Free Diabetes Alert

Poor Sleep In Teens With Diabetes Linked With Bad Behaviour, Uncontrolled Blood Sugar

2012-01-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

Sleep and diabetes is the topic in a study that says quality sleep is important for teens and kids or run the risk of getting linked to bad behaviour and uncontrolled blood sugar control. Kids and teens who suffer from diabetes may have trouble getting a good night sleep and this could be linked with school performance, the blood sugar control and their behaviour.

Mind you, the study found the lack of quality sleep could be the result of sleep abnormalities like sleepiness during the day and Scroll down to see Sleep Apnea.
Regardless, all these makes it hard to maintain good blood sugar control. So did University of Arizona’s Michelle Perfect, PhD and study researcher say.

This is how the researchers came to the conclusion that poor sleep is linked with uncontrolled blood sugar and bad behaviour. They studied the quality of sleep of 50 teens and kids with type 1 diabetes as well as the sleep patterns of the controlled groups who are not diabetic.

The researchers found that the diabetic kids had lighter sleep for longer time than the non diabetic group and so they showed signs of higher blood sugar levels. In addition, their performance on standardized tests were poorer and so their grades were lower. They also exhibited behaviour abnormalities. Of course, this led to a poor quality of life.

The researchers also found that one-third of the participants had sleep apnea even when they did not consider obesity. This has been previously linked with type 2 diabetes. Previous studies found that lack of adequate sleep among obese teens could raise the risk for developing diabetes.

Here if you scroll down you may find the
personalized pillows that may help you sleep.

Consider these. The researchers at Philadelphia’s Children’s Hospital found that blood sugar levels are more stable with 7 ½ to 8 ½ hours of sleep per night while Ottawa Sun reported that sleeping less or more was associated with higher blood sugar levels. Georgia State University’s associate professor, Michael Decker, PhD who is also a spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has a slide show on five things that could keep one from sleeping well thus linking sleep and diabetes.

Diabetes and Hip Fracture Risk

2011-12-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

Diabetes can make one at risk of getting a fracture to the hips. All the tempting food on the table does not make it any easier. We are still eating too much. And this can make us vulnerable to broken hip. Women who are undergoing menopause with uncontrolled blood sugar are more liable to develop a broken hip.

So researchers investigated the tool created by the World Health Organization known as the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool or FRAX. This tool makes use of algorithms found on a person’s risk to develop hip fracture along with the result of the bone density exam.

FRAX was developed by WHO in order to find what bone fracture to expect to help the doctors make a prediction on a person’s likelihood of breaking his hip or fracturing the shoulder, spine and forearm as a result of osteoporosis.

For menopausal women though, especially if they are not on HRT, the doctors are now using FRAX to access their risk to develop a hip fracture. But researchers in Canada’s University of Waterloo in Ontario begged to disagree. They found out in their new study that the most widely used tool FRAX is not that accurate.

FRAX, the researchers said, miscalculates the risk of a woman in getting her hip fractured and it is even worse if diabetes is in the picture. You see, the diabetics are found to have a 59% increased chance of getting a fractured hip and the worst part of the finding was that they were less likely to take medication in order to lower the risk or prevent it from happening.

The result of the study conducted in Netherlands is even scarier. Apparently, diabetic women who have an increased likelihood to develop fractured hip increased their risk even more when their blood sugar is poorly controlled.

There are three things they need to know. They should get a bone density test at age 50 to determine the likelihood of getting a fractured bone. Secondly if their doctor uses FRAX, their risk even gets higher, And third, it is important to keep the blood sugar under control.

Diabetes and Dental Care

2011-11-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

Effects of diabetes on dental care has been discussed but not to this extent. The diabetics are advised to eat healthy, do regular physical activity and take medication as prescribed, but some may not know that these medications to control insulin may result in unforeseen events in dental offices. How can you tell if there‘s damage to the teeth and gums?

Plan ahead your visit to the dentist. The diabetes medicine you’re taking may cause low blood glucose. Before the visit talk to your doctor and dentist the best way you can take care of the blood glucose while having dental work done. Bring some food and diabetes medicine to the dentist’s office.

The diabetics have to tell their dentists their special needs to avoid the harmful effects of diabetes due to the interaction between the medications and the materials used at dental offices. This study was published in the AGD's clinical journal called General Dentistry.
Lee Shackelford, DDS, FAGD, said that it is very important to inform the dentists of the special needs of the diabetics so that the dentists can foresee and prepare for the medical interactions and physical response to treatment that can occur.

The dentists have to know if the patient is taking insulin treatment and have taken their everyday dose. This will also help foresee how long the appointment will take. This is important as any medication may interact with whatever agents the dentists may use.
Really, this alert is not just for the diabetics but for the general population as well.

James Little, DMD, MS, the main author of this study, advised everyone to inform their dentists with a complete information regarding prescription drugs, herbal drugs and over the counter medications as they may interact with the materials used during the dental appointments.

The excellent way to avoid the harmful effects of diabetes on the care of the oral health is an open communication with the dentists. This way any interaction can be anticipated and prepared for. There are steps the diabetic patients can take to get the best treatment possible:

1. Look for a dentist who understands the needs of diabetics.

2. Visit the dentist regularly and alert him to any changes in medications and in overall health condition.

3. Let the dentist know of any painful areas, swelling, sore or redness in the mouth.

4. Before the appointment, have a meal that is normally taken and the medication on schedule.

5. Bring the blood glucose monitor and let the dentist know when experiencing low blood sugar.

Here's a complete list on how to keep the teeth and gums healthy:

Brush the teeth not only after each meal but after each snack with the use of a soft toothbrush. With the bristles alongside the gum line, brush the front, back and top of each tooth gently with small, circular actions.
Brush the teeth not only after each meal but after each snack with the use of a soft toothbrush. With the bristles alongside the gum line, brush the front, back and top of each tooth gently with small, circular actions.
Brush the teeth not only after each meal but after each snack with the use of a soft toothbrush. With the bristles alongside the gum line, brush the front, back and top of each tooth gently with small, circular actions.
Floss at least once a day for this prevents the plaque from growing on the teeth. When not attended to, plaque will get hard and grow in the gums. How do you floss? With a sawing motion, put the floss between the teeth and rub from bottom to top a few times.
Keep dentures clean.
One of the facts of diabetes is to maintain the blood sugar level at or as close to the target as possible.
Immediately call the dentist if experiencing any problems with teeth and gum.
Ask the dental hygienist who cleans your teeth to show you the best way to brush and floss. At this point, you might as well ask the best toothpaste and brush to use.
As mentioned before, get your teeth and gums cleaned twice a year.
When the dentist informs you of the problem, ask him how to deal with it and then take action.
It is important to inform the dentist that you have diabetes.
Since smoking exacerbates the tooth and gum problems, find ways to quit the habit.
See the dentist whenever there's swelling, bleeding, redness, gums drawing away from teeth, and soreness from teeth or dentures.

So take time to check your mouth daily for any problems. Some have gums that bleed while brushing the teeth. Others feel soreness, dryness or a bad taste in the mouth. All these are good reasons for you to go and pay your dentist a visit. Remember that good control of the glucose can prevent problems in the mouth.

Get this for Healthy Teeth

Gum Disease Could Lead to Gestational Diabetes

2011-10-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Gum disease in pregnant women could be a factor in developing gestational diabetes. This what the research team at New York University’s College of Dentistry found. The group of women in the study who did not have periodontal disease were less likely to develop gestational diabetes.

The study took a long year to conduct at New York University. This study was in conjunction with Sri Lanka’s University of Peradeniya’s Faculty of Dental Sciences. The Sri Lankan researchers had the advantage of their subjects who were poor and forbidden to smoke and drink alcohol which are thought to increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes.

About one-third of the Sri Lankan women said their gums bled. The women who reported the most occurrences of bleeding in the gums had the highest blood glucose levels. The women who were found to develop gestational diabetes had particularly higher levels of inflammation and gum bacteria than the others.

The leader of the research team, Dr. Ananda P. Dasanayake said that the women who are planning to be pregnant would be wise to keep their oral health in good condition. They should ask their dentist to get rid of this condition before getting pregnant. In addition, after becoming pregnant they should also visit the dentist.

While pregnant, the ability to transport glucose to the cells is prevented by gestational diabetes. The end result is that the main source of energy does not reach the cells where it is needed. Mind you, this condition disappears after pregnancy but the increased risk to develop type 2 diabetes is there.

The inflammation that is linked to the gum disease plays a role in the increased risk to develop gestational diabetes. The inflammation gets in the way with the work of insulin and we know that insulin controls the metabolism of the glucose. Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans are the ones most at risk to develop gestational diabetes.

The results of this study confirm what other researches have found. And it is that gum disease and high levels of bacteria in the mouth can help predict who will develop gestational diabetes and even type 2 diabetes. Due to the fact that diabetes is an inflammatory condition, it makes sense that heightened inflammation in the mouth could play a role in developing gestational diabetes. The moral of the story is to get the dentist to help you get rid of the gum disease.

Insulin Resistance Risk Increases With Fat Build-Up

2011-09-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Insulin resistance is the result of the fat build-up that they refer to here is the one on chest and upper back according to HIV Study. This study led by the San Francisco VA Medical Center says that fat build-up in this area is linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance. They say that this is the very first time this relationship has been established.

The lead author and researcher, Carl Grunfield, M.D., PhD, who is the chief of the metabolism and endocrine sections at the San Francisco VA Medical Center says that the association between visceral fat and insulin resistance risk has been studied before but nobody looked at the upper trunk fat.

We know that insulin is the hormone that controls the blood glucose levels so when the cells become resistant to the insulin action, the end result is high blood glucose which has bad effects on the body. Grunfeld further observes that people with lots of fat in the upper trunk and not much in the stomach are at risk to develop insulin resistance. But if you have both, he says the risk is rather high.

The results was strong in both HIV infected participants and the ones who did not have HIV in the FRAM (Fat Redistribution and Metabolic) Change in HIV infection study. This is a longitudinal study of those who have HIV and are taking modern antiretroviral therapy and HIV negative controls.

When the visceral fat (located between and around the internal organs) is present, the risk of insulin resistance is increased not only among the HIV infected group but also among those who do not have HIV. So this means that it does not matter whether you have HIV or not. Having upper trunk fat is bad for you.

When one is resistant to insulin, the cells in the body are resistant to the action of insulin and we know that insulin is a hormone that regulates the blood sugar levels. We also know the results of the high blood sugar leading to many undesirable health effects.

Grunfeld, University of California’s professor of medicine said that the people who have a lot of fat in their upper trunk and not so much in their stomach are at risk for insulin resistance. If you’ve got both (upper trunk fat and belly fat) you have quite a high risk for insulin resistance.

Heart Attack Raises Diabetes Risk

2011-08-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

A study finds that after a heart attack, the risk of developing diabetes and pre-diabetes goes up sharply. Heart attack patients are four-and-a-half times more likely to develop the condition than the general population. The Lancet states that the heart patients are fifteen times more likely to develop high blood sugar.

Dr. Lionel Opie, director of the Hatter Cardiovascular Research Institute of the University of Cape Town, South Africa said that heart attack means that the chance of getting diabetes later is increased. The study led by Dr. Roberto Marchioli from the Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Italy, collected information on 8300 Italian patients who suffered a heart attack.

These patients were not diabetic prior to the heart attack but a third of these patients developed diabetes or had impaired insulin resistance after more than three and a half years after the heart attack. These results showed the correlation between heart attack and high blood glucose.

The risk factors for diabetes are high blood pressure, age, the use of heart medicines like the beta blocker drugs to lower cholesterol levels and diuretics. Being overweight, an unhealthy diet and heavy drinking of alcohol also increase the risk and smoking increases it by 60%. It is therefore important to change the lifestyle in order to prevent diabetes. A Mediterranean diet can help prevent diabetes so did Marchioli say.

So what do we have to do to avoid this dire situation? It has been mentioned before but it bears repeating. Just follow the guide to physical activity and your heart. Know the risk factors. What are risk factors anyway? They are the habits and conditions that make one more liable to develop a disease and the chances are increased that the existing condition will worsen.

Now that we have cleared what it means by risk factors, let’s delve into the risk factors for heart disease. Certain risk factors for heart disease that you can’t do anything about are: a family history of early heart disease and getting older. But the other risks are something we can change. There is the physical activity factor which is a major risk factor for health disease. We can decide to get regular physical activity.

The other factors which are within our power to change are high blood pressure, overweight, high blood cholesterol, smoking and diabetes. Each of these risks increases the chance to develop heart disease. Let us not make that happen and give ourselves a fighting chance.

Each of those risks counts and will greatly increase the development of heart disease and heart attack. When the heart is damaged so is your life. There will be things you will not be able to do even simple ones like taking a walk or climbing up the stairs. But you have the power to change that.

Getting physically active is particularly important. Not only will it lower the risk to develop heart problems but also it reduces the risk to develop high blood pressure, lower the bad cholesterol, increase the good cholesterol and prevent or control diabetes. It can also help lose weight.

Now where else can you have power over your health? There’s smoking which is known to increase the risk of heart disease as much as six times than the non-smokers. You know what to do with that. You can do something about high blood cholesterol by being active, eating less trans fat, saturated fat and maintaining good weight.

How about high blood pressure? What power do you have over that? Get regular physical activity, cut down alcohol consumption, lose extra weight, and eat healthy using less salt and sodium. This will be good too for fighting diabetes and overweight for losing just 5 to 10% of the present weight will also reduce the risk of heart disease.

There you go; you have all the power in your hands to be as healthy as you can be. Let’s do it altogether. I have done all of those but am still having a hard time with the overweight thing because I am still ten pounds overweight. And to think I sometimes go to bed hungry, can you imagine that? I will be more than glad to receive your advice. Just click the link weight above and it will take you to my website where you can fill in a contact form.

Blood Sugar Level of Mothers Linked to Kids' Obesity Risk

2011-07-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Blood sugar level of mothers were found to be linked to childhood obesity. Women with high blood sugar levels when they are pregnant are two times more likely to have obese children. This is according to the largest study on the same topic. This research is published in the September issue of the journal called Diabetes Care.

It is not all bad news though because Teresa Hillier, an endocrinologist and co-author of the study said that the tendency to have obese children is reversible when the high blood sugar is treated during pregnancy. This makes it imperative for mothers to know their blood sugar level.

Teresa Hillier and her colleagues at Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health researched 9439 mother-child pairs who were enrolled at the center's Hawaii and Regions in the Northwest from 1995 to 2000. The result of their examination is that the higher the mother's blood sugar, the greater is the chance for the child to be overweight by the time he is between 5 and 7 years old. They found this true for all ethnic groups.

Those who had pre-existing diabetes were excluded from the study because the researchers wanted to find out how gestational diabetes affects the child when it comes to obesity risk. They wanted to be sure that the form of diabetes that appears for the very first time while the women were pregnant which is gestational diabetes would show the child’s risk for obesity.

A study like this was done before and the link was found between gestational diabetes and childhood obesity but it was a small study that involved the Pima Indians. But the study led by Teresa Hillier is the largest ever on this issue and it found that indeed a mother’s high blood sugar during pregnancy may make her child likely to be obese.

It is not all doom and gloom though for women who have gestational diabetes often lose the condition as soon as the baby is born. And as of the risk to childhood obesity of the maternal blood sugar, it is reversible. How? It is reversible through treatment with exercise, diet and sometimes insulin. This is not a problem because pregnant women who have the risk factors for diabetes are screened for diabetes as soon as they reach 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy.

Larry Deeb, an endocrinologist has this word of wisdom for pregnant women. They need to know what their blood sugar is and they need to be sure it is normal in order to protect the baby. This is important because the obesity risk among children whose mothers had high blood sugar level but were treated lowered the risk to the same level of children whose mothers had normal blood sugar level.

Type 2 Diabetes Cause Found, A Different One

2011-06-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Type 2 diabetes cause especially when American scientists found a third anomaly that may be behind the development of type 2 diabetes intrigued me. I tried hard to follow it up knowing that if there is such a cause, can a cure be far behind? It has been drilled into our heads that being overweight and obesity as the cause. We know that the body cells fail to regulate blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes properly, this much we know.

This occurred because of improper working of the beta cells in the pancreas and the inability of the insulin to work properly on the tissues. But in the new study at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Oregon Health & Science University, the scientists discovered that the glucose-sensing neurons have a part in the development of diabetes.

Dr. Bradford Lowell, a professor at Harvard Medical School, said they knew all along there were neurons in the brain that become excited by glucose but they didn't know the significance of this. The new study is the first one to show these neurons respond by returning the blood sugar level to normal.

All that said, I waited for some follow-up on this but didn’t find any so I tried to do some research and I found quite a few and one was even controversial. But what I want to let you know right off the bat was the warning I saw to the effect that if you are taking insulin, do not stop doing so and keep on checking your blood glucose levels unless of course your doctor tells you otherwise.

Type 2 diabetes can still be cured, thank goodness but the thing that I found controversial was that this condition is not caused by being overweight. And the author of this said that it is because scientists get a lot of data and sometimes they do not know how to interpret them. You can find more to read about what causes diabetes here.

Let us make this a little clearer. What they say is that there is some kind of confusion because what causes overweight and obesity is the same thing that leads to diabetes. What is that, you asked? It is the bad fats that is the culprit. A specific example of this is margarine.

So you see, the link between being overweight and diabetes is statistical and not a causal relationship. Instead it is a common cause relationship and the claim is that they do hardly discuss the common cause relationship because they are paid to sell drugs.

And here’s another thing that causes type 2 diabetes. Our diets have extra oils that are man-made known as trans fats. These get into our cell walls and damage the electrical charge smothering the cells and slowing down the process of letting nutrition in and the waste out. Insulin therefore has a hard time passing through the cell wall full of trans fats. And that my friends is a type 2 diabetes cause.

Surgery for Diabetes, Can It Help?

2011-05-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

Surgery for diabetes, some surgeons found out that with a form of gastric bypass for Type 2 diabetes, showed that some of these patients no longer had diabetes after the surgery. Duodenal exclusion is the name of the surgery and was done on Type 2 diabetes patients between the ages of 20m and 30.

These patients had a BMI of between 22 and 34 kg/m squared. The upper small intestine was removed leading to the stomach feeding directly into the mid-small intestine. What does this mean? There is a reduction in the time that the body has to take in the calories from the food.

Dr. Iain Frame, the research manager at Diabetes UK said that is not easy to make any firm conclusion from this study because it has a small number of subjects which is seven at the time of accessing this news item. Out of these only two cases have been followed up.

Since the food intake has been considerably reduced, one explanation could be that with the insulin the patients were still producing, these patients were able to manage . Another explanation could be that perhaps deflecting the food away from certain parts of the intestine may have changed how the hormones work.

The advice is to consider surgery for diabetes only as a last option especially that one can lose weight and prevent diabetes by eating healthy foods along with exercise. Weight Loss Surgery sounds like a pipe dream but it’s not. You can keep your eyes and ears open for more on this.

Diabetes is a highly challenging condition. With the need to check the blood sugar a lot and avoid some carbs and the danger of complication risk, it is no wonder some diabetic can become frustrated and depressed. Some are lucky to be able to control their condition through diet and exercise.

Others need medication in addition to diet and exercise. Still others, especially those who are already disciplined in following all the advice, need more. So with the researchers exploring new options, let’s make sure we hear of them, especially this surgery for diabetes.

Diabetes Monitored with Alert Dog's Help

2011-01-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

Diabetes monitored with the help of a dog? The dog will help monitor the blood sugar level. This may be a good idea, but $5000 for an alert dog? Perhaps it's good to compare that with the continuous monitoring system. Mind you there have been reports of dogs saving the life of some with a hypoglycemic attack.

Let us take the example of Kristin Rogers who is from North Carolina. She has been a longtime diabetics so she knows the danger of low blood sugar. There are other high tech methods in the market to monitor it but she relies on a golden retriever named Maggie.

It helps that Kristin likes dogs . This helps so it was easy for her to decide to get a golden retriever. After a few months of working with Maggie, Kristin learned to read the signals the alert dog sends her. One time she was cross because the dog kept coming up to the bed where Maggie was. Kristin therefore decided to check her blood sugar and sure enough found she was low.

So while science has not really proven that alert dogs can be such a help, the companies that breed and train them say the dogs are so sensitive to smell that they are able to detect the blood sugar level. Dr. Jean Dostou, the endocrinologist at UNC Health Care said that longtime diabetics can fail to see the signs of low blood sugar.

Dr. Dostou said that the longtime diabetics have lost their epinephrine response so are unable to get the same kind of symptoms that can warn them of low blood sugar. Sometimes her parents have to call her in the middle of the night to remind her to check her blood sugar level.

Kristin Rogers said it happened to her several times that she did not recognize any warning and so she did not wake up to go to work. She didn't even wake up to take her son to school because she was very low. She did not like that to happen to her so she opted to use an alert dog.

Dr. Dostou said that Kristin is the first one she knows who used the alert dog so she cannot say that dogs are effective just like the other methods of monitoring devices. She did admit that dogs can possibly be attuned to her owner's behavior and that may be a warning sign.

Kristin did encounter some challenges with Maggie. For one thing, she had to undergo three weeks of intensive training. Then there is the fact that Maggie is another mouth to feed. Then there is the extra energetic person she has to keep up with. But she needs the exercise so she does not mind this.

There are not too many companies that train dogs to recognize the low blood sugar level. And the cost as mentioned above is around $5000. Insurance may pay for part of the cost. In this case then it may be a good idea to have an alert dog trained in recognizing the symptoms of low sugar in diabetes.

Sleep Duration May be Affected by Inflammation

2011-01-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

Sleep duration, either too much or too little may be affected by inflammation as shown in the U.S. study that included 614 participants. In the past, studies had linked both long and short duration with a higher risk for diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity and death.

The same thing has been noted linking chronic elevations in inflammation-regulating cytokines with an increased risk of health issues such as diabetes and heart disease. Thus the researchers found the association between inflammation and sleep duration.

Participants in this particular study were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their sleep habits. To do this, the participants were asked to spend one night in a sleep lab. The mean sleep duration calculated in the sleep lab was 6.2 hours while the mean sleep duration reported by the participants was 7.6 hours.

Every additional hour of sleep duration that was reported by the participants was associated with a 7% increase in levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as an 8 percent increase in levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). Both of these are inflammation-regulating cytokines.

As for every additional hour of sleep reduction that was verified in the sleep lab, it was found to be associated with an 8% increase in tumor necrosis factor. The tumor necrosis factor is another inflammation-regulating cytokine which affirms the previous finding.

They also found that those who had longer sleep duration were considerably younger and whereas the short sleep duration was linked with an increased incidence of hypertension, diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea. This fact alone will encourage people to have longer sleep duration.

Assistant professor of medicine, Dr. Sanjay R. Patel who was also the lead author of the study said that the most surprising finding was that there were different relationships that were based on how sleep was measured. Let us see how this will affect the way it was covered.

Patel and associates said the different patterns of association with cytokine levels may indicate that the sleep duration reported seems to show chronic (long term) sleep while sleep duration reported in the lab show sleep pattern were acute or short term.

There is also concern that the two ways of measuring the duration of sleep may be affected in different ways by some underlying factors like mood or stress, sleep habits. These of course will have a direct effect on the cytokine levels. There is more information on sleep and diabetes in this article.

http://www.free-symptoms-of-diabetes-alert.com/article114.html
Another study reported that those who do not have enough sleep and those who have too much sleep may become at high risk for diabetes and other diseases. This is quite a surprise to me as I thought people have different needs for sleep.

Some can get by with five hours while others need more. So does this mean those who require only five hours of sleep are at risk to develop those conditions? This of course does not clarify very well these relationships as it is said at the end that too much sleep will also increase the risk for diabetes. Thus ends my research on sleep duration.

Diabetes Insurance Plan Cuts Cost of Having Diabetes

2010-12-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Diabetes insurance reduces costs was the headline last year but I am concerned that with the cutback being contemplated, this may suffer its demise. Not without a fight though if we can help it. While the powers that be are thinking of ways and means of reducing debt by touching Medicare and social security, we can do our part to ensure this will not happen.

I remember being so happy at the new insurance plan reported last year. It was such a win-win situation for the diabetics. The premium will not only be reduced but also the one insured will get free coaching and drugs and supplies. The employers were supposed to foot the bill! And diabetes management will get a boost!

Not being a diabetic, I don't know if every employer signed up for this kind of health insurance for their employees. That would be the best way for we know that many people with type 2 diabetes pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars out of pocket every year to cover their share of the cost of drugs, testing supplies, and doctor visits that keep the disease in check.

Having serious complications, can make the costs even exponentially higher for both patients and the companies that employ them. The insurance giant UnitedHealthcare developed a new health plan at that time targeting specifically at employees who have diabetes or are at risk for developing it.

Providing the workers coaching and extra financial help to put a stop to or manage diabetes, the insurer is helping both the employees and their employers save money. It is an open debate as to how much the employers will save but it is clear that the employees will benefit from this arrangement. United said the employers have so far absorbed the higher insurance cost.

The workers who have diabetes and enroll in the plan will get free diabetic supplies and drugs. Their co-payments on doctor visits for exams and regular screenings along with the free diabetic drugs and supplies can save the employees approximately $500 annually.

In addition, they also receive free coaching so they learn to manage their diabetes more effectively. Those who enrolled and are at risk to develop diabetes will also receive savings on exams and screenings. They can also get access to a program of weight management.

Now we know that any program that will help people with diabetes improve manage their condition and reward them for it is indeed very encouraging. The employers and the those responsible for this must believe in the precept that I adhere to. Those who will help enough people get what they want will also get everything in life they want.

This is important especially amidst the troubling statistics regarding childhood obesity that because of this, one of three children born in 2000 has a chance of developing diabetes. It is therefore a good thing that when United Health Care tested this, about 75% said they'll do it.

There is so much enthusiasm but we know in any program such as this, there are some obstacles to overcome. For instance, how long will the employers agree to this when the economy is hurting them too? There are things we can do. We can adhere to eating healthy and exercising so we at least have something going for us if circumstances put a break on this diabetes insurance.

Insurance woes common for diabetes patients: the high-deductible policies that are increasing in popularity 'really hit people with diabetes.'.(Practice ... An article from: Internal Medicine News

Diabetes Care - What Do the Egg Nutrition Center and American Egg Board Say on Egg Consumption?

2010-12-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Diabetes care in relation to egg consumption is an issue that is back again. The debate on whether eggs are good or not for the diabetics began when a research found that eating too many eggs is related to the diabetes risk increase which is a shame because eggs have nutritional benefits.

In the case of the nutritional value of eggs, a large body of science is on the egg side. For one thing, eggs contain a high quality of protein that promotes muscle strength, energy and growth. The nutritional value of eggs cannot be denied just like for milk. Some even use eggs for weight management purposes.

Eggs also have important nutrients that are shown to lower the risk of neural tube birth defects. In addition, they are supposedly good at promoting eye health. In this connection, an article was published that reported the link between egg consumption and type 2 diabetes.

To arrive at the conclusion, the researchers examined the collected data from the Physicians' Health Study 1. Finding that consuming eggs was connected to a greater incidence of type 2 diabetes was quite unexpected. Why? Because we've known all along the nutritional benefit of eggs.

That is also why, there is a need for more studies on this issue. Now if the other subsequent studies will arrive at the same conclusion, it is time to see if lessening the consumption of eggs will do the same. However, until they do so, it is good to continue to enjoy eating eggs especially the study did not really address the biological mechanism that contributed to the result in their findings.

There are also other factors that could have given meaning to the conclusion. Besides there were other issues left unaddressed like the BMI question, the age of the participants, smokers versus non-smokers, drinkers between non- drinkers. The researchers were cognizant of the limitations to the point the conclusion may have been just related to unhealthy lifestyle.

Now what does the American Egg Board say about this? The AEB is the link between the consumers and the egg producers and consists of 18 members with 18 alternates from all over the country. The secretary of agriculture appointed these people. I was disappointed not to see their take on the result of the study but probably because it has the Egg Nutrition Center that provides necessary information on the role the eggs play on the diet.

That's it. There are two commissions for you whose take on the study linking egg consumption to increased risk in type 2 diabetes is not available at least in this article. Keep tuned for I will research on this further so as to get clear direction regarding egg intake on diabetes care.

Health Insurance for Kids Passed

2010-12-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

Health insurance for children passed. It is just ridiculous not to have it. I knew the president, either Obama or Clinton, would do this presidential act. I am writing about this again because I am concerned from what I am hearing about revamping the health insurance and we may lose what we got. Losing this coverage will be difficult to swallow especially for parents if their child has diabetes.

What will happen to the millions more children of lower-income parents who were supposed to gain health coverage under an expansion of State Children's Health Insurance Program that President Obama signed into law? Are they going to lose this coverage? There is so much rhetoric, it is not easy to sift through the fine print.

I remember clearly it was Wednesday when the House of Representatives voted 290-135 in favor of the legislation. Then the Senate followed suit and in late January and passed the bill on a 66-32 vote. I like what President Obama said that we are not a nation that will leave families having a difficult time to fend for themselves.

President Obama is right to say that "No child in America should be receiving primary care in the emergency room in the middle of the night." This is a program that will take care of the children in families that cannot qualify for Medicaid and who at the same time, cannot afford private insurance.

The president did promise to cover all Americans and so he said passing the health insurance to cover the children is a kind of down payment for that promise. The trouble is now he may be forced to give up some of what he is hoping for just to keep the government functioning.

The economic stimulus plan tried to make investment in health care. This includes funds for states so that program cuts can be avoided. With the recession costing a lot of families losing their jobs, this would have been such a welcome break. The president of the American Medical Association at that time, Dr. Nancy Nielson, agreed.

Due to the increase in unemployment, more children have probably been added to the list of the uninsured. This of course puts increasing pressure on state health-care programs. The new law will enable states to extend health care coverage to more children of parents who cannot afford the insurance but earn more than what is allowed to qualify for Medicaid.

A senior fellow by the name of Edwin Park analyzed the health policy at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said the law will help the states because before this law they have not been able to figure out what to do regarding health coverage for children.

The law is supposed to get through to fiscal 2013 with 4.1 million children gaining coverage who will join the 6.7 million children who are already on the program. Tobacco products will be taxed at a higher rate and this is supposed to fund the health coverage for children.

President Bush was noted to have vetoed two times similar expansions. He complained that it would lead to the federalization of the health care system. Other critics also said that the standards to qualify are too broad and so the children who are already on private insurance will move to the public one.

Now you can see why I am so concerned that we will take a step backward on this very important issue. That is why I am writing about this so that we can all get together and not lose what we have already gained in the form of the children's health insurance.

Diabetes and Peanut Allergy Compared

2010-12-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

Diabetes and Peanut Allergy is a topic I wanted to write on as I remember the FDA peanut recall expanded last year. There were quite a few peanut product manufacturers who came out in the open to volunteer to recall their products before the FDA could do so.

That was also around the time when the I was so glad insurance for children passed. It is just ridiculous not to have it. I knew the president, either Obama or Clinton, would do this presidential act. Gaining this coverage is such a welcome relief for parents especially if their child had diabetes.

After doing quite a bit of research in the form of documentary analysis I was quite surprised at the interesting result I found. It is that the children who suffer from peanut allergy may be more stressed out and anxious about their condition than the diabetic children.

Natalie J. Avery reported this at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's annual meeting. How did they come up with these findings? Well they based it on the data they gathered from the questionnaires given to 7 - 12 year old children, all forty of them.

The participants were divided into two groups. The twenty children who were allergic to peanuts were in one group while the other twenty children who were dependent on insulin were in another group. The children were asked to complete the questionnaire where high scores showed lower quality of life.

The researchers started with a hypothesis that the quality of life will be similar for the two groups. Much to their surprise the findings indicated that the children who were allergic to peanuts had worse quality of life than the other group.

You don't believe me? Well, here are the statistics: The peanut allergy group had a mean score of 55 and 54. This was reported by the University of Southampton's (in England) medical student, Ms. Avery. These were higher scores than the diabetic children whose scores were 46 and 35.

Just in case you're still skeptical of these findings due to the ages of the children involved, for which I don't blame you, the participants received cameras for 24 hours. Here they recorded how they were affected by either the diabetes or the peanut allergy.

They described the meanings of the photos and how they felt. It showed that the children who were allergic to peanuts were more afraid of getting allergic reaction than the diabetic children of getting hyperglycemia. The peanut group of children said that they have to be more careful of what they eat than the diabetic children.

They further reported that they feel more in danger than the diabetic children. They also worry more about being away from home. In addition they said that they have more restrictions as to the activities they participate in. Their life is more threatened and the fact that they cannot prevent being exposed to peanuts make them feel less in control.

How about you? Do you agree with these findings? Whether you agree or not, it would be nice to get the basis of your agreement or disagreement. As for me, I kind of think of this as something positive for the diabetic children.
And that's the comparison between diabetes and peanut allergy.

Exercise Improves Quality of Life

2010-12-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Exercise improves the quality of life is a given. It is one of those things we should do on the unconscious competence level. This means that it should be automatically done. There should really be no resistance whatsoever in having to exercise. It is not even that we are asked to do much for walking around the block is acceptable.

It is easy to see how exercising improves one's quality of life. Not only does it make one be more energetic but also it boosts one's health and well-being. In a study, women who were sedentary claimed they had a lot more energy after they started exercising. They also experienced being in better mood than before getting active.

What was even surprising was that the more exercise they indulged in, the better they felt. And get a load of this: Even ten minutes of daily exercise gave them added benefits when you think of the quality of life they acquired. One of the authors of the study, Tim Church who is also Pennington Biomedical Research Center's director of preventive medicine research, agreed.

The women in the study were more self-assured in doing their work activities daily like carrying in bags of groceries, keeping up with their grandchildren and climbing the stairways. It was the same thing in their social interaction. They improved in this aspect too even though some did not lose weight.

Now the above benefits are just the physical manifestation of the benefit for there are more, like in lower blood pressure level. The regular physical exercise also reduced the risks of diabetes, cancer and heart disease although it mentioned that the cholesterol level also was reduced.

We have to be careful about lowering the cholesterol level because there is a new study in town that says this could affect the cognitive functioning of the brain. Perhaps, this could be the start of our talk with the doctor. Or what I will do is strike the happy medium. I will have to lower the cholesterol level only up to a certain point.

This is what Tim Church and company did. They signed up 430 women who were both postmenopausal and sedentary. They assigned them to any of four groups. One is the group that did not do any exercise. One exercise group had to walk briskly or got on the stationary bike for just over an hour per week. Another group did the same but for a little more than two hours and the third one, you guessed it, did three hours a week.

The women had to complete questionnaires at the start and end of the study to check on the improvement. And the improvement is something that these women appreciate because they improved in all areas like energy, agility, physical and mental health as well as emotional health.

The only area they did not report improvement on was when it comes to pain in the body but then they did not report much of this at the start. The group that reported the most improvement was the three-hour a week group.
Suffice is to say that regular physical activity is our friend and we should keep it that way because it looks like it improves all areas of our life. So it's not really how long your life is but how well you live that life. So do you exercise?

Diabetes in Children Gets Tremendous Boost

2010-11-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Diabetes in children issue gets help from this great resource not only for the child with diabetes but also for the parents and caretakers who have to look after him. Not only will the child get a toy in Rufus the Bear but also he will get a monitor and diabetes bracelet and other materials. The only thing that bugs me with this is that the child in order to qualify will have been diagnosed only in the last three months.

It is confusing and somewhat scary to learn your child has type 1 diabetes. It is not easy to explain this to the child especially if you have to teach him about blood testing, proper eating habits and injections. Thank goodness for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Illinois which has developed a tool to help educate children and their families.

This tool is called the Bag of Hope which contains a lot of materials that help those who take care of diabetic children. This bag is in the form of backpacks that are given free to children who have been diagnosed with diabetes. And get this, it is only for those who have been diagnosed in the past 3 months.

Here's what the backpack contains:

Rufus Comes Home Book
A stuffed toy called Rufus, the Bear with Diabetes
A booklet regarding carbohydrate counting and healthy habits, entitled "A First Book for Understanding Diabetes."
A keychain digital watch and compass
A DVD on "You Can't Catch Diabetes from a Friend"
Accu-Chek® Aviva Compact Blood Meter.

Carol Cramer created Rufus the Bear in 1996. She created this two years after her son Brian who was three years old then was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. To help children know about the sites for injection and how to rotate them, Carol placed patches on Rufus arms, tummy, bottom and legs.

The fun part for the children is when they pretend to give Rufus an injection. There are also red patches on both sides of Rufus paws so that a child can pretend to check his blood glucose. Rufus also always wears a Medic Alert bracelet. Read more diabetes facts at this site.

"Rufus Comes Home" is about a young boy named Brian who is type 1 diabetic. This was inspired by the Rufus the Bear creation. The story tells of Brian's mother who made the Rufus for him so that Brian will learn to come to know about his diabetes.

H. Peter Chace, M.D. wrote the "A First Book for Understanding Diabetes". Dr. Chace was the past executive of the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Denver, Colorado. He is also the clinical director and the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from JDRF.

The mission of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Illinois (JDRF Illinois) is to find a diabetes cure through supporting research. To find a cure for the complications is also part of its mission. This organization is amazing because it provides education and support for families and those who have type 1 diabetes.

JDRF Illinois is the highest grossing chapter in the country. They have events like The Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes where they raise funds to be able to accomplish their mission. They also have the Chance of Lifetime Gala. Annually, JDRF Illinois contributes $14 million to fund research that will find a cure to type 1 diabetes and its complications. Certainly, it's great help to solve the challenges of diabetes in children.

Type 2 Diabetes Classes

2010-11-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

Type 2 diabetes classes were held to help the type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar level. For example, The University of Florida/ IFAS Bay County Extension conducted a series of classes and may likely be holding these classes again. The program will include eight classes taught by qualified educators and health professionals.

Nutrition consultations with a registered dietitian and blood pressure measurements are included. Classes were held from March 2 to April 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. Classes were held at the Bay County Library Meeting Room, located at 898 W. 11th St.

I do not know if there are diabetes classes again this year but if you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, are at least 21 years old, and want to see if you are eligible, please call the Extension office at 784-6105 no later than Feb. 25. The $75 cost includes program materials and services. There were a limited number of partial scholarships available for those in need.

“Pursuit to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (As Amended) this University of Florida Affirmative Action Plan ensures equal employment opportunity and advancement opportunity to all individuals.

The University does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, disability, family care status, protected veterans status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.

Free Diabetes Classes Offered
The Diabetes Health Department at Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) recognized last year the American Diabetes Month by hosting two free diabetes events in November. A registered nurse and a registered dietician were available to answer questions and provide information on what diabetes is, how to control it, and what to do to lower the risks of diabetes.

diabetes. All attendees received free diabetes handouts and giveaways.

Diabetes is a serious disease that leads to potentially life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputation. November is American Diabetes Month, a time to communicate the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of prevention and control.
Join PPH and the American Diabetes.

Diabetes is a very common medical condition, yet individuals with diabetes often do not have enough information to help them make wise decisions regarding the foods they eat, their management of medications, avoiding foot and eye problems, and getting enough exercise. These topics were addressed at “Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes,” a two-day course targeted to individuals with Type 2 Diabetes.

New Mexico Senator Asked FDA to Ban Aspartame Use in USA

2010-11-08T05:01:00.000-08:00

Diabetics have an advocate in the New Mexico Senator. Why did I say that? It is because this senator mentioned how the diabetics have fallen victims to aspartame when this was cited in the Hawaii request for the approval of the use of this artificial sweetener be withdrawn.

Last year, NM Senator Ortiz y Pino wrote a letter to Dr. Frank Torti who was acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. He requested that approval for the use of Aspartame be cancelled. Why am I revisiting this issue? I still see this artificial sweetener around and so I thought if more people jumped in and joined the voices, the collective cry would be heard.

From 1966 to 1981, FDA turned down the application of G.D. Searle but due to the insistence of Donald Rumsfeld, Searle CEO, the approval was forced through the FDA. Since then, there were numerous petitions from doctors and laymen alike but all these have been ignored.

The answer to all these petitions was the assurance that tests have been conducted where aspartame has been shown as safe. The trouble is that there are 92 alleged symptoms that have developed from using aspartame. This cannot be ignored when planning meals for the diabetics.

Among the symptoms are blurred vision, headaches, epilepsy, skin rashes multiple sclerosis and death. Having been shown to produce such a huge mountain of neurodengenerative and medical proof, the New Mexico senator believed that this would result in Dr. Torti to order its removal from the market.

Senator Ortiz further said that this is too late to make the removal just a precaution but believed that it is urgent its removal will prevent more medical harm to victims in the future. He mentioned that ten colleagues of his have cosponsored this.

Senator Chun Oakland from Hawaii also introduced this and cosponsored by ten members of the Hawaii Senate. This resolution will be the repository of evidence for the victims in Hawaii particularly the diabetics and those with seizures.

Last year, Senator Kalani English from Hawaii introduced SB576 that would totally ban aspartame in Hawaii. He had the backing of 14 out of the 25 members of the Hawaii Senate. Mele Carroll, a representative, also introduced HB669 banning the sale and use of aspartame in Hawaii.

Needless to say, the American public has to be protected from further harm. After all, Senator Ortiz said FDA has known for four decades and three years that this chemical is metabolized as aspartic acid, methanol, phenylalanine formaldehyde, and diketopiperazine, which has been proven as a carcinogen.

Let us all do the right thing and put the public health and well being top of the list while setting aside whatever private agenda we have in mind. After all health is an important asset for any nation to preserve if it has any hope to prosper. Those in office should say, "My loyalty to the party should end where my loyalty to the country begins." On this my cry is, help the diabetics.

Diabetes Early Signs

2010-11-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

Diabetes early signs is a topic that has been written numerous times but it bears repeating for fear that some are not able to process this due to a busy schedule. The important thing is to have this caught early so strategies can be put in place to ward off the dreaded complications.

Sometimes the symptoms do not appear until the damage has been done. Listen to the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association which is for adults 45 years and over to get tested every three years. This was the figure the last time I checked and I will keep on the alert on this and other issues pertaining to diabetes because changes happen so fast.

So if there is anyone of you who has found a different figure, step up and let us know because we are all on this together and we have to help each other spread the word. We have to rely on one another and what a good time to start this cooperative spirit on this the first day of diabetes month.

Type 1 diabetes is the more serious and the symptoms may just come up suddenly while type 2 diabetes starts slowly and it may take years before the symptoms can appear. Sometimes, it is just diagnosed on a routine medical examination when a complication appears.

So you see, many do not know they have this condition. That is why it is wise to heed the recommendation of the American Diabetes Association to get tested. The key to stay healthy is to get a regular check up for one can easily fight this condition more easily earlier than later.

The diabetes early signs are unexplained hunger, unusual thirst and frequent urination. Due to the inability to utilize the carbohydrate consumption and synthesize the energy, people tire easily. For some, despite consuming large meals, weight loss occurs. To make matter worse, the symptoms are not the same for everybody.

There may also be itchiness and bacterial infections. Those with diabetes may also develop sores that do not easily heal. It is the same thing with cuts and wounds. Hands and feet may feel numb so extra care should be given to the feet. They have to be protected from burns and injuries.

We hope that people will listen and get themselves tested especially those who are at risk. It is only if we heed this recommendation can we stay healthy. This is the only reason we are keeping this blog and the website open. So get tested even before the appearance of the diabetes early signs.

Children With Diabetes Endangered by Nurse Shortages

2010-10-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

Children with diabetes are the victims of nurse shortages. This was reported last year by Diabetes UK and I wanted to revisit it because of the increased risk on the diabetic kids when it comes to hypoglycemic events and long term complications like kidney failure, amputation and blindness because of the shortage in PDSNs (pediatric diabetes specialist nurses).

After doing an extensive research on this issue, I found that the nurse shortage is still real. Special mention however, must be made on a study that concluded the PDSN has an important role in educating the children with diabetes as well as their parents and others who take care of them.

This key role is not substantiated by the overloaded assignments of the nurses. In England, they look after more than 150 children. This is double than the number of the recommended 70 in order to be able to do a good job. The large number of caseload these nurses have to do will not allow enough time to do everything that has to be done.

Just gathering the data alone on where each kid is at, takes time. Then putting all the data together to arrive at the necessary steps to improve the condition takes time too. Then they have to teach these kids, their parents and those who care for them how to manage the diabetes in a most effective manner.

Each child is different and has therefore his own needs. These individual needs have to be addressed and should be given attention as to the individualized support and advice needed for optimum benefit. It is clear that getting such a huge caseload will not meet the needs of the children with diabetes.

The report shows that the caseload of the PDSN has risen since 2007. In fact, less than 7% of PCTs have improved the caseload. This is not right when one considers that over 80% of children with diabetes have not been able to achieve the blood glucose level that is recommended.

This fact should be considered as a priority. These specialist nurses play a key role in the management and care and without them, these children are going to suffer. Let us therefore hear the cry of those who need this badly so we can help our future generation among these children with diabetes.

Exercise May Be Best for Diabetes Prevention

2010-10-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

Exercise, experts say, may be the best option to prevent diabetes. They say that an intense workout for a few minutes may do it. Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University did a study on this and found that sedentary cases who exercise hard for just 7.5 minutes a week improved their health significantly.

The researchers asked the men to ride a stationary bike for 15 minutes on a two-week period. They found that these men improved the way they metabolize glucose. As a result, they lowered their blood glucose levels. That is why the researchers recommend that people try to do four to six 30-second sessions of intense workout two times a week to obtain the blood glucose benefit.

The question is how does exercise prevent diabetes? Researchers from Yale found that intense workout is more effective than the one done leisurely in controlling and preventing diabetes. They had three groups of healthy but sedentary 72 year old women who were not obese to do some amount of exercise.

They asked one group to do hard training of 80% of aerobics, the second group to do moderate (60%) exercise and the third group to do easy (50%) exercise. They all did the same amount of work and burned 300 calories per bout. The group that did the intense type of workout showed a great improvement to metabolize sugar and curtailed the formation of fat.

Needless to say, but I am going to say it anyway, is that the ones who did the low intensity exercise did not benefit as much as the intense group did. This could only mean that intense workout can aid in helping in not only preventing diabetes but also in treating it. There are some data on diabetes and exercise here.

Here’s how the researchers explained it. As soon as the meal is over is the time when the most tissue damage happens. In other words, this is the time when the blood sugar rises to the highest level. You see, right after we eat, the glucose goes from the intestine into the blood stream. Now we know that the only storage areas for the glucose is the liver and the muscles.

So when the muscles are not exercised, they are full of sugar so the extra glucose after eating has nowhere else to go after it gets into the bloodstream. Now when the muscles are exercised, the stored sugar is emptied out, leaving room for the new glucose.

So after eating, the glucose that goes to the intestines and the blood stream can go to the muscles right away. This therefore prevents the rise in the blood glucose level. This makes sense, doesn’t it? This is indeed an exciting news because it holds some kind of promise that there can be help indeed in making the blood sugar behave better.

The important part of this study is that the more intense the exercise is, the greater the benefit is by way preventing the development of diabetes. And if the diabetes is already present, the greater is the ability to control or manage it. Cautionary measure though should be taken. Intense exercise could be bad for someone with certain kind of conditions so consult with the doctor before embarking on a regimen of intense exercise.

Diabetes Drugs, What’s in the Pipeline

2010-10-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Diabetes drugs have for their goal to get the blood glucose levels of patients under control. There is one that does this with a side effect of weight loss. These drugs are called GLP1 agonists. Mind you, just because they say this, it does not mean that we will take their words as gospel truth. We still have to monitor our body's reaction to this drug.

That said, with approximately 90% of those with type 2 diabetes being obese or overweight, then this side effect could be a blessing as long as we keep our wit about us so that this does not turn out to be more than a blessing in disguise. We have to be careful when it comes to how is diabetes treated.

Are there fewer injections now and more sales of drugs? That's what we hear and that's what studies are telling us. Byetta, for example, just made $679 million in sales one year when it has been in the market since 2005. They say that the main cause for this poor performance (although it is not so in my book) is because it has to be injected two times a day.

I can understand why the twice a day injection will turn people off especially when there are oral drugs that work well at keeping the blood glucose levels within the target range. More especially now with the drug that promises weight loss on top of the blood glucose control.

There are other drugs as well and I am not 100% sure at what stage they are in when it comes to the Food and Drug Administration’s say-so. They have become more cautious and rightly so in the wake of the fiasco involving GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia and the potential heart problems they may cause.

The last time I looked, a number has been trying to develop a once a week version. This should not pose a major challenge except that with the development of any drugs, anything goes or nothing is certain. There are quite a few in the pipeline at different stages of clinical trials but as to which one will ultimately get the FDA nod, I will not hazard a guess.

The article I read has a list of diabetes treatment that I like because it will give us an option as to the form of treatment we need. It could be oral or to be injected and even with the last one, there is a choice as to the number of injections one can tolerate.

