Dr. Aditya Sukhwal Awarded Grant to Study Diabetes, Change Lives

[Platteville, WI] —- Southwest Health is proud to announce Family Physician Aditya Sukhwal, MD, MS, FAAFP, has been awarded a grant of $4000 from the Ira and Ineva Reilly Badwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment to positively impact community health while studying the impact of diet and exercise on patients with diabetes.

With both the grant and the assistance of fourth year students from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Dr. Sukhwal’s Program for Extensive Diabetes Activity and Lifestyle Success (PEDALS) will soon begin enrolling volunteers diagnosed with diabetes in a 12-week study that begins in July. A total of about 20 patients will meet regularly to receive education and counseling on nutrition and exercise and to have their diabetes management monitored closely in order to determine the medical impacts of the interventions.

Through this grant, Dr. Sukhwal and his students intend to further their understanding of diabetes, demonstrate positive patient outcomes, and reduce the costs of caring for diabetes patients. “Our goal for PEDALS,” says Dr. Sukhwal, “Is to effectively manage diabetes in patients while reducing their reliance on medications. With a single diabetes medication costing patients as much as $500 a month, we stand to help patients not only live healthier but also greatly reduce the costs of their chronic disease.” Because patients are often on more than a single medication, the potential savings from reducing reliance on them can add up quickly.

“As the Cardiac Rehab program director, I regularly see first-hand the positive health benefits patients reap when they are able to consistently maintain positive lifestyle changes. The students I work with are really eager to make an impact while they’re on rotation, and this is a perfect opportunity to involve them in making a real difference in people’s lives.”

Dr. Sukhwal is a highly experienced, board-certified family physician with special interests and expertise in cardiology, obstetrics, pediatrics, and diabetes management. He practices at the Platteville Clinic at Southwest Health and is also the Medical Director for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Southwest Health. Dr. Sukhwal is also Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Wisconsin’s Medical School whose fourth year students come to Platteville for rotations under his guidance.

The Ira and Ineva Reilly Badwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment is a highly competitive grant program open to UW Madison faculty, staff, and students and is designed to foster public engagement and advance The Wisconsin Idea – the principle that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom.

Dr. Sukhwal and his students will soon be recruiting participants for the study. Platteville area residents who have had diabetes for several years or more and who have Hemoglobin A1C levels between 8 and 10 may be eligible. According to Dr. Sukhwal, there is a significant time commitment for chosen participants, yet the many upsides of the free medically guided program are potentially life-changing. Those who think they may be interested in participating in the study are encouraged to contact the Platteville Clinic at Southwest Health at 348-4330 for more information.