Diabetes Detectives
Clinical and research programs at the UF College of Medicine aim to improve the lives of millions with diabetes
During her preoperative appointment at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville in July, Nicole Lembo was shocked to hear her A1C level, which measures blood sugar, was 11.3% — far beyond the normal range of 5.7% to 6.7%.
Since elevated A1C levels can lead to an increased risk of complications following a procedure, Lembo’s oral surgery, scheduled for a few days later, had to be postponed indefinitely.
It was a wake-up call for the 55-year-old elementary school paraprofessional from Citrus County, Florida. She had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy with her son 29 years before and was later diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in her 40s.
“I was blown away,” she said of this summer’s blood glucose results. “I’m not the best at pricking my finger and checking my levels, but now here my care team is telling me we can’t do the surgery because they’re concerned about my body healing.”
About one in 10 Americans has diabetes, a chronic disease that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly. Though it can be managed, diabetes is not currently curable, and the biological mechanisms responsible for causing it are still being explored.