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Here's May's "Focus Funny" and the second in Focus Express Mail Pharmacy's Diabetes Cartoon Caption Contest. Please add your caption as a comment and if the judges like it, YOU will win a $100 gift card to Home Depot, Best Buy, Sears OR American Express. Remember, ALL captions should have a medication or diabetes theme!!
Coming soon to a pharmacy near you: AFREZZA, a new fast-acting form of inhaled insulin. According to recent studies, AFREZZA , will provide "glycemic control similar to standard insulin treatments with less risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain." Still waiting for FDA approval, it also appears that AFREZZA will have a lower risk of causing lung problems than Exubera, the first inhalable insulin on the market.
"AFREZZA is an ultra-rapid-acting insulin, and clinical studies have shown us that it has the potential to change diabetes therapy, because in the body, AFREZZA looks like the insulin that's normally in a person's body," said Andrea Leone-Bay, vice president of pharmaceutical development for MannKind Corp., manufacturer of AFREZZA.
It is intended for use at mealtimes to control rapid rises in blood sugar that occur after meals in people with diabetes. The idea of an inhaled insulin appeals to diabetics who must use insulin every time they eat.
For information on diabetes supplies or insulin pumps, click here!
Besides the fact that some cookies taste so darn good, what's the real reason that I can't eat just ONE COOKIE? Chances are that if it contains Glucose-Fructose Syrup, a type of sugar that is used to add bulk and moisture to foods, you've found the answer.
Found in processed snack foods, cereals, yogurt and sodas, it makes the brain think you need to eat more and, worse, according to a new study, can contribute to diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
Dr. Carel Le Roux, a consultant in metabolic medicine at Imperial College London, says that fructose can "scramble mesages to the brain about being full. When we eat sugar, our body releases insulin which tells the brain that we have had enough to eat. High insulin levels are one of the factors that dampen the appetite, But fructose doesn’t trigger as much of an insulin response as regular sugar, so the brain won’t get the message that you are full.”
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According to researcher Marie L. Misso, PhD, of the Australasian Cochrane Center at Monash University, Clayton, Australia, "good evidence is now available to support the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in the appropriate patient."
To assess and compare the effects of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with multiple insulin injections, researchers studied 23 randomized controlled trials which included a total of 973 patients who used one of the two interventions for their type 1 diabetes. Results showed that the continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion users (users of insulin pumps) had significantly lower HbA1c levels compared with multiple insulin injection users.
For more information about insulin pumps, click here!
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In a study in the December issue of Diabetes Care, the number of people with Diabetes is predicted to almost double to 44.1 million people by 2034. And, at the same time, the cost of treating people with Diabetes will triple to $336 million dollars!
Factors driving the increase in diabetes cases include the aging population and continued high rates of obesity, both of which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes, Additionally, more and more people will live with Diabetes for a longer period of time, thus increasing the length of treatment as well as the serious complications that Diabetes can cause.
A new type of sensor that changes color with rising blood sugar levels is now being testing by scientists. About the size of the clicker on the end of a ballpoint pen, this high tech tattoo is made up of tiny nanospheres which contain a special kind of ink that reacts with glucose. Invented by Heather Clark, a biomedical engineer at Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the tattoo hasn’t yet been tested in humans but the early results in mice have been very promising.
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DrugWatch.com features a comprehensive list of drugs and medications that are currently on the market, or were previously available worldwide.
According to Sean McCahill, the National Awareness Coordinator for DrugWatch.com, the website is dedicated to educating the public about the details of prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as aiding in the protection of patients and consumers by informing them of any associated side effects. Also featured is updated information concerning drug recalls, medication approvals, and current developments in the medical field.
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Using noninvasive imaging (Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) ) for the first time in diabetes research, physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have discovered how it may aid in the early diagnosis, staging, and treatment of diabetes.
"With noninvasive MRI we have the ability to evaluate beta cell mass, a major factor of insulin secretion that is significantly reduced in type two diabetes and almost gone in type one,” said Anna Moore, MD, lead author of the study. “Knowing the number of functional beta cells left would allow physicians to develop the most appropriate treatment plans for their patients. It would also allow them to respond, change or manipulate those treatment plans at any time,” she said.
