Back in a February '07 post, I described an initiative by New York drug store chain Duane Reade. The chain had announced it was opening a free diabetes center. The idea was to drum up business by meeting customer demand for diabetes-related advice and services. At the time, I thought it was an interesting story - perhaps the sign of a new trend on the rise. And definitely a sign of the commercial clout wielded by diabetics.

A few months down the road and it looks like the concept has really taken off. A Duane Reade press release has announced that the center will be expanding its services to keep pace with demand. Yep. The Duane Reade Diabetes Resource Center will now be offering space in its support groups to anyone from the NY metro area, not just to those who had already enrolled in their education classes. Although registration is required, those educational and support group sessions are all totally free. Partial funding for the center comes from Novo Nordisk.

If you live in the NY area and are interested, call 1-866-913-8486 or email brodink@duanereade.com.

Last night I had my usual for dinner: chick peas and a red pepper. Not that I'm a vegan or anything - I'm just lazy and this is quick and easy and full of fiber. So as I finished the last pulse on my Braun mini chopper -- I sliced my plump red pepper. My mouth watered for dinner. Time to check my blood sugar - dinners on!

I'm right handed, for those of you who were dying to know. So I pricked my left thumb and 5 seconds later my little trusty Agamatrix tells me my blood sugar is 596 mg/dL. No way, buddy! My mouth is watering. My last meal was hours ago - and my last blood sugar, 3 hours before, was 190! So I get a second opinion - a right hand opinion! The right hand says my blood sugar is 167 mg/dL. A lot more like it!

What's the moral of my story? Accuracy is subjective. The red pepper juice was invisible to the naked eye. When my semi sweet blood mixed with it - my sugar was 596 mg/dL (after I washed my hands). The right hand told a different story. Sound familiar? If I treated for the left hand without double-checking with my right-- I don't think I would've enjoyed my dinner so much. How accurate are urine strips again? I'm not that freaky. I can't chop vegetables with anything but my hands. Feel free to share your own tales of left vs. right readings. What skewed your results? And is urine testing such a bad idea, after all? I told you I was lazy.

Circumstances of confusion invalidated a Diamyd clinical trial to protect insulin-producing cells in diabetes patients. This confusion amounts to a speed bump, but Diamyd intends to press on.

The company admitted that the Phase II clinical trial of its gene therapy had been botched following a mix up over which patients received the drug and which got placebo. Diamyd is a vaccine based on GAD65, a major factor for diabetes due to an autoimmune reaction. The company designed the vaccine to reduce the need of insulin injections and prevent the destruction of beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. Also, by protecting these cells, it may allow them to regenerate in a non-autoimmune environment, and possibly set the stage for a cure of the disease.

Anders Essen-Möller, CEO of Diamyd, said: "Was the drug mixed up? We do not know. Could there be a mix-up at some other times in the study? Yes it is possible, but that is not certain." Essen-Möller is determined not to let the mistake ruin the vaccine's progress towards approval. Essen-Möller also said he believes that the invalidation of the trial will not adversely affect any ongoing meetings with potential partners.

The Duluth News Tribune is running a story about a support group for parents of Type 1 diabetic kids. The group has been going for seven years now and it usually involves the moms meeting at a restaurant once a month to chat, while the kids stay at home with dad. The parents say that while doctors are an essential part of the support equation, only other parents of diabetic children really know the practical ins and outs of caring for those kids.

Says member Shonda Peller, "I need them...They will be there for you 24/7." Peller adds, as an example of how tight knit the group has become, that when her diabetic daughter got her tonsils removed and her glucose levels went up, another mom came over with special shakes and other foods suitable for a diabetic kid with a very tender throat. At other times, all you need is the sympathetic ear of others who know what special responsibilities you bear. Says another mother Linda Klint, "Sometimes it's nice just to know you're not the only one in the world who has to get up at 3 a.m (to test)." It's awesome when people get together for mutual encouragement and friendship, isn't it?