82 years with diabetes described in "Longevity" book
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Lifestyle, Drugs, Books, Care
Around a year ago I posted the story of two elderly brothers, both of whom have had type 1 diabetes since childhood. It's amazing to read about these guys for two reasons: first, they've lived with diabetes for a reeeaally long time. Secondly, for most of that time, they did not have the medical knowledge or technology on which today's diabetics depend. (Okay, so when it comes to stuff like Avandia, you could argue that's a good thing!)Anyway, one of the brothers - Robert "Bob" Cleveland (87) - will be featured in a new book titled 50 Secrets of the Longest Living People with Diabetes by Sheri R. Colberg and Steven V. Edelman. The book is part of the Marlowe Diabetes Library series. It will be published in November and is available for pre-ordering on Amazon.
Linda von Wartburg, writing for Diabetes Health, has posted an excerpt about Cleveland taken from the book, for those who want an advance taste. According to that post, Bob Cleveland has lived with the disease for an amazing eighty-two years. This makes Cleveland second in line for the title of person in the US who's lived with diabetes the longest. He was five years old when diagnosed in 1925. Bob's brother, Gerald, has not had diabetes for quite so long, but he is the oldest living person with diabetes in the US. The brothers are pictured at right, with Bob on the left and Gerald on the right.
Reading Cleveland's account of his early years with diabetes, before insulin became available, is quite harrowing. He describes being on a "starvation diet," hospital stays, and memories of his mother desperately trying to pull him out of hypoglycemic episodes. Incredible reading.
Dad blames diabetes after semi-pro football player's death
Filed under: Type 1, Lifestyle, Daily News, Care, Complications
A few days ago, Bev posted a football-related blog. Now here's another. This one, though, is decidedly less uplifting. In fact, it's the kind of story you file under 'What Went Wrong?' Takirra La'Fee "TT" Koonce (28), a promising young semi-pro footballer for the New Bern Grizzlies of North Carolina, died suddenly on the playing field in the middle of a game. His death occurred on the Saturday before last (July 14). Teammates and a medic tried unsuccessfully to revive him until an ambulance arrived. It is not known whether or not a blood sugar test was administered to Koonce, who was diabetic, or whether he was given anything to correct hypoglycemia.Doctors say the cause of Koonce's death probably won't be revealed for four to six months due to a lab backlog. (Outrageous!) However, according to a report in local newspaper, the New Bern Sun Journal, Koonce's dad says his son's diabetes killed him. What's really unusual is that the dad, Cleveland Ballard, is holding the team's managers to blame for the tragedy. Ballard says his son was insulin dependent and was not managing his condition well. "He shouldn't have been running in the heat," said Ballard. "If they did a physical he would not have been there, they would not have let him play."
However, it looks like the Grizzlies are in the clear on this one: an official for the Minor League said Koonce had signed a waiver to play in lieu of taking a physical. Even so, it sure raises an interesting question: if an adult sportsman goes out on the field, does the team management share responsibility if anything happens? Should the managers insist on routine physicals?
Popular diabetes drug Avandia poses heart attack risk for type 2 diabetics
Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Drugs
When my mom was first diagnosed with diabetes in the late 1990s, her internist prescribed Rezulin, a popular diabetes drug approved in 1997. Then one day the phone rang. Her internist called to alert her Rezulin was causing fatal liver failure and he wanted her off the drug immediately.
Now Avandia, a popular diabetes drug which helps sensitize the body to insulin, is on the hotseat. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Steven Nissen and statistician Kathy Wolski at the Cleveland Clinic suggests Avandia significantly raises the risk of heart attack for type 2 diabetics.
Nissen pooled results of nearly 28,000 people across dozens of studies, revealing a 43 percent higher risk of heart attack for Avandia users compared to diabetics prescribed different drugs or no diabetes medication at all. Two-thirds of type 2 diabetics die of heart problems. With a 43 percent higher risk, Avandia may be downright dangerous.
GlaxoSmithKline PLC, maker of Avandia, disputes Nissen's analysis, but admitted a similar review revealed a 30 percent increased risk. I don't know about you, but a 30 percent higher risk of heart attack frightens me. Glaxo did say further rigorous studies did not confirm an excess risk.
I suspect the phones will soon be ringing in the homes of Avandia-prescribed type 2 diabetics. And it's not good news.
Diabetes research innovator Landau dies
Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Research, Daily News, Support
The world famous biochemist, Bernard R. Landau, whose medical research proved invaluable to understanding diabetes, has died in Cleveland at the age of 80.
