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Posts with tag diabetic
Posted Aug 20th 2007 3:02PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Research, Care, Complications
Great strides have been made in the field of
cardiology in recent years. However, according to a new study just out,
people with diabetes remain dangerously at risk for heart-related problems like angina and heart attack. The results of the study have been published In the latest issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association (August 2007).
It's quite disturbing to read the numbers on this. Example? For every hundred diabetics who experience severe heart attack, just over eight will die within thirty days. For non-diabetics, that number goes down to around five. I could go on, but you get the picture.
The solution? Says the author of the study, Dr. Elliott M. Antman: "We need aggressive strategies to manage the diabetic population. What we need to do is everything to halt the epidemic of diabetes and find through research what therapies are most helpful for diabetic patients. We've got to do better for those patients." Hear, hear.
But what should those "aggressive strategies" be? And how do you implement them? That's the sticking point.
The Washington Post caught the
American Diabetes Association's Larry Deeb in a moment of remarkable frankness, saying he really
doesn't know what can be done to get cardiologists and endocrinologists working together on this. C'mon, Larry. That's not exactly encouraging news for all the people out there with diabetes!
Posted Aug 19th 2007 2:28PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Daily News
In a case of stunning ineptitude, staff at an Orange County branch of Bank of America
locked in an elderly diabetic woman after closing at the end of the day on Wednesday. The woman, Marian R. Prescher (73), went to the bank late Wednesday to access the contents of a storage box she keeps there. The bank shut up shop at 6 p.m., and employees apparently forgot to check the private room that she was in before leaving.
Around that time - I'm not clear on whether it was before she was locked in or perhaps as a result of being locked in - Prescher's blood sugar dropped into the danger zone. Fortunately, Prescher was discovered around midnight by a cleaning crew, whose members found her in diabetic shock - "unconscious and cold to the touch," according to a spokesman for the OC Sheriff's Department. The woman was treated in hospital for hypoglycemia and later released.
The is pretty serious. If she had not been found when she was, Prescher could have died. A friend told a reporter that Prescher's blood sugar had dropped to 20, which is dangerously low.
A statement came from Bank of America on Friday to say the incident is under investigation. I'm thinking they are justifiably sweating over the bad publicity this has brought the bank.
Posted Aug 18th 2007 3:07PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Daily News, Personalities
Isn't it amazing that even toddlers can operate computers and cell phones these days? Alex Merriam lives in Pleasanton, Texas. Alex is only two-years-old, but he
helped save his dad's life recently. His father, William Merriam, has had type 1 diabetes since he was only four. Last Friday, William's blood sugar got dangerously low and and he fell unconscious in a chair. Alex was the only one in the house with him at the time.
Alex's mom, D'anna, was worried when she kept trying to call her husband. No one answered. In the end, aware that a hypoglycemic episode could have hit William, she had her father try calling too. Eventually, Alex - all of two-years-old, mind you - got the ringing cell phone out of his dad's bag and answered it. He told his grandpa that his dad was "asleep" and then hung up. Kids do the darndest things! The grandfather called back and, yet again, Alex picked up. This time the boy took the phone over to his father and it was clear that dad was not responding at all. Emergency services were alerted and an ambulance arrived not long after that.
After recovering, dad William said "It's nice he doesn't know what's wrong, but knew enough to tell the right person at the right time." Cute story.
Posted Aug 17th 2007 3:03PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Drugs, Events, Personalities
Works by the modernist painter
Charles Demuth (1883-1935) are now on display at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Add Demuth to the pantheon of notable Americans with diabetes. Demuth lived nearly his entire life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He had a hard life, being type 1 diabetic at a time before digital meters and pumps and all that good stuff. Not only that, he was diabetic at a time when insulin was only beginning to be used.
So, you may well ask: what
did they do in the dark, dark pre-insulin days? Well, dear reader, the treatment was pretty unsophisticated. Starvation, basically. They got you eating as little as possible. Not surprisingly, life expectancy was not good in those days! Demuth suffered from a lack of energy and eyesight problems. Eventually, he was started on insulin and his health improved as a result.
For subject matter, Demuth frequently turned to the increasingly industrialized landscape of his hometown, Lancaster. Icons of the industrial skyline - smokestacks, water towers and the like - were often the subject of his paintings. The Amon exhibit is titled "Chimneys and Towers: Charles Demuth's Late Paintings of Lancaster." The exhibit will remain on display in Fort Worth through October, when it will relocate to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, FL, then it's off to the Whitney Museum in New York City.
Click here to read more about Demuth and this new exhibit.
Posted Aug 15th 2007 9:21PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Research, Complications
It's common knowledge that diabetes and heart disease are linked. If you have diabetes, you are much more prone to heart disease than are your non-diabetic counterparts. I've sometimes wondered: why should that be? And here comes the answer, courtesy of
a recent Netscape health article.
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been examining the issue. Their conclusion? It all comes down to how the body metabolizes fat. The heart cells of diabetics lose a lipid (cardiolipin) designed to provide the heart with energy to function properly. Says Dr. Richard Gross, "Diabetic hearts run mostly on fats for fuel because glucose isn't readily available to them." Problem is, the absence of cardiolipin screws up the heart's cell membranes, both in terms of structure and function.
It's all downhill after the cardiolipin disappears. For one thing, the heart muscle cells begin to be starved of energy. Second, harmful substances form in the cells. Both these factors contribute to heart problems down the road. Observes Dr. Gross, "The pieces of the puzzle of diabetic heart disease are now rapidly falling into place. We hope that these kinds of studies will enable physicians to diagnose diabetic cardiovascular disease sooner and treat it earlier."
Posted Aug 12th 2007 12:58PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Opinion, Support, Care
How is this nation going to cope with the so-called epidemic of type 2 diabetes when our healthcare system is faltering? How are diabetics, both type 1 and type 2, going to get the care they deserve until the system is reformed? It's a good thing that many Americans realize this is a mammoth problem. Michael Moore's new film
Sicko has, in it's typically Moore-ish way, helped draw more attention to the issue too.
The current system, rests on a precarious and complex (or should I say, chaotic?) relationship between public and private healthcare providers and the insurance industry. Sadly, reform may not be possible until Americans get much, much angrier about how badly they are being let down by the system that's supposed to serve them. A great place to start your reading is
the editorial in today's New York Times. Titled "World's Best Medical Care?," it neatly summarizes not just how the US needs to do better, but also describes how badly the US is doing in relation to the rest of the developed world. The key issues: forty-five million uninsured, many more underinsured, and quality of care that varies wildly depending on the size of the patient's wallet.
What about diabetes? Surprise! The news is
not good. According to the
Times editorial, the US came in last in an eight-country comparison of lives lost to a number of major diseases, one of which being diabetes.
Posted Aug 10th 2007 7:16AM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 2, Lifestyle, Daily News
Type 2 diabetes, mate?
By crikey. Australia's diabetes epidemic continues to be a problem. News this week indicates the spread of obesity, and with it associated conditions like Type 2 diabetes, in rural areas is
far worse than previously realized. A survey of 806 randomly selected adults (okay, not the biggest sample, admittedly) found that a great many are affected by the disease.
Based on their findings from that survey, researchers calculate that almost
three-quarters of Aussie men living in rural areas are overweight. They think women in rural areas may be slightly better-off - around two-thirds may be overweight. This puts rural Australians at a very high risk for T2DM. The conclusion, stated in the
Medical Journal of Australia: "urgent population-wide action is required to tackle the problem."
As is the case in the US, a big concern is how to treat all those people as they age and their overall health worses. Specifically, what will become of Australia's public healthcare system? "We might get a whole generation, now in their 40s, 50s and 60s, who will do markedly worse than their parents," predicts lead researcher for the study, Professor Edward Janus of Melbourne's Western Hospital.
Posted Aug 7th 2007 3:45PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Diet, Lifestyle, Research
I really don't get this, but here goes: according to a report summarized on the website DiabetesHealth,
weight gain reduces the severity of heart disease in type 1 diabetics. Huh? How can that be possible, I'm wondering? After all, we live in a world where weight gain is considered a great evil, a threat to individual health, a drain on our healthcare resources etc. etc. And now
this!?
The findings come from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study, which was conducted over a period of sixteen years and involved the participation of 225 type 1 diabetes patients. The Pittsburgh people agree more fat on the bones adds up to one heck of a big risk factor for
heart disease. However, they also say that if you're type 1 and do get heart disease, carrying extra weight makes the heart disease less severe. They also report that this effect is especially true for women. So, the big question: why? The researchers think it's because heavier people may have better insulin control. But don't run for the local Burger Barn; weight gain is not desirable as it does more harm than good in the long run.
Posted Aug 7th 2007 3:00PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Daily News
The recent
attack on diabetes specialist William Petit Jr. and his family is the most horrific thing I've read in the news lately. William Petit is prominent in the world of diabetes research. He is medical director of the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. The hospital is an affiliate of the Joslin Diabetes Center.
The New York Times has plenty of coverage for those who care to read about it. There's a two-pager on the nature of
the crime. This came out yesterday and describes how Petit was beaten and bound by two intruders to his Cheshire, Connecticut, home on July 23. The criminals sexually assaulted the family's two girls, forced Petit's wife Jennifer to withdraw $15,000 in cash from the local bank, then took her back to the house. The money, I guess, was supposed to be some sort of "ransom" money for the family, but to monsters like this, life is cheap; the mom and two girls were killed anyway. Ms. Petit was strangled to death. The house was set on fire and the daughters were left to die, tied to their beds.
Here's the latest: the two men responsible for the attack
appeared in court today in New Haven. They were charged with capital felony murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary, robbery, arson, larceny and risk of injury to children. Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.
The Times reports that about a dozen members of the Petit family were present at the hearing and issued a written statement to reporters. Dr. Petit himself stayed away. My heart really goes out to the doctor and his family.
Posted Aug 7th 2007 8:32AM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Research, Products, Support
There's
a story running on CNN Money about the progress of Oramed Pharmaceuticals' insulin capsule, which is currently under development. The capsule, taken orally, could provide a more convenient way for diabetics to get insulin than through shots. And popping a gel cap would, needless to say, also be more convenient than toting and blowing on one of those big old clunky Exubera inhalers.
In the quest to get its product to market, Oramed needs cash, and lots of it. Answering the call, a combination of private investors are putting up more than two million dollars in financing for the Israel-based company.
It's hoped the money will help to propel the insulin capsule through completion of Phase 1 (drug safety) trials by the middle of next year. Said Oramed CEO Nadav Kidron, "This investment marks a milestone for Oramed's stability, allowing the company to fully focus on its research and development efforts and complete its phase 1 product trials."
Stay tuned.
Posted Aug 6th 2007 3:01PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 2, Daily News, Support, Personalities
A few days ago, I blogged about
Sally, the fabulous hypo-detecting dog from the UK. Here's
a similar story from right here in the US, and boy does it show you what big things one little dog can do! Pint-sized Chihuahua, Coyote, lives with human mom Katherine Caldwell in California. The five-year-old, nine-pound pooch alerts Katherine, a diabetic, whenever her blood sugar drops below 70 or rises above 150.
Coyote, a specially trained service dog (Katherine's second), is able to smell the change and alert his owner. "He starts nagging me: pacing, barking, nipping, licking, pushing me," explains Katherine. If she's asleep at the time, she says, Coyote gets quite frantic until she awakens. If her blood sugar gets to 68, Katherine says, "he's going crazy."
Coyote even knows how to use a special bite pager. When he holds the device in his mouth and bites down, a signal goes out to the emergency services and an ambulance is dispatched. Caldwell says Coyote has successfully activated the pager twice so far. Not only that, Coyote has been a busy boy with an important sideline: he has fathered two more certified service dogs that have inherited his superior sense of smell and sensitive demeanor. There are hopes for more soon. Good luck with that, Coyote, but don't neglect Mom.
Posted Aug 6th 2007 1:34PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Diet
The Mom of the Year Award will
not be going to this lady: according to a report from Fox News, Belinda J. Menier (33)
served liquor to her thirteen-year-old daughter and her daughter's diabetic friend. This occurred during a sleepover. Menier, who lives in Corunna, Indiana, was arrested last Monday and charged with felony neglect of a dependent and the misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
So what was on the tasting menu? Amaretto, apparently. According to a police report, Menier mixed the liquor with soda for the girls to taste. According to
an AOL report, the diabetic girl told police she had about five drinks while at the house, but said she was fine afterwards. The mom, however, says they only had a taste and that was it. "She admitted pouring them a small taste. That's her only admission," says DeKalb County Sheriff Sergeant Donald Lauer.
