Do you have diabetes? Are you at risk for getting it? What can do you right now to improve your odds of staying healthy?
Those questions and others like them seem to be on the minds of many these days as diabetes spirals to epidemic proportions. The CDC projects that the number of people in the U.S. with diabetes could double or triple by 2050, and the World Health Organization says there are about 347 million people with diabetes worldwide.
On February 5, Everyday Health hosted a Twitter chat on diabetes featuring Dr. Jill Crandall, an Einstein endocrinologist who directs our Diabetes Clinical Trial Unit.
It was a new and exciting experience for Dr. Crandall – her first online chat of any kind – and she was impressed to see the activity level as well energy involved in the discussion.
“I was surprised at the variety of questions and the truly world-wide nature of the event,” she said, noting that questions came from as far away as the Philippines and Nigeria.
From the moment Dr. Crandall started tweeting, the stream lit up with questions and comments.
Missed the chat? Check out our Storify below that captures information on behavioral modifications and medicine proven to work – and more. Have something to say about diabetes? Drop us a comment below.
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Good Afternoon:
My brother has been diagnosed with an A1C of 6.5 was told to taked meds. But he does not want to take meds at all. He wants to try the exercise with diet method. Which is the best way to start ? Is there a food list he can follow. Should he give himself a laxative before he starts this.
Thank you and looking forward to your reply.
Hi Cindy,
Dr. Crandall responds:
The decision about whether to start diabetes medication is based on a number of factors (for example, blood sugar levels, weight, presence of other medical conditions, etc.) and is best discussed with your physician. But it’s true that changes in diet, weight loss and exercise can all help control blood sugar and should not be overlooked. Good sources of information about diabetes self management can be found at the National Diabetes Education Program https://www.ndep.nih.gov/ or the American Diabetes Association https://www.diabetes.org/.