Diabetes

Discovery of new subtype diabetes

2008-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

We have all heard of Diabetes types 1 and 2, but have you heard of a type called MODY?

It seems that diabetes is undergoing a genetics revolution that suggests there actually are many subtypes of the disease.

Apparently, patients who have this rare type of diabetes will be able to benefit from important changes in their treatment, if their doctor is aware of the type of diabetes they have.

"We've got a whole group of diabetologists who have never heard of this," laments Dr. Andrew Hattersley, a British physician-scientist who pioneered how to treat single-gene subtypes collectively known as MODY.

There has been a great amount of new discoveries in the past year on how to treat this new type of diabetes. So get along to your doctor and find out if this includes you. You may be able to benefit from improved treatments if you are one of the ones suffering from this diabetes subtype.

Weight Training Shown To Improve Diabetes

2008-03-08T19:27:00.001-08:00

"NEW DELHI: Fifteen minutes of resistance exercise — light weight training, four times a week — can help improve insulin resistance, blood glucose and lower bad cholesterol in Indians, suffering from Type 2 diabetes.

In a three-month study conducted by a team of doctors from Fortis, AIIMS and Maulana Azad Medical College, 30 diabetics were found to tremendously benefit from light weight training that worked to build muscle on their shoulders, biceps, finger grip, hip, knee and muscle around their heel.

The doctors, who have reported their finding in the March issue of the international journal "Diabetes Care", found that fasting glucose decreased by 26.5% in the subjects. While total cholesterol levels decreased by 9%, triglyceride — the chemical form in which most fat exists in body and is associated with increased risk of heart disease — decreased by 20%." Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Weight_training_good_for_diabetics/articleshow/2848732.cms

For more information on diabetes, refer to the Health Directory at the side of the page.

Stomach Stapling can Cure Diabetes!

2008-02-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

Australian researchers have found the strongest evidence yet that obesity surgery can cure diabetes.

It was found that patients who had surgery to reduce the size of their stomachs were five times more likely to see their diabetes disappear over the next two years than were patients who had standard diabetes care.

For more information, check out the articles in the directories under the links at side of the page. Also find information on how to help yourself with home remedies for diabetes problems.

'Big-breasted girls prone to diabetes'

2008-01-30T21:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a good one, just goes to show big boobs aren't always good!

"TORONTO: Girls with big breasts have a 68% higher chance of developing diabetes by middle age than their small-breasted counterparts, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The decade-long study to find link between big breasts and diabetes development among nurses in the US shows that those with bigger breasts at 20 are at 68% higher risk of developing the disease in later years.

Joel Ray, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a clinician-scientist at the local St Michael's Hospital, said this was “the broad conclusion" of his research team on the basis on the study that was published on Tuesday.

"Our findings are based on data from the Nurses Health Study II project in 14 American states."

Article Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Big-breasted_girls_prone_to_diabetes/articleshow/2744946.cms

For similar articles and findings, check out the 'Diabetes Directory' under 'My Favorite Links'.

Good reminders for all

2008-01-24T21:21:00.000-08:00

A reminder for diabetics around the world this week from Dr Pratihba Datta, director of public health for Redbridge PCT: "With obesity on the increase most people should make an effort to eat more fruit and vegetables, cut back on alcohol consumption and be more physically active. But I can't over emphasise the importance of people with diabetes watching their diet."

Diabetics also need to take very good care of their feet. For more news and information for diabetics, check out the "Health Directory" under My Favourite Links.

Carrot cake study on sugar in type 2 diabetes

2008-01-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article I found regarding sugar intake. Aren't all diabetes sufferers told to limit their sugar intake, that's what I thought. But how about this study conducted recently - read it for yourself and speak to your healthcare professional if you want to know how it relates to you.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/tsb-ccs010808.php
Patients with type 2 diabetes are often advised to cut out sucrose (table sugar) all together. However, in recent years this traditional advice has been questioned by some researchers who suggest that moderate amounts of sugar can be safely consumed as part of the diet of patients with diabetes. Now a new study has been published that is consistent with this revised approach. It showed that patients who increased their daily sugar intake (in the form of carrot cake) but maintained a stable body weight, showed no adverse changes in their blood glucose.

The study was conducted by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at London�s Hammersmith Hospital. Three slices of carrot cake were added to the daily diets of nine, overweight type 2 diabetes patients over 24 days (bringing their daily total to 88g or 18 teaspoons of sugar).

Sleep disruptions may up diabetes risk

2008-01-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Try to get plenty of uninterrupted sleep if you want to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes - that is my message of the week. Read this article below to find out more. Or check the Health Directory link at the side of the page to find more articles relating to news and information on medical issues.

Source: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/health/story/234785.html

"When Shakespeare called sleep the "chief nourisher of life's feast," he may have been well ahead of his time, medically at least. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center report that disrupting sleep damages the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels, potentially raising the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

More than 18 million Americans have diabetes and the most common form is type 2, in which the body either becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough of it to regulate sugar in the bloodstream.

In a small experiment, researchers led by Dr. Esra Tasali, an assistant professor of medicine, found that disrupting the deepest sleep periods of volunteers rapidly resulted in reduction in their ability to regulate blood-sugar levels."

