DKICP Takes on Diabetes

November is American Diabetes Month, but faculty in the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) work all year round to support patients with diabetes. Diabetes is a medical condition characterized by high blood sugar levels due to the inability of the body to produce or effectively use insulin. If untreated, diabetes can lead to damage of multiple organ systems in the body, including the heart, kidneys, brain and eyes. Diabetes is treatable with medications, and pharmacists in the DKICP help patients manage their condition through a combination of medications, diet and exercise.

In Hawaii, an estimated 6700 adults are diagnosed with diabetes, representing 9.5% of the adult population. An additional 14% of adults in Hawaii have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated, but not quite high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. In some individuals with prediabetes, diabetes can be prevented.

Aryn Meguro and Bryce Fukunaga, two DKICP professors, offer a “Your Kuleana, Your Health” diabetes prevention program. This program meets twice a month for four months and coaches participants in how to engage in healthier eating, improve exercise habits, and prevent health conditions such as diabetes before they begin.

“It is rewarding to get to know community members and help coach them to begin a journey to their best health,” said Meguro. “Current participants are given the tools needed to work toward improving their body weight, muscle, body fat, and lab values,” shared Fukunaga. Fukunaga and Meguro are both certified lifestyle coaches through the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

The next cohort will start in January 2026. Contact arynm@hawaii.edu or btpf@hawaii.edu for more information.