Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/750495
torrancememorial.org PULSE | 13 H E A LT H L I N KS For more information, go to diabetes.org. To contact the Torrance Memorial endocrinology department please call 310-517-8952. D iabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and premature death in the United States. If not controlled, it can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease and other health problems. During American Diabetes Month, observed every November, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) draws attention to diabetes and its effects on millions of patients and their families. e ADA mission is to promote prevention, treatment and research programs, and ultimately find a cure. Despite the 41% increase in spending on diabetes, the disease continues to grow. Here are a few statistics. > Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes; that's about one in every 11 Americans. And many don't even know it. > Another 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. > ere are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Approximately 3 million Americans have type 1, an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energ y from food. Type 1 used to be called juvenile diabetes. But now only 15% of Americans with type 1 are children, and about 15,000 adults are diagnosed each year. Type 1 is managed through insulin injections. > People with type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their cells don't use it as well as they should. Doctors call this insulin resistance. At first their pancreas makes more insulin to try and get glucose into their cells. But eventually it can't keep up, and the sugar builds up in the bloodstream instead, leading to complications. > e good news? People at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their risk by more than half if they make healthy lifestyle changes. Some risk factors are not controllable. ey include: AGE: 45 or older GENETICS: A parent, sister or brother with diabetes ETHNICITY: African-American, Alaska Native, Native American, Asian-American, Hispanic or Latino, or Pacific Islander-American > Symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination, increased thirst, extreme fatigue, unexplained weight loss, blurred vision and slow healing of cuts. e onset of type 1 is oen sudden; type 2 symptoms usually develop over time. Torrance Memorial endocrinologist Trans Ly, MD, feels hopeful about ongoing research and new treatments for both types: "Within the past several years we have already made strides in the management of diabetes with new medications. Increasing research into type 2 diabetes shows that the environment we live in plays an integral role in whether or not diabetes develops, possibly through the actions of the stress hormone cortisol. A recent type 1 study has identified a possible modification in insulin that triggers an immune response. Until we fully understand the complex mechanisms of glucose metabolism, it is important for individuals with diabetes to continue to be mindful of dietary carbohydrate intake." AWARENESS=THE FIRST STEP TOWARD A CURE NOVEMBER IS AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH. • Coordinating appointments with providers within and outside the oncology practice • Providing 24/7 access to care when needed • Arranging for diagnostic scans and follow- up with other members of the medical team such as surgeons, radiation oncologists and other specialists • Making sure that data from scans, blood test results and other tests are received in advance of patient appointments • Providing access to additional patient resources such as emotional support groups, pain management services and clinical trials e Oncology Care Model is part of the White House's "better care, smarter spending, healthier people" approach to improving health care delivery. It is one of many innovative payment and care delivery models developed by the CMS Innovation Center and advanced by the Affordable Care Act. To make an appointment to see one of the physicians of Torrance Memorial Physician Network Cancer Care please call 310-750-3300. For information on all our services, visit us at tmphysiciannetwork. org /Cancer-Care.