A type 1 diabetic mystery is why do some Type 1s get complications and others seem to never get them? A massive Japanese study of Type 1 diabetics found that those with fulminant diabetes developed complications much faster and more severely than those with non-fulminant diabetes.

The difference between fulminant and non-fulminant is the speed and intensity at which the disease develops. Fulminant Type 1 diabetes typically develops suddenly with near total loss of beta cell function. This type of diabetes is confirmed with testing c-peptide levels. Non-fulminant type 1 diabetes has residual c-peptide levels that eventually taper to undetectable. Sometimes this is seen through many years of the Honeymoon Period.

This study may be the antithesis of conventional wisdom for preventing complications. Staking all hopes on blood sugar control is heavily optimistic. Yes controlling blood sugar does lessen the workload for existing beta cells, and thus extends the lifespan of each beta cell. Research suggests that c-peptide offers protection to beta cells, both from apoptosis (cell death) and encourages new cell growth. This new cell growth applies to beta cells and other cells of the body that endure long-term Type 1 diabetes complications.

Diabetics are instructed that maintaining normal blood sugars is the Holy Grail of preventing long-term complications. Yes and no. The truth is controlling your blood sugar will not allow complications of Type 1 diabetes to develop as quickly, presuming you still had some level of beta cell function upon diagnosis (i.e., c-peptide). That doesn't sound like a reward as much as it does a delayed punishment. I'd like c-peptide with my insulin, please. It's off the à la carte menu? That's fine - serve it up! I want to thank Klausen for bringing this study to my attention.

Ok, sounds like a joke - but seriously, TuDiabetes is growing like gangbusters! Meredith Cummings wrote a great article on TuDiabetes and its explosive growth! The online community for people touched by diabetes, is growing at a rate of 10% per week. Way to go, Manny!

And why shouldn't we all plant a flag in this real estate? TuDiabetes offers nonstop support through conversations, debates, mysteries and revelations - all amounting to some degree of resolve. TuDiabetes is a great place to remind you that we're not alone in this dark tunnel. Need some light? Ask and you shall receive. And, by the way - you can get the answer to the lightbulb question by signing in and friending Meredith Cummings.

I logged in today and saw a great question. A member named Cody asks if others are annoyed when people who don't know what it's like to be diabetic try to offer advice. The group of interlopers is frankly growing like a virus. I define the interlopers as people who feel they know the world of diabetes without having landed on the tarmac! It's easy to study the playbook. It's a whole different ballgame to get your butt on the field. Good luck with college, Cody!

In the fall of 1985, a very scary thing happened shortly after I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. One morning I woke up and I couldn't remember things I would normally remember. I couldn't remember the name of my neighbor's dog. I had a fanatical love for Cookie. Of course I would remember Cookie! A diabetic child would never forget such a sweet name for such an adorable dog! One more thing -- I had a pounding headache.

My mom brought me to the hospital, where my endocrinologist met us. They ran test after test and nary could an expert explain my memory loss. They confirmed I was experiencing amnesia, which turned out to be temporary because I was back to normal the next day.

How many people have experienced this same phenomenon? I surmised that this was my body reacting to the Humulin insulin I had started only a month or so before. The insulin must have been competing with my body's own attempts to generate insulin thus thwarting my blood sugar down into a dangerous hypoglycemic state. A study published in 1991 shows that hypoglycemia results in a lesion in the left temporal lobe. I have one of those lesions now, but it wasn't discovered until 2000. Oh yeah - and my peduncle is perfectly asymmetric. What does that mean anyway?

Why weren't doctors informed of this potential reaction to insulin in 1985? A study 6 years later is a few years too late. And how many more newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetics experience the same thing? My parents were scared out of their mind and nobody (including specialists) had any idea what to do with me.

In two weeks, Bernard Farrell will be riding in the Bike the Miles annual fundraiser to support Dr. Faustman's research to cure Type 1 diabetes. His participation is especially intrinsic because it is one day away from his 35th anniversary of becoming a Type 1 diabetic.

Bernard plans to raise $10,000 for Dr. Faustman's research. Last year he raised $7,500. The entire event raised a whopping $301,000! All of this funding is going toward the human trials to cure Type 1 diabetes. After discovering that the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas are capable of regeneration, Dr. Faustman now needs to test her treatment, already known to be safe in humans, to see if the effects are as positive as they were in the animal model.

