Category Archives: Diabetes

bikeriderlondon/ShutterstockClimate change isalready behind a surprising number ofadverse environmental and health effects, including malaria and dengue fever, and new research suggests that it could also be at the center of climbing diabetes rates. But it has nothing to do with melting ice caps, rising sea levels, shrinking crop yields, and a surge in mosquito populations. Instead, it has to do with a type of fat we have in our body called brown fat.

For the study, published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, researchers from Leiden University Medical Center analyzed the number of diabetes diagnoses between 1993 and 2013 using data provided by the Centers for Disease Control in the United States, and discovered that with a rise in average temperature came an increase in the instances of diabetes. Data showed that as the annual temperature rose by 1 degree Celsius (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), the number of diabetes cases rose by 3.1 per 10,000 people.

One of the studys researchers, Lisanne L. Blauw, BSc, of Leiden University Medical Center, told MedPage Today: We were surprised by the magnitude of the effect size, as we calculated that a 1 degree Celsius rise in environmental temperature could account for more than 100,000 new diabetes cases per year in the U.S. alone.

Researchers couldnt explain exactly why the bump in temperature caused an increase in diabetes, but they believe that it could be due to a lack of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a natural fat the body relies on to keep warm in cooler temperatures. In warmer climates, BAT is not as necessary in the body, and its lack of activation could contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Our data is consistent with the hypothesis that a decrease in BAT activity with increasing environmental temperature may deteriorate glucose metabolism and increase the incidence of diabetes, the study authors write.

Based on their findings in the United States, researchers then analyzed their data on a global scale and found similar results: As the temperature rose by 1 degree Celsius around the world, the number of diabetes cases rose by nearly 0.2% and obesity rates rose by 0.3%.

This study could be a positive step forward in further treatment and research for the more than 29 million Americans that the Center for Disease Control report have diabetes. The researchers plan to continue their studies further. Heres one diet that can help you reverse and avoid diabetes risk factors.

Since cold exposure may not be the optimal strategy to prevent and/or treat type 2 diabetes, we are currently exploring pharmacological strategies with drugs that mimic the beneficial effect of cold exposure, Blauw said.

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Why Climate Change Is Hiking Diabetes Rates | Reader's Digest - Reader's Digest

Diabetes Risk and the Early Stages of Schizophrenia Psychology Today (blog) Past research has shown that people with schizophrenia have higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease in which the body either can't use its own insulin efficiently or doesn't make enough insulin, a hormone ...

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Diabetes Risk and the Early Stages of Schizophrenia - Psychology Today (blog)

Good control with diabetes requires both diligence and willingness to try new strategies. New strategies will be addressed at Control Diabetes for Life, presented by the Hall County Extension on Wednesday.

The event is scheduled from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Extension office at College Park, 3180 U.S. Highway 34.

Topics to be addressed include: Commit to be Fit, Whats New in Diabetes Care, Fiber and Protein in Your Diet, and The Dos and Donts of Dealing with Criticism. These sessions are designed to supplement the education that you receive from your local diabetes education team and not a substitute for diabetes classes through your local health care providers.

Team-teaching the program will be Stacie Petersen, B.S.N. and Certified Diabetes Educator; Deborah Willcox R.D., LMNT of Franciscan Care Services in West Point; and Debra Schroeder, UNL Extension Educator in Cuming County. Guest speaker for the programs will be Terry Nelson, DPT of Franciscan Care Services.

Control Diabetes for Life is a joint project of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Franciscan Care Services of West Point and cooperating schools. The program is offered free of charge. It will help participants learn to control diabetes and prolong the onset of complications from the disease.

The Nebraska School Food Service Association has approved the session for two hours of continuing education credits for food service staff.

Participants are asked to pre-register by calling their local Extension office by Monday so the proper number of handouts may be prepared. For additional information or to register, call the Hall County Extension office at (308) 385-5088.

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Diabetes control program Wednesday - Grand Island Independent

St. Francis offers free diabetes screenings Tuesday Columbus Ledger-Enquirer From 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. a screening will be held in the lobby of the hospital on Manchester Expressway. From 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. a screening will be held in the St. Francis Columbus Clinic front lobby on 19th Street. From 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. a screening will ...

