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Innovations in Diabetes is written for patients, their families, those at risk for developing, and those interested in diabetes. They will read fascinating true stories throughout diabetes’ journey, including,

How the diagnosis of diabetes had evolved from tasting the patient’s urine for sweetness to measuring blood glucose variables with internationally accepted cut-off levels related to the presence of diabetic retinopathy.
How the dreaded diabetes complications now affect up to 9 body systems causing disabilities in patients and increasing healthcare costs to society.
How diabetes has become a common, serious and costly disease for the patient and a growing and expensive public health problem for society.
How the patient’s treatment plan had evolved from “starvation diets” for type 1 diabetes to a comprehensive, customized management plan of making lifestyle modifications (medical nutrition therapy & physical activity/exercise), taking appropriate glucose-lowering medications, learning to live with diabetes, and using technology to monitor glucose control and delivering medications.
How the first class of Glucose-Lowering Medications (GLM), animal insulin, discovered in 1921 in Canada had been followed by 12 other GLM classes a century later. Two recently approved classes of GLMs not only lower plasma glucose but also protect the patient’s heart and kidneys.
How monitoring glucose control had evolved from testing for glucose in urine to monitoring blood glucose in a drop of blood at home to continuous glucose monitoring every few minutes without finger pricking 24/7. How Injecting insulin devices had also evolved from using a syringe to insulin pumps to smart insulin pens to artificial pancreas.
How prevention and remission strategies for type 2 diabetes were developed and implemented. How prevention of the microvascular (eyes, kidneys, and nerves) and macrovascular (heart attacks, strokes and amputations) were studied and implemented to benefit people with diabetes.
How diabetes care has evolved from authority-based to evidence-based care. In evidence-based medicine, care is the integration of physician’s clinical expertise, best quality published evidence, and patient’s preferences. For patient-centered care to happen, the patient must partner with their healthcare providers.
How the 2 pandemics, Diabetes and Covid-19, interacted. Diabetes increases the severity of Covid-19 infections and increases mortality rate of patients with both maladies. Covid-19 increases new-onset diabetes.

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More advance praise

“Dr. Tan’s personal half century of experience with patient care as well as national and international diabetes programs makes him a great resource for the casual and expert reader…Dr. Tan takes the reader on a centuries’ old journey and gives one a greater appreciation of where we are today.”

Sethu K Reddy MD, Senior Associate Dean of Research, College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, USA.

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“This book serves to explore important advancements of the diabetes story. …Taking us into the world of diabetes and the recent pandemic, as well as emerging areas of prevention and remission, MengHee Tan brings the reader into the here and now.”

Peggy Dunbar, MEd, PDt, CDE Former Manager, Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia (DCPNS), Halifax, Canada.

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“ For people with diabetes and their families, the process of managing diabetes without fear and with confidence is difficult….Professor Tan has brought a new perspective to all these complexities. .…This is an excellent text for not only patients and their families, but for all healthcare professionals who must manage the complexities of diabetes.”

Stuart Ross MBBS, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.

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“Through his unique style of writing, Professor MengHee Tan has put together a history of diabetes along with a compendium of the many ways we have learned to diagnose, manage, treat and care for people living with diabetes.”

Eugene Wright, MD Medical Director, Performance Improvement, Charlotte Area Health Education Center, Charlotte, NC.

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