Endocrinology, diabetes and the diabetic foot
Your problems RESOLVED.
Dr Christine Whisstock
I was born in Milan, Italy – my mother being Italian and my father British – and completed my studies at a classical high school in Monza (Italy) in 1995. In October 2001, I graduated in medicine with full marks at the Milan-Bicocca University (Italy). At the same university I obtained a specialisation in endocrinology in 2006 and in 2009 I completed a three-year PhD in ‘hypertension and prevention of cardiovascular risk’.
From 2006 to 2009, I worked at the outpatient clinic of endocrinology and diabetology at San Gerardo Hospital in Monza. I am Head of the Diabetic Foot Unit of the Abano Terme Polyclinic (Padua, Italy) and I have been in this position since the beginning of 2023. Since 2010 I have been part of the teem taking care of patients in the ward, treating outpatients and performing surgery. At Abano Polyclinic, and in other clinics, I also work privately, performing visits regarding endocrinology and diabetes, importantly for early detection of cardiovascular risk and complications, in particular regarding the diabetic foot.
I am author and co-author of many abstracts presented as posters or via oral communications in national and international meetings and of several articles published in national and international papers. I have participated in many national and international congresses as speaker and have taken part in various research projects, one of the most famous being the ADVANCE study.
I am bilingual in Italian and English and this has enabled me to fully participate in international medical projects and translate several scientific documents.
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HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
What is your problem...
Endocrinological?
Do you feel tired, sensitive to cold and depressed? Have you gained weight? Do you have dry skin or high levels of blood cholesterol? You could be suffering from hypothyroidism.
Or contrariwise, have you lost weight? Do you feel nervous, irritable, sensitive to heat? Do you have difficulty sleeping? Do you have palpitations? You could have hyperthyroidism.
Are you planning pregnancy? You should know that correct functioning of the thyroid gland improves fertility, reduces the risk of spontaneous abortion, enables a correct cognitive and physical development of the baby and allows the onset of lactation.
Do you have irregular menstrual cycles, excessive body hair growth, acne, alopecia and difficulty in losing weight? You could have polycystic ovary syndrome.
Do you know that in Italy 23% of women over 40 years of age and 14% of men over 60 have osteoporosis? It then becomes very important to diagnose and treat it in order to reduce the risk of bone fracture.
Have you noticed irregular menstrual cycles, decreased libido or galactorrhoea? You could have hyperprolactinemia.
Do you suffer from high blood pressure with a rapid onset or one that’s difficult to treat? You could have secondary hypertension.
As you can see, endocrinological problems, which are often underestimated or unrecognised, are anything but marginal in determining our state of health.
Diabetological?
What are the wake-up calls?
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes include increased thirst, excessive hunger, frequent urination, irritability, fatigue, weakness and unintended weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes presents itself with the same symptoms of type 1 but includes others such as blurred vision, frequent infections in various parts of the body (gums, skin or genito-urinary tract) tingling or numbness of the feet and slow-healing sores.
But be careful! It is possible for symptoms of type 2 diabetes not to appear or to be very mild.
Furthermore, if you have a family history of diabetes or you lead a sedentary lifestyle (with little or no physical exercise) or you are overweight or you eat food high in sugar content, you have more probability of falling ill with diabetes type 2.
Diabetic foot?
Does your foot change colour or temperature?
Do you have a cramp-like leg pain when walking, known as claudication?
Are open sores on your feet slow to heal or unresponsive to medication?
Do you have dry cracks in your skin, especially around the heel?
Do you feel sensitivity or insensitivity to touch, a numbness or a burning sensation in your feet, especially at night?
If you have answered positively to just one of these questions you could have diabetic foot problems.
Dr Christine Whisstock
Medical doctor and endocrinologist, specialised in the treatment of diabetes and of the diabetic foot.
PhD in hypertension and prevention of cardiovascular risk.
Head of the Diabetic Foot Unit of the Abano Terme Polyclinic (Padua, Italy).