Diabetes, Endocrinology

New devices offer more options than ever to manage blood sugar

If you have diabetes, new devices give you more options than ever to manage your glucose levels. An insulin pump can deliver insulin throughout the day without the need for multiple daily injections. Thanks to advances in technology, insulin pumps are now able to link with continuous glucose monitors. This means the pump can vary…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

Making exercise safe for kids with diabetes and endocrine disorders

We all know exercise has many benefits, such as helping maintain a healthy weight, lowering cholesterol, relieving tension and stress, elevating mood, and improving blood sugar control. However, for someone living with diabetes, exercise causes significant blood sugar variability, which impacts performance and poses health risks. Since individuals with diabetes still need to exercise —…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

Wendy Novak memoir on her diabetes journey offers hope, empowerment to others with the condition

Wendy Novak was 7 years old when she learned she has Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes. Her father also had the condition, so the family was well aware of the classic symptoms — excessive thirst and frequent trips to the restroom. The highs and lows of blood sugar, the indicator of blood…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology, Research

Inhaled form of insulin studied for children and adolescents

Children and adolescents with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes may no longer need injections of insulin if a new inhaled form of insulin is found to be safe and effective. “Some kids — especially kids who have been diagnosed recently — can have a difficult time getting used to injections. This formulation is a…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

Megan B. Coriell, M.D., helps kids make their endocrinology disorders fit their lives

As the daughter of a pediatrician, Megan B. Coriell, M.D., was drawn to medicine from an early age. “I grew up around medicine,” said Dr. Coriell, a Louisville native. “I watched the relationships my mom made with patients and their families and saw how much she loved her job.” When the future Dr. Coriell started…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

New treatment can delay Type 1 diabetes

You wouldn’t know it, but Kylie Smith is in the early stages of Type 1 diabetes. Thanks to a new treatment at Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute, Kylie, a 15-year-old from Shepherdsville, Kentucky, has the chance to potentially delay getting the disease. Two years ago, Kylie’s sister developed Type 1 diabetes, which happens when the pancreas…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

Passion for empowering patients drives director of Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute

Treating patients with diabetes is a passion that runs deep for Kupper A. Wintergerst, M.D., Wendy L. Novak chair of pediatric diabetes care and clinical research and pediatric endocrinologist with Norton Children’s Endocrinology, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. Since the Louisville native arrived at Norton Children’s Hospital in 2006, the endocrinology and diabetes…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology, News

1-week-old Dulce needed team of experts for diabetes care

Dulce Alvarez Batres of Louisville, Kentucky, was diagnosed with neonatal diabetes when she was just 1 week old. Dulce’s mom, Wendy Batres, was not prepared at all. “She is a girl that is teaching us a lot,” Wendy said. “From the get-go we have been learning with her.” Although Dulce was born full term at…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

Dimon Foundation gives $500,000 to Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute

Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute has received $500,000 in funding from the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation. The gift, made to the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation, will support hiring additional endocrinology specialists to help care for patients with diabetes, especially older children getting ready to transition to adult-based care. This follows an October 2022 gift…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

A 504 plan for diabetes helps keep kids safer and get the most out of school

After your child receives a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, you may wonder, “What about school?” Developing a Section 504 plan for diabetes that formalizes your child’s needs is part of federal law that gives students the right to receive the diabetes care they need to be safer and participate in school activities. 504 plan for…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology

How a healthy diet can help prevent Type 2 diabetes in kids

Prediabetes in kids is on the rise in the U.S., and the numbers are concerning. Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents, ages 12-18, are living with prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prediabetes is the precursor of Type 2 diabetes. It happens when a child’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology, Norton Childrens Medical Group

Preventing Type 2 diabetes in children

Preventing or delaying the onset of Type 2 diabetes in children can include small, simple changes to increase daily physical activity and eat a healthier diet. Even a small amount of weight loss can help prevent or delay diabetes. In Kentucky, 23.8% of kids ages 10 to 17 are obese. That’s the highest obesity rate…

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