UCD develops pathway to help diabetes

2007-12-18T02:25:00.000-08:00

For all those Type 1 diabetes sufferers out there, I found some interesting information regarding research and findings on controlling the risk of cardiovascular disease in type 1 patients. Check out this article for more details.

Article source: http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_7737992

"Researchers at UC Davis Health System have discovered a novel pathway that results in increased inflammation of blood vessels in patients with type 1 diabetes. Their findings suggest that, with good diabetes control, this inflammation may be reduced, possibly resulting in a reduction of cardiovascular disease as well.

In a study now available both in the online edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism as well on the National Institutes of Health's PubMed, the researchers provide the first-ever demonstration of increased expression and signaling in type 1 diabetics of two key receptors within the body's innate immune system. Called TLR2 and TLR4, they are part of a family of pattern recognition receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), so-called because of their similarities to the well-defined Tollgene found in much-studied fruit flies."

For other articles like these, check out the Health Directory in 'My favourite links'

What can you do to raise awareness about diabetes?

2007-12-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

I read this week about a young girl named Jordan Hickey, she is only 8 years old but as a sufferer of diabetes she is running with her classmates to help others understand about diabetes and raise money for research. Good on you Jordan! As Jordan has been quoted as saying "It's not contagious. They can touch me and they won't get it" Thats right, many people are so ignorant of this condition. Let's all do our part and help educate others about diabetes.

The students at Jordan's school were hoping to raise over $5000 for research and education purposes. What can you do?

Transporters may help delay diabetes-related retinal damage

2007-12-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

Here is an update on some help to prevent blindness in diabetics - the leading cause of blindness in working age persons. Very interesting!

Article source: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=33061

Two transporters that deliver alternative energy sources to the eye may help delay retinal damage that can occur in diabetes, researchers say.

The transporters, SMCT1 and SMCT2, can circumvent the eye's protective blood-retinal barrier, delivering energy sources lactate and ketone bodies to a healthy eye, says Dr. Pamela Martin, biochemist at the Medical College of Georgia.

In diabetes, characterized by plenty of glucose but the inability of cells to use it, the retina may turn to those alternate sources for survival.

"Glucose is your primary energy source," says Dr. Martin. "But in diabetes, the retina undergoes a lot of stress, there is oxidative damage and a lot of other things going on. These transporters, we believe, may be instrumental in bringing in additional substrates which the cells can use for energy to try and prevent death."

Diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, results in death of retinal neurons, at least in part because glucose availability is compromised for this high-energy-consuming tissue, says Dr.

Hope for better awareness of diabetes

2007-11-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

Awareness is a bit issues because many people don't even realise that children suffer from diabetes too. Many today think it is just a sickness for overweight people - well we know that isn't true, so good on Diabetes Week New Zealand for its efforts.

Article Source: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/071118/2/2gqt.html

Diabetes sufferers want people to understand there is no holiday from their illness. The focus of this year's Diabetes Awareness Week is the 3,500 children and young people affected by Type 1 diabetes in this country.

Diabetes New Zealand president Mike Smith says children with Type 1 do have some special needs. He says they do not need to be pampered, but people must understand they have a condition which needs to be managed 24 hours a day. He says the number of children diagnosed with diabetes each year is growing by about 10 percent.

Mike Smith says it is difficult for a child to get used to having the disease. He says it is scary for both children and their parents, as the young patients can often become hypoglycaemic in the night and need help.

Key Unlocks Obesity/Diabetes Link<

2007-11-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article I found relating obesity and diabetes. I'm sure we have all heard that we should watch our waistlines or we are more likely to end up with diabetes. But this article seems to indicate that will change in the future.

I personally think we should still be so careful! Australia was just found to be the fifth fattest nation in the world - look out Aussies - Diabetes isn't the only health risk of being obese. Even if they have found the gene relating to diabetes and obesity, don't start overeating! There are plenty more dangers out there....

Article location: http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20071106/key-unlocks-obesity-diabetes-link?src=RSS_PUBLIC

"Obesity leads to insulin resistance and diabetes, but not if a key inflammatory pathway is blocked, mouse studies show.

Abdominal obesity is a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes. As people gain more and more belly fat, they become more and more resistant to insulin. Their bodies have to make more and more insulin to control their blood sugar. Eventually, they develop diabetes.

Why does this happen? Scientists have found that one of the body's chemical signals, called JNK1, is needed both for the accumulation of abdominal fat and for obesity-related insulin resistance. Mice lacking the JNK1 gene can eat a high-fat diet without getting fat and without getting diabetes.

But can you become obese without getting diabetes? The surprising answer seems to be yes."

November is American Diabetes Month

2007-11-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

Diabetes can be an extremely debilitating disease for those who suffer from it, requiring thorough and consistent disease management and education to maintain good health and quality of life."We're reaching out to diabetes caregivers during American Diabetes Month because they are such an important link in improving quality of life for people living with diabetes and reducing health care costs for everyone," said Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Mark D. Birdwhistell. "With the right tools and knowledge, caregivers can help their loved one reduce the number of diabetes-related complications he or she experiences and live a long and healthy life."Many people living with diabetes, particularly children and the elderly, rely on caregivers to help them manage the disease. Often, this role presents many challenges."Caring for someone with diabetes is an extremely important role," said William Hacker, M.D., CHFS' undersecretary for health and public health commissioner.

Source: http://www.newsdemocratleader.com/articles/2007/11/06/news/features/features09.txt