A recent study by the Columbus Research Foundation in Columbus, Ga. found that 98% of the 2000 participants who had a grayish-white ring around the cornea — a condition called corneal arcus — also had metabolic problems related to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,
Until now, health professionals have assumed arcus is related to high cholesterol. Now, the relationship between arcus and high blood sugar needs to be studied further, researchers said.
“This study demonstrates ... how comprehensive eye exams should be used as a screening for prevalent metabolic conditions,” Dr. Steven Leichter, medical director at the research foundation, said in a press release. “
A new standard, called the A1C assay, is being recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), to help doctors test for and diagnose diabetes.
Instead of the 12-14 hour fasting glucose test and the glucose tolerance test currently in use, a simple blood test will be taken to measure how much protein in the blood has been fused with excess glucose that is not able to be used by the body because of diabetes.This is a process called called Glycation. Because it is such a simple test to do, the ADA recommends that everyone 45 or over has it regardless of lack of symptoms or family history.
Click here to learn more about diabetes testing supplies available from Focus Express Mail Pharmacy!
In a new study, Dr. C. Ronald Kahn of the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston says,"If you are exercising, in part, to reduce diabetes risk, you shouldn't take anti-oxidant vitamins C and E."
Kahn says that part of the reason that exercise improves insulin sensitivity is that it causes oxidative stress on the muscles but when you block the oxidative stress response (with Vitamins C and E), you also block the beneficial effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity.
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Joan Yankowitz on healthylivingtimes.com suggests that there are 7 changes that you can make to your daily lifestyle that may prevent you from developing Type 2 diabetes:
1) By putting less food on your plate, you will gradually eat less and start to lose weight. Drink a glass of plain water or a sugar-free drink before eating to lessen your hunger pains.
2) Reduce your fat intake by grilling or baking foods instead of frying.
3) Read food labels and check the Glycemic Index of the food you are eating to make better choices.
4) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. Keep a bottle of water with you and sip frequently throughout the day.
5) Choose a healthy snack rather than a chocolate bar.
6) Use skimmed rather than full-fat milk in hot drinks.
7) Exercise is good for health. But, if you are not used to exercising, then start in moderation by walking each day for 15 minutes until you gradually get into a regular exercising pattern.
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The risk of developing type 2 diabetes may be reduced by consuming more whole fruits and green leafy vegetables on a daily basis.
Researchers at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health have discovered that eating three more servings of whole fruits each day was associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes. And, with an additional serving of green leafy vegetables daily, the risk for diabetes was further decreased.
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A series of new studies has shown that the onset of dementia may occur sooner if a patient is suffering from the combination of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease .
This is an important finding because it means that people who take control of their life by changing their lifestyle and their diet , while exercising more will not only prevent heart disease but will also slow the decline of their mental faculties , namely dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Focus Express Mail Pharmacy donated $25,000 and was a major sponsor at four walks benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) of Philadelphia and South Jersey in the Fall of 2008. These “Walks for the Cure” took place in Parvin State Park, Salem County, NJ on 10/5/08, Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, NJ on 10/19/08, and the Philadelphia Art Museum in Philadelphia, Pa. and the Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pa., both on 10/26/08. These annual events attract thousands of people to raise monies to support research efforts in finding a cure for diabetes and its complications. “It is an honor for all of us at Focus Pharmacy to provide our continued support to the diabetes community to raise awareness for juvenile diabetes and research," said Joel Shpigel, R.Ph./CEO.
Left to Right) Focus Express Mail Pharmacy’s Joel Shpigel, R.Ph., CEO / Co-Founder, Robin Berger Special Events Manager South Jersey Chapter JDRF, Stephen T. Blocher Executive Director South Jersey Chapter JDRF, Ellen Rubesin Executive Director Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter JDRF, Nick Braccia, President / Co-Founder of Focus Express Mail Pharmacy and Rae London, Vice President of Customer Relations of Focus Express Mail Pharmacy.
Public school districts in NJ, NY or PA are invited to apply to have their elementary schools participate in a month-long national diabetes education program, called Peds for Prevention™.
One selected school district will receive health education grants totaling $5,000, free pedometers for all elementary school students, weekly health education announcements and take-home tips as well as a customized interactive Web site – a total value of $30,000.
The program is designed to encourage healthy exercise and good eating habits among elementary school children and their families to avoid the risks of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Peds for Prevention™ is provided by Focus Express Mail Pharmacy, one of the nation’s leading Internet mail-order pharmacies that specializes in diabetes.
