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South Macomb Internal Medicine

South Macomb Internal Medicine

Warren, MI

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Diabetes

Diabetes Awareness Month – Risks, Prevention, and Treatment

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and at South Macomb Internal Medicine, we want to do our part to raise awareness about this important topic. Diabetes is a serious condition that can lead to a host of health complications, but the good news is that it can be controlled with proper treatment. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the risks associated with diabetes, how you can prevent it, and what treatments are available if you’ve already been diagnosed.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or does not properly use the insulin it does produce. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body convert sugars and other food into energy. When there’s not enough insulin or the body can’t use it properly, sugar builds up in the blood instead of being used for energy. This can lead to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage, and blindness. 

Who is at Risk for Developing Diabetes?

Anyone can develop diabetes, but there are certain risk factors that make some people more likely to develop the condition than others. These include: 

  • Family history of diabetes 
  • Obesity 
  • Sedentary lifestyle 
  • High blood pressure 
  • High cholesterol 
  • Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) 
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) 

If you have any of these risk factors, it’s important to talk to your doctor so you can be monitored for diabetes and take steps to prevent it if necessary. 

Preventing Diabetes

The best way to prevent diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise. Eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help you control your weight and lower your risk for developing diabetes. Getting regular exercise is also important. Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your risk for developing diabetes. If you have any questions about how to eat healthy or get started with an exercise routine, our team at South Macomb Internal Medicine would be happy to help! 

Treating Diabetes

If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, there are treatments available that can help you manage the condition and improve your quality of life. These include: 

  • Insulin therapy: Insulin therapy can help control blood sugar levels by delivering insulin directly into the body through injections or an insulin pump. 
  • Oral medications: There are a variety of oral medications available that can help control blood sugar levels by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin or by helping the body better use the insulin it does produce. 
  • Lifestyle changes: Making changes to your diet and exercise routine can help improve your blood sugar control. Our team at South Macomb Internal Medicine can provide guidance on how best to modify your diet and exercise routine to manage your diabetes.      

Diabetes is a serious condition that requires treatment to prevent health complications. If you think you may be at risk for developing diabetes, talk to your doctor so you can be monitored and take steps to prevent it if necessary. If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, treatment options are available that can help improve your quality of life. Our team at South Macomb Internal Medicine would be happy to help you manage your diabetes through lifestyle changes, medication management, or insulin therapy. Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call or schedule an appointment with us today. At South Macomb Internal Medicine the patient comes first. Our priority is and always has been patient care before all else.

 

Filed Under: Diabetes

Improving The Patient Experience: Part 3 – Checking Hgb A1c for Diabetes

October 22nd, 2021

By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD

Hello everyone!  This is part 3 of a series around how we work towards improving the patient experience!  Part 2 related to checking your blood pressure, and here we are going to discuss the importance of checking your Hgb A1c for diabetes!

Diabetes

We should be screening for diabetes at age 35, and the way we do this is with a blood test called the hemoglobin A1c.  If that is elevated past 6.0 then we recheck in one year.  From 6.0 – 7.0 is considered “pre-diabetes” and over 7.0 is considered diabetes.  For pre-diabetes we treat it with diet and exercise and over 7.0 we add medications to the course of treatment.

As for diet and exercise we’ve mentioned here before that we recommend you exercise 30 minutes per day 5 times per week, and we have the resources to help you with your diet.  You can see our nutritionist Nanette Cameron – she’s fantastic!

So why do we need to treat diabetes?

Most people think that the acute care of diabetes or the blood sugar is more important than chronic care.  For very high sugars people will have increased thirst, urination, and generally poor feeling.  But actually chronic care of diabetes is much more important.  Diabetes is the leading cause of stroke, heart attacks, kidney failure and as a matter of fact can cause problems with any organ if left untreated.

So what is the treatment?

Treatment for diabetes has moved way past insulin shots.  We have even moved past sulfonylurea, metformin and older diabetic medications.  Although these medications have been around for decades and have been shown to be safe, effective and well tolerated, we now have newer medications that are even more effective and safer.  These medications include GLP1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists), or SGLT-2 inhibitors (sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors).  If that seems like a lot of acronyms and big words don’t worry – there won’t be a test… haha.  Let me explain:

  • GLP1’s come as a daily oral medication or a weekly self-injection.  Most patients prefer the weekly self-injection for convenience.  This class of medication works very well and has the added benefit of significant weight loss.
  • SGLT-2 inhibitors come as a daily oral medication as well.  It lowers the sugar thresholds in the kidneys so excess sugar in the blood stream is removed via urination.  The newest data shows that it is very effective and prevents heart and kidney disease even in patients who are not diabetic.

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Improving The Patient Experience

A little background on this initiative and some highlights as outlined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan:

Medicare Star Ratings is a rating system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help consumers find the best Medicare Advantage plan for them. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has two MA plans – Medicare Plus Blue℠ for its PPO members and BCN Advantage℠ for its HMO members.

CMS assesses a member’s health plan experience through the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or CAHPS, member survey. The survey asks patients to report on their experiences with a wide range of health care services. A large portion of the CAHPS survey is driven by the member’s experience with his or her physician’s team, including such things as follow-up on labs and imaging, and getting timely doctor appointments.

And, most importantly for patients, a positive patient experience results in better adherence to protocol, better relationships with health care providers and a feeling of mutual respect between them and their medical team.

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South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

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Filed Under: Diabetes, Improving The Patient Experience Series Tagged With: Diabetes, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Dr. Scot Goldberg, Hemoglobin A1C, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Patient Centered Medical Home, PCMH, Primary Care Medical Home, Sugar, Type 2 Diabetes, Warren

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South Macomb Internal Medicine
28401 Hoover Rd
Warren, MI 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

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  • Dr. Jennilyn Wetzel
  • Dr. Keith Hoffmann
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