JDRF's kids online: Community of kids with diabetes
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Support
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) was started in 1970 by a group of parents advocating for their children. JDRF has grown into a powerful research and educational force for juvenile diabetes -- nothing short of amazing!
Check out JDRF's Kids Online, a community of kids handling their disease with grace, humor and courage. Kids Online offers a variety of interactive zones to engage youth and teens with juvenile diabetes. Just a sampling, the Your Life link provides tips to manage the disease from a kid's point of view. Don't miss the Your Stuff link boasting an Idea Zone to share artwork and ideas; Kids Say for a give-and-take of opinions; and Pen Pals where kids can forge friendships with other juvenile diabetics across the globe.
Sneak a peek at Kids Online and be inspired by this on-line playground. If you know a child with juvenile diabetes, make sure to send them a hyperlink!
Mary Tyler Moore champions research for kids with type 1 diabetes
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Research
I have always loved Mary Tyler Moore. I remember snuggling on the couch with my mom one night a week to watch the Mary Tyler Moore show. I don't know what was more comical -- the humor of the storyline or hearing my mom's roaring laugh each Saturday.
I found out years ago Moore has type 1 diabetes. Right away, it comforted me. Maybe it was because I admired her acting skills and love her warm smile. My young brain logic went something like this, "If Mary Tyler Moore has type 1, then maybe it's not so bad my older brother has juvenile diabetes." Whatever the reason, I did some research to catch up on Moore's activities these days.
Born in 1936, Moore turns 71 this year. Her activism in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) is remarkable. As JDRF's International Chairman, Moore has regularly testified before Congress for juvenile diabetes research. She is heading to Washington D.C. later this month to testify once again at Children's Congress 2007. Moore and over 100 kids with type 1 diabetes will meet with top U.S. Government officials to advocate for the cause. These pioneering delegates represent all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
I applaud Mary Tyler Moore for her efforts on behalf of type 1 diabetics worldwide. Watch for future posts on Children's Congress 2007 -- this influential event only comes around every two years.
Why parents will live longer than their kids
Filed under: Obesity
With the advent of new technology and medical advances, the life expectancy of humans has been inching upwards for thousands of years. Dying at 40 went out with the middle ages -- we're healthier than ever before. Wait, scratch that. We're not healthier than ever before. And life expectancy? It might start going backwards. No, it's not because the plague has come back. We're going backwards healthwise and it's all our own fault. It's because we're obese.
A report shows that, in Canada at least, kids won't live as long as their parents did, and this is because one quarter of the children aged 2 to 17 are obese or overweight. That's one in 4 kids. That's a frightening statistic. Heart problems, diabetes, cancer -- each of these kids is at a much greater risk of developing these problems. So how is it that as we get smarter, we go backwards at the same time? Who's to blame?
No kidding around -- kids hearts hurt by secondhand smoke
Filed under: Prevention, Smoking, Women Heart Health
Imagine being 11-years-old and already have artery damage from being exposed to secondhand smoke. That's what researchers from Finland's University of Turku found when they studied 402 children who had either had no exposure to secondhand smoke, light exposure, or heavy exposure.When they did ultrasound testing on the children, they found that those who had been exposed to secondhand smoke had reduced artery function. The more exposed a child was, the greater the damage to their cardiovascular system. Though researchers aren't certain what this means for these kids in the long run, they say that research in adults suggests that this kind of damage is not reversible.
A whopping 60% of kids are exposed to secondhand smoke in the United States. Not only does living with a smoker increase the risk of health problems like asthma, ear infections, and cardiovascular damage, but kids who live with smokers are more likely to smoke themselves.
A certain protein may contribute to retinopathy
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Research
Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema are two of the leading causes of vision loss or blindness, in spite of the great strides that have been made by health professionals. In efforts to create a better understanding of these two degenerative eye disorders, researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center have compiled an extremely vast inventory of the proteins present in a part of the eye known as the vitreous. They have also identified a group of proteins that may play a significant role in causing blood vessel leakage in the eye.
The findings of this study were published in the January 28th issue of Nature Medicine, in which it was suggested that an analysis of the protein composition in the human vitreous has lead to the identification of a new group of molecules involved in diabetic retinopathy. One of these molecules is said to cause leakage of retinal blood vessels, contributing to the retinal swelling (Diabetic Macular Edema) that is usually liked with advanced diabetic retinopathy.
As stated, this study was spearheaded by the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, MA, and was conducted with funding provided by the JDRF, the Massachusetts Lions Eye Research Fund, the National Institutes of Health, the Adler Foundation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Medical Free Electron Laser Program.
Stem Cell Research Bill - Government through Guilt
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Drugs, Research, Daily News, Events, Opinion, Support
The JDRF Government Relations would like to encourage all diabetics to take action and let your Senators know that you want them to support the Senate Bill 5 (S.5) - the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. Of course, if you do not support this bill you are in no way expected to do any of the following - but for the sake of enlightenment, I invite you to read on.
This bill is similar to H.R. 3, which passed the U.S. House in January and H.R. 810, which passed both the House and the Senate last year. This legislation will allow federally funded researchers to use additional stem cell lines for their research.
