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If you've been reading my articles for a while, you may remember that my oldest son has drug addiction issues-http://diabeteshealth.com/read/2011/07/10/7206/a-brand-new-bottle-of-my-insulin-went-missing/. We have tried everything to keep him on the right path. Sadly, his path ended him in prison. While I'm devastated on one hand, I'm grateful on the other. He is safer there than on the street because he is not on drugs.
3 comments - Posted Apr 24, 2014
A Reader Asks: How Do We Prove We Have Insurance?
0 comments - Posted Apr 23, 2014
As diabetics, we have a funny attitude toward Endocrinologists. We're so familiar with our diseases that we feel we don't really need them to manage things on a daily basis, and yet we do need them since we can't write our own prescriptions for medications. Once we know as much as doctors -- or sometimes even more -- we become frustrated with the tedious process of seeing them every three months for an obligatory progress report. Though it pains me to say this, as much as we feel we don't need to see doctors, they are essential to our overall well being.
2 comments - Posted Apr 22, 2014
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 10, 2014 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a "Closeout" letter to Prodigy Diabetes Care to formally conclude the regulatory action that resulted in a Warning Letter on February 22, 2013.
0 comments - Posted Apr 21, 2014
If you are unfamiliar with the code language 420, it's a sub-culture of people who observe and describe themselves as cannabis users.
1 comment - Posted Apr 20, 2014
1 comment - Posted Apr 19, 2014
NFL fans were stunned when football legend Reggie White - known as the Minister of Defense throughout his career with the Green Bay Packers - died in 2004 at the age of 43 from issues related to obstructive sleep apnea.
0 comments - Posted Apr 18, 2014
While experts have long said a Mediterranean diet is beneficial for both a healthy heart and healthy weight, a recent study affirms research suggesting that it may also lower the risk of developing diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Apr 17, 2014
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as half of all Americans who are alive today will end their lives in nursing homes, although it won't be because their bodies cease to function, but because of their brains.
0 comments - Posted Apr 16, 2014
If you have type 2 diabetes and also suffer from depression, you may want to keep an even closer eye on your kidney health.
0 comments - Posted Apr 15, 2014
There was a time when most people knew their corner pharmacist - like Mr. Gower in It's a Wonderful Life - and visits to the drug store included personal conversations to catch up on neighborhood and news, besides the dispensing of medications.
1 comment - Posted Apr 14, 2014
When the founder of AirFeet insoles was forced to switch jobs after years of brutalizing his body doing construction work, he needed a new path, and his aching back and feet led the way.
0 comments - Posted Apr 13, 2014
The inhaled insulin Afrezza has been recommended for approval by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee.
0 comments - Posted Apr 12, 2014
MUNDELEIN, Ill. (BUSINESS WIRE)-Diabetic foot complications are the largest non-traumatic cause of lower extremity amputations, accounting for nearly 90,000 amputations a year, at a cost of nearly $40,000 per procedure.
0 comments - Posted Apr 11, 2014
For older adults dealing with type 2 diabetes, co-occurring physical problems can make disease management and healthy living a challenge. One of those most challenging-and common- diagnoses is arthritis.
0 comments - Posted Apr 10, 2014
This is not a religious essay, so please don't take the example below wrong.
0 comments - Posted Apr 9, 2014
A University of Sao Paulo study of 135 individuals, half with normal weight and the other half obese, suggests there is a link between obesity and the body's inability to use insulin-insulin resistance.
0 comments - Posted Apr 8, 2014
A study published by the American Diabetes Association says Medicare pays an average of $11,170 for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers while private insurance doles out $16,883 for the same procedure.
0 comments - Posted Apr 7, 2014
There's sweet news for type 2s who have been longing for the taste of sugar without the nasty side effects.
0 comments - Posted Apr 6, 2014
When we visit the hospital, we don't expect to be released with more problems than when we checked in. But that's a very real possibility, according to a sobering new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
0 comments - Posted Apr 5, 2014
Endocrinologists are in a funny position when it comes to people with diabetes. We spend so much time with our diseases that we don't really need them to manage things on a daily basis, but we can't write our prescriptions on our own.
0 comments - Posted Apr 4, 2014
Each year, 186,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and many are the only ones in their family with the disease.
0 comments - Posted Apr 3, 2014
Australia's Generation X population is twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes by a certain as baby boomers had at the same age. A national health survey looked at the Gen X population born between 1966 and 1980 and compared its weight and diet to baby boomers born between 1946-1965. The survey found the rate of obesity was 50 percent higher in Gen X.
0 comments - Posted Apr 2, 2014
A British study of 46,262 people concludes that statin side-effects are minimal. Of all the statins reviewed, rosuvastatin (Crestor) was found to be the most efficient at raising HDL (good cholesterol) levels while fluvastatin was the least likely to cause muscle pain, a common symptom of statin use. Only one in five of the side effects in the test group was caused by statins.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2014
The iPhone is taking a seat at the dinner table.
0 comments - Posted Mar 31, 2014
The FDA wants to take another look at a pill approved in 2006 for control of glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetess. In a trial study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, saxagliptin (brand name Onglyza) was shown to coincide with an increased rate of hospitalization for heart failure of 27 percent compared to type 2s taking a placebo. The FDA has not asked prescribers and patients to stop taking saxagliptin, but to use caution while a review is underway.
0 comments - Posted Mar 30, 2014
Regular, health-focused text messages can prevent type 2 diabetes, according to new research out of India.
0 comments - Posted Mar 29, 2014
A study of state hospitals by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority focusing on medication errors found dispensing insulin to be among the most frequent mistakes made. Twenty percent of patients were given the wrong kind of insulin from the pharmacy, 18.4 percent were given the wrong mix of insulin, and 17.4 percent of the mistakes were from misreading the prescription written by the doctor.
0 comments - Posted Mar 28, 2014
One of the last things we want to hear in a society where most of us work seated at a desk or table is our style of work may be a contributor to the current epidemic obesity.
0 comments - Posted Mar 27, 2014
KANSAS CITY, Kan., PRNewswire/ -- Two Kansas women who took Lipitor to reduce their cholesterol levels and later developed type 2 diabetes have filed lawsuits against Lipitor's maker, Pfizer. The announcement was made by the attorney filing the suit, Robert K. Jenner, who is with the Kansas City, Kan.-based firm of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC.
0 comments - Posted Mar 26, 2014
Today is the American Diabetes Association's 26th Annual Alert Day, when the association reaches out to inform Americans about the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 25, 2014
Damage to hands is not commonly associated with type 2 diabetes. We tend to think of the harm the disease does to feet and legs. But new research from the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance found impairments in dexterity and sensory function in the hands of type 2 diabetes patients. The study marks the first time such results have been documented in that population.
0 comments - Posted Mar 24, 2014
The FDA will delay allowing the type 2 drug empagliflozin to enter the U.S. market until "previously observed deficiencies" at the plant where it is manufactured are fixed.
0 comments - Posted Mar 23, 2014
Ten years ago, I was asked by my endocrinologist to begin using statins to lower my cholesterol. I was barely over 20 years of age and was afraid of possible side or long-term effects. I was nervous about adding yet another drug to my list of daily medications, so I told him I would consider it and went home feeling like a medical disaster. Hello, diabetes complications: We meet again.
0 comments - Posted Mar 22, 2014
Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and reported on by The New York Times, says that sugary foods and excess carbohydrates, not saturated fat, are the main culprits in the build-up of artery-clogging particles.
0 comments - Posted Mar 21, 2014
An interesting study out of Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston ties poor glycemic control--defined as an A1c of 8% or more--to longer hospital stays for non-cardiac surgery.
0 comments - Posted Mar 20, 2014
NEW YORK, PRNewswire--Weight Watchers International, Inc. has announced Weight Watchers for Diabetes, a new program that serves the unique needs of employees with type 2 diabetes by integrating personalized coaching from a certified diabetes educator into Weight Watchers' approach to weight loss and management.
0 comments - Posted Mar 19, 2014
Abbott is voluntarily conducting a recall for the FreeStyle® and the FreeStyle Flash® blood glucose meters. These two meters have not been in production since 2010. Other Abbott Diabetes Care meters are not affected by the recall.
0 comments - Posted Mar 18, 2014
A new kind of long-acting insulin, developed by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, has shown promising results in clinical trials, according to information released by the company.
0 comments - Posted Mar 17, 2014
So, what is it that affects my glucose levels and why is it so hard to manage diabetes? In this case, we're talking type 1 diabetes; mine seems to be extremely stubborn and "brittle" by nature. Honestly, sometimes balancing this chronic condition is downright exhausting. Some days it's a scientific equation, weighed and measured, a standard protocol. Other days, it's a roller coaster, a compounding tidal wave, a boxing match.
0 comments - Posted Mar 16, 2014
For residents of Colorado and Washington state, 2014 brought a profound legal and societal change. Marijuana is now available, legally, in both of those states. While the drug is cleared for medical use elsewhere, and other jurisdictions have decriminalized it, these two states have taken the profound, extra step of full legalization.
0 comments - Posted Mar 15, 2014
Your family can be the most important tool in your arsenal when it comes to preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes or managing existing symptoms.
0 comments - Posted Mar 14, 2014
Generally speaking, I'm not an envious man. It doesn't bother me that some people are richer than I, or have better looks and taste, or can jump out of bed in the morning without grumbling the way I do at a body that takes me 10 minutes to persuade that I want it to work the way I want it to, dammit.
0 comments - Posted Mar 13, 2014
Beginning this month, Aetna and Medtronic, Inc. will work with doctors in a new program to reach up to 300 fully insured members with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes who may improve their health using insulin pump therapy.
0 comments - Posted Mar 12, 2014
Three decades ago, the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Study was just beginning. To mark the anniversary of the most important advancement in diabetes care in most of our lifetimes, I've been recalling how the study came about and what it revealed. In short, the DCCT proved the tight control of type 1 diabetes not only was an achievable goal, but that it prevented or delayed complications.
0 comments - Posted Mar 11, 2014
What do three decades mean to you? In absolute terms, 30 years is a serious amount of time. If you're under the age of 40, for example, it's the vast majority of your life. But in the world of medical research, where studies can take many years to complete--and even longer to affect everyday practice--three decades can go by surprisingly quickly.
0 comments - Posted Mar 10, 2014
A recent New York Times article reports that researchers have found a rare mutation that reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by two thirds, even in obese people.
0 comments - Posted Mar 9, 2014
New York, NY (PRWEB)--More than half of people who have type 1 diabetes or have a family member or close friend with the disease expect a cure to be found in the next 10 years, according to a semi-annual survey conducted by the Juvenile Diabetes Cure Alliance.
0 comments - Posted Mar 8, 2014
For children newly diagnosed with diabetes, the world can suddenly seem a rather solitary place.
0 comments - Posted Mar 7, 2014
Few things are better for us or more difficult to sustain than losing weight. Whatever the cause--genetics, environment, our own bad choices--human bodies can be easily turned into sugar-craving machines. Turning our bodies from that course is easy enough for a week or three, but sustaining weight loss over many months and years is notoriously difficult.
0 comments - Posted Mar 7, 2014
A recent article in Scientific American discusses a synthetic chemical that has extended the lifespan of lab mice by mimicking the effects of a low-calorie diet.
0 comments - Posted Mar 6, 2014
I'm both eager and nervous as I walk through the office doors to my optometrist. I'm kiddishly excited because I'm getting a new pair of frames, which will replace last year's already well used and scuffed glasses. But, I'm also anxious because I will have to face the results of a difficult year in diabetes management.
0 comments - Posted Mar 5, 2014
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that its review of various animal and human studies does not show a link between GLP-1 drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes and pancreatic maladies, including acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
0 comments - Posted Mar 4, 2014
All of us who live with diabetes carry around a quiet dread, one that most of us keep way in the back of our minds: Suffering a hypoglycemic episode or being involved in an accident where we cannot communicate our diabetic status to rescuers or passerby.
0 comments - Posted Mar 3, 2014
There's a quick fix when it's cold outside and you are missing camp. Jaime Yetra, Clara Barton Camp alumna, tackled it recently with a Facebook post requesting that her camp friends post their favorite camp songs. Soon, the page was flooded: "Bananas Unite," "Tarzan," "The Donut Song," "Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe," "Father Abraham" (did you know he had seven seas?). The songs kept coming and coming, along with a warming bit of camp banter.
0 comments - Posted Mar 2, 2014
A total of 182 new drugs to treat diabetes or diabetes-related conditions are currently in clinical trials or undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a report just published by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2014
If there's a common word people with diabetes use when their blood sugar drops or goes high, it's "routine"--as in, "Whenever I get away from my routine, that's when I get into trouble." For most of us, traveling isn't part of our routine, so here are some suggestions to find that sought-after balance between "getting away" and "staying OK."
0 comments - Posted Feb 27, 2014
Medtronic, Inc. has introduced the i-port Advance®, an FDA-cleared injection port device for people with diabetes, to the U.S. market.
0 comments - Posted Feb 26, 2014
Here's a development to keep your eye on: Bariatric surgery performed on a small group of morbidly obese type 1s led to considerable weight loss, improved glycemic control, and improved metabolic profiles up to three years later.
0 comments - Posted Feb 25, 2014
A recent agreement between Zosano Pharma, Inc. and Novo Nordisk could lead to the introduction of a once-weekly drug for type 2s that is administered via a micro-needle patch system.
0 comments - Posted Feb 24, 2014
Blame The Media
0 comments - Posted Feb 23, 2014
This May, the 7th Annual Caring & Sharing Weekend will take place at the Double H Ranch in Lake Luzern, NY. The event, free to participating families, brings together children with diabetes and their parents and siblings (sometimes grandparents, too) to enjoy two days of fun and sharing.
0 comments - Posted Feb 22, 2014
Are you ready for a challenge? Then let's take a trip together--just me, you, and diabetes. Another travel season is upon us, with all of the challenges and frustrations that it entails for those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It might not simple or easy to manage, but it should be rewarding if we handle it right.
0 comments - Posted Feb 21, 2014
Parenthood might have surprisingly beneficial effects for people with type 1 diabetes, according to a new Finnish study. Its analysis of data over four decades shows that people both with and without diabetes who had children died at half the rate of those who didn't have kids over that span of time.
0 comments - Posted Feb 20, 2014
BROOMFIELD, Colo.--MicroBiome TherapeuticsTM has announced positive results from its clinical trial of a microbiome modulator, NM504, in development for type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Feb 19, 2014
(Editor's Note: Sections in italics are citations taken directly from the TSA and American Diabetes Association websites.)
0 comments - Posted Feb 18, 2014
The Neanderthals--Homo sapiens neanderthalensis--entered popular imagination more than 160 years ago when their remains were first discovered in Germany's Neander Valley (thal in German).
0 comments - Posted Feb 17, 2014
As frigid temperatures and unusually snowy conditions over much of the nation continue to keep many Americans indoors, a veteran allergy expert reminds us that staying inside may keep us warm, but also gives us prolonged exposure to four powerful indoor allergens capable of triggering a variety of cold and flu-like symptoms.
0 comments - Posted Feb 16, 2014
Sock It To You
0 comments - Posted Feb 15, 2014
I have always felt that Valentines is a day to say, "I love you," to my friends and family. I deliver this message with a text, or a quick face-time chat, or email, or snail mail--whatever medium I know the recipients use to communicate.
0 comments - Posted Feb 14, 2014
If you use an insulin pump, every now and then you may experience the unfortunate event of watching it send you the message, "No Delivery." You're no longer receiving insulin from your pump.
0 comments - Posted Feb 13, 2014
People with diabetes of any type have experienced a very simple but meaningful truth about the disease: Blood sugar levels affect everything. It's not just about lows and possible complications, either--those numbers can affect your mood and overall health.
0 comments - Posted Feb 12, 2014
I'm sitting in the waiting room for my quarterly doctor's appointment. I've arrived 15 minutes early to fill out the new year's insurance paperwork. I've given myself enough extra time to handle this and still go into my appointment as scheduled. Fifteen minutes go by and I'm still waiting.
0 comments - Posted Feb 11, 2014
Most of us don't expect to face a life-threatening infection when we're being treated at a hospital.
0 comments - Posted Feb 10, 2014
On Friday, the official opening day of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, we featured an interview with Olympic cross-country skier Kris Freeman, a type 1 who is participating in his fourth Olympiad. We thought it would be interesting to delve a little more into Kris's training regimen, including the foods he eats to fuel the high energy demands of his races.
0 comments - Posted Feb 9, 2014
Happy 2014! This year I am going to break down one exercise per month. I will give the option to progress it through three different levels. It will be up to you to make the decision as to which level is best for you.
0 comments - Posted Feb 8, 2014
I remember first seeing Kris Freeman when he was 21 at a diabetes conference. Two years after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Eli Lilly began sponsoring his dream of becoming an Olympic cross-country skier. During his off-season, you can find Kris at diabetes camps inspiring children to follow their dream. He is the only person with diabetes to compete in a winter endurance sports event at the Olympics.
0 comments - Posted Feb 7, 2014
You're at your destination and ready to see what there is to see. The real question is this: Are you ready to walk?
0 comments - Posted Feb 6, 2014
Not only does gastric bypass help patients drop excess weight, it can also lower the risk of a variety of health problems, especially in those with type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Feb 5, 2014
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the expanded use of the Dexcom G4 Platinum Continuous Glucose Monitoring System for patients with diabetes ages 2 to 17 years. The G4 Platinum System, which monitors blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, had been approved for patients ages 18 and older.
0 comments - Posted Feb 4, 2014
Virtually anything from the stress of a long checkout line to the first signs of menopause can trigger hormone imbalances, which reveal themselves through mood swings, fatigue, migraines, memory problems, and a lackluster sex drive.
0 comments - Posted Feb 3, 2014
One of the most debilitating risks of diabetes is peripheral neuropathy, which can impact millions of people each year and often leads to amputation.
0 comments - Posted Feb 2, 2014
With the first few weeks of 2014 done, those with New Year's resolutions to exercise are probably beginning to drop out. After all, how many sub-zero jogs or shaky-legged visits to the gym can one person stand? Not many, that's for sure. But before you abandon that promise altogether, how about another reminder on the usefulness of exercise?
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2014
For people with diabetes of all types, blood pressure is one of the most important health markers. It can be taken quickly and easily, and offers a quick glimpse at cardiovascular health.
0 comments - Posted Jan 31, 2014
The name alone is a mouthful. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors are one of the newest class of drugs meant to treat type 2 diabetes, but you can be forgiven if the name doesn't trip lightly off your tongue. The conspicuously vowel-free abbreviation--SGLT2--isn't much better.
0 comments - Posted Jan 30, 2014
A few months ago, I reached 65, the age at which President Franklin Delano Roosevelt thought Social Security benefits should kick in. In that era, almost 80 years ago, reaching 65 was a fairly hard thing to do, and the number of years past that benchmark one could reasonably expect to enjoy was limited.
0 comments - Posted Jan 29, 2014
Obesity rates are rising steadily across the globe, allowing obesity to surpass hunger as a world health crisis, experts say.
0 comments - Posted Jan 28, 2014
Losing just 10 percent of body weight can be enough for middle-aged women who are overweight or obese to reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease and diabetes--provided that weight loss is sustained--according to the results of a new study.
0 comments - Posted Jan 27, 2014
DiabetesSisters will hold its seventh 2014 Weekend for Women Conference at the Embassy Suite Hotel in Old Town Alexandria, VA, just outside Washington, DC, April 25-27.
0 comments - Posted Jan 26, 2014
As Congress considers cuts to the Food Stamp program, new research suggests that running out of food at the end of the month is a real health risk for those with diabetes, and is linked to an increased risk of being hospitalized for hypoglycemia.
0 comments - Posted Jan 25, 2014
Plainsboro, N.J.--Novo Nordisk has announced the U.S. launch of its NovoPen Echo® insulin delivery device. It is the first and only pen device available in this country with half-unit dosing and a memory function that records the dose and time passed since the last injection.
0 comments - Posted Jan 24, 2014
The Food and Drug Administration is proposing separate guidelines for over-the-counter blood glucose meters compared to those used at the doctor's office or in other healthcare settings.
