Diabetes
New Research Shows Second-Hand Smoke Raises Diabetes Risk
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Active and passive smoking and development of glucose intolerance among young adults in a prospective cohort: CARDIA study BMJ Online First
A study published on bmj.com this week shows for the first time that breathing other people’s smoke raises the risk of developing glucose intolerance, the precursor to diabetes.
The US research also shows that overall, white Americans are more susceptible to this effect than African - Americans.
New glucose-monitoring system approved in US
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DexCom Inc. on Monday announced that U.S. regulators approved its glucose-monitoring system designed to diabetics manage their blood-sugar levels.
DexCom said its STS Continuous Glucose Monitoring System consists of a tiny wire-like sensor that is inserted by the patient just under the skin.
‘Glycemic index’ questioned as diet tool
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Weight- and health-conscious eaters may not find much help in following the so-called low-GI diet, a new study suggests.
In recent years, researchers have taken to classifying carbohydrates based on their GI, or glycemic index—a measure of the effects of a given food on blood sugar levels. High-GI foods, like white bread and potatoes, tend to produce a quick surge in blood sugar, and some studies have suggested that diets heavy in such foods can contribute to weight gain, diabetes and heart disease.
Books and Web sites espousing “low-GI” diets have followed suit.
Sleep: not enough, too much may up diabetes risk
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Research hints that not getting enough sleep each night, or getting too much sleep, may increase a person’s risk of developing non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes, independent of other factors.
“Sleep duration may be a novel risk factor for the development of clinical diabetes,” conclude the researchers in the March issue of Diabetes Care.
Dr. Henry Klar Yaggi from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and two colleagues studied the long-term (15-year) impact of sleep duration on the development of diabetes in more than 1,100 middle-aged and elderly men who were free of diabetes in 1987-1989 and were followed until 2004.
Treat Diabetes - Lose Weight, Too!
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Diabetics’ use of Byetta (Amylin Pharmaceuticals) has boomed since the glucose-regulating prescription drug was introduced last year as the first in a class of medicines for type 2 diabetes called incretin mimetics. The big appeal? Many people not only have better regulation of their blood sugar, but they lose weight, too. UAB endocrinologist Fernando Ovalle, M.D., said, “Byetta slows down the gastrointestinal transit time and therefore makes people feel full after eating. The biggest side effect may be nausea, but it’s usually transient.”
The injectable drug also facilitates insulin production in response to a meal and helps suppress glucagon levels. UAB doctors participated in some of the clinical studies of the drug and use it in clinics.
Eat more whole grains to lower diabetes, heart risk
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A diet high in whole grains may lower a person’s likelihood of developing diabetes and heart disease, new study findings show.
Among more than 900 healthy men and women, those who reported consuming the most whole grains had lower levels of cholesterol and various markers of heart disease and better-controlled blood sugar.
“This suggests that people with a high whole-grain intake may have lower risks of diabetes and ischemic heart disease,” said study author Majken Karoline Jensen, of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark.
Potato lovers may have higher diabetes risk
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Holding that side of fries might help thwart type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.
In a long-term study of nearly 85,000 U.S. women, researchers at Harvard University found that those with the highest potato intake had a modestly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The link was strongest among obese women, who are already at increased risk of the disease, suggesting that heavy potato consumption may pose a particular problem for them, the researchers point out.
Depression therapy worth it in elderly diabetics
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Treating depression in elderly individuals with diabetes is cost-effective, a study shows.
“Our study shows that depression can be effectively treated in patients with diabetes and the costs associated with improving depression outcomes were offset by savings in medical costs,” lead investigator Dr. Wayne Katon told Reuters Health.
“We believe,” he added, “that cost savings occur because improving depression allows patients to better manage their self-care regimens for diabetes—taking medication, following diet and exercising.”
Whole grains cut diabetes, heart disease risk - study
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Diets rich in whole grains can lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study released on Tuesday.
“Results suggest a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease in persons who consume diets high in whole grains,” said the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Obese Kids Twice as Likely to Have Diabetes
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Childhood obesity can carry with it some heavy health risks that often last well into adulthood – heart disease, high blood pressure and depression, to name a few.
Obese children also are twice as likely to have diabetes than children who are of normal weight, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.
New inhaled drug for diabetics an alternative treatment option for some
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has given it’s approval for the sale of a new drug to treat diabetes.
The drug is the first inhaled version of insulin to hit the market and is expected to offer, for some diabetics, an alternative to injecting insulin on a daily basis.
Exubera should be available by mid-year.
Diabetes gene found in 40% of population
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Researchers in Iceland say they have identified a single genetic change which could predispose close to 40 percent of the population to type-2 diabetes.
The team led by Kari Stefansson of DeCode Genetics, identified the gene in a study of Iceland’s comprehensive genetic records, and found it is carried by 38 percent of the northern European populations studied, and is also common among African-Americans.
Diabetes Guidelines Should Change - Lower Blood Sugar Needed
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A Pennington Biomedical Research Center researcher and diabetes expert believes that physicians with diabetic patients should aim for much lower levels of blood glucose than current guidelines suggest. He believes the current recommendations for blood-sugar levels are not low enough to avoid a major complication of diabetes: heart disease.
Citing research published in this month’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), PBRC researcher William Cefalu, M.D., says that if the medical community believes long-term control of blood sugar levels can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, then “a reassessment of our clinical goals may be in order.”
The work, to be published December 22, shows that more aggressive control of blood sugar levels, by use of a more intensive insulin regimen, appears to help avoid long-term cardiovascular disease. Cefalu made his remarks in an editorial in the same issue of the NEJM.
Less coronary disease seen in black diabetics
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Compared to whites with type 2 diabetes, blacks with type 2 diabetes suffer more heart attacks, strokes, and end-stage renal disease, but African Americans appear to have significantly lower rates of clinical coronary artery disease than whites.
Dr. Barry I. Freedman and colleagues from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina report the finding in the December issue of Diabetologia.
Athlete’s Foot
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Athlete’s foot, the dreaded “fungus among us,” is a common bane of warm locker rooms at schools and fitness centers. UAB dermatologist Sarah M. Boyce, M.D., warns that the condition also occurs in cold weather, when feet may be swaddled in boots and heavy socks for longer hours.
“The treatment is straightforward, and over-the-counter or prescription anti-fungals usually are effective,” she said. “But prevention is better: keep your feet dry and cool, and sprinkle shoes and shocks with anti-fungal powder. Change socks regularly. Some socks are made with materials such as wool blends that wick moisture away. If possible, use a hot blow dryer on your feet after showering, but be careful of burns.”
