All tagged family nurse practitioners who manage diabtes
Diabetes-associated cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) damages autonomic nerve fibers that innervate the heart and blood vessels, in turn causing abnormalities in heart rate and vascular dynamics. It is one of the most overlooked but serious conditions of Diabetes Mellitus and causes an increased risk for cardiac dysfunction & mortality.
Something the nurse practitioner needs to be aware of is that hemoglobinopathies like Sickle Cell Anemia and Trait can affect the Hgb A1c reading. African Americans have an increased risk of inheriting sickle cell trait. In fact, about one in 12 African Americans has the sickle cell trait. This is important because about 12.7 African Americans ages 18 years or older have diabetes, therefore, many will have both diabetes and sickle cell trait.
Now that we are in a new year, its time for an updated Standards of Care. Every year, the American Diabetes Association publishes the year’s Standards of Care. It comes with recommendation and the areas that providers should apply to their care of patients with diabetes. I thought it would be a good idea to give an overview of sorts for my nurse practitioner colleagues.