Actually those developing a drug that will be injected are taking a chance for people usually do not like sticking a needle in various parts of their body. So those whose researches are underway can still fall flat on their faces. The thing is diabetes is here to stay for awhile so these pharmaceutical companies will keep developing diabetes drugs.

Diabetes Rising Among Children

2010-10-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Type 1 diabetes can double in twenty years. It looks like it is rising at 3% each year. The question is why. This brings me to the book I want to share with you. This book tries hard to demystify this mysterious rise by investigating the scientific hypotheses. Interested? I thought you would.

Let us get to the statistical background first. Type 1 diabetes is now double the figure we had in the 1980s. Compared to 100 years ago, it is ten to twenty times more common. It is widely known and accepted that type 2 diabetes is on the increase as well but the increase in type 1 has not been given much attention.

Enter Dan Hurley who is an award-winning reporter who put together proof from studies that have been published and came out with DIABETES RISING: How A Rare Disease Became A Modern Pandemic, And What To Do About It. He mentioned the studies that documented the rise of type 1 diabetes

While researching for his book, he was shocked to find out that type 1 is rising as quickly as type 2. He thinks that this has not been given much media attention because it does not match the idea that it is a super-disease that is not common and is due to a genetic predisposition.

Genes of course has not changed so it must be something to do with the change in lifestyle or the environment. He sought the explanation with this and so the book looks at some scientific hypotheses that could shed the light on the mysterious increase. Here are the five leading ones:

1. The hypothesis on the cow’s milk exposure in the infant milk formula during the first six months of the baby’s life can inflict harm to the immune system.

2. The accelerator hypothesis claims that the fast increase in children’s height and weight has put the cells that produce insulin under stress and so has increased the propensity to develop type 1.

3. The hypothesis on hygiene claims that the lack of exposure to agents that cause disease that once were common leads autoimmune hypersensitivity which results in the damage to the beta cells that produce insulin.

4. The sunshine hypothesis as the name indicates claims that more time now spent indoors has reduced sunlight exposure and vitamin D is which is now linked to increased risk for type 1 diabetes.

5. The hypothesis on exposure persistent organic pollutants or POP increases the risk not only for type 2 diabetes but for type 1 as well.

There you have the five hypotheses. I have not made up my mind which of those can graduate into becoming theories. What do you think? One thing I am sure though. We have to increase our awareness to this and continue to work on getting them eliminated so that we can stop the rising statistics on type 1 diabetes.

Blood Pressure When Lowered Decreased Risk for Kidney Disease

2010-09-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

Blood pressure, lowering it that is, was raised in the recent research that the type 2 diabetics should be considered to have antihypertensive treatment. Why? Because they found out that of the 11,140 diabetic patients in their study, the risk for kidney disease was reduced by 21%. The risk was also decreased among those who did not have high blood pressure.

There is also news that lowering the blood pressure provided some help to type 2 diabetes patients. For these patients, lowering the blood pressure with perindopril-indapamide lowered the risk for kidney disease as well. This is how they found this out.

The guidelines suggest that the type 2 diabetics should have systolic pressure under 130 according to Rhonda M. Cooper-DeHoff, who also has PharmD and is associate professor of medicine and pharmacy at Gainesville's University of Florida.

She conducted a study on this very issue and found out that those whose systolic pressures were moderately controlled did just as well as those whose blood pressure was under tight control. Systolic pressure of course is the upper of the two numbers that represents the maximum pressure applied when the heart contracts.

The researchers studied the possible benefits of getting the blood pressure below the present recommendations for the diabetics which is 130 mm Hg/80 mm Hg as well as for nephropathy which is 125 mm Hg/75 mm Hg. The examiners followed these people up for the mean figure of 4.3 years.

Here's another side of this story. The guidelines suggest that the type 2 diabetics should have systolic pressure under 130 according to Rhonda M. Cooper-DeHoff, who also has PharmD and is associate professor of medicine and pharmacy at Gainesville's University of Florida.

She conducted a study on this very issue and found out that those whose systolic pressures were moderately controlled did just as well as those whose blood pressure was under tight control. Systolic pressure of course is the upper of the two numbers that represents the maximum pressure applied when the heart contracts. You will get more information on hypertension right here.

The number of participants included 11,140 diabetics who also were in the ADVANCE study. The patients were randomly assigned to take a placebo or a combination of perindopril-indapamide. The researchers found out that those patients who were assigned to the blood pressure-lowering drugs decreased their risk for kidney disease by 21%

Those who did not have high blood pressure at the start also reduced their risk for kidney disease when they were given blood pressure-lowering drugs. This finding showed the need for patients to receive antihypertensive treatment even if they had normal blood pressure.

Diabetes and Eating, What Can I Eat?

2010-09-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Diabetes and eating are linked so you can take care of yourself by knowing how much, when and what to eat. A wise choice of food will make you feel good, lower the risk for heart and other problems and lose weight. It will also help keep the blood glucose level within the target range. You will also find some information at Diet for Diabetes.

Find out from your doctor what's your target level and how often you should check your sugar level. You can keep the blood glucose target by eating right, moving more and taking medicine if needed. It is also best to follow a regular schedule for meals and exercise. When and what to eat affect how the medicine you take works.

A small woman who exercises or a small or medium woman who wants to lose weight and a medium-sized woman who does enough exercise may eat 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day. That means 6 starches, 2 fruits, 3 vegetables, 4 to 6 ounces of meat, 2 milk, and up to 3 fats.

A large woman who wants to lose weight, a small man with healthy weight, a medium-sized man or large man who wants to lose weight and a medium-sized man who does enough exercise may eat 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day. That means 8 starches, 3 fruits, 4 vegetables, 4 to 6 ounces of meat, 2 milk, and up to 4 fats.

A large or medium-sized woman who does a lot of exercise with a physically active job, a medium-sized man or large man who exercises a lot and with a physically active job, and a large man with a healthy weight may eat 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day. That means 10 starches, 4 fruits, 4 vegetables, 5 to 7 ounces of meat, 2 milk, and up to 5 fats.

Starches supply fiber, minerals and vitamins and carbohydrates. But eat the healthier ones like whole grains and fat-free variety. Some examples are pasta, bread , potatoes, corn, pretzels, beans, cereal, crackers, rice, tortillas, lentils, yams. Eat something belonging to this groups at each meal.

Vegetables should be a part of every meal as they provide fiber, minerals and vitamins. Examples are broccoli, lettuce, peppers, carrots, spinach, vegetable juice, cabbage, green beans, celery, and tomatoes. For optimum benefit eat them raw or steamed using water or low-fat or fat-free salad dressing.

Fruits also supply us with fiber, minerals and vitamins. Examples are dried fruit, apples, grapefruit, strawberries, oranges, watermelon and so on. Buy the smaller pieces and eat them raw or cooked without adding sugar. Eat more fruits than drinking juice as they have more fiber. The dessert with fruits should be reserved for special events.

Milk supplies us with minerals, vitamins, carbohydrate, calcium and protein but drink the fat-free or low-fat kind. Eat only a limited amount of sweets and fats; they are not as nutritious as the other groups. Fats contain a lot of calories so reducing your fat-intake could lead to weight loss.

The group of meat and meat substitutes includes eggs, cheese, tofu, fish, poultry. You should eat a small amount of this group each day. But eat them the healthy way with the meats trimmed with just a little bit of fat left. Poultry should be eaten without the skin and cook by grilling, broiling, roasting and some other healthy ways.

Due diligence was employed in the writing of this to include the most current information but sometimes new data come along so make sure you get the latest information by getting in touch with FDA. I hope this covers the link between diabetes and eating.

Diabetes Complications Can Be Prevented by Educating Patient

2010-09-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Diabetes complications are what we need to avoid especially approximately one out of eight people in South Carolina, for instance, has diabetes so they are advised to get educated on how to look after their condition in order to avoid complications. There is evidence that complications have been avoided by getting to know what to do and applying this knowledge.

Education is the basis for diabetes care in clinical practice and research. That is why we have the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) which helps spread the word that diabetes is not only common and costly but also that it is serious and controllable. Type 2 diabetes is even preventable.

Here are some of the programs that NDEP has for us. There is the Four Steps to Control Your Diabetes. For Life. The four steps aid in making people understand diabetes to the point they learn to monitor and manage their diabetes that enable them to stay healthy.

Then there is the program called Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your GAME PLAN to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: Information for Patients . This programs comes in three booklets that help people evaluate their risk for developing diabetes. This program also helps to implement a program that will delay or prevent the coming of diabetes. It has a calorie and fat counter and an activity tracker.

Guiding Principles for Diabetes Care is another NDEP program that is focused on diabetes care. It helps the professionals in health care to determine who have pre-diabetes and who are yet undiagnosed. Its mission is to prevent the long term diabetescomplications.

I did this program called Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your GAME PLAN to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Health Care Provider Toolkit in the beginning of this blogspot and it really helped because there are strategies there that give recommendations with the steps to follow in order to delay or prevent the coming of diabetes.

Working Together to Manage Diabetes: A Guide for Pharmacists, Podiatrists, Optometrists, and Dental Professionals, 2007 is an NDEP program that I have not looked at yet but I aim to so I can report on it. Besides, it is not really for diabetics so I can take my time to access it. But I think it is still important to go over it so we can understand our health care team better in their desire prevent diabetes complications.

Glycemic Index, What's In It for You?

2010-09-06T05:37:00.000-07:00

Glycemic index, here we go again for it is playing a role in a study. It looks like eating foods with a low-glycemic index will help maintain the blood glucose level to as normal as possible. This latest study even found this as important as consuming the correct amount of carbohydrates at each meal.

What is glycemic index anyway? It is the measure of how the food affects the blood glucose level. The carbs that quickly break down and let go the glucose to the bloodstream have high GI while those that break down slowly and release the glucose gradually have a low GI.

Studies have shown that blood sugar goes on a roller coaster ride whether we like it or not. This is the problem that can damage the body. It can lead to some chronic diseases. The development of atherosclerosis is particularly a problem so how do we go around this diabetic-diet dilemma?

The key is to control the blood sugar in order to slow down the complications but we have to go farther than this. While it is true that the quantity of carbohydrate is part of managing this issue, the quality of the carbohydrate is as significant as its number. This is where the glycemic index comes in.

The Human Nutrition Unit at Sydney University has a Glycemic Index team that includes Professor Jennie Brand-Miller. This team tested 1126 foods to determine the link between a food's GI and the other factors associated with the glucose level after meals.

This is what they found. The results that the so-called normal response depends on the type of carbohydrate. In order to control the blood sugar, it is wise to consider both the quantity and quality of the carb. It is not enough to say eat more whole grains for this might encourage the diabetics to eat carbohydrates with a high glycemic index.

It is better to say "less" rather than "more" or "low glycemic index" with foods that are rich in carb. So look for the GI symbol on food labels. I don't know if we have this the world over but Australia and New Zealand have this symbol. Opt for lower GI rice. Potatoes have high GI so if you love them, cut back on the amount. So next time you eat, watch out for the glycemic index.

Diabetes Prevention - Health Ministry to Launch War on Diabetes

2010-08-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Diabetes Prevention - a Ten-Year Plan has been instituted by the Abu Dhabi's Ministry of Health to battle the diabetes epidemic. They started their program in 2009 and I will follow their progress from year to year and report it to you from time to time. You see, my plan is to find out if this ten-year plan will be a success and whether we can have this implemented all over the world.

The ten-year plan includes improvement in all areas including facilities, services, education and research. I believe that improvement in all those aspects will certainly contribute to the control and prevention of diabetes. Services and facilities are my two favorite areas to improve.

What spurred the action of the Ministry of Health is the fact that approximately 24% of Emiratis have been diagnosed with diabetes. Compare that figure with the one released by the World Health Organization and you know that the 24% figure is dismal indeed. The global occurrence of diabetes according to WHO is 2.8%.

The plan of the Ministry of Health involves both secondary and primary ways of preventing diabetes. It includes improving the healthcare services for the diabetics and assessment of the research that pertains to diabetes. They will also have patients as well as their families involved in the quality control of the services which is just the right thing to do, don't you think?

The diabetics and their families are in the best position to assess the quality of the services and facilities because they are at the receiving end of both. We do not want anyone to evaluate the quality of services who have not even actually experienced the best of the services or the lack thereof.

Community participation will be encouraged to fight diabetes. The health, psychological and social effects of diabetes will be confronted as well as awareness will be promoted. People will be advised to have test periodically so that early treatment can be started. This will be a crucial part of diabetes prevention.

They planned to have a publicity campaign with the focus on the incidence of diabetes. In fact in 2003, an endocrinologist invited by the Ministry of Health on the program of visiting doctors called diabetes as the "disease of the century." Doctors also expect about half of the people inflicted by this condition do not know they have it.

The growing crisis is the fact that type 2 diabetes is linked to lack of exercise and obesity which are lifestyle risk factors. Diabetes is expected to cost $2.7 billion US a year to treat in 2020. This is according to Daman which is the national health insurer. That is why they instituted a "lifestyle coaching" service so that the burden on the health care system will be reduced.

They had a 5km walk as part of the WALK UAE event. The number of participation doubled so awareness is growing. The walk was organized by the Abu Dhabi's Imperial College of London. They partnered with the Emirates Foundation. You see, they are working hard to make this work - the Ten-Year Plan of Diabetes Prevention.

Diabetes Status Affects Brain Damage in Dementia

2010-08-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Diabetes therapy helpful in dementia? The finding of this study is definitely helpful in determining what to do therapeutically speaking as it is quite revealing how different the injury patterns are between those who have diabetes and those without. This is why we take good care of ourselves. I can't wait to hear what the researchers will do as this opens up doors for discovering treatment options.

Dementia patients who were elderly and were with or without diabetes seem to have definite patterns of cerebral damage. This is according to the study findings that were published in the Archives of Neurology. University of Washington's Joshua A. Sonnen, M.D. in Seattle and his colleagues conducted a wide-ranging neuropathologic evaluation of 259 participants in a community-based study of incident dementia.

The participants underwent autopsies, including 196 with known diabetes status. Among those without dementia, the researchers found that biochemical and neuropathologic end points were the same in the diabetics and those without diabetes.

But among the 71 participants with dementia, the researchers found that the diabetics whose diabetes was treated tended to have more microvascular infarcts. They also had a higher concentration of cortical interleukin-6. Those without diabetics and had dementia tended to have more amyloid-beta peptide. They also had increased levels of F2-isoprostanes in the cerebral cortex.

Among the participants who had dementia and whose diabetes was untreated tended to have more amyloid plaque load. These new characterizations of two different patterns of injury depending on whether they have diabetes or not may have some implications treatment-wise.

The researchers tested the hypothesis that diabetes leads to definite neuropathologic procedures that is a factor to the development of dementia and that this could be suppressed by anti diabetic treatment. That is why they concluded that their findings may have some implications in diabetes therapy.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients May Participate in a Walking Program

2010-08-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a complication that could come along with diabetes. So many millions are living with diabetes and the number is still rising. In fact, it is expected to rise to more than 25 million Americans by 2010.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy can lead to foot ulcers which sometimes will require amputation. While before the recommendation of scientists and physicians is for those with foot ulcers to stay off their feet, now there is a new graduated walking program where these people can participate and therefore prevent some illnesses that could threaten life.

Due to numbness or loss of feeling in the foot, diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a nerve disorder that affects the feet and the legs. It leads to pain and ulceration. Ulcers could be the result because of loss of muscle. This exposes the bones to a lot of pressure under the foot.

Doctors recommend exercise for the diabetics because there has been proof that it lessens the mortality risk as well as the occurrence of a cardiovascular disease. Joseph LeMaster who is University of Missouri's associate professor of community and family medicine said that type 2 diabetics can increase their mortality risk by 39% and their risk for cardiovascular disease by 34% if they do not do some form of exercise of moderate intensity regularly.

The diabetics are known to be less active than the regular population and those with diabetic peripheral neuropathy are found to be even less physically active. So in a study at the University of Missouri, LeMaster checked the effects of exercise involving the lower extremity and walking program on the development of diabetic foot ulcer.

Here's how he did it. He assigned the diabetic subjects with this nerve condition into two groups. One group was monitored often and given exercises to strengthen the legs and a walking program that was graduated. In addition, this group received a telephone call every two weeks to motivate them. The other group is the control group. Both groups received eight sessions with a physical therapist and also some form of diabetic foot care education.

What did LeMaster find? He observed an increase in the total of foot lesions and ulcers during the first six months. But guess what he found after a year? Drum roll, please! The number of foot lesions and ulcers has started to go down in the first group compared to the control group. This shows that the risk has gone down too.

What is the moral lesson of this finding? Since weight-bearing exercise did not result in in increase of foot ulcers, it follows that this type of exercise should be safe for diabetics provided the walking program is closely supervised by a medical professional and that they have no ulcers at the start and have appropriate footwear. This type of exercise therefore is recommended for those with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetes Complications and Ways to Avoid Them

2010-08-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

Diabetes complications are many but there are ways to avoid them. The top thing to do is to commit to the lifelong responsibility of managing the condition. The diabetes health team will help and give support but the onus is on us to take care of ourselves by eating healthy, moving more, keeping healthy weight and blood glucose level and following doctor's order.

Quit smoking and you will lower risk to develop diabetes complications. So do keeping the cholesterol and blood pressure under control and keeping the vaccines like for flu, pneumonia, tetanus shot with the 10-year boosters. Ask your doctor about hepatitis vaccine and for other ones you may need.

Then make sure to take care of your teeth as diabetes may make you vulnerable to gum infections. Pay particular attention to your feet also to avoid problems by daily washing in lukewarm water and moisturizing the ankles and feet with lotion. Check for blisters, sores, etc every day and see the doctor if any wound does not heal in a few days.

Be responsible about drinking alcohol in moderation. Drink only with a meal and count the calories from the alcohol consumption. And because diabetes increases the risk for stroke and heart attack, take a low-dose aspirin every day but ask the doctor the strength that fits you best.

Last but not least, have an annual physical and eye exam as the doctor will be able to see signs of diabetes complications and help you take steps to avoid them. Finally, be stress-free by learning how to relax. I am going to send people who signed up for alerts and tips some ways to relax. You can sign up to receive tips and alert at this page on diabetes complications.

Then there is the VVRH. What I like about the Valley View Regional Hospital is their Diabetes Self-Management Education Program that offers information and skills needed to diabetics so they can manage diabetes and avoid serious complications like blindness, amputations and kidney damage.

That is why I commend the Valley View Regional Hospital's Diabetes Self-Management Education Program. It will really help the diabetics avoid those complications. But my question is, why is it that a program such as this are in some places and not in others? I shot them an email to ask this but I have not heard from them.

Hopefully you can tell any health care team so they can show you the directions where to go for such a program. And then if your area's hospital does not have a similar program, encourage them to have one so we can all work together to prevent diabetes complications.

Diabetes Conference Helps Diabetics Cope

2010-08-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Diabetes Conference, the 30th one presented by the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi was such a big help for the diabetics because there were topics on how to look after the condition from diabetes educators themselves. This allowed the attendees to put the things they need to do right in the forefront of their minds.

This type of diabetes conference should be offered all over the country so every diabetic can avail himself of the chance to attend. This is great news for JPS Health Network to consider coverage for weight loss surgery. It's a good thing they are doing more than paying lip service to the prevention of diabetes.

Although the patient will still have to go through counseling regarding nutrition and diet, it is still a step in the right direction to have a plan like this come on the board level. Hopefully all others will follow suit. And this is what some people do. Let me tell you the story.

Someone attended his very first conference on Children with Diabetes and he was impressed. He thought it was incredible and changed his life in more ways than one. So over a few months he tried to explore the experiences he had and the things he learned.

The Friends for Life Conference he attended was unique in the sense that it focused on Type one diabetics. Other conferences had to balance the needs of type 1 and type 2 diabetics. That was okay for him because he was able to make those conferences worth his time. An example is here for you to scroll down for a video on pre-diabetes conference in Barcelona .

But this large conference was different for him. For one thing the organizers asked for his help. Jeff and Laura the organizers had been doing this for 15 years and now the children they are trying to help are growing up. They will continue to focus on children with diabetes but they want to do it for adults too.

So they needed some feedback and gave the people a chance to help shape the conference designed for type 1 diabetics. Imagine having the chance to shape up a huge diabetes conference. What would you do? It was easy for they needed answers to these questions:

What challenges in life were thrown to you most often? Do you have the help to deal with those challenges? Do you need more resources? If so, what are they?
What do you think is the best format for the conference? Should it be with a panel of experts or just someone leading the discussion?
What topics should be included in the sessions that people will find worth offering?

There you have what they need. They understand that recognizing the needs for the conference may take a few years. It is our responsibility to help them do this. We know that people wanted something like this. They know that a meeting like this magnitude will good and one way to help the diabetics is through a diabetes conference.

Diabetes Health Plan With Incentives for Preventive Care Offered by UnitedHealthcare

2010-07-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Diabetes health plan is offered by UnitedHealthcare. I can't believe there's such a company that will offer a health plan for the diabetics who take care of their condition. For one thing, my experience is that they do not cover pre-existing conditions. So if you're working and your employer hired UnitedHealthcare to administer their health plans, it won't do any harm to see if you can be covered as well.

But surprise, now they added incentives for preventive care. I am thinking it is because it is covered by Medicare now. It really is about money, isn't it? It could be that it won't cost them that much to add the incentives or I could be wrong which is what I hope because prevention is really dear to my heart.

Here's how the Diabetes Health Plan will work. They will reward any pre-diabetic and diabetic who follow the steps that are medically proven in managing their condition. This includes preventive screenings, routine exams and regular monitoring of the blood sugar. The use of wellness coaching is even included. This will certainly help know how to prevent diabetes and their complications.

What are the benefits of this? Well, prescription drugs that are related to diabetes as well as supplies could be had at no charge. There will also be lower co-payments for visits to the doctor that are related to the condition. The estimated savings for this is up to $500 a year.

These incentives will empower those concerned to take charge of their condition and their overall health thus helping them prevent the diabetic complications. This will also lower the cost for the employers in providing health coverage for their work force. So you see it is a win-win situation.

This will be a good thing and hopefully turn around the report from the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention that shows two-thirds of the diabetics do not follow the advice of their doctors regarding the management of their condition. They explained the reason for this non-compliance and I am glad they did because I do not want anyone just to blame the diabetics.

They say that the high cost of supplies, doctors' visits and drugs plays a role in the diabetics not following the guidelines. Lack of knowledge regarding diabetes and the complications also prevents the diabetics and the pre-diabetics in not following the guidelines.

So hopefully, now that they are lowering the cost and providing training and information along with wellness coaching, the diabetics and pre-diabetics will be more prone to follow the recommendations regarding diabetes management. And this will work out with the right diabetes health plan.

Blood Glucose Level Target Ranges, New Ones For UK

2010-07-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

Blood glucose level target ranges have been adopted. Diabetes UK has updated this in light of the NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) recommendations. Before this, the IDF (the International Diabetes Federation) suggested that changes be made to the target ranges after meal. We know that a blood glucose test measures how much sugar which is called glucose, in the blood.

Then in 2008, NICE prepared and published their rules on the blood glucose level target ranges for type 2 diabetes. Several different types of blood glucose tests are used and so Diabetes UK since it continually updates their own data, decided to follow NICE recommendations. They have therefore made the changes to reflect the new guidelines.

In order to understand the new guidelines, it is good to see what is to target for. Of course the best target is to aim for the blood glucose level that is as close to normal ranges as possible like for those who do not have diabetes. Usually, the blood glucose levels increase slightly after eating. And this is their reading before meals: 3.5-5.5 mmols/L before meals while for two hours after meals, it is less than 8 mmols/L.

Opinions as to the blood sugar target to aim for vary. This is understandable because each individual has his own needs. Therefore, the target should be one that is agreed by both the person with diabetes and his diabetes care team. Both have a say on what to aim for when it comes to the blood glucose levels.

In 2004, NICE recommendations for children with type 1 diabetes before meals is 4-8 mmols/L. Two hours after meals, the recommendation is less than 10 mmols/L. For adults with type 1 diabetes, it is 4-7 mmols/L and for two hours after meals, it is less than 9 mmols/L. We know that blood glucose tests are done to test to see if one has diabetes or to keep an eye on the treatment of diabetes.

In 2008 NICE recommendations for type 2 diabetes have changed to 4-7 mmol/L for before meals and less than 8.5 mmols/L for two hours after meals. So you see it is important to self-monitor the blood sugar level as part of the routine every day. This way we can determine if an abnormally low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia) has occurred. This way, we can watch for symptoms for either hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia as well as those of possible complications. That's how important it is to check one's blood glucose level.

