BY TED SHOCKLEY, Eastern Shore Post —
A company offering a medical method to counteract insulin resistance in people with diabetes will open a clinic in Onley, part of a chain of three new facilities statewide.
The procedure, called metabolic syndrome insulin infusion, could benefit the Eastern Shore, which has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the state and one of the youngest average ages of adult-onset, or Type 2, diabetes.
“This is really about improving people’s lives,” said Donald Marette, the co-owner of two medical companies, including the insulin infusion company, that are headquartered in Cape Charles, where he lives.
“We believe this is how metabolic function is going to be treated in the future,” said Marette, who co-owns the business with a physician who is a former chairman of the American Podiatric Medical Association.
There are 160 similar centers in the United States.
“This isn’t new,” he said. “It’s just new to the area.”
The company, called MSII, also will be opening clinics in Newport News and Stafford. It plans to open in Onley this fall.
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body resists or cannot produce enough insulin, which allows glucose — a form of sugar — to enter the body’s cells and produce energy.
The result is high blood sugar levels, which can damage eyes, nerves, kidneys, and blood vessels.
MSII’s technique works on restoring metabolic and kidney function and is approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration, he said.
The procedure eliminates neuropathy — weakness, numbness, and pain, usually in the hands and feet — by 95%, Marette said. Diabetes is one of the most common causes of neuropathy.
“It really just makes an enormous difference in people’s lives,” he said. Marette cited statistics that show Accomack County has 3,100 diagnosed cases of diabetes. Northampton County has 1,100 cases.
Marette said the actual number of Type 2 diabetes cases on the Eastern Shore is likely higher because some people have undiagnosed diabetes.
Causative factors of Type 2 diabetes include obesity, physical inactivity, and family history.
Marette has had a long career in healthcare solutions and is one of the owners of Maryland-based Noveta Health, where he works as chief marketing officer.
He said plans were to open the Onley facility as early as Dec. 1.
