Free cholesterol screenings in September!
Filed under: Prevention, Services
Unfortunately it seems that even though heart disease is one of the biggest health threats we face today too many people are completely unaware of what their cholesterol levels are and what they should be doing about it. So in an effort to help educate people, and in honor of National Cholesterol Education Month, Polymer Technology Systems (PTS) will be offering free cholesterol screenings nationwide throughout the month of September. Find out your cholesterol numbers and get great info on steps you can start taking today at Kroger Pharmacy locations all throughout this month and at Sam's Club stores on September 15th. They'll be using the handy hand-held CardioChek gadget and giving information on where you can get one of your own if you want to keep track at home. Here's to good health!
The barbershop is a great place for hypertension treatment
Filed under: Alternative therapies, Services, Men Heart Health
I always love a story about the unusual or fantastical aspects of life. One such story I recently encountered entails a study revealing that African-American men who frequent barbershops are more apt to seek treatment for hypertension than those who do not. An eight month study conducted by Dr. Paul L. Hess of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas revealed that black men who are faithful barbershop attendees are more open and willing to control their high blood pressure. The study also concluded that the barbers might be a perfect venue for hypertension education and monitoring for their clients.
Although this study is a bit off the beaten path, it gets to the core of many communities that traditional medical efforts might not effectively reach. Since many barbershops in African-American communities are social gathering places as well as places of business, they present a perfect opportunity to spread the word about high blood pressure in a population where nearly 40% of the men suffer from hypertension.
[RESEARCH] Body piercing in England: a survey of piercing at sites other than earlobe
Objectives To estimate the prevalence of body piercing, other than of earlobes, in the general adult population in England, and to describe the distribution of body piercing by age group, sex, social class, anatomical site, and who performed the piercings. To estimate the proportion of piercings that resulted in complications and the proportion of piercings that resulted in professional help being sought after the piercing.
Design Cross sectional household survey.
Setting All regions of England 2005.
Participants 10 503 adults aged 16 and over identified with a two stage selection process: random selection of geographical areas and filling predefined quotas of individuals. Results weighted to reflect the national demographic profile of adults aged 16 and over.
Main outcome measures Estimates of the prevalence of body piercing overall and by age group, sex, and anatomical site. Estimates, in those aged 16-24, of the proportion of piercings associated with complications and the seeking of professional help.
Results The prevalence of body piercing was 1049/10 503 (10%, 95% confidence interval 9.4% to 10.6%). Body piercing was more common in women than in men and in younger age groups. Nearly half the women aged 16-24 reported having had a piercing (305/659, 46.2%, 42.0% to 50.5%). Of the 754 piercings in those aged 16-24, complications were reported with 233 (31.0%, 26.8% to 35.5%); professional help was sought with 115 (15.2%, 11.8% to 19.5%); and hospital admission was required with seven (0.9%, 0.3% to 3.2%).
Conclusions Body piercing is common in adults in England, particularly in young women. Problems are common and the assistance of health services is often required. Though serious complications requiring admission to hospital seem uncommon, the popularity of the practice might place a substantial burden on health services.
San Antonio registry to track diabetes impact
Filed under: Type 2, Daily News, Services, Care
Texas is turning to number-crunching in an effort to contain soaring Type 2 diabetes rates. San Antonio will be the first city there to operate a diabetes registry designed to improve both the cost and quality of diabetes care in the state. The Texas state legislature approved the initiative this past spring. The project, which will be administered by the local health department, has been given the extremely imaginative title of Diabetes Registry. (Hey, makes it easy to find in the phone book.) The registry will gather its statistics from labs that perform diabetes blood tests.The idea behind the project is not new: a similar scheme is already underway in New York City. Makes sense: before you decide how to cope with widespread Type 2 diabetes, you first need to assess exactly what the problems are. Who is missing out on care? Who are most likely to go undiagnosed? What could healthcare providers, teachers, or parents be doing differently?