"I Don't Care About X Factor Daughter Alexandra's Pop Riches"

2010-07-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Chronic kidney disease is an example of what could happen if we do not take care of our condition. Diabetes complications can only be avoided if we exercise prudence in looking after ourselves. Alexandra Burke is a successful singer who does not care for all the riches that come with success without good health.

It is because her mother Melissa who was once the high-spirited star of Soul II Soul cannot enjoy life with the singer who desperately wants to soak up the sun and swim in the sea with her mother but that she cannot do because all her mother could manage is a short drive to the nearby hospital three times a week for kidney dialysis.

For 44-year old Melissa has chronic kidney disease which is a diabetes complication. She is waiting for a kidney transplant and in the meantime is receiving dialysis. Approximately 40% of diabetics develop chronic kidney disease which is usually due to poor diabetes management.

It is hoped that the number 60,000 undiagnosed diabetics in the UK as estimated by the experts will take heed and get diagnosed so they can start laying out and following a plan of action that will help avoid the chronic kidney disease. The government is running a kidney disease pilot screening program in Birmingham, Oldham and London.

Melissa's mother died in 1992 from diabetes complications yet Melissa turned a blind eye to that. She admitted she did very little to control her blood glucose and ignored the symptoms and signs of chronic kidney disease. She said she started her health problem in 1085.

She was exhausted all the time she said in a interview at her home after going through a punishing dialysis session that lasted four hours. She also said she was thirsty all the time but she thought it was due to her pregnancy. A visit to her general practitioner confirmed that she has diabetes.

We all know that high blood sugar or hyperglycemia when not taken cared of can damage the blood vessels and nerves that can result in such complications as stroke, heart disease, infection to the gums, amputation, blindness and chronic kidney disease.

Though devastated for having been diagnosed with diabetes and confessing that she did not want to die, Melissa continued to ignore her condition. Her doctor reassured her that her condition can be monitored and controlled. The first line of defense as we know is a combo of physical activity, healthy diet and weight control. This is the way we can avoid chronic kidney disease.

Chronic Kidney Disease Can Be Prevented

2010-07-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Chronic kidney disease really can be prevented and this article attests to that fact. What I like about this news article is that it outlined all the possible causes of chronic kidney disease and then one by one eliminated it through mentioning how to take care of the cause.

The National Kidney Foundation identifies chronic kidney disease as damage to the kidney with its loss of functioning of approximately 50% for at least three months. Chronic kidney disease is the cause of death in thousands of people in the United States so it is wise to see how we can prevent it.

The estimate as to the number of people affected by the chronic kidney disease is approximately 20 million people in the United States. It is sad to note that the number of Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease has doubled in the last ten years. And the cost is almost $28 billion a year.

That said, it is good to determine the ways to prevent this disease. And what better way to do this than to find what are the causes of this loss of kidney functioning. Experts agree that the causes are high blood pressure, diabetes, infection, hardening of arteries, chemical toxins, some type of arthritis conditions and blockage of the kidney.

Frequently high blood pressure causes chronic kidney disease. How does this happen? Increase in blood pressure damages the small blood vessels in the kidney, causing it to be unable to filter and drain everything that needs to be cleaned out. So how will knowing this help us prevent chronic kidney disease?

Simple, keeping the blood pressure within the target level of 130/80 will do it. They even say that doing so will even reverse the condition and they have the evidence to prove that this is so and not just a pigment of one's imagination. So let us promise each other to keep the blood pressure at a healthy level, shall we?

Diabetes is also a cause of chronic kidney disease. Experts agree that this is the foremost cause. Now that more and more Americans are becoming diabetic, it follows that chronic kidney disease will statistically increase also. So keeping diabetes under control is very important. And preventing diabetes is even better. How do we do this?

Exercising regularly and eating healthy will keep the weight within healthy level. And one who is already diagnosed as diabetic should see the doctor on a regular basis for treatment and assessment. Since high fats and cholesterol are risk factors, these should be checked by the doctor.

So you see, we can prevent the occurrence of this dreadful condition. Regular visits to the doctor for evaluation and treatment of all the risk factors if they are indicated will protect us from harm and keep us away from getting chronic kidney disease.

Prevent Diabetes With Lifestyle Changes

2010-06-27T03:44:00.000-07:00

Prevent diabetes complications is one that Shields focused on and is to be commended for being such a good role model for diabetic to emulate. For in only looking after ourselves in changing our lifestyle to a healthy one will we be able to avoid the complications that type 2 diabetes can bring along.

Preventing diabetes through lifestyle changes has been documented and proven by studies after studies. People at risk for developing diabetes should stand up and take notice of this. The trouble is people who read this type of item either has diabetes or know someone with the condition.

That said, those who are at risk and are not interested in alerts such as this will not know that they can prevent diabetes. So it is for us people to try to spread the word around so that all those concerned will avail themselves of strategies that can prevent diabetes.

One such study was conducted by researchers in Finland. They found that eating healthy and exercising were able to stave off the beginning of diabetes. They studied 522 middle-aged people who had impaired glucose tolerance. We know that this is an intermediate step to develop diabetes. They divided this group into two sets.

They assigned one set to receive ordinary help and advice while the other group received personalized guidance and health counseling on eating healthy and moving more. They named this set the intervention group. Which group did better? I know that in your heart, I will bet my bottom dollar, you know which group showed better rates, diabetes-wise.

You are right for at the end of the research, they found the intervention group who received personalized care from exercise specialists and dietitians had better diabetes rates meaning, the number of people who developed diabetes was 58% lower. In fact, 27 people developed diabetes compared to 59 in the group that received the standard care.

Can you blame the lead author of the study for saying that they have proven that type 2 diabetes can be prevented? The lead author, Jaakko Tuomilehto, MD, PhD, said further that the lifestyle changes do not have to be drastic. Even small changes can help. The people in the intervention group, for example, lost an average of 9.26 pounds during the first year of the study.

So what is the recommendation? Talk to your doctor about the ways you can become healthier and your risk to develop diabetes. The benefit is not only confined to diabetes but also there is improvement in blood pressure, blood lipid levels like triglycerides which can show the risk to develop heart disease. So spread the word to your friends and loved ones so they can prevent diabetes.

Organic Diet Secrets of the Stars

2010-06-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

Organic diet secrets of the stars? It's good to know what the stars do eat to get themselves healthy. Here are some of them but mostly though, they eat organic foods and they shun meats. Our parents have advocated the healthy style of eating greens so perhaps this is the way to go. Maybe it's more expensive though. Let's check them out:

Kate Bosworth, what does she do to keep her skin glowing? She said she tries hard to eat organic foods but it is clear that one cannot eat organic all the time. She therefore recommends that we just do our best. After all, eating organically some of the time is better than not at all. . Eating healthy is.

How about Marc Jacobs, the designer at Louis Vuitton? What did he do to prepare for his almost nude pictures in Harper's Bazaar? He said he switched to organic diet that has no sugar, caffeine, dairy and flour. He said he lost 20 pounds from that diet and the two-hour a day exercise, seven days a week at the gym.

Now let's go and see what Angelina Jolie's secret is in getting back her slim figure so quickly after delivering twins. She opted for a diet heavy in vegetables and Omega-3s. Her menu is like this: brown bread, organic salmon with tomatoes for breakfast, grilled fresh tuna or mackerel with spinach, tomatoes and watercress for lunch or supper.

Would you believe even the Rolling Stones try to eat organically? Bass player Wood's wife Jo introduced them to this when she went on the organic diet after suffering from perforated appendix. Herbalist Gerald Green explained to her how our immune system is destroyed by the chemicals in our food. So now the Stones drink organic vodka and wine.

Madonna is famous not only for her entertaining abilities but also for her organic and macrobiotic diet. She demands that her kids go on this diet when they stay with her ex-husband. She knows that when they're on this diet, their urine clears up carrying no more of those damaging toxins.

Ed Norton got ready to be the incredible hulk by being on an organic diet. During filming in Toronto for instance, he frequented an Organic Bar known as “raw food Shangri La”. He knows that food does not come in a box or a store, having been brought up by environmentalist parents.

Then there's Stella McCartney who has been a vegetarian all her life. Donna Karan is devoted to raw food and yoga and lost 20 pounds from going on a raw organic diet. Reese Witherspoon boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal, plans to open an organic restaurant. If he adds meat to the menu, it will be from animals that are hormone-free and fed with grass. There you have the stars' organic diet secrets.

Diabetes and Pollution Linked

2010-06-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Diabetes and pollution is the topic of a study conducted at Ohio State University that found links between several pesticides, air pollution and diabetes. They say that breathing soot affects the way insulin works in mice and make these fat mice at risk to develop Type 2 diabetes. The National Instituted of Health paid for this study which was published in Circulation.

This research that linked diabetes with pesticides include the ones used on golf courses. They are also used to kill pests that are supposedly harmful to food crops. The researchers also tied diabetes to air pollution. They found that breathing soot affects the work of insulin in mice. This made fat mice to develop type 2 diabetes.

The National Institute of Health funded this research which showed that fat mice that were already vulnerable to develop type 2 diabetes because of unhealthy diet increased their risk with air pollution. In other words, air pollution was the trigger that determined which of the fat mice would develop diabetes and which would not.

What is soot? This is also known as fine particulates. Mind you, there is more regulation now with the government stepping in trying to improve the smokestacks and diesel engines. Sadly, the air still remains unhealthy on some days in certain areas of the country because of the fine particulates.

Heart troubles and lung disease have been triggered by the unhealthy air. This is the reason the government stepped in to regulate the emission. And now the experts are saying that pollution may also be a factor in the obesity epidemic. This is why continuing work on this will help prevent heart attack and stroke.

Epidemiological researches have suggested the diabetics are at risk to develop cardiovascular problems. They say that this is associated with exposure to air pollution associated with power plants that burn coal and those emitted from traffic.

In one study the findings reported that exposure to air pollution consistently showed positive points estimates associated with inflammatory markers. This suggests that inflammatory mechanism is behind the increased risk to cardiovascular events due to air pollution.

Standards of air quality outdoors help protect the population's sensitive people. The trouble is despite the standards, association between diabetes and pollution can still be detected even when the levels are below the standards. So there is still room for improvement in this regard.

One important pollutant is formed by such sources as power plants and also formed due the fossil-fuel combustion by motor vehicles. This is quite a concern for health as these pollutants are deposited in portions of the lungs and the lower airways. More has to be done to stop the link between diabetes and pollution.

Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy Did Not Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

2010-06-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Low-dose aspirin therapy research result is some kind of a bad news because I thought taking low-dose aspirin has a dual purpose in avoiding cardiovascular events and preventing type 2 diabetes. Now they have just shot down the second benefit and for the research that did, it appears to be legitimate as they have a large number of participants.

Here's what the researchers did. They examined the efficacy of the aspirin therapy for the incidence of type 2 diabetes. They enrolled 38,716 women who did not have diabetes between 1992 and 1995. They randomly divided this set into two groups. One of the groups was assigned to take a low-dose aspirin on alternate days while the other group was given a placebo.

Here's what the researchers found. There was no difference shown by both the placebo and the aspirin groups as to the incidence of type 2 diabetes. As a matter of fact, 849 cases of diabetes was found in the aspirin group while the placebo group had 847 cases of diabetes.

Adverse events and bleeding episodes were higher in the aspirin group though than in the placebo group. The rate of the bleeding episode among the women in the aspirin group was 4.5% while the placebo group showed the rate of bleeding episode as 3.7%.

The researchers conducted this study due to the increasing number of diabetes cases, the high cost of treatment and the influence this has on the cardiovascular disease among women. They felt a need to determine appropriate strategies to prevent this.

The researchers believed that zeroing into both the reduction of diabetes and cardiovascular events was very appealing especially so the risk for both often appear in the same person. So identifying the preventive measures would have made the health condition among these women better.

No one was surprised at the finding because the type of aspirin used was low-dose. They already knew that high dose aspirin have shown that it can decrease the resistance to insulin, thus improvement in the functioning of the beta cells is the result.

Now that the new guidelines on aspirin for the diabetics have arrived, the experts are weighing the pros and cons or rather the benefits and risk of the low-dose aspirin treatment. It looks like that women who are under 60 and men under 50 who have no risk for heart disease should not be on low-dose aspirin therapy.

Diabetes Leg Pain and the New Limb Preservation Track

2010-05-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Diabetes leg pain symposium of this kind is something I am glad to have come across as it will provide us with new connections to the world of Wound Care and Wound Healing, so crucial to diabetic patients. This 22nd annual meeting of wound care specialists from different disciplines met at the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center back in 2009.

What is important is that at this meeting they added a limb preservation track to address the concerns of vascular surgeons and doctors of podiatric medicine. These are the people who treat the diabetics who have lower extremity wounds and are at risk for amputation.

From Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Kazu Suzuki said that about one-third of diabetics suffer from diabetes leg pain and foot wounds and poor circulation. Apparently, these led to over 100,000 leg amputation each year and often these are preventable. How?

When the wound is detected and treated early, amputation could be avoided. That is why it is important to examine feet and legs for sores and wounds as the diabetics may not feel them and not know early enough that they are there. Examining the feet and legs every day should be part of the diabetes care plan.

There are limb preservation efforts through proper care of the wound and revascularization. These could save life and limb and are part of looking after the diabetic patients especially knowing that quality of life deteriorates after amputation. So it is important to know more about diabetes leg pain.

So this meeting addressed the diagnostic tests and treatment to help prolong the lives of the diabetics. It is their aim to raise awareness of the symptoms, care and treatment options for diabetic leg wounds. It will lower the cost of complications because early detection is cheaper than leg amputations which will require hospitalization and rehabilitation.

There will be another meeting on this issue this spring where they are going track the peripheral arterial disease and diabetes mellitus. The discussion will be on such topics as epidemiology, management and assessment of arterial disease from medical to surgical to rehabilitation.

It is my fervent hope that some experts will share what they have discovered at this symposium. You can be sure I will follow this up as I can't wait for new ways and treatment options for the diabetics who suffer so much from their diabetes leg pain.

Diabetes Pill Gives Hope to End Painful Injections

2010-05-21T17:58:00.001-07:00

Insulin pill was thought of as something that will give hope to the diabetics. This was reported in August 2001. The claim was in a decade this would be a done deal. So on January 25, 2009 when I read the news that Diabetes Pill Gives Hope to End Painful Injections, I decided to revisit the news pertaining to this.

The every day injection of insulin they said will soon be a thing of the past. Apparently, a chemistry student has come up with the material that would enable the diabetics to take their insulin orally. This would be in the form of a pill.

Some people with diabetes are dependent on insulin to survive and have to give themselves injection three times a day. There had been efforts to replace these injections with oral insulin but these attempts failed because the harsh acids in the mouth, throat and stomach destroyed the pills, making them ineffective.

The new material, however, is a polymer with a gel-like consistency. This makes people think that it will be more effective because the insulin is protected from the harsh acids until it gets to the small intestine. It is there where it should be absorbed into the blood.

A graduate student from Purdue University, Aaron Foss, made this breakthrough. He said that the small intestine is less acidic and will enable the polymer to swell. This in turn will release the insulin. He presented his findings to the American Chemical Society during its 222nd national meeting.

The finding did well in the trials that showed up to 16% of the insulin could be carried to the bloodstream when in the past the figure was only 0.1%. Foss said that when he lowered the acidity after two hours, the material opened up that released the insulin.

He said it worked but he wanted to continue the research so that more insulin can be delivered. He therefore planned to change some parameters and to look at some other compounds and see if it can be further optimized. There was much hope in the finding.

Then on January 25, 2009, there was good news that Diabetes Pill Gives Hope to End Painful Injections. The news really excited me so here I am writing about this. This should be good news especially after it passes the human trials.

Diabetes UK found this interesting and welcomed it for anything that makes life easier for the diabetics is a real welcome news. They said it was too early in 2001 but the scientists were hopeful that this could be done within ten years. I will keep my fingers crossed that next year which is a decade from the first finding, that it should be here by then.

They've already experienced success on this that lowered the blood sugar level in animals after taking these pills. Let's hope and pray for their continued success as this will end the constant injections the diabetics have to endure; this will certainly add to their quality of life soon after the finalization of these pills with insulin.

Dance and Diabetes As an Elegant Tool to Fight This Condition

2010-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Dance and diabetes they say is an elegant way to help keep this condition at bay. This is what this tribe is doing to reach the people to keep them healthy for they are at higher risk to develop diabetes. We can do the same and dance away our pains and getting two birds in one shot. Not only are we getting the exercise but also we can socialize and have fun dancing and listening to the music.

Shelley Bointy demonstrated how to do a two-step dance. This was part of a workshop at Haskell Indian Nations University. She was showing the teachers how to use the round dance of the Native Americans so they can use it to motivate the students to prevent diabetes by exercising.

This song and dance workshop was organized by Shelley Bointy. This was where the Red Lake Singers from Minnesota performed a dance song. The group ranged in age from 21 to 67 years old. A group of Lawrence teachers joined them. At first, they did a slight shuffle with the left foot, then right. Pretty soon they were circling the room.

Right in front was Johnny Smith singing and beating the drum. The upper bodies moved to the beat of the drum and pretty soon they were sweating and feeling winded. The songs were short but they enabled the group to exercise for diabetes. It helped the teachers learn to use the round dancing of the Native Americans to motivate people to exercise and stop diabetes.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institutes of Health have been working together for several years on intervention programs directed at the Native American children. In addition to the song and dance, they employ examples from the past to develop healthy behaviors.

The 67-year old in the group had been singing and dancing for decades with these singers and dancers. After he had a heart attack, his doctor recommended that he should keep on dancing. He therefore continues to do the round dancing to keep his own condition properly managed. What a fun way to prevent complications by combining dance and diabetes.

High Blood Sugar Could Impair Thinking

2010-05-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

High blood sugar reading could impair brain functioning which makes sense because low blood glucose could also affect one's thinking ability. The brain needs glucose to keep functioning and since it does not store nor manufacture its own glucose it has to rely on the body to process that.

People with type 2 diabetes may have higher average blood glucose (sugar) levels and this may be linked to lower brain functioning. This is according to a study where researchers found that those with higher levels of hemoglobin A1C had worse results while doing cognitive tasks.

Hemoglobin A1C is the measure of average blood sugar levels over two to three months. The cognitive tasks that were found to have lower results among those with high blood glucose levels are those that tested memory, speed and the ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time. Higher A1C levels were also linked with lower scores on a test of global cognitive function.

These findings were published online and I was interested in following it up. The study is appropriately called MIND (from the Memory in Diabetes) It really is a part of the trial called ACCORD (from to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes.

Of course people are concerned even if the impairment is mild. This is what Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaffe, the lead researcher, who is from Tel-Aviv University in Israel said in a news release with the American Diabetes Association.

What is not clear though is that the researchers were not sure whether higher blood glucose levels increase the risk for cognitive impairment or whether cognitive impairment lowers the ability of the body to control the blood glucose levels. They were hoping this will be clarified in the ongoing ACCORD-MIND study.

The study will test the hypothesis that decreasing the A1C levels could improve cognitive functioning. Meantime we know that in the previous research the diabetics are found to be 1.5 times more at risk to suffer cognitive decline and dementia than those without diabetes.

Since we know there are so many people whose cognitive functioning is high like the new member of the Supreme Court and she has had diabetes for decades. Let us therefore prove the hypothesis wrong by making sure we do not have the levels that are considered to be high blood sugar.

Doctors and Patients Doing Better at Managing Diabetes

2010-04-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Doctors and patients doing better at managing diabetes? This I've got to see. I must confess when I first saw this last year, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. That is why I am re-visiting the topic to see if there is something new on the issue.

For one thing that news article made me happy. Why? Because the last report of the health quality group that examined the care of diabetics in the Cleveland area indicated both the doctors and the patients are a little better at managing the condition. If this keeps improving, complications can all be eradicated. I hope they will also evaluate the diabetes care in all areas of the US.

You see in Cleveland area, the health quality group started studying the care the diabetic patients received. Their latest report was that the doctors and patients were doing slightly better at managing the condition. The keyword here is slightly and I am not too happy with that.

The Better Health Greater Cleveland also found that half of approximately 25,000 diabetic patients received a pneumonia vaccine. They also received recommended tests for blood glucose and kidney and eye problems. Although half is not good enough, still Cleveland is doing well for its effort to even track this issue. I doubt if other cities are doing this.

Back to the study findings, around 40% met the standards for blood glucose, cholesterol control, blood pressure and other measures. By the following year, there was a slight improvement. There Is that word again that I do not like. But you know what? There is something else that makes me really, really feel bad.

The slight improvement was not found among the patients who were uninsured. The same is true for those who are on Medicaid. This is the health plan the government has for the poor. This group's success at meeting the standards for blood glucose control and blood glucose is much lower. Doesn't this make you sad? For although I have excellent health care insurance, I am not comfortable when others do not have it.

At least with the new Obama Health Plan, things may get better. Better Health Greater Cleveland should be commended though for checking the clinical care of patients in order to improve the quality. With this in mind, the complications from diabetes will of course be reduced. And this is only possible with better help between doctors and patients.

Diabetes and Pedicures: Do They Go Together?

2010-04-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Diabetes and pedicures, what's wrong with this combo? Ladies, be careful with pedicures if you have diabetes, in fact you have to be careful even if you do not have diabetes for I have heard some horror stories about it. If you must have a pedicure, make sure you choose the establishment wisely.

I know of a lady who decided to have a pedicure because she felt she needed one. She had calloused feet and so wanted to have better looking feet. The manicurist cut the skin on the side of her big toe and to her horror even drew blood. And you know what happened? It became infected.

She knew she was being vain for wanting nicely red painted toenails. She wanted her feet to look nice when she wears her sandals. She looked at the other women with pretty toenails parading down the street in their sandals and she so wanted them for herself.

The trouble is she has diabetes. She remembers clearly what her diabetes educator said in one of the classes she attended. She advised the class never to have pedicure. And she now thinks she was foolish not to follow that advice because it took a long time for the infection to heal.

You see diabetes and pedicure do not go together because the injury to the feet can become such a big problem. While getting a pedicure, you run the risk of getting injured. This is like inviting infection to the feet which could cause high blood glucose.

You know what happens when the blood glucose is high. The healing process does not come easily and worse, you may not feel the damage which will exacerbate the injury. This can become an ulcer and then when it becomes worse, amputation could become a reality.

That is why we have to take good care of the feet and avoid all kinds of injury. But if you still insist on getting a pedicure, there are certain recommendations you must keep in mind and act on. This way, you have less chance of getting your feet injured. Here are the recommendations:

Pick the right salon. Check out some for cleanliness and tools. See if they sanitize the tools before using them. Better still bring your own tools to use.
Have the pedicure two days after shaving the legs so there is less chance for the bacteria to get in through the cuts and nicks.
Tell the pedicurist some instruction and inform her that you have diabetes.
Is the foot tub clean? Do they get this cleaned before every client?
If you must use their tools, insist on stainless ones as they are more sanitary than the wooden ones.

There you have the recommendations you need to do before getting a pedicure. Your feet are a very important part of your body. They take you places for a lifetime and so we have to take good care of them. This advise takes on a more important precaution especially when you are thinking of both diabetes and pedicure.

Blood Glucose Levels Affect Cognitive Functioning

2010-04-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

Blood glucose levels that are higher in type 2 diabetics are associated with lower cognitive functioning, that is worse functioning on three cognitive tasks. These will be any responsibilities that need speed, memory and the ability to do multitasking.

There are two ongoing studies on the relationship between high blood glucose levels and lower cognitive performance. One is called MIND (Memory in Diabetes) while the other is named ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes). What did these two researches find?

They both found that higher A1C levels are closely related to poorer functioning cognitively. As we know A1C is the measure that tells the average of the blood glucose level over a period covering 2-3 months. The higher reading on this also shows a link with lower result on a global cognitive function test.

Before these ongoing studies, it has been found out that the diabetics have a 1.5 times more risk to decline cognitively and experience dementia than people who do not have diabetes. The results of MIND show that diabetes may also be related to cognitive impairment although mild.

Although the cognitive function is only mildly impaired, still it is a concern to those with type 2 diabetes. So said Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaff who is the leader of the research team. He works at the School of Medicine of Israel's Tel-Aviv University.

It is not known whether the higher blood glucose leads to the cognitive impairment or whether it is the other way around. Does the impairment lower the ability to control the blood sugar level? Here is where the sub study Accord comes in.

