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The days are getting cooler…
The days are getting cooler, the sun is setting sooner and Autumn is upon us.
The older I get, the more quickly the summers pass by. Robert Orben once said, “Time flies. It is up to you to be the navigator.” I hope you have all navigated the course of your summer well.
Almost upon us are the International Diabetes Federation meeting in October and then the various World Diabetes Day events in November. Each of these venues give people living with diabetes an opportunity to learn more about their disease and how best to treat it to prevent complications from occurring. New approaches to therapy and potential approaches to a cure in the future are also addressed. For those of you unable to attend these events, this issue of Diabetes Dialogue touches on some key advances and noteworthy research.
The first feature article in this issue is on the importance of understanding what a HbA1C is, why it is important in the management of your diabetes and how having your HbA1C at target helps to prevent the complications of diabetes from occurring. Next time you are at your physician’s office, be sure to discuss the results of your HbA1C with your doctor.
The second feature article is on teens with diabetes. Having diabetes is a challenge, but being a teenager with diabetes has its own unique difficulties. The article by Anne Bokma not only addresses these challenges, but gives both parents and teens practical advice on how to deal with them and overcome some of the barriers that prevent good glycemic control.
The article by Marlene Oliveira talks about one of the possible complications of diabetes – neuropathy. Neuropathy is one of the most difficult complications of diabetes to treat and the associated pain can interfere with people’s ability to enjoy life to the fullest. Thankfully, better blood glucose control can help ease the pain, and there are also many drugs available that can be used to treat neuropathic pain and improve a patient’s quality of life.
As usual, this issue of Diabetes Dialogue also deals with fitness and nutrition advice. Pilar Iglesias provides useful suggestions on how to train for a race when you have diabetes, and Rosie Schwartz gives helpful tips for healthy eating for those heading back to school. So, while enjoying the beauty of Autumn, we hope you also enjoy and benefit from the features in this issue of Diabetes Dialogue.
Diane Donat MD MSc MEd FRCPC
Editor-in-Chief