Diabetes

American Diabetes Association Alert Day

triahealthLeave a comment
Image Source: Canva

American Diabetes Association Alert Day is observed annually on the fourth Tuesday in March. This day is dedicated to spreading awareness of type 2 diabetes and encouraging people to take the ADA risk test.1

Understand Your Risk

An important part of today is learning about the risk factors of diabetes. Being aware of your risk factors can help you take the right steps to improve your health. Take the American Diabetes Risk Test here: Risk Test | ADA (diabetes.org) This test asks questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risks for type 2 diabetes.2

Common risks include:

  • Being over the age of 451
  • Having a family history of diabetes1
  • Not being physically active1
  • High blood pressure4
  • Abnormal cholesterol levels4

Type 2 Diabetes Prevention

Lower your risk for type 2 diabetes by implementing these lifestyle choices:

  • Eating healthier: choose foods higher in fiber and lower in fat (fruits, vegetables, whole grains).5
  • Physical activity: aerobic activity such as swimming, running, or a fast walk for about 150 or more minutes a week.5
  • Weight loss: If you have prediabetes, losing 7-10% of your body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes.5
  • Stop Smoking

Type 2 Diabetes Statistics

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. According to the CDC. Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes in adults.6 Other key facts about diabetes include:

  • Diabetes affects about 34.2 million Americans.1
  • Nearly 1 in 5 adults living with diabetes, or 7.3 million Americans do not know that they have the disease.1
  • About 88 million people that are 18 years or older have prediabetes. Prediabetes happens when blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not quite high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.1
  • About 50% of women that have gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that women develop when pregnant, end up developing type 2 diabetes.1

Tria Health & Diabetes Management

If you currently are diagnosed or have been recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Tria Health can assist you in managing your medications and finding a treatment plan that works for you. For select members, Tria Health also provides free diabetes testing supplies including a blood glucose meter, testing strips, and a mobile app designed to help you manage your diabetes better.

Questions?

Contact the Tria Health Help Desk at 1.888.799.8742

Sources:

  1. Diabetes Alert Day | NIDDK (nih.gov)
  2. Stop Diabetes:
  3. American Diabetes Association Alert Day | A Complete Guide (lifeweknow.com)
  4. Understand Your Risk for Diabetes | American Heart Association
  5. Type 2 diabetes – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
  6. Type 2 Diabetes Statistics and Facts (healthline.com)

Pharmacist Spotlight: Austin Morgan

triahealthLeave a comment

We have an excellent clinical team at Tria Health. This month, we would like to spotlight Austin Morgan! 

Specialty: Austin’s specialty as a clinical pharmacist is in chronic condition management. More specifically, he specializes in diabetes management. He loves working with people that have diabetes to help them understand their condition. He learns about his patients’ goals and helps to define them. Austin supports his patients by giving them the steps they need to manage their diabetes. These steps include self-management with lifestyle and monitoring to helping optimize medications and maximize outcomes. He watched his grandfather struggle with complications from type 2 diabetes and managing his medications growing up, so patient care holds a personal place in his heart.

Favorite parts about working at Tria Health: Austin has many things he enjoys about working at Tria Health! To highlight a few, he likes to get to know his patients and work with them. Additionally, he enjoys the incredible team of clinicians and support staff. He appreciates being in an environment that encourages collaboration and learning to stay on the cutting edge of chronic condition management.

Career Goals: He has been fortunate to check off a couple of bigger career goals by accomplishing his Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist as well as Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist credentials over the last couple of years. His next career goal is simply to continue growing as a compassionate, patient-centered clinical pharmacist to provide great care for his patients. Furthermore, he oversees our 4th year pharmacy students on their rotation at Tria Health, so he is focusing on further developing his precepting and teaching skills.

Outside of work, Austin enjoys outdoor activities such as running, hiking, skiing and playing slow-pitch softball with his church’s team. Also, he loves spending time with his wife, travelling and experiencing new places, and playing with their 2 black labs.

Delicious Diabetes-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes

triahealthLeave a comment

Thanksgiving can be a challenging time of the year for the millions of Americans who live with diabetes. All the carb-filled, sugary foods can cause blood sugar to spike. However, if you have diabetes you do not have to skip out on all the delicious dishes. Below are tasty diabetes-friendly Thanksgiving recipes!