That is why we really have to monitor the blood glucose levels closely. The more we follow what we are supposed to do to look after ourselves, the better we will be in. There will be none of this cognitive functioning decline stuff. And no dementia please. Just look at the latest addition to the Supreme Court. If she can do it, we can all do it.

Sorry to digress, but in the research, there will be follow-up on the patients and they will be tested three times. This will let the researchers know whether the lower sugar levels will result in better cognitive functioning. And it looks like there is improvement in cognitive functioning with the lower or near normal blood glucose levels.

Diabetes Toll Continues to Grow

2010-04-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

Diabetes toll news are discouraging. For one thing, it is growing thanks to unhealthy lifestyle and obesity. Some studies have reported around 7% of the population in the United States are affected by it. The figure is around 20.8 million children and adults have it.

By 2050, the estimate is grim. About 48 million Americans will develop type 2 diabetes. The complications that come with it makes the diabetes toll discouraging indeed. These complications could come in the form of loss of hearing, blindness, kidney damage, disorders of the nervous system and amputations.

Now studies are saying that the generations born in 2000 will probably have shorter life than their parents. That's because of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Now the sad part is that they are saying the most promising drug Avandia seems to increase the risk of heart attack. That is why I am glad when I hear of briefing like below.

Diabetes experts, American Diabetes Association, and the Congressional Caucus held a briefing to talk about the yearly cost estimate for diabetes. They discussed the Lewin Group study that compiled these statistics for the American Diabetes Association.

There are both direct and indirect costs of this condition. The speakers at this briefing revealed the overwhelming figures. They made the disturbing expense incurred by the Americans public. The economic impact of this disease is truly staggering.

The leaders of the Congressional Caucus who spoke at the briefing are Representatives Mike Castle, Diana DeGette, Mark Kirk, and Xavier Becerra. ADA was represented by its Chairman of the Board, Stewart Perry.

The president of ADA's Health Care and Education, Ann L. Albright, PhD, RD also delivered a speech. The same is true with the director of the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, Griffin Rodgers, MD, MACP and the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemiology and Statistics Branch, Ed Gregg, PhD.

In the United States, diabetes is now recognized as the fifth cause of death by disease. The death rate caused by diabetes has risen by 45% since 1987. Compare this statistics for the death rate caused by stroke, cancer and heart disease which has gone down and you will see what a difference a few years made.

I was hoping they would discuss not only the economic impact of the disease but also the emotional struggle the diabetics along with their families have to go through but I didn't see this in the agenda. But we can help along because by changing to healthier lifestyle we could lower the diabetes toll.

Diabetes Vaccine, What Has Become Of It?

2010-03-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

Diabetes vaccine studies for phase 3 were initiated sometime in 2008. When I first heard of these studies, I got excited and knew I was on to something good and just had to write about it. Besides, I wanted to add it to the diabetes treatment part of my website. So I did some research on it and came across the Diabetes Vaccine Development Center. This bridges the gap between research and product development.

The Diabetes Vaccine Development Centre is the project of both the Australian Government and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International through the National Health and Medical Research Council. Its job is to recognize, assess, support and coordinate the projects that have been approved by its board.

In its own words, the mission of the centre is "to accelerate the development of one or more vaccines that would prevent or delay the progress of early onset diabetes, aiming to have clinical proof of concept in 3-5 years, with studies conducted to a standard acceptable to regulatory agencies and to an eventual industrial partner."

Now back to the first study that got me excited. This study announced by Diamyd Medical consisted of around 300 patients at 30 to 50 clinics in Europe. About three to five countries participated. The subject of the study is the therapeutic diabetes vaccine called Diamyd.

Professor Ludvigsson, the chief investigator, is from the University of Linkoping, Linkoping, Sweden. The application for the study's Phase III was submitted to the Swedish Medicinal Products Agency. Other submissions were also be sent to other countries in Europe.

FDA also received an application to carry out the Phase III study. CEO of Diamyd Medical, Elizabeth Lindner, said this is an important landmark for Diamyd. More countries and diabetes clinics in Europe participated in the Phase III study.

As a life science corporation, Diamyd Medical develops therapy for diabetes and its complications. They have developed this drug called Diamyd to target autoimmune diabetes. The result of the Phase II clinical trials was encouraging as they showed important and optimistic results in Sweden.

The active matter in Diamyd is GAD65 which is a chief autoantigen in autoimmune diabetes. GAD may have a vital role not only in diabetes. It may also play a role in other diseases that are related to the central nervous system.

Diamyd has a sole license worldwide from the University of California as to the therapeutic use of the GAD65. It has sublicensed this to Neurologix, Inc. New Jersey to treat Parkinson's disease. It has also other projects in the works including the use of GAD and enkephalin for chronic pain.

Wouldn't it be great if the diabetes vaccine came true? Let us hope and pray it does. It has already passed the clinical trials I and II so they are on track to getting nearer for the vaccine to become a reality. It will be every diabetic's dream come true. I looked hard for the result of the Phase III but couldn't find. But I will not stop till they find help for the diabetics in the form of diabetes vaccine.

Blood Glucose Levels and Whole Grain Foods, What’s the Connection?

2010-03-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Blood glucose levels and whole grain foods, what's the link between these two? They say, eating whole grain foods is a good way to avoid type 2 diabetes. Now a review has proven that a diet rich in unrefined grains does indeed reduce the risk to develop diabetes. There is a need for more research though to confirm this finding.

Marion Priebe, the chief review author said the proof is weak so they cannot make a firm conclusion that whole grain foods protect one from developing type 2 diabetes. The decrease in the whole grains intake for the last ten years coincided with the increase in type 2 diabetes leading to the theory of the link between the two. They also wanted to find out if whole grain foods will help lower the blood glucose levels.

Professionals at the University Medical Center Groningen's Center for Medical Biomics in the Netherlands led by Priebe, who is the epidemiologist and nutritionist there, reviewed twelve studies that worked on the connection between type 2 diabetes and whole grains consumption.

What the researchers did was this. They followed people without diabetes to find out whether those who ate meals rich in whole grains had less chance of developing the disease than those who did not. The results of the studies were consistent in the sense that the risk to develop diabetes was reduced for those who consumed whole grain foods.

However, two of the studies that dealt with the link between weight and whole grain intake had only improved slightly the risk to develop type 2 diabetes. There was only one controlled trial and the eleven were prospective studies so there's a need for more randomized controlled studies
that will give a more definitive conclusion.

In another study two groups of overweight adults were randomly assigned to eat one of two diets. Both were given 55% of total calories from carbohydrates, 30% from fat and 15% from protein but in one diet the grain products were made from whole grains while the other one was made from refined white flour.

The scientists found that the diet with the whole grain helped control the blood insulin levels better. In addition, the researchers found that the same group of participants who had the whole grain diet were able to metabolize better their blood glucose levels.

Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer Link Found By Mayo Clinic

2010-03-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Diabetes and pancreatic cancer has been found to be linked in a study conducted by Mayo Clinic. The study found that 40% of patients with pancreatic cancer were previously diagnosed with diabetes many months before or for up to two years in some cases.

Lead author of the study Suresh Chari, M.D., who is also the gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic, said that they are now certain that for the patients who have pancreatic cancer the diabetes is caused by cancer and not vice versa.

Their next goal now is to find a biomarker for the diabetes brought about by pancreatic cancer so that they can check the newly diagnosed diabetic if they have early pancreatic cancer. This way they can present surgical treatment as early as possible.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and since they usually do not show symptoms for this early on, by the time it is diagnosed, the stage is so advanced, surgery is not possible. That is why less than 5% live five years after the diagnosis is made.

The researchers reviewed the records of 736 patients with pancreatic cancer and 1875 healthy people with the record of fasting blood sugar data. They found that 40% of the patients with pancreatic cancer were diagnosed with diabetes while in the healthy people group, only 20% had diabetes.

Diabetes that is induced by pancreatic cancer is less common than type 2 diabetes. Their previous study showed that only one of every 125 who were 50 years old and over and who were newly diagnosed with diabetes will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Wang and company said that around 80% of patients who have pancreatic cancer are intolerant to glucose or what they call frank diabetes in another research. From this finding, they came up with two hypotheses. One is that the pancreatic cancer leads to associated diabetes and second is that diabetes promotes the development of pancreatic cancer. There has been proof supporting these two hypotheses.

They will continue their work on this so that they can catch pancreatic cancer early enough to make it possible to do a surgical intervention more successfully. As for me, I am only too glad to know that this study shows that this condition is not a diabetes complication. Enough already! I don't want to write anymore about the link between diabetes and pancreatic cancer.

Encouraging Data for Type 2 Diabetes

2010-03-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

Obesity and type 2 diabetes gets a promising data as announced by Genaera Corporation. They said that their drug candidate to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, trodusquemine or MSI-1436, shows noticeable improvement in obese mice.

The same drug has also lowered the plasma insulin levels and improved the glucose tolerance and fasting blood glucose in animals that were hyperglycemic. This announcement was made at the Diabetes Mellitus Symposia in Breckenridge, Colorado.

In addition to the marked improvement in the aforementioned areas, the effects were maintained. Here's how they found this out. They administered the MSI-1436 to the diet-induced obese mice four weekly treatments. The result was significant in the sense that there was marked improvement in the level of plasma insulin.

In addition, the glucose tolerance improvement was maintained when the mice were administered the same drug weekly for 122 days. How did they find this out? By testing the oral glucose tolerance, and so they concluded that long periods of treatment will maintain the marked improvement for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

It looks like that the MSI-1436 has properties that are anti-diabetic. What are these properties? Maintained improvement in glucose tolerance and fasting blood glucose, improved sensitivity to insulin and lowering of plasma insulin levels are the anti-diabetic properties the scientists found from their experiments.

Genaera president and CEO Jack Armstrong said that with the promising data they obtained, they will keep on exploring MSI-1436 as a treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes. They are going ahead with assessing the potential of this drug that will impact both obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Beta Cells Progenitors Discovery Shows Promise

2010-03-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

Beta cells progenitors researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel's Diabetes Research Center were able to separate the pancreatic cells from adult mice. These can produce insulin. They have been indefinable before so their existence has been questionable.

Cell, the scientific journal, published the findings in the January 25 issue. Harry Heimberg's research team did the report. This shows promise in the sense that if the progenitor cells are also found in human pancreas, then it may leave the door open for new treatments for diabetic patients.

We know that the diabetics do not have enough insulin because their beta cells that produce it are not sufficient. And to move the main source of energy from the blood to the cells, insulin is needed. The primary source of energy is sugar.

It took so long to discover these progenitors cells because for one thing they are in short supply. Then it was difficult to get these cells to act. What the Heimberg's research team did to solve these challenges was to fasten the channel that uses up the digestive enzymes from the pancreas.

Clamping the channel resulted in the activation of the progenitor cells. The investigators then did some genetic labeling on these cells to make it possible to detect and separate them. Here is the good part. During the process, the beta cells doubled in quantity. What does this mean to us?

If more studies on this are pursued to find out if these progenitor cells are also in humans and the factors that make them produce insulin, then there will be more chance for people to undergo the successful treatment of beta cells transplantation.

This has been a controversial issue in diabetes research but in this recent study, beta cells have been generated and they are responsive to glucose. They are found in the pancreas of the adult mice and can be activated to increase the beta cell mass.

This research has provided the proof needed to show that cells in the adult pancreas exist and have the potential to generate beta cells. Needless to say, discovering the molecules involved in such generation will be a rewarding though challenging endeavor.

As long as there is inadequate supply of beta cells, this successful therapy of transplantation is limited because of insufficient donor organs. Getting large supplies of these will solve this problem and will make the transplantation available to more people if there are enough beta cells progenitors.

Leptin and Diabetes Connection

2010-02-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

Leptin and diabetes as a topic has been touched upon by the Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology. They reported that the development that may happen to the pika's leptin protein may be due to the cold and not hypoxia. The pika is a mammal that is normally cold-adaptive.

Pikas are small and do not hibernate. They only live in cold zones at high elevation or at high altitude. They are restricted to the region of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This area is sometimes called the roof of the world as it has an average altitude of >3000 meters and located at high latitude.

Climate-wise, the two notable characteristics of the Plateau are hypoxia and low temperature so during their development, the pikas have become tolerant to low temperature and hypoxic. Their metabolic rates are high and so is their oxygen use ratio in order to deal with the cold and hypoxic region.

Dr. Zhao said that their research team showed that when compared with other similar mammals, the pika leptin has a unique characteristic indicating its functional variation. This may be a common trait of the whole pika family due to the cold survival location.

Since the leptin plays a vital role in the metabolism of energy, glucose and lipid, this study clarifies the significant ecology issues of the way small mammals respond to very stressful environment. It also explains the importance of the pika leptin's role in the way the pikas adjust to where they live.

This might help us understand and recognize other ways to treat the diseases that are linked to metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity. Dr. Zhao said that their research team is now continuing their investigations of the pika leptin in order to confirm their finding.

I have long been interested in this topic since I first read it a few years ago. After going back to research it further, I found there has been a giant leap in its progress. Now studies have proven that it is not only beneficial for weight loss but rather a small amount of it can help reverse the diabetes.

The researcher from Rockefeller University, Jeffrey Friedman mentioned in the news release that they found the significant impact of this potent leptin was undetectable. So now we have another weapon in our arsenal to help in our battle and that is the story of leptin and diabetes.

Diabetes and Pollution Linked?

2010-02-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

Diabetes and pollution was the topic of discussion in Lancet. In its issue it reported on the need for research on the possible link between the pollution in the environment and diabetes. Drs. Julian Griffin and Oliver Jones from Cambridge emphasized the need to investigate this probable link.

Not much is known about the link between type 2 diabetes and pollution in the environment so the two doctors encouraged the investigation of the POP's (persistent organic pollutants) effect on resistance to insulin which we know can lead to diabetes.

In their presentation, both Drs. Griffin and Jones mentioned the research on the POP's link that was reviewed by their peers. This included the study conducted by Dr. D. Lee which showed an extra strong connection between the type 2 diabetes risk and the POP's level in the blood.

The POP that was particularly found is the one known as organochlorine compounds. It is interesting to note that in the research conducted by Dr. Lee there was no correlation between diabetes and obesity among those who had low POP's in their blood.

So it looked like that thin people whose POP's level in their blood were high had a higher risk for diabetes than if they were overweight but with low readings of POP. This indicates the correlation between diabetes and the environmental pollution. Of course there are other diabetes risk factors.

Then, Dominion, a Canadian newspaper, reported that the evidence between diabetes and pollution is growing especially among the native people. One of every four adults in this group who live in Canadian reserves have type 2 diabetes. According to the National Pollutant Release Inventory of Environment Canada, 212 of these communities live near pulp mills and others that produce furans and dioxins.

Dr. Jones said that this possible link does not routinely mean that environmental pollution causes diabetes but if there is a correlation, the implications could be huge. There is not much data on this as of this writing because the focus of researches is on obesity and heredity. Environmental pollution has not been considered as a possible cause of the disease.

This hypotheses on the POP effect should be tested by using tissue or cell cultures to be certain that diabetes can occur, Dr. Jones suggested. If it is found to be the cause then a therapeutic method can be developed to help people who are affected by this. So there is a need for more studies on diabetes and pollution.

Obesity and Diabetes, Could They Make Type 2 Diabetes Health Loss Double by 2023?

2010-02-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Obesity and diabetes must be in the minds of the University of Queensland researchers when they said health loss due to type 2 diabetes will be more than twice by 2023 in Australia. This is the prediction of the University of Queensland scientists who also said that health loss through the other major reasons will be down.

To arrive at the above conclusion, the researchers used a measurement called DALY which is acronym for "disability adjusted life year". They say that one DALY is equals to one year of healthy life that is lost. The DALY stands for the difference between the present health status and the model for reaching old age.

How did they arrive at their prediction? They evaluated and calculated the data from 1993 to 2003 in Australia regarding the injury and disease. This study by Stephen Begg et al then measured the loss of health from these and other factors.

Stephen Begg said that the health loss among those in the lower economic status is higher by 31.7%. When comparing the population between those living in remote areas and big cities, the health loss in the former is 26.5% higher.

These researchers examined 14 risk factors like smoking, alcohol intake, increased body mass, lack of physical activity and high blood pressure. Dr. Vos said that all these can be eliminated through intervention. So it follows that health loss through diabetes can be stopped as well.

Dr. Vos added that there is a need for new ways so that the Australians will be motivated to lose weight just like the campaign they had about smoking that lowered the risk for cardiovascular disease. This way health loss through diabetes could be reduced too.

Two things I like about this report of mine. One is that it mentions the fact that all the risk factors can be eliminated through proper intervention. In such a case, can diabetes be far behind? Of course not. It can be stopped as well. If not through lifestyle changes, then by golly, we are going to do it through intervention, however painful that could be.

The other thing that I like about this report is that it mentions about getting motivated to lose weight. Really, obesity is quite a problem that needs to be addressed and met head on. I am glad to hear that the first lady, Michelle Obama is stepping on the plate and getting an initiative to fight both obesity and diabetes.

Diabetics Have New Hope in New Medical Center

2010-02-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Dr. Mariam Harmas said the new BDI million diabetes education center announced will have a gym, swimming pool and the Bahrain Diabetes Society offices. The announcement came as a 26-year old woman advised people to follow their doctor's order so that they won't lose their kidney and feet like what happened to her for ignoring her diabetes.

The center for rehabilitation and diabetes education will be located in A'ali. They are requesting sponsors for the project and giving statistics on the number of type 1 diabetics that has grown to more than twice from 1993 figures in Bahrain.

The consultant pediatrician at the Salmaniya Medical complex, Dr. Mansoor Rajab, said the number is still growing. Dr. Rajab is also a diabetologist and endocrinologist. He said that the figure in 1993 showed that seven to eight people per 100,000 had type 1 diabetes. Now that number has grown to 20 people suffering from type 1 diabetes out of every 100,000.

In Bahrain, there are now 1000 children suffering from type 1 diabetes, Dr. Rajab added. And the statistics for type 2 diabetes is not any better. Due to inactive lifestyle and unhealthy meals, the number of type 2 sufferers is also growing. Diabetes now affects 35% of women and 25% of men.

The discussion on the alarming statistics was held when the 2007 ambassador of ACHC (Arab Children Health Congress) Habiba Al Tawqi visited Bahrain and spoke to diabetic children. She said it is very important to control diabetes by taking the medication and changing lifestyle.

Ms. Tawqi said she lost both her feet and kidney because she didn't take her medication regularly and didn't eat a healthy diet. She is a graduate of Omani tourism and has been diabetic starting at two years old. But she only started her problem in 1998 when she rebelled against her parents and doctors and didn't follow their advice.

But now she learned how to fight because she does not want to lose anything more. Her goal is to talk to as many teenagers as possible so they will understand the condition better. The wife of the ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Princess Haya bint Al Hussain, sponsored Ms. Tawqi's visit.

The head of the Health and Medical Services in Dubai, Wafaa Ayesh, said people with diabetes could live a long life with a healthy lifestyle and medication. By this lifestyle, he meant, eating a healthy diet and having enough physical activity.

How to Manage Diabetes Will Stem the Tide of Increasing Diabetes Rates, How Did the Plan Go

2010-01-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

How to manage diabetes would be the issue to combat the rise of diabetes. Charles E. Schumer said that the rising problem from disastrous diseases linked to high blood pressure and obesity must be dealt with in all fronts: schools, at work and even on the streets. This he said after learning of the 52% diabetes increase in the Southern Tier in the last ten years.

Visiting the health care providers and administrators at the Lourdes Hospital, Schumer announced his plan to combat the disease which comprises such steps as motivating the employers to help on how to manage diabetes among the employees, regulating contents in schools' vending machines and sponsoring programs to promote the increase of physical activity.

At the Broome County, over 8% have diabetes and 60% and more are either overweight or obese which makes them a high risk to develop diabetes. The problem is of huge proportion physically, emotionally and economically. Dr. Robert Taylor said that the health care cost for those with diabetes are five more than those who do not have the disease.

Schumer said the approach to fight this disease must be more aggressive or the health care costs will be astronomical. The senator is a member of the Finance Committee at the senate so perhaps the plan will become a reality. The plan will include the following:

Establishing a pilot program to motivate employers to give incentives or some sort of a bribe for employees to improve their health through diet, exercise and medication

Legislation to endorse refund of costs incurred by early screening, controlling and preventing diabetes instead on the emphasis now of treating the condition

Establishing a campaign to encourage awareness in children on the value of healthy lifestyles

Setting up a prerequisite for the nutritional standards of food and drinks in schools

Needless to say, the plan was well received. What I could not find was how it went. The director of the Community Health Services said we'd be in trouble if the trend is not reversed. Diabetic children are more prone to have cognitive problems and inferior reading and math scores. And employers should be involved as diabetic employees contribute to their bottom line as they learn how to manage diabetes.

Link Between Children's Nutrition and Adult Diseases

2010-01-20T15:41:00.000-08:00

University of Granada's Department of Pediatrics' researchers investigated the link between what the children eat and the development of diabetes, cardiovascular problems, allergies, obesity, weak bones and behavioral and neuromotor functioning. The study included the group effort of 16 countries with their 38 universities and companies.

The mission of this study is to aid in the formation of policies, guidelines and recommendations on the improvement of the children's nutrition.. The project called EARNEST (The Early Nutrition Programming Project) also aims to help in plans to prevent the negative influence of nutrition on metabolism.

The professor who heads this project in Granada, Cristina Campoy, said that "early nutrition programming" is a recent addition to the science and health field. Nutrition has been shown in researches to have a long term effect in children's health and the development of diseases.

The effect of nutrition during three stages (prenatal, postnatal, infancy) on the health and growth along with how the approaches on the prevention of the effects on the metabolism were covered. It also investigated the nutritional interventions and clinical tests, the economic and social studies linked to nutrition and their influence in the onset of diseases later.

Another consideration this project hoped to find was whether breastfeeding can prevent risk of obesity since it is known that the growth kinetics of children who are breastfed differ from those who are commercially fed. This has been connected to eating habits. I tried to look for the result of the study but could not find it but because of its importance, here are tips from the American Heart Association:

The number of calories should be enough to support the development and maintenance of ideal weight.

Foods consumed should be low in trans fat, saturated fat, salt, cholesterol and additional sugar.

The total fat consumed should only be between 30% and 35% of calories for 2 and 3 year olds, 26% and 35% of calories for 4 to 18 year olds. Most of these fats should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids like nuts, fish, and vegetable oils.

Opt for a selection of foods to obtain adequate protein, carbohydrates and other nutrients.

Consume only enough calories to keep healthy weight depending on height and build and be active for a minimum of 60 minutes a day.

Eat breads that are whole grain and with high fiber.

Eat an assortment of fruits and vegetables every day with each meal having at least one vegetable or one fruit. Lessen the amount of juice intake.

Fish should be served regularly and not the commercially fried kind.

Dairy foods consumed should be of low-fat and fat-free variety.

Never overfeed. Estimated number of calories for one year old is 900, for 14 to 18 year old girls, it's 1800 and for 14 to 18 year old boys, it's 2200.

There you have the eating pattern that is recommended by the American Health Association. It should be enough to maintain growth and development of the child with the nutrients including calcium and iron necessary for good health. This should protect one from diseases.

Happier After Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis

2010-01-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

One issue of Diabetes Forecast, the leading magazine for diabetes for sixty years, features Elizabeth Perkins. She is an actress diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 44 years old. She tells the American Diabetes Association in an interview that she's been happier since her diagnosis.

In the magazine, she discusses her treatment routine, and how her condition has influenced her career in Hollywood. She is an actress who has received many nominations for the Series Weeds. It was while the first season was being filmed in 2005 when she was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

At first she was totally beleaguered. She was testing her blood sugar and injecting herself in her trailer while shooting that first episode of Weeds. She was so afraid and alone then and didn't tell anybody she had diabetes. It took her 18 months to get over being overwhelmed. Now she can proudly admit she's diabetic and in control of her condition.

Elizabeth Perkins already knew about eating health and exercising regularly because she had to look fit at the filming. But she made herself learn more. She learned to follow what her body needs, to rest when her body tells her to where before she didn't do that.

To cope and adjust to her condition, she learned to monitor her blood sugar level, how to draw syringes and injecting herself without anyone around her knowing what she was doing. She just admitted to herself that no one else will be able to save her except herself.

The experience of learning to cope with diabetes has actually helped her develop the Weeds character. She said she is now a happier person than before the diagnosis. She has a better understanding of the world around her.

Oral Insulin Capsule Created

2009-12-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Oral insulin, that’s a new way for taking the medication that‘s sorely needed. This is certainly good news for the millions of people who have diabetes. This method imitates the way the hormone is dealt with naturally by the body so it could become the first treatment option to take.

The treatment option for type 1 diabetes which is sometimes called juvenile diabetes is injection of insulin every day. It is different for type 2 diabetes which is the more common of the two types. Sometimes type 2 diabetes can be treated by diet and exercise. At times medication taken orally or insulin is needed.

Diabetes comes with serious complications so treating it is an option that should be taken seriously. Some of the complications that are linked to diabetes are blindness, kidney disease, heart disease and stroke but these can be avoided or at least delayed with diligent and persistent treatment of the condition.

CEO of Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc., Nadav Kidron, said that the treatment option of taking a capsule would be top in the list for the diabetics so this biotechnology company that is based in Israel produced and patented this oral insulin capsule to mostly treat type 2 diabetes.

The delivery of new innovation has been in the minds of those connected with diabetes. Patients who have an aversion to needles will welcome this and of course this is also good for the developers of drugs because the insulin market is huge. So many have insulin resistance.

This capsule created by Oramed imitates the way the body processes this hormone in the way it is produced, regulated and distributed. What the capsule does is that it makes the insulin enter the liver from the gastrointestinal track. The liver then processes the hormone intake before passing it to the circulatory system.

Alas, the latest I could find on the result of the research on this issue was that the clinical trial was finished three months ago. I went to their website but nowhere could I find the result. They just displayed what they did, the inclusions along with the exclusions. Don't you worry; I won't stop looking until they find the best oral insulin.

Blood Glucose Lowering Agent Approved by FDA

2009-12-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

Blood glucose can be lowered by Welchol so the Food and Drug Administration approved its use. It would thus improve the glycemic control in adults who have type 2 diabetes. Mind you this will either have to be combined with sulfonylureas, metformin, insulin or alone or combined with other anti-diabetic agents.

This approval made Welchol the only and first medication to lower both LDL cholesterol and glucose levels. This is good news for there are about 20.8 million people who have diabetes, 90% of whom have type 2 and 40% of these people have high LDL cholesterol. This will give the doctors a distinctive way to treat their patients.

The result of the study was presented at the 67th Annual Scientific Sessions of ADA in Chicago. They said that patients who were unable to control their condition on metformin were divided into two groups. One group was given Welchol in addition to their metformin treatment while the other group received a placebo.

When they compared the two groups, the ones treated with metformin and Welchol significantly lowered their A1C levels than the ones on metformin alone. In addition the Welchol group also lowered their LDL levels considerably when compared to the placebo group.

There were two other studies that produced the same results when Welchol was added to the treatment based on sulfonylurea or insulin. This gives the doctors the option to treat both risk factors in cardiovascular events which are high cholesterol and high blood glucose.

Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami, Ronald B. Goldberg, MD who is also the Diabetes Research Institute's Associate Director at the aforementioned university said that the risk factors are a problem with type 2 diabetics because they have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Dr. Goldberg was one of the investigators of the studies.

The diabetics have to test their blood glucose level regularly. If the blood glucose levels are not within target level then something has got to change. Find out what it is, change and implement the strategy, check the level again and keep doing it until you find what works for you. You almost have to work like a detective.

It is important to monitor the blood glucose level because doing so can help in staying away from the complications. Studies after studies have shown that the risks for diabetes complications are significantly reduced when maintaining within the near normal level the blood glucose.

Eye Sight Threatened By Diabetes Awarded Grant For Research

2009-12-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

Research to Prevent Blindness awarded $110,000.00 to Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Department of Ophthalmology. Research to Prevent Blindness is the top voluntary group that supports research pertaining to the eyes.

The Department of Ophthalmology under the leadership of Jonathan H. Lass, MD, has been awarded grants of over $1.6 million during the past eleven years. Dr. Jonathan Lass said they are delighted that the Research to Prevent Blindness has continued to support and acknowledge their effort to keep on with the research.

It is essential to continue on with the research as the science of vision is constantly changing. The award will help them go on with the research to recognize why blindness happens and the ways to prevent and treat it. Among the conditions they are researching are macular degeneration, corneal cataracts, scarring, ocular inflammation, genetic eye diseases and retinopathy in diabetes.

The Research to Prevent Blindness was founded in 1960. Since its founding, it has awarded hundred of millions of dollars for research on eye diseases that lead to blindness. The grants have been awarded to medical organizations all over the United States.

If you want more information on Research to Prevent Blindness and the researches being funded, along with eye disorders and their grant program, you can go to http://www.rpbusa.org/

The leading cause of blindness among most adults is diabetes. A comprehensive eye exam can detect this but only 38% of those who do not wear glasses have been to see their eye doctor in the last two years. To think that almost 21 millions in the US have diabetes and more than six millions are not diagnosed.

Those who are at high risk for diabetes should have dilated eye exams regularly and those who are already diagnosed with diabetes should have this examination every year. This should be the first line of detection. In fact, sometimes diabetic retinopathy is the first sign of diabetes seen when drops are put in the eyes during a dilated eye exam.

Conditions that threaten health are sometimes discovered during the eye exam. This discovery may even save the lives of those concerned. The effects of both high blood cholesterol and blood pressure can be seen during the dilated eye exam because the only place in the body where the natural state of the blood vessels can be seen is in the eyes.

I am glad the researches are continuing for this is really a big help in the prevention of eye complications for diabetes. They are already finding ways to help prevent this condition and so the world will only be brighter for those who are at risk for diabetic retinopathy.

Introduction to Type 2 Diabetes Provided By Iowa Health

2009-12-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

Diabetes Express is introduced by Iowa Health - Des Moines. What is it? It is a free program that will help present Type 2 diabetes. The schedule of the first event of the Diabetes Express was held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The location of the presentation was 4114 Allison Ave., Des Moines which is the Westminster Presbyterian Church.

I am sure there will be future events where essential information and education will be made available regarding the importance of maintaining a healthy blood glucose control. And Diabetes Express will not stop there. It will offer strategies and ideas on how to maintain the blood sugar level.

Those who will participate in this program will learn a number of things. They will learn how to describe type 2 diabetes which is great because it is not easy to know the language that goes with this condition. Learning the importance of maintaining a healthy blood glucose level will protect future health.

The basic means of treating diabetes will be explained. And this includes planning healthy meals, doing more physical activity, losing weight and medication. The participants will be helped in identifying the goal in this regard and the strategies to reach the goal.

Planning healthy meals, for instance, is a must to help control the blood sugar. There’s help to get started from planning the meals to counting carbohydrates to exchanging lists. It does not mean it has to be complicated. Nor does it mean you have to have special foods. It just means eating a variety of real food.

So what does it mean then? It just means eating an assortment of foods in moderate quantity. The diet has to emphasize whole grains and fruits and vegetables. There has got to be consistency too. Why? Because the body responds to extra calories and fats by a rise in blood sugar level. So also, stick to regular meal schedule.

Sounds good, doesn't it? So every time there is a program like this, we should try to register especially if the venue is right in our backyard. If we can’t attend, at least they might provide some information where there is a presentation like this. So remember to try to find out if there are similar events in your community. This is a good example of community involvement.

Is there a Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer?

2009-11-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

The hormone that is vigorously involved in metabolism and blood glucose is insulin. Too little insulin causes type 1 and too much of it causes type 2 diabetes. This is a condition that is called resistance to insulin. Scientists are more and more convinced that this is a master hormone that influences the other hormones.

Researchers know that diabetics have higher risk of developing Alzheimer by up to 65% than the general population without this condition. But they did not know the answer to why this is so until now. There is a new study on this very issue. This is also mentioned at this page where you can just hit control f and you will find Alzheimer.

Researchers from Boston's Joslin Diabetes Center and Cologne Germany conducted a study that suggests resistance to insulin in the brain cells can influence how it works. This can lead to the biochemical changes in people with Alzheimer.

It looks like the researchers have found out that the brain also produces insulin. And so they are now saying there is another form of diabetes which the team in Brown Medical School in the United States called type 3, but they do not think it affects the blood sugar. So now insulin could be significant to the brain.

The insulin levels are affected by this type 3 and seems to be connected with Alzheimer. This is what they published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. So let's make this clear. When the body is not able to produce insulin from the pancreas, type 1 and 2 diabetes occur. This type 3 diabetes which refers to lower insulin in the brain seems connected to Alzheimer.

The scientists also found out that many of those with type 2 diabetes have protein deposits in their pancreas that are the same as those in the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer. That is why researchers are going on to find the link between the two conditions.

Rhode Island's neuropathologist Dr. Suzanne de la Monte and her team think the link is in the newly discovered type 3. This opens up new ways to treat the condition and the possibility of type 3 diabetes is raised. There is also proof that diabetes that is poorly controlled affects brain functioning. More research should be conducted to arrive at stronger conclusions.

Diabetes and Alcohol Can Cause Hypoglycemia

2009-11-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Diabetes and alcohol is the topic of a study conducted by Karolinska Institutet. This is the leading medical university in Sweden had scientists who revealed how alcohol causes hypoglycemia. Alcohol can lead to inflated secretion of insulin which in turn can lead to too low sugar, otherwise known as hypoglycemia.

Now the scientists at this Swedish university are saying that alcohol consumption can do harm to the brain. How? By lowering the concentration of blood glucose to such low levels, that's how. They have published this finding in the journal called Endocrinology.

Although hypoglycemia brought about by alcohol consumption has been a clinical problem to people with diabetes, the logistics behind this has not been unearthed or explained until recently. Researchers at the Hospital Diabetes Center in Stockholm assessed the link between diabetes and alcohol.

How did they do this? They administered alcohol on the pancreatic islet and monitored its influence to the blood flow, blood glucose levels and secretion of insulin. This is what they found which may very well convince the diabetics not to consume alcohol.

The main investigator, Ake Sjoholm, said they found that alcohol affects the microcirculation in the pancreas by inducing huge redeployment of the blood flow to the part that produces insulin. This results in hypoglycemia. He further said that this finding is vital for patients with diabetes and alcoholics with liver failure.

Alcohol consumption may aggravate persistent hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes who are treated with sulfonylureas because many of these types of medications have a long half-life. Professor Sjoholm also said that most alcoholics are not properly nourished so they may not be able to respond to hypoglycemia appropriately.

Well, whether we like it or not the processing of alcohol in the body is similar to fat. Both contain almost the same amount of calories. Drinking alcohol can result in higher blood glucose level. That said and because I do not want to be such a kill-joy, you can drink it sometimes as a treat and when the blood glucose level is under control.

And if you are like me, about ten pounds overweight or more depending on whether I have just been to a buffet (my Waterloo) and have high triglycerides and blood pressure levels, then the smartest thing to do is to consult your doctor. I don't know about doctors these days. They get so panicky with 140-150 blood pressure level. So keep in mind the link between diabetes and alcohol.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring, How It Is Done

2009-11-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

What is continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system? It is one that employs a tiny sensor which is inserted under the skin to check sugar levels in tissue fluid. This sensor stays in place for a week or several days after which it has to be replaced. Look for some improvement on this.

Through radio waves, a transmitter sends the data on blood glucose levels to a wireless monitor. This monitor is small and looks like a pager. The diabetic has to check the blood samples with a glucose monitor before programming the device.

These are more expensive than the traditional way of doing it but may help in better sugar control. They are FDA approved and give out real-time measurements displayed in one-minute or five-minute intervals. An alarm can be set to alert the user when the reading gets too low or too high.

The leading company for an insulin pump technology that one can wear is Insulet Corporation. Now this company has agreed to combine their wearable insulin pump with the continuous monitoring system of DexCom. What does this mean?

Combining the two will result in a handheld OmniPod System that will be wireless with Personal Diabetes Manager which can program the diabetic's delivery of insulin. It will display glucose readings continuously. The display will be glucose values that are real-time. In addition, this combo will alert the diabetics if the sugar levels are falling or rising.

Insulet Corporation's president and CEO, Duane DeSisto, said that this latest technology proves the company's dedication to improve the lives of the diabetics. Combining the DexCom's continuous monitoring system and making it into OmniPod Personal Diabetes Manager is easy to use and will prove the benefits of continuous monitoring and insulin pump therapy.

DexCom's president and CEO, Terrance H. Gregg, said his company is glad to work with Insulet Corporation in bringing about this combo that will make managing diabetes better for people with diabetes. The two technologies will certainly do that.

The combination of the two technologies will not only provide the diabetics with continuous data but also they will be able to track the trends that will make them know when to adjust their treatment. Alarms will sound off to alert the diabetics when their sugar levels are not within target levels.

The efforts to continue the development of this combo will go on through 2008 and should be ready to launch in the middle of 2009. Insulet Corporation's products for diabetes management will broaden as a result of this integration.

Carrot Cake, What Has This Got to do with Type 2 Diabetes?

2009-11-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hammersmith Hospital's Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in London conducted a study on sugar. We know that diabetics are frequently advised to cut back on sugar intake but researchers have questioned this saying that a reasonable amount is safe to take, as part of the diabetes diet.

So this study added three slices of carrot cake to the every day diet of nine type 2 diabetics who were overweight for 24 days. They kept a record of the participants' blood glucose levels, weight, sensitivity to insulin and cholesterol levels at the start and at the end of the research.

The leader of this research, Professor Gary Frost, said that the intake of energy of the participants was balanced to their weight and they evenly distributed the sucrose consumption over a day. What they found they published. There's more information at this other site on fats and sweets.

The participants did not gain weight. Nor did their sensitivity to insulin and their blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels change. Professor Frost further added that while their study is small and short term, their findings support other scientific researches on the same issue.

This study demonstrated that increased daily sucrose consumption with carrot cake did not show any unfavorable effect on the diabetics' blood glucose who retained a steady body weight. So the revised approach on the diabetes diet with some flexibility on increased sugar intake is here.

In fact, Kirk et al reviewed other studies in 2000 and found that adding sugar could help lower the consumption of fat. This is of course good for the general health. The findings of this research is also agreeable to the 2007 dietary guidelines of the American Diabetes Association.

ADA says that sucrose does not have a greater bad effect on blood sugar level than the same amount of starch. It should therefore be regarded the same way as the other foods that contain carbohydrates. It can be a replacement for other carbohydrate foods but of course monitored so diabetes medication can be used correctly. Watch out, carrot cake, here I come!

Proof of Transplantation Technology Cure

2009-10-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

There is proof that Tissera's pancreatic xenotransplantation has just reached an important target in its quest for treatment of type 1 diabetes. After successful pancreatic transplantation in the past, Tissera went on to investigate further the value of their treatment approach.

The Weizmann Institute of Science research team treated human primates with streptozotocin to make them diabetic and dependent on the administration of insulin to maintain sensible blood glucose levels. After a stabilization period, the research team transplanted a pig embryonic pancreatic tissue into these primates.

The scientists then followed these cases up. They reduced the amount of insulin they administered. By the fourth month after they transplanted the pancreatic tissue, only 10% of insulin was needed to maintain near normal blood glucose levels. And by the fifth month, the diabetic primates reached complete independence.

For this research, the scientists also addressed the issue of graft rejection. They were able to reduce the immune suppression treatment to counteract the rejection of the graft. The dose is down to the level adequate for humans with less side effects.

Even with the lower dose of immune suppression treatment, the primate achieved complete insulin independence 18 weeks after the transplantation. After 31 weeks from transplantation, the primate is well and is still completely independent from the administration of insulin.

This is an important achievement in the company's plan to reduce the immune suppression procedure which could make it possible to use on humans. There is therefore proof that this company's way to treat type 1 diabetes has therapeutic value.

Chairman and CEO of Tissera said they are so encouraged by the results of their study that they are having more studies to move forward with their goal of making this future treatment possible for people with type 1 diabetes in the very near future.

I researched this company because of its reported success on the pancreatic transplantation in the hope that they have finally zeroed in on a permanent cure for diabetics. The last I heard was that they are still basking on the significant milestone they accomplished on the large animal diabetic model experiments.

Encourage the Diabetics and Their Families

2009-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

The diabetics and their families have to be given encouragement for what they are doing to keep healthy. They are able to do this in conferences like the one held at the Indianapolis Convention Center. "Taking Control of Your Diabetes" was the title of that conference and it is designed to inform and support the diabetics and their families.

David Marrero, PhD, Paris Roach, M.D. and Melinda S. Kelly, R.N. who is a diabetes educator are the co-directors of this program. They are from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the School of Medicine at Indiana University.

Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study program coordinator, Melinda Kelly, spoke on diabetes issues. Other speakers included specialists on diabetes from the School of Medicine at Indiana University as well as from the Diabetes Research and Training Center at the University of Michigan. There were also other speakers from the community.

Director and founder of Taking Control of Your Diabetes, Steven V. Edelman, M.D. was at the conference. He is also School of Medicine professor at the University of California in San Diego. The founder of the Disabled Business Persons Associated (helps with the education and rehabilitation of disabled people), Urban Miyares was the luncheon speaker.

There were important topics during this conference. Among them were: The Truths and Myths About Insulin and Type 2 Diabetes, What's Driving You Crazy About Your Caregivers and Living with Diabetes, Raising Kids With Diabetes and Home Glucose Monitoring: Knowing Your Numbers and What to Do with Them.

Advancement Reported on Cholesterol and Fatty Acids Reduction

2009-10-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

A way to reduce the bad cholesterol and fatty acids have been uncovered by researchers in Edmonton, Canada's University of Alberta. We know that this bad cholesterol and the fatty acids end up in the blood when the body metabolizes the food.

This is an important discovery in the sense that it could lead to a new therapy to treat and stop the effects of heart disease and type 2 diabetes which is linked to obesity. We also know that lack of physical activity and too much sugar and fat intake lead to diabetes and heart disease. The school can also do something about nutrition and diabetes.

The above reasoning led the University of Alberta's researchers to study the mechanism behind it. Dr. Richard Lehner and his team were successful in reducing the low density lipids (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood of hamsters and mice. How did they do this?

What they did was influence a particular enzyme to find out how exactly do eating too much fat and sugar and lack of physical activity lead to bad cholesterol. In so doing they found out how an enzyme lets the fatty acids in the liver and fat cells go to the blood and more importantly how to prevent this from happening.

This is an important finding because at the present what is employed to reduce the bad cholesterol are drugs called statins. But this does not treat obesity which is a risk factor in developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. So the discovery on how to stop the enzyme from releasing the fatty acids into the blood could trigger effort at discovering what can stop this enzyme from doing this.

Dr. Lehner said there is a need for further testing. Also, it should be noted that whatever therapy they discover from this to treat obesity should not be regarded as a magical breakthrough. People should still make wise choices as to what they eat and to exercise in order to achieve optimum health.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients May Participate in a Walking Program

2009-10-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a complication that could come along with diabetes. So many millions are living with diabetes and the number is still rising. In fact, it is expected to rise to more than 25 million Americans by 2010.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy can lead to foot ulcers which sometimes will require amputation. While before the recommendation of scientists and physicians is for those with foot ulcers to stay off their feet, now there is a new graduated walking program where these people can participate and therefore prevent some illnesses that could threaten life.

Due to numbness or loss of feeling in the foot, diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a nerve disorder that affects the feet and the legs. It leads to pain and ulceration. Ulcers could be the result because of loss of muscle. This exposes the bones to a lot of pressure under the foot.

Doctors recommend exercise for the diabetics because there has been proof that it lessens the mortality risk as well as the occurrence of a cardiovascular disease. Joseph LeMaster who is University of Missouri's associate professor of community and family medicine said that type 2 diabetics can increase their mortality risk by 39% and their risk for cardiovascular disease by 34% if they do not do some form of exercise of moderate intensity regularly.

The diabetics are known to be less active than the regular population and those with diabetic peripheral neuropathy are found to be even less physically active. So in a study at the University of Missouri, LeMaster checked the effects of exercise involving the lower extremity and walking program on the development of foot ulcer.

Here's how he did it. He assigned the diabetic subjects with this nerve condition into two groups. One group was monitored often and given exercises to strengthen the legs and a walking program that was graduated. In addition, this group received a telephone call every two weeks to motivate them. The other group is the control group. Both groups received eight sessions with a physical therapist and also some form of diabetic foot care education.

What did LeMaster find? He observed an increase in the total of foot lesions and ulcers during the first six months. But guess what he found after a year? Drum roll, please! The number of foot lesions and ulcers has started to go down in the first group compared to the control group. This shows that the risk has gone down too.

What is the moral lesson of this finding? Since weight-bearing exercise did not result in in increase of foot ulcers, it follows that this type of exercise should be safe for diabetics provided the walking program is closely supervised by a medical professional and that they have no ulcers at the start and have appropriate footwear. This type of exercise therefore is recommended for those with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Blood Glucose Level Target Ranges, New Ones For UK

2009-10-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Blood glucose level target ranges that are new have been adopted. Diabetes UK has updated this in light of the NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) recommendations. Before this, the IDF (the International Diabetes Federation suggested that changes be made to the target ranges after a meal. This was in November 2007.

Then in 2008, NICE prepared and published their rules on the blood glucose level target ranges for type 2 diabetes. Since Diabetes UK continually updates their own data, they decided to follow NICE recommendations and so has also made the changes to reflect the new changes.

In order to understand the new guidelines, it is good to see what is to target for. Of course the best target is to aim for the blood glucose level that is as close to normal ranges as possible like for those who do not have diabetes. And this is their reading before meals: 3.5-5.5 mmols/L before meals while for two hours after meals, it is less than 8 mmols/L.

Opinions as to the blood sugar target to aim for vary. This is understandable because each individuals has his own needs. Therefore, the target should be one that is agreed by both the person with diabetes and his diabetes care team. Read this page for more on blood glucose.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. the blood glucose targets for most people with diabetes is 70 to 130 for before meals. For 1 to 2 hours after the start of a meal, it is below 180.

In 2004, NICE recommendations for children with type 1 diabetes before meals is 4-8 mmols/L. Two hours after meals, the recommendation is less than 10 mmols/L. For adults with type 1 diabetes, it is 4-7 mmols/L and for two hours after meals, it is less than 9 mmols/L.

In 2008 NICE recommendations for type 2 diabetes have changed to 4-7 mmol/L for before meals and less than 8.5 mmols/L for two hours after meals. So you see it is important to self-monitor the blood sugar level as part of the routine every day. This way, we can watch for symptoms for either hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia as well as those of possible complications. That's how important it is to check one's blood glucose level.

Diabetes Leg Pain Symposium On Advanced Wound Care And Wound Healing

2009-09-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

Diabetes leg pain symposium of this kind is something I am glad to have come across as it will provide us with new connections to the world of Wound Care and Wound Healing, so crucial to diabetic patients. This 22nd annual meeting of wound care specialists from different disciplines met this year at the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center in Dallas.

What is important is that at this meeting they are adding a limb preservation track to address the concerns of vascular surgeons and doctors of podiatric medicine. These are the people who treat the diabetics who have diabetes leg pain and are at risk for amputation.

From Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Kazu Suzuki said that about one-third of diabetics suffer from diabetes leg pain and foot wounds and poor circulation. Apparently, these lead to over 100,000 leg amputation each year and often these are preventable. How?

When the wound is detected and treated early, amputation could be avoided. That is why it is important to examine feet and legs for sores and wounds as the diabetics may not feel them and not know early enough that they are there. Examining the feet and legs every day should be part of the diabetes care plan.

There are limb preservation efforts through proper care of the wound and revascularization. These could save life and limb and are part of looking after the diabetic patients especially knowing that quality of life deteriorates after amputation.

My prayer is for no diabetic will ever need to use wheel chairs but if they do they should get Power Wheelchairs that are at low or no cost, free delivery, free training & setup! Medicare recipients, get your free consultation. ClickOnHealth This is a big help when they will deliver it for free and set it up too. I don't know about you but I am a technically challenged person so a company that gives free training and setup gets a big thumbs up from me!

So this spring meeting addressed the diagnostic tests and treatment to help prolong the lives of the diabetics. It is their aim to raise awareness of the symptoms, care and treatment options for diabetic leg wounds. It will lower the cost of complications because early detection is cheaper than leg amputations which will require hospitalization and rehabilitation.

It is my fervent hope that some experts will share what they have discovered at this symposium. I followed this up as I can't wait for new ways and treatment options for the diabetics but could not find any update on that meeting. Surely by now they must have something for the diabetics who suffer so much from their diabetes leg pain.

Blood Glucose Levels Study Suggests Lowering A1C Levels Could Reduce Decline In Cognitive Function

2009-09-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Blood glucose levels that are higher in type 2 diabetics are associated with lower cognitive functioning, that is worse functioning on three cognitive tasks. These will be any responsibilities that need speed, memory and the ability to do multitasking.

There were two ongoing studies on the relationship between high blood sugar levels and lower cognitive performance. One is called MIND (Memory in Diabetes) while the other is named ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes). What did these two researches find?

They both found that higher A1C levels are closely related to poorer functioning cognitively. As we know A1C is the measure that tells the average of the blood glucose levels over a period covering 2-3 months. The higher reading on this also shows a link with lower result on a global cognitive function test.

Before these ongoing studies, it has been found out that the diabetics have a 1.5 times more risk to decline cognitively and experience dementia than people who do not have diabetes. The results of MIND show that diabetes may also be related to cognitive impairment although mild.

Although the cognitive function is only mildly impaired, still it is a concern to those with type 2 diabetes. So said Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaff who is the leader of the research team. He works at the School of Medicine of Israel's Tel-Aviv University. If you want more help in lowering your blood sugar, Click Here!

It is not known whether the higher blood glucose leads to the cognitive impairment or whether it is the other way around. Does the impairment lower the ability to control the blood sugar level? Here is where the sub study Accord comes in.

In this research, there will be follow-up on the patients and they will be tested three times. This will let the researchers know whether the lower sugar levels will result in better cognitive functioning. And it looks there is improvement in cognitive functioning with the lower or near normal blood glucose levels.

The lesson of the story? Work hard at getting those blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. I know you can do it. Will do it in fact. Knowing the ramifications in terms of complications will spur all of us into action to make sure we reach the normal reading for the blood glucose levels.

Cardiovascular Disease: Taxus Liberte Gets CE Mark to Use for Diabetics

2009-09-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

Cardiovascular disease is one complication the diabetics may have to face so it is with much anticipation to read Senior vice president of Boston Scientific International, David McFaul announcing that Taxus Liberte stent has been given a CE Mark approval to use for diabetics. He further said that clinical trials and real life statistics have shown it has benefited patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Taxus Liberte is the drug-eluting stent technique most often used in Europe. Getting the approval for use in diabetic patients is quite a milestone for Boston Scientific whose aim is to offer patients the latest treatment option for cardiovascular disease.

Since the diabetics are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, this is a helpful solution. The patients they examined, 1529 of them, were treated with Taxus Liberte stent system at their clinical trial. Of this number, 413 were diabetics. Four trials showed the effectiveness and safety of this system for diabetics. But don't forget that you can protect the heart by exercising and maintaining a healthy weight.

About 50% of patients with CAD (coronary artery disease) in Europe are diabetics. These patients showed worse results after revascularization due to their blood vessels that show a tendency to have more plaque. Their CAD also develops more rapidly and so is the most frequent cause of death among those with diabetes in Europe.

Taxus Liberte is not available yet in the United States but Boston Scientific is waiting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve it. For now, it is available outside the United States. It comes in a wide variety of sizes to treat a range of lesion lengths and vessel sizes in patients suffering from coronary artery disease.

I tried to update this but could not find any additional information except to say the TAXUS Liberte has more CE Mark-approved indications than any other drug-eluting stent. We already know that Boston Scientific Corporation that the system received CE Mark approval for the diabetic patient use.

Boston Scientific also reported that the Taxus Liberte has done well for patients with diabetes who also has coronary artery disease. The benefit is not only authenticated by clinical trials but also by real world reports. No wonder it is the most frequently used system in Europe. This is good information for the diabetics who also suffer from cardiovascular disease.

Alzheimer's Disease a Type 3 Diabetes?

2009-09-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

I wrote this last week but I think someone was giving trouble to Google and I couldn't input this so this week I will have two posts unless the same thing happens again. Scientists started naming Alzheimer's disease a type 3 diabetes. Why? Because they think there's a strong relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. They have found new proof linking resistance to insulin and the disorder of the brain.

Northwestern University in the United States declare that when the brain stops the insulin from doing its job correctly, the result is chemical imbalance. This disproportion of the chemicals then could help out in activating Alzheimer's disease.

The research undertaken is suggesting that patients with dementia have brains with protein that ties to the tips of the end of nerves. This leads to resistance to insulin which plays a role and therefore important for the brain in order for it to learn, accumulate information and knowledge and then remember them along with the memories.

The leader of this study is Dr. William Klein who said that type 2 diabetes drugs may be helpful in treating Alzheimer's disease. Even Diabetes UK Care advisor, Libby Dowling, said there are other researches that link diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

There is a need though for more studies on this matter in order to arrive at a more definitive conclusion as to the relationship between Alzheimer's and diabetes. There is no doubt for this because the speed at which change in medical science occurs is breathtaking.

Just look at the latest announcement regarding the stem cells resulting from adult skin cells that were genetically engineered. We all need these weapons so we can win the battle with diseases including diabetes. These are imbedded in the minds of these researchers who are tireless in their quest for new ways to make things better for all, regardless of motivation.

Now they're saying that insulin's importance to the body of type 1 diabetics and some type is also equally important to the mind. That is why they are thinking that Alzheimer's loss of memory is because of a new form of diabetes which they call the third form.

I repeat that researchers have discovered the reasoning why the signaling of the brain insulin which is important for memory would cease working in Alzheimer's disease. They found a toxic protein in the brains of those who have Alzheimer's that removes from the nerve cells the insulin receptors. This makes the neurons resistant to insulin.

Amputations Linked to Mental Health

2009-08-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

Amputations was the topic of a study that reported in the magazine General Hospital Psychiatry issue on the American veterans who are diabetics. This group was found to have an increased chance of major amputations when they score low on a mental health functioning test. That is why mental assessment should be a part of the overall management of diabetes.

This news item suggests the need to evaluate patients for mental health issues as this seems to be a risk factor. This way, some suitable intervention can be undertaken to reduce the risk for amputation. So did the senior authors of the VA Health Care System in New Jersey report.

Dr. Tseng and his team studied almost 115000 diabetics at Veteran Health Administration Clinic during the period of 1998-2000. These patients completed a mental health functioning test. They then evaluated the results of the test. Hopefully my readers on diabetes leg pain will take note of this.

Here's what they found. They found that 450 patients underwent amputations of the ankle which are considered major while 431 had toes to ankle amputations which are considered minor. They then compared this with the findings on the measurement of the mental health functioning.

The ones who scored lower showed a greater risk for amputation. This was the finding after taking into account the other factors like obesity, less health care, poor diabetes control and smoking. The major amputation rate was .5% among those who scored below average, .3% for those who obtained above average and .2% for those who have the highest score in the test.

It goes to show that increase in mental health functioning score of five points was linked to a reduced risk of major amputation by 5%. And when adjustment was made, mental health functioning stopped being a major risk for amputations that are minor.

My prayer is for no diabetic to need wheel chairs but if they do they should get Power Wheelchairs that are at low or no cost, free delivery, free training & setup! Medicare recipients, get your free consultation. ClickOnHealth
This is a big help when they will deliver it for free and set it up too. I don't know about you but I am a technically challenged person so a company that gives free training and setup gets a big thumbs up from me!

The link between mental health functioning was mentioned before but this is the first time that it has been formally studied. Mental health issues may get in the way with the care of people with diabetes including complications with the foot care. Being aware of this could lead to better care for diabetics and fewer amputations.

Oral Treatment for Diabetes Discovered?

2009-08-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

University of Haifa researchers in the Biology Department of Faculty of Science and Science Education uncovered a matter that may treat diabetes and its accompanying complications orally. This substance is a derivative of a yeast called GTF, an acronym for Glucose Tolerance Factor.

They tested this substance on rats that had diabetes which subsequently have been found to have lowered the lipids and sugar levels in their blood. The one conducting the research is Dr. Nitsa Mirsky who said that the next step is to assess if GTF will work successfully as well on people.

Acknowledged as a world-wide health crisis, diabetes has an effect on 5-10% of people in developed countries and has been declared an epidemic in developing countries. A lasting illness with no cure, it has many complications like blindness, heart disease, kidney failure and others.

About half of people with diabetes are injected with insulin while the others take oral medications that are not easy to control and frequently with side effects. Treatment with insulin may not be effective because resistance to it can slowly develop.

There is another problem with insulin in the sense that it has to fit the diabetic's activities and sometimes it doesn't to the point that taking a large dose before meals could trigger hypoglycemia which could lead to coma and even death.

Dr. Mirsky's research involved two levels, first on rats that were diabetic and on the molecular cells. The findings showed that GTF reduced the glucose level and the bad cholesterol and raised the good cholesterol. This glucose tolerance factor kept back the process of oxidation that could lead to atherosclerosis that in turn could result in heart attacks and strokes.

And here's even better news. If GTF is given early, it could stop or at least slow down renal problems. It has also shown to stop damage to the retina and could help prevent cataracts. It also helps improve the efficacy of insulin. There is a need though for more research to combine both insulin and GTF treatment for diabetics.

I tried to get updated information on this discovery and found that glucose tolerance factor is an agent for diabetic treatment and healing development. Chromium which is considered the central part of Glucose Tolerance Factor improves the effect of insulin in the body.

Chromium is known as a trace element that is necessary for human nutrition because it improves insulin efficacy as well the glucose tolerance. It can be obtained from the diet but inadequate amount is said to lead to symptoms that are found in cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

The over processing of foods makes for less dietary consumption of chromium. Many diets have less than 60% of the recommended consumption. The estimated and safe everyday consumption of chromium is 50 to 200 micrograms. There is more info on this at Treatments for Diabetes.

Those with diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance when given supplemental chromium have shown improvement in blood sugar, insulin and lipids. Reaction depends on the amount and form of supplement. Over the past thirty years there has not been any report of chromium toxicity in studies on the supplements.

USA's Top Diabetes Magazine on its 62nd Year

2009-08-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Diabetes Forecast starts the 60th year by releasing its annual supplement, the 2008 Resource Guide on diabetes. To help the diabetics, the supplement offers the readers with a summary of new and established products. This overview will provide the information needed for diabetes care. I wonder if they will release the 2009 Resource Guide.

The 2008 Resource Guide has different sections. There are news on new products such as new medications, blood glucose monitors that continuously keep track of blood sugar levels. It provides ways to control type 2 diabetes with drugs especially now that there are six classes of pills and a number of combinations of pills.

For insulin users, the supplement provides an overview of the chief characteristics of insulin and the ones used in the US and helpful guidelines on labeling, shipping and storage. In addition, it gives data on pumps, pens, jet injectors, syringes and infusers. It helps users decide which tools match their needs.

The diabetics will also learn to determine which blood glucose monitor is the best tool. There are tips on how to handle hypoglycemic episodes and how to prevent them from happening. It gives information on how to test for ketones as well. Meanwhile, to get alerts and tips, sign up at the top of this page on diabetes like hypoglycemia symptoms.

There is an alphabetical list of distributors and manufacturers of diabetes goods. And this is not all. There will be eight steps on how to make good on the resolutions to lose weight. The hints help anyone to stick to this resolution.

I will try to report on all of these in more detail as I believe this is an important resource for people who have diabetes. It is good to have such information handy within one's reach at all times. Self-care will be more manageable with such resource on hand.

Black Community Urged to Make Lifestyle Change

2009-08-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Diabetes among African Americans is on an all-time high. It is one of the most serious health problems facing the community. More than 30 million of them suffer from this condition. Approximately 1.6 African Americans get diabetes for every white American diagnosed with it.

In this connection, it is good to know what are the risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. The same factors that increase the risk for the other populations are the culprits for the African Americans developing this condition. These are genetics, medical risk factors and lifestyle factors.

Genetics include inherited traits. They inherited what they call the thrifty gene from their ancestors which enabled them during famine and feast cycles to adjust when food was scarce. Now that that these cycles are fewer if ever, the thrifty gene makes it harder to control the weight.

Speaking of this, allow me to let you read one doctor's take on this issue. She believes that it is not what we eat nor our lack of exercise that is responsible for us getting overweight but something else. Find out why everyone is so mad at this doctor. She will tell you all about it herself.

The second risk factors are medical and include impaired glucose tolerance, obesity and hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. Hyperinsulinemia refers to higher than normal fasting insulin levels. This often occurs several years before diabetes comes in for good.

The third risk factors are the ones that have something to do with lifestyle. The scientists think that lack of physical activity contributes to high diabetes rates among older African-American women. They say that adequate physical activity protects one against diabetes so it‘s best to counteract this by getting enough exercise.

Representative Cummings wrote in Louisiana Weekly urging the black community to make lifestyle changes to stop the threat of diabetes from them. It is now the fourth main cause of death among the blacks who have almost twice the rate with this disease than the whites. There is more information on diabetes risk factors here.

He said that a lot of the factors leading to diabetes are preventable. The traditional diet the blacks have contribute to this disease and this should change now in order to save lives later. What we eat, he says, is frequently linked to how we die.

Changing the lifestyle by eating less and moving more will spell the difference. He said there's a national movement for every American child to get healthy foods and they're working on it in the congress. However, passing laws is not enough. The community has to work together to educate every one of the risk linked to the every day diet so we can all prevent diabetes.

Research Reports Camel Milk May Help Diabetics

2009-07-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Diabetes prevention should at least heed the report from Jaipur saying that although India has the most number of diabetics in the world, there are camel breeders in Rajasthan who are immune to diabetes. They say this is due to camel milk which is the main item in their every day meal. Sorry, but I am not going to drink camel milk.

Diabetes Care conducted the research at the SP Medical College Bikaner and found that a liter of camel's milk has around 52 units of insulin. This is different from other forms of insulin that is dispensed orally in the sense that the stomach's acidic juices do not neutralize the camel milk.

By now, we know there are type 1 and type 2 kinds of diabetes. Type 2 could still be treated with changing to a healthy lifestyle while the option for type 1 is to take insulin shots Now they have proven that drinking camel milk every day would add 60 to 70% of insulin to Type 1 diabetics.

This translates to the Type 1 diabetics who require a yearly supply of 20 units of insulin to reduce this need to six to seven units if they take camel milk regularly. This result came after a first survey that indicated low diabetes prevalence among the camel milk drinkers when compared to those who do not like camel milk.

The initial survey was followed by successfully testing albino rats and then 50 type 1 and type 2 diabetics for over two years. The blood glucose levels of these people fell dramatically. This has been published before with the American Diabetes Association even recommending it.

ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has newly acknowledged this discovery but most are still not aware of this. Other countries like Japan and USA have shown interest in this finding which Dr. Agrawal said that scientists are crediting the camel milk feature as due to phytonutrient from plants that are the staple of the camel's diet every day. Should this then be considered for diabetes prevention?

Kidney Disease Cause at Early Stage Uncovered?

2009-07-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

Kidney disease cause of its early stage has been thought of as discovered. This is significant as worldwide, 100 million people are affected by the early stage kidney disease. Massachusetts General Hospital , the largest training hospital for Harvard Medical School, conducted a study where they identified a molecular pathway that seems to be the cause of urinary protein loss. If this is blocked, then the kidney failure can be slowed down.

The senior author of this study who is also the director of the Program in Glomerular Disease at MGH, Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, said they have information on this in both animal and human models. It appeared in Nature Medicine but is also available online.

Changli Wei, MD, PhD said that targeting the mechanism with molecule compounds or antibodies can stop or lower the urinary protein loss. This may then become a new way to treat kidney disease like diabetic nephropathy.

The filtering activity of the kidney is done in the blood vessels where there are extensions called podocytes that sift extra water out while keeping the larger proteins in. Some kidney diseases show these podocytes as having shrunk thus unable to do the filtering properly and allowing the proteins to seep out of the urine.

The researchers studied this situation and for the first time found what was capable of the motion that contributes to the breakdown of the podocytes. They focused on this and found uPar as linked to the movement. These are the same molecules associated with the healing of wounds, inflammation, metastasis and invasion of tumor.

There is a need for more studies to find out how uPar interacts with the others that are involved in the filtering of the protein and its leakage to the urine. They are now carrying out a clinical trial to block the uPar. Hopefully this will be the first step to intervene in these diseases.

I tried to get the latest research on the early kidney disease but didn't find any. Meantime, there is something we can do. After consulting with the doctor a special diet may help reduce the kidneys' workload and control the build up of fluid and waste products. This may help in slowing down the kidney function loss. Generally, this diet controls the, quantity of protein, sodium and phosphorus but make sure you get enough calories.

Sometimes there are no symptoms of the early stages of this condition so it is important that one who is at risk like those with diabetes and hypertension be tested. Usually they use the urine and blood test to find the creatinine in the blood. This way we can protect ourselves until they find the cause of early kidney disease.

Therapy for Cancer and Arthritis May Be Good as Diabetes Treatment

2009-07-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Researchers for Yale School of Medicine report that an antibody used for treatment of some cancers and arthritis seem to holdup type 1 diabetes when they tried it on mice. They say that even after stopping the administration of the antibody, it continues to be of benefit.

They say that rituximab, the antibody they used, reduces the B cells. There is evidence that B cells have a part in autoimmune disease by interrelating with the immune system's T cells. The T cells are the ones that destroy the cells that produce insulin.

Li Wen, the division of endocrinology's senior research scientist, said that after successfully depleting the B cells, regulatory cells come out which can hold back the autoimmune and inflammatory reaction even after the return of the B cells. Li Wen and team were stunned by the fact that there were both T and B cells in the regulatory cells.

What Li Wen and her Yale collaborator, Mark Shlomchik, M.D. did to find out whether the depletion of the B cells would be a treatment for type 1 diabetes, was develop a mouse model. They engineered these mice to be predisposed to diabetes and put the molecule retuximab on surface of the B cells of these mice.

The investigators found that the drug therapy considerably delayed diabetes by 10 to 15 weeks than their mice counterparts which were treated with a placebo. This translates to about 10 to 15 years in humans. Five of the 14 mice who had already diabetes stopped requiring insulin for two to five months while their counterparts stayed being diabetic. So it has some promise as a form of diabetes treatment.

What does this mean? Shlomchik said that it looks like the B cells play two parts in diabetes and perhaps in other autoimmune disease as well. At the start the B cells may encourage the disease to appear but after depletion with rituximab, they stop the disease. This shows there may be no need for multiple medications to further deplete the B cells.

I hope they will continue on with this research but in my search for new development, I didn't find any. However, this did not diminish my admiration for the researchers for I have no idea nor want to find out how to engineer mice to be susceptible to diabetes. Why, I did not even do well at my chemistry class in the university and I am terrified of mice. So despite my overwhelming desire to help the diabetics, I will not go near those creatures. I draw the line there, so sorry guys!

What Drug Lowers Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Among Diabetics with Kidney Disease?

2009-07-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are linked in the sense that the diabetics have a higher risk for heart troubles than their counterpart who do not have diabetes. The question therefore that begs an answer is what can we do to lower that risk?

That risk can be reduced by maintaining the ABC's of diabetes at acceptable level. How do we do this? This can be done by eating healthy, exercising regularly and taking medication as prescribed. Losing weight if applicable is also part of maintaining the ABC.

Every little step you take will help maintain the ABC. Once the numbers come nearer the target levels, the chance to prevent heart attack is higher, much higher. Smoking is a great no, no. If you are smoking, quit. It is as simple as that. Now what do these ABC stand for anyway?

A is for A1C which tells the story of where your average blood sugar is up to in the preceding two to three months. In fact, this is now what they advocate as the way to diagnose diabetes instead of that fasting glucose test. The recommendation is to target the A1C of below 7.

B is for blood pressure that tells the story of how hard your heart has to work because it measures the force of blood in the blood vessels. The recommendation is to keep the blood pressure reading to below 130/80 mmHg.

Now how about the C? Well it stands for cholesterol which is the amount of fat in the blood. Just to get us confused, there are two kinds. There's the HDL which is our friend because it aids in protecting the heart. And there is the LDL which we can call frenemy (This is a new word just added recently to the dictionary) which means a fake friend because it clogs our blood vessel.

The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reports in the January issue that treating patients with CKD (chronic kidney disease) with pioglitazone may lower the risk for cardiovascular disease. A new study on this confirms this.

University of Cologne's Dr. Christian A. Schneider of Germany said that this drug reduced death and cardiovascular occurrence when they studied more than 5000 type 2 diabetics who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease due to damage to the large blood vessels.

The patients treated with pioglitazone showed a lower risk for cardiovascular occurrence when compared to those assigned to take the placebo. The rate of death and cardiovascular events was reduced by 33.33%. It was noted that the decrease happened among those with lower stage of kidney function.

Dr. Schneider said their findings may not apply to diabetics with lower risk for cardiovascular events. Caution should be exercised when looking at the result of their study until it is further confirmed. This research was supported by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Let’s just follow the recommendation to lower the cardiovascular disease.

Disabled Diabetics May Collect Social Security Benefits

2009-07-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

The main cause of disability in the US is diabetes. Its complications are many among which are blindness, kidney failure, nerve problems and blindness rendering diabetics disabled. Now there is news they are entitled to full disability benefits from Social Security.

One who is unable to work or earn enough income due to these complications and the condition has gone on or may continue for a year may be able to collect full benefits on disability insurance from Social Security. Apply at the Social Security Office.

Remember if you become disabled due to diabetes and unable to hold a job, you may be qualified to collect full social security disability benefits. So don't forget to head down to the social security office nearest to where you live and apply for benefits.

Be careful when you apply because if the person is not following a treatment plan, the Social Security Office will deny the claim. On what ground is this decision made? It is on the grounds that following the prescribed treatment plan will not make one disabled for 12 consecutive months.

Adults and children will be considered disabled due to severe kidney problem. They are also considered disabled for 12 months after a kidney transplant. A person who has had diabetes for long will have disabling complications due to retinopathy, neuropathy and kidney troubles.

Don't be disheartened if you get turned down. As far as I know that is what usually happens. Be tenacious and insist on it. You will have 60 days to appeal. Then contact a lawyer who is knowledgeable about social security disability right away. Find out if the lawyer's clients are happy with his services. That is how you know that he will be of help.

If the application is turned down, the social security lawyer who is experienced with disability insurance may be of help. These lawyers usually win cases on appeal when the client's application has been rejected. But consult the lawyer as soon as the application is turned down.

For those who are not disabled from diabetes, please continue the regimen of eating healthy, being physically active and taking the medication as prescribed. It looks like only about 50% gets disabled from these complications although I doubt if the number gets that high because most diabetics are taking good care of themselves.

Oral Insulin Reduced Glucose Levels in Pre-Clinical Trials

2009-06-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Oral Insulin Cobalamini has been shown to considerably reduce sugar levels when tested on animals. This is as per announcement of Access Pharmaceuticals. They used some formulas of Cobalamini that are based on the body's natural absorption of Vitamin B12. They plan to do more pre-clinical tests.

Hopefully, this will be a success especially for people who have to do multiple insulin injection daily. This emerging company already has patents on Vitamin B12 to carry drugs. It will transfer this to the blood for easier absorption. Cobalamini therefore has the potential to deliver insulin orally or improve the delivery system currently in use.

Senior Vice President of Access Pharmaceuticals' Research and Development, Dr. David P. Nowotnik said that the company has data to use this method with different proteins but the result of the pre-clinical trials delighted them as there is indication that desired effect can be attained.

Access Pharmaceuticals plans to collaborate with other companies in the development of this oral delivery device. They have conducted studies with top pharmaceutical companies but are looking for partners to do more research on the availability of oral insulin.

CEO and Access Pharmaceutical Stephen R. Seiler said they're excited by the results of the research they conducted on animals. The potential for an oral delivery system for insulin is indicated. The Cobalamini technology, he said, can be applied to some cancer products as well.

People with diabetes I am sure will just be too happy not to have anymore of insulin resistance if they could take it by mouth as this will eliminate the irritation to the skin due to multiple injection. In another study, The American Chemical Society has known of this issue since their 222nd national meeting.

They were told at the meeting that the material is a polymer, the consistency of which is gel-like. This will offer another way or in place of injecting the insulin every day. A graduate student named Aaron C. Foss of Purdue University conducted a study on this issue with the guidance of the professor of biomedical and chemical engineering, Nicholas A. Peppas, ScD.

You see, the polymer is supposed to protect the insulin until it enters the small intestine. There, the blood will absorb it without it being exposed to the acidic hazards in the mouth first, then onto the throat and stomach. Researchers before this had only a minimum amount of insulin left for the blood to absorb but Peppas is confident this will not happen with their own research.

Why? Because the small intestine is less acidic than the other places where the insulin has to pass through So once the insulin gets to the small intestine, the polymer swells up. In addition, the polymer intercepts the calcium which is a good thing because the walls of the small intestine need to have the pores tightly sealed. Then as soon as they open up, the insulin can slip through to the blood. Sneaky, huh?

