November 04, 2017

Diabetes awareness

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 30 million Americans have diabetes. Diabetes means there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood, which can lead to serious health problems, such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, nerve and kidney damage, and problems with the eyes and feet. Along with the health problems comes the cost: The CDC estimates that a person who is diagnosed with diabetes spends almost $8,000 a year, on average, for health care costs related to their disease.


November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and Dr. Robert Rizza, an endocrinologist and diabetes expert at Mayo Clinic, will discuss diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diabetes. Also on the program, Dr. Rachel Tyndale, research chair in pharmacogenomics at the University of Toronto, explains how pharmacogenomics may lead to better treatments to help people quit smoking. And Dr. William Tatum, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic, will discuss epilepsy.