I remember the endocrinologist who diagnosed my diabetes told me there wasn't one body part that wasn't affected by the disease. It also seems the body parts that exist furthest from one another are linked when it comes to diabetes.

The June 2007 issue of Diabetes Care published the results of a recent study out of Britain in which 253 diabetics with their first foot ulcer were assessed for depression. One-third of them suffered from clinical depression; 24.1 percent had major depressive disorder and 8.1 percent had minor depression. Eighteen months later, there had been 40 deaths, 36 amputations, and 99 recurrences of ulcer. Those who were considered depressed were found to be three times more likely to have died.

The study did not indicate whether the subjects were depressed about their foot ulcer, having diabetes, or something else altogether.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed reauthorization bill (HR 3162), legislation which includes a one-year extension of the Type 1 Diabetes Special Funding Program at the National Institutes of Health and the Indian Health Service.

The American Diabetes Association describes the inclusion of these programs and passage of the bill as a great first step toward the goal of a five-year extension and a nominal increase in funding to grow these vital programs.

From 1998 until next year, the special type 1 funding program will have provided $1.14 billion in research funds to support type 1 diabetes research. The House action is a step toward extending that funding beyond next year.

Beginning today, advocates across the country will be meeting with their Congressional representatives in an effort to push legislators to approve funding for type 1 diabetes research.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Promise to Remember Me Campaign kicks off at 11 a.m. on the Cannon House Office Building Terrace in Washington, DC. Congressman Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, will join recording artist and American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin at the event. Yamin, who has type 1 diabetes, is set to perform at 5 p.m.

As part of the campaign, the JDRF invites participants to share their story of living with diabetes with legislators and encourage them to vote for type 1 diabetes research. The effort aims to join hundreds of families with legislators in the next 10 months to discuss funding for type 1 diabetes research; Yamin is the campaign's celebrity spokesperson.

Cantor is a sponsor of HR 2762, a bill that would reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program, which coordinates the efforts of research scientists to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.

The FDA has approved a new over-the-counter weight loss drug called alli (orlistat) that is designed to absorb 25% of the fat from your meal. However, nutrition and fitness expert Dr. Len Lopez, author of "To Burn or Not to Burn, Fat is the Question" shares his reasons why the new approved weight loss drug may not be beneficial to your health.

New research is showing that medications don't make us healthier. Research is showing that losing weight with medications doesn't decrease the rate of heart attacks, strokes or diabetes. Add that to the fact that your body loses nutrients with these medications and you can easily see how these new weight loss drugs can hamper your health. Dr. Lopez discusses practical steps to losing weight which includes diet and exercise, but also covers how stress and adrenal fatigue can disrupt our hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormonal imbalances can throw off our metabolism and take us out of our fat burning mode.

Both of Dr.Lopez's books cover a good deal of information to understand how we can correct our imbalances in piecing together the weight loss puzzle. His knowledge explores the roles of insulin and cortisol in weight gain, cravings, fatigue and more. He also explains how stress can take you out of your fat burning zone and helps you regain your blood sugar balance, as well as implementing the "Five and Two" dieting plan.

Say NO to the weight loss drugs and say YES to the empowering knowledge Dr. Lopez has to share.

In Diabetes Care this month, researchers report that exposure to agricultural pesticides in the first-trimester increases a woman's risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy.

Researchers assessed the risk of developing gestational diabetes following pesticide exposures among over 11,200 wives of farmers enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. Within 25 years of entering the study, 4.5% of women who became pregnant reported having gestational diabetes. Overall, 57% of women reported having mixed or applied pesticides at some time in their life, and the proportion was similar for those with and without gestational diabetes mellitus. Women who mixed or applied pesticides or repaired pesticide-related equipment during the first trimester of pregnancy had a more than twofold increased risk of developing gestational diabetes. There was no increased gestational diabetes risk among women with residential exposures to pesticides or indirect exposures during the first trimester.

With the rate of diabetes diagnosis rising, whether it is type 1, type 2 or gestational - understanding the potential effects of environmental exposure on glucose levels is critical to comprehensively addressing the core problem. The jury is still out on deciphering what environmental offense should be sentenced for the crime.

Thousands of pre-school age children are being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as new figures show a dramatic rise over the past 20 years.

Between 1985 and 2004, the study conducted by Bristol University, has seen an increase in cases of type 1 diabetes in children under the age of 5 five times the previous average. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease in which the body fails to produce insulin or makes only a little. One of the theories leading to the rise in type 1 diabetes is due to infants being exposed to exorbitantly clean households. The researchers found that incidence in all children under 15 had doubled. But the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children under the age of five went from .2 cases per 1,000 to 1 case per thousand.

