Please excuse the editorial nature of this piece. I often post about the scientific studies about diabetes. Today I'd like to discuss a bizarre thought I've had about the management of diabetes and how eerily similar I feel it is to a phenomenon known as cutting. I preface this blog with a sincere apology for anyone that is offended by the comparison. I know all too much about diabetes and very little about cutting, but my curiosity led me to read a little more about it and I remain stymied by the similarities.

Diabetes is controlled by repeated checks of blood glucose. The most effective way of measuring blood glucose is to prick your finger, draw blood, and drop it into a machine to read the results. This must be done anywhere between 2 and 12 or more times a day. Once the results are given - a diabetic should a) take insulin by injection or an insulin pump or an oral medication b) eat something or c) do nothing. The objective of drawing blood is to know your numbers. Ultimately this will ensure you are in range. That's right - test, treat and repeat. This routine, if followed religiously throughout your life, will best divert any long-term complications associated with diabetes. No guarantees.

A cutter is someone who practices self-injury (also known as self-harm and self-mutilation) by scratching or cutting his or her skin with a sharp object. Cutting is usually a symptom of mental illness and most often is used as a coping mechanism. By no means is this a symptom to ignore. It is serious and often implies a more serious underlying condition that warrants serious medical attention.

The necessary roughness of drawing blood serves a purpose for both diabetics and cutters. Of course one is medically supervised to care for the well-being of an individual and the other is self-inflicted and harmful for the individual. The end result of incessantly checking blood sugars will result in better control of a life-threatening disease. The end result of cutting is a scar reminding the cutter of a deeper pain. Both causes of the behavior are nonetheless tragic. As a type I diabetic, I do everything I can to avoid having to be reminded of diabetes - even if that requires me taking breaks from my life to test, treat, and repeat. I appreciate the perspective of anyone who wishes to share about the control regimen of their diabetes, or the psychology of a cutter.

Scientists have mapped the genes responsible for causing type 2 diabetes. This new research is giving hope to new tests that can predict an individuals risk for developing the disease and future treatments.

The study compared the genetic make-up of 700 people with type 2 diabetes and a family history of the condition, with 700 diabetes-free people. Four points on the gene map linked to a person's diabetes risk and were confirmed with another group of 5,000 type 2 diabetics. The findings of this research could explain up to 70% of the genetics related to developing diabetes. A particular zinc transporter, known as SLC30A8, which regulates insulin secretion, was shown to have a mutation. Researchers feel they may be able to treat some cases of diabetes by correcting this mutation.

These findings will allow for the creation of a genetic test to predict people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as better treatments for the presiding cause of their diabetes. Nary a day passes that I am not motivated for the future of all diabetics. This is the type of research that strengthens my faith in the coming of a cure. Identify the nature of the problem and nip it in the bud.

Anybody who has been granted the dubious distinction of multiple blood glucose readings a day will appreciate the lively approach my endocrinologist has applied to diabetes management. As his cartoon-depicted alter ego, Dr. Grady brings you straightforward explanations of the medical issues in the form of comic strips. His approach is the CartoonMD®, which is medical information made very, very simple.

A new class of diabetes agents was created and released on the market for patient care called the incretin mimetics. Greek to you, too? Exactly. Here's what I did -- take yourself a minute or two to pay homage to the comedic genius and frustrated artist that I proudly (and often) call doctor. If nothing more, you'll enjoy the momentary reminiscing of Saturday morning cartoons with an intellectual spin.

I encourage everybody to take a look at the educational entertainment from the good doctor, Dr. Grady. It truly is medical information that goes down easy!

Vision loss is a real concern for diabetics. According to researchers, diabetics fear blindness more than they do death. The cause for potential vision loss due to diabetes results when blood vessels in the retina leak, and in a more severe stage, there is a profusion of fragile new blood vessels that form in the back of the eye that can leak.

In late-stage clinical trials, ruboxistaurin, an experimental drug developed by Eli Lilly, has proven effective in reducing vision loss caused by the effects of diabetes on the retina by 41 percent. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now agreed to review the research data in making a decision on whether to approve ruboxistaurin.

If approved, ruboxistaurin will be sold under the brand name Arxxant. As I understand what I am reading about this drug, it will be the first oral pill designed to slow or prevent vision loss. While the researchers were hoping the drug would slow progression of advanced vision loss, it appeared to be effective only in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy.