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Diabetes

If you’ve been diagnosed with type 1, type 2, gestational diabetes or pre-diabetes, Northwestern Medicine offers comprehensive education and resources to help you live well and manage your condition.

Why Choose Northwestern Medicine for Your Diabetes Education?

Whether you’re trying to get diabetes under control or working to prevent it, Northwestern Medicine provides the comprehensive education and support you need. All members of the Northwestern Medicine diabetes education team are certified diabetes educators who are registered nurses or registered dietitians. Diabetes educators work closely with your physician to support your care.

You’ll also have:

  • Easy access to registered nurses and dietitians to help you with lifestyle changes, meal planning and use of blood sugar meters and insulin pumps
  • Individual assessments, group classes and self-management training
  • Nutrition counseling
  • Connections to endocrinologists with advanced training in diabetes care

Types of diabetes

When you have diabetes, your body has a problem turning sugar (glucose) from food into energy. A hormone called insulin helps your cells absorb glucose. In diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin as it should. Diabetes can take several forms:

  • Type 1 diabetes: When your body loses the ability to make insulin; this type of diabetes usually begins during childhood or adolescence
  • Type 2 diabetes: When your body develops a resistance to the action of insulin and can’t make enough insulin to overcome this resistance
  • Pre-diabetes: When your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes
  • Gestational diabetes: Diabetes that begins during pregnancy
  • Pediatric diabetes: Type 1 or type 2 diabetes affecting children

Prevention is possible

Knowledge is the key to prevention. By getting the facts, understanding your risks and making healthy lifestyle changes, you can help prevent type 2 diabetes. Even small steps can make a big difference to your health. Estimate your personal risk for developing diabetes, with our Diabetes Risk Profiler. Learn about risks for diabetes from the American Diabetes Association. Based on your risk, consider the CDC's diabetes prevention program offered locally.

Learn more about managing diabetes and diabetes education.

Meet the Teams

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The Northwestern Medicine Endocrinology and Diabetes teams provide comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands.

More Information

Managing Diabetes

Find the support you need to fight back against Type 2 diabetes. You’ll have a wide range of trusted resources to help you stay healthy for life.

Diabetes Education

Whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, pre-diabetes or a family history, the Internal Medicine team at Northwestern Medicine is here to provide the support you need.

Locations
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    Northwestern Memorial Hospital
    Top 10 in Diabetes & Endocrinology (No. 10)

    High-Risk Conditions and COVID-19

    People with certain conditions or health concerns have increased risk of more severe illness after contracting COVID-19. Learn about the latest information.

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    COVID-19 Resource Center

    Northwestern Medicine is a trusted source for accurate and up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.

    Assess Your Diabetes Risk

    Estimate your personal risk of developing diabetes. Learn about diabetes risk factors and how to improve them. 


    Related Resources

    Downloads

    • Diabetes Overview: Overview of "What is Diabetes" on how to best work with your NMPG physician to manage your diabetes. All newly diagnosed diabetics should start with this document and share with those helping you.
    • Family and Friends Pact: Guide to having a good conversation with your family and friends about how best to support your process of dealing with diabetes. Post this on your fridge as a good reminder of your family's commitment of support.
    • Travel Tips for Diabetics: Review of what special things diabetics should think about when traveling. Keep it handy in your luggage as a reminder of what to do when you travel.
    • Know Your Numbers: Learn the importance of following your “HbA1C” lab value, which is tracked to help measure your diabetes control. Keeping your HbA1C under 7.0 is ideal.
    • Diabetes Wallet Card: Informational card to keep in your wallet with diabetes care guidelines and name of your physician.
    • Pre-Appointment Form: Medical history health assessment form for diabetes and nutrition counseling.
    • Diabetes Meal Planning Brochure: Learn how to make your meal plan healthier. English | Polish | Russian | Spanish
    • Metformin Brochure: Learn important information about this medication.
    • Oral Hypoglycemic Agents Brochure: Learn important information about this medication.
    • Diabetes Program Questionnaire: Complete if you have diabetes
    • Gestational Diabetes Questionnaire: Complete if you have gestational diabetes
    • Food Record Form

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