New Clues to How Gene Affects Women's Body Shape, Diabetes Risk

Title: New Clues to How Gene Affects Women's Body Shape, Diabetes Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 10/13/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 10/13/2015 12:00:00 AM

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Red Wine Boosts Heart Health in Type 2 Diabetes

Title: Red Wine Boosts Heart Health in Type 2 Diabetes
Category: Health News
Created: 10/13/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 10/13/2015 12:00:00 AM

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New Clues to How Gene Affects Women's Body Shape, Diabetes Risk

Title: New Clues to How Gene Affects Women's Body Shape, Diabetes Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 10/10/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 10/12/2015 12:00:00 AM

Source MedicineNet Diabetes General http://ift.tt/1MumEtH

I Challenge YOU to Create Your Plate!

Since joining the American Diabetes Association in June, I think about my health differently as I internalize our mission to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by the disease. I want my actions to represent the health and wellness that the Association stands for—not just for people with diabetes, but all Americans.

But this has not always been the case. About eight years ago, my doctor diagnosed me with prediabetes. I was told I might not see my 45^th birthday if I continued on the same path of overeating and lack of exercise. There it was: the wakeup call, in fact a blaring siren, I needed to start making the right choices.

I began to work with my doctor to create a plan for my health needs and goals, which included thinking about portions and the ingredients I chose. I also made a commitment to move and work out regularly. It didn’t happen overnight, but I took on the challenge of putting myself first. The changes to my lifestyle added up, and I lost 120 pounds. Now Elizabeth, my wife calls me her second husband!

I still struggle with balance, especially as a busy professional, but I have the right priorities now and a reason to stay motivated—keeping type 2 diabetes at bay and “walking the walk” here at my job. And I know it all starts with the types of food I put on my plate each day!

As we enter the second half of Hispanic Heritage Month, I am reminded of the health disparities that exist in America and the Association’s increased focus on education and awareness in minority communities nationwide. I’m thinking about my friends in the Latino community, especially since Latinos are nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes compared to non-Latino whites.

As part of our outreach to, and celebration of, this Latino community, the Association developed a digital Create Your Plate. This interactive tool takes foods commonly available in the Latino community and allows users to choose the proteins, starchy foods and non-starchy veggies they love to build a balanced meal. Try it out and let me know what you think! What I love about the Create Your Plate method is that it’s a quick, visual way to make sure my portions are in check at every meal.

But we don’t want you to stop there! Create your own healthy meals at home and post them to social media using #CreateYourPlate. Share it with the world and be proud of the wellness in your life. Then challenge your friends, family members and coworkers to do the same. We’ll display our favorite photos in a gallery on our Hispanic Heritage Month page along with other resources, such as healthy recipes and tips for healthy eating.

I shared my own plate to Twitter and Instagram using #CreateYourPlate, so look for it in the social media gallery!

Through small but conscious decisions, we can eat well and take time to enjoy our food and the people we share it with. These efforts can lead to profound changes, just as I’ve seen in my own life.

I’ll be looking for your plate pictures online!

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Kevin L. Hagan is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Diabetes Association. Visit his blog and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

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Higher-Protein Diet May Help Some With Type 2 Diabetes

Title: Higher-Protein Diet May Help Some With Type 2 Diabetes
Category: Health News
Created: 9/29/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/30/2015 12:00:00 AM

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Does Your Documentation Have To Change For ICD-10?

Issue Number: 

Volume 28 - Issue 10 - October 2015

Author(s): 

Jeffrey D. Lehrman, DPM, FACFAS, FASPS, FAPWH

The answer to this question really lies in how you have been documenting up until now. The rule to code to the highest specificity has not changed. The rule that your documentation must support the specificity of the code and justify the code has not changed either. ICD-10 gives us the ability to (and in some cases the requirement to) indicate the etiology, anatomic site, laterality, severity and progression of a pathology with our coding in instances when this was not always possible with ICD-9. Going through some examples is a good way to illustrate this.

Section: 

Practice Builders

Topics: 

Coding

ICD-10

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Parents Talking Type 1: Heather & Bekah

We recently asked our Facebook and Twitter communities to send us their stories—specifically, what it’s like to be the parent of a child living with type 1 diabetes. Having received a lot of wonderful stories, we’re excited to present these favorites on the blog every week.

We hope you’re as inspired by these personal stories as we are, and that you’re willing to keep the conversation going. Tell us more in the comments!

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Name: Heather & Bekah (@yermawn)
Location: Fresno, California

Bekah was recently diagnosed on July 2, 2015. She is now 11 years old. I’ve had type 1 since I was 18 months old and now I’m 46. My grandmother also had it and lived until she was 89.

What motivates me? It’s that I know exactly what it’s like for Bekah. I am so very thankful, for once in my life, to have this disease. I am able to teach her and understand her frustrations from personal experience. But seriously, I’ve done everything I’ve ever wanted to—and I tell her she will do the same!

I have told her it’s an inconvenience to take a shot before you eat, but it could be worse. She has been giving her own shots since July 13, less than two weeks after she was diagnosed. I told her if she wants to be able to be independent and go to sleepovers, she’s going to have to do it herself. She did it and we were so proud of her. That’s a huge accomplishment!

There haven’t really been any challenges at school. The nurse is new, but she knows I know what I’m doing and what the doctors have ordered. We have set up a group text message between the school nurse assistant who is there daily and the district nurse and me. When Bekah checks her blood glucose at her designated times, she then group-texts us and tells us how many carbs she’s eating and what she is dosing. I pack her lunch so I text the carb count to everyone in the morning. Bekah just reconfirms that carb number along with her blood glucose levels and insulin dose at lunch time. Everyone is in the loop and has been wonderful and supportive.

My advice to other parents with newly diagnosed children is to no not overreact with the whole food thing. My kid eats whatever she wants, within reason. I obviously don’t let her eat candy bars for breakfast, apple pie for lunch and German chocolate cake for dinner. Everything is in moderation. She even got up in front of the whole class the first day of school and said, “If you can eat it, so can I!” She counts her carbs and knows how to dose insulin. It takes about two extra minutes out of her entire day to figure out the carb counts. Again, my philosophy is “everything in moderation.”

I believe everyone should expect and be prepared for a hypoglycemia situation. We were on day two of our journey with diabetes and on vacation for the Fourth of July (diabetes doesn’t stop us!) when Bekah said, “I think I’m low.”

I asked, “What are you feeling?”

She explained her symptoms and I said, “Let’s go check your levels and get you some juice.”

She was indeed low (72 mg/dl) and she knew what the feeling was. As we sat there as a family, I explained to her, “This is what it feels like. If you feel like this you need to eat or drink something.” Since then she’s all over it.

Let your friends, your child’s friends and their parents know right away about living with diabetes. Brag about it and post it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Everyone needs to know the basics of diabetes, so there are as many people as possible looking out for your child. This way, your child should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to tell someone someday when they need help with a low, for example.

Lastly, make your child learn about diabetes. Do not do everything for them forever. They need independence and that cannot be done by hovering over them 24/7. They have to know what to do and what not to do. Granted, your child must be old enough to understand. I wouldn’t expect a 2-year-old to know the ropes, but an 8-year-old can and should. I was 8 when I started giving my own shots and I knew what to do if I was low.

There have been so many changes and advances since I was a kid, so with Bekah’s diagnosis there is a ton of new information for me as well. It’s a great refresher course on diabetes.

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The American Diabetes Association’s Safe at School campaign is dedicated to making sure that all children with diabetes are medically safe at school and have the same educational opportunities as their peers. To learn more, visit http://diabetes.org/sas.

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