Steven V. Edelman, M.D., Founder and director of Taking Control of Your Diabetes - Del Mar, Calif.
Diabetes and obesity are inextricably linked medical conditions that affect Americans at epidemic levels. The proven link between these two metabolic diseases, however, was not emphasized in USA TODAY's story on the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists' new recommendations for the treatment of people with pre-diabetes, a condition that often precedes diabetes ("Pre-diabetes must be treated, doctors urge," Life, July 23).
Obesity is in large part fueling the increase of pre-diabetes and diabetes in the United States. Excess weight exacerbates health problems, such as high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels in people with and without diabetes, often leading to heart disease, stroke and kidney failure, among other problems, including death.
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Gestational diabetes raises risk of type 2 diabetes
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Developing diabetes while pregnant -- what doctors call gestational diabetes -- greatly increases a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on, a new study confirms.
"Because of the high level of risk for these women, both screening for type 2 diabetes and preventive measures should be taken," Dr. Denice Feig of the University of Toronto, who was involved in the study, told Reuters Health.
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"Because of the high level of risk for these women, both screening for type 2 diabetes and preventive measures should be taken," Dr. Denice Feig of the University of Toronto, who was involved in the study, told Reuters Health.
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Researchers Say Women With Diabetes More Likely to Have Babies With Birth Defects
July 30, 2008 -- Women diagnosed with diabetes before their pregnancy have a higher risk of giving birth to a baby with a birth defect or multiple defects than a woman who does not have diabetes before giving birth, according to a new study.
"For single [birth] defects, the risk is three to four times greater, and about eightfold for multiple defects," says Adolfo Correa, MD, MPH, PhD, the study's lead author and an epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
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"For single [birth] defects, the risk is three to four times greater, and about eightfold for multiple defects," says Adolfo Correa, MD, MPH, PhD, the study's lead author and an epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
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Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sunlight could play big part in health care
After fearing the sun for decades, listening to the dire warnings of dermatologists and slathering on sunscreen to protect against skin cancer, it turns out we are getting too little sun. Apparently the majority of American women are deficient in vitamin D-3 — the form that is derived from sunlight’s interaction with bare skin.
Two recent studies suggest that women who get lots of vitamin D are less likely to develop breast cancer. This adds to the already strong, mounting evidence that the “sunshine vitamin” helps prevent many types of cancer, as well as improves survival rates among those already afflicted. What’s more, vitamin D may also lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
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Two recent studies suggest that women who get lots of vitamin D are less likely to develop breast cancer. This adds to the already strong, mounting evidence that the “sunshine vitamin” helps prevent many types of cancer, as well as improves survival rates among those already afflicted. What’s more, vitamin D may also lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
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Reducing risks for type 2 diabetes in native Canadian children
May 2006 — Type 2 diabetes is a serious and growing health problem among native North American adults and children. In native communities that have been studied, anywhere from 8% to 50% of adults now have type 2 diabetes. One study reported that 5% of Pima Indian youths aged 15 to 19 years old had diabetes.
The lifestyle of most native Canadians was transformed during the 20th century. Compared to their ancestors, most native Canadians today lead a sedentary lifestyle and eat mainly processed food that is high in calories and fat and low in fibre. The "efficient genes" that helped their ancestors thrive on a traditional, very active lifestyle, eating "wild food" that they hunted or gathered, have in many cases become a liability. The same genes now help native Canadians gain weight easily and predispose them to diabetes.
Addressing this problem is not simple. Many interrelated factors encourage obesity and diabetes; addressing only one or two is unlikely to solve the problem. For this reason, many health promotion specialists now favour an "ecological" approach that includes education, family and community support, and improved access to healthy food and exercise opportunities
Read More....
The lifestyle of most native Canadians was transformed during the 20th century. Compared to their ancestors, most native Canadians today lead a sedentary lifestyle and eat mainly processed food that is high in calories and fat and low in fibre. The "efficient genes" that helped their ancestors thrive on a traditional, very active lifestyle, eating "wild food" that they hunted or gathered, have in many cases become a liability. The same genes now help native Canadians gain weight easily and predispose them to diabetes.
