From U.S. News & World Report

Top-Ranked Pediatric Hospitals for Diabetes & Endocrinology

"The top 50 centers for children with serious diabetes or endocrine disorders were recently ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Management of diabetes, overall infection prevention, and a range of diabetes treatment options are among the factors that made up 75 percent of a hospital's score. Most of the data came from a U.S. News survey of children's hospitals. The other 25 percent reflects how many of 450 pediatric diabetes specialists surveyed in 2009, 2010, and 2011 recommended the hospital."

Click here for the list

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Pharmacies soon will no longer be able to stock the Diabetes drug Avandia.

After November 18th, only certified doctors will be able to  prescribe the drug and only patients who know the risks and are willing to fill their prescription through the mail from specific pharmacies may receive the drug, USA Today reported. In case you were not aware, FDA drug-safety expert David Graham told an advisory committee in 2007 that Avandia had caused heart problems, including deaths, in 66,000 to 200,000 people.

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Spicy Oat Bars

This recipe is provided by the American Diabetes Association.

The blend of spices and raisins gives these bars a delectable flavor without a lot of added sugar. Decreasing the sugar can leave cookies less moist, so we've used baking raisins to help make the bars moist and chewy; find them in a box right next to the other raisins in the grocery store.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup margarine, softened

1 egg

1 Tbsp low-fat (1%) milk

1/3 cup baking raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the sugar and margarine. Blend in the egg and milk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture in thirds, and blend until smooth, 2 minutes. Stir in the raisins. Spread in the baking pan and bake until the edges just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 12 minutes. Cool completely and cut into 9 bars.

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Soon you'll be able to check your child's blood sugar levels as well as other health conditions through a voice-activated and hands-free system that The Ford Motor Company is developing for its cars. Working with medical device companies, Ford hopes to offer healthcare apps for Diabetes, Asthma, Allergies and other chronic conditions for use in "Sync", its in-car communications system. Hopefully, what this means is that people who are chronically ill and need to take long journeys will be able to have continuous health monitoring in their car.

 

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More research is needed but over a period of five years, 138 instances of bladder cancer were reported from patients taking diabetes medications. Over 28 of these patients were taking Actos (pioglitazone). This suggests a "disproportionate risk" in comparison with other anti-diabetics, said study author Dr. Elisabetta Poluzzi of the University of Bologna in Italy."Disproportion is indicative of possible risk," Poluzzi added, "not of an actual risk."

The FDA has said patients should not stop taking Actos unless told to do so by their doctor.

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According to obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Brian Egan,  50 percent of women with gestational diabetes develop Type 2 Diabetes within 5 years of their pregnancy and another 20 percent after 28 years of being pregnant.

“Pregnancy tends to be a little crystal ball of the future,” Egan said. “It tells us what the future could be, but we do have the opportunity to change that future.” Egan added "there is a greater risk of birth trauma to both mother and baby when the mother has gestational diabetes, as the babies tend to be larger."

It is recommended that women get checked for the presence of diabetes before getting pregnant.

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Mary's No-Sugar-Added Cheesy Apple Pie

This diabetic recipe for apple pie uses brown sugar substitute to add sweetness, plus apple pie spice and cheddar cheese for flavor. The apples are cooked and thickened with cornstarch before baking.

Photo by: pam.kvitne

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According to a new study, people who have diabetes have at least a 10% higher risk for certain cancers than those who are not diabetic.

Compared to people without diabetes, diabetic men were more likely to report having colon, pancreas, rectum, urinary bladder, kidney or prostate cancer. For men, the greatest increase in risk was for pancreatic cancer, with 16 per 10,000 cases among diabetics and just two per 10,000 among non-diabetics. Diabetic women had more cases of breast cancer, leukemia or cancer of the womb.

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Researchers at the Salk Institute have recently discovered that the liver enzyme HDAC stimulates the production of glucose. In a series of trials performed on four different types of mice, scientists have found a way to suppress liver HDAC (histone deacetylases) which will hopefully lead to trials on humans.

"The discovery of HDAC (histone deacetylases) in the liver could have a major impact on the discovery of new compounds for the treatment of diabetes," said Robert Henry, president for science and medicine at the American Diabetes Association. "A new class of drugs that are specific inhibitors of HDAC would target the excess production of glucose by the liver which is a major contributor to high glucose levels in diabetes."

