Scientists from all over the world will meet up in Seattle October 22-23 to attend the Warren G. Magnuson Congress for a Global Diabetes Alliance. The initiative is intended to help fight the rapid rise of type 2 diabetes worldwide. International Diabetes Federation past president Pierre Lefebvre, who will be a speaker at the conference, says the need for such an alliance to fight the T2 global epidemic "could not be more urgent."

More than one hundred diabetes experts hailing from over twenty countries will attend the congress. There's one main goal: the discussion of how to help under-served populations, such as indigenous peoples. However, the more general problems - prevention, treatment and the possibility of a cure - will also be on the table. It is also hoped that the alliance can help change public perception of type 2 diabetes as a disease associated with affluence, when in fact it is spreading faster in poor, developing countries where people frequently lack access to medical care.

Organizers say this is the first global alliance on diabetes. Speaking of organizers: who's behind this anyway? Well, it's being convened by the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI). Incoming president of the American Diabetes Association, Dr. Paul Robertson, is president and scientific director of the PNRI. Warren G. Magnuson, for whom the conference is named, was a US senator and supporter of the sciences who died from diabetes complications in 1989.

The ADA and PNRI's Dr. Robertson is optimistic the organization can effect change: "The response from top experts from around the world to develop a global, multidisciplinary, collaborative endeavor focused on clinical research on diabetes has been overwhelming."

In light of Novo's Meet the Face of Change campaign, I figured I'd address an idea worthy of mention coming out of the Novo product pipeline. This treatment is for Type 2 diabetics but it is not insulin - it's called liraglutide. Liraglutide is a once-daily human analog of the natural hormone Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1). It causes neither excessive hypoglycemia nor weight gain.

Liraglutide works by stimulating the release of insulin only when glucose levels become too high. Unlike many other diabetes drugs - liraglutide also leads to weight loss instead of weight gain. Now we're getting somewhere, Novo!! Patients with Type 2 diabetes treated with liraglutide had a greater reduction in average blood sugar than those patients treated with placebo or insulin glargine (Lantus). As expected, the combination of a GLP-1 analog with a sulfonylurea caused some of the patients to experience hypoglycemia. Okay, point taken. So why impose a glucose lowering drug while mitigating the problem causing elevated sugar in the first place? One drug at a time, folks.

So this is a step in the right direction and I like where it is going. Treating Type 2 diabetes with insulin is counter-intuitive. Looking at another hormone that might interfere with the use of insulin might be the culprit. So here lies a very good idea and I like it. Gold star, Novo! Now when can we meet the face of liraglutide?

My dad keeps track of his daily blood sugars and corresponding insulin usage on a spreadsheet. When he visits his doctor, he brings it along -- a self-generated report card of his blood glucose control. He has always been organized, down to the tools in the garage.

In 2001, only one-third of Americans with diabetes had their disease well-controlled. This was based on lab tests of 4 million type 1 and type 2 diabetics. Poor control silently damages blood vessels, which results in a host of problems such as limb loss, blindness and heart disease.

But diabetes management is improving. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated analyzed 22.7 million hemoglobin A1C lab tests of diabetics between 2001 and 2006. The A1C reveals whether a person's blood sugar has been steady or too high within recent weeks. Here is the good news -- overall diabetes control between 2001 and 2006 improved a whopping 44 percent. As a whole, the nearly 20.8 million Americans with diabetes are doing a better job.

Researchers also found the worst season for diabetes control is winter. Turkey Day and holiday parties don't help. Also, men have poorer control than women. Dr. Francine Kaufman, who analyzed the data, suggested men's poorer control could be due to getting ahead in the workplace and starting a family. I question that presumption as moms are working just as hard juggling full-time or part-time jobs AND often childrearing, too. Maybe women are simply more diligent in controlling their diabetes. I wonder if any research has tested this hypothesis.

Depression is often underdiagnosed and untreated in the elderly population, and for those with diabetes mellitus, the risk is greater.

