Leptin and Diabetes Connection

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?

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?

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

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

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

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

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.