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

As seen in the latest issue of UPDATE from Independence Blue Cross, here are 7 changes that you can make in your life  that may help prevent diabetes:

1. Understand your risk factors. These include obesity, family history of diabetes, hypertension, a low HDL cholesterol level, being over the age of 45, etc
2. Take a diagnosis of pre-diabetes seriously .
3. Get at least 7 hours of sleep .
4. Lose weight. This is THE most important lifestyle change to reduce your risk.
5. Eat Right.
6. Stay Active.
7. Stop Smoking.

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In a recent Stanford University study,  researchers found that obese men with diabetes had a distinct group of antibodies against cellular proteins that were not present in a group of obese men who did NOT have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes therefore, like Type 1, may also be an autoimmune disease, but the immune system's target cells are different,

"We are in the process of redefining one of the most common diseases in America as an autoimmune disease, rather than a purely metabolic disease," Daniel Winer, endocrine pathologist now at the University of Toronto, said in a statement. "This work will change the way people think about obesity, and will likely impact medicine for years to come as physicians begin to switch their focus to immune-modulating treatments for Type 2 diabetes."

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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.

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New research is adding another reason why some people have large waistlines. Scientists say that excessive bacteria in the stomach caused by a lack of the TLR5 (Toll-Like Receptor 5) protein may be the culprit.

TLR5 guards against an overgrowth of bacteria in the intestines. If you remove TLR5, the intestines will be overgrown with an excessive amount of pathogens.  Inflammation will occur making the cells less sensitive to insulin.  And, If the cells become resistant to insulin, the glucose  will continue to circulate, causing high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.

Recently, it has been discovered that probiotics, also known as “healthy” bacteria, can manipulate the balance of the microflora in the intestine by reducing the growth of “harmful” bacteria. and therefore may play a role in fighting obesity and controlling inflammation.

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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.

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Insulin, a  hormone that is produced by the pancreas in the body, helps the body utilize glucose properly. Proper amounts of insulin prevent  hyperglycemia and the complications of diabetes.

However, new research has shown that high amounts of insulin may be harmful. Researchers  have found that women with the highest levels of insulin were 50 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than women who had the lowest insulin levels.
 

Among these women, the influence of insulin on breast cancer risk was quite high," says lead author Marc Gunter, Ph.D. of the Albert Einstein School of Medicine at Yeshiva University, New York City and assistant professor of epidemiology and population health. "Women with the highest insulin levels in their blood were more than two times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with the lowest insulin levels." Moreover, "when we controlled for insulin, the association between obesity and breast cancer became much weaker," Dr. Gunter says. "This means that a large component of that obesity-cancer relationship may be mediated by insulin levels

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Do want to remember your wedding anniversary next year? Go on a diet!

The first link between calorie-restricted diets and improved memory in people was seen in a study published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Although the study was small, involving 50 people ages 50 to 72 who ranged from normal weight to overweight, the calorie-restricted group averaged 20 percent improvement in memory performance. The other groups showed no significant change.

Dr. Agnes Flöel, of the University of Münster in Germany, and a researcher in the study, said the memory improvement might be linked to a decrease in insulin and inflammation in the calorie-restricted participants, who lost four to seven pounds.

In my opinion, maybe those who lost weight had better blood flow to the brain and therefore more nourishment and oxygen helped memory.

In either case,  if you want to do well on Jeopardy or remember your kid's birthday or recall all of the words to the Star Spangled Banner, go on a diet and lose weight. You may feel better as well!

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A recent  study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that over the next 4 decades,  the number of adults 40 and older with diabetic retinopathy— the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults — will reach 16 million in 2050, up from 5.5 million in 2005. People with diabetic retinopathy ,which is damage to the small blood vessels in the retina, usually do not have symptoms until they actually start to lose vision. As a result, many skip the recommended annual eye exams.The study further states that elderly Hispanics and blacks will be hit hardest because of their higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes.

Dr. Jinan B. Saaddine, an epidemiologist at the disease centers and an author of the study. said that “This calls for more awareness and more action, not just to do something about the condition before it develops but to do more to PREVENT DIABETES to start with.”

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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.

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