MOD does another health fair!

Last week, MOD had a diabetes education booth at a health fair at the Genesis Bible Fellowship.



35 people stopped by our booth to learn about diabetes and diabetes prevention. Our most frequent question was if it is possible to cure diabetes. Once you are diagnosed with diabetes there is no cure. However; you can control your diabetes so that you need fewer medications or no medications at all.

Move Your Body!

Last year, a pharmacy student brought the message from Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign to Baltimore.
He taught middle and elementary school students the dance from Beyoncé's music video "Move Your Body".

Today, nearly 1 in 3 children in America are overweight or obese. If we don't solve this problem, 1/3 of children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes or chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma at some point in their lives. "Let's Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams."  It gives parents information and fosters an environment that supports healthy choices. (Information above retrieved from the Let's Move! website).
Here are pictures from our Move Your Body class.



 The dance leader taught 34 middle and elementary school students how much fun exercise can be. Everyone laughed, learned some new dance moves, and got their heart pumping.

Teaching about Healthy Snacking at Middle Schools

Last month, some pharmacy students partnered up with 'The Challenge Program' and helped out at the Green Street Academy Health Fair to teach the students about healthy snacking.

 

We made delicious fruit and yogurt parfaits and trail mix. We also showed students how to read a nutrition label. It is healthier to limit the amount of fat and sodium. If you have diabetes you want to monitor the amount of carbohydrates in each meal. Check the fiber and vitamins section of the label to see if the item is healthy for you.To maintain a healthy diet it is a good idea to look at the nutrition label of all the foods you eat. Below is an image from the National Kidney Foundation providing more information about nutrition labels.

Cici Takes on Diabetes- a diabetes educational video

Check out this video that Operation Diabetes put together this year!  

MOD does blood pressure screenings

MOD conducted blood pressure screenings at Professional Pharmacy and at a local health fair as part of the Million Hearts Initiative. The initiative is to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.

It is especially important for people with diabetes to control their blood pressure.

 

 

Below you can see a section of the fact sheet from the million hearts website. It explains what the blood pressure numbers mean. People can reduce their blood pressure by eating less salt. Try to eat no more than 1500mg of sodium a day. That is less than 1 teaspoon of salt! Most people with high blood pressure need 2 or 3 medicines to lower it. Work with your pharmacist and doctor to find the medications that are best for you. 

 

MOD goes to the UMB Wellness Fair

MOD went to the wellness fair to educate University of Maryland staff, students, and the community about diabetes. We talked to 62 people and conducted the diabetes risk assessment. We also provided hand-outs on how to prevent type 2 diabetes and about blood glucose.

Below you can see clips from the handout we gave up on how to delay type 2 diabetes. The handouts came from the American Diabetes Association website. http://www.diabetes.org/

Script Your Future

Operation Diabetes Participated in a Script Your Future event at Safeway to encourage medication adherence.

Above you can see a picture of the wallet cards that we handed out. It reminds patients of their pledge to take their medications and contains a list of the medications that they are taking. It is important to carry your medication list with you at all times so you can discuss them with your pharmacist and physicians. We handed out 246 wallet cards encouraging medication adherence.





We asked the people who stopped by our booth to write on a post-it note what they are pledging for. For example, one person wrote that they are taking their medications because they want to be healthy for retirement. Another person pledged that they will take their medications to be healthy to see their grandchildren graduate high school. Pledging to take medications for a specific reason reminds patients of the importance of taking medication to stay healthy.

Healthy Cook Off

This month, Operation Diabetes Helped Organize a Healthy Cook Off for Million Hearts Week.



We had 4 cooks compete. The meals were judged on their salt and cholesterol content and their overall taste.

Dr. Rocafort and Dr. Fusco were the Cook Off Judges. They enjoyed all of the meals and had trouble making their final decision. The winner made a dish with Earl Grey flavored fish. We learned how tastey healthy food can be! Below you can see a photograph of the judges and the contestants.

Sleep Deprivation Could Increase The Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

I read an interesting article recently relating sleep to Diabetes.

We have been taught that sleep is important for our brain function, but it turns out that sleep is also important for our fat cells. When you feel groggy, your metabolism also feels 'groggy' and this can lead to insulin resistance.

A recent study published October 16th, 2012 in Annals of Internal Medicine conducted by the University of Chicago Medical Center professors indicated that a lack of sleep could also lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. This is the first study involving sleep on a cellular level. It was a very small study with only 7 healthy young adults. They were randomly assigned to sleep either 8.5 or 4.5 hours a night for four nights and repeated these sessions in four week intervals. After the four days, scientists measured how fat samples from their abdomen processed glucose. The people who were sleep deprived had a 30% reduction in their response to insulin. Their insulin levels were close to 3 times higher than the well rested participants. The high insulin levels suggest that the pancreas was trying to compensate for the insulin resistance by making more insulin. If this sleep deprivation cycle continued chronically, type 2 diabetes could develop. The next project for these researchers will involve studying if treating sleep apnea in overweight people will improve their metabolism.

Sleep may be another important lifestyle modification that we will have to tell our patients about in the future. However; since this was such a small study we will have to wait and see if it will be verified by other studies. One researcher claimed that sleep should be considered as important as diet when you are trying to prevent weight gain and diabetes.

I summarized the information from this website:

http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=669619

Diabetes Outreach at Johns Hopkins

Operation Diabetes joined up with NCPA (National Community Pharmacists Association) to educate the community about diabetes at Johns Hopkins Outpatient Pharmacy.

 

We played Diabetes Jeopardy with people who came by our table to help them learn about diabetes and clarify common myths. We used the Diabetes Risk Test screening tool below to determine patient's risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. The test takes into account age, sex, family history, physical activity, and weight to determine risk for diabetes. We enjoyed interacting with the community and felt that we made a positive impact by educating people about diabetes. 