0 comments - Posted Jan 23, 2014
According to the results of a recent study, the onset of type 2 diabetes may be more closely related to inflammation than previous research has suggested.
0 comments - Posted Jan 22, 2014
A small hand slowly rises at the back of the room. "Yes, in the black shirt," I call out. I can't see the woman; she seems somehow shrunken into herself, a sweater pulled around her so tightly as if she's trying to escape into the fabric. Silence seems to pervade until a small sniffle echoes through the conference room, then suddenly, sobbing-the kind that breaks your heart just hearing it.
0 comments - Posted Jan 21, 2014
Diabetes Health magazine has launched a free Google Play app for Android smartphones and tablets.
0 comments - Posted Jan 20, 2014
A panel of medical experts has recommended that all women be tested for gestational diabetes at 24 weeks into a pregnancy.
0 comments - Posted Jan 19, 2014
Internet search engine giant Google has announced that it developing a "smart contact lens" that uses an embedded chip and antenna to monitor blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 18, 2014
ALEXANDRIA, VA--New legislation to allow independent community pharmacies to provide same-day delivery of diabetes testing supplies to Medicare beneficiaries should be enacted into law, the National Community Pharmacists Association is urging.
0 comments - Posted Jan 17, 2014
DV-100, a drug designed to halt the body's autoimmune attack on pancreatic beta cells that leads to type 1 disease, has won orphan drug status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
0 comments - Posted Jan 16, 2014
One of the scariest moments of my diabetes life, so far, happened recently. Just a few months ago, after an intense cardio workout, I experienced something terrifying. It was so scary, it left me shaking, sobbing, and curled up like a baby in my husband's arms.
0 comments - Posted Jan 15, 2014
I recently interviewed Dr. Leana Wen, a Rhodes Scholar who is an attending physician and Director of Patient-Centered Care Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She is the co-author of "When Doctors Don't Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests," a text she wrote with Joshua Kosowsky, MD. The book arose from their frustration at the number of tests modern medicine seems to require, often with no useful results or help in arriving at a diagnosis.
0 comments - Posted Jan 14, 2014
More than half of adults with type 2 diabetes who are at risk of vision loss from their condition have not been advised by their doctors of the danger.
0 comments - Posted Jan 13, 2014
Living with type 1 diabetes means that you have a different relationship with food than other people. You live your life in between the demanding rituals that happen multiple times a day; before and after a meal or any type of snack.
0 comments - Posted Jan 12, 2014
San Diego-based Tandem Diabetes Care®, Inc. announced Friday that it is voluntarily recalling specific lots of insulin cartridges that are used with the t:slim® Insulin Pump. The affected cartridges may be at risk for leaking.
0 comments - Posted Jan 11, 2014
Two Asian companies--BioLineRx of Israel and JHL Biotech of Taiwan--have agreed to collaborate on the development and marketing of BL-9020, a monoclonal antibody that could become a significant means of treatment for early-stage type 1 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 10, 2014
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the entry of dapagliflozin, a drug for treating type 2 diabetes, into the U.S. market.
0 comments - Posted Jan 9, 2014
Researchers at Western New England University have developed a breathalyzer-like device that can monitor blood glucose levels. Polymers in the breathalyzer react with acetone, a ketone that is produced in people with diabetes when there is a lack of insulin and fat is used as fuel.
0 comments - Posted Jan 8, 2014
I stepped on a piece of glass at home recently. Suddenly I was home alone, hopping around barefoot and worrying (okay, freaking out) about diabetes and my foot.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2014
On the minds of millions these past days are what new year's resolutions we are going to aim for this coming year. Dan Diamond of Forbes.com wrote on New Year's Day 2013 that only 8 percent of resolvers actually achieve their goals by the end of the year.
0 comments - Posted Jan 6, 2014
Researchers have found that the dawn phenomenon, a rise in blood glucose in the early morning hours, affects both people with type 1 and people with type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 5, 2014
Metformin, the cornerstone in treating type 2 diabetes, saw an increase in usage among type 2s from 23 percent of that population in 1997 to 53 percent in 2012. But that increase has since plateaued due to the introduction of additional drugs that target insulin secretion and glucose regulation.
0 comments - Posted Jan 4, 2014
Nipro Diagnostics, Inc. today announced it is initiating a voluntary recall and replacement of a limited number of TRUEbalanceTM and TRUEtrack® Blood Glucose Meters distributed both in and outside the United States.
0 comments - Posted Jan 3, 2014
My mother is a diabetic--something that shouldn't be someone's identifier, but unfortunately it has defined her life. This is my apology to her and to everyone struggling with un-understanding families. This is my account of what it is like from the outside looking in, knowing it is my potential future, and coming to terms with how I wasn't there for my mother.
0 comments - Posted Jan 2, 2014
The Food and Drug Adminsitration, reversing itself on a decision it made in October, has opened the way for a new treatment for diabetic macular edema to reach the U.S. market.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2014
A telephone poll of 1,035 adults just released by CNN/ORC International show that 53 percent of Americans don't hold back from eating Christmas holiday foods and treats, and instead indulge themselves because it's a special time of the year.
0 comments - Posted Dec 31, 2013
Japanese drug maker Takeda, Asia's largest pharmaceutical company, and a major player in the global diabetes medication market, has ceased development of its type 2 drug, TAK-875 (fasiglifam).
0 comments - Posted Dec 30, 2013
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists has released a list of the most frequently searched-for endocrine medical conditions on its patient education website at www.empoweryourhealth.org.
0 comments - Posted Dec 29, 2013
PRNewswire--According to a new market research report, the global continuous glucose monitoring market is projected to reach $568.5 million by 2020--up significantly from the 2012 figure of $194.8 million due to a projected compound annual growth rate of 14.8 percent.
0 comments - Posted Dec 28, 2013
Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk's drug Ryzodeg, which includes two different insulin products, has been shown to significantly lower rates of hypoglycemia and has led to improved blood sugar levels for those with type 2 diabetes compared to those taking a single insulin, according to the results of a new study.
0 comments - Posted Dec 27, 2013
According to several recent polls, the Internet is considered a serious tool for baby boomers when it comes to researching healthcare.
0 comments - Posted Dec 26, 2013
(Editor's Note:This article originally ran in Diabetes Health on January 27, 2008.)
0 comments - Posted Dec 25, 2013
According to a study gauging the benefits of the diet drug Qsymia, those who took the drug not only lost weight, but also saw their A1c levels improve, even if they weren't diabetic.
0 comments - Posted Dec 24, 2013
While most nutritional experts say that eating three meals a day is important to maintaining a steady metabolism, a new study suggests that one meal a day may be a better option for those with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 23, 2013
I've always been of the mentality that the more you help people, the happier you will be. Maybe it's a form of karma that I've attached my beliefs to. Whatever you call it, it's something that I try hard to maintain and include in my daily life.
0 comments - Posted Dec 22, 2013
Despite evening newscasts that rarely skip talk about the increasing number of type 2 diabetes cases, and hard looks at the reasons why, many of those who run a high risk of developing diabetes are oblivious to it, according to the results of a new survey.
0 comments - Posted Dec 21, 2013
Clonidine, a topical gel designed for the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy, will begin phase three studies early in 2014 after its maker, North Carolina-based BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., garnered fast-track approval from the Food and Drug Administration for the trials.
0 comments - Posted Dec 20, 2013
What role does tumor necrosis factor play in insulin resistance? Have you noticed improved insulin sensitivity when you use an anti-TNF agent such as Etanercept ? Do you recommend Etanercept for all your type 2 patients?
0 comments - Posted Dec 19, 2013
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Chronic wounds affect an estimated 6.5 million Americans at an annual cost of about $25 billion. Further, foot blisters and other diabetic ulcers or sores account for the vast majority of foot and leg amputations in the United States today.
0 comments - Posted Dec 18, 2013
The fellow who writes one of the blogs I visit each morning often features links to articles about the wonders of bacon. Whenever he runs one of these items, showing yet another great thing about pork bellies, he asks, "Bacon: Is there anything it can't do?"
0 comments - Posted Dec 17, 2013
People with type 2 diabetes who use insulin to help control elevated blood sugar might be able to end their dependence on it if new research progresses.
0 comments - Posted Dec 16, 2013
Getting your drugs by mail rather than meeting face-to-face with a pharmacist may not have a negative impact on your health, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Dec 15, 2013
Not only can the diabetes drug metformin help control blood sugar levels, it may also reduce the risk of dementia, a health risk that's elevated for those with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 14, 2013
The non-profit consumer action group Citizens for Health earlier this month called on the Food and Drug Administration to do its part in raising awareness of the dangers of high fructose corn syrup by making an official statement recognizing the sweetener as an unsafe addition to the nation's food supply.
0 comments - Posted Dec 13, 2013
We've suggested over the past few years that Diabetes Health readers keep an eye on the move to make gastric banding a therapy for non-obese type 2 patients. The procedure works by placing a band around the upper part of the study to restrict food intake and produce a feeling of satiety with less food.
0 comments - Posted Dec 12, 2013
Results from the global Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs 2 study (DAWN2TM) presented December 5 at a symposium during the World Diabetes Congress of the International Diabetes Federation in Melbourne, Australia, show that only 29 percent of people with diabetes report that their healthcare team asks for their input when making their treatment plans.
0 comments - Posted Dec 11, 2013
Waltham, Mass.-based NeuroMetrix, Inc., a medical device company focused on the diagnosis and treatment of the neurological complications of diabetes, has announced the launch of a consumer website, www.SENSUSRx.com.
0 comments - Posted Dec 10, 2013
Most of the time, I'm the teacher and my two-and-a-half year old son is the student. But not always. Right now, my son is teaching me about acceptance. He looks at the day--or whatever situation he's in--and embraces it for what it is. If rain falls, he delights in it, telling me with a huge grin that, "Rain fall! From sky!"
0 comments - Posted Dec 9, 2013
File this news under "potential breakthrough you didn't see coming." Researchers have tried--and seem to have succeeded--in slowing the destruction of beta cells by treating recently diagnosed people with type 1 diabetes with alefacept, a drug usually prescribed to treat psoriasis, a disorder that leaves skin red and itchy.
0 comments - Posted Dec 8, 2013
As a nation, we love our food and we want it faster than ever.
0 comments - Posted Dec 7, 2013
Obesity levels have reached their historically highest point--surpassing hunger as a global problem--and type 2 diabetes cases could triple by 2050, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
0 comments - Posted Dec 6, 2013
For people with type 1 diabetes who follow medical research, development of a closed-loop, "artificial pancreas" has always been the Holy Grail. Such a system would combine an insulin pump with a continuous glucose monitor to provide constant control of blood glucose levels. But what if such a system was only a start? What if it might work better when combined with another therapy altogether?
0 comments - Posted Dec 5, 2013
I recently saw a program on HBO featuring a Turkish and an Israeli physician who discussed their role in selling kidneys on the organ trafficking market. The Turk, a surgeon, saw himself as a skilled physician who is able to extend patients' lives. The Israeli, a nephrologist, saw himself as a hero. Both work in an shady industry where some people's demands and pocketbooks operate at levels far beyond our society's comfort zone: Many people consider organ trafficking to be a nefarious thing.
0 comments - Posted Dec 4, 2013
Do thyroid levels affect how people are able to control their diabetes?
0 comments - Posted Dec 3, 2013
Songs can mean different things to different people; it's all a matter of perspective. Sometimes hearing a song can remind me of my relationships, my goals, daily life, and even my health. Lyrics have shown me examples of how to deal, how to grieve and how to overcome, offering a different view of a similar situation.
0 comments - Posted Dec 2, 2013
A recent study found that surgery may not always be the best course of action to treat people with diabetes who have foot osteomyelitis.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2013
If you have diabetes, your doctors most likely have told you to keep your blood sugar under control through diet, exercise, and proper medication. But did you know that you also need a dilated eye exam at least once a year?
0 comments - Posted Nov 30, 2013
Research has already shown that gastric bypass can ease symptoms of diabetes, but according to a new study, a less-invasive sleeve may also result in benefits for those with type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 29, 2013
One of my job as a member of the Diabetes Health staff is to manage the comments section on our website. Sometimes the comments get heated, and when they do certain patterns emerge.
0 comments - Posted Nov 28, 2013
People with type 2 diabetes who have trouble with mobility and are unable to exercise may see benefits similar to exercise from neuromuscular electrical stimulation.
0 comments - Posted Nov 27, 2013
How do you work with patients who are happy to achieve an A1c of 6%, even though you know that is too high to reverse diabetes complications?
0 comments - Posted Nov 26, 2013
Eating whole fruits can reduce people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health---but juicing them can send their risk factors soaring.
0 comments - Posted Nov 25, 2013
Researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have are looking at nanoparticles and ultrasound as a way to do away with the need for daily injections of insulin via syringes and needles.
0 comments - Posted Nov 24, 2013
While any exercise at all is certainly better than living a couch-potato lifestyle, women might see lower blood pressure and less depression with hard-core exercise compared to moderate physical activity, according to the results of a new study.
0 comments - Posted Nov 23, 2013
Words. Images. Facts. Figures. Data. Times and dates. Over and over and over again. The defining characteristic of life in 2013 is this constant swirl of information. It surrounds us and envelops us. Many people seek a way out, a way to live without this constant barrage of email and Facebook updates, and tweets, and texts.
0 comments - Posted Nov 22, 2013
(Editor's note: With just one week to go until Thanksgiving, we thought you'd enjoy learning about Brenda's time-tested approach to creating a diabetes-friendly traditional turkey day treat.)
0 comments - Posted Nov 21, 2013
According to researchers, applications that help patients manage their diabetes are among the top 10 apps doctors suggest to their patients.
0 comments - Posted Nov 20, 2013
As the chief executive officer of a company that manufactures insulin syringes and pen needles for the U.S. and Canadian markets, I have been monitoring the regulations and trends pertaining to their proper disposal. It's safe to assume that there may be significant changes in the United States related to the disposal method of used sharps devices-and it's likely that pharmacists will be affected by these future changes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 19, 2013
A new score chart may help obese patients with type 2 diabetes determine beforehand if gastric bypass surgery will - or will not - be an effective way to send their diabetes into remission, better determining if such a drastic surgery is the right choice to make in treating the disease.
0 comments - Posted Nov 18, 2013
"Top 100 Selling Drugs Through September," an article in the October 31 issue of Medscape (sourced from IMS Health), shows that while eight diabetes medications are in the nation's top 100 best-selling drugs, none are in the top 10.
0 comments - Posted Nov 17, 2013
A new drug being developed by Eli Lilly Co. that duplicates the effects of a hormone may soon be added to the growing arsenal of pharmaceutical weapons available to treat type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 16, 2013
While a Breathalyzer test is traditionally used to check blood alcohol levels, researchers have created a breath test that could ultimately help determine blood sugar levels as well.
0 comments - Posted Nov 15, 2013
Almost every day on our calendars commemorate or celebrate one thing or another. There's a National Maritime Day, as well as an America Recycles Day, and even a Wright Brothers Day.
0 comments - Posted Nov 14, 2013
When I was diagnosed with type 1, doctors told me I needed to count my carbohydrates, weigh my food, test my glucose several times per day, keto test my urine daily, alcohol swab, rotate sites, log my numbers, exercise, (but don't exercise too hard!), monitor my feet, check with my doctor before changing my settings, etc.
0 comments - Posted Nov 13, 2013
According to results of a new study, high levels of serum calcium - the calcium that shows up in extracellular fluid or muscle tissue - could be linked to type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 12, 2013
What is the best way to overcome insulin resistance?
0 comments - Posted Nov 11, 2013
I've been gone a few months. On September 9, 2013, my life took a tragic turn. I found out my brother died. He was my hero and my best friend. He lost a lifelong battle with alcohol and drug addiction. Although my family and I hurt and will never understand his pain, we smile knowing he no longer has to struggle.
0 comments - Posted Nov 10, 2013
While you might not immediately recognize the place your pharmacist holds on your list of healthcare providers, two recent studies suggest that your friendly neighborhood druggist could be an excellent line of defense when it comes to managing diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 9, 2013
I haven't always been forthright and expressive about diabetes. There were a solid 10 years of my disease which I kept under wraps, hidden from everyone I knew. I was afraid of everything-to push myself harder than I had ever before, to allow people into my dark corner of the world, to allow myself to believe I could become anything that I wanted to be. I let my fears hinder my development and stayed sedentary during major points in my life.
0 comments - Posted Nov 8, 2013
A new study shows that a majority of people taking drugs to treat type 2 diabetes stop taking their medications within six months, while almost all of them stop taking them within a year.
0 comments - Posted Nov 7, 2013
If you like taking an afternoon power nap as a way to recharge, make sure it's a short one.
0 comments - Posted Nov 6, 2013
The National Institutes of Health is investing millions of dollars in new research to determine if vitamin D supplements play a role in preventing type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 5, 2013
There are many rules to keeping diabetes "well managed." When I was diagnosed many years ago, I was told of the food allotments, the glucose checks, the exercise requirements, carbohydrate limitations, etc. There were many restrictions, and yet, the doctors told me I could live a "normal" life. As normal a life as anyone else in the world, so long as I followed the accompanying list. I shake my head and smile as I wonder, "What does that even mean?"
0 comments - Posted Nov 4, 2013
It's always fun to get a different take on things. You sit for years a few rows up from first base and then one day you decide to go sit out by left field. Who knew the game could look so different?
0 comments - Posted Nov 3, 2013
When it comes to the treatment of type 2 diabetes, metformin may be a safer choice than sulfonylureas, according to the results of a new study.
0 comments - Posted Nov 2, 2013
While recent research suggests that having diabetes increases the risk of developing breast cancer, another new study shows that the use of insulin to control blood glucose levels may not be a factor.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 2013
Maryland-based health technology company WellDoc says it has developed a mathematical model that eventually will allow people with type 2 diabetes to predict the onset of a hypoglycemic episode.
0 comments - Posted Oct 31, 2013
Editor's Note: We received this e-mail yesterday from a long-time reader. As we read it, we realized that she may be expressing thoughts and feelings shared by many of our readers. That's why we would like to invite you to respond to what she says, and add your own observations. Please feel free to comment. (To protect this writer's privacy, we are not publishing her name.)
0 comments - Posted Oct 30, 2013
An Israeli study confirms what nutritionists and dietitians have been advising for years: Starting the day with a big breakfast is good for you--and especially so for type 2s.
0 comments - Posted Oct 29, 2013
A German research team calls it "the sweet melody of glucose."
0 comments - Posted Oct 28, 2013
Medical device manufacturer AmbiMedInc has introduced an updated version of its Insul-eze syringe magnifier.
0 comments - Posted Oct 27, 2013
The US Patent Office has issued a patent to Massachusetts-based Aphios Corporation for the oral delivery of insulin.
0 comments - Posted Oct 26, 2013
(Editor's Note: We originally published this article in October 2008. Laura Plunkett's observations are timeless, and her comments elicited several interesting responses from readers.)
0 comments - Posted Oct 25, 2013
Ulcers are caused due to a breach in the skin which fails to heal. Initiated by injuries, skin infections, poor blood circulation, or sensory loss, foot ulcers may become a serious complication in up to 15 percent of all diabetic patients. Chronic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) need prolonged treatment and may even lead to amputation.
0 comments - Posted Oct 24, 2013
Comedian Robin Williams got his start on TV in 1978 in the comedy "Mork and Mindy," about a wacky alien, Mork (Williams), who comes to live in a boarding house run by a cute young woman (Pam Dawber). In that popular sitcom, Mork would always greet people by saying, "Nanu, Nanu," which was "Hello" on his home planet of Ork.
0 comments - Posted Oct 23, 2013
Sanofi has introduced a blood glucose meter that allows users to track their A1c levels over shorter intervals, giving them the information they need to accurately gauge their insulin intake.
0 comments - Posted Oct 22, 2013
Sanofi has introduced a blood glucose meter that allows users to track their A1c levels over shorter intervals, giving them the information they need to accurately gauge their insulin intake.
0 comments - Posted Oct 22, 2013
A study of teens who have type 1 diabetes concludes that their rate of depression is linked to poor blood glucose control and that doctors should screen young type 1s to detect the condition.
0 comments - Posted Oct 21, 2013
For type 2's, at what level of ketones should you avoid exercising?
