Understanding glycemic goals empowers type 2 diabetics
Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Books
The best part of blogging for The Diabetes Blog is the steep learning curve you embark upon as you research media outlets with an eye on diabetes. I've grown up as a sister and daughter of two brothers and a mom and dad with type 1 diabetes, but the challenges type 2 diabetics face are entirely foreign.
Alarmingly, recent surveys reveal about 60% of type 2 diabetics are not reaching glycemic goals. A new book, Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes: Five Essential Health Factors You Can Master to Enjoy a Long and Healthy Life, offers type 2 diabetics tools to better manage their health. Authors Richard A. Jackson, MD, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School and Amy L. Tenderich, MA, diabetes blogger, journalist and author, hope the book can guide the type 2 diabetic -- who often realizes little face-to-face time with their physician -- get a handle on these five test results for better diabetes control.
The book moves beyond the vague notion many type 2 diabetics have that "they need to eat better and exercise more." Rather, the book teaches the importance and optimal ranges of five tests ... A1C, blood pressure, lipids, microalbumin and eye examinations.
Dr. Jackson explains only about 10% of people are "A1C aware." Blood pressure awareness is a bit better, while hardly anyone has heard of microalbumin and many do not understand their eye examination results. The book stresses the importance of first understanding your baseline test results in these five areas to determine where your health currently stands.
For instance, a type 2 diabetic on oral meds with an 8.5% A1C is 35% more likely to have complications from the disease than someone with a 7.5% A1C on small doses of daily insulin. Knowing your numbers is critical, as it may overcome common reluctance of type 2 diabetics to consider using daily insulin to improve control or instituting basic food and exercise choices to improve the results. Once diabetics start focusing on the numbers and demanding their time-stressed physicians to order these tests regularly, they will be empowered to develop strategies to improve their numbers and, ultimately, their health.
I regularly hear my brothers and parents shouting out their latest A1C results at family pow-wows. Now I understand why.
[RESEARCH] Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of developing diabetes: prospective cohort study
Objective To assess the relation between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and the incidence of diabetes among initially healthy participants.
Design Prospective cohort study with estimates of relative risk adjusted for sex, age, years of university education, total energy intake, body mass index, physical activity, sedentary habits, smoking, family history of diabetes, and personal history of hypertension.
Setting Spanish university department.
Participants 13 380 Spanish university graduates without diabetes at baseline followed up for a median of 4.4 years.
Main outcome measures Dietary habits assessed at baseline with a validated 136 item food frequency questionnaire and scored on a nine point index. New cases of diabetes confirmed through medical reports and an additional detailed questionnaire posted to those who self reported a new diagnosis of diabetes by a doctor during follow-up. Confirmed cases of type 2 diabetes.
Results Participants who adhered closely to a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of diabetes. The incidence rate ratios adjusted for sex and age were 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.19 to 0.87) for those with moderate adherence (score 3-6) and 0.17 (0.04 to 0.75) for those with the highest adherence (score 7-9) compared with those with low adherence (score <3). In the fully adjusted analyses the results were similar. A two point increase in the score was associated with a 35% relative reduction in the risk of diabetes (incidence rate ratio 0.65, 0.44 to 0.95), with a significant inverse linear trend (P=0.04) in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusion Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes.
The Diabetes Blog retired
For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Diabetes Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cardio and Cancer blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group.
The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go.
Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here.
Brad Hill
Programming Director, Weblogs / AOL
Great taste has its benefits
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Diet, Products
Did you know there are 6 different ways to enjoy Diet Coke with added nutritional benefits? Diet Coke is building up its brand to include essential vitamins and minerals for the health-conscious Diet Coke lovers. Allow me to introduce you to Diet Coke Plus!
Diet Coke Plus offers automatic health benefits with the great taste Diet Coke drinkers have come to expect. Each serving provides 15% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12 and 10% of the RDI for zinc and magnesium. After a little investigating - the vitamins and minerals in Diet Coke Plus might truly payoff. Low magnesium is tied to increased diabetes risk and zinc plays a key role in glucose metabolism. Vitamins B6 and B12 assist in protecting the body from nerve damage from diabetes. In fact, vitamins B6 and B12 showed a positive influence on vibration perception and nerve conduction speed (NCV) in people with diabetic neuropathy.
Coca Cola realized that Diet Coke drinkers are increasingly looking for more beverage options. Coke decided to remove the guilt from the pleasure. With benefits including: increased glucose metabolism, reduction of diabetes risk, and enhanced nerve perception -- move over Verizon. Diet Coke Plus is asking - can you feel me now??
Inspired by Diabetes global contest
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Diet, Lifestyle, Exercise, Fundraisers, Support, Care
Do you or a loved one have diabetes? Are you a healthcare professional caring for people with diabetes? Living with the disease or caring for a person with diabetes is an up and down journey. Inspired by Diabetes is a global campaign asking all those impacted by diabetes to share their story.
The campaign's Creative Expressions Competition just opened to the world on June 21, and is accepting creative entries through January 31, 2008. If you have a creative bent, tell your story through a short essay or narrative; up to three photographs; an original drawing/painting or musical score.
Entries will be judged across category, art type and age group, starting as young as age five. The Grand Prize Winner across each category will win a $5,000 donation to the charity of their choice, a trophy and a paid trip for two to the media announcement of the winners and the global exhibition. I wish I could tell you the exhibition is planned for an exotic location, but it hasn't been announced, yet!
