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Question of the Week | August 6, 2019

Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. 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!

Question of the Week – Aug 6, 2019

Join us in-person to learn from four expert instructors in beautiful San Diego, CA for an intensive 3 day course to prepare you for the CDCES. All course content has been updated to reflect the updated CDCES content outline.

Our course covers all of the following topics to increase your confidence in taking the CDCES® AND includes 13 online bonus courses!

  • Current State of Diabetes ADA Standards of Care
  • Person-Centered Care for Type 1, Type 2, LADA, GDM
  • Medical Evaluation, Risk Identification
  • Diabetes Prevention
  • Glycemic Targets Across the Lifespan
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Landmark Studies
  • Medications for Type 2
  • Pharmacology Algorithms – AACE and ADA
  • Cardiovascular Monitoring and Management
  • Getting Active
  • Assessing and Supporting Coping Skills
  • Insulin – The Ultimate Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • Insulin Pattern Management and Dosing Strategies
  • Sick Days, Monitoring Hospitalization and Lower Extremities
  • Diabetes Tools for the Visually Impaired
  • Microvascular Disease – Screening Guidelines and Risk Reduction
  • Promoting Behavior Change – Flourishing with Diabetes
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy
  • Meal Planning – Hot to Eat by the Numbers
  • Adjusting Meal Planning based on individual assessment
  • Diabetes and Technology

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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Getting Back to Basics: How Green is Good

While most know there are great benefits to getting out in nature, Medical News Today has released a study showing that simply viewing nature can reduce cravings such as smoking, excessive drinking, and unhealthy eating.

Walking in nature has been shown to reduce cortisol and improve mood. Now though, research suggests even simply seeing green spaces through your window can reduce unhealthy cravings!

As health care professionals, we can recommend nature viewing as a stress-relieving intervention that can be incorporated daily for extra health benefits. Whether using public green spaces, looking through your bedroom or office window, or visiting a neighborhood garden, all of these have been associated with lessening the frequency and intensity of cravings.

This is great new for people trying to quit habits such as smoking, excessive drinking, and unhealthy eating. Read more from Medical News Today for full details.


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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Do topical steroids increase risk of type 2 diabetes?

Based on a study published in Diabetes Care in April 2019, it appears that there is a positive association between use of topical corticosteroids and new incident diabetes.

A Danish case-control study collected health care data from people who were diagnosed with new onset Type 2 diabetes in Denmark and the United Kingdom.

A total of 115,218 in Denmark and 54,944 in the UK were identified with new diabetes.

The researchers found that topical corticosteroid use was significantly associated with new onset diabetes of diabetes in both groups. In the Danish group (adjusted odds ratio was 1.35) and U.K. group (adjusted odds ratio was 1.23).

They also found that there was a significant dose response relationship. The more potent the steroid the higher the incident risk of diabetes.

The next question to be addressed is if topical steroid cream increases blood glucose in those with existing diabetes.

Read the “Association Between Topical Corticosteroid Use and Type 2 Diabetes in Two European Population-Based Adult Cohorts” Diabetes Care Abstract here.


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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Gastric Bypass Surgery associated with high type 2 diabetes remission rates

A recent study conducted by the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark found that three out of every four persons living with obesity and type 2 diabetes who receive a RYGB ( Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass) experience remission within one year. Remission is defined as blood glucose levels at non-diabetes range without using diabetes medications.

This study followed 1,111 individuals who had an elevated BMI and type 2 diabetes and underwent RYGB from 2006-2015. It also followed 1,074 individuals who also had an elevated BMI with type 2 diabetes but did not undergo the surgery.

The results of this study for people with type 2 and a BMI of 35 or greater who had RYGB:

  • 74% of individuals experienced diabetes remission within one year
  • 27% of these individuals relapsed after approximately five years.
  • Those less likely to experience diabetes remission included:
    – those over 50,
    – diabetes duration > 5 years,
    – use of glucose lowering drugs other than metformin
    – baseline A1c of more than 7%

In addition, those who had RYGB surgery had a significantly reduced risk of microvascular and possibly macrovascular complications compared to those who did not have surgery.

According to the authors of the study, RYGB is associated with a high remission rate and a decreased rate of vascular complications, especially if surgery in performed early after diabetes diagnosis.

See chart in article by clicking on image

For more information on this topic, read the full study in Diabetologia- Effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery on diabetes remission and complications in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a Danish population-based matched cohort study.