Officials say that if the registry is successful in San Antonio, the registry may be extended throughout the entire state of Texas. Click here to read more on the community news site My San Antonio.
My Friend, Jeff - the Trucker
Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Research, Opinion, Services
About a year ago, I met a guy named Jeff Mather. Well, we never met, personally. But we spoke many times over the phone about diabetes and how it has affected our paths in life. Jeff had lost his job, the one he had for over 10 years. The job he wanted to have since he was a little kid. According to Federal Safety Guidelines, if a trucker takes insulin - they are no longer safe to drive across state lines.
Jeff wrote letters every day. He posted to online forums. He contacted politicians and pleaded to every diabetic organization in existence to get him back on the road. And sure enough - his perseverance paid off. He took his predicament all the way from Washington D.C to National Public Radio. The story on NPR included details on how Jeff was able to qualify to drive again.
While diabetes advocates are pleased that it's now easier for truckers to keep their jobs when they go on insulin, they're not entirely happy with the way that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCSA) will decide whether a trucker is safe to drive. In order for a trucker to be considered "safe" to drive, his HgA1c must be between 7 and 10. This means that in order to keep trucking - one must sustain a blood sugar between 140 mg/dL and 200 mg/dL. Yes, this is flawed. I was going to use another choice F phrase to describe it.
FMCSA expressed it wants to see a higher test result because they feel people with lower scores who are aggressively managing their diabetes with insulin, may be more likely to have periods of very low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, that could make them pass out or feel woozy. Diabetes expert Christopher Saudek, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, says the agency's reasoning is flawed. And he says it puts diabetics in a bind.
"Essentially what you're saying with this kind of a rule is that if you are controlling your diabetes at all well, if you get it to 6.8 or 6.5, then you're liable to lose your job," Saudek says. "So congratulations. Your A1c is in a good range, but you aren't going to be able to drive your truck anymore. That doesn't make any sense."
Jeff, I'm so proud of you for not giving-up. You're driving your truck and I'm sure you're doing it in good health. Enjoy all that you've worked so hard to regain. Best of luck to you!
How many diabetics does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Opinion, Services, Allie Beatty, Support, Personalities
Ok, sounds like a joke - but seriously, TuDiabetes is growing like gangbusters! Meredith Cummings wrote a great article on TuDiabetes and its explosive growth! The online community for people touched by diabetes, is growing at a rate of 10% per week. Way to go, Manny!
And why shouldn't we all plant a flag in this real estate? TuDiabetes offers nonstop support through conversations, debates, mysteries and revelations - all amounting to some degree of resolve. TuDiabetes is a great place to remind you that we're not alone in this dark tunnel. Need some light? Ask and you shall receive. And, by the way - you can get the answer to the lightbulb question by signing in and friending Meredith Cummings.
I logged in today and saw a great question. A member named Cody asks if others are annoyed when people who don't know what it's like to be diabetic try to offer advice. The group of interlopers is frankly growing like a virus. I define the interlopers as people who feel they know the world of diabetes without having landed on the tarmac! It's easy to study the playbook. It's a whole different ballgame to get your butt on the field. Good luck with college, Cody!
Sweet and lower
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, Lifestyle, Exercise, Products, Services, Support
The Diet Channel promotes the headline: eat right, exercise smart, feel great! An authoritative resource for diet and fitness information, The Diet Channel offers several different summaries of the most popular diets, as well as informative articles on nutrition and health.
An article of diabetic interest pertains to those of us who are curious (or downright fixated) on artificial sweeteners. This article warns that it is not always safe to assume that just because a product is made with a sugar substitute, such as Splenda, it is healthier, or lower in calorie content. A thorough list of sweeteners and their key ingredients end the article, along with research findings on the safety of these products.
The Diet Channel offers information on every flavor of diet you can imagine, articles to motivate you to stick with it, and loads of information to keep you coming back. If I didn't know any better - I'd say it looks to be the wikipedia of dieting. And if you've ever found yourself consuming hour after hour digging through wikipedia topics...you'll know exactly what I'm talking about!