0 comments - Posted Oct 20, 2013
The National Institutes of Health recently listed brittle type 1 diabetes as a rare disease, a distinct and separate form of type 1. An estimated 3,700 to 8,700 persons in the United States have the condition.
0 comments - Posted Oct 19, 2013
A Massachusetts-based research firm concludes that the first-world market for type 2 drugs and treatments will increase from $27 billion in sales in 2012 to $47 billion in 2022.
0 comments - Posted Oct 18, 2013
Biomedtrics, a Pleasanton, Calif.-based technology company, has introduced the ditto Glucose Data System. The ditto device communicates wirelessly via Bluetooth technology to retrieve blood glucose data from a meter and send it to a mobile device. A mobile app receives the data and syncs with the mydittolife cloud-based secure website.
0 comments - Posted Oct 17, 2013
At some point in all of our diabetic lives, we've felt the sinking in our gut at the mere thought of a doctor's appointment and we've made plans to leave the glucose journals at home. I'm at that point now. In less than two weeks, I will be seeing my endocrinologist. I have to be honest: I'm not looking forward to the visit.
0 comments - Posted Oct 16, 2013
Massachusetts-based GI Dynamics, Inc. says it is currently enrolling subjects at 17 sites across the United States for its clinical trial of the EndoBarrier for people who have uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and are obese. The company expects to enroll approximately 500 people who meet the enrollment criteria at up to 25 sites in the United States.
0 comments - Posted Oct 15, 2013
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- UC Davis Health System researchers have identified for the first time a biological pathway that is activated when blood sugar levels are abnormally high and causes irregular heartbeats, a condition known as cardiac arrhythmia that is linked with heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
0 comments - Posted Oct 14, 2013
When actor Tom Hanks revealed that he has type 2 diabetes last week on David Letterman's "Late Show," it caused more of a stir than even celebrity chef Paula Deen's admission that she has the disease.
0 comments - Posted Oct 13, 2013
Few treatments for type 1 diabetes have been as elusive and long-promised as inhalable insulin. The concept has always sounded remarkable: Instead of jabbing themselves with needles, type 1s (and insulin-using type 2s) could take a quick puff on an inhaler to get a dose of insulin.
0 comments - Posted Oct 12, 2013
A simple algorithm used to scan electronic health records could be a breakthrough in identifying cases of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. And that could lead to timely treatment and prevention of diabetes complications.
0 comments - Posted Oct 11, 2013
For several years now I've been following the controversy surrounding a lawsuit by California parents to force public school districts to allow people who aren't nurses or doctors to be able to give insulin shots to diabetic children. (The California Supreme Court recently ruled that non-nurses can now give such injections. You can find background information here and here.)
0 comments - Posted Oct 10, 2013
People with type 2 diabetes and those heading toward that diagnosis may face a quicker decline in their beta cell function than previously understood, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. That means the progress and challenges for such patients may progress more quickly than doctors expects and need more aggressive treatment.
0 comments - Posted Oct 9, 2013
One of the most intriguing areas of type 1 diabetes research focuses on newly diagnosed patients. Given that the disease occurs after an autoimmune response damages the body's insulin-producing beta cells, scientists have looked to new type 1s as fertile ground for experimentation.
0 comments - Posted Oct 8, 2013
Is there anything you can do to treat hypoglycemia unawareness?
0 comments - Posted Oct 7, 2013
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
0 comments - Posted Oct 6, 2013
For people with type 1 diabetes (and some with type 2), the question is simple-and crucial: How much insulin should you give yourself with a meal?
0 comments - Posted Oct 5, 2013
Ever since I was a girl, I wanted to be a mother. I understood that I wasn't ready emotionally or physically, but at a young age I simply had the feeling that being a mother was what I was meant to do with my life. I was smart, attractive, motivated, driven, and could be anything that I wanted to be. And I wanted to be a mom.
0 comments - Posted Oct 4, 2013
Many people with type 2 diabetes are familiar with Byetta, a drug that helps raise their insulin levels. But a new study in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that the drug, known generically as exenatide, might have a role to play for people with type 1 diabetes as well.
0 comments - Posted Oct 3, 2013
Sean Glass, a musician living with type 1 whom we first profiled a few months ago, is looking for a little bit of help from his fans.
0 comments - Posted Oct 2, 2013
One might think that Tom Grossman had exhausted his need for physical challenges after participating in the Run Across America-a grueling 15-day test of endurance with runs that covered more than 25 miles a day.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 2013
The FDA has approved a new, automated artificial pancreas system from Minneapolis-based Medtronic, Inc.
0 comments - Posted Sep 30, 2013
Want your voice to be heard as a champion for the diabetes community? Or connect with others committed to improving the lives of people with diabetes?
0 comments - Posted Sep 29, 2013
According to researchers, dapagliflozin, a diabetes drug developed jointly by two pharmaceutical companies has shown significant benefits when teamed with metformin and sulfonylurea.
0 comments - Posted Sep 28, 2013
According to researchers, dapagliflozin, a diabetes drug developed jointly by two pharmaceutical companies has shown significant benefits when teamed with metformin and sulfonylurea.
0 comments - Posted Sep 28, 2013
As a type 1 diabetic for 13 years, I truly understand having a person to lean on is something none of us should take for granted. The constant struggles and obstacles that a person with diabetes has to face every day can be exhausting, sometimes causing depression or a host of other psychological strains.
0 comments - Posted Sep 27, 2013
We all start from nothing. When we're born, we're blank slates, minds looking outward, ready to absorb the love of our parents and the lessons of a rapidly shifting world. And we all grow. We learn those lessons. We grow up. Our minds expand and develop in a multitude of unexpected directions.
0 comments - Posted Sep 26, 2013
I just read an interesting commentary online where a type 2 writer laments about how many times well-meaning friends and relatives tell him they know the secret to curing diabetes- you just have to follow certain diets, or take certain vitamins or supplements, or do some exotic form of yoga.
0 comments - Posted Sep 25, 2013
When it comes to research, you would expect that the wants of those living with type 1 diabetes would be totally in line with the goals of scientists seeking a cure for the disease.
0 comments - Posted Sep 24, 2013
You were very instrumental in making glucose testing available at home. If you could make the guidelines for meters used at home for checking blood glucose, what features would you require the meters and test strips to have?
0 comments - Posted Sep 23, 2013
Money. No one wants to talk about it, but it affects all of us. In the United States of America, having a health condition can put you in the poorhouse. In a recent survey, the U.S. Census determined that medical bills were the biggest cause of bankruptcy filings in 2012. Many people will even hesitate to take their necessary medications in order to slow the financial bleed.
0 comments - Posted Sep 22, 2013
The drug of choice to treat type 2 diabetes may have uses beyond the treatment of diabetes alone, according to the results a new study.
0 comments - Posted Sep 21, 2013
A drug traditionally used to treat age-related macular degeneration has been successful in also treating diabetic macular edema in recent trials.
0 comments - Posted Sep 20, 2013
For people with diabetes who suffer from peripheral neuropathy, a gentle touch can be agony. A warm shower can be torture. New research at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, however, has shed light on the causes of this common diabetes complication - and may ultimately offer a way to reverse it.
0 comments - Posted Sep 19, 2013
Monitoring skin temperature can help not only predict, but also prevent foot ulcers that form as a result of diabetic neuropathy, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Sep 18, 2013
If you Google "type 2 diabetes drugs," one website lists the names of 92 drugs that medical professionals have prescribed at one time or another to treat diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Sep 17, 2013
"For the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
0 comments - Posted Sep 16, 2013
Lifestyle change, medication both linked to cholesterol improvements
0 comments - Posted Sep 15, 2013
Since 2010, DiabetesSisters has welcomed more than 750 women with diabetes to its annual Weekend for Women Conference. This signature program draws women ages 18 to 80 from across the United States and Canada to learn from each other as they share their experiences living daily with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Sep 14, 2013
Discussion has gone back and forth for several years now on whether cinnamon might be a powerful, previously unappreciated arrow in the quiver of diabetes medicines.
0 comments - Posted Sep 13, 2013
Some cholesterol-lowering drugs may help reduce the risk of amputation for those with diabetes, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Sep 12, 2013
People with type 2 diabetes who use insulin to help control elevated blood sugar might be able to end their dependence on it if new research progresses.
0 comments - Posted Sep 11, 2013
For those living with type 2 diabetes, kidney disease is unfortunately one of the associated risks.
0 comments - Posted Sep 10, 2013
If your commute to work is short enough to be tackled on foot, you might want to consider setting your alarm a little earlier. Not only could you save big bucks on gas, according to a new study, you might also reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Sep 9, 2013
In the healthcare field today, perhaps no area holds as much promise and as many perils as weight control. Researchers see the same statistics that the rest of us do. They see the upcoming wave of obesity and diabetes diagnoses. They see the myriad complications that spring up from these conditions. And they want to address the problem in a simple way.
0 comments - Posted Sep 8, 2013
Let's get to work! Last month I reviewed a handful of exercises to strengthen the belly. This month, I'm going to discuss ways to progress each of those exercises. Once you feel you have truly mastered the basics, try them with an added twist:
0 comments - Posted Sep 7, 2013
Even as we learn more about type 2 diabetes, that increase in information is not being taken as seriously as it should be, according to data presented at a recent meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
0 comments - Posted Sep 6, 2013
Fear is a funny thing. In a controlled situation, say a movie theater or roller coaster, it can be exciting. It gets our blood pumping, gets our adrenaline racing. But in the real world, where anything can happen and safety isn't assured, fears can get out of hand.
0 comments - Posted Sep 5, 2013
Insulin may not be the best first line of defense for women who develop gestational diabetes, according to the results of a new study.
0 comments - Posted Sep 4, 2013
Are you a person with type 1 diabetes? Do you often feel tired? A new study suggests that you're not alone.
0 comments - Posted Sep 3, 2013
A Diabetes Health Classic. This article originally was published on June 20, 2007.
0 comments - Posted Sep 2, 2013
DiabetesSisters believes no woman should be alone in her diabetes journey and will host women with diabetes from across the United States and Canada for the 2013 San Francisco Weekend for Women Conference Oct. 4 to Oct. 6. But the weekend also extends support to their loved ones through the Partner's Perspective Program.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 2013
Growing up in Los Angeles, I used to watch an afternoon kids' show called "Engineer Bill." It was obvious from watching Bill that he didn't really like kids, but he wrapped his patter around some pretty good cartoons and, besides, they paid him well. It didn't kill him to pretend.
0 comments - Posted Aug 31, 2013
According to an article in the Journal of Pediatrics, even a small increase in activity and better eating patterns can help decrease an obese teen's risk of developing diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Aug 30, 2013
It's commonly believed that obese people run an especially high risk of developing type 2 diabetes because their extra weight leads to insulin resistance, or because some of their weight is the result of unhealthy diets.
0 comments - Posted Aug 29, 2013
There are only a few weeks before the Medicare annual open enrollment period begins Oct. 15. This year's Medicare season crosses calendars with the rollout of the Health Insurance Marketplace, so it's important Medicare-eligible beneficiaries understand the differences between the two government programs.
0 comments - Posted Aug 28, 2013
Can exercise for a short period of time increase liver and cortisol involvement and cause a negative impact on BG levels?
0 comments - Posted Aug 27, 2013
A study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine concludes that the average lifetime cost of treating type 2 diabetes and its related complications is almost $85,000.
0 comments - Posted Aug 26, 2013
The California Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that trained school employees, as well as licensed nurses, can administer insulin injections to students in the state's public schools.
0 comments - Posted Aug 25, 2013
Preparation Time: 20minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
0 comments - Posted Aug 24, 2013
The American Association of Diabetes Educators has introduced a free mobile app for people with diabetes that helps them set and track goals for changes in lifestyle and behavior.
0 comments - Posted Aug 23, 2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted 510(k) clearance for the NovoPen Echo®, the first insulin injection device on the market to combine half-unit dosing with a memory function to help patients manage their diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Aug 22, 2013
Is it important to determine the exact type of diabetes you have if you're already on insulin and maintaining very good blood sugar control, and if so, why?
0 comments - Posted Aug 21, 2013
Community health workers who provide diabetes education often lack information on how this disease affects the eyes. In response, the National Eye Health Education Program of the National Eye Institute has developed a new interactive online training course to help CHWs better understand the eye complications that diabetes can bring.
0 comments - Posted Aug 20, 2013
Hard-to-treat toenail fungus is one side effect of diabetes, a condition brought by decreased circulation and increased susceptibility to infection. The condition, called onychomycosis, afflicts some 35 million people in the United States.
0 comments - Posted Aug 19, 2013
BALTIMORE-Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine are enrolling patients with type 2 diabetes into an NIH-funded clinical trial to evaluate the long-term benefits and risks of four widely used diabetes drugs in combination with metformin, the most common first-line medication.
0 comments - Posted Aug 18, 2013
Three days of networking with more than 100 other women like you who have diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Aug 17, 2013
British snowboard champion Christopher Southwell has always lived for the adrenaline rush.
0 comments - Posted Aug 16, 2013
Thrilled, elated, ecstatic, joyful-these are all accurate descriptions of my feelings after my doctor appointment today, but somehow they don't seem to be enough. Words can't quite express the feeling that you get when you get a good report from the doctor after having what seems like bad report after bad report.
0 comments - Posted Aug 15, 2013
Raising Teens with Diabetes: A Survival Guide for Parents by Moira McCarthy, Spry Publishing, 272 pages, $15.95. ISBN: 978-1-9381720-20-1
0 comments - Posted Aug 14, 2013
Jason Harmon had dreams of taking to the skies as a commercial pilot, but a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes crashed his plans.
0 comments - Posted Aug 13, 2013
You know supplements.
0 comments - Posted Aug 12, 2013
Preparation Time: 30minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
0 comments - Posted Aug 11, 2013
What do you believe are normal blood sugars? Do you believe an A1c of 5%, or even 5.5%, is normal?
0 comments - Posted Aug 10, 2013
I can only speak as a type 2. I don't for a second think that the problems I encounter managing my diabetes compare to what people with type 1 go through.
0 comments - Posted Aug 9, 2013
I start this month with a powerful quote from the incredible strength coach, Mike Boyle:
0 comments - Posted Aug 8, 2013
If you use Nova Max® blood glucose test strips or the Nova Max® PlusTM blood glucose monitoring system, this is to notify you that Nova Biomedical Diabetes Care (Nova Diabetes Care) is voluntarily recalling and replacing the indicated Nova Max glucose test strip lot numbers and unused Nova Max Plus glucose meter kits listed at www.novacares.com/news/additional-details-usa.php.
0 comments - Posted Aug 7, 2013
Taking short walks every half hour could do more to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than a 30-minute walk every day, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Aug 6, 2013
New research suggests that type 1s' personality types could affect their mortality risk. While that might sound peculiar at first, the research results-culled from 22 years of study-make some important connections.
0 comments - Posted Aug 5, 2013
SAN FRANCISCO, CA-It's the only conference in the world focused on bringing together women with diabetes for a weekend that will educate, connect, and strengthen them in their journey.
0 comments - Posted Aug 4, 2013
Type 1 diabetes doesn't happen all at once. Scientists have shown that it's usually a gradual process, in which the insulin-producing beta cells eventually fade out. So wouldn't it be marvelous if the function of those beta cells could be preserved, allowing people newly diagnosed with diabetes to produce some of their own insulin for a longer time?
0 comments - Posted Aug 3, 2013
Could a "bionic pancreas"-a combination of insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor and predictive software-be on the market within four years? That 2017 date is the ambitious goal of a project from researchers at Boston University and Massachusetts General Hospital.
0 comments - Posted Aug 2, 2013
Physicians may be able to predict if diabetic patients will develop peripheral neuropathy, thanks to results of new research.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2013
If you still haven't found a reason to drink more water, a new study reinforces what we already have been told-drinking more water may lead to greater weight loss.
0 comments - Posted Jul 31, 2013
New parents like British royals Will and Kate might not want to rush the introduction of solid food into their baby's diet. That's not to say they want to put it off, either.
0 comments - Posted Jul 30, 2013
Despite living with type 1 diabetes, fourth grader Joey Balistrieri wanted nothing more than to play football. But it would require advice from a professional player, Houston Texan tight end Jake Byrne, to convince Joey's mom to let her son take the field.
0 comments - Posted Jul 29, 2013
0 comments - Posted Jul 28, 2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it has issued letters warning 15 U.S. and foreign companies to cease sales of products that the agency has determined are being illegally marketed.
1 comment - Posted Jul 27, 2013
Despite an increase in diabetes cases nationwide, fewer people with diabetes are facing lower leg and foot amputations than a decade ago, according to the results of a new study.
0 comments - Posted Jul 26, 2013
It's human to be afraid. As cave people, we scurried for safety at the slightest provocation- scared of wolves, and tigers, and thunderstorms. Even today, we jump when someone comes up behind us unexpectedly.
1 comment - Posted Jul 24, 2013
A low level of vitamin D in teenagers and young adults who have type 2 diabetes may put them at risk for arterial stiffness. Stiff arteries, that force the heart to beat harder to pump blood, are a known cardiovascular risk factor.
0 comments - Posted Jul 23, 2013
Carrie Miller had one goal when she was a child-become the female counterpart to Indiana Jones. If nothing else, she wanted to live a life infused with that blockbuster's level of adrenaline rush.
0 comments - Posted Jul 22, 2013
BOSTON---An international committee of leading nutrition scientists from 10 countries on three continents has released a consensus statement that concludes that carbohydrate quality (measured by the glycemic index or GI) matters and that the carbohydrates present in different foods affect post-meal blood sugar differently, with important health implications.
1 comment - Posted Jul 21, 2013
A British drug company is looking to medical marijuana- or at least a derivative of it-to help treat a variety of different diseases, including type 2 diabetes.
1 comment - Posted Jul 20, 2013
This is a big month for people with diabetes who are enrolled in Medicare. The giant government healthcare program for seniors is changing its method for providing blood glucose testing supplies.
3 comments - Posted Jul 19, 2013
Over the years, gastric bypass surgery has led to remission of type 2 diabetes in a substantial number of patients, with some studies showing the absence of any diabetes symptoms even five years after the procedure.
0 comments - Posted Jul 18, 2013
Insulin pump maker Animas has taken another step toward perfecting (and hopefully putting on sale) the first artificial pancreas. The company doesn't call it anything that clear-cut, instead referring to the device as "a closed-loop insulin delivery system."
4 comments - Posted Jul 17, 2013
The statements from august medical authorities were grand and sweeping. This was important news, they said. This would change everything. Pay attention, patients, they said. The experts have spoken, and their word should be taken as final.
1 comment - Posted Jul 16, 2013
As if being the first Olympic endurance athlete with type 1 diabetes wasn't enough, there's even more reason to look up to cross-country skiing champ Kris Freeman.
0 comments - Posted Jul 15, 2013
Hypoglycemia remains a complex issue for diabetes patients and their healthcare providers, according to the focus of a recent symposium.
1 comment - Posted Jul 14, 2013
While there is still no cure for diabetes, there is a growing number of therapies available to those battling the disease-and even more are in the works, according to experts who spoke at a recent symposium.
0 comments - Posted Jul 13, 2013
My down-the-street neighbor, Paul (not his real name), has type 2. We often stop to talk about our numbers, our latest visits to the endocrinologist, and our concerns.
0 comments - Posted Jul 12, 2013
0 comments - Posted Jul 11, 2013
A friend of my sister's toddler was recently diagnosed with type 1. My heart ached at the thought. I immediately wanted to reach out to this mom whom I've never met, but knew she would not be in the state of mind to talk about this traumatic event just yet.
1 comment - Posted Jul 10, 2013
Massachusetts-based Zafgen, a biopharmaceutical company devoted to treating obesity, may have taken a big step toward making the growing health concern obsolete.
0 comments - Posted Jul 9, 2013
0 comments - Posted Jul 8, 2013
Will people with type 1 diabetes ever see an end to their need for insulin?
2 comments - Posted Jul 7, 2013
Adults with type 2 diabetes will soon have access to an extra team of health care professionals--available at their fingertips--thanks to BlueStar, a new digital product that recently earned FDA clearance.
0 comments - Posted Jul 6, 2013
Insulin sensitizers--drugs that increase sensitivity to insulin such as Avandia and Actos--could help lessen the risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) for those with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.
1 comment - Posted Jul 5, 2013
0 comments - Posted Jul 4, 2013
Lazy summer days are ideal for relaxed, romantic picnics under the sun, and there's no day more perfect for picnicking than the 4th of July.
0 comments - Posted Jul 3, 2013
Amina Kolenc knew as soon as she could walk that she wanted to be a ballerina. And she wasn't going to allow a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at age 5 and a half - several years after she started studying dance - to derail her dreams.
6 comments - Posted Jul 2, 2013
There are no vacations or even lunch breaks from diabetes. In addition to my day job, it can be overwhelming and frustrating. Diabetes often seems like a full-time job on top of my actual full-time employment. The other day I had to knock back a Watermelon Quick Sticks glucose packet while riding to a work function with my assistant. I didn't want to admit I was in danger of going low. I wanted to pretend I no longer worked at my diabetes job. Sadly though, diabetes isn't a job you can quit. My lunch was delayed and there were no snacks in sight, only a couple of glucose packets in the bottom of my purse.
1 comment - Posted Jul 1, 2013
In addition to the other negative effects attributed to secondhand smoke, a new report says it is also linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women.
0 comments - Posted Jun 30, 2013
While erectile dysfunction gets much of the attention, sexual problems as a side effect of type 2 diabetes are not limited to men.
0 comments - Posted Jun 29, 2013
It is commonly thought that Southerners are more overweight than their northern counterparts. Not so according to a study conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and published in the journal Obesity.
0 comments - Posted Jun 28, 2013
A new, first-in-its-class drug for type 2 diabetes has just been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Invokana works by blocking re-absorption of glucose by the kidneys and stimulating urination, which removes glucose from the bloodstream.
0 comments - Posted Jun 27, 2013
CHICAGO, June 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Key results from the global Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs 2 study (DAWN2TM) show that one in five people with diabetes feel discriminated against because of their condition, and support from the broader community is scarce. Results from the DAWN2 study were presented at the 73rd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). DAWN2 represents opinions from more than 15,000 people living, or caring for people, with diabetes in 17 countries across four continents.
0 comments - Posted Jun 26, 2013
The main question that doctors---and patients---ask about a prescription drug is simple: Does it work? Does this medicine improve the condition it's prescribed for?
0 comments - Posted Jun 25, 2013
It's a nightmare scenario for a person who's been newly diagnosed with diabetes: You're fired after learning you have this chronic-yet-manageable disease. Everything the doctors told you about living a nearly normal life seems like a lie. Your visions and hopes for the future-already clouded with this scary medical news-darken.
2 comments - Posted Jun 24, 2013
Summer can be a great time for healthy eating for those who are watching their weight, their blood sugar or just want to enjoy food in a good-for-you manner.
0 comments - Posted Jun 23, 2013
An icon in the world of hip hop, Rev Run is using his celebrity voice to draw attention to diabetes, a growing health risk that's especially prominent in the African-American community.
0 comments - Posted Jun 22, 2013
This month I'd like to pass along some of my most popular snack ideas. These are all delicious, quick, and diabetic friendly:
0 comments - Posted Jun 21, 2013
(Editor's Note: This article was orginally published in the April 2008 edition of Diabetes Health and later online as article 5658. We are reproducing the article in light of the American Medical Association's recent decision to treat obesity as a disease. That decision will spur much debate, and we think this article will help add some perspective to the discussion.)
1 comment - Posted Jun 20, 2013
Life never stops. It's a truism that people with diabetes of all types know too well. Your responsibilities change. Your duties at your job shift. The people around you change. And you have to make the best you can of it all, racing to keep up and adjusting your treatment plan as best you can. It's exhausting.
0 comments - Posted Jun 19, 2013
I grew up with a large family. I have a brother and sister from my parents, a brother from my mother, and two sisters plus a brother from my step-mother. There were a lot of children in both of our houses.
0 comments - Posted Jun 18, 2013
Several recent developments indicate that the push to expand pharmacists' responsibilities and ability to deliver primary healthcare is winning friends and influencing people:
2 comments - Posted Jun 17, 2013
My eyes went directly to the advertisement, featuring a free gourmet meal and a promise to attendees to "discover the hidden secrets about how to potentially reverse your Type 2 diabetes." This was the most exciting thing I'd come across in some time and it was happening at a location near me. Was this the answer? I mean, who wants to pass up a free gourmet meal and an opportunity to reverse this chronic disease? Reading the advertisement more closely, it was being promoted by a diabetes company and it was being held at a convenient evening hour.
1 comment - Posted Jun 16, 2013
0 comments - Posted Jun 15, 2013
0 comments - Posted Jun 14, 2013
The eyes are the windows to the soul, and also one of the primary places where health problems associated with diabetes turn up.
1 comment - Posted Jun 13, 2013
Can Januvia Trigger Cancer Symptoms?
1 comment - Posted Jun 12, 2013
On some days living with a chronic disease and all its complexities for 15 years has the ability to force me into hiding.
3 comments - Posted Jun 11, 2013
About five years ago during a visit to a local endocrinologist, he asked if I might be interested in participating in a Phase 3 study of a new type 2 drug. It didn't take long for me to say yes, especially once he explained how being a study subject worked.
1 comment - Posted Jun 10, 2013
A significant majority-20 of 26 members attending a combined meeting of FDA advisory committees-has voted to modify or remove the current restrictive label and distribution regulations affecting the type 2 drug Avandia.
0 comments - Posted Jun 9, 2013
We're looking for readers' help in two areas:
0 comments - Posted Jun 8, 2013
The CVS Mobile app from CVS/pharmacy is a unique new interactive smartphone app that provides users with numerous personalized ways to both manage their healthcare and handle drugstore needs.
0 comments - Posted Jun 6, 2013
Why is your goal for A1c so much lower than the ADA's 7% and AACE's (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) 6.5%?
2 comments - Posted Jun 5, 2013
This past Memorial day, the first holiday of the summer season, was a chance to shake off cabin fever and fire up the grill-a perfect cooking method for people with diabetes because it requires no added fat but still provides that big punch of flavor.
0 comments - Posted Jun 4, 2013
Of course there are a million things that scare me about diabetes, but the one that tops the charts is the idea of losing the battle against my diabetes in my sleep. An article about the overnight passing of a beautiful and healthy young woman with type 1 diabetes is buzzing on many of my friends' Facebook walls and the mood is unavoidably somber in the diabetes online community tonight.
5 comments - Posted Jun 3, 2013
Whether because of age, weight, or lack of athletic chops, most type 2s-and I'm one of them-have settled on walking as their main form of exercise. It's the simplest, easiest exercise you can do: Put one foot in front of the other, rinse and repeat.
0 comments - Posted Jun 2, 2013
People with diabetes know the score. We've all seen "revolutionary" drugs and treatments introduced with fanfare, and we know that that much of the time they're evolutionary at best. But something has changed in the world of diabetes care.
2 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2013
Diabetes is certainly a journey. The more I learn about it, the more I want to step off this path and onto a new one. So, how do you change the course of such an expensive and frustrating chronic illness?
2 comments - Posted May 31, 2013
People who live in the San Francisco Bay Area know that the University of California San Francisco is one of the premier medical research facilities in the world. UCSF has particularly distinguished itself in the area of type 1 diabetes prevention, intervention, and islet transplantation trials.
0 comments - Posted May 30, 2013
I've been type 1 diabetic for 15 years. It hasn't been easy and I'm still grasping to keep my feet on the ground medically. Every time I think I've got this disease figured out, something new gets thrown at me and I stumble over and over again. From insulin resistance to pump failures to carbohydrate/insulin sensitivity changes to exercise regimens to health insurance issues to medical bill payments to a seemingly innocent cut on the sole of my foot, etc., I'm getting worn out.
8 comments - Posted May 29, 2013
You may be in jeopardy. You may be in danger with blood sugar levels higher than normal. You may have prediabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 28, 2013
You've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 27, 2013
Sometimes I forget just how amazing the diabetes online community is. I mean, I know I adore the people I've met over the almost 19 years I have lived with diabetes, but the things they have done for me go way beyond a kind word or virtual hug when I needed it. I believe they've literally helped save my life.
3 comments - Posted May 26, 2013
The sun is out. Memorial Day is around the corner. I think its safe to say we would all like to pick up the pace of our workouts in order to see some significant results before setting foot on the sandy beaches.
0 comments - Posted May 25, 2013
Despite incredible advances in dental technology over the past 50 years, many people still dread visits to the dentist-enough to put off going even when their teeth are throbbing with pain and their gums are oozing blood.
2 comments - Posted May 24, 2013
According to research out of a lab in North Carolina, there's more to worry about for type 1 diabetes than a lack of insulin.
1 comment - Posted May 23, 2013
Are there supplements that help to decrease insulin resistance? Are there supplements that can increase insulin resistance?
1 comment - Posted May 22, 2013
Americans are getting better at managing their type 2 diabetes, according to a new study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine. But that's not to say we still don't have a long way to go.
1 comment - Posted May 21, 2013
We have all been there: the clammy hands, nervous stomach, constant anxiety, racing thoughts about eating choices we should or shouldn't have made-all caused by the anticipation of seeing our endocrinologist.
2 comments - Posted May 20, 2013
Two new drugs originally developed by Eli Lilly are showing promise when it comes to treating type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 19, 2013
Recipe of the Week
0 comments - Posted May 18, 2013
Snoring is one of the great clichés. In cartoons, you just know that a blissfully snoring dog, cat, or human is about to be startled by an explosion or some scaringly loud noise.
2 comments - Posted May 17, 2013
If you're trying to drop a few pounds, skipping that before-dinner cocktail or glass of red wine with dinner might be a great first step.
0 comments - Posted May 16, 2013
I spent a month in a major insulin pump center and saw several things. Many of the female patients seemed to have wings on their sides where the pump tubing was inserted and they got lipohypertrophy from localized injections, but that was the least of it. None of them actually had remotely normal blood sugars.
21 comments - Posted May 15, 2013
Diabetes educator Constance Brown-Riggs has heard all of the excuses. Her patients aren't taking their medication, or they aren't sticking to their treatment plans.
0 comments - Posted May 14, 2013
Looking to age gracefully? Then you might want to think twice about that cheeseburger with a side of fries you were planning for lunch.
0 comments - Posted May 13, 2013
People today have an incredible array of methods for finding the latest news and information about diabetes: the Internet, social media, and print publications. But perhaps the most powerful is the strong relationships they develop within the tight-knit diabetes community.
0 comments - Posted May 10, 2013
One of the surest ways to imprint a product on consumers' minds is to put it through an impressive test to show its ruggedness.
0 comments - Posted May 9, 2013
Diabetics with dental infection should have a longer course of antibiotics, up to a year. Is there an optimal timing of antibiotic that should be used?
0 comments - Posted May 8, 2013
Here's a little secret for those of you looking to eat right: Fast food restaurants don't have to be your enemy. That's right, those brightly lit temples paying tributes to burgers, and fries, and nuggets can provide decent meals if you're in a rush. The key, as always, is to be careful and informed about the choices you make.
1 comment - Posted May 7, 2013
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 10 years ago. My response to the news, very typical, was to begin a routine of vigorous exercise and dieting. With a beginner's enthusiasm, I lost almost 30 pounds (down from 220) and drove my A1c three months after my diagnosis down to 5.6%.
0 comments - Posted May 6, 2013
A short while ago my middle finger on my left hand started acting weird. It was sticking in a bent position, for lack of a better term. If you've ever seen Jim Carrey in the comedy movie Liar, Liar doing his version of "The Claw," where his hand suddenly has a mind of its own, that's a somewhat accurate account of how my hand was behaving. Unfortunately though, this was no comedy, this was beginning to be an extremely painful problem.
2 comments - Posted May 5, 2013
People with type 1 diabetes who exercise may need to reduce their insulin to counteract the effects of their workouts, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted May 4, 2013
Diabetes is a serious disease that can affect many parts of the body-the heart, kidneys, blood circulation, and eyes. In fact, according to the National Eye Institute, diabetic eye disease increased in prevalence by 89 percent between 2000 and 2010, and is a leading cause of blindness among American adults. Despite this, people with diabetes often overlook vision care as they work to manage the many other health problems the disease can cause.
0 comments - Posted May 3, 2013
When Tommy Kelley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes three years ago, while he was in eighth grade, he had a hard time finding information that related to him.
0 comments - Posted May 2, 2013
The restriction of protein intake is an outdated thought. It was born of a study by Barry Brenner, at Harvard, back in the 1980s. He did a survey of the diabetologists in Boston asking, "At what blood sugars do you like to keep your diabetics?" The collective answer ultimately was 250 mg/dl.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2013
What is cardio? To some it may mean swinging back and forth on an Arc Trainer with zero resistance while reading a book, and for others, gut-wrenching hill sprints followed by kettle bell swings.
0 comments - Posted Apr 30, 2013
If you and your family eat a lot of meals out, you may not be getting enough nutrients. That's especially true when it comes to the kids, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Apr 29, 2013
Although there are small hints that the American obesity epidemic may be slowing a little, one in every three American kids is overweight or obese. To find out why, National Public Radio, together with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, looked at what goes on in American households between school and bedtime-a period they call "crunch time."
0 comments - Posted Apr 28, 2013
I wanted to interview my husband about my diabetes. He played a huge part in helping me accept my type 1 diabetes and he has never made me feel inferior for having it. Rick and I just celebrated the 15th anniversary since our first date, and since I've only had diabetes for 18 years, he's been there for most of it. He was there during the times I was out of control and in denial, and he's been there while I work on treating myself right and trying to take good care of myself.
0 comments - Posted Apr 27, 2013
Now people with diabetes can display data from their insulin pumps and supported blood glucose maters thanks to the t:connect diabetes management application from Tandem Diabetes that received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in February.
0 comments - Posted Apr 26, 2013
If you're concerned about your teen's extra pounds, it might be a good idea to keep those concerns to yourself and enforce some healthier eating habits instead.
0 comments - Posted Apr 23, 2013
As technology puts smartphones into almost every hand, those technological advances may be putting your personal healthcare information at risk, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Apr 22, 2013
Obese patients hoping to slim down with bariatric surgery may soon be able to get the weight-loss effects of gastric bypass without going under the knife, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Apr 21, 2013
Insulin, shots, meter, blood
Emotions are about to flood
DKA - Hospital stay
I just don't know what to say
0 comments - Posted Apr 20, 2013
The FDA recently approved the next-generation OmniPod from Insulet, giving people with insulin-dependent diabetes an even less invasive way to manage their diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Apr 19, 2013
So what do those long hours on nursing duty mean when it comes to the quality of healthcare we receive? When it comes to overworked nurses, it leads to a higher risk of mistakes, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Apr 18, 2013
Low-grade ketones are not a problem; it's part of the survival system that humans have for getting through famines. We don't have many famines nowadays, but if they're not eating overnight, a large percent of the population is going to have ketones in their blood in the morning.
0 comments - Posted Apr 17, 2013
He is 89 years old and the picture of health. Yet looking at the robust, healthy, laughing gentleman sitting across the desk from me on this Saturday morning, one would never guess his age. Hank has been married 50 years, is active in his church, and hosts a prayer breakfast most Saturday mornings.
0 comments - Posted Apr 16, 2013
Through hard work of many volunteers, and certainly God's grace
0 comments - Posted Apr 15, 2013
While marijuana use may spark an increased appetite for everything from chips to dubious leftover takeout, it has little effect on overall metabolism, according to a new study that appeared recently in the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care.
0 comments - Posted Apr 14, 2013
Hikes to the beach, overnight camping, swimming, playing sports, an exhilarating run on the zip line, songs and skits by the campfire. Friends for life. This is the magic of camp, and diabetes camp is no exception.
0 comments - Posted Apr 13, 2013
In my experience the most common cause of elevated cholesterol is low thyroid. High blood sugars also have an effect on LDL that can be very dramatic. If someone has elevated cholesterol, diabetic or not, the very first thing you do is check their free and total T3, and free and total T4. When you give them adequate thyroid replacement, the LDL usually normalizes.
0 comments - Posted Apr 12, 2013
The key to encouraging people to choose healthier foods is to make good-for-you items more affordable, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Apr 11, 2013
Using insulin to treat type 2 diabetes could lead to weight gain, according to a new study from Tulane University.
0 comments - Posted Apr 10, 2013
In February I posted my original back up plan for last-minute workouts from home or the office. If you've been consistent, you should be ready for some new exercises. If not, you can always refer back to the original article for guidance.
0 comments - Posted Apr 9, 2013
At a time when more and more Americans are protesting big government, it turns out that a majority of us support new laws setting higher nutrition standards in school, a new survey says.
0 comments - Posted Apr 8, 2013
Doctors are getting behind such tech-savvy healthcare approaches as electronic prescriptions and medical records, and their efforts are helping them ultimately save their patients money, according to a new study.
0 comments - Posted Apr 7, 2013
Every year millions of people with type 2 diabetes vow to change their diets, lose weight, exercise more, and lower their A1c's.
0 comments - Posted Apr 6, 2013
A new study on the treatment of symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy has shown promising results, according to one of the lead doctors on the study.
0 comments - Posted Apr 5, 2013
Diabetes can seem complicated and overwhelming, full of charts and devices and concerned-looking medical professionals. There's talk of hormones and endocrine systems, of obscure organizations and dietary plans.
5 comments - Posted Apr 4, 2013
I've had type 1 diabetes for 18 years and whenever I hear bad news about someone with diabetes it hits me hard.
3 comments - Posted Apr 3, 2013
This person is referring to the ACCORD study, which in its initial unsophisticated scoring supposedly showed that a large group of elderly diabetics who had existing heart disease, died sooner when their A1cs were brought down.
1 comment - Posted Apr 2, 2013
1. Thou shalt not judge people with diabetes
2 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2013
Seniors don't have to face off against buff muscleheads at the gym in order to stay healthy, according to a new University of Illinois study that shows a DVD workout can be just as effective for older adults.
0 comments - Posted Mar 31, 2013
The first thing I would have said to that frightened 18-year-old girl back in 1994 is, "It's not your fault.' You didn't do anything wrong. You weren't out breaking mirrors, spitting on leprechauns, or walking under ladders. Your body simply turned on itself. Your immune system decided to attack the wrong guys and here we are.
1 comment - Posted Mar 29, 2013
The effect of carbohydrate on blood sugar will be multiplied in inverse proportion to childrens' weight. This means that the smaller they are, the greater effect a little bit of carbohydrate will have on them. It's been shown that children with elevated blood sugars (usually due in part to high carbohydrate intake) have diminished brain volume and lower IQs.
0 comments - Posted Mar 28, 2013
As of March 25, 2013, LifeScan has begun a voluntary recall and replacement of all of its OneTouch® Verio®IQ blood glucose meters in the United States. The meters are being recalled and replaced because of a technical problem that fails to deliver important information about extremely high blood glucose levels.
0 comments - Posted Mar 27, 2013
New stem cell research may take a step toward preventing amputations in people with diabetes, according to a new study out of Ireland.
0 comments - Posted Mar 26, 2013
A new study shows that men with heart disease who have diabetes may have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
0 comments - Posted Mar 25, 2013
A protein linked to inflammation could predict the risks of two eye-related diseases common in people with diabetes, according to the results of two new studies.
0 comments - Posted Mar 24, 2013
Diabetes is insanely expensive. I often wonder how much it has cost me over the 18 years I've been funding it. Sometimes I had enough money to purchase all my supplies, sometimes I didn't. I felt like a loser every time I had to leave supplies at the pharmacy. You'd think I'd have gotten used to it at some point, but no, I cried every single time.
12 comments - Posted Mar 22, 2013
Dawn phenomenon is the situation where the liver removes insulin from the blood in the morning hours, which causes morning blood sugars to go up, even if breakfast is skipped.
0 comments - Posted Mar 21, 2013
Monica Joyce had an idea. It wasn't original, but a good idea inspired by another.