Butterflied Turkey with Herb Gravy

Classic Herb Stuffing

Low Carb Green Bean Casserole

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Flourless Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Treat yourself this holiday season without having to worry! It is important to remember to eat in moderation and set reminders for testing blood sugar. All of us at Tria Health are wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! Be safe, be well and cheers to a healthier YOU!

Have any questions for us?

Contact the Tria Health Help Desk at 1.888.799.8742

November is American Diabetes Awareness Month

triahealthLeave a comment

According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020, prepared by the CDC, 34.2 million Americans-just over 1 in 10-have diabetes. Diabetes is one of the fastest growing medical conditions in the world. American Diabetes Month’s goal is to bring awareness about diabetes risk factors and encourage people to make healthy changes.

What is Diabetes:

Diabetes is a health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose (sugar) which gives the body energy to function. When blood sugar goes up the pancreas releases insulin to allow the blood sugar to be used as energy. If the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, diabetes occurs.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

  • Thirst
  • Tiredness
  • Blurred Vision
  • Wounds that take a long time to heal
  • Weight Loss

Types of Diabetes:

  1. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction that stops your body from making insulin. About 5% of the people with diabetes have type 1. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often develop quickly. It is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults. Those with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to survive. Currently, no one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes.
  2. Type 2 diabetes is when the body does not use insulin well and is unable to keep blood sugar at normal levels. Most people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It develops over many years and is usually diagnosed in adults.  Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle changes.
  3. Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
  4. Gestational Diabetes develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. If you have gestational diabetes, your baby could be at higher risk for health complications. Gestational diabetes is typically cured after your baby is born, but this increases your risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. Your baby is more likely to become obese as a child or teen, and more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Are You at Risk?

Take the American Diabetes Association’s free Type 2 Diabetes risk test: http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/

How to Lower Your Risk

Here are a few ways you can lower your risk of diabetes:

Tria Health & Diabetes Management

If you currently are diagnosed or have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, Tria Health can assist you in managing your medications and finding a treatment plan that works for you. Diabetes is a disease that can be managed and prevented if you know what to do. At Tria Health our pharmacists are certified diabetes educators (CDEs). They educate patients on medication management, diet and exercise so patients with diabetes can live happy and active lives and reduce the risk of serious health complications. For employers that offer Tria Health’s Diabetes Management Program, Tria provides free diabetes testing supplies including a blood glucose meter, testing strips, and a mobile app designed to help you manage your diabetes better.

Have Any Questions?

Call the Tria Help Desk: 1.888.799.8742 

Sources:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-stat-report.html
  2. https://www.publicholidayguide.com/awareness-day/american-diabetes-awareness-month-2020/
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html

COVID-19: The Important Details

triahealthLeave a comment
Image Source: CDC/Unsplash

What is COVID 19?

COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus, is a respiratory disease that was first detected in China and has now spread to more than 100 regions internationally, including the United States. The virus itself is called the “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease is called “coronavirus disease 19” (abbreviated “COVID-19”)1. Symptoms can occur 2-14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The reported illnesses have seen mild symptoms to severe illness and even death has been confirmed. Since symptoms can vary per patient it is important to consult your medical provider if any immediate changes happen regarding your health.

Who is most at risk?

Based off early information released from China those at a higher risk include, older adults, pregnant women, people who have a serious chronic medical condition (i.e heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, immunodeficiency, etc.) and people living in a long-term care facility or nursing home.2

How is it spreading?

It is thought that the viruses main form of transmission is person-to-person, within 6-feet, through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes and are inhaled into the lungs of the healthy person. The second possible way a person can get the coronavirus is by touching an infected surface then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.3  To ensure the declining spread of coronavirus please practice social distancing, good hygiene, and avoid discretionary travel.

How can Tria Help?

Since Tria Health provides chronic condition management, many of our patients are at a higher risk for COVID-19, so our pharmacists have been actively educating engaged patients on risk factors and the importance of prevention techniques. For members that have not engaged with Tria Health, but are at a higher risk, Tria Health is providing additional communication and outreach to stress the importance of good health management and the fact that our pharmacists can be a valuable resource. And, as always, our help desk is available to all members. We are committed to assisting members with any questions they may have about their medications, risk factors or ways they can mitigate their risk.

Sources:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#basics
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Ftransmission.html