It goes without say that this is terribly important for Bernard as much as it is for every man, woman and child touched by Type 1 diabetes. Bike the Miles is an annual event that was started by Susan Root and Jacqueline Fusco in 2004. Both, Susan and Jacqueline, have children who are Type 1 diabetics. Please visit Bernard's site to support his ride and the drive to cure Type 1 diabetes!

Hear ye! Hear ye! I have an announcement to make. About 3 months ago, a committee formed to explore the possibility of creating a new conference series for adults with type 1 diabetes. Most conferences are currently geared towards all types of diabetes, but a group of us felt there should be more for the unique challenges that are posed to adults living with type 1.

With that in mind, we are conducting an interest study for the conference. Who would you like to see at the conference? Tell us what is missing from Type 1 diabetes (besides the obvious **cure**). This will help us with programming, as well as securing sponsorships for the event. Besides giving you all you want from the latest and greatest in type 1 diabetes - you have a chance to leave your mark on this revolutionary event. At the end of the survey, there is a question about creating a name for the conference. The committee will choose the winning name. The winner will receive an autographed copy of Know Your Numbers, by Amy Tenderich and Dr. Richard Jackson. The second and third places prizes are a Six Until Me mug and a Diabetes Mine mug, donated by Kerri Morrone and Amy Tenderich.

The survey closes on Friday, September 7, 2007 so don't miss your opportunity to voice your opinion. Take the survey today!!

Dr. Faustman's lab is currently collecting blood samples from individuals with established Type 1 diabetes. These samples are being used to quantify the number of autoreactive T-cells and develop the adequate dosage for Phase 1 of human trials to cure Type 1 diabetes.

The research has been presented and the NIH confirmed it. By reeducating the confused T-cells and instructing them not to attack healthy islets, an apparent cure of established type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice is possible. Now, Dr. Faustman is collecting human samples to bestow the same cure for diabetes in humans.

If you wish to be a part of this revolutionary event for curing Type 1 diabetes, please contact the Clinical Coordinator or call Dr. Faustman's lab at (617) 726-4084. Each participant is asked to bring a control person along with them - an unrelated person without Type 1 diabetes or another autoimmune disease. Diabetic or not - you can be a part of history in curing Type 1 diabetes!

As my parents explained it to me, when your child is diagnosed with diabetes you are slapped in the face with a shocking revelation: we can't fix this! However a blessing in disguise was bestowed upon Dylan Fossella, an 11- year-old boy who also happens to be the son of Vito Fossella, a Congressman from Staten Island.

Dylan Fossella, was just five years old when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He will be one of 150 other children and teenagers living with type 1 diabetes from across the country heading to D.C. on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They will speak to lawmakers to encourage funding toward a cure. To earn the trip to Washington, he had to write a letter to his local Congressman, who happens to be his dad. The message Dylan most wants his dad and other politicians to hear is the same message I promoted when I visited Washing D.C in the 1990s with the American Diabetes Association: find a cure in my lifetime, please.

Over the years, many people have regarded diabetes as a disease that's manageable. True -- but that's easier said than done. For kids like Dylan that means checking your sugar about four times a day (or more) and upwards of six insulin shots a day. As a personal reflection -- I consider myself lucky to be one of the 13,000 children chosen in 1985 for juvenile diabetes. Here I am 22 years later, blogging on behalf of Dylan. It is my hope that he and his family can make a difference for all of us wishing for that cure. Have a great time in D.C, Dylan. It'll be the memory of a lifetime!

House Calls, a popular newsletter written by the prestigious Dr. Inglis, highlights a very important question in light of the Avandia mishap: how many other potential whistle-blowers are out there who have been silenced into submission before the Big Pharma vultures?

A medical expert testified that he agreed to sign a statement that was meant to appease the company's investors. This is not the type of behavior anyone should expect or dismiss of a doctor, entrusted with a patient's life. In his defense, he did forward a letter with his concerns to the FDA, which means they also were aware of the same threat. This same doctor is the President-elect for none other than the American Diabetes Association. Isn't that special? The ADA -- my friend, my confidant, my utter supporter of the C-peptide crusade ... sense the sarcasm? So much for advocacy, when the president-elect of this organization so willingly swept those safety concerns under the table, when he should have been throwing a tantrum on top of it! And all over the threat of litigation from a drug company more concerned about its investors than patients.