Addressing this problem is not simple. Many interrelated factors encourage obesity and diabetes; addressing only one or two is unlikely to solve the problem. For this reason, many health promotion specialists now favour an "ecological" approach that includes education, family and community support, and improved access to healthy food and exercise opportunities
Read More....
Ontario zeroes in on diabetes
Ontario has declared war on diabetes, a disease that affects more than two million Canadians.
The province is spending $741 million over the next four years to help doctors and patients manage the disease and increase awareness for those at risk of getting it.
First, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will launch a diabetes registry in spring 2009 that will let health care providers check patient records and diagnostic information online and send alerts to patients.
The registry will also tell patients what they need to know about the disease.
Read More....
The province is spending $741 million over the next four years to help doctors and patients manage the disease and increase awareness for those at risk of getting it.
First, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will launch a diabetes registry in spring 2009 that will let health care providers check patient records and diagnostic information online and send alerts to patients.
The registry will also tell patients what they need to know about the disease.
Read More....
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Ontario to invest $741 million in diabetes treatment and prevention
TORONTO — Ontario is spending $741 million over the next four years on the fight against diabetes in an effort to head off the growing spate of health problems related to the disease, Health Minister David Caplan said Tuesday.
Come September, more than 1,300 adult Ontario residents with Type-1 diabetes will be eligible to receive free insulin pumps under the initiative, Caplan told a news conference in Toronto.
The plan will also include an online registry beginning next spring that will assist patients in the management of their condition and aid health care providers in checking patient records, he added.
"This tool will give people living with the disease the power to actively manage the disease in partnership with their health care team and providers," Caplan said.
Read More.....
Come September, more than 1,300 adult Ontario residents with Type-1 diabetes will be eligible to receive free insulin pumps under the initiative, Caplan told a news conference in Toronto.
The plan will also include an online registry beginning next spring that will assist patients in the management of their condition and aid health care providers in checking patient records, he added.
"This tool will give people living with the disease the power to actively manage the disease in partnership with their health care team and providers," Caplan said.
Read More.....
Friday, July 18, 2008
Type 2 Diabetes: Culturally-tailored Education Can Improve Blood Sugar Control
ScienceDaily (July 18, 2008) — Using community-based health advocates, delivering information within same-gender groups or adapting dietary and lifestyle advice to fit a particular community's likely diet can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, certainly for up to six months, following health education. This conclusion was reached by a team of Cochrane Researchers after they considered the data in 11 trials that involved 1,603 people.
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Mom's diabetes tied to early diabetes in offspring
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies who are exposed to mom's diabetes and obesity while in the womb are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adolescence, according to new research.
To prevent "youth-onset" type 2 diabetes, "we may need to take a life course approach, targeting, in addition to childhood obesity, the increasing number of women with pregnancies complicated by obesity and diabetes," researchers conclude
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To prevent "youth-onset" type 2 diabetes, "we may need to take a life course approach, targeting, in addition to childhood obesity, the increasing number of women with pregnancies complicated by obesity and diabetes," researchers conclude
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Monday, July 14, 2008
Grassroots role urged in diabetes fight
Healthcare providers at the grassroots should play a bigger role in preventing and controlling diabetes, which currently afflicts more than 40 million Chinese, health officials and experts have said.
Going to doctors in large hospitals for treatment and taking prescribed medication is not adequate for containing diabetes, said Yang Wenying, chairwoman of the Chinese Diabetes Society.
"We need qualified educators to help patients combat the chronic disease," Yang said at the launching ceremony of the Jonson-Jonson Diabetes Institute on Friday.
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Going to doctors in large hospitals for treatment and taking prescribed medication is not adequate for containing diabetes, said Yang Wenying, chairwoman of the Chinese Diabetes Society.