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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Question of the Week | July 30, 2019

Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. 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!

Question of the Week – July 30

Join us in-person to learn from four expert instructors in beautiful San Diego, CA for an intensive 3 day course to prepare you for the CDCES. All course content has been updated to reflect the updated CDCES content outline.

Our course covers all of the following topics to increase your confidence in taking the CDCES® AND includes 13 online bonus courses!

  • Current State of Diabetes ADA Standards of Care
  • Person-Centered Care for Type 1, Type 2, LADA, GDM
  • Medical Evaluation, Risk Identification
  • Diabetes Prevention
  • Glycemic Targets Across the Lifespan
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Landmark Studies
  • Medications for Type 2
  • Pharmacology Algorithms – AACE and ADA
  • Cardiovascular Monitoring and Management
  • Getting Active
  • Assessing and Supporting Coping Skills
  • Insulin – The Ultimate Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • Insulin Pattern Management and Dosing Strategies
  • Sick Days, Monitoring Hospitalization and Lower Extremities
  • Diabetes Tools for the Visually Impaired
  • Microvascular Disease – Screening Guidelines and Risk Reduction
  • Promoting Behavior Change – Flourishing with Diabetes
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy
  • Meal Planning – Hot to Eat by the Numbers
  • Adjusting Meal Planning based on individual assessment
  • Diabetes and Technology

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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A change of screen culture needed to prevent metabolic syndrome in teens

According to a study presented during the 2019 annual Endocrine Society Meeting, metabolic syndrome in teens may be directly correlated with screen time and eating snacks.

“Metabolic syndrome includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess visceral adiposity and abnormal cholesterol levels. The syndrome increases a person’s risk for heart attack and stroke.”

Screen time is often associated with other negative behaviors such as snacking, eating excessively, and lack of movement.

Researchers found the teens spending 6 or more hours of screen time were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. The odds were even higher for teens who reported snacking during those hours.

“Eating unhealthy snacks in front of screens is a habit that is probably harmful, but the relationship between this and obesity is well-known, but not with metabolic syndrome.” This research demonstrates that there is a relationship between snacking and metabolic syndrome.

A study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents in Brazil analyzed the data from over 34,000 teens between the ages of 12 and 17. The teens were to write down their screen time habits daily and whether or not they were snacking.

“Snacking while watching TV was reported by 85.1% of the study population, and snacking while playing video games or using the computer was reported by 64%.”

“Strategies to assess and address metabolic syndrome in the pediatric population should aim at limiting unhealthy snacks while in front of screens,” Lead researcher Schaan said.

Shift in community and screen culture needed

Researchers recommend making an intervention on unhealthy habits that form during childhood. However, they believe that there may need to be a bigger shift in community culture.

As healthcare professionals we want to prompt a healthy lifestyle particularly at a young age. The habits we set as adolescents often transfer into adulthood.

To learn more: Metabolic Syndrome more likely in teens who snack while watching TV – Endocrine Today


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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Free Resource Friday | Preparing for the CDCES Exam Webinar

Join us live with your questions on August 2, 2019 @ 11:30 a.m. PST!

Coach Beverly offers this FREE webinar to help get you prepare for the CDCES Exam. All her tips and tricks are meant to ease your mind and reflect the updates to the CDCES content outline. Register below with a name and email and you can join us live next Friday!

Topics covered include:

  • Changes in requirements for 2019
  • Exam eligibility and test format
  • Strategies to succeed
  • Review of study tips and test taking tactics.

We will review sample test questions and the reasoning behind choosing the right answers.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Intended Audience: This FREE webinar is designed for individual or groups of diabetes educators, including RNs, RDs, Pharmacists, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Physician Assistants and other health care providers interested in achieving excellence in diabetes care and becoming Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists®.

Instructor: Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM is a working educator who has passed her CDCES Exam 6 times. She is a nationally recognized diabetes expert for over 25 years.

See our Preparing for CDCES Resource Page >>


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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Question of the Week | July 23, 2019

Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. 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!

Question of the Week – July 23

Join us for the new, updated Boot Camp Series, reflecting changes to CDCES content outline.

The Diabetes Educator Online Boot Camp offers eight courses, plus a bonus course, “The Big Finish” Test Taking Boot Camp, for a total of 12.75 CEs.

You can also download our free CDCES Coach App!