Category Archives: Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the major health concerns, affecting millions of people across the world. It is a lifestyle disease, meaning what you eat and how much you move plays a pivotal role in keeping your blood sugar levels in control. One food that can help you manage diabetes is nuts. These minuscule delights can easily be added to your diet and provide a multitude of health benefits. Also Read - Coronavirus: Diabetes in patients post Covid-19 recovery

Nuts are a powerhouse of nutrients that can help you improve your health in more ways than one. They are loaded with antioxidants, fibre, protein, unsaturated fats, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. Although nuts are high in fat, they are high inhealthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and low in unhealthy fats (saturated fats). Also Read - Diabetes: Can fenugreek help manage blood sugar levels? Let's find out

Nuts are touted as one of the best foods for metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes. According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, regular consumption of nuts can decrease the prevalence of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Also Read - Diabetes: Not just sugar, stay away from these foods to keep diabetes at bay

Nuts are low in carbs, which makes them a great alternative for high-carb foods that cause a blood sugar spike. Some nuts like almonds, peanuts and pistachios help alleviate bad cholesterol levels, too much of which can cause the arteries to narrow down. They also have a low glycemic index, which is great for people with diabetes.

But not all nuts are created all. Some nuts are more beneficial to diabetics than others. Here is a list of nuts you can add to your diet.

Almonds generally offer many nutritional benefits, but they are extremely beneficial for people with diabetes. Studies, over the years, have shown that almonds may alleviate the risk of blood sugar and reduce insulin levelsafter meals. They are also high in magnesium, which can help alleviate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that a cashew-enriched diet can help reduce blood pressure and control cholesterol levels. Including cashews in the diet also had a positive effect on blood glucose levels.

Walnuts are a great source of dietary fibre. Fibres take more time to digest, thereby slowing down the release of sugar in the bloodstream. This helps build resistance for insulin, control blood levels and even mitigate the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. The GI of walnuts is also low.

Pistachios contain healthy fats, antioxidants, fibre and protein all of which is healthy for diabetics. Like other nuts on the list, it also has a low GI. It also contains components that help relieve stress, induce sleep and improve overall health.

Rich in dietary protein, vitamin E, amino acids, polyphenolic antioxidants and dietary fibre, peanuts are an excellent option for diabetics. They are packed with essential B-vitamins and many other essential nutrients. With a GI index of 14, this wonder nut can help manage blood sugar. Magnesium in peanuts is also a plus.

Nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts and walnuts are good for diabetics. The best way to manage blood sugar levels is to eat a handful of nuts regularly. However, you must avoid the ones with added salt or other flavours. Also, it is essential to consult your doctor before making any changes in your diet.

Published : December 14, 2020 1:06 pm | Updated:December 14, 2020 1:08 pm

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Diabetes: Handful of these nuts can help you manage blood sugar levels - TheHealthSite

Findings of the clinical trial was recently published in Nutrients. The randomised human clinical trial was conducted by the University of Auckland and funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

The researchers decided to embark on the study as probiotics intake, especially Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, and intermittent fasting could separately improve glucose control.

This is believed to be the first study that assesses the impact of both probiotics supplementation and intermittent fasting on prediabetes control.

The probiotics used in the study was Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosusHN001 from Fonterra. However, the company did not fund or design the study.

A total of 26 subjects with prediabetes who have glycated haemoglobin HbA1c of 4050 mmol/mol in the preceding 9 months and BMI of 30 40 kg/m2, completed the trial.

All undergone intermittent fasting, which consists of restricting their calories to a maximum of 600 kcal/day for females and 650 kcal/day for males for two days a week.

They were also randomized to receive either a capsule containing 6bn CFU of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosusHN001 or placebo daily for 12 weeks.

The research was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

The level of glycated haemoglobin HbA1c had decreased across both probiotic and placebo groups and there was no significant difference between the two groups.