"We need qualified educators to help patients combat the chronic disease," Yang said at the launching ceremony of the Jonson-Jonson Diabetes Institute on Friday.
Read More.....
Got diabetes? Connect!
Social networking has come to the diabetes community in a big way with the launch of Diabetic Connect, a product of Alliance Health.
Alliance CEO Stead Burwell said it’s exciting that the demographics being drawn to Diabetic Connect are close to those of the actual diabetic population.
We’re seeing that 52% of our users are between 40-60, 35% are over 60, and 13% are under the age of 40.
64% of the people who come through our site have selected Type II diabetes. Historically the patient population of diabetics has a very vocal Type I community and a huge Type II community that’s underserved. We’ve built a community of both Type I and Type II.
Read More....
Alliance CEO Stead Burwell said it’s exciting that the demographics being drawn to Diabetic Connect are close to those of the actual diabetic population.
We’re seeing that 52% of our users are between 40-60, 35% are over 60, and 13% are under the age of 40.
64% of the people who come through our site have selected Type II diabetes. Historically the patient population of diabetics has a very vocal Type I community and a huge Type II community that’s underserved. We’ve built a community of both Type I and Type II.
Read More....
Compound could be diabetes 'saviour'
AUSTRALIAN have discovered that a chemical compound acts as a "saviour" for dying insulin cells in type two diabetics, offering new hope in combating the disease.
The "chemical chaperone" has been found to stop cells that make insulin in the pancreas from dying off, as they do in people with type two or lifestyle diabetes.
The breakthrough, shown in the laboratory at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, is yet to be tested on humans, but researchers say it is a promising development to help combat a fast-growing disease.
Read More....
The "chemical chaperone" has been found to stop cells that make insulin in the pancreas from dying off, as they do in people with type two or lifestyle diabetes.
The breakthrough, shown in the laboratory at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, is yet to be tested on humans, but researchers say it is a promising development to help combat a fast-growing disease.
Read More....
Friday, July 11, 2008
SaskTel and Alcatel-Lucent launch LifeStat(TM) Remote Monitoring and Health Management enabling effective management of chronic illnesses
SaskTel and Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced the launch of LifeStat Remote Monitoring and Health Management, a service that records and transmits daily blood glucose and blood pressure readings, automatically creating confidential, easy-to-use reports that can be viewed online by the client, their caregivers, and the client's healthcare professionals. The ongoing development and support of the LifeStat platform and applications will be managed by SaskTel and Alcatel-Lucent through their Salveo project, which is based in Saskatchewan.
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Study points to new way to test for diabetes risk
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A protein made in the liver may give doctors a way to predict years in advance who is at high risk for the most common form of diabetes, a U.S. study published on Tuesday said.
Studying people in their 70s, the researchers found those with high levels of a protein known as fetuin-A were far more likely than those with low levels to develop type 2 diabetes over six years.
Fetuin-A is made by liver cells and may be involved in the metabolism of the sugar glucose as well as calcium, the researchers said. Type 2 diabetes is marked by high levels of glucose, the body's source of energy, in the blood.
Studying people in their 70s, the researchers found those with high levels of a protein known as fetuin-A were far more likely than those with low levels to develop type 2 diabetes over six years.
Fetuin-A is made by liver cells and may be involved in the metabolism of the sugar glucose as well as calcium, the researchers said. Type 2 diabetes is marked by high levels of glucose, the body's source of energy, in the blood.
Diabetes and obesity are linked to male infertiltiy
The obesity epidemic could be contributing to falling sperm counts and increasing male fertility problems, according to research that shows that both excess weight and diabetes can reduce the quality of a man's sperm.
Men who are obese or overweight are significantly more likely to produce abnormal sperm and low volumes of semen than those of healthy weight, and those with diabetes — which is commonly triggered by obesity — are more likely to have sperm with genetic damage, two British studies have found.
