| February 2012 |
Tackling diabetes: Treatment and advancements 
UF Physicians specialists who treat both children and adults
By Mina Radman
By 2050, one in three Americans will develop diabetes if current trends continue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes can cause blindness, kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough of—or use correctly—a hormone called insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Most cases of diabetes fall into two categories: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body does not produce insulin, is commonly seen in children and young adults. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95 percent of all diabetes cases and is usually associated with age, obesity and physical inactivity.
A healthy diet and exercise can help prevent or even reverse Type 2 diabetes, but there is no cure for Type 1. Both types can be treated with insulin, either from a daily shot or an insulin pump that is worn 24/7.
“Your body is a machine, and you have to have a certain amount of glucose in your bloodstream at all times to power that machine,” said Kathryn Parker, director of the diabetes self-management program at the UF Diabetes Center of Excellence. “But when blood sugar gets too high, it becomes a problem for your plumbing.”
The self-management program teaches people with diabetes how to manage their disease.
“We educate patients and empower them to make decisions that will help them maintain blood sugar in a normal range,” Parker said. “We then call after three and six months to see how they maintain their goal.”
The UF Diabetes Center of Excellence is internationally recognized as one of the top institutions in diabetes prevention, research and treatment. Researchers at the center work to understand the disease and find new prevention methods, biological cures and ways to reverse the disease, including creation of an artificial pancreas. They are studying both laboratory models and humans to understand the genesis of Type 1 diabetes.
The center also has clinical experts in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who provide patients with the best treatment available.
“In addition to doing what we can to prevent and cure the disease, our goal is to enhance quality of care by offering outstanding clinical care, diabetes education management and participation in clinical trials,” said pediatrician Desmond A. Schatz, M.D., medical director of the Diabetes Center of Excellence. “We aim to improve the lives of our patients individually.”
Schatz sees patients primarily at the UF Physicians pediatrics specialty practice at Shands Medical Plaza. People who have diabetes or who think they might be at risk of developing it can also see board-certified specialists at the UF Physicians Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties practice, also at Shands Medical Plaza.
To learn more about diabetes research and treatment, visit the UF Diabetes Center of Excellence website. To find a pediatrician or other physician who specializes in diabetes care, see the UF Physicians directory.
And remember, UF employees get the GatorAdvantage – expedited access at UF Physicians practices and Shands at UF outpatient facilities, and complimentary parking. Just say, “I am a GatorAdvantage member” when you call for an appointment. Visit the GatorAdvantage website for more information.
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