World Diabetes Day & Diabetes Awareness Month | Smoking and Diabetes | New Smart Insulin Pen | Healthy Kitchen: A Diabetes-friendly Thanksgiving Menu

NOVEMBER 2020

WORLD DIABETES DAY - NOVEMBER 14

Saturday, November 14 is World Diabetes Day. The largest Diabetes awareness day of the year, drawing an audience of 1 billion people in over 160 countries. This day brings attention to the paramount issues related to diabetes and puts them under public and political spotlights.

*The World Diabetes Day campaign aims to be the:

Platform to promote the International Diabetes Federation's advocacy efforts throughout the year.

Global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global health issue.

This day started in 1991 and is celebrated each year on November 14 - the birthday of Sir Fredrick Banting who co-discovered insulin with Charles Best in 1922.

The day is marked by a blue circle, the global symbol for diabetes awareness, which signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

The WDD theme for 2020 is “The Nurse and Diabetes." This theme is intended to raise awareness of the critical role a nurse plays in supporting people living with diabetes, particularly in areas of education, early diagnoses and prevention of diabetes-related complications.

Here are ways to show your support this November 14. The International Diabetes Federation encourages you to participate in one of the following activities to raise awareness for diabetes.

Organize a diabetes information session in your community.
Wear blue when you exercise or join the Global Diabetes Walk.
Help others learn their potential risk for Type-2 Diabetes by sharing this online risk assessment quiz.
Organize a themed activity at your workplace.
Organize, support or visit a local diabetes fair.

*Source: WorldDiabetesDay.org

DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH | FACTS & FIGURES

With November being Diabetes Awareness month and the home of World Diabetes Day, this is an important time to shed light on some critical statistics.

*Source: WorldDiabetesDay.org

THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT | NOV. 19

November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths each year and is the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world.

Smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers.*

For a person with diabetes, smoking can cause cardiovascular disease, which can cause an even greater strain to an individual's overall health, as heart disease is often linked to diabetes as a co-morbidity.

Smoking can also make managing diabetes and regulating insulin levels more difficult because high levels of nicotine can lessen the effectiveness of insulin, causing smokers to need more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.*

If you don't currently smoke, that's great! Never plan to start. If you do smoke, challenge yourself to quit smoking. Take a look at the steps below.*

Road to Freedom: Steps to Stop Smoking

Step 1: Realize the Benefits of Quitting

Quitting smoking will greatly improve your health, especially for a person with diabetes. Quitting helps to improve the health of your heart, lungs, blood vessels, eyes and mouth. You will lower your risk of getting lung cancer - and other types of cancer - and improve your overall physical appearance.

Step 2: Prepare to Quit

Tell someone! Hold yourself accountable to others, not just yourself. Tell your friends, family or significant other.

Throw away your cigarettes! This includes hidden packs in your car, purse and around the house - also throw away your lighters and matches.

Set a quit date! Make this a time when your stress levels are low and you are calm.

Remember your "why" and write it down. Pick the most important reason for why you want to quit. Maybe it's to live longer, so you have more time with your children and grandchildren?

Step 3: Choose a Quitting Strategy

Go cold turkey! Stop smoking all at once.
Use an alternative form of nicotine such as patches, gum or lozenges to ween yourself off.
Taper off - cut back gradually over several weeks.
Talk with your doctor for alternatives - counseling, hypnosis or medications.

Quitting smoking is not easy. It takes a plan and a commitment to make a change. It starts with a single step in the right direction.

On November 14, join thousands of smokers across the country as they commit to stop smoking for one day during the "Great American Smokeout."

A simple action such as giving up smoking for a single day can help put yourself in the right direction of giving up smoking for good.

Click here to learn more about the Great American Smokeout.

*Source: ADA & FDA

NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: INPEN

New Smart Insulin Pen Offered at DMS!

Key Features

Reusable for one year - no charging needed
Keeps track of your active insulin
Reminds you to dose
Monitors insulin temperature
Automatically logs doses
Integrates with CGMs
Creates shareable reports with time-based meal analysis
Integrates with Bluetooth-connected glucose meters
Helps you make decisions based on your data
Available through your pharmacy benefit.

Contact your doctor about a prescription for InPen!

GRATITUDE AND THANKS

During this month we celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26.

DMS will be closed on this day in observance of the holiday.

From all of us at DMS, we wish you and your family a safe and healthy holiday!

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