Diabetes Support Group Meeting at VMH

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, February 20 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.     

This month’s topic is exercise, specifically the importance of gaining muscle mass. Amy Robinson, VMH Physical Therapist, will share her wealth of knowledge of ways to build muscle. The more muscle in the body, the better the body’s ability to burn sugar and the better everyone’s blood sugars are.

Also, metabolism speeds up when the body has more muscle mass.

With the emphasis on weekly medications such as Ozempic, Trulicity and Mounjaro being beneficial for weight loss and blood sugar control, studies are finding an alarming loss of muscle which many weight loss patients experience. Muscle mass becomes harder to maintain with every birthday and it is extra difficult to keep those muscles strong when growing older.  Robinson will address these concerns at the meeting.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. In case of inclement weather, the Diabetes Support Group will cancel if Allamakee Community Schools are closed. If school starts late, Support Group will still occur as usual. Attendees are encouraged to stay home if they feel the sidewalks or roads are too slippery to safely go outdoors.

For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Diabetes Educator, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.