There are currently 29 million Americans living with diabetes and the World Health Organization predicts that by 2050 one in every three people will have this disease. Recent data shows that pre-diabetes, a condition that puts you at great risk for developing diabetes, exists in 37 percent of the population— meaning that nearly 50 percent of Americans are dealing with the risks and implications of diabetes.
With those devastating statistics— and with November being National Diabetes Month— it is an increasingly important time to raise awareness about this disease as it reaches epidemic proportions. Endocrinologist and diabetes expert Joshua D. Miller, MD, MPH, is available to discuss topics pertaining to diabetes awareness, prevention and management such as:
Weight-loss: Managing Diabetes through dietMost patients assume that they need to lose substantial weight in order to lower their chances of getting diabetes. They often set lofty goals of 20, 30 and even 50 pounds at a time. Reassuringly, research has revealed that even modest weight lost (5-10% of your excess body weight) can have a profoundly positive impact on your health and well-being. So even a 5-10lb weight loss can substantially lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes and help to improve your overall metabolic profile.
Diabetes: The Difference between Type 1 and Type 2People with type 1 diabetes do not have the ability to make insulin, the hormone needed to help the body use sugar for energy. Type 2 diabetes is closely associated with obesity and is part of the metabolic syndrome. It has a number of different causes including insulin resistance, pancreatic insufficiency and too much sugar being made by the liver. Both types of diabetes, when uncontrolled, can result in complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, sexual dysfunction and infection. The good news is that when well-controlled, people with diabetes can live long, complication-free lives.
Diabetes: Fact or Fiction, Old Wives’ Tales surrounding this age-old conditionTwo of the most common myths I often hear about diabetes involve insulin:1. Insulin causes complications: in decades past, physicians would wait too long to initiate insulin in people with diabetes. What we've learned overtime is that earlier initiation of insulin in patients with insulin resistance and poor glycemic control actually prevents or delays complications from diabetes. 2. Insulin causes weight gain: When you introduce insulin to someone with very high blood sugars, calories are no longer lost in the urine and patients usually regain weight. For patients on long-standing insulin, weight gain can occur if they are taking too much insulin. In the setting of too much insulin or skipped meals, people can develop low blood sugars (hypoglycemia). Excess calories consumed to correct hypoglycemia do contribute to unintentional weight gain. Helping patients avoid the "glycemic roller coaster" can have a positive impact on quality of life and stabilization of weight.
Technology and Diabetes: There’s an App for That! Managing diabetes smarterDiabetes management in 2016 has grown by leaps and bounds. Smart phone technology has helped to dramatically improve patients’ quality of life with the disease. There are apps designed to help people at risk for diabetes to prevent or delay its onset by educating patients on healthy lifestyle, weight loss and physical activity. There are also apps to help people already living with the disease. These include programs that help count carbohydrate intake, dose insulin, track blood sugar data and help communicate better with your diabetes care team. Technology to support insulin delivery and glucose monitoring has also improved dramatically in recent months. Researchers are working tirelessly to develop a “close-looped” insulin pump as well as streamline continuous glucose monitoring systems to be more accurate and helpful in the day-to-day lives of our patients.
The doctor is the patient: Being an endocrinologist with Type I Diabetes Joshua Miller, MD is an endocrinologist treating adult patients with a wide array of endocrine conditions, including metabolic bone disease/osteoporosis, thyroid disorders, thyroid cancer, diabetes mellitus, diabetes in pregnancy, adrenal, and pituitary disorders. Dr. Miller has an interest in type 1 diabetes, with expertise in insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring. Dr. Miller has been living with type 1 diabetes for over 16 years.
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