Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
Irreverence. Curiosity. A fighting spirit. Surprising information. We've got all this and more over at our sister sites covering cancer and cardio issues. To find out why we should all "puck cancer" or invest in a heart rate monitor (not to mention drink our afternoon tea), read on ...
Nothing like being provoked into thought on a Monday afternoon. In my blog-surfing, I ran across a commentary
that poses an interesting question: If any sort of medical test you had done indicated you were at risk for diabetes,
would you want your local health department to know? As of this past January, the New York Department of Health
requires medical labs to report if someone's lab results show that they're even at risk for diabetes
-- not that they actually have it. If you're on the list, you're entered into a program in which you simply receive a
letter telling you you're at risk. Nothing else. Just a letter. With a diabetes epidemic on the rise across the nation,
the program might not seem like such a bad idea but I beg to differ. Like U Penn professor and New York Newsday columnist Arthur Caplan, I
think that the program has its priorities in reverse. We should put more emphasis on diabetes prevention. I know that
for many a prevention message is too late but I just don't see why the local health department has to know if you and
your doctor can instead map out a focused diabetes management plan. Also, as Caplan also points out, if we accept
diabetes notices now, what's next? Letters telling us we're candidates for cirrhosis, emphysema, sexually
transmitted diseases or worse? Would these letters then be considered public information for anyone -- like
potential employers -- to track down? That's enough to make my own blood (sugar) rise. Also seems like a waste of
administrative time, paper and postage; surely resources could be better spent. What do you think?
I'm
constantly amazed at the Joslin Diabetes Center's full and creative
roster of services, especially for children. They always seem to bring a high level of care and insight to what they
do. This past Saturday, Joslin hosted its annual Teddy Bear Clinic, operating on the concept that kids might better
deal with unpleasant issues if they can transfer them to, and care over, a cuddly toy. The more than 100 kids who
attended had the opportunity to "play test" their dolls' and bears' blood sugar and glucose levels. I know
it's not a quick fix, nor does it make the diabetes go away, but it's nice to know that there are organizations out
there who care about making life with juvenile diabetes easier to bear.
The
joke among my friends up here in the Pacific Northwest is that vitamin D has become our favorite vitamin. With spring
and daylight savings now here, we crave the sun and any opportunity to soak up the vitamin D! Apparently, getting a lot
of the "D" can lower our risk for diabetes. I was reading today that the Tufts-New England Medical Centre just released information that
shows women actually benefit most when both their vitamin D and calcium intakes are high. Besides the sun, we all know
that vitamin D is found in dairy products and other foods like liver and salmon. Vitamin D also aids in the absorption
in calcium, which is a great bonus given this news. When thinking about my own intake of C (calcium) and D, I realize
that with my ever-present low-fat diet that's not too high in dairy products, I should probably be more consistent in
taking my multi-vitamin and supplements. It's an easy fix, and researchers are agreeing. With this news out of Tufts,
they can envision a successful public campaign since adding supplements and food sources to the diet can be simple and
inexpensive.
The most popular treatment for Type II diabetes is oral
medications (pills). There's a lot of drugs out now that treat diabetes, and doctors prescribe them in different ways.
Sometimes only one drug is prescribed, sometimes a combination of two or more provide more results together than they
would alone.
There are four main types of antidiabetic pills. Sulfonylureas stimulate your body to make more
insulin. There are several sulfonylureas on the market today, the two most popular are Amaryl and Glucotrol. There's
also sulfonylureas prescribed to be taken with meals that have a shorter-acting effect. Starlix and Prandia are two
drugs that are prescribed at mealtime.
Biguanides help your body to be more sensitive to the insulin that is
already produced. Metformin or Glucophage (brand name) is the main drug in this category. Often times Metformin is
combined with another drug for more glucose control. This is probably one of the most prescribed diabetes oral
drugs.
A drug in the Glitazone class helps the insulin that your body still produces to work better,
combatting insulin resistance in your body. Avandia and Actos are the two main drugs in this class. They are usually
taken once or twice a day, with or without food.
The fourth class of antidiabetic oral agents are
called Alpha-Glucose Inhibitors. They work by slowing down and partially blocking the breakdown of foods into glucose.
This helps blood sugar control in that they do not rise so rapidly. These drugs are prescribed to be taken with the
first bite of a meal.
An informed diabetic has a lot of research available to them on the internet about
possible alternative treatments, and what their current prescribed treatments actually change within their body.
Doctors love when you can discuss new possible treatments in an informed manner. Diabetes is a disease where the
treatments work well, and with proper treatment you can maintain a great quality of life.
There's news out of New Delhi this week that Indian scientists have succeeded in inducing Type 2 diabetes in Indian perch, a
freshwater fish. They're hoping this could turn out to be a convenient animal model to treat the disease, which was
induced by feeding perch a compound called palmitate for a period
of one hundred days. This compound belongs to a class called free fatty acids, which are among the major reasons
for development of Type 2 diabetes. The palmitate intake increased the perch's body weight by more than 60 percent, and
glucose and insulin levels rose more than 2.5 times. Scientists also found development of insulin resistance, an
indicator of Type 2 diabetes. They believe these findings show that the fish can be used in the future for
studying new compounds. Research mice, move over. There's a new kid in the cage, er, make that tank.