The hypothesis offered by Prof Bingley leads to a very good argument. He said, "the increase is too steep to be put down to genetic factors, so it must be due to changes in our environment. This could mean that we are being exposed to something new or that we have reduced exposure to something that was previously controlling our immune responses". Much like the denouement in a game of CLUE: perhaps it was Mr. Clean, with the mop, in the kitchen!

Generally speaking, the word "breathalyzer" carries a pretty negative connotation. We hear the word, and almost immediately images of drunk driving, police action, danger, recklessness and so on enter into our minds. Like I said, pretty negative stuff. But, there may be a reason why using a breath test could have a much more positive ring to it.

A graduate student and his adviser at Mississippi State University have developed a new non-invasive "breathalyzer" of sorts that may possibly be an alternative method of tracking day-to-day glucose levels. By measuring the levels of acetone in someone's breath (acetone levels rise in the lungs when blood sugar is high), the researchers were able to tell when someone may need to adjust their insulin.

The use of a breath test, in lieu of pricking one's finger and placing the blood on a traditional blood glucose testing meter, is something that could prove to be rather convenient for people with diabetes. Unfortunately, because this device is still in the infancy of its research, it may be some time before it goes beyond the clinical testing phase, let alone being made available to the general public. In the meantime, keep thinking those good thoughts.

It is well known that people with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of pancreatic cancer, and now it seems that the risk extends to those with type 1 diabetes.

The risk was assed as small, but nonetheless - increased compared to those without diabetes. The research found that the likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer was twice as high in subjects with type 1 or young-onset diabetes as in people without diabetes. This increased risk is similar in magnitude to that seen with type 2 diabetes. There are many theories about the link between diabetes and pancreatic cancer. A cancer-inducing role of the insulin-producing beta-cells in the pancreas, is ruled-out because in type 1 diabetes these cells have largely or entirely been destroyed. The researchers want to stress that people with type 1 diabetes should not be overly concerned. The leading scientist issued a statement, "pancreatic cancer is an extremely rare disease, and twice a tiny risk is still a tiny risk."

In light of the study results, the researchers encourage diabetics to stay the course and focus on preventing the common complications of diabetes such as heart disease, eye disease and kidney disease. Good plan, good doctor. Thank you for the reassuring news – phew!

Here we go round the mulberry bush -- you know the nursery rhyme but did you have any idea how influential the center of attention could be? Well, regardless of Mother Goose, Roman Poets and silkworms staple diet - the mulberry has more to offer than you might think.

Mulberry leaves are reported to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, reduce fever and exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. A study showed the fasting blood sugar of diabetic rats eating a diet with mulberry leaf was reduced by 50% when compared to the diabetic control. The mulberry leaf rats also showed a drop of 30% in their HbA1c. Studies have shown that prolonged intake of mulberry leaves may further reduce HbA1c levels and probably help in achieving better glycemic control. Mulberry leaves also helped control the intracellular balance and reduced the activity of glucogenesis, both telltale signs of uncontrolled diabetes. Glucogenesis is when the body breaks down proteins and fats for glucose.

The mulberry bush should be celebrated. What if drinking a cup of white mulberry tea before a meal could reduce the total sugars absorbed? Researchers in Japan found white mulberry leaves have certain nitrogen-containing sugars (1-deoxynojirimycin) that strongly inhibit the intestinal metabolism of sugars from entering the circulation. Bottom's up for lower post meal numbers.

Research conducted by an anthropology professor at the University of California Irvine calls into question the imperfect science behind labeling ethnic groups for classifying and studying chronic illness. Paying specific attention to the problematic nature of linking health inequalities and so-called predisposition to genetic variation rather than social factors such as poverty and access to adequate health care, the research raises questions about the established, inexact methods of establishing race and ethnicity.

After following the trail of DNA samples from when they were first donated by people living along the US-Mexican border, to the eventual publication of findings based on these samples in scientific journal, the researchers found that the resulting data utilized by U.S. and British scientists used social and historical explanations -- not biological differences -- to define race and ethnicity for their research. Arbitrary labeling systems such as these, and their attendant genetic studies, are behind data suggesting that certain ethnic groups are predisposed to chronic illnesses like diabetes. In fact, this very thing was suggested of Mexican Americans, sparking international debate.

The researchers fear that the current methods of labeling race for research purposes will produce dissimilar and inconclusive results from study to study. This could effect the way a disease such is diabetes is treated for any given race, as it may be viewed as a genetically predisposed problem, for example, when in reality the problem is rooted more in social inequity.

Overeating can shut down a natural brain function that is key to preventing common cardiovascular and diabetic diseases..