The level of HbA1c had decreased in 23 out of the 26 participants (88%) and the remaining three achieved a normal blood glucose level, where HbA1c level is less than 40 mmol/mol.

On average, the blood glucose level had dropped from 43 2.7 mmol/mol to 41 2.3 mmol/mol. There was also an average of 5% weight loss for all subjects.

This shows that probiotic supplementation is not the key in controlling glucose level as compared to intermittent fasting.

The PROFAST (PRObiotics, intermittent FASTing) trial showed that daily supplementation ofLacticaseibacillus rhamnosusHN001 probiotic in individuals with prediabetes who practiced intermittent fasting did not result in additional glycemic improvement or weight loss when compared with placebo, the researchers said.

In addition, there was also no change in the fasting glucose, insulin and C-peptide levels in group which took the probiotics.

The group which took the probiotics had however, seen improvements in social functioning and mental health which were not seen in the placebo group.

For instance, the mental health score went up from 69.2 14.8 to 80.0 10.4 in the probiotics group, while that of the placebo was stagnant throughout the 12-week study.

The same was also seen in the social functioning score, where the probiotics group saw its score increased from 76.7 22.1 to 91.7 20.4.

This study shows additional psychological benefits of probiotic supplementation during intermittent fasting to achieve weight loss and glycemic improvement in prediabetes.

Our results, therefore, offer new evidence that probiotics paired with intermittent fasting can improve mental health, said the researchers.

Source: Nutrients

PROFAST: A Randomized Trial Assessing the Effects of Intermittent Fasting andLacticaseibacillus rhamnosusProbiotic among People with Prediabetes

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113530

Authors: Rinki Murphy, et al

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Probiotics and intermittent fasting improve mental wellbeing but not diabetes prevention 12-week trial - FoodNavigator-Asia.com

Its said that dogs resemble their owners, but the similarities may also extend to their risk of diabetes, research suggests. The same cannot be said of cat owners and their companions, however.

Previous studies had hinted that overweight owners tend to have porkier pets, possibly because of shared health behaviours such as overeating or not taking regular exercise. To investigate whether this extended to a shared risk of type 2 diabetes, Beatrice Kennedy, of Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues turned to insurance data from Swedens largest pet insurance company, using owners 10-digit national identification numbers to pull their anonymised health records.

Comparing data from 208,980 owner/dog and 123,566 owner/cat pairs, they discovered that owning a dog with diabetes was associated with a 38% increased risk of having type 2 diabetes compared with owning a healthy hound. Personal and socioeconomic circumstances of the dog owners could not explain this link. No shared risk of diabetes was found between cat owners and their pets, however. The research was published in the British Medical Journal.

As in humans, diet and obesity can influence the risk of type 2 diabetes in both types of animals. Also like humans, the prevalence of diabetes in dogs and cats appears to be on the increase.

Given the previous research on the shared risk of [being overweight] between dog owners and their animals, we believe that shared dietary habits and also physical activity levels might be involved, said Kennedy.

The absence of a shared risk between cats and their owners may also point towards physical activity being an important factor. Cats usually prefer more independence from their owners when it comes to their movements, Kennedy said.

Shared environmental exposures to things such as pollutants or chemicals between dogs and their owners could be another avenue worth exploring, she added. Because this was an observational study, the researchers could not confirm the underlying cause of the association.

However, given that it exists, a diagnosis of diabetes in any household member including canine companions could signal a need to reassess the health behaviours of the whole family unit. The diabetes of the dog could be a marker of something important going on, Kennedy said. We know that there are quite strong emotional bonds between dog owners and their dogs. Perhaps that bond extends to other health behaviours and risks.

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Dogs and owners may share resemblance in diabetes risk - The Guardian

14th December, 2020 by Lucy Shaw

A Mediterranean diet and a glass of wine a day has been found to lower the risk of type two diabetes in women

As reported by Wine Spectator, the study, conducted by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden and Harvard Medical School, found that a Mediterranean diet rich in plants, whole grains and olive oil, along with a glass of wine a day, lowered insulin resistance and body mass index in the women who took part.

