Diabetic Living Australia — July-August 2017

SAVE THE DATE

JULY

9

Love

your

liver

Email your questions to:

[email protected]

Post: Diabetic Living, Q&A: Health,

GPO Box 7805, Sydney, NSW 2001.

Dr Sultan Linjawi, endocrinologist

news • advice • research • products

Q

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DR LINJAWI

You r h e alt h

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million Australians have

sleep apnoea. If you’re

one of them, talk to your

GP or dentist about the

O2Vent. Research

suggests this titanium

mouthguard may reduce

or eliminate snoring

entirely. Visit oventus.

com.au for more info.

National Diabetes

Week

Diabetes Australia’s National

Diabetes Week kicks off

July 9! Get involved in the

fun, or connect to others

living with diabetes at

diabetesaustralia.com.au, or

by phoning 1300 136 588.

According to the

Mayo Clinic, having

type 1 or 2 diabetes

increases your risk

of developing non-

alcoholic fatty liver

disease – this is where

excess fat builds up in

your liver, even if you

rarely or never take

a tipple. Fatty liver

disease is linked to

an increased risk of

liver inflammation

or scarring (cirrhosis),

as well as liver cancer

and heart disease,

so it’s key that you

practise good self-

care in order to avoid

it. This includes:

● Working with

your care team to

achieve good blood

glucose control

● Maintaining a

healthy body weight

● Reducing high

blood pressure

● Keeping your “bad”

LDL cholesterol and

triglycerides (blood

fats) within the limits

recommended by

your care team

● Avoiding drinking

excessive amounts

of alcohol.

Can you tell me about Bydureon?

Dr Linjawi says: Bydureon* is a drug

recently added to the Pharmaceutical

Benefits Scheme (PBS). It is a weekly

version of Byetta (exenatide) – a

twice-daily injection that has been

available for five years. Both work by

imitating a naturally occurring

hormone called GLP-1 that we all

make after eating. GLP-1 increases

insulin production when your blood

glucose is high, reduces the amount

of glucose your liver releases, and

reduces appetite, too. With attention

to an appropriate diet, your blood

glucose should improve on Bydureon,

and there may be some weight loss.

To decide if it’s right for you, chat to

your GP, diabetes nurse or specialist. 

Good to know Administering

Bydureon can be cumbersome. It

involves mixing two substances with

the consistency of honey – this can

take a while to mix properly. It needs

a larger needle than Byetta or insulin.

Some people may notice lumps under

the skin that can last a few months.

These will eventually settle. ➤

diabetic living JULY/AUGUST 2017 11