Discussing diabetes diagnosis and treatment with Dr. Ruth Horowitz

In this segment of Greater Living, GBMC's Dr. Ruth Horowitz discusses pre-diabetes, and talks in-depth about diabetes diagnosis and treatment, with hosts Mary Beth Marsden and Don Scott.

"Measuring, monitoring, and controlling blood sugar levels are the major goals of diabetes treatment to prevent complications from the disease," says Ruth Horowitz, MD, Chief, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at GBMC and partner with Bay West Endocrinology Associates. During this "live" session, Dr. Horowitz provides answers to these and many other questions related to managing this all too common condition:

• What's the difference between a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes?
• What does the term "diabetes" mean?
• What are some of the common symptoms to watch for?
• Do you consider pre-diabetes "a wake-up call?” Can the condition be slowed or stopped?
• What are the typical triggers that motivate people to get help?
• What is the hemoglobin A1C test, and what does it measure?
• Is there something better than "pricking your finger" to test glucose levels?
• Is insulin still the main treatment for diabetes? What are the choices?
• What should I do if I'm diabetic and having symptoms of hypoglycemia?
• What treatments are covered by insurance?

Dr. Horowitz strongly recommends that people over the age of 45 be screened for diabetes every three years, and for those with a genetic predisposition to the condition or other risk factors, she recommends a more frequent screening. "Unfortunately, this disease is too common and often under-diagnosed. The sooner we know, the more we can do to prevent the terrible complications that stem from it," she says.

"Further, if pre-diabetes is left untreated, it can commonly become diabetes, and the health risks increase as your glucose becomes more abnormal."

Tune in to the video above for details on how diabetes is diagnosed and specific recommendations for the pre-diabetic, and individuals with Type 1 and 2 diabetes.