Focus on Diabetes

The diabetes pandemic must be addressed around the globe with consideration for varying cultural and economic factors. How will countries around the world respond? And how can intervention programs that have proven successful be shared effectively across nations? Join host Dr. Cathleen Margolin as she discusses community based initiatives for diabetes with Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu, former Deputy Surgeon General and current chairman of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute.

Diagnosing and treating high and low blood glucose levels is not always straightforward. Dr. Rita Cydulka, professor and vice-chair of the department of emergency medicine at Case Western Reserve University, discusses case management issues, including unusual presentations of abnormal blood sugars. In her interview with host Dr. Shira Johnson, Dr. Cydulka highlights the initial approach as well as clinical caveats for discharge and follow-up.

Seven percent of the adult population has diabetes, and these patients often present to primary care and emergency department physicians. What do you need to know about the medications these patients may already be taking, or that they may require once they're under your care? Understanding the effects, as well as potential complications, of the most current diabetes medications and devices is crucial when treating patients who have diabetes. Dr. Rita Cydulka, professor and vice-chair of the department of emergency medicine at Case Western Reserve University, joins host Dr. Shira Johnson to highlight the new medications and devices for managing diabetes. She also describes real-life presentations of patients who may be having problems with glucose management.

Cerebral edema is the most common cause of death among children with diabetes, occurring as a complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in about one percent of children with Type 1 diabetes. Among our young patients, who carries the greatest risk for cerebral edema? How can we prevent, recognize and treat this complication of DKA? Dr. Andrew Muir, professor of pediatrics and chief of pediatric endocrinology at Emory University School of Medicine, talks about the timing of cerebral edema onset relative to diabetes, and potential theories that could explain the pathophysiology of the condition. What signs and symptoms should lead physicians to suspect cerebral edema, and should imaging play any role in diagnosis? Dr. Jennifer Shu hosts.

In the state of Texas, patients can buy home exercise equipment without sales tax if they present a medical script written by their healthcare provider, at the time of purchase. Is this benefit available in your state? Host Dr. Jennifer Shu welcomes Dr. Jill Grimes, a practicing board-certified family physician in Austin, Texas, and an associate editor of the 5-Minute Clinical Consult textbook, to explore key strategies to get your patients with diabetes to do their best to keep fit. Exercise as a daily commitment is a tough proposition for many of our patients, with work, family, and other activities all competing for their time. Many patients also battle a kind of personal inertia about exercise, just as others perceive constraints imposed by chronic diseases like diabetes. How can you tailor your discussions about exercise to resonate with your patients?

The first clinical trial using generic drugs to cure type 1 diabetes has created quite a buzz in the diabetic patient and physician communities. Join host Dr.Bruce Bloom and his guest, Dr. Denise L. Faustman, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Immunobiology Laboratories at Massachusetts General Hospital, as they discuss the details of this clinical trial and what the future holds.

We spend billions each year to research possible cures for type I diabetes, but the cure may already be on the shelf.  Join host Dr. Bruce Bloom and his guest, Dr. Denise L. Faustman, associated professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Immunobiology Laboratories at Massachusetts General Hospital, as they explore the first clinical trial using generic drugs to try to cure type I diabetes.

Motivating your patients to exercise can be a challenge. But Dr. Timothy Church of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, tells host Bruce Japsen that even 15 minutes a day can help, citing research that shows even minimal exercise can be a benefit to the obesity epidemic and other diabetes risk factors.

Can patients with type I diabetes achieve insulin independence with islet cell transplantation? Host Dr. Mary Leuchars explores this question with Dr. R. Paul Robertson, president and scientific director of the Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute and professor of pharmacology and medicine at the University of Washington. Their discussion focuses on the clinical relevancy of pancreatic islet cell transplantation, and what we can hope to achieve for diabetics undergoing this procedure.

For teenage diabetic populations, maintaining good glycemic control is often a low priority. Clinicians and families need to be aware of special considerations in this age group to ensure better control and reduce risk for postpubertal complication. How do physicians optimize management protocols for patients entering a stage of rapid hormonal flux? Can school support systems and peer groups play integral roles? Answering these questions with host Dr. Mary Leuchars is Dr. H. Peter Chase, professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and past executive and clinical director of the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Denver, Colorado.