CDH Lecture to Highlight Advances in Diabetes Care

NORTHAMPTON — In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of the population, had diabetes. Two years earlier, the figures were 25.8 million and 8.3{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5}, according to the American Diabetes Assoc. But even as the number of people with diabetes and the disease’s prevalence have increased, advances in diabetes research have led to new methods to treat and even ‘cure’ diabetes.

On Sept. 4, Dr. David Nathan, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center and the Clinical Research Center, will present “Advances in Diabetes Care and Prevention” from 6 to 7 p.m. at Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Dakin Conference Room. The presentation is part of the Cooley Dickinson/Massachusetts General Hospital community lecture series. Dr. Kinga Pluta of the Cooley Dickinson Diabetes Center will be the CDH presenter.

Advances in diabetes research have the potential to reduce the complications from diabetes that can otherwise do great harm. Research has also demonstrated that changes in lifestyle and new classes of drugs can prevent type 2 diabetes, which has become an epidemic in the past 20 years. Nathan will describe what this research means for people with risk factors for diabetes, such as being overweight or obese or having a family member with the disorder.

Nathan’s clinical interests are diabetes management, endocrinology, and intensive therapies of diabetes. He is a graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed his residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and his fellowship at Mass General. He holds American Board of Internal Medicine certification in endocrinology and diabetes and metabolism.

Pluta received her medical degree from Albany Medical College and completed a double residency at the University of Connecticut. She holds American Board of Internal Medicine certification in adult internal medicine and American Board of Pediatrics certification in pediatrics.