June 12, 2011

Dialoging about Diabetes: PWD Offer Ways to Improve Communication and Care - #3 Haidee Merritt

Dialoging about Diabetes As a diabetes educator/healthcare provider (DHCP) I’m observing that the rapidly growing world of online diabetes social networks is helping people with diabetes (PWD) find support and feel supported. People are connecting, building relationships and feeling more positive about their diabetes. I’m delighted to see this trend!

As a DHCP I’ve long realized I can’t walk a mile in a PWD shoes. I can’t know what it is like day in, day out to deal with this challenging and relentless disease. But, what I do know is that we can learn from each other to change the dialog between providers and PWD to be more positive, more supportive. In my Dialoging about Diabetes blogs I’ll interview diabetes activists and social networkers and ask them to offer ways DHCPs can change our ways to better support PWDs diabetes care efforts and make living your real life…just a bit easier.

 
April 27, 2011

Dialoging about Diabetes: PWD Offer Ways to Improve Communication and Care - #2 Phil Southerland (TeamType1)

As a diabetes educator/healthcare provider (DHCP) I’m observing that the rapidly growing world of online diabetes social networks is helping people with diabetes (PWD) find support and feel supported. People are connecting, building relationships and feeling more positive about their diabetes. I’m delighted to see this trend!

As a DHCP I’ve long realized I can’t walk a mile in a PWD shoes. I can’t know what it is like day in, day out to deal with this challenging and relentless disease. But, what I do know is that we can learn from each other to change the dialog between providers and PWD to be more positive, more supportive. In my Dialoging about Diabetes blogs I’ll interview diabetes activists and social networkers and ask them to offer ways DHCPs can change our ways to better support PWDs diabetes care efforts and make living your real life…just a bit easier.

 
April 13, 2011

Type 2 Diabetes: From Old Dogmas to New Realities – Part 2

Suffice to say, dramatic changes have occurred in our understanding of the onset and progression of prediabetes over the last decade. Lightening speed changes have also occurred regarding the therapies available to achieve optimal blood glucose control.

However, even with all of this change many old dogmas hang on. It’s time to be aware of the new realities. Here I’ve focused on two common old dogmas and the new realities.

 
April 13, 2011

Type 2 Diabetes: From Old Dogmas to New Realities – Part 1

Suffice to say, dramatic changes have occurred in our understanding of the onset and progression of prediabetes over the last decade. Lightening speed changes have also occurred regarding the therapies available to achieve optimal blood glucose control.

However, even with all of this change many old dogmas hang on. It’s time to be aware of the new realities.  Here I’ve focused on two common old dogmas and the new realities.

 
March 31, 2011

Look at What the Look AHEAD Study Reveals

We all know the Henny Youngman line: “I don’t get no respect.” This line rings true regarding research on the effectiveness of healthy lifestyle changes (eg: behavior changes for healthy eating and physical activity) to prevent or treat diseases – among diseases impacted: prediabetes and type 2. Yet the impressive role of lifestyle changes (along with a hefty among of expert-led support) in preventing or delaying type 2 or slowing the progression of type 2 has and continues to be reinforced by research studies over and over again. These results, however, don’t seem to have the media sizzle to attract headlines like the studies of costly drug therapies (to name one, the famed diabetes ACCORD Trial). So the public continues to have their tax dollars spent on these lifestyle-fcoused studies without quickly hearing about their findings.

 
March 17, 2011

Dialoging about Diabetes: PWDs Offer Ways to Improve Communication and Care - #1 Riva Greenberg

Dialoging about Diabetes As a diabetes educator/healthcare provider (DHCP) I’m observing that the rapidly growing world of online diabetes social networks is helping people with diabetes (PWD) find and give support and feel supported. People are connecting, building relationships and feeling more positive about their diabetes. I’m delighted to see this trend!

As a DHCP I’ve long realized I can’t walk a mile in a PWD shoes. I can’t know what it is like day in, day out to deal with this challenging and relentless disease. But, what I do know is that we can learn from each other to help shift the dialog between providers and PWD to be more positive and supportive.

In my Dialoging about Diabetes blogs I’ll interview diabetes activists and social networkers. I ask them to offer us DHCPs ways to alter what we do and say to better support your diabetes care efforts and make living your real life…just a bit easier.

 
February 9, 2011

Type 1 Diabetes Research Summit Recap – Cutting Edge Concepts, Forward Thinking Leaders: Part 1

JDRF Summit artOn Saturday January 29th 2011, I had the privilege of moderating an extraordinary program – (get ready for the long name) The 1st Annual JDRF Capitol Chapter Type 1 Diabetes Research Summit held in Bethesda, Maryland (at the foothills of National Institutes of Health). What a thrill to introduce these luminaries in type 1 diabetes research. Congrats to the volunteers who amassed these brilliant as well as gracious experts!

Here are my part 1 learnings and musing (check out part 2 learnings and musings):

 
January 24, 2011

Riff on Diabetes Rift

Diabetes’ Civil War appeared in the Chicago Tribune late November. I had my eyes out for it because I was interviewed by the author. (My words seem to have ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor. Perhaps because they were way more educational vs. sensational – yes sizzle does sell.)

I’ve been stewing about the article for a couple of months wanting to react but in ways feeling it wasn’t my place because I don’t have diabetes. It’s now time from my vantage point as a diabetes educator.

I was quite taken aback by the anger and venom voiced by several quotees.

 
July 7, 2010

Lip Service to Lifestyle Change (Prediabetes)

bunch of pillsNearly a decade worth of studies, with another one just published (online first), June 3, 2010, have explored the effectiveness of using one or a combination of two blood-glucose (BG) lowering medications (approved for type 2 diabetes) to prevent and/or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes or at high risk of type 2. These studies have used Actos (pioglitazone), Avandia (rosiglitazone), metformin, and others.

 
May 18, 2010

U.S. News Publishes Blog by Warshaw, 4 Ways to Prevent and Treat Prediabetes

Link to Warshaw's blog 4 Ways to Prevent and Treat Prediabetes posted on U.S. News and World Report's website on 5/13/2010.

 

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