Dr. Landau focused his research on how the human body processes glucose. By focusing his research on how the liver stores glucose as glycogen, he proved vital in later research of some types of diabetes. In certain diabetes types, complications arise after the body ceases processing glycogen. The former Nobel fellow at Sweden's Karolinska Institute also worked with other scientists in finding out exactly how glucose is broken down inside the body. In the late '50s, Dr. Landau and others investigated how tissues process glucose, especially in the liver, where it is stored as glycogen. He developed methods to follow and measure this metabolism by using radioactive tracers that were infused into bodily tissue. In some types of diabetes, the processing of glycogen is disrupted, leading to further complications.
Bernard Robert Landau was born in Newark. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before receiving his doctorate in organic chemistry from Harvard in 1950. He later received a medical degree, also from Harvard. He is survived by his two sons, Steven and Rodger, and five grandchildren. Thank you for all you have contributed to the scientific community, Dr. Landau.
Fatal insulin overdoses in Chicago: lawsuits to follow?
Filed under: Type 2, Drugs, Daily News, Care
Two elderly women died and one remains in a coma after the three apparently received massive insulin overdoses during stays at the University of Chicago Hospitals (UCH). One of the women who died, Ruthie Holloway (82), was diabetic. She was in the hospital in May due to a possible urinary tract infection. When she showed signs of low blood sugar, a test was conducted which showed extremely high insulin levels in her blood - hundreds of times higher than normal. By then it was too late: she quickly became catatonic, suffering brain damage, and she died at a nursing home in June. Particularly disturbing is the fact that there was no record of her being given insulin by a staff member.The incidents, which occurred between May and June of this year, are under investigation by the Chicago police and by officials at UCH. All three women were in the same hospital wing when the overdoses were given. The question is: were those overdoses the result of staff incompetence or where they given intentionally and, if so, why?
It now looks likely that UCH will have malpractice lawsuits coming its way from the womens' families. According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, attorneys acting on behalf of the families have requested copies of the womens' patient files. They have also requested copies of employee files.
Even though the person responsible has not yet been (publicly?) identified, UCH has made some major changes in its procedures regarding the storage and handling of insulin. In particular, each dose of the drug must go through a procedure of checking and witnessing, with a paper trail backing up all staff actions.
Visit the Trib's website or CBS2 Chicago online to read more about this sad case.
Asprin may be life saver for cancer patients experiencing heart attack
Filed under: Research, Daily news
According to the WHO (the World Health Organization, not the band), there are roughly 10 million cancer patients 
worldwide, of which 1.5 million may develop blood clots during their cancer treatment. As such, these individuals face great risk of dying from heart disease if they do not receive proper treatment, which, as doctors may have now discovered, includes taking aspirin to prevent heart attack.
The prevailing thought on aspirin was that because it is a blood thinner, it is not safe for people with cancer to take. Because people battling cancer typically experience low platelet counts and abnormal clotting, it was believed that aspirin would only serve to worsen these pre-existing problems. But, a recent study held by a joint team of researchers from the department of cardiology at the M.D. Anderson Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and Duke University Medical Center discovered that this may, in fact, not be true at all.
The findings of their study, which will be published in the February 1, 2007 issue of the journal Cancer, center on evidence suggesting the beneficial properties of aspirin for cancer patients experiencing heart attack. They found that 9 out of 10 cancer patients with low platelet count, and who were suffering form heart attack and who did not receive aspirin, died. By contrast, they also found that in a group of 17 similar cancer patients who did receive aspirin, only one patient died. Additionally, it was also discovered that even cancer patients who do not have low platelet counts who experience heart attack can be helped by taking aspirin, in the same manner that it helps people without cancer.
Further and more detailed information on the study will be available in the February issue of the journal Cancer.
A death in Wales
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Daily News
Trawling through the news, I came upon this awful story from Wales: a fourteen-year-old girl who died suddenly on November 30, 2006, turns out to have been diabetic ... only no one knew it when she was alive. An inquest by the Cardiff Coroner's Court concluded yesterday that the girl, Natasha Leigh Roberts, was suffering from pneumonia caused by undiagnosed diabetes. Her parents, Jenipher Perry and Stephen White, have said they encourage other parents to be vigilant for the disease now they have discovered the awful cause of Natasha's death. Natasha was not diagnosed as diabetic even though she was clearly unwell in the months prior to her death. According to this article, Natasha's parents noticed the decline in their daughter's health. She had lost weight and was complaining of exhaustion in the weeks leading up to her death. Said her grandmother, Lily Ayres, "Natasha was always a healthy-looking plump girl until about a year ago. I reckon she would have only weighed about five or six stone [by the time of her death]." That would convert to about seventy to eighty pounds. Ayres went on to say that Natasha looked "awful" the day before she died. It is also reported that the girl had taken time off school due to feeling unwell and staff at her school were worried about her. Then, one morning, her mom went into her room to check on her and found her in bed, not breathing. Too late.