To apply, go to www.FocusPharmacy.com and click on the Peds for Prevention icon. Deadline for applications is December 17th, 2008.
Adam Voiland had a fantastic blog in US News and World Report called A Crash Course in Diabetes for Men where he lists six reasons why men should take care of their diabetes.
My patients with type 2 diabetes realize that blood sugar control, a balanced diet, weight management, regular exercise, and checkups are essential to their overall health. However, many don't realize that regular care of EVERY part of their body is extremely important to avoid serious complications.
Here are the 5 biggest concerns:
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In a study funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and published in the Sept. 8 ,2008 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that adults gained substantially better control of their diabetes when using continuous glucose monitoring versus a group using conventional, intermittent blood sugar management. Improved diabetes control was determined by a hemoglobin A1c test, which measures how effective blood sugar control is over three months.
Patients on continuous glucose monitoring had a disposable blood sugar sensor placed under the skin. The device used in the study monitored blood glucose about every five minutes. The sensor was worn for a few days and then replaced. A pager-like device displayed blood glucose levels on a continuous basis. Data was received from a transmitter which had received it from the sensor.
"Getting better control of diabetes using continuous glucose monitoring is almost certainly likely to equate with fewer long-term complications. This will have substantial long-term benefit on quality of life and reduce health care costs", said lead researcher Dr. Roy W. Beck, from the Jaeb Center for Health Research in Tampa, Fla.
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A growing number of overweight American children and adolescents are being diagnosed with chronic diseases once considered illnesses of adulthood.
In addition to the well-known rise in Type 2 diabetes among U.S. youth, children affected by obesity also are suffering from fatty liver disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Concern is mounting because the long-term effect of developing chronic diseases early in life can lead to a slew of health issues.
"The earlier you develop diabetes, the more likely you are to develop complications," says Dr. Paula Butler, chief of endocrinology at Mount Sinai Hospital. "People will be having eye problems early, heart problems early, strokes early and go on dialysis. They will suffer knee and back pain, have sleep problems. They may not be able to work. It affects quality of life."
A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 3,277 newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes patients who were asked to tightly manage their blood sugar either through diet restrictions or drugs.
The results show that the group taking insulin had a 15 percent lower risk of heart attack and a 13 percent lower risk of death compared with the group who used diet. The early, intensive approach to blood sugar control amounted to a head start. The researchers call this the "Legacy Effect."
"These results emphasize the importance of detecting and treating diabetes at the earliest opportunity and the major benefits that can be obtained with good blood glucose control." said Professor Rury Holman, of Oxford University, who led the study.
Intensive and not-so-intensive approaches to blood pressure were also compared among the diabetes patients in the study. When the study ended, the patients who took the intensive approach were less likely to have died from diabetes, had a stroke or developed diabetes-related complications.
It's not news that controlling blood sugar and blood pressure are musts for managing type 2 diabetes. But the new findings show that doing so promptly and intensively will lead to a lower likelihood of a heart attack as well as a healthier cardiovascular system.
High arsenic levels in drinking water has been linked to diabetes according to research done over the years. It is known that impaired insulin secretion in pancreas cells occurs when those cells are treated with an arsenic compound.
Here's the Bad News: a recent analysis of government data has linked Low-level arsenic exposure, possibly from drinking water, with Type 2 diabetes.
Molly Kile, an environmental health research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health says in an editorial in the journal JAMA. “Urinary arsenic reflects exposures from all routes—air, water, and food—which makes it difficult to track the actual source of arsenic exposure, let alone use the results from this study to establish drinking water standards,” . Kile also said the findings raise a sort of “chicken-and-egg problem,” since it’s unknown whether diabetes changes the way people metabolize arsenic. It is also possible that people with diabetes actually excrete more arsenic.
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A recent study published in Diabetes Care showed that older men who take Vitamin K supplementation for 36 months, at doses that can be achieved through dietary intake, may be able to reduce the progression of insulin resistance.
US researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, report their top 10 Vitamin K food sources:
1. Kale
2. Collards
3. Spinach
4. Turnips greens
5. Beets greens
6. Dandelion Greens
7. Mustard Greens
8. Brussels sprouts
9. Broccoli
10. Spring Onions
Drink your Green Smoothies, eat your salads and stay healthy and strong.