The closing comments in Dr. Inglis' newsletter say it all: There are so many vultures out there waiting to pick the bones of the American public, it disgusts me. This example goes to show why I always recommend to you -- and to all of my patients -- that you always question everything when it comes to your health. I don't care if it's your doctor you've had for 50 years or one of these nonprofit organizations -- give them all hell.

Once again Diabetes Talkfest is making the experience of diabetes rewarding. This time, voice your funny in iambic pentameter and you can win an iPod Shuffle. In other words -- the funniest diabetic poem wins a REALLY COOL PRIZE!!!

Your poem can be long or short, rhyme or not. If you submit a poem longer than 60,000 characters it will have to be done in multiple posts, as the message board will not accept posts that long. It is up to you -- the member -- to decide the winner (to be decided through an anonymous vote).

Entries will be accepted during the month of May, 2007. Voting will begin June 1st, 2007 and end June 18, 2007.

Please refrain from using profanity or obscene language. Please don't insult anybody. Diabetes Talkfest is a family site. Any entry that is determined to be obscene or off-topic will be deleted. Please do not submit anything you did not create on your own. We can't accept copied or copyrighted work.

All participants must be registered to enter the contest. Thanks to Gina and Jon for keeping the spirit of community alive in the diabetes online community!

It's logical that the Nation is up-in-arms about putting genetically modified meats and produce on the shelves in grocery stores and getting due diligence from the government for it. It makes a lot of sense to test something you will use to fuel your body before it is permitted to penetrate the market. So how did genetically modified human insulin overtake the market again? Oh - there must not be any side effects like a diabetes epidemic or something crazy like that, right?

But I digress on the topic in honor of springtime, when "love is in the air". As we all know, love is one of the strongest forces of nature. So is it fair that it went unnoticed by the FDA that human synthetic insulin results in a loss of awareness of hypoglycemia, among other natural responses to hormonal precursors? This is due to a significant suppression of tachycardia.

Tachycardia refers to a rapid beating of the heart. This event may be a perfectly normal response to stress. A stressful event may cause the endocrine system to release hormones that regulate body functions related to mood, growth and development, tissue function, and metabolism, all of which are governed by blood sugar. The hormone that is critically important in tachycardia is epinephrine (adrenaline).

Epinephrine is a fight or flight hormone which is released from the adrenal glands when danger threatens (hypoglycemia, mating rituals, survival of the fittest). When secreted into the bloodstream, it rapidly prepares the body for action in emergency situations. The hormone boosts the supply of oxygen and energy-giving glucose to the brain and muscles; some bodily processes not vital to the response are suppressed. This is exactly what happens when animals become twitterpated in the spring (Bambi, Walt Disney - 1942).

As the birds and the bees go about their business, pollinating and procreating - I ask you think about the adulterated pharmacological intervention that has impaired such a natural phenomenon as love. Celebrate the body's natural response to tachycardia, and realize that our Creator made us perfectly. The longer you spend in the lab genetically modifying His work - the more you are fighting the forces of nature. Now please, put it back the way you found it.

No kidding! The rats are leading researchers to triggering events causing diabetes. The new findings suggest that there is, indeed, a genetic susceptibility to diabetes, but that the precipitating event is a viral infection.

The virus in question is the Ljungan virus. Previous reports indicate that infections with the Ljungan virus can induce diabetes in laboratory rats, and that the diabetes can be reversed if the animals are treated with antiviral drugs before the destruction of insulin-secreting islet cells becomes widespread.

I'm not sure how everybody else out there got their D-card. My diagnosing event happened shortly after I had the chicken pox, back in '85. The childhood christening event apparently left me out in the cold and caused the love-hate relationship between my islets and my insulin autoantibodies. Lucky me. Thanks to all the readers out there who have already shared their sequence of diagnosis with me. What's your story? Please, share with us.

Chat live with Dr. Pugliese, an expert on the immunology and genetics of diabetes at The Diabetes Research Institute. His work has been focused on preventing the autoimmune attack that leads to diabetes. This research is very important for future prevention strategies, as well as stopping autoimmune destruction of transplanted islets.