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St. Francis offers free diabetes screenings Tuesday - Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Here's the scary thing about diabetes: Over 30 million Americans have it, with an additional 1.4 million new diagnoses each year. The disease is the seventh-highest cause of death in the U.S.

Those are concerning statistics, but there are also some numbers that provide hope. Over 170 new medicines are currently in development targeting treatment of diabetes and diabetes-related conditions. Here are three of the most promising diabetes drugs from five of the most innovative drugmakers in the world: Merck (NYSE:MRK), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LXRX), Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), and Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO).

Image source: Getty Images.

Merck and Pfizer are collaborating on development of ertugliflozin, an experimentaldrug for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. The drug could be approved in the U.S. later this year as a stand-alone treatment, in combination with Merck's Januvia, and in combination with metformin.

Ertugliflozin belongs to a class of medicines known asSGLT2 inhibitors. These drugs lowerblood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine. Several SGLT2 inhibitors are already available, including Farxiga, Invokana, and Jardiance.

Results from late-stage clinical studies conducted by Merck and Pfizer were very encouraging. Not only did ertugliflozin help lower blood sugar levels, but patients taking the experimental drug also experienced weight reduction and lower blood pressure levels.

Another promising SGLT inhibitor might not be too far behind ertugliflozin. Lexicon and Sanofi are evaluating sotagliflozin in late-stage studies. The drug could potentially reach the market within the next couple of years if all goes well.

Sotagliflozin inhibits SGLT1 and SGLT2 proteins. SGLT1 is responsible for glucose absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, while SGLT2 is responsible for glucose reabsorption by the kidney.Lexicon, which originally developed sotagliflozin, is focusing on clinical studies for type 1 diabetes, while Sanofi is handling clinical development and potential commercialization for type 2 diabetes.

Lexicon reported positive results from the first two late-stage studies of sotagliflozin in treating type 1 diabetes in 2016, with significant reductions in patients' blood sugar levels. The company has one other late-stage study in progress for the indication; results should be available by mid-2017. Sanofi also has three additional clinical trials underway evaluating the drug in treating type 2 diabetes.

Novo Nordisk hopes to win regulatory approval for its newest diabetes drug, semaglutide, by Dec. 5, 2017. The pharmaceutical company submitted for approval in the U.S. and in Europe late last year.

Semaglutide targets type 2 diabetes by mimicking the action of theglucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor. GLP-1 stimulates the release of insulin and reduces glucagon, a hormone that increases blood sugar levels. If approved, semaglutide would join other GLP-1receptor agonists such as Trulicity and Victoza.

Late-stage studies found that semaglutide lowered blood sugar levels and resulted in weight reduction in patients taking the drug. In addition, semaglutide demonstrated reduction in cardiovascular risk compared to placebo.

An even more exciting diabetes treatment could be available in the future. Glucose-responsive insulin (GRI), also known as "smart insulin," holds the potential to detect blood sugar levels and automatically release the correct dosage to adjust those levels.

At least two of the companies already mentioned are developing glucose-responsive insulin products. Merck's MK-2640 is in early-stage testing. Sanofi has partnered with diabetes research group JDRF to develop glucose-responsive insulin.

It will take several years before these products could be on the market, however. And there's always a risk that issues arise in the clinical-development or regulatory-approval processes. (By the same token, the possibility also exists that ertugliflozin, sotagliflozin, and/orsemaglutide could stumble along the way.) However, the chances that diabetes becomes less scary in the future thanks to new treatments appear to be pretty good.

Keith Speights owns shares of Pfizer. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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3 Tremendously Promising Diabetes Drugs Potentially on the Way ... - Motley Fool

There are at least two things Dominique Wilkins knows more about than most people.

Dunking is the first one. Wilkins earned the nickname "Human Highlight Film" for his ferocious and flashy rim rattlers over a 14-year pro basketball career. It's one of the reasons he was Wheeling High School in Marietta on Sunday, March 26, to judge the dunk contest at the second annual Underclassmen All-American Game.

