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

 

Just because little Jimmy or Judy has Diabetes, doesn't mean that they have to skip Halloween.“They can enjoy Halloween and enjoy some of the sweets the holiday offers — within reason,” says Kenneth McCormick, M.D., pediatric endocrinologist and senior scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center. “We give parents and kids three options and let them decide how they want to handle Halloween and the sweets that come with it.”

Tip 1: Count Carbs- By counting carbs, kids can enjoy some of the treats Halloween has to offer. Moderation, though is key.  The child should be monitored as to how many carbs they are eating and should take one unit of insulin for every 15 or 20 grams of carbohydrates. “This is an easy option for kids on an insulin pump because they can just dial in an extra dose of insulin to compensate for what they are about to eat. But for kids that take shots, this could prove to be more difficult or inconvenient if they have to go to the school nurse for an extra dose,” McCormick says.

Tip 2: Exchange candy- “Parents can trade gifts, money, or low carb snack for their child's candy. Parents also can provide a substitute snack for their child if a Halloween party at school is an issue,” McCormick says. “We have been advising parents to do this for many, many years, and it is a solution that continues to work.”

Tip 3: Save for dessert- McCormick says kids can savor their Halloween treats without an extra shot or dose of insulin by having them for dessert after dinner. “By incorporating a sugary treat into meal time, when a child would normally get a dose of insulin, it eliminates the need for adding doses to their regimen.”

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

New drug Juvisync combines Merck's diabetes pill Januvia with the popular cholesterol drug Zocor. Patients with both diabetes and high cholesterol are at increased risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and other chronic conditions

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

October is American Pharmacist Month and in honor of that, I'd like to remind everyone how important your pharmacist can be; both in the prevention of Diabetes as well as in helping people manage their Diabetes. Pharmacist Services can include:

• Nutrition and Diet Counseling
• Exercise Instruction
• Blood Glucose Monitoring Advice
• Medication Therapy Management
• Healthy Behavior Management
• Guidance in skin care, foot care, dental care, eye care, proper injection technique, etc.

Studies have shown that when a pharmacist is involved in the management and self-care of patients with Diabetes,  both test results and patient outcomes improved. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

Being a  pharmacist for many years means that I've been "trained" to eat quickly,  before a patient walked into the store. Furthermore, a long time pharmacy "myth" is "if you want people to walk into the store, order a hot meal."  Other than causing a little indigestion, eating fast hasn't bothered me. But now, a new study suggests that fast eaters have a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

According to the Japanese study, people who eat food quickly  are twice as likely to develop impaired glucose tolerance, known as pre-diabetes. In impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), blood glucose levels are higher than usual,  but not high enough to cause diabetes. However, without proper treatment, 40 to 50 per cent of people with IGT will develop Type 2 Diabetes within ten years. One theory is that eating quickly increases postprandial blood glucose, the amount of sugar in the blood soon after eating.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

A recent study of more than 1,000 men and women over age 60  found that people with diabetes were twice as likely as the other study participants to develop Alzheimer's disease within 15 years. They were also 1.75 times more likely to develop dementia of any kind.

"It's really important for the [public's] health to understand that diabetes is a significant risk factor for all of these types of dementia," says Rachel Whitmer, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in the research division of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a nonprofit health-care organization based in Oakland, California

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 Researchers associated with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that the presence of diabetes increased the 10-year risk of thyroid cancer by 25% among adults 50 to 71 years old. Women were at a particularly high risk.

No one is quite sure why there is a connection although both diseases are endocrine disorders and are linked to autoimmune problems.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

Well, It seems that all of us here in the  Philly area are in the crosshairs of Hurricane Irene as it slowly moves up the east coast of the U.S. . Since this type of thing rarely happens to us here in the NorthEast, I thought it may be a good idea to mention some items on the FDA Hurricane Preparedness Checklist  that would be important to people with Diabetes. It is of utmost importance to read the entire list as well!

