico's high rates of obesity and diabetes. Meghan Dhaliwal/for NPR hide caption

Calvillo says a diabetic can easily spend $150 a month out of pocket on insulin injections, blood sugar test strips and medications for hypertension and other complications.

"To get excellent control of diabetes costs a lot of money," she says, "It costs as much as renting an apartment."

Mario Alberto Maciel Tinajero is one of the doctor's patients. He says coping with the disease is a real struggle, and many people with diabetes are desperate.

"The most dangerous thing for diabetics is to fall into the hands of charlatans, swindlers who offer miracle products," he says.

As diabetes took its final toll on his mother, he watched as she spent thousands of pesos on useless he thinks possibly even toxic herbs and injections. After both her feet had been amputated and doctors were only offering palliative care, salesmen came along offering "magical" injections, alleging that they'd give her relief.

"With the promise of a cure, you can be left in the street with nothing," he says. "Absolutely nothing."

Maciel is grateful to have Dr. Calvillo to help him grapple with the condition.

"If this clinic didn't exist," he says, "I would be dead."

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Diabetes In Mexico: An Epidemic And The No. 1 Killer : Goats and ... - NPR

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The York County Area Agency on Aging is hosting a six-weekdiabetes self-management workshopin the coming weeks.

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The York County Area Agency on Aging is hosting a six-weekdiabetes self-management workshopin the coming weeks.

The workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every Thursday from April 20 through May 25 at the York County Annex, located at 112 Pleasant Acres Road in Springettsbury Township, according to a county news release.

The self-management workshops are open to York County residents ages 50 and older living with Type 2 diabetes, residents ages 18 and older living with a disability and Type 2 diabetes, and caregivers of eligible participants.

Researchers at Stanford University developed the program to provide tools for managing diabetes, dealing with emotions and breaking the symptom cycle that comes with diabetes, the release states. A companion book and relaxation tape will be provided.

Pre-registration is required by April 17.

The program will be repeated May 25-June 29 at Country Meadows Leader Heights, 2760 Pine Grove Road; and July 13-Aug. 17 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 947 N. George St., North York, the agency said.

To register, call the York County Area Agency on Aging at 717-771-9610.

Read or Share this story: http://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/health/2017/04/05/york-county-hosting-free-diabetes-workshops/100084060/

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York County hosting free diabetes workshops - York Dispatch

In Brief Scientists have used a new drug to reverse diabetes in mice. The drug inhibits the enzyme LMPTP, which contributes to the development of Type 2 diabetes by weakening the body's sensitivity to the hormone. Defining Diabetes

In the global community, the number of people with diabetes has been on the rise since1980, with 422 million people diagnosed by 2014.The U.S. alone has experienced a substantial rise in the incidence of diabetes, with the number of Americans diagnosed increasing from 5.5 million in 1980, to 22 million in 2014a more than 300percent increase in less than 40 years.

Ateam of researchers, led by Stephanie Stanford at the University of California, San Diego, is proposinga solutionin the form of a single pill that aims to restore insulin sensitivityin diabetic patients. Type 2 diabetes develops when the bodys response to insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating sugar in our blood, weakens.A number of genetic and lifestyle factors will influence whether or not someone developsthis type of diabetes in their lifetime.

Up until now, drugs were unable to restore the insulin signaling function in diabetic patients instead, theywork by filtering out excess glucosein the blood that comes as a result of the dysfunction. The drug produced by Stanfords team, on the other hand, hopes to restore function.

The drug inhibits an enzyme called low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMPTP), which is suspected to contribute to the reduction in cell sensitivity to insulin. With reduced LMPTP activity, the drug reenables insulin receptors on the surface of cells particularly those in the liver which in turn restores the cells ability to regulate excess sugar. When the body can once again regulate blood sugar levels, the condition of Type 2 diabetes is effectively reversed.

The researchers fed lab mice a high-fat diet that made them obese, which subsequently caused them to develop high blood glucose levels. The drug was given to themice on a daily basis and successfully restored insulin sensitivity withoutproducing any adverse side effects.

While the mouse trials results are exciting, the team must continue testing the drug for safety, sohuman clinical trials are still some time away. But Stanford is confident that the drug could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for treating type 2 diabetes,

While we have seen diabetes reversal in patients before,it has never been achieved through medication alone. So, if this drug is approved for use in humans it would be a truly revolutionary treatment.

Continued here:
A New Drug May Be Able to Completely Reverse Diabetes - Futurism

Angela Loucks remembers Dec. 11, 2011, as a day that would change her daughters life forever.

When the doctor at Peninsula Childrens Clinic told her Chloe, then 4-years-old, had Type 1 diabetes and was insulin dependent, Loucks broke down in tears.

