World Diabetes Day is November 14!

From the International Diabetes Federation:

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated annually on November 14. Led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes.

Activities and materials in 2015 will focus on healthy eating as a key factor in the fight against diabetes and a cornerstone of health and sustainable development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKrCeiUuwDE

From diabetes.co.uk, “the theme of World Diabetes Day, from 2014 to 2016 will be healthy living and diabetes and this year, there’s a focus on starting each day right by having a healthy breakfast.” Here are the key messages that the International Diabetes Federation focused on during 2014:

1. ‘Investing’ in a healthy breakfast will reduce the global burden of diabetes, and save billions in lost productivity and healthcare costs.

2. Ensuring access to an affordable and healthy breakfast is essential to reducing the global burden of diabetes.

To supplement our usual CSA Recipe feature and keep in theme with the goal of this health holiday, here are a few diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes for you to try this month.

Diabetes In The United States

Because November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, we are focusing on topics relevant to diabetes and how we can help our patients with the diagnosis.

Instead of a bunch of words, simply posting this nice infographic from the CDC seems like a much more efficient way for me to tell you that diabetes is widespread concern that probably impacts someone you know. Please take a moment to at least skim some of the statistics and details about diabetes in the graphic below. On a side note, I may or may not have chosen this particular infographic because it fits in so nicely with our website’s color scheme.

If your diabetes is uncontrolled or believe you are at risk of developing diabetes, please contact your physician and schedule an appointment. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help yourself or someone you love, the American Diabetes Association offers a free program to people with type 2 diabetes called “Living With Type 2 Diabetes.”

The program, available in English and Spanish, provides information and offers free guidance to help people learn how to manage diabetes at regular intervals throughout the year-long. People can enroll into this free program by visiting diabetes.org/type2program, calling 1-800-DIABETES, or texting Type2 to 69866 to learn more about the program in English or Tipo2 to 69866 to learn more about the program in Spanish.

Topics and resources include:

  • Food, nutrition and recipes
  • Stress and emotions (see infographic below)
  • Physical activity
  • Complications
  • Peer support online and via phone
  • Support from the Association’s local office
  • Support from the Association’s National Call Center
  • Opt in text messaging

– See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/infographics.html#sthash.2QaK4ZV9.dpuf

November is Diabetic Eye Disease Month!

In keeping with the National Diabetes Awareness Month theme, it makes sense that November is also National Diabetic Eye Disease Month. From our local UNC Hospital:

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, approximately 29 million Americans age 20 or older have diabetes, but almost one-third don’t know they have the disease and are at risk for vision loss and other health problems.

Early symptoms are often unnoticed, therefore vision may not be affected until the disease is severe and less easily treated.

Diabetic eye disease, a group of eye problems that affects those with diabetes, includes diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma. The most common of these is diabetic retinopathy, which affects 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older.

From friendsforsight.org:

Diabetes can lead to a wide variety health complications, including heart disease, nerve damage, stroke, kidney disease, and vision loss. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans. Diabetes is a risk factor for developing glaucoma, as well as for developing cataracts, but the most common and debilitating vision problem experienced by diabetics is diabetic retinopathy.

Today 3.6 million Americans ages 40 and older suffer from the diabetic retinopathy. During Diabetic Eye Disease Month, Friends for Sight encourages individuals with diabetes to take preventative measures and protect their eyes from the devastating effects of diabetes.

From caringnews.com:

What is diabetic eye disease?

Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye problems affecting people who have diabetes. This includes cataracts and glaucoma, but the most common type is diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults 20 – 74 years of age. In this condition, the high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes cause the blood vessels of the retina to swell, leak fluid or become blocked. Sometimes abnormal new blood vessels grow on the retina. Diabetic retinopathy can result in severe vision loss.

Reducing the risk of diabetic eye disease

The good news is that people with diabetes can lower their risk of developing diabetic eye disease. The National Eye Institute (NEI) urges people with diabetes to keep their health on TRACK:

Take your medications.
Reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Add physical activity to your daily routine.
Control your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Kick the smoking habit.

Diagnosis and treatment

Prevention is the best step to protect against the damage caused by diabetic eye disease. But although diabetic eye disease cannot be cured, ophthalmologists offer a number of treatments to reduce or halt the loss of vision. This can only happen if the problem is detected early enough—and unfortunately, patients may not notice that anything is amiss during the early stages. So regular eye exams are extra-important for people with diabetes.