1. Drugs Exposed to Water

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I try to learn something new everyday. I knew that the sweetener Fructose was not good for most people and especially people with Diabetes. I just didn't know how bad it was. Here are some facts from Dietician Joan Endyke and others who ask if YOU knew the following regarding Fructose:

• As opposed to other sugars, fructose is metabolized in the liver, converted to triglycerides (fat) and sent to the bloodstream, causing triglyceride levels to rise and  increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
• Fructose  diminishes the effects of leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite,  leading to overeating, weight gain and belly fat.
• Excessive fructose can lead to gout. 
• Sucrose, better known as table sugar, contains 50% fructose
• Commonly used sweetners like molasses, honey, apple & grape juice concentrates all contain at least 50% fructose.
• Pepsi, Coke, and Sprite contain "Really High Fructose Corn Syrup" (RHFCS) with 65% fructose. These results were  recently published in the journal Obesity and easily explains why consuming large amounts of soft drinks can also  lead to diabetes and heart disease.
• There is growing evidence that excess fructose consumption may lead to insulin resistance and eventually Type 2 Diabetes.

To everyone, eat healthy, excercise daily , and read the labels on your food. Avoid foods containing high amounts of fructose.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

Hearing loss  is more than twice as common in people with diabetes than in people without the condition, according to an analysis of 13 studies. However, no cause and effect was found when Japanese researchers pooled the results of studies involving nearly 8,800 people with hearing impairment, of whom more than 1,000 had diabetes, and 23,839 people without hearing impairment, of whom nearly 2,500 had diabetes.

It’s unknown why hearing loss is more common among people with diabetes, but most researchers believe that damage to the blood vessels is the main culprit, according to Pamela D. Parker, MD, of the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Ariz.. Autopsy studies of diabetes patients have shown that high blood sugar levels have damaged small blood vessels of the inner ear making it more difficult to hear.

For me, I just  wonder what the AGES were of those who had Diabetes and Hearing Loss? As we age, of course, the ability to hear decreases gradually and significantly. It would be interesting to see how age, diabetes, and hearing loss are related.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema, a swelling of the retina that occurs in people  who suffer from diabetes retinopathy, have experienced significant  and prolonged sight improvement with injections of Roche's Lucentis. In fact,  better than 50% of the patients with DME who received monthly injections of Lucentis over 2 years improved so significantly that they would qualify for a driver's license in most states! Currently, Lucentis is indicated for wet age-related macular degeneration.

"This is a real game changer. This can give you a rapid prolonged improvement of vision and it's sustained for at least two years," Dr. David Boyer, who presented the data on Tuesday at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting in San Diego, said in a telephone interview.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The Mercy Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center, a National Healing Corporation Wound Healing Center, offers these exercise tips:

• Before starting an exercise program, talk with your health care professional regarding the presence of vascular complications that could worsen with exercise and orthopedic or musculoskeletal conditions that may exempt certain exercises.

• Check your blood glucose before and after exercise to learn how your body responds. Those at risk for low blood glucose should have a source of carbohydrates nearby while exercising.

• Since dehydration is often an issue with diabetes, it is important to drink water early and frequently when exercising.

• For diabetics with reduced sensation, prolonged walking, jogging, using a treadmill and step exercises are not recommended. Instead, try swimming, bicycling, rowing, chair and arm exercises and other non-weight bearing activities.

• Proper footwear is essential. The use of silica gel or air midsoles as well as polyester or cotton/polyester socks will help prevent blisters and keep feet dry.

• The American College of Sports Medicine has demonstrated that resistance training can improve insulin sensitivity to about the same extent as aerobic exercise. The American Diabetes Association recommends that exercising with weights is acceptable for younger individuals but not recommended for older people with long-standing diabetes.

• There are many ways to increase physical activity besides formal exercise, such as: gardening, housecleaning and even marching in place or walking around the house during TV commercial breaks.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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."



