SHERWOOD, Ark. — One in four U.S. dollars spent on healthcare involves diabetes, so that's why we put on the gown and head to Sherwood with Craig O’Neill.
At the CHI St. Vincent diabetes clinic in Sherwood, endocrinologist Dr. Nidhi Jain is convinced we can get diabetes under control.
“Making those lifestyle changes and sticking to them you know?” Dr. Jain said.
And getting rid of misconceptions we all may have.
“The first and foremost, people think that diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar,” Dr. Jain said. “That's not necessarily the case.”
Or that's only obese people are susceptible
“That's not true either,” she said.
“The family tree, the lifestyle, exercise or lack of it, and yes, diet.
“Where there's leaner meat and more fruit and more vegetables and less processed food,” she said.
Dr. Jain wants to see smarter shoppers.
“So, what I tell my patients to do is start running food labels,” she said.
And now Dr. Jain’s four pillars of diabetes control: lifestyle.
“Making those lifestyle changes and sticking to them you know?” she said.
Monitoring blood sugars which technology has made easier than ever.
“Not only is it a tool for the patient to track their progress, it is a tool for me to track their progress also,” she said.
Three — take those medications.
Four — Whether it's Dr. Jain, your primary care doctor, or a clinic near you, see your doctor regularly. With diabetes, there are no doctors — they are coaches.
“Because diabetes is a long-term chronic illness, so they need support, not just in the beginning but throughout their diagnoses,” Dr. Jain said.