Dr. Trudy Gaillard Offers a Road Map to Managing Diabetes

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Published on Tuesday, 30 October 2012 19:24

Written by Jackie Jones, BlackAmericaWeb.com

Got a question about diabetes? Text it to "646464" (OHOHOH).

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Experts will gather at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University, Nov. 14-17, for the Global Diabetes Summit to discuss the latest diabetes research and develop a road map for the prevention, detection, treatment and management of the disease, which has been diagnosed in an estimated to 3 million black Americans and could be impacting millions more who are unaware they are diabetic.

African Americans are nearly twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop diabetes and 25 percent of black Americans ages 65-74 are diabetic.

Dr. Trudy Gaillard, an adjunct assistant professor in Nursing Undergraduate Studies and a research assistant professor in Endo, Diabetes and Metabolism at Ohio State and a leading researcher on the impact of diabetes on black people will be among the presenters at the conference which is being held during National Diabetes Month.

Gaillard has been a regular at the annual Tom Joyner Take a Loved One to the Doctor events, taking calls on the Dr. Day hotline and participating in other activities.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 3.2 million, or 13.3 percent of all African Americans aged 20 or older have diabetes and one in four black women over the age of 55 has diabetes.

Not only are black Americans more likely to get the disease, but related complications strike disproportionately as well. It is the No. 1 cause of blindness, kidney disease and amputations for black Americans and heart disease and stroke account for about 65 percent of deaths in people with diabetes and diabetics are also at a higher risk for stroke and death from stroke.

Children are particularly at risk of contracting diabetes because of the childhood obesity epidemic.

In a paper published in the research journal Healio Endocrinology/Endocrine Today, Gaillard noted the importance of diet and exercise in managing diabetes.

“Excessive weight (obesity) and lack of physical activity are two of the major factors associated with increasing metabolic syndrome risks. These two factors are increasing in both U.S. adults and children,” Gaillard wrote.

“Understanding how weight gain and lack of physical activity are associated with increased metabolic syndrome and CVD mobility and mortality are major public problems. Most studies have shown that increases in physical activity are associated with lower rates of metabolic syndrome and other CVD comorbid conditions. … This issue is particularly important in black women who report less leisure time physical activity compared to white women.”

In other words, there is a direct correlation between exercise and lowering or preventing incidences of diabetes and related conditions that could lead to death for those with diabetes.

Kirk Geter, D.P.M., assistant professor at the College of Medicine and chief of the Division of Podiatry at Howard University Hospital told BlackAmericaWeb.com in an earlier interview that a test for diabetes should be part of a routine physical for people how have a history of the disease in their families.

On Saturday, Nov. 17, Dominque Wilkins, an NBA legend and vice president of basketball for the Atlanta Hawks, and Oscar Joyner, president and chief operating officer of Reach Media Inc., the parent company of the Tom Joyner Morning Show and BlackAmericaWeb.com, will address the summit on their personal battles with diabetes and their successful management strategies.

This event is free, but registration is required. Register at go.osu.edu.

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I am having a big problem. My wife has diabetes. She complains of pain in her foot and hands. This is the small portion of the problem.
Pain or tingling in the hands and feet are one of the signs related to diabetes as well as a sign that the glucose may not be adequately controlled. Oftentime, proper control of glucose will help to alleviate this problem. There are also some medications that can help to decrease these sensations.  Please consult wiht your primary care provider about treatment options.

My wife claims to have no sexual desire. If I make any type of advance I get rejected. I don't know how to handle this.
When individuals struggle with high and low blood sugars they don't feel well. They are often fatigued and just don't have enough energy to do anything more.  I would suggest that this concerned husband accompany his wife to a doctor's appointment so that they both can understand the complexity associated with diabetes and seek other options.

Should I be concerned about diabetes when both sets of grandparents had it, and I also had gestational diabetes with one of my pregnancies?
Absolutely!!!!  Diabetes runs in families, making your risk greater. In African American women who have had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is greater, especially, if they have other risk factors, such as, family history, poor dietary and nutritional habits, are physically inactive and are overweight/obese.  I encourge the person to have at minimal annual physical in which blood is drawn to test for glucose levels and to modify risk factors.

My husband is diabetic & I'm unsure of what he should or should not eat or do to lower his levels.  His levels are constantly 240.
The normal fasting (after not eating for 8-10 hours should be 100mg/dl).  A fasting glucose greater than 200 means that person is not in good control. There are two things that should be done: make sure your husband is taking his medication as prescribed by the doctor.  If he is and the numbers are still elevated, consult your doctor for other treatment options.

Please see a dietitian for nutritional counseling.  It is important to not only eat the right foods, but to be mindful of portion sizes. This will help keep blood glucose levels in proper ranges.

I am a T1 juvenile diabetic and am 31 years ole. I have hypothyroidism. I recently had gastric bypass. I was 83 lbs overweight presurgery on about 140 units of insulin daily. As a result of the weight loss and not taking the thyroid meds for  nine months post surgery, my hair has really thinned and fell out. Do you have any studies on T1 and gastric bypass surgery long term? Any recommendations?
First of all, let me congratulate you on the weight loss surgury. That is a big step and one that has helped to normalize your glucose levels. Keep up the good work.

Numerous reports have been published on the beneficial effects of obesity surgery on glucose control and metabolic disorders in type 1 and type 2 diabetic subjects, with an impressive 70–90% of diabetic patients remaining normal glucose levels without diabetes medications several years after the surgery. It is important that you maintain the weight loss and engage in lifestyle activities to assist in those (increase physical activity and healthy nutrition).

You may want to have your thyroid re-checked to see if this may be contributing to the hair loss. Your doctor may be able to give you further suggestions.

Do fresh fruits make their own sugar, and if so, how does it effect your sugar levels?
Yes, the sugar from fresh fruits is call fructose, which also can cause your glucose levels to rise in the blood stream.  The benefits of fresh fruit is that they also contain fiber that may lessen the peak of the glucose rise.  Finally, fresh fruits are better that fruit juices and should be calculated into a healthy meal plan.

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