The results provide strong new evidence that obesity and its complications, which are already known to affect female fertility adversely, have a parallel impact on male reproductive health
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Men who are obese or overweight are significantly more likely to produce abnormal sperm and low volumes of semen than those of healthy weight, and those with diabetes — which is commonly triggered by obesity — are more likely to have sperm with genetic damage, two British studies have found.
The results provide strong new evidence that obesity and its complications, which are already known to affect female fertility adversely, have a parallel impact on male reproductive health
Read More....
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Burnt Church first Nation residents shed the pounds together
This year, Burnt Church First Nations residents have been shedding the pounds in hopes of feeling healthier — and maybe winning some money — in their community's version of The Biggest Loser show. One of those people is Valerie Mitchell Savoie, who has lost 42 pounds by the time the competition ended Monday.
Savoie is the leader for the "Mark's Angels," named after her brother, the only man on the team. He lost nearly 30 pounds.
Joanne Bartibog organized the competition when she came back to work after Christmas upset about the weight she had put on. She said she figured a lot of people were feeling the same way.
Working as the Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention coordinator for the Esgenoopetitj Wellness Centre in Burnt Church, Bartibog said she knew she had the right resources to start a new program in the community.
Savoie is the leader for the "Mark's Angels," named after her brother, the only man on the team. He lost nearly 30 pounds.
Joanne Bartibog organized the competition when she came back to work after Christmas upset about the weight she had put on. She said she figured a lot of people were feeling the same way.
Working as the Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention coordinator for the Esgenoopetitj Wellness Centre in Burnt Church, Bartibog said she knew she had the right resources to start a new program in the community.
Diabetes can knock you off your feet
Northern Ontarians face many of the same health problems as Southern Ontarians. The shortage of family doctors in both regions leaves large parts of the population under serviced. Emergency rooms and walk-in-clinics are viable options for those in the more urban centres, but for those without a home address or access to transportation, it might not be quite so easy. For people in the far north, especially in remote communities, the only way to get access to medical treatment may be to travel a fair distance, which makes receiving medical attention a difficult proposition.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Weight Training and Diabetes
Have you ever wondered if weight training is right for you? Maybe you think it’s only for the “muscle heads” at the gym or the women on ESPN who flex for the cameras.
A weight-training program for many people may mean going to the gym, but working out at home with dumbbells or resistance bands can help you get started.
Two Times a Week Is a Good Start
The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association recommend that you train a minimum of two times per week, doing eight to 12 repetitions per set of eight to 10 exercises targeting major muscle groups.
A weight-training program for many people may mean going to the gym, but working out at home with dumbbells or resistance bands can help you get started.
Two Times a Week Is a Good Start
The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association recommend that you train a minimum of two times per week, doing eight to 12 repetitions per set of eight to 10 exercises targeting major muscle groups.
High-fructose corn syrup: Why is it so bad for me?
Answer
High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener and preservative used in many processed foods. It is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose — another form of sugar.
High-fructose corn syrup extends the shelf life of foods and is sweeter and cheaper than sugar. For these reasons, it has become a popular ingredient in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and other processed foods. Check your food labels. You may be surprised by how many foods contain high-fructose corn syrup.
Some nutrition experts blame increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup for the growing obesity problem. One theory is that fructose is more readily converted to fat by your liver than is sucrose, increasing the levels of fat in your bloodstream. But this hasn't been proved.
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High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener and preservative used in many processed foods. It is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose — another form of sugar.
High-fructose corn syrup extends the shelf life of foods and is sweeter and cheaper than sugar. For these reasons, it has become a popular ingredient in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and other processed foods. Check your food labels. You may be surprised by how many foods contain high-fructose corn syrup.
Some nutrition experts blame increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup for the growing obesity problem. One theory is that fructose is more readily converted to fat by your liver than is sucrose, increasing the levels of fat in your bloodstream. But this hasn't been proved.
Read More.....
Study links diabetes, advanced breast cancer
An international study has established a link between type 2 diabetes and advanced breast cancer.