Says the NEI’s Dr. Paul A. Sieving, “The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk of developing diabetic eye disease. If you have diabetes, be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Diabetic eye disease often has no early warning signs, but can be detected early and treated before vision loss occurs. Don’t wait until you notice an eye problem to have a dilated eye exam, because vision that is lost often cannot be restored.”

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month!


This month, the Family Care blog will be featuring educational materials and information specifically for people living with diabetes. Our office has held free diabetes education classes for our patients for the past few years because we think it is necessary for patients to fully understand the disease to lower their health risks and the overall impact that diabetes has on their lives. November is designated as National Diabetes Education Month by the American Diabetes Association, so it is a great time to raise awareness of the challenges and help provide a better understanding of how to live with diabetes. The goal of the month, according to the American Diabetes Association:

The vision of the American Diabetes Association is a life free of diabetes and all of its burdens. Raising awareness of this ever-growing disease is one of the main efforts behind the mission of the Association. American Diabetes Month® (ADM) is an important element in this effort, with programs designed to focus the nation’s attention on the issues surrounding diabetes and the many people who are impacted by the disease.

Here are just a few of the recent statistics on diabetes:

  • Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.
  • Another 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
  • The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $245 billion.

Here is a great video of Republican Congressman Tom Reed discussing his personal reasons for recognizing and promoting National Diabetes Awareness Month in November and the reasons it is really a 365-day-per-year cause.

Throughout the month, we will have more content and specifics, so consider this an introduction to National Diabetes Awareness Month. For final takeaways, here are three messages on what National Diabetes Awareness Month is all about from the American Diabetes Association:

Eat Well, America! This year’s theme for American Diabetes Month in November.

  1. Eating well means more than eating healthy. Eating well means savoring food that is delicious, nutritious and simple to prepare.
  2. The American Diabetes Association will show people living with diabetes and others who want to lead a healthy lifestyle how to enjoy foods that are both delicious and nutritious.
  3. We will inspire Americans to eat well by equipping them with tips for planning and preparing healthy meals on their own.
  4. Diabetesforecast.org/adm and 1-800-DIABETES are the go-to resources offering meal planning, shopping tips, grocery lists, chef’s preparation secrets and delicious recipes.
  5. The Association is leading the conversation that helps the nearly 30 million Americans living with diabetes and the 86 million Americans with prediabetes, as well as their loved ones, achieve health and wellness every single day.

Healthy Eating from Start to Finish. The Association will show Americans how to eat healthy from start to finish, without sacrificing flavor.

  1. Every week in November, the Association will introduce recipes for every meal, including snacks and recipes for the holidays and other special occasions, when indulgences can present a challenge to your healthy eating plan.
  2. The Association will include seasonal recipes and tips from noted cookbook authors and chefs to give Americans the extra boost to incorporate healthy eating into their everyday lives.
  3. We will address the start-to-finish steps that empower people to put together a healthy meal that tastes good and is good for you and your family:
    1. Planning and shopping tips will include mapping out a shopping trip, creating a shopping list and choosing budget-friendly ingredients.
    2. Preparation and cooking tips will include tools and techniques that guarantee recipe success.
    3. Plating and serving tips will guide people with simple steps to create a healthy, nutritious and appealing plate of food—whether at home or dining out.
    4. Complete nutrition information for every recipe so that people can decide which dishes suit them best, based on their diabetes management plan and personal tastes.

Lunch Right with Every Bite! On National Healthy Lunch Day, the Association’s annual celebration of nutritious eating, we will spotlight what healthful, simple and enjoyable meals look like.

  1. This year we’ll celebrate National Healthy Lunch Day on Nov.17, when we encourage everyone to “lunch right with every bite” and make better food choices to counter expanding waistlines, low energy and rising rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity-related illness. To start, let’s do lunch—a healthy lunch.
  2. On this day, we will ask Americans to make or buy a healthy lunch and encourage employers and restaurants to provide healthy alternatives.
  3. In addition, we’ll ask people to share their healthy lunch photos using the hashtag #MyHealthyLunch to create social media buzz. Our fans and followers will inspire their friends and family to make healthy lunch choices that best fit their lifestyle.