 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

An international study has determined that the diet a woman follows during pregnancy can actually alter the DNA of the baby in the womb.  The study, published in the journal Diabetes, showed that by eating LOW levels of carbohydrates during pregnancy,  bits of DNA changed, resulting in children that were not only fatter, but  who also had a higher risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes later in life.

 Dr. Peter Gluckman of the Liggins institute at Auckland University said that "Children with a high degree of this epigenetic change, caused by the diet,  were about three kilograms heavier than their peers by the time they were aged six to nine."  ''That's a hell of a lot of extra weight at that age,'' he said, adding that the extra fat was likely to be carried into adulthood, raising the chances of diabetes and heart disease.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

Wrist circumference size may predict which children are at risk for insulin resistance, which in turn is a risk factor for heart disease.

Results from a recent study show that large wrist sizes in adolescents are associated with high insulin levels which means an individual may go on to develop insulin resistance, a condition in which the body does not respond properly to the hormone.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

      

Two recent studies have linked deficiencies in Magnesium and Potassium to an increase in the prevalence of Diabetes.

The first study, done in Brazil,  found that those patients with lower fasting and after-meal blood glucose levels had higher blood magnesium levels while those patients with higher fasting glucose levels had lower blood magnesium levels and higher urine levels of magnesium. 

According to the author of "The Magnesium Miracle", Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD ,ND, "Magnesium plays a pivotal role in the secretion and function of insulin; without it, diabetes mellitus is inevitable. Measurable magnesium deficiency is common in diabetes and in many of its complications, including heart disease, eye damage, high blood pressure, and obesity. When the treatment of diabetes includes magnesium, these problems are prevented or minimized."

 In the second study, lower potassium levels in the blood may help explain why African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

According to  Hsin-Chieh “Jessica” Yeh, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an author of the study, which appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "We now know lower serum potassium is an independent risk factor for diabetes and that African-Americans have, on average, lower potassium levels than whites. What remains to be seen is if increasing potassium levels through diet or supplementation can prevent the most common form of diabetes.”

 

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

  

James Perfield, a University of Missouri researcher, has, found that a specific plant oil, known as sterculic oil, may be able to reduce belly fat in humans. Belly fat leads to serious medical problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke. Sterculic oil is extracted from seeds of the Sterculia foetida tree.

Dr Perfield adds"This research paves the way for potential use in humans."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona are developing a new type of self-monitoring blood glucose sensor that would measure glucose in tear fluid,   Testing may give an indication of glucose levels in the blood as accurately as a test using a blood sample, the researchers said.

"This new technology might encourage patients to check their blood sugars more often, which could lead to better control of their diabetes by a simple touch to the eye," said Jeffrey T. LaBelle, the designer of the device technology. (ANI)

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies 15 states in the US that make up the Diabetes Belt.

The study concludes that about 12 per cent of the people living in the “belt” have diabetes as opposed to 8.5 percent "outside the belt."The CDC’s  Lawrence E. Barker stated that a major contributor to the disease may be the culture and variations in preference of people’s diets.In the diabetes belt, almost 23.8% of the population comprised non-Hispanic African-Americans, whereas it was 8.6% for the rest of the nation. The region had more adults aged 65 and over and a greater number of African-American residents, a group, which is at a higher risk for diabetes.

Do you live in the "Diabetes Belt"?

Check out this video!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

New research by the University of Cambridge in Britain says that having diabetes at 50 may reduce a person’s life expectancy by an average of six years.

The research suggests that a  person with diabetes is more than twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease as someone without diabetes and 25% more likely to die of cancer. People with Type 2 diabetes are also more likely to die from kidney disease, liver disease, pneumonia, infectious diseases and even intentional self-harm, according to the study,

 In light of the rapidly expanding incidence of diabetes in the United States, where an estimated 25.8 million Americans have diabetes, this research shows how important and vital it is to PREVENT diabetes.

Researchers knew that diabetes could shorten lifespan, "but this really says how many years of life may be lost and to what causes," said Dr. David M. Kendall, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Assn., who was not involved in the study.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

 

Because  this month is National Diabetes Month and this Sunday, November 14th is World Diabetes Day, NOW is a good time to think about the current "state of affairs: concerning what is probably the biggest health issue in this country: Diabetes.

