Endocrinology and Diabetes Care 

Dr. Stuart Chipkin joined Valley Medical Group in 2004 as head of our Endocrinology Dept.  Before joining VMG, Dr. Chipkin was Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA and had been on the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine until 1998.  He is currently on the faculty of University of MA, Amherst in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences.  He is a Board Certified Endocrinologist whose special areas of interest include Diabetes, Hyperlipidemia, Thyroid Disorders and Care of Transgendered Individuals.  Dr. Chipkin graduated from S.U.N.Y. in Brooklyn, N.Y.  He did his residency at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA, and his research and Clinical Fellowship in the Div. of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of MA Medical Center in Worcester, MA.  He is accepting new patients at the VMG Amherst Medical Center.

For information about Diabetes we are happy to share the following information with you/

More Americans have Diabetes than ever before. The disease affects a total of about 17 million adults and children in this country. While an estimated 11.1 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, the unfortunate fact is that an additional 5.9 million people, one-third of the total, are unaware that they have the disease. That's because Diabetes can develop gradually over many years, often with no symptoms. 

There are two types of Diabetes (described below). Both types of Diabetes are serious. The main feature of the disease, an accumulation of glucose in the blood, can damage almost every major organ in the body. Eventually, Diabetes can be fatal. It's the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

What is Diabetes?
Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood. This build up, the main feature of diabetes, can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. 
Diabetes mainly occurs in two forms:

• Type 1 Diabetes. This type develops when your pancreas makes little or no insulin. It affects between 5 percent and 10 percent of people with the disease.
• Type 2 Diabetes. This type is far more common, affecting between 90 and 95 percent of people with diabetes over age 20. It occurs when your body is resistant to the effects of insulin or your pancreas produces some, but not enough, insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. 

Risk Factors - Are you at risk for diabetes?
Although researchers don't fully understand why some people get Diabetes and others don't, it's clear that certain factors increase your risk. These factors include:

• Being older than 45
• Being overweight
• Having a close family member, like a parent, brother, or sister, who has, or had, Diabetes 
• Having had Diabetes when you were pregnant
• Being African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or Native American.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?
People who think they might have diabetes should see a health care practitioner for diagnosis. They might have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme hunger
• Sudden vision changes
• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
• Feeling very tired much of the time
• Very dry skin
• Sores that are slow to heal
• More infections than usual

What can you do if you have Diabetes?

If you have Diabetes, the National Diabetes Education Program recommends you follow the seven principles to take control of your Diabetes.

The 7 Principles of Diabetes Care

• Find Out What Type of Diabetes You Have
• Get Regular Care for Your Diabetes
• Learn How to Control Your Diabetes
• Treat High Blood Sugar
• Monitor Your Blood Sugar Level 
• Prevent and Diagnose Long-Term Diabetes Problems 
• Get Checked for Long-Term Problems and Treat Them 

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends the following guidelines for regular care to manage your Diabetes:

Every year you should have:

• A complete physical examination with foot exam
• Dilated eye exam
• Cholesterol blood test
• Microalbulmin Urine Test
• Flu shot

Every 6 months you should have:

• Dental exam

Every 3 to 6 months you should have:

• Hemoglobin A1c blood test
• Follow up visit with your practitioner to check your blood pressure, weight, lab tests, medication, and perform a foot exam

Valley Medical Group (VMG) provides services consistent with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Guidelines. Make an appointment at our reception desk for your scheduled medical care and follow up with your practitioner and for your eye exam.

Need more Information?

If you would like more information, you can talk with your practitioner, and check the following websites:

http://www.ndep.nih.gov/
http://www.mass.gov/dph/fch/diabetes/index.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects/ndeps.htm
http://health.nih.gov/result.asp/187