The scientific community has been in a heated debate about xenotransplants (transplanting pig islets into humans). Although the procedures are showing to be effective - is the insulin secretion entirely pig? Some experts surmise that after the transplants, diabetic patients are actually able to produce some insulin on their own, after all.

The latest press release from Tissera, Inc (an Israeli-based company) made a statement that raises my hopes. It was, "By the fourth month after transplantation, the insulin dose needed to maintain near-normal blood sugar levels decreased by more than 90% in comparison with the insulin dose needed before transplantation, meaning that endogenous insulin production was predominantly responsible for blood sugar control."

The question of the origin of endogenous insulin was addressed by measurement of blood C-peptide. C-peptide splits from insulin and indicates the level of insulin secretion from the patient. C-peptide levels were measured both at baseline and in response to a sugar load, which brings about a rise in blood C-peptide. The measured C-peptide was shown to be predominantly of pig origin. So herein lies my question: is predominantly more than 50%? A type 1 diabetic has undetectable levels of C-peptide. Period. After the xenotransplant the C-peptide level is all of a sudden detectable? Could these islet transplants assist in regenerating the diabetics' own islets?

Change appears to be coming for diabetes care. The HbA1c test may not be the safest approach for diabetics to follow in preventing complications. Instead, experts are saying the average blood glucose level per individual will add clarity to diabetic patients looking to manage their disease.

A study supporting the change showed a close correlation between average glucose and HbA1c levels. So the myth, busted is: maintaining an average blood sugar is a safer approach for diabetes management -- NOT CHASING A UNIFORM HbA1c value. The fluctuation in blood sugar is what causes complications in the small vessels of the eyes, kidneys and peripheral nerve endings. For example - sustaining a blood sugar of 200 mg/dL is a lot safer than waking at 240 and ushering a boatload of sugar into your cells to drop your sugar to 80 mg/dL. It is the transfer of glucose into the cell that causes the injury to cell membranes and resulting complications.

Think of it like the movement of the ocean. High tide to low tide happens gradually, over the course of many hours throughout the day. When a storm hits - the waves become turbulent, crashing against the shore causing erosion. Is the human body any different? I'm not a doctor -- but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last week.