"THE
HEART OF THE MATTER"
a special program of
the National Emergency Medicine Association
(NEMA)
Week: 584.2 to 584.4
Guest: Dr. James R. Gavin III, Sr. Science Officer, Howard Hughes Medical Inst.
Topic: Undiagnosed diabetics
Host/Producer: Steve Girard
NEMA: Undiagnosed diabetics...coming up...
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NEMA: Diabetes is a huge, and growing problem in the U.S. This is Dr. James Gavin of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute...
GAVIN: The hallmark of diabetes is high blood sugar...that's common to all forms of diabetes...and it's the high blood sugar that cause the problems: the eye disease, the blindness, the kidney failure, the strokes, the heart attacks and the amputations. So, all forms of diabetes are serious, and have to be treated aggressively.
NEMA: But too many of us don't know we have the early stages of a devastating disease...
GAVIN: We have about 16 million people who are affected by diabetes...only about half of those cases have been diagnosed....the other half are walking around right now, with the disease, but they don't know they have it.
NEMA: An international panel headed by Dr. Gavin has issued new guidelines for diagnosing diabetes, aimed at getting early treatment for the disease. More on that next time. I'm Steve Girard at The Heart of the Matter.
Week: 584.3
Guest: Dr. James Gavin III, Sr. Science Ofcr., Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Topic: New diabetes guidelines
Host/Producer: Steve Girard
NEMA: New diabetes guidelines...coming up...
NEMA: An international health panel has created new guidelines for diagnosing diabetes, in the hope of getting the estimated 8 million Americans...and more around the world...treatment to prevent its horrible damage...this is Dr. James Gavin of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute...
GAVIN: So, if we look at what's happening with diabetes in this country and we want to pick up the largest number of cases, we really have to start looking at those people who show the biggest surge in diabetes, and that's the 45 year and older age group. And so, we recommend that every adult in this country be considered for screening to see whether or not that person is at risk for having diabetes.
NEMA: And there's a new test....
GAVIN: We're making a change to a very simple test...where you fast for 8 hours or more, and you have one tube of blood drawn. A "fasting plasma glucose determination". And That's it.
NEMA: The guidelines, developed under Dr. Gavin's leadership, also lower the blood glucose level that alerts doctors to the beginning stages of diabetes. I'm Steve Girard at The Heart of the Matter.
Week: 584.4
Guest: Dr. James R. Gavin III, Sr. Science Officer, Howard Hughes Medical Inst.
Topic: Dispelling fears about diabetes treatment
Host/Producer: Steve Girard
NEMA: Dispelling fear over diabetes treatment...coming up..
NEMA: There are new guidelines out that recommend everyone 45 or older be tested regularly for diabetes...a high blood sugar disease that claims sight, limbs and kidneys. There are about 8 million Americans walking around now with the beginning stages...and Dr. James Gavin of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute says you shouldn't let fear of treatment prevent you from being tested...
GAVIN: When we talk about early detection of diabetes, we're not necessarily talking about putting people on drugs...changing lifestyles can really do a lot to prevent the disease from progressing...or even prevent the disease from developing, period. We should do more physical activity, we should not be smoking cigarettes, we should be watching what we eat, reduce the amount of fat and simple sugars in our diets. It doesn't mean going on needles, it doesn't mean taking pills. It means let's live healthier lives.
NEMA: You won't necessarily get diabetes just because your parents had it...you can control your future by taking action now. I'm Steve Girard at The Heart of the Matter.