Researchers found that chronic overeating can overwhelm the neural pathway that regulates the amount of fats flowing into the bloodstream from the liver. The liver is partly responsible for regulating fats entering the blood stream. It produces triglyceride fats the body can turn into LDL (bad) cholesterol, which can cause arteriosclerosis and blood vessel blockage. Glucose can enter the brain when levels are elevated in the bloodstream. When glucose enters the brain, it is broken down into an acidic substance known as lactate. Lactate signals the liver to stop making fat. It appears that chronic overeating can overwhelm the brain's ability to metabolize glucose into lactate. When lactate is no longer produced -- the signal to stop the liver from releasing fat into the blood stops, too. As small arteries get clogged, they create the circulatory problems common in type 2 diabetes, linked to overeating, obesity, and limb amputations.

Smaller portions, less glucose in the brain, better traffic flow. After all - nobody likes getting mixed signals. Let's do all we can to keep the lines of communimcation (and our arteries) open.

Like a dog chasing its own tail (but nowhere near as funny), type 1 diabetes is caused by a self-imposed attack on insulin producing cells. Here's your chance to chat live and learn about the latest discoveries to interfere with the automimmune confusion. Chat live with the head of the Immunogenetics Program at the Diabetes Research Institute, Alberto Pugliese, M.D.

The DRI program is specifically focused on understanding how genetic and immunological factors play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes and how certain genetic and immunological factors may actually afford protection from diabetes. The program is uncovering ways to interfere with the immune cells that attack the insulin producing cells in the pancreas resulting in diabetes.

In plain English, join Dr. Pugliese to enlighten yourself and ask any questions you may have regarding this impressive research. The chat begins at 9pm EST and those who miss it can catch the excitement in the transcript, to be posted shortly thereafter. I hope to see fellow IDDMs on the chat roster.

According to research conducted by Ohio State University, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may help reduce body fat, but it also increases your risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

In 2003, a study showed that a 2 month supplementation of CLA lowered body mass and blood sugars in diabetics. The recent studies conducted on mice fed a CLA supplemented diet lost weight very fast, but also accumulated excessive amounts of fat in their livers - a side effect of rapid weight loss. In addition, excessive accumulation of fat in the liver is associated with insulin resistance, a factor exacerbating type 2 diabetes.

Although the recent findings were conducted on mice, CLA may or may not have a similar effect on humans. CLA has been a hot selling item in supplement stores for years. I wonder what the results would be if people who have taken CLA (the t10c12 variety) for years were to discontinue use for 4 weeks. I would be curious to see the baseline and follow-up tests for body mass, insulin sensitivity and fat accumulation in the liver. Any med students out there interested in setting-up a lab profiling hepatic function in CLA poppers?

Sometimes change can come in the form of something mammoth in size, while other times it can appear as something simple. Regardless of the scale, it is the totality of the effect that change that matters most. And, insofar as smaller, simpler changes go, a recent classification of infections may have a profound effect on the future of diabetes complications.

This change comes as the result of a joint effort by several research groups, hailing from as far and as wide as Texas to the Netherlands. Publishing their landmark study on the classification of diabetic foot infections has validated and tweaked the Infectious Disease Society of America's already standing system of labeling infections as mild, moderate or severe. The doctors involved in the study see this study as having a dramatic impact on predicting hospitalization and amputation. Furthermore, it will assist doctors in communicating with their patients and guiding them most effectively through therapy.

For more information on this classification system, visit: www.diabetic-foot.net

Having been in the fitness game for quite some time now, I've seen and heard just about every claim (mostly false) possible by supplement manufacturers. "Lose 10 pounds in a week," "Gain 20 pounds of lean muscle," "Grow a curly mustache like former Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Rollie Fingers." Okay, perhaps I made up the last one, but it truly wouldn't surprise me if I saw a product on the shelf that claimed to do that very thing.

The craziest thing about the vast majority of these snake oils -- beside the fact that most of them don't work -- is how exorbitantly they are priced. But, what if I told you that there may be a product out there that can prevent our bodies from absorbing some of the calories and carbohydrates that we consume during a meal? And, what if I told you that you may very well already have it sitting in your kitchen cabinet? Still interested? Then read on.

Time for the unveiling of this super-product. Are you ready? Are you sure? Okay, here it is: Tea. Kind of anticlimactic, I know, but that doesn't take away from the apparent absorbent properties that black, green, and mulberry teas seem to possess. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that drinking tea with a meal may cause your body to not absorb as much as 25 percent of the calories from that meal. While more studies on this fascinating discovery still need to be done, in the meantime it brings to bear the countless boxes of Earl Gray you have hidden in the back of your cabinets. And just in case the 25 percent absorption of calories didn't seem all that impressive to you, know that you could lose as much as 16 to 18 pound in year by reducing your caloric intake by this much.