The Impact of Diabetes Mellitus in Geriatric Practice: Part 1
Presented by Kenneth L. Miller
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 86 million U.S. adults currently have prediabetes leading to an increased risk of developing type 2 Diabetes, Stroke and Heart Disease. Type 2 diabetes is considered a preventable disease since contributing factors can be lack of physical activity, obesity, and socioeconomic factors which are all mostly modifiable. Physical Therapists working with the geriatric population must be knowledgeable of the disease process of diabetes, be able to instruct patients about reducing risk factors, and provide exercise prescription. Physical therapists are poised to provide preventative care to patients with diabetes. This course will provide the practicing geriatric physical therapist with the tools to address health behavior change and increase physical activity for patients with risk factors for developing diabetes.
Meet your instructor
Kenneth L. Miller
Dr. Kenneth Miller has been an educator, physical therapist, and consultant for the home health industry for more than 20 years and serves as a guest lecturer, adjunct teaching assistant, and adjunct professor in the DPT program at Touro College in Bay Shore, New York. He has presented at the Combined Sections Meeting of the…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. What is Diabetes
Diabetes is a health condition that results in high blood glucose levels due to the body’s inability to produce adequate amounts of insulin or the insulin's inability to work properly. The cornerstone of diabetes management is diet modification, increasing physical activity and lastly, prescribing medications to improve blood glucose levels when diet, exercise, and weight-loss are not enough.
2. Prevention of Diabetes
The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 9 out of 10 people with prediabetes are unaware that they are prediabetic. Of those with prediabetes, between 15 and 30 percent will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Preventing diabetes requires diet modification, increase in physical activity and weight-loss along with addressing other modifiable risk factors. Physical Therapists are equipped with the tools to guide/train/educate and assist patients/clients in diabetes prevention and for diabetic management as part of an interdisciplinary team.
3. Diagnosing Diabetes
The Unites States Preventative Services Task Force recommends screening for abnormal blood glucose levels in adults aged 40-70 who are overweight. Diagnosing T2DM is easily done through the use of blood tests which should be performed as per clinical practice guidelines in order to treat the disease and its co-morbidities more timely. Physical therapists should be aware of the blood tests used to diagnose DM and to understand the results of the tests in order to appropriately manage T2DM and its co-morbidities.