The second topic Wilkins is greatly informed on is diabetes. His father and grandfather both had Type One, and the former Atlanta Hawk star is a Type Two diabetic.

Wilkins has been working with Novo Nordisk and Victoza to spread awareness about the disease and to encourage younger folks to exercise often and watch their diet to prevent diabetes. At halftime of the games at Wheeler, Wilkins took some time to talk to the players about proper nutrition and health.

Im trying to tell these kids, you have to have physical activity and eat the best that you can now, so you dont have these problems later in life, said Wilkins, who is now the Vice President of Basketball for the Atlanta Hawks. You want to have some preventive measures, so you dont have to go through the things that your parents or grandparents went through.

Wilkins was a nine-time all-star, finished in the top five of MVP voting three times, was a scoring champ in 1986 and won the NBAs dunk contest twice. He is a Hall of Famer, and many consider him to be the best in-game dunker of all-time.

As a player, Wilkins never worried about his health too much. If he could still run, dribble, shoot and jump, he figured he was okay.

But in 2000 he found himself in a doctors office after a routine check-up.

I was eating pretty badly after I retired and I didnt work out very much, said Wilkins, who stepped away from the NBA after spending the 1998-99 season with the Orlando Magic. I was having blurred vision and I thought it was just me getting old, so I started wearing glasses but come to find out, the doctor said, Look, the good news is youre not dying, but the bad news is youre a diabetic and you must have a lifestyle change right now,.

Wilkins was frightened and shocked. His grandfather and father had both died from diabetes, but he thought it would never happen to him because he was an active athlete.

Still, he had been given a wake-up call. Wilkins attacked diabetes as if it were a rim waiting to be jammed on.

He immediately began to work out more and he drastically changed his diet. Wilkins says he lost 34 pounds over the two months after he found out he had diabetes, and as a Type Two diabetic, he had to take medication too.

I treat it very aggressively, Wilkins said. There is no cure for diabetes right now. The cure is management. So, if you manage it correctly, you can live healthy like everyone else. I look at it as a blessing because it makes me look at my health a lot differently than I used to.

Wilkins was a nine-time NBA all-star and had his number retired by the Atlanta Hawks. File, Cox

Since his diet change, Wilkins said the foods he misses the most are pies.

Apple pies, pecan pies, all the bad stuff, he said. I havent drank orange juice in 17 years. I missed that at first, but not anymore. Every now and then I might have a slice of apple or pecan, I just cant have the whole pie.

Hes able to stay away from those temptations with the support of his Dream Team.

What is your Dream Team? Its your doctor, your trainer, your wife or husband, your kids. Its everyone working together to keep you healthy, Wilkins said. Its about building a support system.

Wilkins urges those battling diabetes to visitDiabetesDreamTeam.com for help.

Before the games at Wheeler started on Sunday, a promoter walked up to Wilkins and handed him a Bai, a bottle of antioxidant-infused water.

The first thing he did was flip the bottle around and look at the label. He asked, "How much sugar this thing got in it?"

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Dominique Wilkins continues fight against diabetes - Atlanta Journal Constitution

I had always been an outdoorsy kid, but losing 17 kilograms in a span of eight weeks is anything but an indication of being far too active. My parents were worried sick about the rapid loss of weight and approached our family doctor - a very close friend and someone who had seen me grow up. The doctor suggested I get checked for thyroid, diabetes, and tuberculosis (TB). Mothers reaction: "Oh, god please do not let it be TB." Tuberculosis -- for my mother and many people from her generation -- doom.

I was told that I was a diabetic. I was 14 at the time and could sense my world coming crashing down. Telling a 14-year old that the world as they knew it had ceased to exist is a difficult thing. Making a 14-year old realise what that entailed is a different ballgame.

I do not remember the details of meeting the doctor who ultimately diagnosed diabetes. He mentioned that I would have to prick myself a few times a day to survive. Neither my parents nor I understood what he meant by pricking, but when he explained that I would have to inject insulin every day before meals for the rest of my life, the thought in itself was debilitating. The idea of injecting myself did scare me, but I think it was when I looked into my fathers eyes that I got an idea of how this development could change my life. His world, too, changed in an instant. He knew that taking injections daily may hamper so many things directly or indirectly in his daughters world.