0 comments - Posted Mar 20, 2013
Twelve years after it began as a summer placeholder designed to keep Fox TV viewers hanging around until the fall season, "American Idol" has become one of this young century's most renowned cultural phenomena. From the show's modest beginning, record producer and musician Randy Jackson has been at its heart, the memorable judge who has popularized such greetings as "Dawg!" and such praises as "I believe she's in it to win it!"
0 comments - Posted Mar 19, 2013
Don't get enough sleep? According to a small, new study, this may make you eat larger portions of high-calorie foods and, accordingly, increase your risk of gaining weight.
0 comments - Posted Mar 18, 2013
A protein linked to inflammation could predict the risks of two eye-related diseases common in people with diabetes, according to the results of two new studies.
0 comments - Posted Mar 17, 2013
As California addresses record high health care costs-the average state resident currently spends $23 a day on healthcare-a new report reveals ways that could curb those costs considerably.
1 comment - Posted Mar 16, 2013
Summer camp for kids with diabetes enables them to enjoy traditional camp activities with special staff and medical professionals who have experience with the condition. For many youngsters, camp is the first time they connect with another child who has the same medical issue, which offers both a bond and a step towards living with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 15, 2013
Accountable Care Organizations, it seems, haven't won over 100 percent of all physicians.
0 comments - Posted Mar 14, 2013
Dawn phenomenon is the situation where the liver removes insulin from the blood in the morning hours, which causes morning blood sugars to go up, even if breakfast is skipped.
0 comments - Posted Mar 13, 2013
Although some Continuing Medical Education (CME) is aimed at helping doctors improve communication skills, more doctors should get involved.
0 comments - Posted Mar 12, 2013
A study by J.D. Power and Associates recently published online examined customer satisfaction with blood glucose meters among 2,681 adult meter users who have either type 1 or 2 diabetes. Survey results found the highest level of satisfaction among users of Roche Diabetes Care's ACCU-CHEK products compared with other blood glucose meter brands.
0 comments - Posted Mar 11, 2013
For a happier life, it's time to get moving. According to a new study out of Great Britain, exercise provides a big boost when it comes to living with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 10, 2013
While walking through my mother's New York City neighborhood, El Barrio, or Spanish Harlem recently, I came across an eye-catching series of Warhol-esque signs prominently displayed outside of many bodegas in the neighborhood. The signs read, "I Big Cans" and may have been produced by beverage manufacturers in response to the recent large beverage ban passed in New York City. Double-entendres aside on the campaign tag line, I had an issue with these signs.
0 comments - Posted Mar 9, 2013
Researchers in California may have taken a big step in the fight to end renal cancer.
0 comments - Posted Mar 8, 2013
Research into a cure for type 1 diabetes proceeds on several fronts. One interesting approach is seeking ways to manipulate the autoimmune system to prevent the body's mistaken destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Another tack is the transplantation of pancreatic tissue, either from human cadavers or carefully isolated "clean" pigs that have been specially raised for the purpose.
0 comments - Posted Mar 7, 2013
Can over-hydration or dehydration affect blood sugar level?
1 comment - Posted Mar 6, 2013
Adventure travel is a dream for many, but for Graham Jackson it's the sort of thing he's been doing all his life. Born in the country of Lesotho in southern Africa (pronounced "Leh-zoo-too"), he grew up motocross racing and building off-road buggies with his father. When he was 10 years old, he and his family took a safari in a Range Rover across the expansive Kalahari Desert where zebras, lions, and giraffes are known to roam, and summer temperatures range from 68-113 degrees F-and occasionally reach as much as 122 degrees. It was a journey that influenced the course of Jackson's life.
0 comments - Posted Mar 5, 2013
Share Your NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) Community Star Story for the Chance to Win a Donation to the Charity of Your Choice!
0 comments - Posted Mar 4, 2013
Chris Barnes in't only the husband of a famous woman with diabetes, Brandy Barnes. He's also the leader of the "Partners Perspective Program," a new segment of the DiabetesSisters Conference Brandy founded several years ago.
0 comments - Posted Mar 3, 2013
0 comments - Posted Mar 2, 2013
The short-term legislation enacted to avoid the "fiscal cliff" at the start of 2013 has long-term consequences for Medicare beneficiaries' access to diabetes testing supplies (DTS). The legislation drastically cuts independent community pharmacy reimbursement for DTS and will likely decrease beneficiary access. Decreased beneficiary access to DTS could result in less patient adherence and increased long-term costs due to avoidable complications in the management of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2013
If you are a diabetic, you've likely been cautioned by your physician about the consequences of allowing your blood sugar to run high. You may have shrugged off the horror stories about how unchecked high blood sugar can damage your eyes, your heart, and circulation to your extremities. You probably have thought, "I'm young (or relatively so), and it's not going to be as bad as all that."
0 comments - Posted Feb 28, 2013
For people who take insulin, one of the hardest parts of their routine is injecting themselves before a meal, then having to wait 20 or 30 minutes before eating. For anybody who's hungry and raring to dine, the wait can be frustrating.
0 comments - Posted Feb 27, 2013
The first thing to come to mind is to devour a stack of pancakes with a generous drizzle of real maple syrup! For the most part I avoid them now because of the high blood sugars that seem to follow no matter what size insulin shot I take.
0 comments - Posted Feb 26, 2013
I interviewed Brandy Barnes in late 2011 ("Support on the Diabetes Journey," article 7400 on the Diabetes Health website) about the inspiration for her 2008 launch of DiabetesSisters (www.diabetessisters.org). The rapidly growing organization of women with diabetes has struck a chord with its optimistic message of sisterhood and loving mutual support. As Brandy prepares for two major conferences this year, I got her to hold still long enough to give us an update.
0 comments - Posted Feb 25, 2013
(Editor's Note: Although Becki Lang lives in the United Kingdom, we thought her story is one that would resonate with American readers. Unfortunately, in the United States there is no national organization that does what Medical Detection Dogs does. One organization that comes close is Northern California-based Dogs for Diabetics, which is limited by the sheer vastness of the state and the country from serving a larger area. Our hope is that Becki's story might inspire other people with diabetes to start similar detection dog programs across America.)
0 comments - Posted Feb 23, 2013
If you feel alone in your diabetes and wished you had a support group, DiabetesSisters has a free program on how to get a local PODS (Part of DiabetesSisters) group started. To see how it's done, I interviewed Lori Veliquette and Wende Jorgensen, two Northern California women who, thanks to PODS, developed a close relationship as DiabetesSisters.
0 comments - Posted Feb 22, 2013
(Editor's Note: Check with your physician before undertaking any exercise routine.)
0 comments - Posted Feb 21, 2013
To reach your long-term goals for managing diabetes, I think it's helpful to stop and write down what short-term steps you can take that will help you reach your objectives.
0 comments - Posted Feb 20, 2013
While this robot doesn't do housework, the technological advancements of the space-age cartoon "The Jetsons" might not be as far away as we think.
0 comments - Posted Feb 19, 2013
I heart carbohydrates, and sometimes, I hate carbohydrates.
0 comments - Posted Feb 18, 2013
Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. has teamed with Dexcom to expand an existing partnership to include development of Dexcom's latest continuous glucose monitoring system, the G4 Platinum. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new CGM in October.
0 comments - Posted Feb 17, 2013
The first thing I would have said to that frightened 18-year-old girl back in 1994 is, "It's not your fault." You didn't do anything wrong. You weren't out breaking mirrors, spitting on leprechauns, or walking under ladders. Your body simply turned on itself. Your immune system decided to attack the wrong guys and here we are.
0 comments - Posted Feb 16, 2013
Sean Glass learned about the time he was in kindergarten that his type 1 diabetes was ultimately his alone to manage.
0 comments - Posted Feb 15, 2013
With all the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates filling every aisle of virtually every store this time of year, Valentine's Day can be treacherous for those with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Feb 14, 2013
Like Boy Scouts everywhere, smart phone users will always be prepared in an emergency, since their devices have the ability to ensure that all of their health information can be accessed in an instant.
0 comments - Posted Feb 13, 2013
Take advantage of Diabetes Health's special deal with Living Social. We are offering a one time off subscription rate of $15*, which is 50% savings from the current subscription price.
0 comments - Posted Feb 12, 2013
Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston report that they have discovered a naturally occurring hormone that can direct the body to burn more calories and increase its insulin sensitivity. Their results, based on lab experiments with mice, could potentially lead to therapies for diabetes, obesity, and even muscular dystrophy.
3 comments - Posted Feb 10, 2013
Students with type 1 diabetes will have more opportunity for higher education thanks to a donation from Lilly Diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Feb 9, 2013
Here's a bit of news that, if conclusively proven, could gladden the hearts of everybody who struggles to get into a regular exercise habit: British researchers say that short 30-second bursts of intense activity, adding up to only 3 minutes per week, duplicate the effects of much longer gym workout or track running routines.
0 comments - Posted Feb 8, 2013
My previous boss once said to me as I freaked out about having to get some blood work drawn, "They should do a study on you."
0 comments - Posted Feb 7, 2013
If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, you have to start looking seriously at how you live your life. Talk to any persons who are insulin-dependent and they will tell you how much they wish they could be in your situation: a point where you can make changes to avoid getting to their stage of the illness.
0 comments - Posted Feb 6, 2013
I have decided to start using an insulin pump.
4 comments - Posted Feb 5, 2013
It comes as no surprise to a person with diabetes that having high blood sugar can have a huge impact on your entire body and how you feel. But did you know it can also cause many problems in your mouth? Your teeth and gums are heavily affected by the excess glucose in your system, and without proper preventative care, people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can experience serious long-term damage to their mouths.
0 comments - Posted Feb 4, 2013
Sooner or later most type 2s face the choice of whether they should begin using insulin. As the effectiveness of metformin or sulfonylureas fades, physicians often look to insulin as the safest, most effective means of asserting control over blood sugar levels.
0 comments - Posted Feb 3, 2013
Mike Fisher is a 23-year-old from Ontario, Canada, who's been snowboarding since he was 13 years old. At the age of 18, he was involved in a motorcycle crash that necessitated the amputation of one leg below the knee. He says, "At first, I felt that my life was coming to a crashing halt. But I just pushed myself to recover as fast as possible and get my life back on track, go to school, get back into snowboarding and motorcycles-just anything so that my life wasn't affected at all. I had a lot of support, and I would say that I was pretty optimistic about it and took it almost as a challenge. By the time that I was 19, I was happy. I was walking again, I was back in college in London, Ontario, and everything was good. The accident was a minor setback to me, and I rose above it. I was just continuing with my life."
8 comments - Posted Feb 2, 2013
In a 10-5 vote, an FDA panel has recommended that the agency approve the marketing of Johnson & Johnson's InvokanaTM (canagliflozin), an oral once-daily drug for treating type 2 diabetes in adults.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2013
Scientists have known for almost 100 years that insulin is the key to achieving both the control of blood sugar and its metabolization by the body. But what they have not figured out is exactly how insulin interacts with the body's cells.
0 comments - Posted Jan 31, 2013
I was having my second low of the day at work recently when I got "the headache." If you have type 1 diabetes you probably know the one. It doesn't ever go away quickly and never without having to pop a couple pain relievers. I was popping more than a couple peppermint-flavored chocolates and glucose tabs and waiting for the low to go away before I could even reach for the Advil to help ease the pounding in my head.
7 comments - Posted Jan 30, 2013
As an NFL quarterback, Jay Cutler makes his living putting a football into the hands of an open receiver before getting slammed to the ground by a huge defensive lineman. It's a stressful occupation, all about timing, a little luck, and seeing the big picture in a split second.
9 comments - Posted Jan 29, 2013
NeuroMetrix, Inc. has begun shipping its SENSUS Pain Management System to the U.S. market, just weeks after receiving FDA clearance to do in late November.
0 comments - Posted Jan 28, 2013
Keep a close eye on this story. It has two elements necessary for creating a lot of buzz: a celebrity and his unconventional "cure" for a disease.
3 comments - Posted Jan 27, 2013
(Editor's Note: Check with your physician before undertaking any exercise routine.)
0 comments - Posted Jan 26, 2013
You're a person with diabetes who has just learned that you've been diagnosed with cancer. Which disease should take precedence in your life?
0 comments - Posted Jan 25, 2013
CHICAGO, IL -- January 24, 2012 -- The news of celebrity chef Paula Deen having diabetes has triggered a national conversation about how diet affects people with diabetes or those who are at risk of getting it.
0 comments - Posted Jan 24, 2013
In our busy lives, saving time-and precious energy-is an important value. Saving steps is a method we often use to preserve our energy, exert less effort, and combine tasks to promote efficiency. But an equally, and perhaps even more, important value than efficiency is promoting good health. As a diabetic, I know that one way I can do this is by using my body to get at least a minimum of exercise each day.
0 comments - Posted Jan 23, 2013
Michelle Gaylord has lived more than 30 years with type 2 diabetes, but the diagnosis is one that she now sees a bit like a gift.
1 comment - Posted Jan 22, 2013
Share Your NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) Community Star Story for the Chance to Win a Donation to the Charity of Your Choice!
0 comments - Posted Jan 22, 2013
On September 26, 1992, my daughter Kaitlyn was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since that time, we have immersed ourselves in the world of diabetes with two goals: First, to ensure that Kaitlyn has the very best tools, both medical and emotional, to manage her diabetes, and second, to dedicate our unyielding efforts in pursuit of a cure. For us, it's not either/or: It's both.
2 comments - Posted Jan 21, 2013
A Chinese research study of diabetes patients with coronary heart disease concludes that metformin is more effective than glipizide in reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as stroke and heart attack.
0 comments - Posted Jan 20, 2013
Every spring since 1999, the Diabetes Education and Camping Association (DECA) has distributed our publication to their young campers. In honor of their youthful enthusiasm, our springtime issue always focuses on people who inspire us, from the young to the old. In this issue, we bring you the stories of people who refuse to let their diabetes limit them, people whose example re-ignites our determination to live our very best and healthiest lives. As a publisher, I am always seeking inspiration, and each of these individuals is a fresh reminder of what we can do if we put our minds to it.
1 comment - Posted Jan 19, 2013
A Canadian study of almost 140,000 diabetes patients concludes that the five-year cost of managing diabetes, excluding the cost of drugs, averages $26,978 (Canadian dollars).
0 comments - Posted Jan 18, 2013
Nobody thought for even a second that Crystal Bowersox's second-place finish on "American Idol 2010" meant that the 26-year-old was headed back to her native Elliston, Ohio, to resume a quiet life.
1 comment - Posted Jan 17, 2013
Israel-based Oramed announced that it has sent an application to the Food and Drug Administration for permission to enter Phase 2 trials of its oral insulin product. The company has been working on developing a means of delivering insulin orally, which would allow people with diabetes to avoid having to inject themselves with the hormone.
1 comment - Posted Jan 16, 2013
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes
0 comments - Posted Jan 15, 2013
Earl "the Pearl" Monroe was one of the greatest guards in the history of the National Basketball Association, playing from 1967 through 1980 for the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks. A member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, he was enshrined in the league's Hall of Fame in 1990. The Knicks retired his jersey number, 15, in 1986.
0 comments - Posted Jan 14, 2013
Good news for people with diabetes who worry about protecting themselves against the plantar pressure and risks of ulcerous foot injuries that come with diabetic neuropathy: A recent British study shows that ready-made insoles you can buy at the store perform almost as well as more expensive custom-made insoles at achieving those foot protection goals.
0 comments - Posted Jan 13, 2013
Forty-three year old stage and TV actor Stephen Wallem is a jack of all trades when it comes to entertainment. Best known for his one-man musical review, "Off the Wallem," he is also a playwright, composer, and director. Currently, he plays Thor, a gay nurse with type 1 diabetes, on the Showtime series "Nurse Jackie."
1 comment - Posted Jan 12, 2013
Professional snowboarder Sean Busby started competing at age 14 and began training for the Winter Olympics at 16. But in 2004, at age 19, Sean's troubling bouts of thirst and weariness were revealed as symptoms of type 1 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 8, 2013
It's well known that diabetes, an inflammatory disease, increases the risk of developing heart disease and related complications-also the result of inflammation. Now there's a way of predicting which type 2s may be at the highest risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2013
Narrowed and hardened arteries-atherosclerosis-are a common risk associated with type 1 diabetes. Fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up to create plaque, which narrows the arteries and makes blood flow more difficult. The increased risk of blood clots often leads to heart attacks and strokes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 5, 2013
The American Diabetes Association's newly released 2013 edition of its annual "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" recommends two notable changes:
0 comments - Posted Dec 30, 2012
We are delighted to announce that Scott Millay King, cofounder and former editor-in-chief of Diabetes Health, is coming back to the magazine as a regular columnist. You might remember his popular column, "My Own Injection," in which he wrote heart-warming stories about the challenges of being a diabetic dad. When he began the column 21 years ago, he was the only blogger giving a voice to type 1 diabetes. Many of today's online bloggers got their start by writing for Scott and Diabetes Health (formerly Diabetes Interview). Scott gave a stage to many voices, knowing that our readers want to hear different perspectives on how people manage their diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 29, 2012
One out of nine type 2s who followed an intensive diet and exercise program for one year were able to record normal or prediabetes-level blood sugar levels, according to a study recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
0 comments - Posted Dec 28, 2012
Having type 1 diabetes causes me to worry excessively about getting sick. Admittedly I sometimes go overboard in my attempt to avoid these seasonal germs. I find myself avoiding people showing symptoms as though they are infected with the plague, skipping goodies in the staff kitchen at work, and dodging shared office equipment with potential sickies.
0 comments - Posted Dec 25, 2012
To help stem the obesity epidemic, researchers are looking at how certain hormones act on fat cells. Scientists know that "white" fat cells store fat while "brown" fat cells not only store fat but also turn it into energy, a process that goes awry in obesity.
0 comments - Posted Dec 23, 2012
As we people with diabetes know all too well, diabetes presents some of its greatest daily around the dinner table. This is an area where I still find one of my biggest struggles: the ability to create tasty low-carb meals.
0 comments - Posted Dec 22, 2012
Mike Golic is the co-host of ESPN's wildly popular radio show, "Mike and Mike in the Morning." Before beginning work as a broadcaster in 1995, he played for nine years as a defensive tackle in the National Football League, including stints with the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins. About five years ago, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Since then, he has become involved in getting the word out about type 2, including the potential danger of hypoglycemia. He is a spokesman for "Blood Sugar Basics," a website and outreach program co-sponsored by Merck and the American College of Endocrinology.
0 comments - Posted Dec 21, 2012
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an early flu season is underway in 2012. If youwant to spend the upcoming holidays enjoying family, friends, and seasonal activities rather than being sick, here are several simple steps to protect yourself.
0 comments - Posted Dec 20, 2012
My diabetes and I have traveled a lot of miles together in nineteen years. Racing Ironman triathlons in Australia, Europe, the Carribean and all over North America, climbing and camping at the top of 14,000 foot Mt. Whitney, and of course dozens of family vacations and business trips. Packing equipment and supplies for an Ironman triathlon and 3 weeks in Australia requires a bit of planning and preparation, but when you have diabetes you feel like you do that for just a weekend out of town. Meters, strips, insulin, syringes, infusion sets, pump supplies, snacks . . . a simple weekend trip becomes a lunar expedition.
0 comments - Posted Dec 18, 2012
No less an authority than the New York Times wrote in May 2006 that Halle Berry has type 1 diabetes, listing her as one of several "stars who have type 1 - Gary Hall, the Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer; Adam Morrison, the Gonzaga University basketball star; [and] Halle Berry."
1 comment - Posted Dec 17, 2012
Like aspirin, metformin is one of those drugs that over the years keeps proving itself beneficial in ways it wasn't originally intended to be.
0 comments - Posted Dec 16, 2012
Dr. Kenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, MPH, FACPM is a very interesting man. He served as the Acting Surgeon General of the United States in 2006 and was made Chairman of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute in October 2007. The Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute is designed to serve as a home for the diabetes family and a trusted place of diabetes learning that will inspire diabetes innovation, improved care, and better outcomes worldwide. Through the Institute, Johnson & Johnson is opening and operating state-of-the-art instructional facilities around the world to provide health professionals with education and training aimed at improving diabetes patients' outcomes by working at the community level.
