Tag: endocrinologist

diabetes complications
Decreasing Your Risk for Diabetes Complications 
Posted on by Leslie Branon

The CDC estimates that more than 29 million American adults are currently living with diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how your body makes and processes glucose, or blood sugar. While it is possible to lead a very full and active life with diabetes if your diet and medications/insulin are carefully managed, there is still the potential for serious complications to occur. 

What are some common diabetes complications? 

Diabetes complications usually develop gradually over time with the disease. It is important to monitor your blood glucose levels vigilantly and stay on track regarding regular check-ups with your endocrinologist.

Some of the most common diabetes complications that our endocrinology experts see include: 

  • Heart disease: diabetics are twice as more likely to suffer from heart disease and stroke than others due to damaged blood vessels and nerves surrounding the heart 
  • Kidney disease: elevated blood sugar levels over time can lead to chronic kidney disease, the need for dialysis, and even kidney failure 
  • Blindness and eye issues: diabetes can also damage blood vessels in the eye/retina (diabetic retinopathy) 
  • Neuropathy: diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage, is pain or numbness that stems from blood vessels and nerves (typically in the legs and feet) lacking sufficient oxygen or nutrients hijacked by high blood sugar 
  • Non-healing foot and leg ulcers: sores and infections that appear on the legs or feet due to poor circulation and elevated glucose levels can be hard to treat and may lead to amputation in extreme cases

If you notice signs or symptoms of any of these diabetes complications, speak with your endocrinologist right away about solutions to treat and manage them effectively. 

Decreasing Your Risk for Diabetes Complications

Along with keeping regularly scheduled appointments with your physician, and taking medications/insulin as instructed, here are five other ways to help prevent from developing severe diabetes complications: 

1.         Follow a healthy diet of lean proteins, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. 

2.         Exercise regularly and aim for at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. 

3.         Maintain a healthy weight and BMI (Body Mass Index) and speak to your doctor about what that optimal weight should be. 

4.         Manage your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and make sure they are within healthy and normal ranges. 

5.         Stop smoking to avoid additional damage to your heart and lungs beyond what high blood sugar levels may already contribute. 

With proper management, and prompt attention to any symptoms you are experiencing, you can keep your diabetes complications to a minimum.

Contact Us to Help Manage your Diabetes, Osteoporosis and Thyroid Conditions 

If you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our endocrinology specialists in Austin or Round Rock please contact us at (512) 458-8400 or request an appointment online.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and check back with us each month as we provide you helpful wellness and health information.

nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
T2D and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Posted on by Leslie Branon

Diabetes is a serious condition that not only causes hormonal and blood sugar imbalances, but can also damage nerves, blood vessels and other organs. Common side effects of diabetes include poor circulation, non-healing foot and leg ulcers, vision loss, kidney damage and liver disease.  

At Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology (TD&E), our board-certified endocrinology experts treat diabetes and help with the many other issues that coincide with it, like Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). 

Here’s what you should know about the liver and diabetes related NAFLD…

The liver performs many functions including helping to regulate blood sugar levels, making vital proteins, and filtering toxins and chemicals from your blood. The liver can be damaged by alcohol, hepatitis, autoimmune diseases but much more commonly from fat accumulation which is called NAFLD.  

NAFLD can lead to serious complications such as liver cirrhosis, or scarring that could cause potential liver failure. 

Research shows that up to 70% of those living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) also have NAFLD. 

How is NAFLD diagnosed?

NAFLD is usually asymptomatic.  There are blood tests that can suggest the diagnosis but the best non-invasive test isa dedicated screening called FibroScan.  

TD&E is one of the only endocrinology clinics in Austin to offer this innovative diagnostic test to closely examine the liver. FibroScan uses ultrasound imaging to assess liver tissue and can quantify fat accumulation and the degree of liver damage., 

If you have T2D and abnormal liver labs or other risk factors such as obesity or high cholesterol your endocrinologist may suggest a FibroScan to assess your liver health. 

How do you treat NAFLD? 

While there currently is no cure for NAFLD, the same healthy lifestyle changes recommended to help manage diabetes can also help to slow, or even reverse, liver damage and decrease fatty buildup, including:

  • Maintaining a healthy weight, or losing weight if overweight or obese
  • Eating a well-balanced diet to lower high cholesterol levels 
  • Staying physically active and aiming for at least 150 minutes of exercise per week
  • Controlling your diabetes and blood glucose levels as directed by your endocrinologist
  • Avoiding alcohol or consuming in moderation

If you are living with T2D and have other risk factors for NAFLD, speak with your physician about getting screened. 

Contact Us to Help Manage your Diabetes, Osteoporosis and Thyroid Conditions 

If you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists at Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology and discover how our diabetes services  and other endocrinology therapies can help you lead a full and active life, please contact us at (512) 458-8400 or request an appointment online.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and check back with us each month as we provide you helpful wellness and health information.

What’s the link between osteoporosis and the gut biome? 
Posted on by Leslie Branon

May is Osteoporosis Awareness Month. This condition, marked by severely weakened bones, is one that our board-certified endocrinologists treat daily here at Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology (TD&E).