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According to an annual state-by-state survey, adult obesity rates increased in 37 states in the past year ,while Type 2 Diabetes, a weight related disease, increased in 26 states. What's more is that an additional survey showed that whereas not one state in 1991 had an obesity rate at 20%, now every state, except Colorado, has an obese population over 20%.
According to the survey, individuals with a body-mass index of 30 or above, a calculation based on height and weight, are considered obese. For instance, a person who is 5 ft. 8 in. and weighs 200 pounds has a BMI of 30.4.The steady rise in overweight Americans may be attributed to large serving-sizes in restaurants, the high cost of nutritional food, and more time spent in front of TVs and computer screens according to some experts.
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"I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.” - Ex-President George H. W. Bush
Little did Mr. Bush know at that time how important broccoli may be to people with diabetes. A compound called sulforaphane has been found in broccoli by researchers at the University of Warwick. This compound seems to have protective benefits for blood vessel damage caused by high glucose levels in people with diabetes. It is believed that sulforaphane causes a protein to become activated which then protects cells and tissues from damage. Damaged blood vessels increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease by five fold in people with diabetes
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Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have determined that insulin resistance is likely the reason why gallstones are more common in obese people. Sudha Biddinger, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study and a researcher in the Joslin Section on Obesity and Hormone Action, said:
"Obesity is associated with increased secretion of cholesterol into the bile. The excess cholesterol accumulates in the gallbladder which can lead to the formation of painful gallstones. This study shows that insulin resistance is key to this process, as the lack of insulin receptors in the livers (of research mice) was sufficient to promote gallstones".
Did you know there was a Diabetes Dictionary that can be accessed on-line? This dictionary defines words that are often used when people talk or write about diabetes. It is designed for people who have diabetes and for their families and friends. What a wonderful and useful service!
Provided by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse(NDIC), a service of The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH
Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Does a diagnosis of diabetes lead to depression or does depression lead to diabetes? Probably both according to new research reported on Newsday.com.
People with diabetes are more likely to become depressed as they face a lifetime of keeping their disease in check, researchers said. About 21 million Americans have diabetes, which requires patients to adhere to a strict diet and exercise routine and to monitor their blood sugar levels regularly. People being treated for Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, were 52 percent more likely to develop depression than those without the disease, according to a paper published in a recent Journal of the American Medical Association. John Buse, the American Diabetes Association's president of medicine and science, said. "It's a very tough business to take care of diabetes."
On the flip side, depression may cause patients to develop behaviors that cause diabetes or make it worse. For example, research has shown that many people who are depressed don't exercise, smoke, and/or overeat. "It's important that doctors be attuned to look for both conditions in patients at risk for either diabetes or depression," lead author Sherita Hill Golden, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said in a statement. "We may want to develop interventions for both treatments, instead of just one or the other."
A cup of hot tea, a glass of red wine, and now a mug of hot cocoa all have one thing in common; they all contain natural plant compounds called Flavonols. New research suggests that by satisfying a craving for cocoa, you can actually help blood vessels to function better. Furthermore, cocoa might soon be considered part of a healthy diet for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in people with diabetes.
Remember, it's the Flavonols that are responsible for cocoa’s healthful benefits.
Researchers at MedStar Research Institute in Washington D.C. hope that a new light machine could replace the traditional diabetes testing method of doing a fasting blood sugar which involves fasting for 12 hours, drinking a sweet glucose solution, and taking a blood test; a process that takes a couple of hours.
Instead, the Vera-light scout system would have patients in and out in a flash. It uses fluorescent light to non-invasively measure the effects of high glucose levels in the forearm's connective tissue.
It is estimated that 6 million people have undiagnosed diabetes and many of them don't know it for years. When they are finally diagnosed, it's because diabetes complications like blindness or kidney disease have set in.
This painless and quick test should be given to everyone so that an early diagnosis is made, treatment started, and complications avoided.
"The prevalence of arthritis is astoundingly high in people with diabetes," said Dr. John H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. "Over half the people with diabetes have arthritis."
Although there appears to be a connection between arthritis and diabetes, the reason for it isn't known, Klippel said. A possible explanation is obesity, which is a risk factor for both osteoarthritis and diabetes, he speculated.
Maybe the REAL reason is that most people with diabetes are over 40 years old and would have arthritis anyway! The overall population is getting older, the "Baby Boomers" are getting older, and, the average age in this country is going up because we are all living longer! Check out these statistics that prove me right.