It has been known for a while that being overweight puts post-menopausal women at greater risk of breast cancer.
But now it has been found that women who are resistant to insulin, or who are overweight, are 50 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with the cancer, and only when it is in its advanced stages.
The finding comes after an international research team followed more than 60,000 Swedish women over 20 years.
It has been known for a while that being overweight puts post-menopausal women at greater risk of breast cancer.
But now it has been found that women who are resistant to insulin, or who are overweight, are 50 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with the cancer, and only when it is in its advanced stages.
The finding comes after an international research team followed more than 60,000 Swedish women over 20 years.
Kids' Obesity May Lead to Epidemic of Adult Diabetes
TUESDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- The current childhood obesity epidemic in the United States may lead to large numbers of young adults developing type 2 diabetes in the future, along with serious diabetes-related health complications, warns a University of Michigan researcher.
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Vitamin D and diabetes: An over-simplified solution to a complex problem
"Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate," I say.
No, no, don't flee in fear of Latin, I am merely referring here to that well-known notion called Occam's razor. Its guiding principle is often summarized as: "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best."
What I want to show you in this column is the confusion that comes about in science and the reporting of science when you try to find a simple solution to what increasingly looks like a complex problem.
Think of it as being sliced and diced — and then fricasseed — by Occam's razor.
No, no, don't flee in fear of Latin, I am merely referring here to that well-known notion called Occam's razor. Its guiding principle is often summarized as: "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best."
What I want to show you in this column is the confusion that comes about in science and the reporting of science when you try to find a simple solution to what increasingly looks like a complex problem.
Think of it as being sliced and diced — and then fricasseed — by Occam's razor.
Monday, July 7, 2008
New method: More meds, more quickly for type 2 diabetes
For years, doctors have followed a standard approach to treating their type 2 diabetes patients:
• Advise them to lose weight and exercise.
• Start them on an oral medicine that helps lower blood sugar.
• Add more drugs as needed over time.
But a new attitude is evolving among some doctors who believe a more aggressive approach would better control the disease and help patients avoid its severe consequences in later life.
• Advise them to lose weight and exercise.
• Start them on an oral medicine that helps lower blood sugar.
• Add more drugs as needed over time.
But a new attitude is evolving among some doctors who believe a more aggressive approach would better control the disease and help patients avoid its severe consequences in later life.
Warning over diabetes amputations
About 100 people a week in the UK have a limb amputated as a result of diabetes, a charity has warned.
The disease, which affects more than two million Britons, causes damage to nerves and blood vessels to the limbs, which can lead to amputation.
About 5,000 people a year have the operation, and diabetics are 15 times more likely to need a lower limb amputating than those without the disease.
Diabetes UK said there was an "urgent need" for greater awareness of the impact of diabetes, which also causes heart attacks, stroke, blindness and kidney failure.
About seven out of 10 people having an amputation will die within five years as a result of possible complications and their condition, figures suggest.
Read More....
The disease, which affects more than two million Britons, causes damage to nerves and blood vessels to the limbs, which can lead to amputation.
About 5,000 people a year have the operation, and diabetics are 15 times more likely to need a lower limb amputating than those without the disease.
Diabetes UK said there was an "urgent need" for greater awareness of the impact of diabetes, which also causes heart attacks, stroke, blindness and kidney failure.
About seven out of 10 people having an amputation will die within five years as a result of possible complications and their condition, figures suggest.
Read More....
Friday, July 4, 2008
Mohawk and the Seaway: A troubled relationship
After five decades, and two full generations, the Mohawks can sit on the shores of Kaniatarowanenneh, our 'big river", and see the great and permanent changes the St. Lawrence Seaway has brought about to our lives.
Once we were masters of the rapids, a people strong and healthy who were known throughout the world for our ability to take delicate watercraft into areas others feared.