Novocell - A stem cell engineering company
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Drugs, Research, Services, Support
Novocell is the first company to use polyethylene glycol (PEG) to encapsulate clusters of insulin-producing cells. This biocompatible substance allows glucose and insulin to pass freely through the coating while preventing the body's immune system from destroying the islets.
The encapsulated islets release human insulin through natural mechanisms in response to the recipient's blood glucose. The islet cells used in this study are isolated from human cadavers. The implant procedure is performed under local anesthesia and the encapsulated islets are injected into a surgically formed micropocket in the subcutaneous tissues of the thigh or lower abdomen of the recipient. The patients received temporary low dose cyclosporine (50-100 ng/ml 12hr trough) and did not receive any other form of immunosuppression.
At the American Diabetes Association 66th Annual Scientific Session in June -- Novocell announced the progress of the study. No adverse events had occurred -- no news is good news. In addition, the company also has the fortune of existing in California - where they can prosper on further stem cell research. Novocell has developed a process that efficiently converts human embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing cells. Novocell believes this study will demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the encapsulation technology that can be used with the unlimited source of insulin-producing cells developed from stem cells to treat patients with diabetes.
What's your diabetes mystery?
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Drugs, Research, Opinion, Blogs, Services, Allie Beatty, Support, Care, Complications, Personalities
Why is diabetes an imperfect science? The last 22 years of my life with diabetes have disproved as much (or more) than it has confirmed in conventional diabetes wisdom. The facts were in the studies - but researchers didn't know what to do with them, at the time. Here's where the mysteries will unfold..
The last year blogging with The Diabetes Blog has been an in your face demonstration of the imperfect science of diabetes. Many undisclosed details of studies from days gone by have proven to be a reason why diabetes has been an imperfect science. Since when has science been imperfect? When you don't complete your homework. Don't get wrong - science has done the homework, but you - the diabetic - have not been privy to every fact found in these studies. Nowadays, there's no excuse. The dog doesn't eat my homework.
It's time these facts made it to the light of day. I am taking my investigative curiosity and hanging a shingle over LoveDiabetes.com - because that's who I am: Allison Love Beatty! Let's buddy-up with the researchers and their homework. It's about time we solved the universal mysteries of diabetes. The facts are available. With combined knowledge, existential and pathological, we can make more of these studies from yesteryear and the days to come.
Someday soon we will see the trend of diabetes reverse - less diagnosis, less complications, and reduced costs. I've got Internet access, unlimited long-distance, and plenty of time. The fun is just getting started! This is my invitation to you - what's your diabetes mystery? Leave me a comment on LoveDiabetes.com so I know what's on your mind. Together we will prove there is no such a thing as an imperfect science.
Love always,
Allie B
UK diabetes care basic, at best
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Daily News, Support, Care
British watchdog group The Healthcare Commission just gave diabetes care in the UK a lukewarm review. Its study of the facilities in which British diabetics receive care concludes that care levels overall are basic, at best. Most of the places (73%) surveyed in the study were rated "fair," meaning patients know what medications they are supposed to be on and when they should be taking them. They also know they should be getting annual checkups. Only five percent of facilities were rated "excellent by the Commission.The system is lacking, however, when it comes to anything beyond those most basic of services. Just like here in the US, most British people with diabetes are not receiving help with diabetes management. Studies suggest that regular consultations with a health "coach" on an individual basis could really improve patient outcomes. One reason they are helpful is because they get patients to come up with a care plan tailored for each person, making it more likely he/she will be able to stick with it.
Diabetes UK head of healthcare policy, Bridget Turner, agrees with the Commission's conclusions: "The NHS [National Health Service] has to focus more on...self-care. For people with diabetes, 95% of diabetes management is self-care."
To read more, click here or visit the Healthcare Commission's own web summary of the report.