Endocrine system a focus at BHS
With the recent addition of two staff endocrinologists to Butler Health System's staff, the area is better positioned now than at any time in recent memory to confront issues like obesity, diabetes and the various conditions that can manifest as a result of those issues.
Endocrinologists Dr. Sanjay Dixit and Dr. Emily Martin joined BHS in mid-2016, and their arrival marked the revival of a long-defunct program within the hospital system.
Endocrinology is the study of hormones, and doctors like Dixit and Martin are focused on issues such as obesity and diabetes — two intertwined conditions with which Butler and the entire country are struggling, Dixit said.
“I wouldn't say that diabetes is more prevalent in Butler,” Dixit said. “But maybe there's less access to care, or good care. So we see a lot of poorly controlled diabetes.”
Patients who struggle to keep their diabetes under control — eating right, exercising and sticking with a medical treatment regime, depending on what type of diabetes you have — can be at risk for short- and long-term complications that range from hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, to eye, kidney and nerve disease.
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