Thank goodness for the dreamers and champions, for those who devote their
time to find creative solutions and make life easier for others. Dr. Harold Goldberg, a doctor at the University of
Washington, is such a person. He's currently working with game developers, with Nintendo at the lead, to
create a web-based interface
that reaches young people with diabetes where they are: on the phone or playing video games. An admitted gadget geek
and parent of two young adults, Goldberg says the Game Cube interface is a logical next step from his work with adult
diabetes patients through their desktop computers. With his idea, diabetes patients could test their own blood sugar
and blood pressure using digital devices that can be connected to a computer, Game Cube or another Internet-ready
device like a smart phone. The information would automatically be sent to the doctor's office. The interface (still in
very early development stages) could also quiz the patients on other medical issues such as diet and exercise, could
send reminders to teens to check their blood sugar and medical professionals will send feedback to the patients through
the same system. Goldberg thinks the applications for such a device present wide-ranging possibilities for managing
chronic illnesses: "The problem of fixing chronic disease care in this country is a huge one. I think it's a
medical story of the millennium," Goldberg said.
I think we're all a bit more motivated to apply ourselves or stick to commitments more in work versus
personal situations. And Brigham Young University researchers set out to prove just this. In the first study of its kind, BYU scientists asked 35 employees
-- 31 pre-diabetic, 4 diabetic -- of a local company to stick with a year-long wellness program held at their office.
They attended nutrition and exercises classes, and they had free access to an on-site nurse. They were also encouraged
to do a 30-minute daily workout. After six months, participants showed remarkable improvement: Their blood glucose
levels dropped by 25%, their weight fell by six pounds on average, and they trimmed more than an inch from their
waistlines. Red flags such as high cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure decreased as well. After 12 months,
18 of the pre-diabetics had reached normal, healthy status, and three of the four diabetics were free of disease.
According to the BYU researchers, the workplace is good for reinforcing lifestyle changes, partly because it makes it
easy for employees to attend helpful classes.
So, Happy St. Patrick's Day! Tonight I'm celebrating by
going to a grand opening for a new Irish pub in town. There aren't many opportunities to pub-crawl and drink green beer
in our small burg so when the opportunity presents itself, we jump at the chance. Last month, I provided some Mardi Gras "drinking with
diabetes" tips. If you plan to paint the town green tonight I'd like to reiterate a few things about
drinking with diabetes. Yes, it's fine to drink in moderation, following the same guidelines as the general population.
This means a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one drink daily for women. I'm sure you may have more than that.
And...not to be a buzzkill but just keep in mind that when you drink, your liver stops making glucose, so hypoglycemia
becomes a risk. And because it takes two hours for just one ounce of alcohol to metabolize and leave your system, the
risk continues long after you've emptied your glass. So, like I'd say to any of my friends: Have fun, but not too much
fun!
As blog readers here know, I love following interesting studies. I awoke this
morning to this news: Bioengineers at the University of Calgary have successfully
grown insulin producing cells in a lab, marking a
major breakthrough in diabetes research. The team of scientists hope to eventually transplant lab-grown, insulin
producing cells directly into the bodies of patients with Type 1 diabetes. In theory, the transplant would eliminate
the need for daily insulin injections by patients who suffer from the disease. The study is significant in the battle
against diabetes but there are still many steps to be taken, including clinical trials. The tests that lead researcher
Dr. Leo Behie and his team have done in his lab so far are very encouraging. "In many cases people are off insulin
and they have good sugar controls in their blood with no constrains in terms of eating. That is a big deal," said
Behie. The research stems from a sponsored project by New York-based Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation International (JDRF), that set up 16 researchers from 13 universities around the world. We've
all heard of recent research involving transplanting pancreas cells from pigs or humans; Behie hopes his plan to
produce cloned cells would get rid of this supply bottleneck. The ultimate goal? To provide Type 1 diabetes sufferers
with a reliable supply of cells that eventually could be given through booster shots. This is definitely a study to
follow.
There's federal law and then there's state law. When the U.S. and state governments can
work together, life is good. But when federal law trumps good state laws, life isn't so good. Especially now for
diabetics, with the recent
Senate legislation that will enable health insurers to bypass existing state health insurance regulations. The
"Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act" (S. 1955) will result in the loss of
critical health coverage guarantees for millions of people with diabetes. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia
require insurers to provide coverage for diabetes supplies, medication, equipment and education, but S. 1955 will
undermine those basic protections. The vote really sets back efforts to ensure that Americans with diabetes have the
health coverage they need to manage the disease, especially when diabetes is at near-epidemic levels in this country.
The American Diabetes Association and other diabetes advocates are urging
senators to amend this legislation to protect and honor vital state diabetes coverage. If you would like to petition
your state senator to amend this legislation, you can find contact information here.
