A diabetic patient once messaged me, proudly saying, "Dr. Wu, my blood sugar is now under excellent control. I joined a certain blood sugar management program, and as long as I avoid staple foods, my blood sugar stays perfectly normal—fasting levels below 6 and post-meal levels under 8." I immediately knew this was the kind of approach where one skips staple foods for all three meals, relying only on vegetables and protein to stave off hunger. I advised him, "You need to pay attention to changes in your weight. You’re already on the lean side, and your pancreatic function isn’t great. Relying on this method for long-term blood sugar control is dangerous and could lead to problems." He just responded with vague acknowledgments, clearly not taking it to heart.

Friends, this is a common misconception among diabetics around us—they believe that as long as they eat less or avoid staple foods, their blood sugar won’t spike. Of course, glucose comes from what we eat, so eating less naturally leads to lower blood sugar. However, treating diabetes involves improving pancreatic function and utilizing glucose metabolism to lower blood sugar, not resorting to crude methods of suppression. Regardless of whether the doctor treating you is an expert or a professor, if they focus solely on blood sugar numbers without considering the patient’s individual circumstances and simply rely on increasing medication to bring down the numbers, they are not a qualified diabetes specialist. Their professional standards are inadequate and subpar.

Although I am not a renowned expert, my two mentors were former heads of the endocrinology department at a military hospital, both with exceptionally high professional expertise. All my knowledge was imparted by them, and my approach to diabetes treatment was also passed down from them. The concept of out-of-hospital diabetes management was first introduced in our country by my mentors.

My mentors have many students, most of whom now work in major tertiary hospitals. I am the youngest among them and could be considered their last disciple. Perhaps because the youngest often receives the most favor, my mentors spent a decade gradually imparting to me their lifelong knowledge and insights into diabetes treatment. They hoped that when they grew old and could no longer work, I would use this knowledge to help more people. Dr. Wu will always uphold this belief and continue to serve everyone to the best of my ability.