0 comments - Posted Dec 15, 2012
A 14-year study that tracked 4,434 obese type 2 patients shows that despite much talk about gastric bypass surgery as a "cure" for diabetes, a majority of the patients who underwent the procedure had no long-lasting remission of their symptoms.
0 comments - Posted Dec 14, 2012
As the winter holidays approach, with their cold weather and abundant food temptations, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group is offering 10 simple tips people with diabetes and prediabetes should follow to help stay healthy.
0 comments - Posted Dec 13, 2012
Jay Hewitt is 41 years old and has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1991. He is an elite Ironman triathlete (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, 26.2 mile run) and three-time member of the U.S. National Team for Long Course Triathlon. He is a lawyer, the father of a 16-month-old daughter, and a motivational speaker. He speaks to people with diabetes and others all over the world on fitness, nutrition, and achieving goals in life and business. Jay is also captain of Team Joslin at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, MA. Visit Jay's website at www.jayhewitt.com.
1 comment - Posted Dec 12, 2012
To partner with the federal government or not. That is the question facing many of the nation's governors as crunch time approaches to carry out the 2010 health care law.
0 comments - Posted Dec 11, 2012
I would exercise if I had more time... if I had a health club membership... if it didn't hurt so much... if I knew what exercises to do... if I could do it with my family... if I could control my blood sugar...
1 comment - Posted Dec 10, 2012
Education as part of routine care is the key to successful treatment of type 1 diabetes, according to a new study from researchers in the United Kingdom.
0 comments - Posted Dec 9, 2012
Taking linagliptin seems to help protect the kidneys in people with type 2 diabetes. The drug, usually used along with diet, exercise, and sometimes other medications, lowers blood sugar levels by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances in the blood.
0 comments - Posted Dec 8, 2012
Molly Martin is a vibrant and energetic 18-year-old from Texas who's had type 1 diabetes since the age of two. Five years ago, Molly took up motocross racing. She says, "I love riding motocross---it's just you and the bike. I feel free when I ride, like I don't have to think about diabetes. I do have to make sure that I test before I get on and during breaks, to make sure my sugar is doing what it's supposed to be doing. But when I get out there, it's just me and the bike, going."
0 comments - Posted Dec 7, 2012
There are ways to live with diabetes that allow for optimal health and relative freedom from complications. But to obtain them requires knowledge and know-how.
1 comment - Posted Dec 6, 2012
Mindful eating may help control weight as well as blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
1 comment - Posted Dec 5, 2012
Last May, 24-year-old Charlie Kimball was in Car #35, taking Turn 3 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Firestone Freedom 100. He was in radio contact with his pit crew, who informed him that he had a headwind coming out of the turn and onto the 5/8 mile "straight." Charlie kept an eye on the car next to him, moving closer and beginning to crowd it on the inside. Having raced professionally for six years, he knew that he had to make a move, and soon. He shifted into sixth gear and accelerated.
1 comment - Posted Dec 4, 2012
The study, conducted by Pei-Chun Chen, Ph.D., of the National Taiwan University College of Public Health in Taipei, and colleagues, followed two groups: one consisting of an equal number of people with and without diabetes, and the other consisting of equal numbers of people with and without clinical depression.
0 comments - Posted Dec 3, 2012
New research reveals that those suffering from depression might be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 3, 2012
CeQur SA, a Swiss company that develops insulin delivery devices, has received approval to market its PaQ® insulin delivery device in Europe.
0 comments - Posted Dec 2, 2012
While daily meal planning can be tricky when someone in the family is living with diabetes, the holidays can be especially challenging.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2012
A report in the December issue of the journal Diabetologia says that a study of 1,000 active-duty military personnel who later developed type 1 diabetes showed that low levels of vitamin D significantly increased the chances of developing the disease.
0 comments - Posted Nov 30, 2012
Last summer, I led the third annual swim-run biathlon for the Barton Center for Diabetes Education, which hosts two Massachusetts camps for children with type 1-Camp Joslin for boys and Camp Clara Barton for girls. It was at Camp Joslin that I met a memorable eight-year-old boy who exemplifies what being a diabetes hero is all about. I'll call him "Adam.'
1 comment - Posted Nov 29, 2012
Danish researchers report that high levels of transferrin may contribute to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Transferrin is a glycoprotein that binds with iron and transfers it to cells.
1 comment - Posted Nov 28, 2012
Australian researchers have released a study on stem cells that potentially could lead to type 1s being able to make their own insulin, erasing the need for regular injections.
1 comment - Posted Nov 27, 2012
Are you ready to celebrate the holidays? How many festivities are on your calendar this season? It's time to navigate the minefield of situations that can throw your diabetes off course and send a joyous occasion into the dumps.
0 comments - Posted Nov 26, 2012
Scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel report that taking whey protein isolates or concentrates may help treat type 2 diabetes and prevent obesity.
0 comments - Posted Nov 25, 2012
Gratifying news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The overall death rate from diabetes among children 19 years and younger plummeted 61 percent over the years 1968 through 2009.
3 comments - Posted Nov 23, 2012
In this new column, "Have You Noticed This About Your Diabetes?" readers send in observations and questions, and, in response, other readers share similar and not-so-similar experiences by posting in the "Comments" section.
8 comments - Posted Nov 22, 2012
I really look forward to Thanksgiving. For me, it's a great time to spend with family and friends, watch some ballgames on TV and eat. All those wonderful traditional dishes that taste so good are ready for my undivided attention. But for a diabetic, Thanksgiving dinner can be a bit tricky when it comes to controlling your blood glucose levels.
2 comments - Posted Nov 21, 2012
Good news for Eli Lilly & Co., as well as for type 2s who appreciate the addition of new drugs to treat their condition: Lilly says its once-weekly injectible drug, dulaglutide, has outperformed three other widely taken diabetes drugs in three just-concluded Phase III studies.
0 comments - Posted Nov 20, 2012
Recently while I was out shopping with my sister, I tested my blood sugar and found that I had a high reading of 217. Because I had just downed a non-fat pumpkin spice latte and still had active insulin in my bloodstream, I skipped correcting it with an insulin shot and went on trying on clothing and chatting with my sister. When I got to my car afterward, I realized that I felt a little like I was drunk, so I figured that I'd better test my blood sugar again. It was 58.
9 comments - Posted Nov 19, 2012
A Chinese study of 345 patients divided between non-diabetics and people with type 2 diabetes concludes that gut bacteria between the two groups differs substantially-so much so that the bacteria can be used to accurately determine who has or doesn't have the disease.
0 comments - Posted Nov 18, 2012
In this new column, "Have You Noticed This About Your Diabetes?" readers send in observations and questions, and, in response, other readers share similar and not-so-similar experiences by posting in the "Comments" section.
13 comments - Posted Nov 17, 2012
The FDA has approved U.S. sales of Dexcom's G4TM PLATINUM continuous glucose monitor. The San Diego-based manufacturer said it is taking orders and plans to begin shipping the device to patients within the next few weeks.
2 comments - Posted Nov 16, 2012
Deborah Grona hadn't danced with her husband in more than four years. "We fell in love on the dance floor," says Grona, who had been unable to dance, or even stand for short periods of time, since developing the chronic pain that comes with diabetic neuropathy.
0 comments - Posted Nov 15, 2012
What are you doing today to mark the occasion? I have an idea for something you might enjoy!
0 comments - Posted Nov 14, 2012
To see if tightly controlling blood sugar provides improved results in patients who received a kidney transplant, a group of diabetic post-transplant patients were followed for three days. A subset of the randomly assigned group had their blood glucose kept in tight range with IV insulin, while a control group received insulin as they ordinarily would, via injections.
0 comments - Posted Nov 14, 2012
It started at 7:45 a.m., when I heard my husband's phone alarming. Since it was his scheduled virtual type 1 for a day challenge with JDRF, I grabbed the phone as he kept snoring. Sure enough, it was his first text from JDRF, reminding him to gather his testing supplies before leaving the house. I shook his leg. "Wake up, sleepy, you have a text about your diabetes." He lay there, continuing to snooze. I tried again with "C'mon, you have to get up, your diabetes needs you!" He hollered between snores, "My diabetes is fine!" Oh, how I wish I could silence my diabetes in the morning with those words.
3 comments - Posted Nov 13, 2012
People with diabetes who receive treatment for gum disease can enjoy substantial reductions in hospitalizations, doctor visits, and annual medical expenses according to a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and dental insurer United Concordia Dental.
0 comments - Posted Nov 12, 2012
When my doctor said, "You have diabetes. You'll have to watch your sugar, change your lifestyle, and lose some weight," I was dismayed. For one, I was addicted to sugar. Second, I had been trying for years to lose weight, and I knew it just wasn't possible. Third, I was not adept in the kitchen--toasting bread maxxed out my repertoire.
1 comment - Posted Nov 11, 2012
A report in the October 2012 issue of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics says that airport full-body scans can cause malfunctions in insulin pumps or continuous glucose monitors.
4 comments - Posted Nov 10, 2012
I recently learned of a JDRF campaign to increase type 1 diabetes awareness, in which people without diabetes can sign up to experience "virtual diabetes" for a day. During that day, they receive up to 24 texts prompting actions that simulate the frequent blood sugar testing, insulin injections, and dietary choices that people with type 1 diabetes must endure. JDRF thoughtfully notes on its website that "while no virtual campaign can re-create the many needles required or the physical and financial tolls of this serious disease, T1D for a Day seeks to deepen understanding of the many heroic steps our friends and loved ones with T1D take each day."
1 comment - Posted Nov 9, 2012
President Barack Obama's victory cements the Affordable Care Act, expanding coverage to millions but leaving weighty questions about how to pay for it and other care to be delivered to an increasingly unhealthy, aging population.
0 comments - Posted Nov 8, 2012
While there is an almost constant media drumbeat about the dangers of obesity and overweight, it's a pleasure to learn that not everyone who is overweight is in bad health or runs the risk of it.
0 comments - Posted Nov 7, 2012
It was more than two decades ago, and Penny Hildreth was already feeling overwhelmed by life when she learned that she had type 1 diabetes. She was pregnant with her second child and worried about the baby's safety after a car accident that had left Hildreth with a broken collarbone, a broken rib, and a punctured spleen. It was the spleen injury that ultimately led to her diagnosis of diabetes, but she was more concerned about the baby, a little girl who was born healthy despite the automobile accident. "I always say that she's my miracle," says the 46-year-old Portland resident.
1 comment - Posted Nov 6, 2012
Good news for Eli Lilly & Co., as well as for type 2s who appreciate the addition of new drugs to treat their condition: Lilly says its once-weekly injectible drug, dulaglutide, has outperformed three other widely taken diabetes drugs in three just-concluded Phase III studies.
0 comments - Posted Nov 5, 2012
Chris Ruden, a college student and personal trainer, is a very inspiring young man. He was born with a disability and was diagnosed in his first year in college with type 1 diabetes. As is often the case, he was discouraged by the diagnosis, but while convalescing in the hospital, he decided to become a personal trainer and help others in similar situations. In this interview, he tells us why he considers diabetes a blessing in some ways.
2 comments - Posted Nov 4, 2012
A Swedish study has found that even less than a 1% reduction in A1c's lowered the mortality rate among type 2 patients by 50 percent compared to patients whose A1c's remained stable or increased. (Mortality was defined as the likelihood of dying from any cause within the next five years.)
0 comments - Posted Nov 3, 2012
Stan Bush wasn't really surprised to find out he had type 2 diabetes. An unhealthy diet that regularly featured containers of ice cream before bed had left him primed for the disease. But how he handled the news was a surprise, at least to his doctor.
0 comments - Posted Nov 2, 2012
Do people on the high end of the normal range of blood sugar levels develop the same brain shrinkage and tendency toward dementia that has been found in those with type 2 diabetes? According to an Australian study, the answer appears to be yes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 2012
In response to a post that I wrote on October 19, 2012, asking readers to contribute their opinions, John M wrote to me asking for more information. After exchanging a few emails, we came up with an idea that we think you will like: a new column by readers who write in about experiences they have had with diabetes and who are curious to know if anybody else has experienced the same thing. The new column will be called "Have You Noticed This About Your Diabetes?" The idea is for you to send in your question, in response to which other readers will share similar and not-so-similar experiences through our "Comments" section. (Take note that comments take one to two days to post because they all need to be read and approved.)
2 comments - Posted Oct 31, 2012
Danish researchers report that high levels of transferrin may contribute to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Transferrin is a glycoprotein that binds with iron and transfers it to cells.
0 comments - Posted Oct 30, 2012
Burlington, Vt. - The Center for Medicare Advocacy and co-counsel from Vermont Legal Aid today announced that plaintiffs and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius filed a Settlement Agreement in the landmark case of Jimmo v. Sebelius, bringing an end to Medicare's long-practiced but illegal application of an "Improvement Standard." The settlement of the case [Jimmo v. Sebelius, No. 5:11-cv-00017 (D.Vt.)] will improve access for tens of thousands of Americans, especially older adults and people with disabilities, whose Medicare coverage is denied or terminated because these beneficiaries are considered "not improving" or "stable." Resolution of this legal challenge effectively ends this harmful practice and ensures fair coverage rules for those who live with chronic conditions and rely on Medicare to cover basic, necessary health care.
0 comments - Posted Oct 29, 2012
As a little girl, I was scared at night that something evil might be under the bed. If I had to get up to go to the bathroom, I made sure to leap as far away from the bed as possible. As an adult, I'm still afraid that something will get me at night, but it's no longer a monster: It's the life-saving insulin that I take.
1 comment - Posted Oct 28, 2012
According to a report by the inspector general of the US Department of Health and Human Services, dozens of purported weight-loss and immune-system supplements are illegally labeled and do not have appropriate scientific evidence to support their claims.
0 comments - Posted Oct 27, 2012
Dear Editor,
0 comments - Posted Oct 26, 2012
Listen in as the Center for Medicare Advocacy legal experts Judith Stein and Gill Deford, U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), along with other healthcare advocates discuss the resolution of the "Improvement Standard" class action lawsuit filed in 2011 (Jimmo v. Sebelius, No. 11-cv-17 (D.VT.)) and its implications for Medicare beneficiaries today. For more than thirty years, the wrongful interpretation of the Medicare statue has led to the illegal denial of care for tens of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries on the grounds that the individual's condition is stable, chronic, not improving, or only requires "maintenance care."
0 comments - Posted Oct 25, 2012
I'm very happy to announce Diabetes Health's partnership with CVS/pharmacy and welcome you to ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes® from CVS/pharmacy®. If you have diabetes and already have a CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare® card, ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes offers even more benefits.
0 comments - Posted Oct 24, 2012
Introduced to South Africa by the Cape Malays, this Indonesian curried meat loaf is to South Africa what Moussaka is to Greece and Lasagne is to Italy. Traditionally, Bobotie is served with yellow rice (add turmeric), chutney and banana slices dipped in
0 comments - Posted Oct 23, 2012
I'm not sure how everyone else is feeling about health insurance in the United States of America right now, but I know I'm worried. Ever since my type 1 diabetes diagnosis at 18 years old, I've been concerned about the possibility of losing my health insurance. But now, I'm even more worried by the fact that, despite my health insurance, my healthcare costs seem to be rising by the minute. It strikes me as colossally unfair that you can faithfully stick with your employer and still end up with health insurance that's much worse than what you started with. I feel overwhelmed by the new costs I'm seeing, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
1 comment - Posted Oct 22, 2012
Author's note: Throughout this series, I will inject my own opinion, which frequently differs from that of the medical establishment in this field. Having had diabetes for more than 66 years, I place my emphasis on the well-being of fellow patients.
0 comments - Posted Oct 21, 2012
Are you annoyed by how quickly your electronic devices become obsolete? Now, deliberate obsolescence appears likely to have great medical value.
0 comments - Posted Oct 20, 2012
If you are among the readers who commented on this article ("Why Care Under the Affordable Care Act Will Be Unaffordable"), thank you very much for your response. The politics of healthcare can be a volatile issue. As the publisher and editor-in-chief of Diabetes Health, I don't always agree with my writers, but I believe that it's my duty to show the full spectrum of thought. Exposing a particular point of view does not mean that we are compromising our values. Instead, I see it as offering valuable information as to how we are different. Please remember as you read our articles that publishing an opinion does not equate to endorsing that opinion. Diabetes Health is well respected for offering all contributors an opportunity to discuss their perspective, even at the cost of frustrating our readers at times.
0 comments - Posted Oct 19, 2012
You might not realize this, but I'm actually pretty shy. I often find myself wishing that I had my husband's confidence. He doesn't worry about drawing attention to himself at parties or work. He embraces the mindset that if you don't like him, it's your problem, not his, and he shows himself to everyone just as he is.
0 comments - Posted Oct 18, 2012
Based on a recent study, the answer appears to be yes, both for those who have diabetes and those who do not.
0 comments - Posted Oct 17, 2012
Scientists generally think that decreased insulin production by the pancreas, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, is due to the death of the organ's beta cells. However, scientists at Columbia University Medical Center report that the beta cells do not die, but instead revert to a more basic cell type.
0 comments - Posted Oct 16, 2012
You don't have to live in San Francisco to participate in the annual Dance Out Diabetes dance-a-thon event.
1 comment - Posted Oct 15, 2012
When people with diabetes are successful and happy, their situation is often viewed as having been achieved despite the obstacle of diabetes. I am advocating for a shift in that perception. What if instead of seeing all the good in our lives as existing despite our disease, we begin to see everything that we are—the challenges and the achievements—as a direct product of all that we are made up of, diabetes included?
2 comments - Posted Oct 14, 2012
Recently, a Finnish study evaluated nearly 2,800 nondiabetic individuals, close to 500 of whom were using statins, after they had participated in a year of lifestyle interventions intended to improve their glucose metabolism. (Statins are lipid-lowering drugs that inhibit an enzyme crucial to the production of serum cholesterol; high cholesterol is associated with hardening of the arteries and cardiovascular problems.) The study was conducted by Dr. Nina Rautio and colleagues at Pirkanmaa Hospital in Tampere, Finland.
0 comments - Posted Oct 13, 2012
Like the taste of cinnamon? If you do and you have type 2 diabetes, a daily cinnamon supplement may help control your condition.
0 comments - Posted Oct 12, 2012
Let's be honest: it's quite hard to find indigenous American cuisine, because it's usually been influenced by one country or another. This, however, is a dish I had in Boston, albeit made with another fish. It has wonderful flavors and can be prepared in advance and cooked just before serving.
0 comments - Posted Oct 11, 2012
Roche Diagnostics says that its ACCU-CHEK Combo insulin pump system is now available in the US market. The system uses Bluetooth wireless technology to allow a glucose meter/insulin pump combination exchange data.
0 comments - Posted Oct 10, 2012
Divabetic, a national program that helps women with diabetes feel more beautiful inside and out, will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 13, in Jefferson Alumni Hall at 10th and Locust streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The free event will include beauty and fashion services, music, and educational opportunities. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss their diabetes with certified diabetes educators and other healthcare providers, talk about diet with registered dietitians, get advice on makeup from professional makeup artists, and learn how to choose flattering styles of dress.
0 comments - Posted Oct 8, 2012
Lantus and Levemir have a lot in common. Both are basal insulin formulas, which means that they last for a long time in the body and act as background insulin, with a slow feed that mimics the constant low output of insulin produced by a healthy pancreas.
2 comments - Posted Oct 7, 2012
Q: How do I lower my blood sugar when it goes over 200 mg/dl? I have Type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Oct 6, 2012
Does consuming fiber really lower blood sugar? How many grams of fiber do you need each day? What's the difference between soluble fiber and insoluble fiber?
0 comments - Posted Oct 4, 2012
A healthy, candy-like cookie that young children and teens will enjoy making. These cookies are high in fiber (1.5 g). therefore, remember to exercise portion control.
0 comments - Posted Oct 3, 2012
When I became a type 2 diabetic, I wanted to find a way to manage my weight and blood sugar with diet and exercise. I tried the high carb diet recommended by my doctor and dietitian for a time. It worked wonderfully well while my blood sugar level was high, but when my blood sugar stabilized and I was able to go off medication, I started gaining weight again. The next thing I tried was low carbohydrate dieting. I found it to be a very effective way to lose weight rapidly, but I was unable to endure the regimen for more than a short time.