Chloe took the news a little better than her mom.

She leaned over and put her hand on me and told me itd be OK, Loucks said.

And it has been OK for the Loucks family, they say.

At first, Loucks said she thought Chloes symptoms of extreme thirst and hunger were part of growing up but the diagnosis that their daughter now had a chronic condition was a culture shock. In time, lifestyle changes came and the Loucks family including dad Larry and sister Emily began to make healthier food choices in support of Chloe.

Being diabetic hasnt taken away her childhood either. Chloe still rides her bike, jumps on the trampoline, goes to birthday parties and trick or treats on Halloween. Treats are just eaten in moderation.

Its just a way of life for her now, Loucks said.

I dont really know anything different, Chloe said.

On and off

Traveling for care is a way of life for many young diabetics, too a functional reality for many local diabetics. The Olympic Peninsula has been without an endocrinologist, a doctor specializing in hormonal imbalances in the endocrine system, for more than a year.

Dr. Josh Jones, chief physician officer for Olympic Medical Physicians, said his group is not recruiting a new endocrinologist for a number reasons, but mainly because of their rarity.

Its difficult to have a solo, lone doctor of any kind of specialty of any kind of coverage, Jones said. There was plenty of need. We werent able to create a program and the clinical infrastructure around the endocrinologist.

Chloe and her family travel to Seattle Childrens every three-four months to see an endocrinologist while others travel to Swedish Pediatrics or Mary Bridge Childrens in Tacoma.

Dr. Jeff Weller, a pediatrician at Peninsula Childrens Clinic, said bringing in a pediatric endocrinologist is even more rare.

Its nearly impossible to have sub-specialists in a rural area, Weller said. All sub-specialists work at a tertiary care center like Mary Bridge.

To offer a local option, Seattle Childrens sends a team including a pediatric endocrinologist to Peninsula Childrens Clinic one day every three months to meet with children with diabetes.

Weller said that interval matches routine appointment schedules in bigger areas.

Waiting

Casey Vass of Sequim has five children and her youngest Kylus, 2, has been a diabetic for about a year. They met with Seattle Childrens endocrinology team in late February in Port Angeles, but Vass said there was such a backlog of patients they waited for more than four hours.

Vass said its easier for her family to travel to Seattle Childrens than wait that long again.

I want him to be monitored and know were doing what we need to be doing, she said.

I cant see putting my family through this every four months.

Shes traveled to Seattle for various diabetes education classes and appointments and since February shes called the clinic twice about filling a prescription and advice on dealing with the stomach flu.

Hes growing so fast that were adjusting his (insulin) numbers every time we go in, she said.

Time is the hardest part of managing her sons diabetes, Vass said.

Its so time-consuming, she said. Its all day with all the food and medical and insurance stuff.

Options

Sadie Crowe of Port Angeles has similar struggles with diabetes on the peninsula.

Crowe, 38, grew up a Type 1 diabetic in Sequim and her daughter Roslyn, 7, has lived with the autoimmune disease for four-plus years, too.

When Roslyn was diagnosed, we really considered whether we should stay here, Crowe said.

They dont provide the level of care we need for Type 1 diabetes here.

Both mother and daughter wear insulin pumps and Roslyn sees a doctor at Mary Bridge Childrens every three months.

It would be life changing for us if we didnt have to drive to Tacoma for care, she said.

Roslyn sees local physicians for immunizations, colds and other basic care but Crowe said when a diabetic is sick you get a little sicker.

Well call the endocrinologist sometimes because if we cant get the diabetes under control, then we cant stop the virus, she said.

On average, Roslyn has traveled about once a year to Tacoma for Mary Bridges pediatric intensive care unit, Crowe said.

Care

The total number of diabetics, Type 1 or 2, isnt known on the Olympic Peninsula, but the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation estimates there are more than 1.25 million Americans with Type 1 diabetes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 26 million Americans have diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes, usually diagnosed in adults, is a metabolic disorder where a person can still produce insulin but cannot use it as well.

Vickie Everrett, supervisor of nutrition counseling and a diabetes educator for Olympic Medical Center, said they see and treat diabetes as an epidemic.

We want to change the mindset of people, she said.

Through her programming, she sees about 600 people annually for diabetes education with about 30 of those Type 1.

It isnt just, Youve got to lose weight and move more, Everrett said. Its really sitting down with them and talking with them about how they fix food, what kind of food access they have and what are their physical abilities in order to get their best medical care.

Some of the things they cover includes diabetes self-management and self-training, counseling services, and they offer a monthly support group from 6:30-7:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at Olympic Memorial Hospital.

Everrett said she typically doesnt work with children under 18 and that patients are usually referred by primary care physicians for diabetes assistance.