If you wish to take action, and let your Senators know that you support this important bill--you can personalize a letter that will be faxed to your Senators offices on your behalf by following one simple step:
Visit the Take Action page. Review the letter supplied and enter your personal story in the paragraph provided.
So here's my personal story - and why I'm disappointed that any politician appointed for the welfare of the citizens that elected him or her would disrupt the promise stem cell research could offer diseases like diabetes:
My name is Allison Beatty and I am a juvenile diabetic. I was diagnosed in July, 1985. As a type 1 diabetic for over 21 years (and of legal voting age for 11 years) I am disappointed that officials governing the use of my tax dollars have impeded the most promising avenue of research to remedy a National problem like diabetes.
The incentive of those who oppose stem cell research is strictly religious and I am insulted that my quality of life on Earth today is compromised by the FAITH in where they will end UP in the afterlife.
Please do not allow the religious forum to dictate the scientific relevance of one of he most promising answers to address life-threatening illness. I trust your decision as a politician will best serve the needs of those living on Earth today, and not on your destination in the afterlife.
Although they are not currently targeting my Senator(s) for this campaign - that's my personal story, and I'm sticking to it. I hope the politicians who oppose stem cell research can see past their personal crusade to save their soul and start acting on saving lives!
Brit kids save diabetic dad in swimming pool incident
Filed under: Type 1, Daily News
Awww. Call me a sap, but I love these heart-warming rescue stories. A couple of British kids saved their diabetic dad recently from drowning. The man, Martin Limon (41), has diabetes and suffered a seizure while in a swimming pool. Talk about your bad timing. But wait! He had some good luck: his nine-year-old son saw him in time as he was sinking. The boy and his ten-year-old sister together dragged dad up to the surface of the water and held his head up until a lifeguard came to the rescue. They also helped emergency personnel treat their dad by telling them what he had had to eat for breakfast that day and what his blood sugar level had been. Said dad Martin, "I had been in the pool about five minutes when I started to feel a bit strange. I thought I would be okay but the next thing I remember is waking up in the ambulance." Now he's super-proud of his kids: "I know everybody thinks their kids are great, but what they did was fantastic."Now, someone probably would have saved this guy from drowning, kids or no kids. I mean, he was at a public swimming pool. There were other swimmers around as well as trained lifeguards and other pool employees. But it's still great that his kids reacted so quickly and appropriately. It must be absolutely terrifying for a little kid to see their dad going under the water like that. So it's cool that they did not panic and knew what to do.
Check out this adorable family photo, which I found posted on the Daily Mail's website.
Gene flaws may increase kids' risk for type 1 diabetes
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Research, Daily News
A new study, a report of which has been published in Nature, has identified gene flaws that increase the risk for type 1 diabetes in children. By examining the genetic codes of thousands of children, some with and some without diabetes, as well as those of parents of diabetics, the researchers identified three changes on one specific gene present in those with diabetes. They then looked at 1600 additional diabetes patients' genetic codes and again found the very same marks, sometimes called "flavors" or "flaws." Two of these variations increase a person's odds of developing diabetes by fifty percent, say the researchers. However, the third seems to decrease risk for the disease.Type 1, says lead author Hakon Hakonarson, is a complex genetic disorder "involving mutations in several genes acting in concert to predispose someone to the condition." Important? Very. Best case scenario: understanding how these genes operate is the kind of knowledge that could lead to a cure. At the very least, such knowledge could help medical caregivers identify at-risk children - a step that could eventually precede the standard diagnosis procedure as we know it today.
Click here for more details about this study.
Rats it's a Virus
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Lifestyle, Drugs, Research
No kidding! The rats are leading researchers to triggering events causing diabetes. The new findings suggest that there is, indeed, a genetic susceptibility to diabetes, but that the precipitating event is a viral infection.
The virus in question is the Ljungan virus. Previous reports indicate that infections with the Ljungan virus can induce diabetes in laboratory rats, and that the diabetes can be reversed if the animals are treated with antiviral drugs before the destruction of insulin-secreting islet cells becomes widespread.
I'm not sure how everybody else out there got their D-card. My diagnosing event happened shortly after I had the chicken pox, back in '85. The childhood christening event apparently left me out in the cold and caused the love-hate relationship between my islets and my insulin autoantibodies. Lucky me. Thanks to all the readers out there who have already shared their sequence of diagnosis with me. What's your story? Please, share with us.
Obesity is the leading cause of school absences
Filed under: Obesity, Children Heart Health
When I was in school, it was pretty rare for my classmates to miss a day of school. If they did, they has either come down with the flu, broken a limb or were really good at faking it for their moms. Has much changed? I didn't think so, until I read this article. Apparently, obesity is now the leading cause for school absences. It's also the #1 predictor of absenteeism. Why do you think this is? Those who did the original study aren't saying, but it's my feeling is that it's a mixture of things. First off, kids who have the unhealthy lifestyles that may lead to obesity are more likely to get sick. Secondly, kids who are obese are more like to get teased, and more likely to try to find a way to skip school.
Still, I think it's a problem that needs to be addressed, since education, like good nutrition, is so important for growing kids.