The study analysed data from the Womens Health Study (WHS), a survey that followed over 25,000 female healthcare professionals between 1992 and 2017.

Over the 25-year period, WHS researchers gathered data on the womens lifestyles, medical histories and diets, including wine intake.

Blood tests were taken at the beginning of the study to test levels of 40 biomarkers, including proteins considered to be good cholesterol lipoproteins.

One of the first studies of its kind to conduct such research over an extended period, the researchers looked at several of the biomarkers and the diet information to find connections to who developed diabetes over the 25-year period.

What we eat now has important health implications for our cardiometabolic health for the next 25 years, Dr. Samia Mora, co-author of the report, toldWine Spectator.

Prior studies were shorter in duration and didnt examine potential mediating pathways over the long term.

While it was known that the Mediterranean diet has many health benefits, it was not previously known which of these biological pathways may be contributing to the lower risk of diabetes and to what magnitude.

In the study, diet intake was measured by points. A below-average consumption of red and processed meats equaled one point, while an above-average intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and legumes also earned a point.

A glass of wine earned participants one point, while higher consumption was considered disadvantageous. Moderate alcohol consumption, between 5 to 15 grams per day, along with a healthy diet, might be beneficial for future cardiometabolic health, Mora told WS.

Researchers found that participants with a higher Mediterranean diet score tended to have better levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of insulin resistance. They also had lower BMIs and were less likely to be overweight.

Most of this reduced risk associated with the Mediterranean diet and type 2 diabetes was explained through the biomarkers related to insulin resistance, adiposity, lipoprotein metabolism and inflammation, lead author of the study, Dr. Shafqat Ahmad, told WS.

This understanding may have important consequences for the primary prevention of diabetes, he added.

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25-year study links daily glass of wine to lower diabetes risk - The Drinks Business

Dear Doctors: We keep hearing about Type 2 diabetes, and I'm embarrassed to say, I don't actually know what it is. What does it do, and how do I know if I have it?

Dear Reader: To understand diabetes, we should first talk about glucose. That's the sugar our bodies make from the foods that we eat, and which our cells use as their main source of fuel. Glucose travels throughout the body via the blood, which is why it's also often referred to as blood sugar. However, it's not immediately available to the cells. That's where insulin, a hormone manufactured by the pancreas, comes into play. Insulin helps transport glucose from the blood into the cells, where it can be used as energy.

When someone has diabetes, it means that the insulin part of that energy equation isn't working properly. Either the body isn't manufacturing enough -- or any -- insulin, or it isn't responding properly to the insulin that is present. That leads to blood-glucose levels that are too high.

Over time, high blood levels of glucose are dangerous. Adverse health effects include damage to the circulatory system, vision problems, nerve damage, stomach or intestinal problems, slow healing, kidney disease and an increase in the risk of heart disease and stroke. Extremely high blood sugar levels can lead to coma, and even death.

In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas makes little or no insulin. It often develops early in life, but can occur at any age. This type of diabetes is managed with diet and exercise, plus the use of medications and insulin.

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Insulin is at the heart of both types of diabetes - The Times and Democrat

Data presented during the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium found that adhering to a diabetes risk reduction diet improved survival for women with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer compared to women who did not follow this specific diet.

Diabetes may be common in women with breast cancer, especially since 75%, or more than 2.6 million women, are at least 60 years or older, which means breast cancer survivorship must be managed in consideration with aging-related comorbidity such as diabetes, said Tengteng Wang, PhD, a research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health during the virtual presentation of the study.

Type 2 diabetes, in particular, is a risk factor for breast cancer incidence and may be a predictive factor for breast cancer mortality. In addition, breast cancer increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

Identifying modifiable strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes among breast cancer survivors may be very important to improve their survival outcomes, said Wang.