Heavier patients with Type 2 diabetes are more likely to overestimate their "healthiest" body weight
compared to those of normal weight, according to a study published in the current
issue of Diabetes Care. University of Pittsburgh researchers were incredibly surprised when a whopping 41
percent of the 2,461 patients with Type 2 diabetes thought their "healthiest" weight for their
height actually registered in the overweight body mass index (BMI) range. Another 6 percent reported a
"healthiest" weight that was obese. In contrast, only 4 percent of normal weight patients overestimated
healthy body weight. These findings are concerning, given the importance of body weight in managing diabetes. The
study's researchers hope the findings encourage doctors to include counseling options regarding excess body size in the
routine care of patients with diabetes -- especially given the rise of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in this country.
It's hard out there for a woman these days. Between work, commuting to work, errands, caring
for the family, household chores and scheduled "down time," it's harder than ever to fit in exercise. Yet, we
know -- and constantly hear -- how important it is. Well, here's another reason. If you're thinking of having children,
a commitment to a consistent workout now can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes when you're pregnant. It's important
to do whatever you can to avoid this, because gestational diabetes is a risk factor for subsequently developing
Type 2 diabetes. There's also evidence that gestational diabetes can increase a child's later risk of obesity and
diabetes. In studying 22,000 women with prior pregancies, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston found that women with the highest
levels of vigorous physical activity were 23 percent less likely to develop gestational diabetes than those who were
the least active. They also found that women who watched TV for at least twenty hours each week and did not exercise vigorously were two times more likely to develop gestational diabetes than active
women who watched less than two hours of TV a week. I know this means I should get out there and get moving more
but I guarantee I'll have a problem with the TV thing. Less than two hours of TV a week? Huh. This is where
one of those stationery bikes you have to ride to make a TV work would be the perfect solution.
If you've jumped onto the American Idol bandwagon (or
in my case, on it, off it, then on again), you know that it's a show full of surprises. So, since I started blogging
here, I was surprised to learn that two AI'ers deal with Type 1
diabetes: "regular guy" yet talented Elliott
Yamin, 27, of Virginia and the slight-framed, sort of Harry Potter-ish Kevin Covais, 16, of
Pennsylvania. Though the two singing hopefuls couldn't be more different, they agree their biggest shared obstacle has
been learning to manage diabetes. We don't know much about how Kevin deals with it but the insulin pump-wearing Elliott
is more vocal. He says it's a personal goal to educate people about music and diabetes. As a musician myself, I'd
personally like to know how diabetes impacts their hectic rehearsal and performance schedules, or how they deal with
nerves or stress before they sing. Since they both made the Top-12 cut, maybe continued press coverage will highlight
this aspect of their lives. It would be great to see them emerge as teen advocates. While Simon told Covais
that "he was guaranteed the grandma vote," chances for success seem more likely for Yamin, who Simon says
could be the best male vocalist the competition has ever seen. I wish them both luck. They've already got practice
rising to a pretty major challenge. What's one more? (Pictured top: Elliott Yamin;
Shown below: Kevin Covais)
I'm always amazed when I hear an athlete has been diagnosed with a life-altering or
life-threatening illness, especially when they're young. I suppose good exercise habits or lifestyle can't always
escape genetics, as evidenced by recent news that Orlando Predators offensive specialist Jimmy Fryzel has been diagnosed
with diabetes. Fryzel, 24, comes from a family who has long dealt with diabetes; his grandfather, father and brother
were all diagnosed with it in their early 20s. At this writing, news has not yet been released as to
whether he has Type 1 or Type 2. Until he knows exactly what he's dealing with, Fryzel has been
placed on the injured list and will miss at least the next two games -- a hard blow to an already thin and
inexperienced Predators receiving corps. Fryzel realizes he should have picked up on the signs earlier: feeling weak,
dehydrated, unintentionally losing weight, experiencing a general out-of-shape feeling. Fryzel said the disease doesn't
scare him as much as it does those unfamiliar with it. For now, his biggest concern is stabilizing his body and
regaining his weight and strength. "It's a serious disease, but it's one I can control," he said.
"I'm just glad I caught it myself instead of passing out at a game."
Irreverence. Curiosity. A fighting spirit. Surprising information. We've got all this and more over at our sister sites covering cancer and cardio issues. To find out why we should all "puck cancer" or invest in a heart rate monitor (not to mention drink our afternoon tea), read on ...
The most popular treatment for Type II diabetes is oral
medications (pills). There's a lot of drugs out now that treat diabetes, and doctors prescribe them in different ways.
Sometimes only one drug is prescribed, sometimes a combination of two or more provide more results together than they
would alone.
So, Happy St. Patrick's Day! Tonight I'm celebrating by
going to a grand opening for a new Irish pub in town. There aren't many opportunities to pub-crawl and drink green beer
in our small burg so when the opportunity presents itself, we jump at the chance. Last month, I provided some 