Good Lord. Does this really sound like good use of police time and money? Sure, Menier wasn't using her best mommy judgment when she decided to entertain the kids with
alcoholic beverages! But does she deserve to be put through hell for her actions? I guess a big factor here is: did she know the daughter's friend was diabetic?
Posted Jul 31st 2007 3:48PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Fundraisers, Products
Seriously, you'd have to have a heart of pure stone not to be moved by
this YouTube video called "Hope is in a Cure." To a fairly sappy soundtrack (okay, okay I'm not a Mariah Carey fan), we see a photo slideshow unfold, telling the story of one little girl's daily experiences with type 1 diabetes. The power of this piece is in its simplicity: a series of one family's snapshots illustrates perfectly what these brave kids go through and the sacrifices the whole family must make when type 1 enters a child's life. Not to mention the agony the moms and dads go through. That is something I can only imagine - and hope I never have to experience myself.
There's a heartbreaker of a shot in here of the little girl asleep, hands tucked daintily and securely under her pillow, asleep and in one sense relaxed, yet on guard against the next skin prick she knows will eventually come.
"Hope is in a Cure" was posted by Lisa of Londonderry, New Hampshire. I don't know who made it. Check it out today. Better yet, send the link to a few people you know. Too few people understand what "type 1 families" live with day-to-day. Let people know that diabetes never takes a vacation and never sleeps. And let them know the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation needs our support - you can start by supporting
the upcoming Walk to Cure Diabetes.
Posted Jul 31st 2007 2:12PM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Daily News
The police came knocking at the home of Parlier, California, resident Terry Hillblom (59) in April 2006. They were there to deal with a dispute between Hollblom's daughter and her son, but Hillblom got involved and ended up scuffling with a sheriff's deputy, and getting arrested. Hillblom, who has diabetes and wears an insulin pump, says his
pump's needle was torn out during the incident. Worse still, he claims the deputy involved would not let him reinsert it before taking him into custody. He says when he told the deputy he needed to fix the pump, the officer said "I don't care." Hillblom was later allowed to reattach the pump but says by then his blood sugar was more than twice its normal level.
Hillblom's not taking this lying down though - last week he filed a lawsuit over the incident. The deputy, Hillblom says, not only damaged his pump connection, but also entered the home without permission or a warrant, and Hillblom wants damages.
The Fresno Bee reports that Hillblom is a prominent local resident, former attorney, and vice president of a medical-related non-profit.
As for the deputy involved, he maintains Hillblom caused his own injuries by resisting arrest. Says Hillblom's lawyer, however, "What I know from prior cases is that officers sometimes lose their temper and feel civilians fail the attitude test and they sometimes misuse their power."
What is most disturbing about this case? It's not the fact that the needle was torn out, but the fact that Hillblom was not allowed to fix it
immediately. Like
the incident involving Doug "Mr. Universe" Burns, this seems like yet another example of police ignorance causing harm to diabetics. Police must be better informed about diabetes, particularly the seriousness of disconnecting person from pump!
Posted Jul 30th 2007 11:56AM by Diane Rixon
Filed under: Type 2, Drugs, Research, Daily News, Complications
Details are emerging from today's advisory committee meeting on Glaxo's Avandia. First up was a presentation by Dr. Robert Ratner of Washington's MedStar Research Institute outlining the unprecedented spread of type 2 diabetes. Ratner emphasized the inadequacy of current drug therapies for diabetes and the strain on the health system caused by the disease. The possible implication: Avandia does more good than harm right now, so let's keep it as an option.
Next, in written preview comments, an official from the US Food and Drug Administration stated his belief that the diabetes drug
should be taken off the market. The official, Dr. David Graham, says the heart risks posed by Avandia mean it's just not worth the risk to patients. Especially, he said, not when there are safer alternatives like Actos (by Takeda), which also stabilizes blood sugar levels.
It's a significant step that someone from the FDA publicly made this statement. But will anything come of it? Maybe not. The decision about whether or not Avandia stays on the market is not up to Dr. Graham, who
The New York Times reports has a history of coming down harder on drug risks than many colleagues. (Give the guy a medal!) Thing is: there appear to be plenty of other officials within the FDA who don't agree with Graham's interpretation.
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