6 comments - Posted Oct 2, 2012
The Republican proposal to change Medicare that has been championed by GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan remains unpopular with Americans, although younger people are more receptive to it than older ones, according to a new poll.
1 comment - Posted Oct 1, 2012
A new technique using amniotic tissue harvested from a discarded placenta can heal wounds, burns and scars twice as fast as previous treatments. The tissue is extracted from the placenta, with the woman's consent, during Caesarian sections and then sent to Georgia-based MiMedX, the company that processes the material so it can then be applied to the injured area to jump-start healing. The process, known as EpiFix, demonstrated significant success in a clinical trial involving patients with diabetic foot ulcers. 92% of patients who received the treatment were completely healed in six weeks compared with only 8 percent who healed in the same time frame without the addition of the processed amniotic membrane material. The trial was so successful it was terminated earlier than anticipated. Study findings are expected to be submitted for peer reviewed journal publication shortly.
0 comments - Posted Sep 30, 2012
Celebrity chef Paula Deen was subjected to some withering criticism recently when the public learned that she has type 2 diabetes. How could she push butter and sugar-loaded recipes at TV viewers when she has diabetes, her critics demanded.
1 comment - Posted Sep 29, 2012
Several recent articles should dispel any remaining notion that care provided under the so-called Affordable Care Act will in fact be affordable. Just the opposite is true.
10 comments - Posted Sep 28, 2012
The following letter to the editor asks Diabetes Health subscribers to share their experiences with Symlin. If you use Symlin, please tell us about it in the "Comments" section. Have you had more success in managing your diabetes with Symlin? How has your insurance company treated you regarding your prescription cost?
7 comments - Posted Sep 27, 2012
Philadelphia-based Echo Therapeutics plans to introduce a needle-free continuous glucose monitoring system to the US market in 2013, pending FDA approval. The Symphony® tCGM is a two-part device that monitors blood glucose by taking readings through a user's skin rather than via finger pricks. It is intended for use by anyone with diabetes, not just insulin pump users.
1 comment - Posted Sep 26, 2012
I was recently talking with my mom about my retirement plan: to be specific, about my worrisome lack of preparation for retirement. She consoled me by saying that I am still young and have a lot of time left to plan and save. It was then that I had a moment of total panic, as I realized that this is true only if my body continues to work. What if I develop complications from my type 1 diabetes?
1 comment - Posted Sep 25, 2012
Bonny Damocles, a longtime fan of TV shows like "Wild Kingdom," looked at his type 2 diabetes diagnosis as his opportunity to take a walk on the wild side. When the Michigan resident learned that he had diabetes more than two decades ago, he immediately began thinking about how lions survive in the wild as inspiration for his own diet plan.
4 comments - Posted Sep 24, 2012
Lilly Diabetes recently launched the free Lilly Glucagon Mobile App to educate those who support people living with type 1 diabetes. The interactive app, available on the iTunes store for iPhone and iPad devices, provides caregivers, diabetes educators, and school nurses with visual and audio emergency instructions, as well as tools to track locations of glucagon kits and alerts for expiration dates.
0 comments - Posted Sep 23, 2012
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Company have introduced My Well Planner, a new online program offering customized educational content to help adults with type 2 diabetes make simple lifestyle changes to improve their health. Sample topics include general information about type 2 diabetes, better eating habits, building physical activity into daily life, taking medication, and communication strategies.
0 comments - Posted Sep 22, 2012
Time after time, people without diabetes ask me how my diabetes is going. I always get a little tongue-tied because "Wow, great!" isn't really accurate, and the alternatives are complicated. Usually, something like "Uh, good, fine, hard sometimes, but um, thanks for asking" awkwardly tumbles out of my mouth.
4 comments - Posted Sep 21, 2012
German scientists report that gestational diabetes and/or low income may increase a child's risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the study indicates, breastfed children born under those conditions may gain some protection against ADHD.
0 comments - Posted Sep 20, 2012
In 2009, when Bruce Share started drinking five glasses of iced tea before dinner and dropped 15 pounds from his already lean frame, he immediately knew that he had diabetes. In the preceding four years, he had learned a great deal about the disease as a member of the board of Defeat Diabetes. Now, he knew that it was his personal battle as well. A visit to his physician proved his intuition right. His A1C was 13%, and his blood sugar registered at 390. Eight months earlier, it had been perfect.
1 comment - Posted Sep 19, 2012
A British study of type 2 men reports that although testosterone therapy had a beneficial effect on blood glucose levels and other metabolic indicators for non-depressed men, those suffering from depression experienced no benefit. In fact, reports Geoffrey Hackett, MD, at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, depressed men actually experienced a worsening of symptoms.
0 comments - Posted Sep 18, 2012
I'm Impressed. I have a business membership at Sam's Club for the shop I manage and was doing some supply shopping the other day. As I walked into my local Sam's Club I found myself staring at Bret Michaels. Okay, it was a picture of Bret on a Sam's Club Healthy Living Made Simple magazine on a table at the front door. I can't resist Mr. Michaels so I figured I'd pick up a free copy of the magazine and read it later at home.
0 comments - Posted Sep 17, 2012
If you bought Disney or Marvel children's vitamins, you may be eligible for a refund. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, charged NBTY, the company formerly known as Nature's Bounty, with making false claims about certain multivitamins.
0 comments - Posted Sep 16, 2012
Diabetes self-care is much more fun when I'm happy. It's so much easier when I have a smile on my face. For a long time I thought negative emotions could be controlled or denied. I thought I could just put on a smile and they would go away. But they didn't.
1 comment - Posted Sep 15, 2012
Bayer 's new blood glucose meter, the Contour® Next Link, which works with Medtronic's diabetes management system, is now available in the United States.
0 comments - Posted Sep 14, 2012
Sometimes it isn't a stranger or acquaintance giving you a hard time about your diabetes. Sometimes it's a family member or close friend that says something hurtful about your diabetes management. And that is far more difficult to hear than the guy at the table next to you in a restaurant or some lady sharing an office with you at work.
14 comments - Posted Sep 13, 2012
A new blood test can predict which patients with heart failure are likely to need an internal implantable defibrillator that can treat abnormal heartbeat and prevent sudden death.
0 comments - Posted Sep 12, 2012
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved US sales of NUCYNTA® ER (tapentadol), a twice-daily extended-release oral analgesic for the treatment of pain from diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The drug, produced by New Jersey-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., provides around-the-clock management for moderate to severe chronic neuropathic pain. Janssen says that it is currently the only opioid on the US market that has been approved for treating the condition.
1 comment - Posted Sep 11, 2012
Israeli researchers believe that they have found a way to increase the survival and effectiveness of insulin-producing pancreatic cells transplanted into diabetic mice. The technique, developed by scientists at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, involves surrounding the transplanted beta cells with a three-dimensional latticework of nurturing blood vessels called "engineered tissue."
1 comment - Posted Sep 10, 2012
0 comments - Posted Sep 9, 2012
According to a Scottish study recently published in Bioessays, the confusing signals created by modern technology's ability to turn night into day may be contributing to the global epidemic of obesity.
0 comments - Posted Sep 8, 2012
The media abounds with stories about the sudden collapse and death of athletes whom we assumed were in the best of health. When such cases occur, we may become concerned about exercising ourselves. A recent presentation describing people who had been exercising during or within one hour of a cardiac arrest may assuage these concerns to a degree.
1 comment - Posted Sep 7, 2012
Steve Richert, who has type 1 diabetes, has embarked upon a 365-day climbing mission to demonstrate that managing diabetes and rock climbing present similar challenges and to inspire people with diabetes to surmount those challenges. In this second part of our interview, I asked him about his motivations.
1 comment - Posted Sep 6, 2012
To a casual observer, Dr. Nat Strand might look like an over-achiever. After all, she and her partner won Season 17 of her favorite television show, "The Amazing Race." Winning the race opened her world up to the diabetes community, which, interestingly enough, inspired her to take better care of herself. Her mission now is to encourage everyone with diabetes to connect with the diabetes community and benefit from knowing others who understand the daily challenges of managing type 1 diabetes. When I caught up with Dr. Strand, we began by talking about what drove her to enter the Amazing Race.
1 comment - Posted Sep 5, 2012
The Mayo Clinic Health Letter for August 2012 has published three lifestyle changes that could stave off the progression of prediabetes to full-blown type 2 diabetes. The list isn't new, but its periodic reiteration indicates that healthcare researchers and providers have settled on a simple prescription for staying diabetes-free.
1 comment - Posted Sep 4, 2012
Well-to-do people eat more healthy fruits, vegetables, proteins, and unsaturated fats than poorer people, who eat more carbohydrates, according to the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study reported at the European Society of Cardiology in Munich, Germany.
2 comments - Posted Sep 3, 2012
Recipe courtesy of "Eat What You Love: More Than 300 Incredible Recipes Low in Sugar, Fat and Calories" (Running Press 2010)
Although my boys love to order Chicken Parmesan when we dine out, the health content is always a concern -especially since it usually arrives thickly breaded, deeply fried, smothered in cheese, and served on a mountain of spaghetti! Here's a terrific easy stove-top recipe that's filled with all of the same great flavors but none of the excess fat and carbs.
0 comments - Posted Sep 2, 2012
Steve Richert, who has type 1 diabetes, has embarked upon a 365-day climbing mission to demonstrate that managing diabetes and rock climbing present similar challenges and to inspire people with diabetes to surmount those challenges. When I caught up with Steve on a rare day when he happened to be at sea level, I asked him about his mission.
1 comment - Posted Sep 1, 2012
We've all heard a lot of discussion about low carbohydrate diets and whether they are effective for weight loss and blood sugar control.. What most of us do not understand, however, is how diabetes affects the way that we process carbs. Beta cells make more than insulin: they also make another satiety hormone: amylin. If we are beta-cell deficient, then we are amylin-deficient as well. When the amylin hormone is not available to tell our brain that we are full, we crave more food, especially carbohydrates. Carbohydrates act as a mood stabilizer, making us feel good when we're stressed.
1 comment - Posted Aug 31, 2012
Older type 2s who exercise tight control over their blood sugar may run an increased risk of hip fracture, says a study from Changi General Hospital in Singapore. The researchers studied 558 elderly people with diabetes who had been treated for hip fracture between 2005 and 2010. They found that those patients had a significantly lower median A1C, 6.8%, than the control group median of 7.4%. In 59.2 percent of the hip fracture cases, the patient's A1C was less than 7%, and slightly more than three-quarters of the patients were taking sulfonylureas.
1 comment - Posted Aug 30, 2012
Can't focus well after a poor night's sleep? You are not alone. A small study at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital looked at 12 people during a one-month study in a sleep lab. Their sleep was cut dramatically, to a mere six hours instead of their customary ten to twelve hours. Later, when searching for pictures on a computer, their performance was slower.
0 comments - Posted Aug 29, 2012
Paula Deen, a celebrity Southern chef known for her unrestrained love of butter and sugar, is no stranger to the media. She received a flurry of bad press recently when she revealed that she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years earlier. Shortly thereafter, she became a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk's Victoza. Following these developments, some critics said that she was a poor role model.
2 comments - Posted Aug 28, 2012
The Food and Drug Administration has approved US sale of generic pioglitazone (trade name Actos) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Actos, originally developed and trademarked by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, works by decreasing insulin resistance in type 2 patients. The prescription drug, which belongs to the class of drugs known as thiazolidinediones (TZDs), has enjoyed great commercial success in the United States since its introduction in 1999, posting estimated sales last year of $2.7 billion.
0 comments - Posted Aug 27, 2012
The two best ways to increase your family's consumption of vegetables is to make them taste really good and have them readily available.
0 comments - Posted Aug 26, 2012
Recently, while scrolling through discussions posted on an online diabetes forum, I came across one from a man in his thirties who wrote about how paramedics had found his twin brother face down in a sauna, in an insulin shock coma. How did he end up in such a state? The appalling answer is, he didn't have enough glucose strips to test before he got into the hot tub. A few weeks before the sauna incident, his insurance company had limited his glucose strips to just four per day.
26 comments - Posted Aug 25, 2012
A 30-year study of life expectancy among people with type 1 diabetes showed a dramatic increase during the second half of the study, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. Type 1s diagnosed between 1965 and 1980 have a life expectancy of 68.8 years—15 years more than type 1s diagnosed between 1950 and 1964. In the same period, general life expectancy for US residents increased by less than one year.
7 comments - Posted Aug 24, 2012
The other day, I read a post in which someone wrote that he had to take a "ton of insulin" to cover some carbs in his meal, and he disclosed the exact dose. The funny thing is, I have often taken that amount to cover my meals. Admittedly, they were higher carb meals, but I never really thought of it as being a "ton" of insulin. When you read something like this, you can't help but wonder if you are doing something wrong on a regular basis. I suddenly felt that maybe I was out of line in taking that particular dose at a normal meal.
3 comments - Posted Aug 23, 2012
Students in the healthcare field have probably attended a "bugs and drugs" lecture about bacteria and the various antibiotics used in response. Put that on a whole new level, where the "bugs and drugs" are hordes of mosquitoes and peculiar plants, and you would be envisioning my pharmacy rotation in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. The purpose of the trip was to study medicinal plants and natural medicine, but our group definitely braved the elements as well. A few of the pleasures we got to experience included extreme heat, daily paddling of canoes down the Amazon River, tightly rationed drinking water, bathing with piranhas, stepping in quicksand, eating guinea pig, and almost sinking our canoe in a torrential downpour. Now mix in my diabetes, and you would seemingly have the recipe for the perfect storm.
0 comments - Posted Aug 22, 2012
The new Accu-Chek Nano was approved for diabetes patients in January 2012, and distribution of the product began in April. Jennifer Aspy, the director of product marketing and operations, sat down with me at the American Association of Diabetes Educators to talk about the merits of this new medical device.
1 comment - Posted Aug 21, 2012
Ingredients & Methods
0 comments - Posted Aug 19, 2012
Amy Powell, the first recipient of the Diabetes Health Pharmacist and American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) scholarship, was honored at the 2012 AADE conference in Indianapolis. As the winner, her conference fees and accommodation costs were paid, and she received a one-year AADE membership.
0 comments - Posted Aug 18, 2012
Right from the start, Andy Mandell thought of walking the perimeter of the US to raise awareness for diabetes as a military objective, a special ops mission to draw attention to the dangers of the disease. As someone who has lived with type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years, Mandell saw his role as that of an educator, and he took it seriously, wanting to help others avoid the mistakes he had made after his diagnosis. An active guy who loved running, he followed his doctor's orders--to a degree. He checked food labels to make sure that he wasn't consuming too much sugar, and he continued his vigorous lifestyle. He felt good, so he saw no reason to worry.
4 comments - Posted Aug 17, 2012
Physically fit men with type 2 diabetes and a heart condition known as left ventricular hypertrophy run a considerably lower risk of premature death than their diabetic peers who are not fit. That's the conclusion of a longitudinal study of 866 patients conducted by Veterans Affairs Medical Center and George Washington University, Washington, DC.
0 comments - Posted Aug 16, 2012
As diabetes climbs to epidemic levels in the United States, and finding adequate resources to fund future U.S. healthcare remains in question, the need for an already existing "boots on the ground" group that can address the disease is greater than ever.
0 comments - Posted Aug 15, 2012
As CEO of a company that manufactures insulin syringes and pen needles for the US and Canadian markets, I have been closely monitoring the regulations and trends pertaining to the safe disposal of the products we produce. Surveys indicate that less than five percent of the over three billion sharps devices sold in the US annually are disposed of in some type of closed container. Most of the remaining 95 percent are deposited, unprotected, in the household trash. Significant changes may be pending with regard to the disposal of used sharps devices, and it's likely that pharmacists will be affected by these changes.
12 comments - Posted Aug 14, 2012
Endocrinologist Robert Cuddihy, MD, joined Sanofi US over a year ago to be the company's Vice President and Medical Diabetes Head in the United States. He is responsible for developing and executing the US strategy for Sanofi's Diabetes Division, including pharmaceuticals, devices, and other technologies. He previously served as the medical director for several organizations, including the International Diabetes Center-Park Nicollet in Minnesota.
0 comments - Posted Aug 13, 2012
To turn this side dish into a satisfying entrée, top with some chicken or fish, cheese or tofu. Beans add flavor, protein and loads of fiber along with more carbohydrate. You can also add tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin or cayenne pepper, jalapeno or other hot peppers, lime or lemon juice.
0 comments - Posted Aug 12, 2012
Jersey-based BD Medical, a division of Becton, Dickinson and Company, has introduced the Hyflow™ needle, a 27-gauge thin-wall needle designed for use with the company's prefillable syringe systems.
1 comment - Posted Aug 11, 2012
I don't sleep till noon, wait for other people to clean up my messes, or put off doing the laundry until I'm down to my last clean shirt. Still, when it comes to my diabetes, sometimes I can't help but feel like a total slacker.
4 comments - Posted Aug 10, 2012
A University of California San Francisco study says that middle-aged and older women who have diabetes are less satisfied with their sex life than women who do not have the disease.
0 comments - Posted Aug 9, 2012
If you like cheese, there may be cause for celebration. According to a new study, eating cheese may lower your risk for type 2 diabetes
1 comment - Posted Aug 8, 2012
Physically fit men with type 2 diabetes and a heart condition known as left ventricular hypertrophy run a considerably lower risk of premature death than their diabetic peers who are not fit. That's the conclusion of a longitudinal study of 866 patients conducted by Veterans Affairs Medical Center and George Washington University, Washington, DC.
0 comments - Posted Aug 7, 2012
UC San Diego scientists have discovered a molecule involved in regulating the biological clock that could open a new path for treating type 2 diabetes. The molecule, dubbed KL001, controls a key protein, cryptochrome, that regulates the biological clock (circadian rhythm) in plants, animals, and humans. In doing so, cryptochrome indirectly affects the liver's production of glucose. KL001 can be manipulated to induce cryptochrome to slow the liver's glucose production, thus creating a possible new therapeutic approach to type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Aug 6, 2012
0 comments - Posted Aug 5, 2012
A study has found that taking curcumin extract, the main ingredient of the popular Indian spice turmeric, may help ward off type 2 in those with prediabetes.
0 comments - Posted Aug 4, 2012
Martie Neugent's diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is one of those moments that he looks back on thankfully. He learned that he had the condition in 2000, at age 32, during what he assumed would be a routine trip to the doctor. Instead, it turned out to be a pivotal opportunity to make one of two choices. He could go on exactly as he had, adding a cocktail of medications to control his blood sugar levels, or he could make some noteworthy changes and map out a new life. For him, the choice was an easy one. "All my mother's uncles died at a young age," Neugent said about the ravages of diabetes in his extended family. "And my great-grandmother lost her leg. My first thought was that I was probably going to die if I didn't get it fixed."
1 comment - Posted Aug 3, 2012
As teenagers, most of us did some reckless and irresponsible things. It's part of growing up, right? But if you're a teenager with type 1 diabetes, acting reckless becomes a bit more tricky. I had a reckless summer of my own ten years ago, right after high school graduation, when I traveled down south to spend a month with my mom. I hadn't lived with her since the age of 16, so I wanted to get to know her and my younger brother again. Unfortunately, I also used that time to take a break from my diabetes regimen. It had been only four years since my diagnosis, and I wanted to feel that even though I had a disease, I was still a normal teenager who was capable of an adventure.
0 comments - Posted Aug 2, 2012
Country music star George Canyon recently teamed up with Animas to do a five-day, five-city tour across Canada to reach out to people with type 1 diabetes. The "George Canyon and Friends Diabetes Heroes Tour" started on May 14 in St. John's, Newfoundland, and ended on May 18 in Prince George, British Columbia, 3,000 miles west.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2012
One of the greatest technological advancements in diabetes care has been the insulin pump. For one, it gives you the illusion of being "normal" because you no longer have to inject insulin throughout the day. Instead, you "bolus" by pushing a button on the pump itself or using a remote control. It allows better glucose management because you can adjust your basal rate (the "background" insulin dose) by increments of one thousandth of a unit every hour. Especially when you're moving from the peaks and valleys of NPH or the restraints and hazards of Lantus, the freedom of living with an insulin pump is incredible. But pumps do not come without their kinks.
