Dr. Padmanabha Varma's Hormone Clinic

25/05/2025

It’s World Thyroid Day!
This tiny gland plays a huge role in your health — from energy levels to mood, metabolism, and more.
Yet, thyroid disorders often go unnoticed.
Let’s change that!
Know the signs, get tested, and take charge of your thyroid health.

31/03/2025

🌙 Ramadan Mubarak! ✨
Wishing you good health, happiness, and well-being throughout Ramadan!

30/03/2025

Happy Ugadi!

May this new year bring you health, happiness, and prosperity in abundance! Celebrate fresh beginnings with positivity, joy, and success. Wishing you and your loved ones a prosperous Ugadi! 🌿

14/03/2025

Wishing you a Holi filled with colors of joy, laughter, and love!

08/03/2025

Happy International Women's Day!

Today, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and brilliance of women around the world! From breaking barriers to inspiring change, women continue to shape the future with courage and grace.

Let’s honor their achievements, uplift their voices, and commit to a world where equality and empowerment thrive. 💪

26/02/2025

Let’s celebrate the night of devotion, fasting, and prayers in honor of Mahadev! Har Har Mahadev!

31/08/2024

Calculate your risk of developing diabetes over the next 10 years

In this insightful video, Dr. Padmanabha Varma, a highly experienced endocrinologist, walks you through the process of calculating your 10-year risk of devel...

04/03/2023

04/01/2023

"Age is just a number"

Shoud not be the only criteria to rule out Type 1 diabetes

A 47 yr old gentleman diagnosed to have diabetes 4 months ago when he was presented with weight loss , blood sugars were around 500 mg/ dL at that time.
He was started on premix insulin twice a day. Few days later, he developed hypoglycemic seizures , so stopped insulin and changed to oral anti diabetic drugs ( OADs)
For 2 months he was on OADs without any episodes of diabetic keto acidosis - sugars were between 150 to 300 mg/ dL
Then premix insulin was added to OADs.

Pt used to monitor blood sugars very meticulously- but his blood sugars were not under control

When he presented to our clinic, on examination

Clinically stable
Lean -BMI 18.1 kg / m²
No signs of insulin resistance
No family history of diabetes
Not an alcoholic - pancreas normal on imaging
Not on any steroids or immunodulator drugs

These points made us suspect Type 1 daibetes - so ordered GAD antibodies , fasting C peptide levels ..

-GAD ANTIBODIES > 2000 IU/mL ( N < 10)

-Fasting C - PEPTIDE: 0.080 ng/ mL ( N 0.48 - 5) (checked when FBS was 84 mg/ dL)

Indicating low insulin reseve and very high auto antibodies ..makes the diagnosis of TYPE 1 DIABETES..

Currently he is on basl bolus insulin

Take home message...

-Age is not the only criteria to rule out Type 1 daibetes - it can occur at any age

-Patients with type 1 diabetes may respond to OADs initially with out go in to ketosis.. limited insulin reserve may be sufficient to prevent ketone body formation, but not enough to control blood sugars ..

-Adults diabetic patients who are Lean with no signs of insulin resistance,no family history of diabetes , responding poorly to OADs - work up for Type 1 DIABETES..

-IS IT WORTH TO GET THESE COSTLY TESTS ..??? YESS....!!

WHY..?

1) Will know which direction we shoud go for rest of his life
2) No need to waste resources by keeping patients on multiple OADs..
3) To explain patients the need for adherence to insulin only..

And Most importantly ....

4) To prevent him from falling prey to magic diabetes healers/ crash diet baba's..! 🙏🙏

- Dr. Padmanabha Varma
Consultant Endocrinologist
HORMONE INDIA
Pragathi nagar, Hyderabad
9550899143