11/1/2023
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Posted by Dr. Natalie Schwartz, Endocrinologist and Fidelis Care Medical Director
in
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body uses insulin. Insulin helps control sugar in your blood. When you have diabetes, your body is unable to safely control your insulin and blood sugar levels. This can lead to serious health problems.
Until recently, diabetes care mainly focused on controlling blood sugar to reduce risks. People with diabetes were told to change their diet, get more exercise, and lose weight. They also could be given medications or insulin injections.
Now, new medications and treatment approaches can help manage diabetes. Some of these new medications help control high blood sugar levels and may have additional health benefits for people with diabetes. Medications called “GLP-1 receptor agonists” may help people with diabetes to lose weight and/or lower the risk of heart disease or stroke. “SGLT2 inhibitors” medications may help reduce the risk of heart failure.
Healthcare providers also now focus on "patient-centric" care for treating people with diabetes. This means providers focus on all goals of patient care, including losing weight, lowering the risk of kidney damage, staying out of the hospital due to heart failure, and/or preventing heart attack or stroke.
Talk to your provider about how to manage your diabetes. You can work together to improve your quality of life.