Researchers analyzed data from 8,320 women with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer from 2 large cohort studies: the Nurses Health Study (1980-2014) and the Nurses Health Study II (1991-2015). Validated questionnaires were completed every 2 to 4 years to collect information on diet among other factors.

This study focused on a diabetes risk reduction diet with 9 dietary components including higher intakes of nuts, cereal fiber, coffee, polyunsaturated-saturated fat ratio and whole fruits, in addition to a lower glycemic index of diet and lower intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages/fruit juices, trans fat and red meat.

The [diabetes risk reduction diet] has been associated with 14% lower type 2 diabetes risk in [a] previous publication of the Nurses Health Study, said Wang.

Researchers calculated an average score of adherence to this diabetes risk reduction diet through repeated measures of diet after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Follow-up was conducted for a median of 16 years after cancer diagnosis.

During follow-up, 2,146 deaths occurred, of which 948 were related to breast cancer. Women with higher diet adherence scores after diagnosis had a 33% lower risk for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58-0.78; P for trend < .0001) and a 17% lower risk for mortality related to breast cancer (HR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67-1.02; P for trend = .03) compared with women with lower diet adherence scores.

Our results did not differ by breast tumor ER status or stage, said Wang.

During the discussion portion of the presentation, Wang said that she and her colleagues analyzed what may be the potential mechanism for this association. She said, We looked at how [diabetes risk reduction diet][ influenced gene expression in [the] breast tumor for [a] subgroup of our breast cancer patients, and according to our pathway analysis, the [diabetes risk reduction diet] is more associated with the pathway related to immune regulation and also cell proliferation, so this is, I think, an interesting finding.

When further adjusting for neighborhood socioeconomic status, the association between diet adherence and mortality risk was slightly attenuated, with patients with greater adherence having a 31% lower risk for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.6-0.8; P for trend < .0001) and a 14% lower risk for mortality from breast cancer (HR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.7-1.07; P for trend = .06).

Women who improved their adherence to a diabetes risk reduction diet after breast cancer diagnosis had a lower risk for breast cancer mortality compared with those with consistently low adherence to this diet (HR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.65-1).

In conclusion, we felt that a greater adherence to the [diabetes risk reduction diet] after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with better survival outcomes, which means promoting dietary changes consistent with prevention of type 2 diabetes may be very important for breast cancer survivors, said Wang.

A version of this story appeared on CURE as Dietary Changes to Reduce Diabetes Risk May Also Increase Survival for Breast Cancer.

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Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet Adherence Improved Survival for Patients with Breast Cancer - Cancer Network

This article was originally published here

BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020 Dec 9;20(1):514. doi: 10.1186/s12872-020-01805-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to reveal the association of diabetes mellitus and dialysis-dependent renal failure with the lesion severity and chronic total occlusion (CTO) in patients undergoing femoropopliteal endovascular therapy for intermittent claudication.

METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study analyzed the data of 2056 consecutive patients with moderate to severe intermittent claudication, who underwent endovascular therapy for de novo lesions in the superficial femoral artery to the proximal popliteal artery between 2010 and 2018 at five cardiovascular centers in Japan. The association of the clinical characteristics with severity of the lesions, as assessed by the Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) II classification, was investigated using the ordinal logistic regression model. Their association with CTO, lesion length, and severity of calcifications was additionally analyzed using the binomial logistic regression model.

RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and dialysis-dependent renal failure was 54.7% and 21.4%, respectively; 12.5% of the patients had lesions corresponding to TASC II class D, and 39.3% of the patients had CTO. Current smoking and severe claudication were associated with more severe lesions assessed according to the TASC II classification; diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were inversely associated with disease severity. The adjusted odds ratios of diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.70-0.97; p = 0.018) and 0.76 (0.62-0.94; p = 0.009), respectively. Diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were also inversely associated with CTO (both p < 0.05). Furthermore, diabetes mellitus was inversely associated with a long lesion (p < 0.05). Diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were positively associated with severe calcification (both p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus and dialysis-dependent renal failure were inversely associated with the lesion severity, as assessed by the TASC II classification, and CTO in patients undergoing femoropopliteal endovascular therapy for intermittent claudication.