The world was a different place in the mid-1990s. It was yet to become a hyper-connected cosmos and information on things such as Type One diabetes, the kind that I had been diagnosed with, was not as readily available as it would be today. I was diagnosed during the summer holidays. When it came to getting back to my boarding school, the reality of being a juvenile diabetic became the first hurdle that threatened to change my life. The idea of accepting a student who would have to monitor sugar levels and take insulin injections was not acceptable to the school doctor. He told my father that it was not advisable for me to continue in my school. Determined that no change in my life should be a disadvantage for me, especially on account of me being a diabetic, my father approached specialists at The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, on whether it was possible for me to continue at my school.

The specialists concurred that there was no medical reason why I could not lead a full life. Though the school physician momentarily relented, things were not allowed to get back to being normal. I was a leading athlete throughout my school years with superlative performances in long jump, high jump, swimming and chess, and was a top contender for the athletics cup, but the school doctor persisted that I was not safe in a boarding school. Ultimately, she stepped in and put a stop to my participation in sports and other extra-curricular activities. It was at this point that my father came down sternly on the doctor and even relieved the school of any responsibility that may have arisen out of my condition. That year, I went on to win a few track and field events and the chess championship. Lesson learnt: morale and mental make-up are bigger factors than the physical condition for a child to win.

The positions of merit that I won in athletics or other extra-curricular activities in the years after I was diagnosed with diabetes made me understand that just because a particular thing that could alter the course of things had happened, it was not necessary that other things could not happen. It is true that every major life decision that followed, such as the prospective career path, for instance, was viewed from the point of view of diabetes, but then, everybody gets thrown a curve ball in the game of life.

When I decided to be a lawyer, there was great hesitation in the minds of many around me. Lawyers need to spend long and erratic hours in courts. Wouldnt a desk job be more suitable? Even when it came to marriage, things are viewed in a different light with a diabetic; proposals are seemingly god sent, for any person who would accept diabetes, would no doubt, be a kind-hearted soul. In an ideal situation, compatibility would be considered the first thing, but here, it is relegated to a secondary or even a tertiary level.

The degree of change in the general attitude towards a life-altering ailment such as diabetes is far more effective a tool than just medicinal advancement. For women, it becomes a question of being able to have a normal delivery. Though there is no connection between these, diabetes misconceptions, unfortunately, continue to augur the course of things. Strangely enough, even men cannot seem to escape this. Many times even medical practitioners consider diabetes a red flag in the otherwise suitable boy when it comes to their own daughters.

On the face it, if nothing changed in my life because of diabetes, it has largely to do with a change in the mindset. My diabetes was a result of an auto-immuno disorder and this often increases the chances of contracting other medical conditions with the passage of time. My auto-immuno condition has led to thyroid, celiac disease, and Portal Vein Thrombosis. Yet nothing has stopped me from doing what I wanted to do and it has not been able to dictate my lifestyle or choices beyond a point. Of course, the physical state often decrees choices, but at the end of the day, it is more emotional than the sheer physicality of it.

My winning streak continued across the length and breadth of my professional career that saw me argue matters in the Supreme Court at a young age, be a part of one of the worlds best-known consultancy firms and become the legal head of a globally-renowned conglomerate before I turned 35. I persisted, as much as the next person, or perhaps slightly more, as my battle was mental as well as physical, and managed to be rated an exceptional performer many times over in my professional sphere.

Today, I might be on a professional sabbatical, but that, intriguingly, had little to do with my diabetes. I started getting migraines and the pain was excruciating enough to bring to halt even basic actions on my part. No one knows why migraines exist but anyone who has ever experienced one knows what they can do. The thought of not knowing when the next one is due is the kind of fear that makes the worst comes true. My medical problems, as of those of hundreds of others, are more of a mental challenge. I had once read that people always blame circumstances for what they are, but what I learnt was that those who get on in this world are the ones who look for circumstances they want, and create them if they do not exist.

