I remember the endocrinologist who diagnosed my diabetes told me there wasn't one body part that wasn't affected by the disease. It also seems the body parts that exist furthest from one another are linked when it comes to diabetes.

The June 2007 issue of Diabetes Care published the results of a recent study out of Britain in which 253 diabetics with their first foot ulcer were assessed for depression. One-third of them suffered from clinical depression; 24.1 percent had major depressive disorder and 8.1 percent had minor depression. Eighteen months later, there had been 40 deaths, 36 amputations, and 99 recurrences of ulcer. Those who were considered depressed were found to be three times more likely to have died.

The study did not indicate whether the subjects were depressed about their foot ulcer, having diabetes, or something else altogether.

Diabetes Care reports that the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) assists in alleviating nerve pain in patients with diabetes. Daily treatment with ALA showed the potential to reduce pain associated with diaibetes.

A comparison was made between three doses of oral ALA verses a placebo in 166 patients with diabetic nerve pain (polyneuropathy). The symptoms of different types of pain were significantly reduced after 5 weeks in the ALA treated group as compared with the placebo group. However, ALA treatment had no measurable effect on numbness. Symptoms improved significantly as early as 1 week with the highest ALA dose (1800 mg daily) and within 2 weeks with the other doses (600 mg and 1200 mg daily).

This research is encouraging because it suggests the possibility of repairing impaired sensory function. This is great news for diabetics suffering from foot ulcers, one of leading causes of foot amputation. Researchers concluded that taking 600 mg of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), once daily would be the most appropriate oral dose with the least amount of gastrointestinal side effects. Stocking stuffer? You bet - in more ways than one!