PMID:33297956 | DOI:10.1186/s12872-020-01805-6

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Inverse association of diabetes and dialysis with the severity of femoropopliteal lesions and chronic total occlusion: a cross-sectional study of 2056...

TheStandards of Medical Care in Diabetes2021provides the latest in comprehensive, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes; strategies for the prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes; and therapeutic approaches that can reduce complications, mitigate cardiovascular and renal risk, and improve health outcomes.

This update presents:

Today, theStandards of Careis available online and is published as a supplement to the January 2021 issue ofDiabetes Care.

"The American Diabetes Association is committed to improving the lives of all those affected by diabetes through this publication of the most widely respected guidelines for health professionals," said Dr. Robert Gabbay, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the American Diabetes Association.

Updates to the Standards of Care are established and revised by the ADA's Professional Practice Committee(PPC). The committee is a multidisciplinary team of 16 leading U.S. experts in the field of diabetes care and includes physicians, diabetes care and education specialists, registered dietitians, and others with experience in adult and pediatric endocrinology, epidemiology, public health, cardiovascular risk management, microvascular complications, preconception and pregnancy care, weight management and diabetes prevention, and use of technology in diabetes management. Two designated representatives of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) reviewed and provided feedback on the "Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management" section, and this section received endorsement from ACC. "As a world leader in diabetes care, the ADA is proud to set the standards!" said Boris Draznin, MD, PhD, Chair of the Professional Practice Committee.

The online version of the Standards of Care will continue to be annotated in real-time with necessary updates if new evidence or regulatory changes merit immediate incorporation through the living Standards of Care process. The ADA also publishes the abridged Standards of Careyearly for primary care providers in its journal, Clinical Diabetes, and offers a convenient Standards of Care appas well as a Standards of Care pocket chart. Other Standards of Care resources, including a webcastwith continuing education credit and a full slide deck, can be found on DiabetesPro.

About Diabetes CareDiabetes Care,a monthly journal of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), is the highest-ranked, peer-reviewed journal in the field of diabetes treatment and prevention. Dedicated to increasing knowledge, stimulating research and promoting better health care for people with diabetes, the journal publishes original articles on human studies in clinical care, education and nutrition; epidemiology, health services and psychosocial research; emerging treatments and technologies; and pathophysiology and complications. Diabetes Care also publishes the ADA's recommendations and statements, clinically relevant review articles, editorials and commentaries. Topics covered are of interest to clinically oriented physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, psychologists, diabetes care and education specialists and other health care professionals.

About the American Diabetes AssociationEvery day more than 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes in America. More than 122 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes and are striving to manage their lives while living with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 80 years the ADA has been driving discovery and research to treat, manage and prevent diabetes, while working relentlessly for a cure. We help people with diabetes thrive by fighting for their rights and developing programs, advocacy and education designed to improve their quality of life. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

Contact:Daisy Diaz, 703-253-4807[emailprotected]

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

http://www.diabetes.org

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ADA Releases 2021 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes Centered on Evolving Evidence, Technology, and Individualized Care - PRNewswire

Compared with White people, those who are Black have higher cardiovascular risk when early-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) develops, according to the results of a study published in Diabetes Care.

Studies have shown an increase in the incidence of early-onset T2D diagnosis and a greater risk for T2D among Black people when compared with White people, but the evaluation of ethnicity-specific temporal trends of early-onset T2D diagnosis and the impact of comorbidities at the time of diagnosis had not yet been conducted.