According to information from Steven Reinberg of HealthDayNews: "With two-thirds of U.S. adults overweight or obese, the number of people with type 2 diabetes continues to rise while their ages at the time of diagnosis drops, a new study finds. In the late 1980s and early '90s, the average age of an adult diagnosed with type 2 diabetes was 52, but now people are being diagnosed in their middle 40s. " And, according to a graph from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), in 2005 there were 1.5 million people over the age of 20 diagnosed with diabetes." But, almost all, 1.3 million people, were over the age of 40! Now, 3 years later, the number of Type 2 is increasing dramatically. There are many more type 2 adult diabetics in the diabetes population than Type 1 insulin dependent diabetes.
According to Arthritis Pain Self Help, there are 16 million sufferers of various forms of arthritis in the US, 8 million in the UK and 3 million in Australia, with an average age of 45, that are using arthritis drugs and pain relievers.
So, I have to conclude that it is purely coincidental that most diabetics have arthritis. I would love to see what the average age was of the people in the Arthritis-Diabetes Study. I bet they were over 40. It would be interesting to find out.
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Focus Express Mail Pharmacy Inc. of Horsham,PA donated more than $25,000 in pedometers, educational materials, programs, and grant money to the Haverford School District elementary schools to kick off Peds for Prevention, a program to increase children's physical activity and healthy food choices. Each elementary school participated in a walking program sponsored by the company and raised money for the district's Education Foundation. Focus Express also donated $3,000 for health and wellness initiatives to the three top performing schools.
Pictured above, walking the final 2000 Steps on April 26, 2008 in foreground are Greg Vitali (PA State Representative), Nick Braccia (Focus President), Ellen Fisher (President of The Haverford Township School District Education Foundation) and Joel Shpigel R.Ph. (Focus CEO) along with the hundreds of children and parents who participated.
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So So there's been a study that shows that people who live in neighborhoods where there are more fast food restaurants have higher rates of diabetes and obesity. Is it me or is that a no brainer?And, what's more, this rate increase goes across all racial lines, all ethnic lines, AND all income lines!
The study found obesity rates to be 20% higher in neighborhoods with five or more times as many fast-food outlets as produce vendors, compared with those with three or fewer and Diabetes rates were 23% higher! That's quite significant. It's been suggested that all restaurants post caloric and nutritional content for all of their food like what New York was just mandated to do. That's ok but I have a better idea. Why doesn't someone set up a MAXIMUM healthy caloric content figure per sandwich, snack, side order, etc and if a food goes over that, a CAUTION NOTICE must be posted and/or printed on wrappers or boxes of take out food saying the following:
CAUTION: THIS FOOD IS OVER THE RECOMMENDED CALORIC INTAKE LEVEL PER MEAL AND REPEATED INGESTION MAY LEAD TO OBESITY AND/OR DIABETES.
Kind of similar to a label on a package of cigarettes. Nah, it won't work.
People still smoke and that can lead to CANCER!
(Picture from http://www.obesity-experts.com/Fast-Food-Obesity.html)
It's a connection that wouldn't surprise Dr. Ulysses Magalang, a sleep expert with Ohio State University Medical Center. He says that depriving your body of oxygen often takes its toll.
"We do not know whether sleep apnea actually causes diabetes. What we do know is that patients with sleep apnea have an increased insulin resistance, which is a hallmark of patients with diabetes," says Magalang.
Dr. Magalang also says that "obesity is a common risk factor for both diabetes and sleep apnea, and fat cells seem to function similarly in both. Studies have shown that wearing airflow masks at night can prevent problems with those fat cells. The problem is, getting patients to wear them."
Research will continue to see if, in fact, there is a direct link between sleep apnea and diabetes.
It seems like everyone I know goes to a gym or participates in some type of regular exercise program. For most of us, that just means doing a little stretching and then off you go to the weight room, treadmill, elliptical etc. But for those people with diabetes, a lot of thought and preparation should be done before exercising. Exercise will lower blood sugar, and since insulin is more effective during exercise, a dangerous drop in blood sugar can occur.
The University of Michigan Health System offers these tips for people with diabetes to maintain healthy blood sugar levels when exercising:
1. Check your blood sugar before and after exercise -- and during if you can -- and record your results.
2. If you are going to exercise strenuously, make sure you eat a meal first.
3. Keep snacks -- especially some with sugar -- on hand when you exercise.
4. Talk to your doctor about possibly adjusting your insulin dose for exercise.
5. Don't inject insulin into a part of the body that will be strenuously used during exercise, as it will absorb more quickly. For example, if you will run, inject your abdomen instead of your leg.
