Tag: diabetes issues

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New Initiatives Address Health Equity For People Of Color Living With Diabetes

This year’s World Health Day focus is on global health equity.

Major companies are making strides to support health equity for people of color living with diabetes in the U.S.. These companies investing in partnerships with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and T1DExchange and conducting research to better understand and address these inequities.

For example, Medtronic will be donating $1 million to the ADA’s Technology Access Project (TAP) over the next three years, as well as working with T1D Exchange to support an upcoming quality improvement study. Medtronic will also be supporting research initiatives to improve glycemic control in African American youth with type 1 diabetes who have not previously used technology such as insulin pumps.

Luther fan Kitt V. joins us on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast to discuss the challenges he faces living with type 2 diabetes. Coincidentally, one issue is that his insurance denies coverage for a Bluetooth blood glucose monitoring system. Kitt doesn’t check his blood sugars regularly because he is tired of pricking his fingers. The no-fingerstick way to track glucose levels 24/7, as advertised on TV, seems to be a great solution to his problem. 

Some insurance companies deny coverage for Continuous Glucose Monitors CGM based on the device used to collect data, such as a smartphone app or tablet. If patients use their smartphone at all, even alongside the receiver, Medicare won’t pay.

What can you do?

Ask your doctor to take a look over your records, then resubmit your claim on your behalf. Sometimes devices are not covered because “hypoglycemic unawareness” wasn’t listed.

Find out if your doctor can write you a letter of medical necessity for the supplies or device. This is important to try to get done ASAP as it will help strengthen your argument for coverage.

Diabetes is an expensive chronic disease to manage. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), healthcare costs are 2.3 times greater for people with diabetes. Many Americans living with diabetes struggle to pay for essential medications and supplies, even those who have insurance. 

Other guests on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Chuck Flowers. 

By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.

For Luther Vandross’s fifth album Give Me the Reason, the album comprised nine tracks including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love and Give Me The Reason.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

 

 

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If It’s Up, Then It’s Stuck: Diabetes And Constipation

Cardi B explained to Jimmy Fallon that the lyrics for her song “Up” are about constipation. The line in question, which she had borrowed from her husband Offset, is: “If it’s up, then it’s stuck.

During the exchange , Cardi B added: “Um, so have you ever taken a poop, right, and it don’t come out?” “It’s just up and it’s stuck. Yeah,” she shared. After an awkward silence, Fallon uttered, “Wow,” while Cardi simply nodded.

Cardi admits she initially thought it was a “Georgia thing” as Offset, who is from the state, says it “a lot”, but she soon learned fans from other Southern U.S. states are also familiar with the phrase too.

Unfortunately, a lot of people with diabetes can related to the uncomfortable situation that she is referring to in the song.  It’s estimated that around 60 percent of people with long-standing diabetes deal with constipation.

Diabetes and Constipation: What’s the Connection?

Some of the main causes of constipation are lifestyle choices, neuropathy, and medications that can slow down digestion.

Specifically, damage to the nerves controlling the digestive tract can lead to constipation, diarrhea, and incontinence.

Healthline recommends eating more fiber, drinking more water, and increasing your physical activity. If you don’t notice improvement, talk with your doctor about moving on to fiber supplements, stool softeners, or laxatives.

We’re talking about diabetes weight loss medications, the best blood pressure monitors for home use, and sharing one woman’s journey to manage her type 2 diabetes after the loss of her husband on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from Jessye Norman.

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Mandy Reece PharmD CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FADCES, and Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador, Sarah Bryant.

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What Causes Hair Loss On Legs?

Diabetes can cause hair loss on the legs reports Medical News Today.

Hair loss on the legs is also known as anterolateral leg alopecia. This is because it is visible on the front (anterior) and sides (lateral) of the lower legs. Another name for it is peroneal alopecia.

Over time, diabetes-related damage to the blood vessels can result in peripheral artery disease (PAD). In PAD, a fatty deposit called plaque builds up in the blood vessels inside the legs. This interferes with blood flow and, consequently, hair growth.

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The Mr. Divabetic Show – Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (
PMDD)

We’re talking about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) on this one hour of wellness with a wow podcast. 

PMDD is a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that start about 7 to 10 days before a woman gets her monthly period.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that at least 85 percent of menstruating women have at least one PMS symptom as part of their monthly cycle. PMS is much more common than PMDD. 

Biologic, psychological, environmental, and social factors all seem to play a part in PMDD. It is important to note that PMDD is not the fault of the woman suffering from it or the result of a “weak” or unstable personality. It is also not something that is “all in the woman’s head.” 

Rather, PMDD is a medical illness that impacts only 3% to 8% of women. Fortunately, it can be treated by a health care professional with behavioral and pharmaceutical options.

Podcast Guests: Dr. Andrea Chisholm OBGYN, Peak 10 Skin founder Connie Elder, We Are Diabetes founder, Asha Brown, and Laura L. who are both living with type 1 diabetes. 

Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected songs from P.M. Dawn’s live album courtesy of SONY Music. 

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