Resources

By Sheri Colberg, PhD

For all the time that I spend praising the “miracle” of being physically active to help better manage diabetes and health, there are times when exercising does lead to better managed blood glucose and times when it does not. It is not always possible to predict the glycemic outcomes in all cases either, although individual patterns and responses can be determined over time. It is helpful to know the main factors that are predictive of outcomes.

My colleague and I were working with a client new to insulin. We each saw him separately. He was taking Lantus and Humalog by syringe at meals. He had been taught how to use the syringe by his physician's office staff. He was claiming much different numbers than expected for his mealtime doses.

Diabetes in Control recently asked our readers to help us examine the future of insulin delivery. See for yourself how your fellow members of the diabetes community plan on using insulin pumps and/or smart pens, now and in the future.

After starting a new medication (gabapentin) for his neuropathy, a patient of mine gained 30lbs and presented with peripheral edema without symptoms.

by Sheri R. Colberg, PhD
Adequate fluid intake is essential to living well at any age, and being dehydrated can impact your health and your athletic endeavors. While it is harder to stay hydrated when exercising in the heat, you can dehydrate under other conditions—even during exercise in cold temperatures if you wear lots of clothing and sweat underneath it. As people grow older, they also begin to lose some of their normal thirst sensations, thereby increasing the risk for dehydration unless they make a conscious effort to drink more.

I visited a housebound patient who had uncontrolled blood glucose, in spite of her physician having increased her insulin dose over a period of two weeks to twice her previous dose.  The physician requested that I ask in depth about any factors that might be causing her to need so much more insulin.

We invite you to participate in exclusive research that will provide new insights into what you think about insulin pumps and daily injections. Whether you’re a patient, a patient family member, medical professional or diabetes educator, we need to hear from you.

Does your ancestral origin determine your risk of developing type 1 diabetes?

A new study revealed that plasma aspartic acid and asparagine levels predict development of prediabetes; histidine plasma levels proved protective of prediabetes risk.  

I recently started working with a 58 y/o gentleman who had insulin dependent type 2 diabetes. He was 110 pounds overweight, and was using 120 units of Lantus and 30 units of Humalog daily. His most recent A1c was 8.6. The program he was placed on involved drinking a medical liquid food supplement 5 times a day which contains 12 grams of carbs per serving plus a meal that consisted of a small amount of protein and vegetables.