Text Box: Text Box: Patient Education Comprehensive Health Care Text Box: Diabetes Mellitus is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. It is the chief cause of blindness, renal failure, amputations and is a leading cause of birth defects. Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism - the way the body uses food for growth and energy. A person with diabetes has an elevated blood glucose for one or two reasons: The pancreas is not producing insulin. The body is not using the insulin produced. There are two major types of Diabetes: Type 1 and type 2 Type 1 Usually occurs in children and young adults Characterized by an absolute insulin deficiency (the pancreas is not producing insulin) Daily insulin injections are required Type 2 Accounts for 95% of all cases of diabetes Characterized by insulin resistance (the body cannot use the insulin produced) An individualized meal plan and exercise program is essential for optimal treatment of Type 2 diabetes Oral diabetes medications and / or insulin may also be required Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include the following: Overweight / Obesity Sedentary lifestyle Age (older than 45) Family history of diabetes Goals of Treatment Diabetes is a serious disease that can result in short-term and long-term complications. However, people with diabetes can live healthy lives and delay or avoid the onset of complications if achieving blood glucose control remains a high priority. The goals for blood glucose for someone who has diabetes are: Fasting blood glucose: 80-120 mg/dl 2 hours after meals: 100-140 mg/dl Hemoglobin A1c: less than 7% COMCARE has a fully equipped lab which can perform blood glucose tests and hemoglobin A1c tests used in the diagnosis and treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. These tests are available to individuals and corporations who wish to provide diabetes screenings to their employees. WellPlan has developed Diabetes Education classes which include group sessions on diet, exercise monitoring and management, medications, and coping skills for diabetes. The classes are taught by a Certified Diabetes Educator. Individual counseling with a registered dietitian or exercise physiologist is also available through WellPlan at COMCARE in Salina, KS. For more information on diabetes, go to www.diabetes.org. Text Box: Text Box:

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