by Tara Beverly

Diabetes Self Management Training Classes by Appalachian Rural Health Institute’s (ARHI) Diabetes/Endocrine Education Center will be held Thursday, July 21, and Friday, July 22, in Grosvenor Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. The classes are for individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes or diabetics in need of a review of patient self management methods.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and other factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise, do play roles. There are 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3 percent of the population, who have diabetes, according to ADA. While an estimated 13 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.2 million people, close to one-third, are unaware that they have the disease.

Proper self management of diabetes is extremely important to help avoid the life-threatening complications of diabetes: heart disease, stroke and macro- and micro-degenerations of the nerves and other bodily systems. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), people with diabetes have earlier occurrences of heart disease, are two to four times more likely to have heart disease and are more likely to die as a result of heart disease. The message is this: persons with uncontrolled diabetes will suffer serious health consequences.

People with diabetes who employ recommended self management techniques can live relatively normal lives and will live longer than those who do not, according to the medical community.

To attend classes you must have a referral from your physician and an individual assessment done by the center.

Classes are taught by Suzanna Theodoras, R.N., OU-COM diabetes nurse educator, and Barbara Nakanishi, OU-COM clinical dietitian. Theodoras and Nakanishi are certified diabetes educators.

“Our mission is to reduce the complications of diabetes in Southeastern Ohio through education and support,” says Nakanishi. Over the past years OU-COM researchers have uncovered that Southeastern Ohio has more than twice the national rate of diabetes.

“So far we have had positive feedback from class participants. A lot of them have thanked us and says they felt fortunate that this service was established,” says Theodoras.

To register for classes, please contact Suzanna Theodoras at (740) 593-2453. After the July classes, classes are scheduled for Aug. 25 and 26.

ARHI was founded by OU-COM and the College of Health and Human Services to further diabetes research, clinical training and care and education.