Issue 48.15
Diabetes is a largely misunderstood disease even among those who have been diagnosed. It’s important for us to separate myth from fact in regards to diabetes. A better understanding can help us prevent and control this disease.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. This form of diabetes starts with our body’s improper use of insulin and progresses until we are unable to produce enough insulin to keep our blood glucose at normal levels.
Although diabetes is a serious disease, it can be controlled. Lifestyle modifications are an important and essential component to controlling diabetes. Weight loss, diet, and exercise are three very important lifestyle modifications.
One risk factor for type 2 diabetes is being overweight. Being overweight doesn’t mean you are going to become diabetic and many people with type 2 diabetes have never been overweight. Nevertheless, being overweight is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and losing weight is a key component for treating it.
A healthy diet is also a key component to both avoiding and treating type 2 diabetes. Although our sugar intake alone may not cause type 2 diabetes, it does seem to contribute to the development of other risk factors for it. More sugar means more calories and this can lead to weight gain. Even fruit, with all its vitamins and minerals, should be consumed in moderation because of its high sugar content. Starchy foods should also be consumed in moderation. Smaller portions and a healthy meal plan can go a long way in preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes.
What else should we know about diabetes? It is not contagious. People with diabetes are not more likely to get sick, but an illness can make it more difficult to control diabetes. Also, complications of diabetes can begin to develop before a person is diagnosed. Prediabetes is when our glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes has been linked to diabetic complications such as cardiovascular disease. We can lower our risk for diabetes by eating healthy, maintaining an appropriate weight, and exercising.
It’s also important for us to understand that for most people, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. It’s possible for you to do everything right and still gradually lose your ability to produce your own insulin. Your doctor may want to teach you how to give yourself insulin injections. This doesn’t mean you have failed. Self-administering insulin has become a simple process and is very safe with proper education and a little practice.
As a pharmacist and researcher I have had the opportunity to educate many people about diabetes care and treatment. Participating in research can be a great place to start if you have diabetes and want to understand it better. All trial related materials, tests, medications, and study related visits with your provider and research team are free. Significant time is devoted to providing education for patients participating in research.
Our area is fortunate to have several physicians working as researchers and conducting multiple trials for various therapeutic areas to bring new drugs and or devices to the market.
Chrysalis Clinical Research is currently enrolling trials for Type 2 diabetes for both insulin and non-insulin therapies.
For more information or to see if you might qualify for a clinical trial and help us bring new innovative drugs/devices to market contact Chrysalis Clinical Research at 435 656 1704 or visit our webpage www: sgccr.com.