From our homes astride the Big River we guided the courier des bois deep into the continental interior as no other group was as adept as the Mohawks in navigating the thousands of miles of lakes, rivers and streams by which the fur traders and missionaries made their way west.
Read More....
Once we were masters of the rapids, a people strong and healthy who were known throughout the world for our ability to take delicate watercraft into areas others feared.
From our homes astride the Big River we guided the courier des bois deep into the continental interior as no other group was as adept as the Mohawks in navigating the thousands of miles of lakes, rivers and streams by which the fur traders and missionaries made their way west.
Read More....
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Is Golf Causing Diabetes?
Is Golf Causing Diabetes? Pesticides Commonly Used on Golf Courses Linked to Disease: NIH
How green is your green?
A pesticide commonly used on the turf at golf courses was linked to a whopping 250% increase in diabetes risk to the workers who apply the pesticides, according to one of the largest studies of its kind, by the National Institutes of Health.
The chemical, trichlorfon, was associated with an 85% increase in risk of diabetes for even infrequent users, and a 250% increase in risk for those who had applied it more than 10 times. Of those who used the chemical frequently, 8.5% developed diabetes, versus 3.5% of those who had never used it. The same pesticide has been used to kill cockroaches, crickets, bedbugs, fleas, flies and ticks, but its main current use is on turf, such as at golf courses.
How green is your green?
A pesticide commonly used on the turf at golf courses was linked to a whopping 250% increase in diabetes risk to the workers who apply the pesticides, according to one of the largest studies of its kind, by the National Institutes of Health.
The chemical, trichlorfon, was associated with an 85% increase in risk of diabetes for even infrequent users, and a 250% increase in risk for those who had applied it more than 10 times. Of those who used the chemical frequently, 8.5% developed diabetes, versus 3.5% of those who had never used it. The same pesticide has been used to kill cockroaches, crickets, bedbugs, fleas, flies and ticks, but its main current use is on turf, such as at golf courses.
Eggs and diabetes
A new study confirms what I've been telling my diabetic patients for years: though eating eggs doesn't seem to have a negative effect on the health of most people, those with diabetes need to steer clear of eating too many. Here's what the Harvard Heart Letter said recently about this new study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in April 2008.
In 1998, a huge study showed that eating an egg a day had no effect on heart disease — except among people with diabetes. This pattern was supported by a new study of 21,000 male physicians whose health was followed for 20 years. Although egg consumption had no effect on rates of heart attack or stroke, men who ate more than seven eggs a week, especially those with diabetes, were more likely to have died during the study. If you are partial to eggs, try egg whites. And skip the bacon and butter-slathered toast.
In 1998, a huge study showed that eating an egg a day had no effect on heart disease — except among people with diabetes. This pattern was supported by a new study of 21,000 male physicians whose health was followed for 20 years. Although egg consumption had no effect on rates of heart attack or stroke, men who ate more than seven eggs a week, especially those with diabetes, were more likely to have died during the study. If you are partial to eggs, try egg whites. And skip the bacon and butter-slathered toast.
Diabetes: Underrated, Insidious and Deadly
In a set of recent focus groups, participants were asked to rank the severity of various health problems, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
On a scale of 1 to 10, cancer and heart disease consistently ranked as 9s and 10s. But diabetes scored only 4s and 5s.
“The general consensus seems to be, ‘There’s medication,’ ‘Look how good people look with diabetes’ or ‘I’ve never heard of anybody dying of diabetes,’ ” said Larry Hausner, chief executive of the American Diabetes Association, which held the focus groups. “There was so little understanding about everything that dealt with diabetes.”
On a scale of 1 to 10, cancer and heart disease consistently ranked as 9s and 10s. But diabetes scored only 4s and 5s.
“The general consensus seems to be, ‘There’s medication,’ ‘Look how good people look with diabetes’ or ‘I’ve never heard of anybody dying of diabetes,’ ” said Larry Hausner, chief executive of the American Diabetes Association, which held the focus groups. “There was so little understanding about everything that dealt with diabetes.”
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