Here's the Good:

• In the lab of Dr. Pere Santamaria at the University of Calgary,  researchers developed a vaccine that successfully reversed insulin dependent diabetes in mice. Most importantly,  only those immune cells that were responsible for destroying the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.were targeted by the vaccine. Hopefully, we will see testing done on humans in the near future..

• Although it is probably years away from market, the first closed loop artificial pancreas system was officially tested with positive results.

• Pedro Herrera, at the University of Geneva Medical School, and his team found that the adult pancreas can actually regenerate alpha cells into functioning beta cells. Other researchers have been able to "reprogram" other cells in the body into beta cells,

Here's The Bad:

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

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!! 

Place your entry!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

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!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

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.”

 

 

 

 

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

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!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

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.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 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. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

 

 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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 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.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

1.  Diabetes will make you less of a man. Testosterone deficiency is common among men with diabetes. In addition, diabetes promotes erectile dysfunction by damaging the blood vessels and nerves that control erections. Typically, men with diabetes develop erectile dysfunction 10 to 15 years earlier than men without the condition.
2.  It might well blind you and snatch a limb as well. Diabetes, which damages the capillaries that nourish the retina, is the leading cause of new cases of blindness. And vascular damage often affects the feet; more than 60 percent of nontraumatic lower limb amputations occur in people with diabetes.
3.  It will probably mess with your mind. Studies show that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than people without the problem.
4. There's a good chance it will kill you. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates two to four times as high as adults without diabetes.
5. There are some ways to foil diabetes short of medication. Unlike many diseases, such as cancer or Alzheimer's, there's a lot that you can do to avoid the symptoms. The most important: Keep your blood glucose levels under control by eating and exercising right. Choose a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat foods, and get at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week.
6. Monitoring yourself is key. Finally, make sure to see a doctor regularly for checks of your glucose and cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Many complications of diabetes are preventable
    

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

 

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:

• Foot infections
• Chronic skin infections
• Gum disease and tooth loss
• Vision problems 
• Heart disease and blood circulation problems

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

                                                                                  

 

            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.

 

 

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

 

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."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 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.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 

         

 

"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

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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".

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 Novo Nordisk has submitted a new drug application to the FDA in the U.S., for the approval of liraglutide, a once-daily human GLP-1 analogue, for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

So you don't like taking those big Metformin tablets because they're hard to swallow, taste awful, and what's more, they really do major damage to your stomach. Well, there may be an alternative sometime in the near future. Now in the testing phase, a chewing-gum product, called MetControl, will be given to 36 volunteer patients to test its speed and efficacy compared with that of immediate-release metformin pills according to the manufacturer, Generex Biotechnology Corporation of Toronto, Canada. Generex believes that metformin in good-tasting chewing gum would make it more acceptable to  patients and thereby increase adherence with diabetes therapy. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

"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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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)

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 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!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

In a project described in the March/April Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, employers in 10 U.S. cities agreed to waive copays for employees’ diabetes meds, and to fund regular meetings between pharmacists and diabetic employees. A year after the project launched, 914 patients who had been enrolled for at least three months ....MORE

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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......

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

     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:

• Confusion,abnormal behavior, or both, such as the inability to complete routine tasks.
• Visual disturbances, such as double vision and blurred vision.
• Seizures or loss of consciousness can occur but are uncomon.

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.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.

 

 

 

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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......

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.....

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

According to Kusum Jain, when the life of your dog is on the line, vets will not quibble over the use of “signs” for “symptoms”, but when they talk to you about “signs of Diabetes”, at least you know exactly what they mean. The flashing red neon signs of Diabetes in your dog are..MORE

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

According to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, increasing numbers and percentages of Americans older than 65 having diagnosed diabetes is growing fast, which together with reducing death rates and lack of improvement in treating side effects, is contributing significantly to the growing burden of paying for and providing their medical care. MORE......

