A quick note from Gary… On My Way to ADA

As I sit (and sit and sit) at gate A17 at Philadelphia International Airport waiting for my flight to Orlando for the American Diabetes Association’s annual Scientific Sessions, I can’t help but think about past conferences.  Seems that at least 90% of the meeting content is drug-focused:  detailed analyses of pills for this and injectables for that.  Devices such as CGMs and hybrid closed loop systems get a little bit of exposure, but the meeting (and most of its sponsorship) is all about big pharma.

Is it just me, or is there something wrong with this picture?  The last time I checked, management of diabetes is heavily dependent on individual behaviors and lifestyle.  So where’s that?  Why is there so little emphasis on behavior change at these conferences?  Wait… what’s that?  Behavior change is hard, and there’s no money to be made on it?  Oh, now it makes sense.

We here at Integrated Diabetes Services haven’t forgotten about the power of a healthy lifestyle.  As my first true mentor in endocrinology, Dr. William Fore, so eloquently stated to many of our patients at the Joslin clinic:  “Y’all can out-eat any drug therapy I might put you on.”  Medications can help.  Devices can help.  But without sound lifestyle choices, they are unlikely to get you where you want and need to be.

So as you hear and read about the latest medical discoveries and FDA approvals, don’t forget that a healthy lifestyle remains the cornerstone of effective diabetes management.  If you’re looking for some guidance in this area, please reach out.

As always, I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Diabetes Bites.  Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

– Gary

Gary Scheiner MS, CDE
Owner & Clinical Director