Diabetes is a disease of the endocrine system – the various hormone-secreting glands that control growth and reproduction and regulate the actions of every organ in the body. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the cells become “insulin resistant” and unable to turn carbohydrates (sugars) into useable fuel. As a result, NuHealth’s endocrinologists play a leading role in the treatment of both Type 1 (formerly known as juvenile diabetes) and Type 2 (previously known as adult-onset) diabetes and associated diseases at the Zaki Hossain Center for Hypertension, Diabetes & Vascular Disease at Nassau University Medical Center.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes affects approximately three people in 1,000 in the United States. It begins suddenly, most often during childhood or adolescence. Type 1 diabetics produce little or no natural insulin, and usually require daily insulin injections. It occurs more frequently in people of Northern European descent. NuHealth’s endocrinologists help Type 1 diabetics regulate their glucose levels through proper management of carefully controlled doses of insulin – including so-called “brittle diabetics” who swing quickly and often between hyperglycemia (abnormally high blood glucose) and hypoglycemia (abnormally low blood glucose), and may need multiple doses of different types of insulin throughout the day or insulin administered by an insulin pump.
Type 2 Diabetes
By far the more common form of the disease, Type 2 diabetes was once considered primarily a disease of older Americans. As a result of our national epidemic of obesity and our sedentary lifestyles, however, Type 2 diabetes is now a growing national health problem that is a major contributor to the high cost of health care – and a serious threat to millions of Americans of all ages. People of Native American, Hispanic, and African-American descent are especially vulnerable.
Fighting this disturbing national trend is the top priority of the endocrinologists and other team members of the Zaki Hossain Center for Hypertension, Diabetes & Vascular Disease. Type 2 diabetes has been incorrectly considered
a milder form of diabetes because it often has no symptoms when it first occurs and may not necessarily require medication if the patient responds well to changes in diet, commitment to exercise and weight loss. Nonetheless, uncontrolled and untreated Type 2 diabetes is just as dangerous as Type 1, carrying the same risks of blindness, heart and vascular disease and more. Our endocrinologists not only help balance your blood sugar through better eating and medications, but ensure that any of the conditions that can arise from diabetes are quickly addressed through medical, pharmaceutical or surgical means.
To make an appointment or consult with a specialist in diabetic endocrinology at the Zaki Hossain Center, call (516) 572-4848.
Clinical Staff
Chief – Ken Hupart, MD, FACS
Salini Kumar, MD, FACP, FACE
Alice Lee, MD, FACP
Terry Gray, ANP-C, PhD