9 comments - Posted Jul 31, 2012
We are delighted to announce that Scott Millay King, cofounder and former editor-in-chief of Diabetes Health, is coming back to the magazine as a regular columnist. You might remember his popular column, "My Own Injection," in which he wrote heart-warming stories about the challenges of being a diabetic dad. When he began the column 21 years ago, he was the only blogger giving a voice to type 1 diabetes. Many of today's online bloggers got their start by writing for Scott and Diabetes Health (formerly Diabetes Interview). Scott gave a stage to many voices, knowing that our readers want to hear different perspectives on how people manage their diabetes.
1 comment - Posted Jul 30, 2012
Swedish researchers report that a drop in A1C of less than one percentage point can lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease among people with diabetes by nearly half. Specifically, they found that patients who reduced their A1C from 7.8% to 7.0% decreased their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 45 percent.
0 comments - Posted Jul 29, 2012
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes APRN, and Kaiser Health News.
0 comments - Posted Jul 27, 2012
Editor's Note: Portions of this report were taken from a press release from CVS-Caremark.
0 comments - Posted Jul 26, 2012
Note: Recipe from "Splendid Low-Carbing for Life, Vol. 2" by Jennifer Eloff (www.low-carb.us)
0 comments - Posted Jul 25, 2012
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 14. Suddenly, I went from being a carefree teenager to a patient who had to be concerned with every carbohydrate in a cracker. Not only was I dealing with the hormones and emotional adjustments of adolescence, but I was also learning to cope with and accept a disease that wanted a part of every minute of my day. I also had to deal with the illusion that other teenagers had nothing to worry about except how to fit in, and the fact that I was no longer part of that group of carefree kids. I was now the student who had a free pass from teachers to eat or drink during class. The girl who left fourth period ten minutes early to go to the nurse's office to test her glucose. The sick kid who had a doctor's appointment every two months and came late to school because of it.
3 comments - Posted Jul 24, 2012
In a small study of 10 type 1 children under the age of seven years, closed-loop insulin delivery improved their nighttime glycemic control. The therapy, delivered at Children's Hospital Boston, used an algorithm-controlled pump and continuous glucose monitor to deliver insulin on an as-needed basis as the children slept.
0 comments - Posted Jul 23, 2012
Let's face it; seafood is a way of life for us here in the South. We find excuses to eat it for any meal of the day, and this red snapper is no different. I managed to shed some of the sodium by cutting back on the salt, and switching out the butter for some delicious olive oil. Your whole family will love these healthier, succulent fillets of fish. The name says it all, this is a recipe that you won't want to miss!
0 comments - Posted Jul 22, 2012
It's time for the parent-teacher conferences at a school in an African American community. For one child who has shown behavior problems and poor academic performance, the teacher and parents are discussing working together to improve the child's performance.
0 comments - Posted Jul 21, 2012
If I were asked to talk about diabetes to a group of newly diagnosed people, I think I'd start by telling them that there is actually some good that comes from a life with diabetes. While they were deciding whether I had lost my mind, I'd explain that I'm not crazy, but that there really is a saving grace when it comes to having diabetes. It's called the diabetes online community, or DOC.
2 comments - Posted Jul 20, 2012
Lookin' for bread with a little bite to it? Then you're going to fall in love with these chili corn muffins in a new light. I was able to reduce the fat and sodium by using egg whites and reduced-fat cheese and fat-free buttermilk. They're great for a grilling night!
1 comment - Posted Jul 19, 2012
Immediately starting intense therapy for newly diagnosed type 2s preserved their beta cell functioning for 3.5 years, according to a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center study.
0 comments - Posted Jul 18, 2012
I've had type 1 diabetes for 14 long years. During that time, I have had five episodes of ketoacidosis, two of which were brought on by emotional stress. The one that happened eight years ago, shortly after the meltdown of a serious relationship, lives vividly in my memory.
11 comments - Posted Jul 17, 2012
0 comments - Posted Jul 16, 2012
On a Sunday morning, a busy couple and their school-age children enter a superstore for their weekly grocery shopping. As they move through the center of the store, their shopping cart fills with packs of flavored yogurt, fruit sauces, fruit bars, fruit juices, flavored milk, prepared school lunches, snacks, and family meal packs.
0 comments - Posted Jul 15, 2012
New York researchers have reported that obese patients with type 1 diabetes who do not respond well to insulin may be able to improve their blood sugar control by adding liraglutide to their therapy. Liraglutide (brand name Victoza) is an injectible GLP-1 analog* that was introduced to the US market in 2010 to treat people with type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jul 14, 2012
Hearty winter meals such as stews, soups and chili are easy to make in large quantities and later re-heat for another meal. Although cooks love the time-saving quality of leftovers, many people dislike eating the same meal two days in a row.
1 comment - Posted Jul 13, 2012
Over the years, Diabetes Health has covered a vast array of diabetes-related topics, from recipes and sex to celebrity interviews and scientific research. This issue is no exception-I think you'll find a lot to "chew on" here, especially in the three diet-related articles.
0 comments - Posted Jul 12, 2012
An epidemic more deadly than coal dust is sweeping through the dogwood-dappled hollows of eastern Kentucky. The new threat: diabetes. In Kentucky and across the broad Appalachian region, a third of the population is estimated by health officials to have diabetes, double the rate for the country as a whole. Ads for diabetes counseling and testing clinics have replaced those for supermarkets as a major revenue source in local newspapers, and billboards urging middle-aged people to get tested appear almost everywhere there's a straight stretch of highway.
0 comments - Posted Jul 11, 2012
Bariatric surgery, which alters or blocks portions of the digestive system, has produced long-term remission of diabetes symptoms in many type 2 patients. However, a small study of obese type 2 patients who underwent bariatric surgery shows that the longer they had diabetes, the greater the chances that their disease recurred after surgery. The retrospective study, conducted by Yessica Ramos, MD, at the Mayo Clinic Arizona, found that patients who had had diabetes for five years or longer were nearly four times as likely to experience a recurrence of the disease after the remission brought on by the surgery.
1 comment - Posted Jul 9, 2012
Kyrra Richards, who has type 1 diabetes, has transformed her desire for a stylish diabetes carrying case into a thriving business. Her sense of style has struck a chord with a large audience, including a company that is working with her to customize her line to its pump. It's been several years since Diabetes Health interviewed Kyrra at an AADE conference (http://www.diabeteshealth.com/tv/play/182.html). I spoke to her recently to catch up and see how things were going.
1 comment - Posted Jul 8, 2012
University of California researchers report that they have found a new class of drugs that could lead to a pain relief treatment for people who have diabetic neuropathy. The drugs, which were successfully tested on lab animals, are anti-inflammatory compounds that inhibit the action of an enzyme called soluble epoxide hydrolase. The enzyme is key to the transmission of pain sensations. Previous research has shown that inhibiting soluble epoxide hydrolase also lowers blood pressure and protects against kidney damage.
0 comments - Posted Jul 7, 2012
Surprise the dad in your life with this seemingly decadent recipe. Since pork tenderloin is very lean, it can afford the added bacon fat, which gives flavor and helps to tenderize the meat.
0 comments - Posted Jul 6, 2012
Diabetes affects nearly 25 million Americans, and that number is expected to grow substantially every year. It's the fifth leading cause of death in America, more than breast cancer and AIDs combined. And according to a report released last week from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), it's a disease that's costing Americans $83 billion a year in hospital fees — 23 percent of total hospital spending.
3 comments - Posted Jul 5, 2012
British scientists say that they have discovered a link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. OSA is defined as having five or more events per hour of hypopnea (abnormally slow or shallow breathing). The researchers, from the University of Birmingham, UK, report that the association between the two conditions is strong despite other factors that could be used to explain the correlation. According to their findings, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the severity of the neuropathy correlates with the degree of OSA.
1 comment - Posted Jul 4, 2012
What is the difference between "good carbs" and "bad carbs"? Is that ache in your side normal or a sign of cancer? Is blurry eyesight normal for people with diabetes, or should you start a carrot diet to improve your vision?
0 comments - Posted Jul 3, 2012
Annie Snyder figured she'd be out of the pediatrician's office in 30 minutes, tops. Then she'd head home, tuck the medical permission for YMCA summer camp in her bag and finish packing.
0 comments - Posted Jul 2, 2012
Metformin is the aspirin of the diabetes world, an almost-wonder drug that proves itself again and again the longer it's around. This time, a new study shows that postmenopausal women with diabetes who have taken metformin for several years are 25 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than nondiabetic women.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 2012
Statesville, NC - June, 26, 2012 - A staggering 78% of U.S. adults age 21+ report they have had one or more problems with their feet at some time in their lives, according to The National Foot Health Assessment 2012, a survey conducted for the Institute for Preventive Foot Health (IPFH) by The NPD Group. The most common foot maladies, plaguing both men and women, were ankle sprains (reported by roughly one in three respondents), followed by blisters, calluses, foot fatigue, cracked skin and athlete's foot.
0 comments - Posted Jun 30, 2012
A small Chinese study has reported that 15 of 28 young type 1 patients, aged 14 to 30 years, who underwent an experimental adult stem cell procedure were able to stay off insulin injections for an average of 18 months. Though not conclusive, the study highlights an interesting avenue of research that could eventually dramatically reduce insulin dependence among type 1s.
7 comments - Posted Jun 29, 2012
As I said in my previous article on this subject, my insulin pump has changed my life. My A1C has improved, I've felt more energetic, and I've controlled my diabetes more effectively overall. It has been the biggest and best change in my diabetes treatment since I started on insulin a quarter-century ago.
2 comments - Posted Jun 28, 2012
A Walgreens study during which pharmacists counseled patients about taking injectable diabetes medications improved the patients' adherence by 24 percent.
0 comments - Posted Jun 27, 2012
My 16-year-old son and I spent the day together recently and decided to head out for burgers at lunchtime. Sitting in a rather exposed booth at a restaurant, we chatted and began eating. I wasn't really thinking about anything, just enjoying the rare moment of hanging out with my sweet son, when he remarked, "I'd feel so awkward if I had to do that." I asked him what he meant and actually looked around to see what he was talking about. Then it hit me, as he mimed taking an injection and said, "Having to take shots in front of random people all the time." Moments before, I had taken a shot in my hip, capped my syringe, and popped it back into my handbag without even thinking about it. After 18 years of shots, it's practically instinct for me.
3 comments - Posted Jun 26, 2012
My insulin pump has changed my life. My A1C has improved, I've felt more energetic, and I've controlled my diabetes more effectively overall. It has been the biggest and best change in my diabetes treatment since I started on insulin a quarter-century ago.
2 comments - Posted Jun 25, 2012
The Year
What a year I've had. From the spring of 2011 to the spring of 2012, my life changed utterly. There have been few years in my life more eventful, and few years that mixed joy and pain in such bracing amounts. With the year now done, I'm hesitant to draw any lessons--I just look back in amazement.
2 comments - Posted Jun 24, 2012
Several hopeful trends emerged from this year's ADA Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia, held June 8 through 12.
0 comments - Posted Jun 23, 2012
Medical devices aren't just any old pieces of technology. Lives depend upon them. For that reason, the government outlined a process decades ago by which manufacturers and importers were supposed to report malfunctions. But there was one problem: When malfunctions occurred, the manufacturers and importers did not admit it. According to the Food and Drug Administration, "A 1986 General Accounting Office (GAO) study showed that less than one percent of device problems occurring in hospitals are reported to FDA, and the more serious the problem with a device, the less likely it was to be reported."
0 comments - Posted Jun 22, 2012
I've had type 1 diabetes for nearly 14 years. I have fallen off the wagon a few times, battled diabulimia, survived numerous insulin shock comas and ketoacidosis episodes, and struggled with acceptance: I have my scars. Despite these mistakes, I've picked myself up countless times and have prevailed. I've persevered with a disease that doesn't take vacations for even a minute, and I've come out on top. I'm alive and healthy, with a full life and a child of my own.
5 comments - Posted Jun 21, 2012
Did you know there are 9 simple steps that you can take to make testing your blood glucose a lot less painful?
0 comments - Posted Jun 20, 2012
SAN DIEGO - June 15, 2012 - Dexcom, the leader in continuous glucose monitoring, is proudly sponsoring the efforts of the Diabetes Formation Flight USA(DFFUSA.org) - three pilots with insulin-dependent diabetes using Dexcom's Seven Plus as part of their effort to set new transcontinental world speed records while raising funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
0 comments - Posted Jun 20, 2012
An Israeli biotech company's cell therapy, designed to treat hard-to-heal diabetic ulcers, is now in phase 3 testing in the United States.
0 comments - Posted Jun 19, 2012
Last year, I gave birth to my daughter and shared my pregnancy and birthing experiences with you. The pregnancy was a very difficult but extremely rewarding experience. A few months after our daughter was born, my husband and I discussed whether we'd have another child. On one hand, I went through several insulin shock comas, severe insulin resistance, and pre-eclampsia, ending in an emergency cesarean section. Because my first pregnancy was so tough, we weren't sure if we wanted to risk another one. On the other hand, if we did have two children, we wanted them to be very close in age so that they could bond well. We figured that if the two children were around fifteen months apart, then my daughter would be too young to feel any tension about having another baby in the house. We hoped they'd be close enough in age that they would always have one another as a companion.
3 comments - Posted Jun 18, 2012
As I celebrate my birthday this month, I also recognize the anniversary of my diabetes. If it were a person, it would be legally old enough to move out. Oh, how I wish it would! I was diagnosed at eighteen years old with type 1 diabetes, so this makes eighteen long years that the two of us have been living together. I have so many mixed emotions about it. On one hand, I feel stronger and more certain of my decisions with diabetes than ever before. On the other hand, I feel pretty depressed that it's been so long and that, no matter how I try to push away the thought, complications could be looming around the bend.
1 comment - Posted Jun 17, 2012
A clinical study has begun of a wearable device that continuously delivers basal insulin to people with type 2 diabetes. The device, PaQ®, is manufactured by CeQur SA, a Swiss company that has operations in Denmark and Massachusetts. Designed to provide three days of basal insulin delivery along with on-demand bolus insulin, the device incorporates a disposable insulin infuser reservoir attached to a reusable insulin monitor.
2 comments - Posted Jun 16, 2012
This is an open letter to marketers who target people with diabetes. From the point of view of a person with diabetes, marketers often make the following mistakes when promoting their products to us.
5 comments - Posted Jun 15, 2012
A Florida-based endocrinologist and his team have reported that an intensive 16-week wellness program aimed at type 2 patients yielded some dramatic results: Patients were able to decrease their insulin by 46 percent and their oral medication by 12 percent. They saw their 30-day prescription costs drop by an average of more than $140 per month, reduced their BMI by 3.07, and experienced a drop of 0.7% in their A1C.
1 comment - Posted Jun 14, 2012
People who use one of three ACCU-CHEK blood glucose monitoring systems and either the Apple iPhone or iPod touch can now access Glooko Inc.'s Logbook app, thanks to the introduction of the Glooko IR Adapter.
0 comments - Posted Jun 13, 2012
How would you like an online interactive resource for type 2 diabetes that teaches you blood sugar basics? The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) have come together to develop "the Game Plan" diabetes management program. By going to the website at bloodsugarbasics.com/the-game-plan, you can get everyday tips, watch a video, take a quiz that tests your understanding of high and low blood sugar, and find advice on how to approach your healthcare team.
0 comments - Posted Jun 12, 2012
If you have type 1 diabetes, you probably know that you're in it for the long haul. No diet, nutrition, or exercise plan is getting you out of this one. Our only hope for a life without insulin injections is a cure. It's a wonderful idea, but I'm not holding my breath.
7 comments - Posted Jun 11, 2012
Not taking medicine as directed causes more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations in the US each year, as well as almost 125,000 deaths. The following three cautionary tales illustrate the consequences of nonadherence.
0 comments - Posted Jun 10, 2012
Here is a statistic to warm the heart-literally: The death rate from heart disease and stroke among American adults with diabetes dropped 40 percent from 1997 to 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. The overall mortality rate among people with diabetes dropped 23 percent.
1 comment - Posted Jun 9, 2012
Now there's another good reason to chow down in the morning. According to a study of almost 2,000 men who did not have type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, those who didn't eat breakfast had a 21 percent higher risk of developing type 2.
1 comment - Posted Jun 8, 2012
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Novo Nordisk's Levemir basal insulin for type 1 children aged two to five years. The FDA decision makes Levemir (insulin detemir [rDNA origin]) the only basal insulin approved for use in this age group.
Levemir, introduced to the US market in 2006, was previously approved for older children and adults with type 1 diabetes, as well as insulin-using type 2s.
0 comments - Posted Jun 7, 2012
The following article documents a very personal way of approaching diabetes. Always check with a healthcare professional before changing your diet or your diabetes care regimen.
2 comments - Posted Jun 6, 2012
A short animated video narrated in a woman's reassuring tone provides a basic look at diabetes. The presentation touches on the science behind the condition and explains important terms, including "pancreas," "glucose," and "insulin." It stresses the importance of regular A1C checks and taking medication if needed, while pointing out the dangers associated with not staying on top of blood sugar levels.
0 comments - Posted Jun 5, 2012
When dealing with a chronic illness, especially one like diabetes that requires 24/7 attention, it's easy to take shortcuts and fall into bad habits. Ask yourself the following questions to find out if you might be drifting into a few diabetes bad habits:
0 comments - Posted Jun 4, 2012
"How To" video also available to guide emergency kit creation
0 comments - Posted Jun 3, 2012
Not long ago, celebrity chef Charles Mattocks, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, came across the twitter account that I use to connect with the diabetes community. He called me and told me about his idea for making a documentary about diabetes and asked if I would like to participate. Charles saw the need for an up-close view of our disease that would be very supportive of the diabetes community. Having had type 1 diabetes for 12 years, I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of a film that focuses on the struggles of dealing with diabetes.
3 comments - Posted Jun 2, 2012
I'm about to tell you a secret that I've kept for 15 years. I know that we all make mistakes with our diabetes, but the one I made back then was literally a wake-up call. While I cringe at telling this unflattering story, I hope that it will help others realize how scary things can get quickly if you ignore your diabetes. Thankfully, the scenario that unfolded all those years ago helped bring me out of my reckless state and showed me the way to a better life with diabetes.
2 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2012
When it comes to diabetes management, food is probably the most important component. What we eat affects our blood sugar levels, nutrition, weight, and feelings of satisfaction and well being.
But as careful as we are about our food choices, sometimes the people who supply that food are not as careful. Fortunately, government agencies like the US Department of Agriculture help protect us by issuing recalls and warnings about foods and food suppliers that fail to meet minimum sanitary and health standards.
1 comment - Posted May 31, 2012
To salute this popular side dish, Dreamfields Pasta is kicking off its second annual "Pastapalooza" Pasta Salad Contest. Each week from Memorial Day through Labor Day, one entrant will become eligible to win a free case of Dreamfields Pasta. Additionally, the 14 weekly winning recipes will be shared on Facebook and Twitter.
1 comment - Posted May 30, 2012
Diabetes is increasingly taking hold in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East. According to Dr. Ala Alwan, assistant director general for noncommunicable diseases and mental health at the World Health Organization (WHO), the problem is already vast and is increasing at an alarming rate.
0 comments - Posted May 29, 2012
I've had type 1 diabetes for six years, and it never fails that during the dreaded "time of the month," I become increasingly insulin-resistant. Just looking at a carbohydrate makes my sugar skyrocket. I'm exhausted, and my mood goes from my usual positive to cranky and sensitive.
1 comment - Posted May 27, 2012
A compound found in excessive quantities in the glucose of people with diabetes may hold the key to successful treatment of neuropathic pain, says an international team of researchers.
The compound, methylglyoxal, attacks and modifies a protein, called Nav1.8, in nerve endings.
0 comments - Posted May 26, 2012
I once had a doctor ask me what I'd do if someone offered me a drink or a cigarette. I was a teenager, recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and it was the first time that I had seen her. When I told her that I didn't drink or smoke, she kept hounding me with questions as if I were lying. I grew tired of telling her the same thing over and over. She just didn't seem to he