Inspired by Diabetes, a collaboration between Eli Lilly and the International Diabetes Federation's Unite for Diabetes Initiative, is bringing those close to the disease together to try and raise awareness of the global burden of diabetes. All entrants will receive two blue circle pins, the global symbol of diabetes. I had never heard of the blue circle before, this is one pin I would like to sport. Perhaps the blue circle will become as powerful and recognizable as the beautiful pink ribbon for cancer awareness.
Signs of kidney disease may also signal pre-diabetes risk
Researchers at the University of Buffalo recently found that a blood component once used to test for early-stage kidney problems may also help detect risk for the development of pre-diabetes.
Reporting in the July 2007 issue of Diabetic Care, the University of Buffalo researchers reported that elevated levels of cystatin C were linked to a much greater risk of progression to pre-diabetes. Currently, there are over 54 million Americans who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, which, if not addressed through proper diet and exercise, oftentimes results in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Lead researcher on the study, Richard P. Donahue, Ph.d., stated that "If further studied support our finding, testing for cystain C could become an important part of a standard physical examination. Preventative measures could be in place before glucose intolerance has a chance to develop and take its toll."
Mapping Diabetes
Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, Lifestyle, Research, Daily News
Scientists have mapped the genes responsible for causing type 2 diabetes. This new research is giving hope to new tests that can predict an individuals risk for developing the disease and future treatments.
The study compared the genetic make-up of 700 people with type 2 diabetes and a family history of the condition, with 700 diabetes-free people. Four points on the gene map linked to a person's diabetes risk and were confirmed with another group of 5,000 type 2 diabetics. The findings of this research could explain up to 70% of the genetics related to developing diabetes. A particular zinc transporter, known as SLC30A8, which regulates insulin secretion, was shown to have a mutation. Researchers feel they may be able to treat some cases of diabetes by correcting this mutation.
These findings will allow for the creation of a genetic test to predict people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as better treatments for the presiding cause of their diabetes. Nary a day passes that I am not motivated for the future of all diabetics. This is the type of research that strengthens my faith in the coming of a cure. Identify the nature of the problem and nip it in the bud.
Diabetes Doubles in the Last 10 Years
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Diet, Lifestyle, Research, Exercise, Daily News
An area in Seattle, WA is reporting a two-fold increase in the number of diabetics, up from ten years ago. In addition to this -- type 1 diabetes is on the rise.
The numbers show that 84,000 adults (nearly 6% of the adult population of the county) were diagnosed with diabetes in 2006, compared with 2.8% in 1996. Even more are unaware they have the condition. Type 1 diabetes, for which there is no known prevention, is showing a dramatic increase in the area, as well.
A researcher involved in the study explains "this is not a question of raising awareness of diabetes anymore -- we're beyond that. We need to understand why people aren't listening." The comment pertains to type 2 diabetics and why they have not altered unhealthy lifestyles choices such as high-fat foods and not enough exercise. Both contribute to skyrocketing obesity rates. And obesity is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, by far the most common form.
Seattle has one of the highest rates of type 1 diabetes in children under 5, and they don't know why. But early research shows that oral insulin in family members of those already diagnosed showed a 4 1/2-year delay in the onset of the disease.
Does Diabetes Boost Parkinson's Risk?
Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Research
Acording to a Finnish study, diabetes may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Researchers have found that people with type 2 diabetes were more than 80% more likely to be later diagnosed with Parkinson's disease than people without diabetes. This is the first study to suggest that diabetes may be a risk factor of Parkinson's disease, a progressive disease that causes muscle rigidity and tremors.
The study followed a group of more than 50,000 men and women over a period of 18 years. During that time, 324 men and 309 women developed Parkinson's disease. People who had type 2 diabetes at the start of the study were far more likely to be later diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Overall, after adjusting for other possible risk factors for Parkinson's disease, men and women with type 2 diabetes were 83% more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those without it.
Although the exact nature of the relationship between diabetes and Parkinson's disease is unclear, researchers say several lifestyle factors may be associated with both disorders. Among these factors are: obesity, cigarette smoking, and lack of physical activity.
Perhaps further research between the association of diabetes and Parkinson's disease could help researchers better understand an avenue to a cure. . Pioglitazone is a drug used to treat diabetes. It may also help fight the onset of Parkinson's. Thanks to funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation we may be closer to clinical trials and an answer.
Top rated diabetes books - what's yours?
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Books, Support
TuDiabetes.com is a site for people touched by diabetes. The creator of the site, Manny Hernandez, got the ball rolling on a topic of interest we all take to heart - diabetes book recommendations.
When you ask diabetics to brainstorm on a terribly intrinsic topic you get some pretty good responses. One suggested read was The Diabetes Improvement Program. This book helped a diabetic overcome depression, when the talented team of healthcare professionals could not. Other honorable mentions include: Psyching Out Diabetes, Dr. Bernstein's' Diabetes Solution, Diabesity, and Diabetes for Dummies.
Somebody actually asked something very interesting - where is the book on the evolution of diabetes treatment? Often a topic of discussion, and yet so rarely documented is the sequential events of diabetes treatment, starting with the discovery of insulin. A lull ensued from about 1930 till the boom of genetically modified human insulin, in the early 80s. Any investigative journalist willing to take a stab at it? I guarantee the book will make my must read. And Eli Lilly might actually pay you not to write it.
P.S. One reader pointed out - a chapter of Brent Hoadley's book, Too Profitable to Cure presented a chronology of the evolution of diabetes treatment.