How disturbing and sad this story is. Was a doctor consulted? Did the teachers at school contact the parents? Why didn't the parents do something, for heaven's sake? Uh oh. There it goes: the so-human urge to play The Blame Game. Or ... maybe this impulse is a good one. If people can learn a lesson from the story by understanding why this child fell through the cracks and did not receive treatment, perhaps other lives can be saved.
Magazine industry loses a giant: Peter A. Banks
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Magazines, Support, Personalities
Peter A. Banks, renowned past publisher of the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Diabetes Forecast magazine died on July 21 at his home. Mr. Banks had colon cancer.
For years and years, my parents subscribed to Diabetes Forecast. My brother had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the mid-1970s, and in an effort to gather the latest news on type 1, my parents were avid readers.
Mr. Bank's career with the ADA spanned 20 years from 1986-2006. He was named publisher of Diabetes Forecast in 1999. Over the next seven years as publisher, Diabetes Forecast circulation rose nearly 20 percent. Before that time, he also served as editorial director. In his last year with the ADA, Mr. Banks was recognized one of the 40 most influential publishers in the magazine industry by Folio Magazine's The Folio: 40.
In receiving the honor, Folio recognized Mr. Bank's metamorphosis of Diabetes Forecast from an association magazine into a pass-along phenomenon. With 2006 members-only subscriptions standing at 460,000, actual readership of Diabetes Forecast was ten times that -- over 4 million. At the time, Banks explained people were desperate for knowledge of diabetes, and pass-along readers were poorer people without good medical care. They relied upon Diabetes Forecast to deliver up-to-date news on the disease. Banks stood by the magazine's philosophy of care for people with diabetes. In 2003, he turned down nearly $1 million in advertising revenue from junk food manufacturers in the interest of the health of readers. In the past year, he founded Banks Publishing, a consulting business.
Mr. Banks is survived by his wife of 27 years, Lucy Godfrey Banks, two children, Alison Banks and David Banks, his father John Banks, two sisters and a brother. Read more about Mr. Bank's many contributions to society in the Washington Post and at Banks Publishing. Photo from Banks Publishing.
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Crestor shown to reverse artery blockages in study
Filed under: Prevention, Research, Drugs
Atherosclerosis, better known as the buildup of plaque in the arteries, was thought to be an irreversible problem. The only option for actually reopening arteries was angioplasty or stents, and medication could only slow or arrest the gradual narrowing. But, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic found that by using the max dosage of the cholesterol drug Crestor, the fat clogs blocking their patients' arteries were reduced by 7 percent over 2 years.
This of course does not mean that people with clogged arteries should start downing bottles of Crestor, but it does sheds more light on the fact that lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol is the best way to prevent heart attacks. But, from this study it is possible to consider the future use of Crestor, and how it appears to actually reverse the plaque accumulation in blood vessels, something that starts as early as childhood.
Again, this is still further studies that need to be done, but this is promising information for people who thought that medication could only slow the eventual narrowing of vessels. In time, it's very possible that this method of using Crestor to clear blockages could be an alternative to surgery.
Doctor sued for negligence in type 1 fatality
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Adult Onset, Daily News
Type 1 is not 'juvenile diabetes' anymore. It can strike during the adult years. My brother is the only one who got type 1 as a juvenile, my other brother and both my parents developed type 1 as adults. Undiagnosed type 1 diabetes is dangerous. In a previous post, I shared how quickly my brother deteriorated from undiagnosed type 1, but my mom's stubbornness got him diagnosed. The following news story just made me feel sad.
Doctors make mistakes, but this one cost the life of Adam Bell, 34, of Watford, England. Mr. Bell had typical symptoms of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes -- the thirst, weakness, repeated vomiting, hallucination, hyperventilation, faintness, and rapid pulse. He was so weak he could not make the two-minute walk to his doctor. So his doctor came to him.
Dr. Paul Davis missed it. During a 15-minute examination he diagnosed a viral infection and anxiety. No blood or urine test was administered. Mr. Bell died 48 hours later of ketoacidosis. This story is especially devastating for his five-year partner, Helen Rowe. She had been on vacation at the time, phoning in to see how Adam was feeling. His body was discovered after Ms. Rowe called her mother to check on him.
Ms. Rowe filed a civil claim of negligence against Dr. Davis in 2005. She has since received an undisclosed compensation (speculated as a five-figure sum), but without any admission of liability. Although there was a statement with the settlement which reads, "Dr. Davis feels terrible about Mr. Bell's death and were it possible for him to have the time again, knowing what he knows now, he would do things differently." Dr. Davis is in his forties and is still practicing. I can only imagine how he feels.
Most admirably, Ms. Rowe used the settlement to establish the Adam Bell Foundation, a charity to raise awareness of diabetes in young people. Mr. Bell was a music teacher and accomplished pianist and guitarist.