DIABETES
CARE CENTER

 

The Diabetes Care Center at Horizons West Medical Group is dedicated to caring for adults with diabetes, including patients who are newly diagnosed or are having difficulty managing their disease.

Who do we treat?

  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Gestational diabetes (Diabetes during pregnancy)
  • Pre-Diabetes (Impaired glucose resistance)

Services include:

Medication regulation, insulin pump management and continuous glucose monitoring.  Our nurses and dieticians work closely with providers to offer exceptional care. 

In addition to health management, we offer diabetes education on a variety of subjects to improve your overall diabetes health. 

Topics include:

  • Defining Diabetes
  • Managing Diabetes
  • Nutrition for Diabetes
  • Exercise for Blood Glucose Control
  • Eating out and Holiday eating
  • Laboratory Review
  • Maintaining a Healthy Weight
  • Acute Complications of Diabetes
  • Long term Complications of Diabetes
  • Weight reduction for Adults

We focus on providing care for adult clients, but also offer minimal training to pediatric patients under the age of 15.

Learn more about Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin.  Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.  The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that there are 20.8 million children and adults in the
United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware
that they have the disease.

Types of Diabetes

  • Type 1 Diabetes - Results from the body's failure to produce insulin; the hormone that "unlocks" the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them.  It is estimated that 5 to 10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes. 
  • Type 2 Diabetes- Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency.  Approximately 90 to 95% (16 million) of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. 
  • Impaired glucose tolerance- Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but are not high enough for a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. There are 54 million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 20.8 million with diabetes. 
  • Gestational diabetes- Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women, or about 135,000 cases in the United States each year. 

Could you have diabetes and not know it?

Take this test to see if you are at risk for having diabetes.

Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If you are a member of one of these ethnic groups, you need to pay special attention to this test.

To find out if you are at risk, write in the points next to each statement that is true for you. If a statement is not true, write a zero. Then add all the points to get your total score.

 

Yes

No

1.

I am under 65 years of age and get little to no exercise during a usual day?

5pts

0pts

2.

I am between 45 and 64 years of age?

5pts

0pts

3.

I am 65 years old or older?

9pts

0pts

4.

I am a woman who has had a baby weighing more than nine pounds at birth?

1pts

0pts

5.

I have a sister or brother with diabetes?

1pts

0pts

6.

I have a parent with diabetes?

1pts

0pts

 

Scoring 3-9 points
You are probably at low risk for having diabetes now. But don't just forget about it. If you are Hispanic/Latino, an African American, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander, you may be at higher risk in the future.

Scoring 10 or more points
You are at greater risk for having diabetes. Only your health care provider can determine if you have diabetes. At your next office visit please find out for sure.

To learn more about diabetes, call the Diabetes Care Center at Horizons West Medical Group at 308-630-2100 or visit: