The holidays are almost here, and for those of us with diabetes, it can be a difficult time. Diabetes ranks as one of the greatest health challenges Harris County residents face, making it a priority for Harris Health, one of the nation’s largest safety-net healthcare providers.
“Diabetes is ubiquitous in our community and in the population Harris Health serves for a variety of reasons,” confirms Fareed Khan, MD, assistant chief of staff, Ambulatory Care Services, Harris Health, and vice chair and professor, Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. “From genetic predisposition to obesity, diabetes is affecting tens of thousands of lives and costing healthcare systems millions of dollars annually.”
Statistics support Khan’s comments. Of the 250,000 unique patients cared for at Harris Health this year, 29,000 have diabetes. Tens of thousands more are pre-diabetic, the crucial inflection point where the development of the disease can either be prevented or delayed, a health crisis that’s playing out across the U.S.
“It’s estimated that 38% of the U.S. population over the age of 18 is pre-diabetic,” says Heather Shepard, director, Care Integration, Harris Health, who helps oversee Harris Health’s diabetes prevention programs. “By age 65, the number rises to nearly 50%.
Harris Health Diabetes 101:
Causes, Treatments, Tips for Good Health during the Holidays
By StoryStudio on NOVEMBER 20, 2024
SPONSORED BY Harris Health
The prevention and care of diabetes at Harris Health offers insight into how intervention strategies can be effective in reducing these numbers. From managing diabetes pharmaceutically to holistic measures like Harris Health’s Food Farmacy and the Diabetes Prevention Program, Harris Health has seen diabetes prevalence of uncontrolled diabetes among its patients decline from 32% to 23%. This 9% decrease equates to thousands of people with better managed diabetes.
Yet challenges remain. One is the need to increase diabetes awareness and education. Harris Health offers this guide that explains diabetes, its effects, how Harris Health uses a multi-disciplinary approach to treat it, and some practical advice for celebrating the holidays in good health.
“Our diabetes prevention program and culinary medicine program focus on how our patients can eat healthier while still respecting their cultural food preferences.”
Fareed Khan, MD, assistant chief of staff, Ambulatory Care Services, Harris Health
"From genetic predisposition to obesity, diabetes is affecting tens of thousands of lives and costing healthcare systems millions of dollars annually.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin or can't use it properly. Yet, diabetes is more than just an insulin issue. It’s a condition that affects the body’s systems of cardiovascular, renal, nerve and ocular, among others. People with uncontrolled diabetes are at higher risk for serious health complications like heart attacks, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputation. They’re also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Diabetes is caused by many factors, says Cesar Muñoz, PharmD, clinical pharmacy manager, Pharmacy Department, Harris Health. Genetics plays a big part; but so do environmental factors. “The progression of diabetes is often exacerbated by a lack of employment and housing, food insecurity, or living in a food desert where there’s no access to healthy food items.”
However, Muñoz is quick to point out that while uncontrolled diabetes leads to serious health risks, those with controlled diabetes fare much better. He encourages people with diabetes to take control of their condition. “A diabetes diagnosis is not the end of your story,” he says. “Yes, uncontrolled diabetes can lead to bad outcomes, but if you work with our team, you can reduce your risks greatly.”
Diabetes: Causes and Complications
There is no one treatment for diabetes. The diagnosis itself is an umbrella term. There’s also pre-diabetes. As such, Harris Health uses a team approach to address the condition that includes clinic physicians, pharmacists, nurses, patient educators, nutritionists and community health workers with experience in managing diabetes.
This approach includes education and prevention programs both at Harris Health and in the community. Or as Shepard puts it: “We’re meeting our patients where they are.”
Addressing diabetes first requires recognizing that patients with uncontrolled diabetes—defined as having an A1C level above 9—often face barriers that make accessing care difficult. Lack of transportation, a permanent address, green space to exercise and healthy food all factor into the diabetes epidemic.
How Harris Health Treats Diabetes
Heather Shepard, director, Care Integration, Harris Health
One of the ways Harris Health addresses these barriers is through its Food Rx Program and its Food Farmacies, which provide healthy free food items, nutritional consultations and cooking classes.
“Food is medicine,” Shepard explains. “Our diabetes prevention program and culinary medicine program focus on how our patients can eat healthier while still respecting their cultural food preferences.”
Receiving a diabetes or pre-diabetes diagnosis can be scary. Many patients resist the diagnosis altogether, thinking “I feel fine, why do I need to be treated?” Harris Health clinicians are there to address such concerns.
Seven Tips to Enjoy the Holidays while
Managing Your Diabetes
Cesar Muñoz, PharmD, clinical pharmacy manager, Pharmacy Department, Harris Health
A plan helps you thrive in situations where it’s easy to overeat.
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Make a plan and stick to it.
Don’t know what you can eat during the holidays? Be the one who provides the healthy option.
Bring a healthy dish.
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“Intermittent fasting is bad and eating one big meal is dangerous,” Khan says. Instead, focus on eating several smaller meals.
Avoid skipping meals.
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Avoid seconds of starches and carbohydrates.
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Over the course of the holidays, it can be easy to lose track and overindulge on sodas or alcohol.
Think before you drink.
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It’s the holidays, after all, so enjoy yourself. Total abstinence is improbable. “Ultimately, no food is on the naughty list,” explains Shepard, who looks forward to homemade crème brulé around the holidays. “Instead, it’s more important to be mindful about portion control when indulging in holiday treats. This may mean eating less starchy foods with your main meal.”
Save up for what you really enjoy.
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Even a 10-minute walk after eating can help the body digest and use sugar more effectively.
Keep Moving.
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Harris Health offers a comprehensive approach to diabetes care that includes innovative programs like the Food Farmacy and culinary medicine. And though its medical team is constantly looking to do more, Harris Health is an expert partner that won’t let patients face diabetes alone.
“We want our patients to know we’re a partner in their care,” Muñoz adds.
Through consistent high-quality care, Harris Health supports patients through their journey to wellness and good health year in and year out.
“We’re treating diabetes better than almost anyone else in the nation,” Khan says. “It’s why I love working here.”
A Healthier Future with Harris Health
“No matter how you think you feel now, you’ll always feel better after you begin treating your uncontrolled diabetes,” Muñoz assures. He notes that because each patient is different, drug therapy for diabetes patients will vary.
“There is no cookie-cutter approach to drug therapy,” he adds. “To treat our patients safely and effectively, we tailor each approach to his or her needs. This includes looking at a patient’s blood sugar pattern, kidney function and concurrent medications, as well as other co-morbid conditions like high blood pressure or congestive heart failure. From this, we can formulate how we can optimize their drug therapy to help them reach their glucose goal.”
It's also important to set realistic goals surrounding diet and exercise, Khan says. “I tell patients to forget about what they’ve seen on TV as to what exercise is,” he explains. “Increasing the distance that they can walk, that’s exercise. Lose two pounds, that’s a realistic goal. Eat colorful plates with browns and greens as well as tans and beiges.”
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Harris Health Diabetes 101:
Causes, Treatments, Tips for Good Health during the Holidays