Dr. Pugliese's has studied the role of the thymus gland in the immune system and he describes it as the "school for the immune system". All immune cells are forced to pass through the thymus gland where they are exposed to the antigens present throughout the body. Immune cells that bind to these normal antigens are destroyed, thereby preventing the later destruction of healthy cells. If no binding occurs, then the cell is deemed to be friendly to host tissue and is released to become part of the immune system. The insulin producing cells of the body - islets -- are not the only body cells that release insulin. Dr. Pugliese's research has shown that there are other cells that release tiny amounts of insulin, but not in response to blood glucose. These cells present insulin to the visiting immune cells in the thymus, and any immune cell that binds is killed. It is believed that a low insulin output in these decoy cells in people who develop diabetes may be the reason that immune cells are allowed to live that will later track insulin back to its source and destroy healthy islets. In people who have the genetic markers that protect against diabetes, these cells secrete more insulin than they do in people with genes that pre-dispose them to diabetes. The more insulin in the thymus, the more likely that insulin-specific autoreactive lymphocytes will be killed, with fewer chances of developing diabetes.

Confused yet? Yeah, me too - but my confusion feeds my insatiable curiosity. That is precisely why I will be joining the rescheduled chat with Dr. Pugliese. Please, be there on March 15th at 9pm Eastern Standard Time on Diabetes Talkfest. Make it a date: you, me, Dr. P and the most informed people in the diabetes community. Once again, thanks to Gina and Jon for Linking Diabetics Coast to Coast!

Scientists in Taiwan reported success in early tests of oral insulin in diabetic rats. The study showed the insulin pill combination reached the rats' bloodstream and lowered their blood glucose levels.

Insulin is a pure protein and therefore must be protected from the digestive enzymes in the stomach and small intestine. Scientists found that chitosan, a chemical derived from the shells of shrimp, crabs, and lobsters allowed insulin to reach the blood stream without degradation. Chitosan encapsulation provided a protective barrier for the insulin while traveling through the stomach and small intestine.

An oral drug would be the most convenient way of delivering insulin. No more needles, no syringe - brought to you by chitosan! It almost rhymes -- but nonetheless, it's music to my ears.

Imagine a place you can visit to connect with a friend living with diabetes, another family affected by diabetes, and a diabetic educator to learn ways to improve the quality of life with diabetes. Does such a place exist? Thanks to Children with DIABETS, it does!

If you are looking for a conference experience in a vacation setting, look no further. For several years, Children with DIABETES has hosted a litany of conferences to educate and entertain the diabetic community. Friends for Life is the annual conference, where over 2,000 Children with DIABETES folks come together to learn about the latest diabetes products, participate in giveaways, attend seminars and enjoy one anothers company.

The Children with DIABETS site has long been a leading resource to promote understanding of the care and treatment of diabetes, especially in children. Check out the upcoming events to see if Children with DIABETES has what you need to enjoy your next vacation. Thanks again to Jeff and everybody at Children with DIABETES for doing such a great job!

Yes folks, that cursed holiday is once again upon us. We each deal with the ritual in our own way. A bucket of candy on the front porch for some, a designated door greeter to toss treats for others, or just simply pretending nobody's home. Whatever your answer to this nutritionally vacant event, we all know it's all about the kids. In search of a few bright ideas for an otherwise brainless act (a little bitter? maybe), here are a few options for diabetics on Halloween.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation posted a Survival Guide for Parents. By the time your diabetic child is trick-or-treating or being invited to Halloween parties, they generally know what they can and can't eat. The best ideas to help make sure there on no real scares on the 31st include: bartering candy for cash or toys, focus on fun and not food, and if all else fails-take inventory to cautiously measure the carnage of carbohydrates.

This leads to the next article, published by children with DIABETES. They went the realistic route of addressing the carbohydrate consequences of Halloween. They feature a table of carbohydrate values for common candies found door-to-door. Smart cookies, those children with DIABETES folks!

Last, but certainly never least is the American Diabetes Association. They focus on some guidelines to emphasize the sport of Halloween. Their top suggestions include: emphasizing the creative efforts of your child's costume, planning a Halloween party where you have full control over the menu, and indulging in the activities of the holiday like hayrides and haunted houses. All great tips to help parents and kids make it through yet another Halloween. Boo!