Weller said when juvenile diabetics are diagnosed they are sent to a tertiary center like Seattle Childrens to be stabilized and work with a diabetes educator.

Everrett said theyve implemented a diabetes prevention program that starts again in August and is covered by Medicare in 2018 for patients who participated in the Center for Disease Controls diabetes program the past three years.

Possibile fixes

While options may be limited, physicians like Jones and Weller want to look for more collaboration.

We can leverage some of our electronic health records to help primary care care doctors provide better care especially around diabetes, Jones said.

Everrett agrees, saying there are a lot of people with diabetes and with early risk factors such as being overweight, a more sedentary lifestyle and those older than 60 who need enhanced support.

That defines a large part of our population, she said. But their providers have to refer them to the (diabetes education) service.

Even though diabetics may prefer to see a specialist, most local diabetes care is not provided by an endocrinologist, Jones said.

For the chronic ongoing care, their care will live in their primary care provider, he said.

Both types of diabetes can be managed by a primary care provider, Jones said, and in more complicated cases theyll consult a specialist.

Weller said tertiary centers are good about having phone access and Olympic Medical Center officials are looking to grow telemedicine offerings through secure, video-to-video in the future.

Peninsula Childrens Clinics recent partnering with Olympic Medical Physicians, also provides a lot of opportunities for growth and opportunity, Jones said, but there are no current plans regarding juvenile diabetes aside from current operations.

Hope

Traveling to Seattle Childrens takes a full day every three months for one of Chloes appointments, Loucks said.

But Chloe looks at the appointment as a fun trip, she says, and only dreads a scheduled arm poke for shots.

For me, whats more important is that she is comfortable and everything is a good fit rather than the cost of gas and traveling for a whole day, Loucks said.

After four-plus years of a strict diet, finger pricks and insulin injections through her pump, Chloe remains hopeful for a cure.

Once a year, she and her family make and sell baked goods at her great-grandmothers garage sale with proceeds benefiting diabetes research.

Im very hopeful, Chloe said.

For more information on Type 1 diabetes and juvenile diabetes, visit http://www.jdrf.org and for more on general diabetes research and information, visit http://www.diabetes.org.

For more information on Olympic Medical Centers Diabetes Prevention Program, call 417-7125.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.

Diabetics like Chloe Loucks, left, continue to do everyday things like jump on a trampoline with her sister Emily but in the winter months its been hard to be active, she says. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Eating healthy food is an important part of controlling blood sugars for diabetics. For Chloe Loucks, right, she checks with her mom Angela most of the time before eating snacks like peanut butter crackers, applesauce and yogurt which can bring blood sugar levels up.

Chloe Loucks, left, stands with her family, dad Larry, mom Angela, and sister Emily, on March 8 at the Regional Outreach Luncheon Meeting for Clallam & Jefferson County at Sunland Golf & Country Club. Chloe and Larry spoke about how much Seattle Childrens Hospital has helped her with treatment. The guilds have helped more than 1,400 patients receive $1.2 million in uncompensated care. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

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Locals choose out of area diabetes services due to availability - Sequim Gazette

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Obese adults between the ages of 25 and 64 are at least four times more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes than those who are normal weight, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. By their mid-to-late 30s, 9.3% of adults who are obese have been diagnosed with diabetes, compared with 1.8% among those who are normal weight.

These results are based on nearly 500,000 interviews conducted in the U.S. from 2014 through 2016 as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Unlike some government estimates of obesity, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index uses respondents' self-reported height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI) and subsequent weight classes. It does not involve clinical measurements that typically result in higher obesity estimates. A BMI of 30 or higher results in an obese classification. Additionally, the Well-Being Index does not discern between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, but rather asks: "Has a doctor or nurse ever told you that you have diabetes?"

In 2016, 28.4% of all U.S. adults were classified as obese, and 11.6% reported having been diagnosed with diabetes. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have estimated that about one in three Americans born in the year 2000 will be diagnosed with diabetes in their lifetime, and that the percentage of Americans with the disease will at least double from current levels by the year 2050.

Not all individuals who are obese will develop diabetes, and some who are normal weight will get the disease. Factors other than obesity status or age could increase the risk of developing diabetes, including physical inactivity, race and ethnicity, and genetic predisposition.

Still, the odds of having been diagnosed with diabetes are substantially higher among those who are obese than among those who are overweight or normal weight, and remain elevated between the ages of 25 and 64. The peak years of elevated risk are between ages 35 and 39. At this stage in life, obese individuals are over five times more likely than their normal weight counterparts to have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Women Have Higher Diabetes Risk Because of Obesity

In 2016, women were only slightly more likely than men to report having been diagnosed with diabetes -- 11.7% to 11.4%, respectively. Women who are obese, however, are more likely than obese men to have diabetes across all age groups up to age 60, at which point both groups converge.