For a better and easier way to receive YOUR Diabetes medications or supplies, click here.

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Who should be on an Insulin Pump? How old do you have to be to be on an Insulin Pump? How will my life change if I get an Insulin Pump?

All of these questions, and others,  are answered by this excerpt from Dr. Steve Edelman, MD as well as a video from Focus Express Mail Pharmacy. Thank you both for your contribution.

Dr Edelman says the following,"In my opinion, you are an insulin pump candidate if you are a reliable person who tests your blood glucose values regularly. You do not have to be a rocket scientist or a doctor to achieve success with an insulin pump.

I recommend pump therapy to people who are consistently experiencing poor glucose control or frequent hypoglycemic episodes despite an appropriate insulin injection regimen. I also offer pump therapy to individuals who have adequate glucose control but are tethered to a rigid daily schedule that reduces their quality of life. I do not recommend starting pump therapy during pregnancy; it should be started before conception to allow for adjustment and blood glucose regulation.

Click here for more information about insulin pumps and pump supplies.

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We get asked all the time. "How Does an Insulin Pump Work?" So, rather than reinvent the wheel, here's a synopsis as found on the ADA (American Diabetes Association) website as well as a video from Focus Express Mail Pharmacy. Our thanks to them both!

"An insulin pump can help you manage your diabetes. By using an insulin pump, you can match your insulin to your lifestyle, rather than getting an insulin injection and matching your life to how the insulin is working. When you work closely with your diabetes care team, insulin pumps can help you keep your blood glucose levels within your target ranges.  People of all ages with type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps and people with type 2 diabetes have started to use them as well.
How do insulin pumps work?

Insulin pumps deliver rapid- or short-acting insulin 24 hours a day through a catheter placed under the skin. Your insulin doses are separated into:

• Basal rates
• Bolus doses to cover carbohydrate in meals
• Correction or supplemental doses

Basal insulin is delivered continuously over 24 hours, and keeps your blood glucose levels in range between meals and overnight. Often, you program different amounts of insulin at different times of the day and night.

When you eat, you use buttons on the insulin pump to give additional insulin called a bolus. You take a bolus to cover the carbohydrate in each meal or snack. If you eat more than you planned, you can simply program a larger bolus of insulin to cover it.

You also take a bolus to treat high blood glucose levels. If you have high blood glucose levels before you eat, you give a correction or supplemental bolus of insulin to bring it back to your target range."

For more information  insulin pumps or insulin pump supplies, contact  Focus Express Mail Pharmacy.

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People with Type II Diabetes have a new treatment option with the approval of Tradjenta,a new once daily oral tablet.  "This approval provides another treatment option for the millions of Americans with type 2 diabetes," said Mary Parks, MD, director of the FDA's division of metabolism and endocrinology products. "It is effective when used alone or when added to existing treatment regimens."

In the same class as Januvia and Onglyza, Tradjenta comes in only ONE strength (5mg) and can be taken with other diabetes medications, like Glucophage (Metformin), Glimepiride (Amaryl),  and Pioglitazone (Actos).The drug is used in combination with diet and exercise and has been proven to be safe and effective in Type II Diabetics.
 

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A new study has shown that people with diabetes who have difficulties sleeping, have higher levels of blood glucose and experience greater difficulty in controlling their hyperglycemia.

But, it is still unknown if  diabetes causes the problems with sleep OR if the problems with sleep cause the higher levels of blood glucose.

The take-home message for those with diabetes is to pay attention to their sleep quality, agreed both Dr.Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. and study leader Kristen  Knutsonan, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "If no sleep studies have been done, they might want to ask their doctor [about doing some],'" Zonszein said.

In a related study, people who stay up late INSTEAD of sleeping, may be more likely to eat excess calories and have a higher body mass index (BMI), putting themselves at risk for developing Type II Diabetes. Instead of going to bed at a normal hour, these people tend to eat far more fast food and significantly less fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Phyllis Zee, MD., who participated in the research noted that"When sleep and eating are not aligned with the body's internal clock, it can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, which could lead to weight gain."



 

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