Diabetes Pharmacist Blog : Focus Express Mail Pharmacy : Insulin Pumps, Diabetes Supplies and Information

In a study by Chinese scientists, treating Type 2 diabetes early and aggressively with insulin therapy was able to push the disease into remission.The premise behind the therapy is that by giving the failing beta cells of the pancreas a chance to rest, one might interrupt a cycle of decline and allow for some recovery. The beta cells produce the insulin the body needs to keep blood sugar levels in check; it is the inability of those cells to meet the body's insulin needs that triggers Type 2 diabetes

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News of bariatric surgery restoring high blood sugars to normal in grossly overweight people has made the rounds lately. Now, similar surgery on people who are NOT overweight has gotten similar results. According to the Washington Post News Service, this surgery is promising but the mechanism of action is uncertain.

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As seen on WebMD.com, researchers in Texas say a novel gel-like material could help speed up the widely anticipated arrival of oral insulin, renewing hopes for the millions of Americas with diabetes who must have daily insulin shots to tame their diabetes.

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As seen in U.S News and World Report, compared to controls, individuals taking Avandia or Actos had more than double the risk of fractures, with the risk with Actos being slightly higher than with Avandia. Drug-associated fractures were particularly common at the wrist and hip. Both men and women were at risk, and the odds for fracture tended to rise with dose of drug taken.

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Researchers are now investigating the strong blood sugar reducing capability of Bitter Melon, a vegetable commonly used in Asia for medicinal use.

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In a given day:

• 4000 new cases of diabetes will be diagnosed.
• 600 people will die from diabetes complications.
• 200 people will undergo an amputation due to diabetes.
• 100 cases of kidney failure will occur due to diabetes

These statistics were grimly uttered by Ann Albright, Director of the Division of Diabetes Translation for the Center for Disease Control (CDC).Additionally, she said that "of the children born in America in 2000, one in three will develop diabetes in their lifetime."

In addition, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there are 21 million people in the United States who are diagnosed with diabetes and if something dramatic does not occur in the next 20 years, this number will double! The costs for diabetes will exceed $174 billion dollars in 2008.

• $116 million on medical expenditures
• $58 million on reduced national productivity

"We are spending $174 billion dollars each year on diabetes, just imagine what that will be like when the number of diabetics double" says former Acting US Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu.

The ADA further states that "individuals with diabetes have medical expenditures at about 2.3 times higher than those without diabetes. The average cost incurred among individuals with diabetes is $11,744 per year with $5,649 attributed directly to diabetes."

This has gone from being a serious problem to one that will soon affect every person in this country! Why you ask? Here's why:

• Insurance companies will be paying more for medical costs which will raise EVERYONE'S insurance premiums.
• There will be lower productivity in the workplace which will hurt these same employers who will be paying the higher premiums.
• There will be reduced earnings for individuals and families.
• There will be higher taxes for us all as a portion of the burden of increased health care costs will affect the government and guess who has to pay for that?
• All of this combined means a lower quality and standard of living.

These statistics do not lie. They're getting worse every day. Something has to be done NOW to help everyone who has diabetes but even more let's do all we can, as individuals,  to PREVENT diabetes (Type II)  from occurring in ourselves, our families, and our friends.

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According to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, exercise helps to prevent and treat diabetes by increasing the number of enzymes that transport fat from fat cells to muscle cells where it can be used for energy by the muscles. Before insulin can do its job of removing sugar from the bloodstream and putting it into cells where it can be burned for energy, it must first,,MORE

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According to the New York Times, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study this week showing that a three-pronged approach of managing Sugar, Blood Pressure and Cholesterol — combined with low doses of aspirin — prolonged the lives of people with diabetes. The patients who did best in that study did not reach the nearly normal sugar levels that were the aim of the Accord study. Instead, their levels were just slightly higher than normal. MORE.....

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The Center for Disease Control (CDC), most commonly known as a source of information about epidemics, flu outbreaks, and other critical emergency health issues is also a wonderful source for diabetes information. Check this out..

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Robert Langreth, in Forbes.com, writes about a new type of drug, called an anti-CD3 antibody, which aims for the first time to delay or prevent development of diabetes by arresting the immune system's attack on pancreatic islet cells. This new class of drugs, now entering final-stage human trials, are given to newly diagnosed patients for just a few days or weeks but appear to preserve some insulin-producing capacity for years. Ultimately the drugs may even be able to prevent the disease from striking people at high risk because of a family history of diabetes or bad genes. MORE.....

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