Researchers from the University of Florida in Gainesville found elevated depression among older diabetic adults in the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study published this month in Archives of Internal Medicine. Health ABC, a cohort study, examined community-dwelling 70 to 79-year-old adults living in Memphis and Pittsburgh. Participants reported no depression at baseline, and were assessed annually for an average of nearly six years.

Diabetes mellitus was associated with a 30% increased risk for depressed mood, and participants with poor glycemic control were associated with a 2-fold increased risk for recurrent depressive symptoms. Considering depression strongly impacts quality of life, and aging diabetics are at increased risk, researchers recommend screening for depression at the clinical level for early detection and proper treatment. To me, the study also reveals the importance of maintaining good glycemic control, as physical health and mental health are intertwined. Medscape offers a concise summary of the study.

Based on studies conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center, the best-selling wellness author recommends niacin-bound chromium supplementation to improve blood sugar levels, regulate proper insulin function and maintain healthy body weight.

Type 2 diabetics are commonly believed to suffer from a chromium deficiency. Chromium is very important in promoting normal insulin function and is essential for proper protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Elevated levels of insulin and blood sugar significantly accelerate cellular aging. Research now shows that the type of chromium known as NBC (niacin-bound chromium) has a superior anti-aging profile.

Studies conducted at Georgetown University Medical reveal that Chromium polynicotinate (a generic term for ChromeMate) promote: proper insulin function, normal blood sugar levels, healthy blood cholesterol levels, normal blood pressure, cardiovascular health and healthy body weight and lean body mass. Chromium looks like a strong defense for diabetics in the battle against aging and blood sugar control.

It's hot out. Very hot. So here's a handy health tip that's about beating the heat. And it comes courtesy of the website About.com. Research has shown that diabetics are less able to tolerate high temperatures than are non-diabetics. The About.com article cites a study in which Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics were subjected to various temperatures for various periods and the results showed central body temperature and skin temperature increased more than for the control group. Apparently it comes down to diabetes-related damage to skin circulation and sweat glands, meaning that (1.) diabetics sweat less effectively than they should and (2.) are more susceptible to heat stress.

Bottom line: if you are diabetic, here's one more little thing you can do to take care of yourself. Be aware that you're more at risk of "overheating" because of your condition. Be careful not to get too hot, avoid being outdoors or exerting yourself at the warmest times of the day, and drink lots of water. No, it's not fair that diabetics should have this disadvantage. But think: if you don't take care you could get heat exhaustion. And it's not cool to faint like a sissy in the middle of your supermarket carpark or at work. Okay, so just let that image stay with you as motivation.

64 year-old Herm Rowland, Sr. understands better than anyone the need to satisfy a sweet tooth. After all, he is the chairman of Jelly Belly Candy Company, makers of famous gourmet jelly beans. (Popcorn flavor is my favorite!)

His diagnosis has yet to spur Jelly Belly into a frenzy of cranking out a diabetic-friendly product, even though they now have a sugar-free line. However, his disease does call attention to a growing market segment all candy makers need to pay attention to, Americans with adult-onset (type 2) diabetes.

These manufacturers gathered last week for the All Candy Expo, and many showcased sugar-free products. Jelly Belly rolled out sugar-free Jelly Belly beans and Jelly Belly Sours. BestSweet Inc. introduced a Baskin-Robbins Sherbet flavor sugar-free hard candy, and Hershey added strawberry Twizzlers and Reese's White Peanut Butter Cup miniatures to its sugar-free lineup.

This is certainly encouraging news for those who prefer sugar-free candies, but there is a downside, at least where the Jelly Belly sugar-free line is concerned. While reviewing the sugar-free options on the Jelly Belly website I noticed this warning at the bottom of the page: "Consumption of some sugar-free candies may cause stomach discomfort and/or a laxative effect. Individual tolerance will vary. If this is the first time you’ve tried these candies, we recommend beginning with one-fourth of a serving size or less." Ugh!