To investigate and compare the trends in early-onset T2D diagnosis of Black and White people as well as the trends of various risk factors at the time of T2D diagnosis, data from 606,440 individuals aged 18 to 70 years who were diagnosed with T2D between 2000 and 2018 were analyzed. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) was defined by the presence of a clinical diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.

Over the past 2 decades, the rate of T2D diagnosis among Black patients within the age groups 18 to 39 and 40 to49 years has consistently been higher than that of their White counterparts (P <.01). The proportion of both Black and White patients diagnosed with T2D before 50 years of age increased significantly from 2012 to 2018 (P <.05).

Black patients had significantly higher mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) than White patients across all age groups. Although no difference was seen in other age groups, Black patients 18 to 39 years of age had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than their White counterparts (P =.02).

MACE-3 refers to 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events heart failure, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Black patients had a significantly higher risk for MACE-3 compared with White patients across all age groups, with the youngest age group having the highest relative risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.63; 95% CI, 1.42-1.88) and the lowest relative risk observed in the oldest age group (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.06-1.15).

Taken as a whole, the results of this study illustrated the increasing burden of early-onset T2D and the increased risk of MACE-3 for Black patients. Understanding the trends in diagnosis of early-onset T2D and the differences in the prevalence of related comorbidities among people of different ethnicities may improve healthcare practitioners ability to detect and manage this disease.

Limitations of this study include the use of electronic medical records, which may have resulted in errors in data collection due to condition coding, and the fact that the database did not link directly to hospitalized data.

Future investigation into potential explanations for the differences between ethnicities observed in this study are warranted.

Reference

Dibato JE, Montvida O, Zaccardi F, et al. Association of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and depression with cardiovascular events in early-onset adult type 2 diabetes: a multiethnic study in the US. Published online November 11, 2020. Diabetes Care. doi: 10.2337/dc20-2045

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Differences in Comorbidities and Diagnosis of Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes by Ethnicity - Endocrinology Advisor

UPPSALA, Sweden Any dog owner will tell you theres a special bond between humans and canines, but a new study is taking that idea to a whole new level. Researchers at Uppsala University report owners of a dog with diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes themselves compared to people without a dog. Interestingly, this connection does not appear in pet owners with other animals like cats.

Prior research discovered a possible connection between obesity in dog owners and their pups. So, this studys authors set out to investigate if there is a similar connection regarding diabetes.

By combining data provided by a Swedish veterinary insurance register with additional Swedish population and health registers, researchers collected a significant amount of information on dog and cat owners in the country. In all, the team examined over 175,000 dog owners and close to 90,000 cat owners during this study.

Study authors focused on middle-aged or older pet owners and had their health records tracked for six years. The team then compared type 2 diabetes diagnoses for the owners against their pets canine and feline diabetes rates.

That analysis led researchers to conclude that owning a dog with diabetes puts one at a 38-percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in comparison to non dog owners. Notably, study authors could not explain this finding by looking for clues in the owners age, sex, and socioeconomic status, or the breed, gender, and age of their dogs.

Our results indicate that a dog with diabetes in the household might signal an increased risk of the dog owner developing type 2 diabetes as well. We have not had access to information about household lifestyle behaviors, but we think the association might be due to shared physical activity patterns and possibly also shared dietary habits as well as shared risk of adiposity. If shared exercise habits are indeed a key factor, it might further help explain why we dont see any shared diabetes risk in cat owners and their cats, says senior study author Beatrice Kennedy, a postdoctoral research fellow in medical epidemiology, in a university release.

Humans and dogs have lived together for at least 15,000 years, and continue to share their everyday lives for better or worse. In this unique study, we show that there might be common lifestyle and environmental factors that influence the risk of diabetes in the household, both in the dogs and in their owners, concludes co-senior study author Tove Fall, Professor of Molecular Epidemiology at Uppsala University.

The study is published in BMJ.

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Having a dog with diabetes raises ones risk of developing the disease too - Study Finds