"A Patient’s Guide to Type 2 Diabetes" - Ruben Castaneda and Anna Medaris Miller
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body’s inability to use insulin – a hormone that helps regulate metabolism – properly. The condition is the most common type of diabetes, affecting about 95 percent of the more than 30 million Americans with any form of the disease. “There’s an increased awareness among primary care doctors that Type 2 diabetes is widely prevalent,” said Ronald Tamler, MD, professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. As such, they’re screening patients more routinely, especially since about 84 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition that, left untreated, can lead to Type 2 diabetes within five years, according to the CDC. Lifestyle changes are key in diabetes management, and can be supported through apps and other emerging technologies. "We're trying to leverage digital health in order to influence human behavior,” said Dr. Tamler.
— Ronald Tamler, MD, Professor, Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Digital Health Implementation, Mount Sinai Health System