The increased diabetes risk is considerably higher for obese women than for obese men across most age groups. For example, obese women aged 50 to 54 are six times more likely than women who are normal weight to have diabetes, while obese men of the same age are only about three times more likely than their normal weight counterparts to have diabetes.

The results of this analysis cannot establish a causal relationship between obesity and diabetes, as individuals are not asked to confirm the age at which they were diagnosed with diabetes and their height and weight at the time of the diagnosis. Some who were obese when interviewed may have been normal weight at an earlier age when they were diagnosed with diabetes, and some who were normal weight (or overweight) at the time of the interview may have been obese at the point of their diagnosis.

The results do, however, add to a significant body of research that demonstrates the unambiguous link between the two diseases: Those who are obese carry a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes.

Implications

Obesity has climbed steadily in the U.S. since 2008, increasing nearly three percentage points to 28.4% in 2016. This means there are now 7 million more U.S. adults who are obese than would have been the case if the rate had held steady at the 2008 level.

Diabetes, in turn, has climbed by one point since 2008, to 11.6%. Every three-point increase in the U.S. obesity rate is associated with a roughly one-point increase in the diabetes rate.

The findings from this analysis show the strength of the relationship between obesity and diabetes, even for young adults. By their mid-to-late 20s, obese individuals are already four times more likely than their normal weight counterparts to have been diagnosed with diabetes. This increased risk only grows over the next decade before peaking between the ages of 35 and 39. As such, communities, businesses and healthcare providers should pursue efforts to curtail obesity at the earliest possible time and with increased urgency.

The costs of obesity are substantial. In unplanned absenteeism alone, obesity and associated chronic conditions have been estimated to cost the U.S. economy $153 billion annually. This economic impact is likely exacerbated given that the obesity-diabetes link is greatest among adults in their prime working years.

Curtailing the relentless climb of obesity and associated chronic conditions such as diabetes can be accomplished. Hospitals can put in place diabetes management programs to help people who have already been diagnosed, as well as diabetes prevention programs for those who are at risk.

"The best diabetes management programs are comprehensive -- delivering professional education, inpatient glycemic management, outpatient prevention, and self-management education and support -- and they engage multidisciplinary teams for coordinated care," said Sheila Holcomb, vice president, Sharecare Diabetes Solutions. "They focus on metrics such as achieving glycemic targets and reducing average length of inpatient stays."

Additionally, at the community level, initiatives like the Blue Zones Project -- an organization that specializes in transforming communities across the U.S. into higher well-being places -- has compiled many success stories.

For example, between 2010 and 2015 the California Beach Cities (Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach) had a 9.2-point decline in adults who were either overweight or obese, coupled with a 1.1-point decline in diabetes. This was done in part through close planning and cooperation with the Beach Cities Health District to transform both the physical structure of each community and the culture itself, resulting in a population that is healthier and better informed about what is needed to best pursue a life well-lived.

See the Gallup-Healthways report on U.S. diabetes prevalence across states and communities here.

These data are available in Gallup Analytics.

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted Jan. 2, 2014-Dec. 30, 2016, as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, with a random sample of 484,350 adults aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The smallest sample size for all adults is for those who were classified as obese and aged 25 to 29 (n=5,789); the largest sample size is for those classified as normal weight and aged 18 to 24 (n=21,372). These sample sizes were reduced by roughly half when parsed by gender. The margin of sampling error for each reported BMI class within each age group is no more than 0.2 percentage points in most cases. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.

Each sample of national adults since Sept. 1, 2015, included a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Prior sampling dating back to Jan. 2, 2014, involved a 50% split between cellphone and landline interviews. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

Learn more about how the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index works.

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Obesity Quadruples Diabetes Risk for Most US Adults - Gallup

06-Apr-2017

Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says six week courses on Living Well with Diabetes will be offered this spring. She says whether you have been living with it a long time or were just diagnosed it will help you manage it. She says 475,000 residents in Wisconsin have diabetes and another 1.4 million people are pre-diabetic. The course will be offered on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to Noon from April 27th through June 1st, and Fridays from 1 to 3:30 p.m. from May 19th through June 23rd at Agnesian Health Shoppe on Camelot Drive in Fond du Lac. She says they will have more sessions in the future at a variety of locations and times. The course is free, but registration is required. That can be done online at Agnesian.com. Mueller says the course will teach you what you need to know about physical activity, food choices, and medications associated with diabetes. She says its hoped it will help reduce emergency room visits.

Thursdays

Fridays

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Living Well With Diabetes - Kfiz