Tag: endocrinologist

reduce prediabetes risk
How to Reduce Your Prediabetes Risk
Posted on by Leslie Branon

Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be clinically diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can have serious side effects including an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. 

There is consistent evidence that shows the relationship between blood glucose and cardiovascular risk extends into the prediabetes range. While there is not as much evidence that shows treating mild hyperglycemia (prediabetes) reduces risk for these complications, treating prediabetes can help prevent or delay diabetes onset and preserve insulin production function.

What is the Data?

It is estimated that 37.3 million people (11.3% of the US population) have type 2 diabetes. However, 96 million people over the age of 18 are estimated to have prediabetes (which is 38% of the adult US population) and 26.4 million people with prediabetes are over the age of 65. Overall, approximately 25% will progress to diabetes over the next 3-5 years.  

Recent Research

A recent study indicated that about 5 percent of people diagnosed with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within a year. Early intervention of lifestyle changes – such as diet and exercise – can help reduce your risk. Dr. Lindsay Harrison recently discussed this research with Healthline, saying, “The benefits of intervention persisted over 10 years after the start of the study. There is evidence that reverting to normal glucose even briefly had a long-term reduction of progression to diabetes. Overall, lifestyle intervention is both effective and cost-effective. Although lifestyle changes have not been shown to reduce morbidity or mortality thus far, lifestyle changes are generally beneficial and do not have adverse effects.”

There have been several other studies in the prediabetes population which show that changes in lifestyle slow the progression to diabetes.  For example, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) found that intensive lifestyle and metformin interventions reduced the cumulative incidence of diabetes by 58 and 31 percent respectively compared to placebo. The study found lifestyle changes to be particularly effective for individuals over age 60, while metformin was more effective in individuals younger than age 60.

Reduce Your Risk

As you can see, lifestyle changes are a big factor in reducing your risk developing type 2 diabetes after being diagnosed with prediabetes. Some steps you can make include:

  • Develop healthy eating habits
  • Incorporate additional exercise into your routine 
  • Quit smoking

If you’re looking to start making some of these lifestyle changes, we can help! Our NextStepMD program is designed to help our patients lose weight, maintain weight loss, and gain better control of their health. Our medically supervised program is for our patients with diabetes, but is also open to patients who have prediabetes or don’t have diabetes at all. Our weight loss strategies include the use of nutrition education, diet and exercise plans as well as FDA-approved weight loss medications if necessary.

If you’d like to learn more about our full range of diabetes services, please call Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology 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.

hypoglycemia low blood sugar
FAQs with Dr. Kajal Shah: Hypoglycemia
Posted on by Leslie Branon

According to the American Diabetes Association, hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, occurs when your blood glucose levels have fallen low enough that you need to take action to bring them back to your target range. This is usually when your blood glucose is less than 70 mg/dl in people with diabetes and less than 55 mg/dl in people without diabetes. It’s important to be aware of the risks of hypoglycemia because it can cause complications and in some cases, a trip to the emergency room. 

We asked endocrinologist Dr. Kajal Shah for her expert insight on hypoglycemia.

Who is most affected by hypoglycemia?  What causes low blood sugar? 

Hypoglycemia mostly occurs in people with diabetes. It usually occurs due to medications that increase the insulin levels in the body and the defective counter regulatory hormones that prevent hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is rare in adults without diabetes and could be from medications, chronic illnesses affecting kidneys or liver, severe infections, some hormone deficiencies, or tumors in the pancreas making excess insulin. There are some children who may be born with disorders causing hypoglycemia, which are evident after a period of fasting.

Is hypoglycemia a condition you are born with or something that develops over time? 

​Hypoglycemia may be a condition that some children are born with. In adults, it usually occurs over time or incidentally.

What are the symptoms of low blood sugar? 

The symptoms of low blood sugar are either adrenergic or neuroglycopenic. Adrenergic symptoms are from the release of epinephrine and include excessive sweating, hunger, palpitations, feeling nervous, or having tremors. Neuroglycopenic symptoms are from the lack of glucose in brain and could include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and in very severe cases, coma.

Who is at a risk of having low blood sugar? 

In persons with diabetes, if they are on insulin or medications that increase insulin levels in the body, they are at risk of having hypoglycemia. Diabetes also causes hypoglycemic unawareness where one will not have these classic symptoms of hypoglycemia despite having low blood sugar. 

In people without diabetes, some of the risks for low blood sugar include uncontrolled liver disease, kidney disease, prolonged fasting, severe infections, and excess alcohol intake. Certain antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications can also result in low blood sugar. Some individuals also have hypoglycemia following gastric bypass surgery for weight loss.

Can these risks be mitigated with proper treatment? 

For people with diabetes, the risk can be reduced by checking finger stick glucose at regular intervals, especially before meals and bedtime, eating meals at regular intervals, and correcting a low blood sugar episode with glucose intake. The American Diabetes Association recommends the Rule of 15 – correcting a hypoglycemic episode with 15 grams of carbohydrates which could be achieved through 4 glucose tablets, 4 ounces of juice or 1 tablespoon of sugar and rechecking the blood glucose in 15 minutes to make sure it has improved. 

For people without diabetes, the risk can be mitigated by addressing the underlying problem.

When should someone see a healthcare provider for low blood sugar?

If a person has symptoms suggestive of hypoglycemia and a fingerstick glucose value of less than 70 mg/dl, they should see a healthcare provider. If they are unable to check their fingerstick glucose, they should still see their healthcare provider to determine if their symptoms are in fact related to low blood sugar.

Dr. Shah is a board certified endocrinologist with special interest in thyroid and adrenal gland disorders. She sees patients at our Central Austin location.

If you’d like to learn more about our full range of diabetes services, please call Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology 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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