And here's a tip from me: if you're just starting to exercise, don't overdo it. Gradually increase your time on cardio equipment and gradually increase your weights for weight training. Good Luck!
I have a question.
How can you have a story about higher rates of diabetes and obesity in New York than elsewhere and have a banner ad for Dunkin Donuts smack in the middle? Ok, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt because I understand how "key words" in stories trigger certain advertisers on websites but I just don't think it's right that just after the AP writer states that "health officials say a big reason for the gain is sugary sodas and sweetened drinks which add a lot of calories", a banner ad for Dunkin Donuts appears, Check it out for yourself. You may not see it right away because the ad alternates with other advertisers but it's there. Believe me. I printed it out. It may not cause the obesity and diabetes rate to increase but it sure doesn't help.
APRIL 30, 2008 UPDATE: The ad is no longer there but the article is. We'll keep checking to see if it comes back! JDS
Vitamin D supplements in early childhood may ward off the development of type 1 diabetes in later life, reveals a research review published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. MORE.
Randy Jackson, of American Idol, is holding a casting call for people living with Type 2 diabetes. Randy has partnered with the American Heart Association to speak on behalf of The Heart of DiabetesTM, a national campaign to help those living with type 2 diabetes manage the disease and learn about its connection to cardiovascular disease (CVD). He also has some tips that he wants to share that have helped him manage his own diabetes and lead a healthier life.MORE......
My wife and I are both "dog people". We have three Airedale terriers, all of whom were "rescued". But as much as we love our dogs and think that they're special, there is another class of dogs who perform some very important and possibly life saving functions.
We all have seen dogs who have been trained to help people who are blind or dogs who help those who have lost their hearing. Now there are specially trained dogs who can identify low blood sugar in humans. According to the website www.dogs4diabetics.com, these dogs can detect "subtle scent changes that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) creates in body chemistry, changes undetectable to their human companions."
Hypoglycemia can have some very scary consequences. Our brain needs a steady supply of sugar (glucose), because it doesn't store or manufacture its own energy supply. If glucose levels become too low, as occurs with hypoglycemia, the following symptoms can occur:
Another program, www.allpurposecanines.com , trains dogs who can detect BOTH low and high blood glucose levels. They say that "a strong team concept is essential to the success of a service dog partnership. Parents, family members, healthcare professionals and educators all have important roles to ensure the team's success." Is their program successful? They are "especially proud of the 100% success rate with this program."
In an article in the March 2008 issue of Diabetes Forecast, "what is uncanny is the reliabilty" of these dogs. Trainers at Dogs for Diabetics in Concord, California say that these trained dogs are "right 90% of the time".And what's more, some have "the ability to sense a dangerous drop in blood glucose BEFORE the drop occurs."
From my years of helping people who have diabetes, I think the most important and critical time to know when a blood sugar drop occurs is during sleep. For example, If too much insulin is given before bedtime, a hypoglycemic event may occur during sleep, and the person with diabetes would not be awake to react and treat the symptoms. A Diabetes "Scentry" Dog could save this person's life.
In a given day:
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.
"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:
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.
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
A new study shows that diabetes and Alzheimer s diseases are more related than everybody thought. According to Suzanne M. de la Monte,a Rhode Island Hospital neuropathologist and professor of pathology at Brown University Medical School ,insulin disappears early and dramatically in Alzheimer's disease and many of the unexplained features of Alzheimer's, such as cell death and tangles in the brain, appear to be linked to abnormalities in insulin signaling. MORE......
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.....
As seen on MedGadget. com, the European Space Agency is reporting that technology originally developed for its space program has now been used to create the insulin pump of the future: one that you can wear on your wrist!.German student Nicole Schmiedel has come up with a design for a fashionable looking "wristwatch" that contains an innovative ultra-light insulin pump to help people with type 1 diabetes. For more, click here...
Dr. Neal Barnard claims that the approach of the American Diabetes Association and its diet is all wrong when it comes to preventing and treating diabetes. In his new book, Dr. Barnard comes up with an alternative that may be much more effective at preventing, treating and even reversing diabetes Click here for more
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