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

WEB-MD   Caffeine makes it hard for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar, new studies suggest. In the latest of these studies, Duke University researcher James D. Lane, Ph.D.,  MORE......

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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.....

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

According to Emilie LeBeau in the Chicago Tribune, among fiber's substantial benefits are weight control, lower cholesterol and diabetes prevention.
Adding fiber to your daily diet can be as simple as switching from processed to fresh foods. For people who avoid grains,fruits such as apples, berries, oranges, pears and prunes are high in fiber. Vegetables such as beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots and peas also are high in fiber. More......

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 According to United Press International, Canadian researchers have discovered specialized T-cells lose their effectiveness over time in some people, leading to the onset of type 1 diabetes.

T-cells suppress and regulate the body's immune responses, but in diabetes mellitus, or type 1 diabetes, the body's own immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. Patients must thereafter inject insulin daily.

"The genetic and cellular mechanisms by which the immune system goes out of control and destroys the islets has been an enigma and an area of great interest over the last few decades," said Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo of McGill University, one of the study's authors. "For the last several years, it's been postulated that non-functional regulatory T-cells are the critical mechanism, and this study proves it."

The research was conducted on mice that were genetically engineered to model human diabetes. Piccirillo and colleagues discovered the functional potency of T-cells in the mice declined with age, leaving autoimmune responses in the pancreas unchecked. Piccirillo said that finding could lead to the development of immune system-based therapies for a range of diseases.

The study appears in the journal Diabetes.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The first  FDA approved consumer test to evaluate diabetes risk will be marketed exclusively in the United States by Glycemion, Inc. The BIOSAFE Diabetes Risk Assessment is a two-part process comprised of an immediate fasting glucose reading and a mail-in laboratory analysis for hemoglobin A1c, a blood glucose marker for the previous ninety-day period. More......

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Insulin pumps, about the size of a beeper, deliver to people with diabetes the potential for a more healthful life. Jeffrey Weiss of the Dallas Morning News wears an insulin pump and explains why he thinks it's a good idea in "simple terms" and why it's important to understand Type 1 diabetes. More....

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Daily care of your diabetes is hard enough when you're "well". Having  those miserable cold or flu symptoms makes it that much more difficult. The ADA (American Diabetes Association) has some tips for you to follow this cold and flu season. More.....

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

A new study indicates that by decreasing prescription co-payments,  increased
adherence to drug therapy results for patients with chronic diseases like diabetes.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

An increased intake of legumes like peanuts and soybeans could reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by 38%, reports researchers in this month's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.The dietary habits of over 64,000 women were assessed and correlated with the development of type-2 diabetes over about five years. More.......

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 Smoking, already known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, also increases the risk  of developing type 2 diabetes by 44% when compared to nonsmokers, Swiss researchers found. More.....

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Japan's biggest drugmaker, sought U.S. approval to sell alogliptin as a once-daily treatment for type-2 diabetes, it said in a statement today. If approved, it will be the Osaka- based company's first new medicine released in the U.S. in more than two years. More...

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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...

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

According to an article in ScienceAlert.com. and published in the October 4, 2007 issue of the well known medical journal, Cell Metabolism, scientists from The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, have identified an enzyme that is active during diabetes and also blocks the availability of insulin. Click here for more

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

In Diabetes Today magazine, which is published by the American Diabetes Association, there is a great article titled Overweight Kids Show Heart Risks As Teens. The article is based on an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2007 study which states:

“that overweight and obese 8-year-olds were seven-times more likely than their thinner peers to have multiple heart disease risk factors at the age of 15. These risks included high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels and elevations in blood sugar and insulin, a blood-sugar-regulating hormone.”
This is just another reminder of how important it is to safeguard our children and teach them good eating and exercise habits early in life. For more,click here....

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

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

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Diabetes humor site is forerunner in patient laugh therapy.  According to Chris Sparling, that's the prevailing sentiment over at the popular humor website LOL Diabetes.  Click here.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link