While it is commonly known that calcium helps to strengthen bones and protect against osteoporosis, new research shows that good gut health (or the gut biome) can also play a large role in osteoporosis prevention and boosting bone density (the amount of minerals stored in bones to make them strong). 

The gut biome is the complex mix of microorganisms that live in the body’s intestines and helps with immunity and food processing. 

What is the connection between osteoporosis and the gut biome? 

A new study recently published strongly supports previous findings that a healthy gut biome can in fact improve bone density and help protect against osteoporosis.  This important connection between the gut biome and the body’s bones is known as the gut-bone axis. 

Data shows that eating fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin C can increase production of the bone-making cells that protect them from weakening, or possibly fracturing and breaking, which is typically associated with osteoporosis. This conversion of Vitamin C into powerful bone-boosting cells takes place in the gut. 

Research also continues to show that foods rich in calcium (like dairy products) and high in protein (lean meats and legumes) help to fortify bones and keep them strong. 

Additionally, tracking certain types of bacteria that exist in the gut biome, and then supplementing with lacking bacteria known to boost bone-making cells, may become an increasingly more common option for osteoporosis prevention.  This can be facilitated by a physician recommending a mix of synbiotics (probiotics combined with prebiotics) to promote healthy bacteria in your gut biome.

According to TD&E endocrinologist Dr. Mauli Shah, along with keeping your gut check in health, other ways you can help prevent osteoporosis are with “regular exercise (weight bearing or resistance exercises are best), and taking Vitamin D and calcium supplements.” 

When should you see a doctor for osteoporosis?

Dr. Shah offers the following recommendations for when you should visit a doctor, or endocrinology expert, regarding your risk for osteoporosis:

  • All women 65 years of age and older 
  • Post-menopausal women with certain risk factors, such as those who’ve had a previous fracture or been treated with steroids
  • People who have a family history of osteoporosis or hip fractures 
  • People with rheumatoid arthritis
  • Women who have entered premature menopause or men with low testosterone

Osteoporosis Treatment at Texas Diabetes

Our endocrinology and osteoporosis experts will help develop the right treatment plan for you to address your unique bone health needs. We typically recommend lifestyle modifications to start, like getting more exercise and eating well. Then we’ll determine what combination of dietary supplements, medications, and/or injections and IV infusions are best suited to protect and strengthen your bones. 

Contact Us to Help Manage your Osteoporosis, Diabetes and Thyroid Conditions 

If you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists at Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology and discover how our diabetes services  and other endocrinology therapies can help you lead a full and active life, please contact us at (512) 458-8400 or request an appointment online.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and check back with us each month as we provide you helpful wellness and health information.

CGM
FDA Approves New OTC Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) 
Posted on by Leslie Branon

A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) has typically only been available via prescription, until now. 

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved over-the-counter (OTC) sales of a CGM known as Dexcom’s Stelo Glucose Biosensor System.

This is good news not only for those with diabetes, but also for those who want to support a healthier lifestyle and make smart food choices by monitoring their blood sugar (glucose) levels. 

At Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology, our team of endocrinology experts often include CGMs as part of the treatment plan for our patients with diabetes.

What is a CGM?

A CGM is a small device that adheres directly onto the skin and uses sensors to track real-time glucose readings.  Having this important information at your fingertips can help you better plan food intake goals and medication or insulin doses throughout the day.  The CGM affords patients the opportunity to live more independently without stopping for multiple tests (finger pricks) every few hours. Additionally, the sensor can send an alarm to the patient or their caretaker if their blood sugar is dangerously low or high to alert them to take action.

Under the direction of your endocrinologist, a CGM can be an effective glucose monitoring tool for patients with either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. 

Our endocrinologists can also access these real-time readings so that guidance on adjusting medications can be made swiftly and with as little interruption to your daily routine as possible. 

The introduction of CGMs has changed the way endocrinologist determine how well controlled a person’s diabetes is by looking at the amount of time the blood sugars stay in a target range. “We now understand that keeping blood sugars controlled all day long, instead of just parts of the day, are better for patient outcomes,” explains endocrinologist Dr. Tira Chaicha-Brom. “We still routinely check hemoglobin A1c but this is a three month average of one’s blood sugars.” 

CGMs for Non-Diabetics 

There is a growing number of people who are not diabetic opting to use CGMs in order to monitor their blood sugar levels. Without a confirmed diabetes diagnosis, it has previously been challenging to obtain a CGM.

“As more and more people are wanting to take control of their health and make smart choices, using a CGM can be a proactive way to use data that supports these goals”, says Dr. Tira Chaicha-Brom. 

The benefits of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels include:

  • Boosting energy and circulation
  • Preventing heart and kidney disease
  • Protecting against vision loss and the development of diabetes

The Dexcom Stelo device is a wearable CGM system that provides glucose readings every 15 minutes and delivers them to an app on your phone. It will be available for widespread purchase this summer. 

For questions about CGMs and successful diabetes management, please contact us here. 

Contact Us to Help Manage your Diabetes and Thyroid Conditions 

If you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists at Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology and discover how our diabetes services  and other endocrinology therapies can help you lead a full and active life, please contact us at (512) 458-8400 or request an appointment online.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and check back with us each month as we provide you helpful wellness and health information.

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