Archive for August 7th, 2006

The Need to Educate Our Patients…Why Health is Wealth!

August 7, 2006

2007039828 One very common question I get from new patients that have been diabetic for years is whether it is really necessary to check their blood glucoses.  From the time I get this question, one thing I know is that this patient has never received any education regarding his disease.

All too common scenario that’s very frustrating.  Because by the time these patients see me… most likely complications arising from poor diabetes control have already set it.

Knowledge of ones disease…why you have it…what to do about it…how can we prevent the next problems to come… is more important than starting medications. All too familiar with some doctors is the reflex to start medications to treat the disease.  But the more lasting prescription that will do the trick of educating these people is left unsaid.

If one knows what this disease can do to ones life and that something can be done about it and how… will have more lasting impact and solution to the problem itself.  I may take time to educate patients but it’s worth it.  You see the results and they see the great results on their sugar level.  To see the smiles on their faces, how great they feel and the fact that they have done something to reduce their risk to suffer from complications like heart disease or stroke… is more rewarding that anything else.

I guess the beauty of being a physician are the complements you get from your patients too happy to see you back and too happy to refer their friends to you.

Learn more about your health…the rewards will be more than your wealth!

Health is Wealth!

Posted in Personal Thoughts | 1 Comment »

Childhood Obesity…Now Comes Diabetes!

August 7, 2006

Imagesdfghjj With the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, it is expected that there will be a concomitant rise in the prevalence of obesity related diseases like diabetes.  And here comes this new study that proved our fear.  Published in  Diabetes in Control from Express Scripts of May, 2006… is the first study that looked at the number of diabetes med prescriptions among children between ages 5 to 19 years old.

The results are alarming:

A Doubling in the number of prescriptions

between 2002 to 2005!

On further analysis: the increase in the use of diabetes drugs was most pronounced in children 10–14 years ( the pubertal stage), with a dramatic rise of 106% during the study period.  Likewise, the treatment for type 2 diabetes was most prevalent among those 15–19 years, growing from 0.6 to 1.2 per thousand suggesting the need for us parents and health care professionals to do our share of helping these kids! 

With the rise in obesity comes diabetes…then comes the complications of obesity and diabetes and then comes the disabilty… Let’s stop the process to go on!

Before Diabetes Sets In… Lets

Fight Childhood Obesity!

Posted in The Diabetes Facts, The Truths on Obesity | 5 Comments »