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Diabetes Is Just Another Prick, Daddy - Swarajya

Julio Munoz, M.D., FACP 1:04 a.m. MT March 25, 2017

Julio Munoz MD(Photo: Courtesy Photo)

Diabetes affects nearly 30 million people in the United States a stunning 10 percent of the overall population. And recent research reveals that diabetes is now the third leading cause of death, not the seventh, as was previously thought. Perhaps the most concerning statistic is that one in four persons living with diabetes is unaware that they have the disease.

The American Diabetes Association sponsors Diabetes Alert Day to serve as an annual wake-up call. The organization wants to remind Americans about the seriousness and prevalence of diabetes, particularly when the disease is left un-diagnosed or untreated. This year, Diabetes Alert Day is Tuesday, March 28.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes in this country has tripled in the last twenty years. The adoption of sugary diets and sedentary lifestyles has caused the disease to reach epidemic proportions. On the positive side, this condition doesnt have to be a death sentence. Its almost always avoidable, and even reversible, with serious lifestyle changes.

Researchers estimate that, if current trends continue, one in three Americans will have diabetes by the year 2050. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to kidney failure, limb amputations, blindness, and even death. Early diagnosis and treatment is critical to preventing irreversible damage to your health and longevity, so awareness and access to care are the key areas of focus.

Here are the top five ways to keep blood sugar at healthy levels, and to keep type 2 diabetes from impacting you and your loved ones:

If you have a family history of diabetes, you are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes yourself. Also, the condition is more common in African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders. Above-average body weight increases diabetes risk for people of all backgrounds.

Only your doctor can tell for sure if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic. As part of your annual health physical, be sure to talk to your doctor about the results of your fasting blood sugar and A1C tests. If your numbers are heading in the wrong direction, you can act quickly to get back on the right track.

If you need assistance in diagnosing or managing your metabolic health, or you just need to be connected with a primary care physician, contact Pecos Valley Internal Medicine at 575-234-9692 or visit http://www.PecosValleyDocs.com.

I would also like to take this opportunity to invite the public to a free Diabetes seminar on Thursday, March 30, at 3p.m. at Carlsbad Medical Center in the private dining room. The seminar will be presented by Susan Dade, RD, LD, CDE and Danielle Weathers, RD, LD, and will include information on healthy diets and eating habits for those living with Diabetes. For more information on the seminar, please call 575-628-5069.

Dr. Julio Munoz is a board certified internal medicine physician with over 30 years of experience.He received his medical degree from Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and completed his residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in Bronx, NY. In addition to being certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Munoz is also a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP). He is a member of the medical staff at Carlsbad Medical Center.

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The dangers of diabetes - Carlsbad Current-Argus

VALDOSTA Approximately 1.1 million people in Georgia, or 14.2 percent of the adult population, have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Each year, an estimated 60,000 people in Georgia are diagnosed with diabetes.

The South Georgia Medical Center Diabetes Management Center seeks to help those diagnosed live a healthier lifestyle, according to a hospital press release.

"Because diabetes increases a persons risk for other serious medical conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and lower extremity amputations, its critical that diabetes be managed carefully," said Dawn Taylor, DMC director.

She said staying healthy means more than just following a doctors plan and taking medication. The DMC offers various education and tools to help.

One important opportunity open to anyone with diabetes is the centers Diabetes Support Group which meets monthly.

On Monday, nearly 50 people gathered at Winn-Dixie to participate in a grocery store tour led by DMC team members, according to SGMC.

The tour focused on accurately reading food labels, calculating carbohydrate servings, and making overall healthier meal choices.

"As you learn healthier ways to eat, snack, and cook for your diabetes, youll also learn how to make healthier choices for your family members, Taylor said.

More information on the DMC, visit sgmc.org/diabetes or call (229) 433-7200.

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Diabetes group tours stores - Valdosta Daily Times

Got a Minute?: What is your diabetes risk The Livingston County News The theme is Take it, the ADA diabetes or pre-diabetes risk test; Share it, share this test with those you care about; and Learn it, find out if you are at risk for pre-diabetes or diabetes and if so, start learning and take charge. According to ... and more »

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Got a Minute?: What is your diabetes risk - The Livingston County News