They have been working on this for some time so I looked for any report on the progress but I failed. So if any good soul out there who will be successful in this detective work, please let me know as I am truly interested to know the result of this investigation on oral insulin.

Diabetics Taken Off From Avandia Most Likely to Use New Agents

2009-06-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Diabetes Dynamics USA reports on new research that shows just over 50% of diabetics withdrawn from Avandia were changed to new anti=diabetic drugs Januvia or Byetta when news spread that something was wrong with the drug they were taking. Can you imagine the worry and concern that caused?

International Client Services director Philip O'Hagan said that TNS Healthcare observed a rise in Avandia withdrawals and an increase in pioglitazone withdrawal as well. With the pioglitazone withdrawal only 10% were due to cardiac problems while those with the Avandia withdrawals, 20% were due to cardiac issues.

Only half of the Avandia change resulted in the switch to another drug. In 40% the change was only in the dosage. In the other 10% the doctors withdrew their patients from Avandia but did not make any other treatment change.

Diabetes Dynamics will continue to track the changes. They will note which of the drugs will lose or gain. They know that the prescription pattern will be volatile for a period of time. They will check what happens to the patients who changed their treatment.

Why would this have to happen anyway? Had there been more care in the clinical trials instead of rushing through it for financial gain, perhaps the side effects did not occur and then these changes the diabetics will not have to go through. Don't get me wrong, I am all for changes myself, but done the right way!

Rushing through the clinical trials and getting the FDA approval on the fast track is not the way to go, in my humble opinion. It smells something fishy. It is almost akin to changes in the computer operating system with not all the bugs ironed out. The end users are left to find this out and report the bug themselves. The powers-that-be then work on it to correct the system.

At least changes in the computer system are not life-threatening which is the opposite is true with the medications. Something could go horribly wrong if not all aspects of the medication are addressed and worked on before the release. Let us not rush through things and think more of the diabetics who will have to suffer more if we do.

Wockhardt UK Says There’s Still Insulin Available

2009-06-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Insulin therapy is an important part of treatment for type 1 diabetics and for some who have type 2 diabetes. The aim of insulin therapy is to keep the blood glucose levels within the target range. The insulin therapy that is best for you depends on many factors, like the type of diabetes, one's lifestyle and how much the blood glucose rises and falls throughout the day.

There are many available types. The following are for your information only and should be checked for the latest available data. Here they are but know that the doctor may prescribe a mixture of types:

The rapid acting ones are absorbed faster than the short-acting ones but wears off earlier like Insulin aspart, insulin glulisine, insulin lispro. They start working either after 15 minutes, with peak times of 30 minutes to three hours and effect lasts from two to five hours.

The short-acting ones work faster but the effects do not last as long as the intermediate ones like Humulin R, Novolin R. It begins to work 30 to 60 minutes with peak times of 2 to four hours and effect lasts for 3 to 8 hours.

The intermediate-acting ones begin working later than the short-acting ones but the effects last longer like the NPH human (Humulin N, Novolin N). It starts working later than the short-acting ones. It starts working one to four hours, with peak times at 4 to 12 hours and the effect lasts for 12 to 18 hours.

The long-acting ones take several hours to work but it supplies the insulin at a steady level for one whole day or 24 hours like Insulin glargine (Lantus) and the Insulin detemir (Levemir). It starts working in one to ten hours, with no clear peak and the effect lasts for up to 24 hours.

Remember that depending on when you read this, the data may have changed and that the doctor has the final say on this as he will know the overall health condition of the person in question. You can read more about insulin at this site where you can sign up for free to get alert and tips delivered right to your email inbox. While there you can also access the home page for the disclaimer.

Bovine insulin and Hypurin porcine will still be supplied for diabetics as soon as Novo Nordisk extracts its pork insulin. This is why Wockhardt UK says they’ll be able to provide the diabetics this option for treatment.

Diabetes UK Care advisor Cathy Moulton says it is good for the diabetics to have a choice of treatment because no two diabetics are alike so they want to still provide animal insulin. The other point is that switching to human insulin from the animal type is not simple because of serious reaction to the change.

Diabetes UK had a report specially made for this issue that was published in the magazine Diabetic Medicine. Although many can deal with their diabetes well with human insulin, few have problems with hypoglycemia when treated with it. So the Department of Health agrees that some diabetics are more suited to bovine insulin and should therefore be made available.

Erectile Dysfunction: More Info and What To Do With This Problem

2009-06-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Erectile dysfunction or impotence occurs in approximately 35-75% of diabetic men. They will go through at least some degree of this condition during their life. They tend to develop this 10 to 15 years ahead of men who do not have diabetes.

As they age, erectile dysfunction even becomes more common. They will experience difficulties with an erection about 50 - 60% when they reach the age of over 50. When they hit above 90, the likelihood of having this difficulty, rises to approximately 95%. Please sign up at the top of the page to receive an ongoing free weekly alerts and tips at the top of the page of the above link.

This begs the question why men with diabetes suffer from impotence. Would you believe the causes are multifaceted? This condition includes impairment in blood vessel, nerve and muscle function. Men need healthy nerves, blood vessels, male hormones and the desire to be sexually aroused.

Therein lies the problem for diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels. So even if men have the desire and the correct amounts of male hormones, they may not be able to have firm erection. Diabetes could have damaged the nerves and blood vessels that control the erection.

Now let's go to the solution part for there are treatments available but you have to check with your doctor. Why? Because taking oral medication like Cialis, Viagra and Levitra which can help with the problem may not be appropriate because they may interact dangerously with heart medicine.

However, there are other treatment options like vacuum constriction devices, injection therapy, sex therapy, intracavernous injection therapy, and intraurethral therapy. Is there a best one? It depends on your condition and how much you can endure. Get your doctor to refer you to a urologist who is an expert on this.

Professors Dr. Pedro Vendeira and Dr. Carla Costa were awarded an ESSM Award of Excellence for their study on erectile dysfunction in diabetics at Lisbon, Portugal during the 10th yearly Congress. The title of their study is Bone-marrow Derived-cell Treatment for Diabetes-associated Erectile Dysfunction.

This condition appears earlier due to the peripheral vascular difficulty that changes the normal blood flux to the organ. This impedes the normal erectile capacity. The study’s chief goal is to revascularize the diabetic penile tissue. This is through the use of cellular therapy which is done in diabetic rats. Healthy animal cells are transplanted to the diabetic animal’s penis.

This research was conducted at the University of Oporto’s Faculty of Medicine. The researchers received financial help for this earlier and the ESSM Award came with financial reward as well. This award was formed by the European Study for Sexual Medicine to help with the development and research in sexual health, particularly on the issue of erectile dysfunction.

Erectile Dysfunction, Everything You Want To Know and Ashamed to Ask

2009-05-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Professors Dr. Pedro Vendeira and Dr. Carla Costa were awarded an ESSM Award of Excellence for their study on erectile dysfunction in diabetics at Lisbon, Portugal during the 10th yearly Congress. The title of their study is Bone-marrow Derived-cell Treatment for Diabetes-associated Erectile Dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction appears earlier due to the peripheral vascular difficulty that changes the normal blood flux to the organ. This impedes the normal erectile capacity. The study’s chief goal is to revascularize the diabetic penile tissue. This is through the use of cellular therapy which is done in diabetic rats. Healthy animal cells are transplanted to the diabetic animal’s penis.

This research was conducted at the University of Oporto’s Faculty of Medicine. The researchers received financial help for this earlier and the ESSM Award came with financial reward as well. This award was formed by the European Study for sexual Medicine to help with the development and research in sexual health.

The inability of a man to maintain an erection is called erectile dysfunction. It was formerly called impotence and considered a psychological issue but has now changed because it is more frequently caused by physical problems. It can be embarrassing to talk about but it is worth the effort to do so.

Nowadays this can be treated through medication or surgery. A heart problem or diabetes and other conditions may cause this so it is good to consider this a serious matter. As for the symptoms indicated of not being able to maintain an erection, this is so if it happens at least 25% of the time. An occasional lapse is normal.

Regarding the causes, male arousal involves hormones, brain, nerves, emotions, blood vessels and muscles so anything amiss in any of these can lead to erectile dysfunction. A chronic health problem or side effects of medication, a combination of things can lead to ED as well.

The risk factors include age, chronic health problem, medications, injuries and surgeries, smoking, obesity. stress, substance abuse, too much bicycling, and metabolic syndrome. Seek help for this condition to rule out other chronic health problems. After tests and diagnosis, there are treatment options available.

The treatment options range from medications to surgery and medical devices. The treatment of choice depends on the gravity and cause of the conditions. See if the treatment cost will be covered by your health insurance. Hope you got to know the things you want about erectile dysfunction.

Best Donor of Islets for Diabetes Treatment

2009-05-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

The solution to the scarcity of islets for transplantation is to get the islet cells from living donors. This is according to the new report in Clinical Transplantation's new study. Samples of these cells obtained from living donors showed a 94% viability for transplantation against 42% from the dead donors. Clinical Transplantation is a journal for those who care for people requiring tissue or organ transplant.

The author of the study, Dr. Kwang-Won Kim said that the only known treatment for the diabetics who are dependent on insulin is transplantation of islet cells. The trouble is there is not enough supply from dead donors especially sometimes they need two such donors to obtain adequate cells to treat just one diabetic. Living donors will solve this problem because islet cells weakens right after death.

There is a downside to this because the procedure to obtain islet cells from live donors is not free from risk. There is a chance for the donors themselves to develop diabetes and who wants that? There is therefore a need for more research on this issue in order to make certain the donors will be safe and at the same time meet the demand for islet cells.

Last year UK's Department of Health announced funding from the government for a new type 1 diabetes treatment. It will spend 2.34 million euros the first year and increase this to a maximum of 7.32 million euros as it meets the demand for the service.

Previously, this type of service was offered to twelve patients in England which were funded from charitable organizations but chiefly by Diabetes UK. The new funding from the government will allow around 20 transplants in six centers that will be ready 24/7 to receive pancreas from donors and prepare the islet cells for transplantation. This will further expand to 80 transplants a year.

Won't it be grand if we had this option in the US as well.? I've tried to look around for this so that I can broadcast it from my website to give my readers the option to study and see if this fits their treatment plan. I did the same thing in Canada but the best I could find there was the pioneering islet transplantation in Edmonton, Alberta that paved the way to the current success.

Diabetes Study on Dog Owners with Type 1 Diabetes

2009-05-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Diabetes study has been funded by Diabetes UK to research anecdotal records on the dogs' reaction to the changes of their owners' blood sugar levels. Researchers asked type 1 diabetics who are also dog owners to participate in the study. I am revisiting this because of my interest for the diabetics to get earlier help before the hypoglycemic episode sets in.

The researchers from University of London and Queen's University in Belfast were going to investigate whether the dogs could detect the change in their owners' blood sugar level. They were therefore looking for 100 people to take part in this study.

Dr. Deborah Wells of Queen's University said they knew of anecdotal records that show dogs that were able to notice a drop in their owners' blood sugar level. The next issue of Balance was going to feature Dr. Wells' research. It would be the highlight of that issue. I looked all over the internet but couldn't find it. Maybe you did? Let me know then at this page
where you can join for free to receive alert and tips. There at the bottom of the page, you'll also see a contact form.

Those who wanted to be part of this study would have to fill out a questionnaire by mail or through the internet. Their response to the questionnaire would be confidential. They did not have to submit their names nor any personal matter. Check out the website of the Queen's University Belfast.

I found the results of another study where 138 dog owners reported that their dog showed a behavioral reaction to at least one event of hypoglycemia. Those who reported their dog reaction to the same episode to 11 or more events are in the 31.9% group.

It looked like too that their dog's age, sex, length of ownership and breed did not play a role to the response. Around 36% of owners claim that their dogs reacted when their blood sugar level went low before the owners noticed that they were exhibiting signs of low blood glucose level.

How did these dogs react? Well the responses were varied. Around 49.2% licked them, 61.5% vocalized, 30.4% jumped on them, 40.6$ nuzzled them and 41.3% stared at them intently. There was smaller proportion of dogs responding by hyperventilating, trembling or running away from the owners.

What conclusion can we derive from these reactions? It can be said that the reaction to the hypoglycemic events of the type 1 diabetic owners of these dogs happen to dogs that are not trained. This is important as who knows what kind of reaction will these dogs show after they are trained? Let us see what is the result if not of this but of another diabetes study.

Insulin Resistance Cause Discovered

2009-05-08T10:52:00.001-07:00

This new discovery could pave the way to the development of new treatment to beat type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the UCSD (University of California in San Diego) School of Medicine have discovered the cause of insulin resistance.

They say that inflammation aggravated by the immune cells cause insulin resistance which leads to type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity which is the world’s most common metabolic disease. The theory for sometime now is that the inflammation related to obesity leads to insulin resistance.

Now with the use of mouse models, the scientists at UCSD provided evidence that by stopping inflammatory pathway, resistance to insulin and type 2 diabetes can be avoided. I am revisiting this issue hoping that they have been successful at finding treatment based on this discovery.

The lead investigators of this study are Michael Karin, PhD who is pharmacology professor at UCSD and Jerrold Olefsky, who is the Scientific Affairs’ Associate Dean and also a renowned professor of medicine. Their findings are featured in the Cell Metabolism‘s November 7 issue.

Olefsky said that their research demonstrates that insulin resistance can be disconnected from fatty fat increase that is linked to obesity. When immune cells get into fat, they release a substance called cytokines. These cause fat cells to become resistant to insulin which could lead to type 2 diabetes.

The UCSD research team demonstrated that by knocking out the component responsible for making the fat cells resistant to insulin, they were able to interrupt insulin resistance. They also used a control group of mice. Both groups of mice were fed with high fat diet. The control group diet resulted in obesity and inflammation. This in turn caused insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

The other group whose component that led to inflammation was knocked out also became obese. But herein lies the importance of this research. This group did not show insulin resistance at all. This led the scientists to conclude that disarming the inflammatory pathway could break off the surge that leads to insulin resistance and ultimately to type 2 diabetes.

Double Use of Diabetes Drugs

2009-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Diabetes drugs have been in use but between 2002 and 2005, girls in the range of 10 and 14 years old showed a 166% increase in the use of type 2 diabetes medications. They say the reason is obesity which is linked to type 2 diabetes. This was reported at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.

The reporters were the researchers from the School of Medicine of Saint Louis University and pharmacy manager Express Scripts. They also examined patterns for cholesterol, asthma, blood pressure and depression medications.

Emily R. Cox, PhD, the senior director of Express Scripts said that in the four years they studied there was an increase use of medication. Males between 15 and 19 years old increased their blood pressure medication by 15.4% while the females of the same age group decreased their use of antihypertensives by 1.6%.

It was different though for the same females with regards to taking an anti-depressant because this increased by 6.8%. All in all, the patterns show the changing prescribing actions by physicians, the rising risk factors for chronic conditions like prescribing type 2 anti diabetics, antihyperlipidemics, more office visits and therefore screening rates especially for females. The trend is for the greater use of drugs as the preferred way to treat children with these chronic conditions.

Newer research work has shown the increase in medications prescribed for children that were usually given to adults who suffer from chronic conditions. And now more and more children are given the same medicines to treat cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

This should wake all of us up into getting into the habit of eating healthy. The children are so used to eating pastries and donuts that there is really no other way but to get fat. And where did they learn this from? Of course, they learned that from us. It is our job therefore to reverse that habit and learn to choose healthier fare among the diabetes-food-list.

The researchers said this may be due the improved awareness of these conditions being present in children including the increased risk of the factors related to heart problems due to the epidemic of obesity. It looks like that about 20% of adolescents and children are obese or overweight.

Complex Carbohydrates and Avoiding Sugar - Still the Health Protectors?

2009-04-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

The following is an article we wrote yesterday and submitted to article directories:

Complex carbohydrates are touted to protect one from a number of diseases and conditions including cancer, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. So knowing that we have these weapons to protect ourselves, why do some people not still see the light?

North Americans’ intake of refined sugar is estimated at 33 kg plus 20 kg more of syrup high in fructose per person each year. Fructose is used to sweeten syrups, low-fat food and beverages. The trouble with taking too much of this is that the liver changes too much sugar in the diet into lipid. The increased lipid closes down a gene namely, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

This shutting down of the SHBG reduces the quantity of SHBG protein in the blood. This is not good as this protein plays an important part in regulating the quantity of estrogen and testosterone. With the less amount of SHBG comes higher risk for a number of conditions like uterine cancer.

The reduced SHBG amount also affects the metabolic state of the liver. Thus SHBG levels are employed to show a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It is therefore good to follow the advice to avoid eating sugar and to eat complex carbohydrates.

This leads us to the question as to what complex carbohydrates we can eat. Basically, these are foods in the form of whole grain like brown rice, muesli, oats and wholegrain breads. These complex carbohydrates are broken down more gradually than those of their cousins, the simple carbohydrates. That is why they are able to provide a slow but steady source of energy during the day.

Some more examples of complex carbohydrates are bran, maize, peas, pasta, macaroni and spaghetti. These are really starch or sugar that are bonded together forming a chain so the digestive enzymes have a harder job of breaking them down making them longer to digest. This has also an added bonus in the sense that it restricts the quantity of sugar that is converted into fat.

Complex carbohydrates should be a main part of the diet. In fact it should form half of the calories each day like the aforementioned foods plus cereals, fruits and vegetables. Simple sugar should only form a few of the calories allotted each day. This is some kind of tip you will get at Free Diabetes Alert when you sign up for free newsletter.

Dr. Hammond who is scientific director of Vancouver, Canada’s Child and Family Research Institute said that SHBG can be used to monitor the functioning of the liver way before the symptoms appear. This is good news because quite a number of people who have diabetes do not even know they have it. This puts them at a disadvantage because they cannot work on strategies to beat diabetes and stop the complications.

The new findings can also be used to find out whether the drugs and dietary strategies are effective in treating the conditions. This also dismisses the assumption that SHBG is reduced by too much insulin. Insulin therefore is not to blame for the low SHBG levels but rather the sugar metabolism in the liver is what counts. So what is the moral of the story? Eat complex carbohydrates.

Body-Weight Regulation Experts Report on Research Related to Obesity

2009-04-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Obesity makes body parts begin to fail when the body is overloaded with extra nutrients. This is when obesity increases the risk for developing such diseases as heart problems and diabetes. Because so many parts are affected and studies focus on a particular organ at a time, what’s occurring throughout the body is overlooked.

There is an article in the November issue of Science entitled “An Integrative View of Obesity” that recommends a wider approach should be employed to find out the causes and effects of obesity. The authors are Dr. Francis Kim, Dr. Michael Schwartz and Dr. Brent E. Wisse, all of the University of Washington.

These authors investigated related studies on this issue especially the one by the Harvard University School of Public Health’s Dr. Gordon S. Gokhan S. Hotamisligil. These researches reported on what happens when the body consumes more energy in food than what it needs. This fact triggers harmful responses in body cells.

The Science article points out similarities in how different cells respond to extra nutrients. This might show why many people put on too much weight and then are not able to lose it. The authors said that the body protects its stores of fat.

Obesity they said does not happen because of the extra fat but through the defense of the raised level of fat and this should be taken into account when trying to find out why people get fat. This might also lead to the understanding why animals on low-calorie diet live longer.

It is good to know that scientists are starting to see the pattern of the cell response to extra nutrients. Among this is the way the cell responds by producing plenty of molecules that create trouble. This can harm the structures of the cells and also inhibits the last stages of protein production. The end result of this is inflammation.

This inflammation can stop insulin action and as this progresses so does the inflammation making it hard to break the cycle. Rodents fed with a diet rich in energy show impaired reaction to insulin and other signals to control the appetite.

Their brains reveal inflammation and resistance to insulin. This may make the brains unable to see they are gaining fat reserves with their brains unable to control their appetite. On the contrary, they seem hungry and keep consuming more food. It is good to see alert like this so we can act accordingly so see if you want to join us for free to see such diabetes alerts once a month.

Extra nutrients also causes inflammation to the pancreas and the authors could not help but wonder if this sets the onset for type 2 diabetes. The investigators stressed the fact this is not the only explanation for obesity and its link to diseases like heart problems and diabetes but it does show how different troubles in a variety of organs may be due to cellular reaction that is common to other parts of the body.

It is therefore imperative that an integrative approach be employed in studying the diseases that occur in tissues and cells in the whole body rather than studying just one body part or system at a time. This approach could lead to better prevention and treatment of obesity.

Telemedicine Shows Potential Benefit for Treating Eye Diseases

2009-04-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

Telemedicine may play an important role in diagnosing eye diseases and increasing access to excellent care and compliance of patient. This is the topic of the two studies being reported at 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The first study looked at patients who had retinal examination before the telemedicine remote imaging system was installed. They also looked at diabetics who had retinal examination two years after the same device was installed.

Telemedicine is not new. In fact it has been noted as technically possible but this study revealed the true impact of telemedicine on the diabetics who ended up having diabetic retinopathy. Ophthalmology assistant professor Ingrid Zimmer-Galler, M.D. of John Hopkins School of Medicine’s Wilmer Eye Institute said that the system considerably increased the number of yearly retinal assessments.

Out of 1257 diabetics during the first year only 15% had the annual retinal exam. Two years after the device was installed, 71% of 1395 diabetics had the retinal exam. It should be noted that of the increase, 66% was done by a local ophthalmologist and only 33% was the result of the assessment by remote. This is indeed very encouraging as it means more diabetics are aware of the need for the annual retinal exam.

This increased awareness is vital because diabetic retinopathy affects about 5.3 million people in the US, among whom one-third do not know they have the disease. Since diabetics are twenty-five more times likely to become blind than their counterpart without the disease, early discovery and treatment will help avoid the loss of vision.

The second study involved the use of telemedicine and ophthalmology for premature babies. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons’ Michael Chiang, M.D. who is also assistant professor of biomedical informatics and ophthalmology reported that the birth of premature babies is rising around the world.

The doctors gathered info on 206 eyes of 67 premature babies and performed two sets of exams. One was through ophthalmoscopic exam and the other through capturing retinal images of the same babies. After four to twelve months, the two results were compared and 86% showed the results were the same.

You can read more about this at the site below but find out first if you want to join us or not for free to receive news alert about once a month on diabetes or get them in the website as well with this free newsletter. Then you can find out more regarding Facts About Diabetes on eye complications in the Diabetes Complications Section of the website or in the sitemap.

Lack of Support in Schools for Children with Diabetes

2009-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Why do some schools not support the diabetic children? Many parents have had the experiences of being turned down by schools when they request for some help for their diabetic children. There was an assessment made on this issue and the verdict is in.

Most often parents are told that type 1 diabetes is not a special education need (SEN) and so the children who suffer from this are not eligible for support and funding for extra support when it comes to supervision with blood tests, insulin injections or staff specially trained to provide such assistance.

The two sides agree that diabetic children are not disabled. They do not have learning disabilities. But here is the crux of the matter. These children require help because of their medical needs. As such these children should be considered as special education need students.

The treatment of type 1 diabetes and the condition itself have such an impact on a child's health. It has such an effect on the child's cognitive ability and his capacity to learn. That is why the school should realize the fact that the officials have to understand diabetes and provide support so access to education will not be denied.

Anyway, authorities say that Special Education Needs has a legal definition. It really refers to children who are experiencing difficulties in learning. This fact makes it harder for them to obtain the education they need that are accessible to the other children in school. It is clear therefore that type 1 diabetic children fall under this category.

The findings on a survey conducted on this issue were released. The report is that thousands of families are suffering because of lack of support in schools for diabetic children. There is no training for school staff to help diabetic children manage their condition.

This puts children at risk. Schools reported that 70% of diabetic children cannot inject themselves with insulin. Their parents have to come to do it for them. This segregates children from school life and puts pressures on the families.

Diabetes UK, UK Children with Diabetes Advocacy Group and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation all worked together to conduct a survey. They called on the government and schools to develop effective policies to support diabetic children in schools.

They want all schools in England to work on a policy that will take into account a guide to work with teachers, school nurses, support staff, teachers and pediatric diabetes teams. There are some policies that are already successful but they are not specific enough and may be out of date.

The National Diabetes Audit reported that as many as 83% of children are not attaining the blood sugar levels that have been recommended. This puts them at risk for developing complications. This fact is certainly not acceptable and we‘re working hard to receive alerts.

You can join us to receive news alert about once a month on diabetes or get them in the website as well. See if you want to subscribe for free and then you can find out more about children’s diabetes in the School Section of the website or in the sitemap.

Some diabetic children are also not getting a full education. They are made not to participate in school field trips, sports and other extra curricular activities. As soon as the effective policies are put into practice, the children will be able to enjoy their childhood.