Happy May

Last week, a disheartened individual arrived for their initial diabetes appointment. With slumped shoulders, they shared how a provider had lectured them about their elevated A1C and insisted they add an additional diabetes medication.

This person described how they had made significant progress in healthy eating and moving more, but that didn’t seem to matter to the provider. Worse, this individual just felt like giving up.

The good news is that this heartbreaking story inspired me to take action.

I penned an article on Person-Centered Coaching and then created a PDF Cheat Sheet that you can reference and share with your colleagues.

My hope is that we can all be a part of lifting people up and acknowledging even those tiny lifestyle changes that are so difficult to initiate and sustain. Through careful listening, reflection, and collaboration, we can make meaningful connections that support change in the long run and improve well-being.

We also reflect on one year of action in celebration of Earth Day. Our family is committed to making ten changes in our daily lives to give back to this incredible planet we get to inhabit. In addition, the crew at Diabetes Education Services decided to highlight the benefits of our domestic pets. They not only enhance our work day but also improve the health outcomes of people with diabetes.

Lastly, we are excited to share that people with diabetes can lower their blood sugars by changing the order of the foods consumed. You can read more about these exciting topics below, plus take a stab at our Question and Rationales of the Week.

Thanks for helping to lift people up,

Coach Beverly, Bryanna, Amanda, and Andrew

Announcements

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• Conduct a Person-Centered Interview
• 10 Actions for the Earth
• Food Order & Post-Meal Blood Sugar
• 3 Ways Pets Can Support People with Diabetes
• Question of the Week
• Rationale of the Week

Upcoming Webinars

• ReVive 5 Training Program Connect – July 19 & 26th
• Standards of Care Intensive Updates – May 11
• NEW: Tech Data Toolkit – Aug. 30th
• FREE CDCES Exam Prep Webinar – May 23rd
• Upcoming Events – See the complete calendar listing

Free Resource Catalog

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Enroll in our Level 2 | Lower Extremity Assessment | 1.5 CEs

People with diabetes are at increased risk of Lower Extremity Complications. This course reviews the steps involved in performing a detailed assessment of the lower extremities, including how to use a monofilament and tuning fork to detect neuropathy. We also discuss the significance of the Ankle Brachial Index and strategies to prevent lower extremity complications.

Objectives:

1. Describe the risk factors for lower extremity complications.
2. Discuss prevention strategies.
3. Demonstrate steps involved in a lower extremity assessment.

Intended Audience: This is a great course for healthcare professionals who want to learn the steps involved in providing a thorough lower extremity assessment.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it live. Your registration guarantees access to the recorded version in the Online University.

All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information

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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

For last week’s practice question, we quizzed participants on statins & the risk of dementia. 49% of respondents chose the best answer. We want to clarify and share this important information, so you can pass it on to people living with diabetes and your colleagues, plus prepare for exam success!

Before we start though, if you don’t want any spoilers and haven’t tried the question yet, you can answer it below: Answer Question

Question: LR is 78 years old with a new diagnosis of diabetes. Their A1C is 7.9%, LDL cholesterol is 98 mg/dL, GFR is 58 mg/g and their BP is 124/78. The provider recommends a referral to the RD and DSME program and writes a prescription for metformin XR 500mg daily and lovastatin 20mg. LR is worried about taking a statin because they heard it can cause dementia.

Based on the ADA Standards, what is the best response?

Answer Choices:

1. Based on the most recent research, statins don’t seem to cause dementia.
2. Statins are very safe and actually protect against dementia.
3. To find out more about the side effects of statins, we recommend asking your pharmacist for more information.
4. You can start with half a pill a day to evaluate for side effects.

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Getting to the Best Answer

If you are thinking about taking the certification exam, this practice test question will set you up for success. Test writers anticipate possible answers based on the details in the question. They will wave those “juicy answers” right under your nose. Your job is to weed through the particulars, pluck out the most important elements and choose the BEST answer.

Answer 1 is correct. 49.45% chose this answer. “Based on the most recent research, statins don’t seem to cause dementia.” YES, is the BEST answer. According to ADA 2023 SOC 10 a recent systematic review of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) postmarketing surveillance databases, randomized controlled trials, and cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies evaluating cognition in patients receiving statins found that published data do not reveal an adverse effect of statins on cognition (138). Therefore, a concern that statins or other lipid-lowering agents might cause cognitive dysfunction or dementia is not currently supported by evidence and should not deter their use in individuals with diabetes at high risk for ASCVD (138).

Answer 2 is incorrect. 26.73% of you chose this answer. “Statins are very safe and actually protect against dementia.” Although the first part of this statement is correct, statins are safe, there is no evidence presented in the ADA Standards that statins protect against dementia.

Answer 3 is incorrect. About 17.62% of respondents chose this. “To find out more about the side effects of statins, we recommend asking your pharmacist for more information.” Although pharmacists are incredibly knowledgeable about medications, diabetes specialists can relate evidence based information to the people we serve, instead of making them take additional action to get the information they need to move forward. The good news is that there is no evidence that statins or other lipid-lowering agents might cause cognitive dysfunction or dementia and their use is recommended in individuals with diabetes at high risk for ASCVD.

Finally, Answer 4 is incorrect. 6.19% chose this answer. “You can start with half a pill a day to evaluate for side effects.” This approach is tempting, but it doesn’t address the fear of the statin causing dementia. The good news is that there is no evidence that statins or other lipid-lowering agents might cause cognitive dysfunction or dementia and their use is recommended in individuals with diabetes at high risk for ASCVD.

We hope you appreciate this week’s rationale! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our Question of the Week and participate in this fun learning activity!

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Want to learn more about this question? Enroll in our

Level 2 | Older Adults & Diabetes | 1.5 CEs

 

We are living longer & more people are getting diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has updated the Older Adults Standards, with special attention to considering the reduction of medication & insulin therapy intensity. The older population has unique issues & special needs that require consideration as we provide diabetes self-management education. This online course highlights key areas of assessment, intervention, and advocacy for older clients living with diabetes.

Objectives:

1. Self-management considerations for older individuals.
2. Strategies to prevent complications & maintain optimal quality of life.
3. The role of the Diabetes Care & Education Specialist as an advocate.

Intended Audience: An important course for healthcare professionals seeking to gain an understanding of the special issues and goals for older adults.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it live. Your registration guarantees access to the recorded version in the Online University.

All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information

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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.