 



Dietitian Comes to University of Maryland

On November 12th, Operation Diabetes brought Annette Hottenstein to speak at the University of Maryland. Annette is a Registered Dietician and is involved with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Diabetes Association. From her presentation, students learned about th history of nutrition therapy in diabetes. She pointed out that being overweight is not the only risk factor for diabetes. People who are not overweight can also be at risk. She taught that diabetics shouldn't skip meals, they should avoid sugary drinks, and eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish. In fact, the diabetic diet is the same as the recommended American diet. Unfortunately, the typical American diet is far from the recommended diet and she passed around bags showing the typical amount of fat and sugar in a fast food meal.

 Amount of butter in a fast food meal:                                            Amount of sugar in a fast food meal:

 

Annette also talked about foods that are good for diabetics. Oatmeal has been shown to be good for controlling blood sugar. Some diabetics feel that cinnamon is helpful but there is unclear evidence about its benefits. Fenugreek spice has some data showing its benefits and it tastes like maple. Whey has more evidence supporting it, but Alpha Lipoic Acid has the strongest evidence that it will effect glucose levels in the blood.

MOD learned a lot from Annette Hottenstein's talk!

Walk To Stop Diabetes in Baltimore

On October 6th 50 students came together to do the Walk to Stop Diabetes in Baltimore. It was a perfect day for a walk around the harbor with sunny blue skies above. We had pharmacy students from first through 4th year participating and a few PhD students as well. We raised $840 towards the American Diabetes Association. The money will go towards research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; deliver services to hundreds of communities; and provide objective and credible information. Everyone enjoyed walking and getting to know each other outside of the classroom.

A Jonas Brother with Diabetes

Source: CNN.com

Nick Jonas, a member of the boy band Jonas Brothers, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age 13. He hasn't let that stop him from fulfilling his dreams of becoming an actor and singer. Check out his fight against diabetes in the video above!

To learn more about the disease, learn ways to prevent it, or to join the fight, visit http://www.diabetes.org/

Diabetes Awareness Month

Happy November!! Hard to believe how quickly the month is coming and going, almost Thanksgiving already! :) Well, in case you didn't know... November is Diabetes Awareness Month. This past weekend MOD participated in a health fair in Rockville, MD which was themed 'Knock Out Diabetes' and focused on empowering people to deal with their disease. And just a few short weeks ago, MOD  hosted 'Healthy Halloween' for elementary and middle school aged children at the school of pharmacy. Amongst her efforts to promote diabetes awareness, MOD has also been very busy with pharmacy school exams! Until she can update you with stories, news, and videos(!!)... check out this article written by Operation Diabetes Past Senior Chair, Ashley McCabe. I bet you can learn something about the role of your pharmacist in the management of diabetes. Enjoy!

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

In support of American Diabetes Month, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, pharmacists in Maryland and Nationwide want to remind Marylanders of the pharmacists’ role in combating the illness, saving lives and saving patients’ money.

Diabetes is a confusing, complicated and frustrating disease that affects over 24 million Americans (1). It takes teamwork and dedication to battle Diabetes. This is where a pharmacist has the most value. As the most accessible healthcare provider and as the medication experts, pharmacists are on virtually every street corner with knowledge and resources to keep patients with diabetes on track to a long, healthy and happy life.

Pharmacists are the medication experts. They know all about diabetes medications as well as the medications for the diseases that often accompany diabetes, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. To successfully manage medications, side effects, outcomes and complications, pharmacists are one of the best resources at your disposal. Some pharmacists have specialized to become Certified Diabetes Educators (CDE) and can have an active role in diabetes care. Others have skills in Medication Therapy Management (MTM), ensuring the most effective and affordable care for their patients. Furthermore, all pharmacists can educate about medications, demonstrate glucometers, take blood pressure, and explain lab results.

Involving a pharmacist in Diabetes care also has proven financial benefit. In 2007, Diabetes cost the United States $176 billion1 in direct and indirect costs. Controlling and managing Diabetes while preventing complications with help save money. Pharmacists can help with this.

Pharmacists have proven their value. An example is the Asheville Project, a 5 year study in Asheville, North Carolina where pharmacist provided pharmaceutical care services through community pharmacies. The results showed improved health outcomes and cost savings (2). Another study that expands this theory is currently taking place ‐ the Diabetes Ten City Challenge. This study similar to the Ashville Project, but expands the concept of pharmacists managing Diabetes to ten cities across the United States. One of those cities is Cumberland, Maryland, which in association with local pharmacist through the Maryland P3 Program (Pharmacist, Patients, Partnerships), the Maryland Pharmacists Association and The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, is helping over 250 Maryland residents (3).

Chances are you know someone with Diabetes or you yourself have Diabetes. Young, middle‐aged, pregnant women and older Americans are all burdened with daily blood glucose checks, multiple medications, and insulin injections.

Help friends, family members or yourself get the most benefit from your medications and improve overall quality of life.
 
If you know or think you are at risk for Diabetes, talk to your local pharmacist today!
 
Know Your Medicine, Know Your Pharmacist.

References:
1. National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007.
2. Cranor CW, Bunting BA, Christensen DB. The Asheville Project: Long‐Term Clinical and Economic Outcomes of a Community Pharmacy Diabetes Care Program. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2003;43:173–84.
3. Cumberland, Maryland Diabetes Ten City Challenge Fact Sheet. American Pharmacists Association Foundation. Washington, D.C.

For more information look to the following resources:
www.mpha.org
www.diabetes.org

Ashley McCabe, Student Pharmacist, University of Maryland Class of 2011