November is National Diabetes Awareness Month – a disease that affects more than 37 million Americans, with 1 in 5 of those affected not knowing they have it. A staggering 1/3 of the US adult population have pre-diabetes and 8 in 10 are unaware of it. Of the newly diagnosed cases of diabetes, less than 10% are Type 1, which is believed to be an autoimmune disorder in which the pancreas creates little or no insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. The majority of all diagnosed cases – over 90% – are Type 2, where the body still produces insulin, but is unable to use it effectively, leaving excess sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. Over time, the excess blood gloucose can cause damage to numerous body organs and systems. Type 2 diabetes was often viewed as an adult condition, but as childhood obesity rates rise, so has the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in children.
Research has found that environmental factors may play a role in causing diabetes. The veterans we honor on Veterans Day have double the diabetes prevalence rate in the overall U.S. population.
Studies found that veterans may develop diabetes as a result of being exposed to herbicides, such as Agent Orange, while serving in Vietnam. Veterans with a health condition that’s caused by exposure to Agent Orange and served in a location that exposed you to Agent Orange may be eligible for VA disability benefits.
While not all diabetes can be prevented, there steps you can take lifestyle changes that may prevent it. If diagnosed with diabetes, follow your doctor’s advice such as on medication, check-ups and lifestyle changes. Concerned you may be pre-diabetic or diabetic? Take time to see your doctor!
This Weekend Reading begins with Hitting the News, with current news on a variety of healthcare related topics. In Highs & Lows, you will find articles on patients coming in high to dental visits, ketamine risks, and more!
Next explore the articles in Changing Things Up on innovative healthcare initiatives, needed solutions and a medical first! Finally, do not miss Storied Pasts and my personal favorite – The $30 Million Lottery Scam !
I hope you enjoy the following:
1. Hitting the Headlines
- Fake Twitter Account Falsely Said Eli Lilly Was Giving Away Insulin (WebMD)
- FTC refocusing on anticompetitive practices (Healthcare Finance News)
- Statins vs. supplements: New study finds one is ‘vastly superior’ to cut cholesterol (NPR)
- The Economic Cost of Poor Employee Mental Health (Gallup)
2. Highs & Lows
- Half of dentists surveyed report patients high during dental visits (ADA News)
- Fatal Heart Infections Linked to Opioid Abuse Have Tripled Among Young Americans (Health Day)
- Americans Take Ketamine at Home for Depression With Little Oversight. Psychiatrists express concern about the safety of taking the mind- altering anesthetic at home (Wall Street Journal)
- People With Long Covid Face Barriers to Government Disability Benefits (Kaiser Health News)
3. Changing Things Up
- Cash for Colonoscopies: Colorado Tries to Lower Health Costs Through Incentives (Kaiser Health News)
- Crossover Health, Aetna pilot primary care service for Seattle employers with fixed-fee payment model (Fierce Healthcare)
- ‘Impending Intergenerational Crisis’: Americans With Disabilities Lack Long-Term Care Plans (Kaiser Health News)
- In world-first trial, lab-grown blood was just injected into two people (The Verge)
4. Storied Pasts
- Cache of 19th-Century Blue Jeans Discovered in Abandoned Arizona Mineshaft (The Smithsonian Magazine)
- The Strange Story Behind Your Breakfast Cereal (JSTOR Daily)
- Wander Through a 2,200-Foot-Long Tunnel Beneath Niagara Falls (The Smithsonian Magazine)
- THE $30 MILLION LOTTERY SCAM How a Michigan real-estate broker became convinced he had cracked the lottery—and how he tricked his investors into financing his scheme – (The Atlantic)
Enjoy your weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]
