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

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.

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 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a study suggesting that eating as little as one serving a day of red meat increases your risk of type 2 diabetes. Taken from dietary surveys of more than 200,000 participants in the Harvard Nurses’ Health and the Health Professionals Follow-up studies,Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said  "we found that one serving per day of processed meat like a hot dog or sausage was associated with a 50 percent increased risk of diabetes compared with people who ate processed meat less than once a month." (Unprocessed meats in the diet led to a 20 percent increased risk)

Dr. Hu suggested the following:

• The high iron content of red meat can increase inflammatory chemicals, which can destroy insulin-producing beta cells.
• The nitrates in processed meats may also be toxic to beta cells, which could explain why processed meats contributed even more to risk
• Last, those who ate the most red meat also tended to eat fewer fruits and vegetables and were more likely to smoke and be obese.

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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.

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

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

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

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 New research has discovered enzymes in maple syrup that may help inhibit Type 2 diabetes. "Our study took it to a different level," said Dr. Navindra Seeram,  a University of Rhode Island natural product chemist. "We did this large scale, and took a large quantity of maple syrup and found 54 phenolics (plant compounds) of which 40 were being reported from maple syrup for the first time." 
 More studies will be needed to determine if an effective drug can be produced.

All of the above sounds great, right? Well, just as an FYI ,  the study was funded by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.  I think I would embrace the results more if the funding came from a different source.  If a drug is produced in the near future, I'll feel better about the reason for the research.

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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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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. 

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A new European study has shown that obese people have large amounts of the chemokine molecule CXCL5, produced by certain cells in fatty tissue, and it is this molecule that  researchers feel will cause an obese person to develop Type II Diabetes.

'Chronic inflammation of the adipose tissue, which is characteristic of obese people, is a crucial stage in the development of insulin resistance and Type II Diabetes", Lluis Fajas, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in France, said.

 Serum levels of CXCL5, produced by certain adipose tissue cells, appear at much high levels in the tissues of obese people than in those of individuals with normal weight. An experimental treatment aimed at inhibiting the action of CXCL5 has protected obese mice from developing Type II Diabetes. If this can be shown in humans, an important step to prevent diabetes in obese people will have been taken.

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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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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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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."

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

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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......

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