Category Archives: Diabetes

Shalini Sharad, Ascensia Diabetes Care, looks at how harnessing digital health solutions can help combat the rise in type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes affects 425 million people globally and this number continues to grow each year, as shown by figures from the International Diabetes Federation. This increase is largely due to the growing number of people with type 2 diabetes.

As demographic and lifestyle factors put ever more people at risk of developing this condition, the need for personalised, tailored support for those with type diabetes is becoming more important. It is also vital to note that no two cases of type 2 diabetes are the same, and treatment options need to remain varied. However, with restricted healthcare resources and physicians having limited time to spend with each patient, it is increasingly obvious that traditional methods may fall short of offering personalised management.

Opportunities to improve the experiences of people with diabetes (PWDs) and how they manage their diabetes are evolving, thanks to advances in digital technology. Digital monitoring devices and apps are providing more flexibility in how diabetes is managed and can improve access to care by making it easier for PWDs to access management advice. This is good for PWDs, clinicians, healthcare systems and society by helping to manage the rising burden of diabetes more effectively and efficiently.

Data and diabetes

The major advantage of digital solutions in diabetes is their ability to seamlessly capture and interpret data, and digital solutions are now being developed in all aspects of diabetes management. Novo Nordisk is currently working on its first connected insulin pens, NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo Plus, which are expected to reach the market later this year. These pens are designed to automate the capture of insulin dosing data by connecting to smartphones. By adding in a connected blood glucose meter or continuous glucose monitor, they can bridge the gap between glucose and insulin data. However, the bigger potential for digital diabetes solutions is in helping to manage type 2 diabetes.

The usage of digital solutions for diabetes management has seen an exponential increase over the years and this is set to continue. A 2018 report forecasted that in 2022 there will be 23.5 million people using diabetes apps worldwide, which contrasts to 6.1 million in 2017. But technology alone is not enough. For the full benefits of digitisation to be harnessed by healthcare systems and PWDs, there needs to be greater collaboration between payers, providers, and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs). A truly joined up approach to diabetes is something that we should all strive for, but only by working together will we be able to deliver the care that PWDs need - and we are not there yet.

In order to positively impact peoples health, digital solutions need to be implemented as part of a comprehensive ecosystem, one that factors in all aspects of life that may affect a persons experience with diabetes, from medication, to diet, to mental health. Adding meters and apps to an already complex landscape of diabetes management can confuse both PWDs and HCPs, and this needs to be managed, along with minimising the effort required from PWDs to integrate digital health solutions into their lives. Diabetes already comes with a long list of diabetes relates tasks and considerations, and additional management tools should seek to simplify and not complicate.

Interconnected diabetes management (IDM) focuses on treatment beyond the pill. By providing people with much-needed guidance alongside a simplified, holistic management tool, it harnesses digital solutions to bring together multiple aspects of diabetes management which are currently managed in silos.

IDM also aims to improve collaboration with healthcare systems and others involved in a persons diabetes care, in order to improve outcomes. Health2Sync is one such solution that captures data and makes it available to those involved in a persons diabetes management. The app enables people to easily log blood glucose, blood pressure, weight and daily activities, and allows them to share this information with family members and HCPs. It also helps to provide customised recommendations and reminders, based on the data collected. And there is growing data to suggest that this holistic digital management approach can improve outcomes in type 2 diabetes.

Ascensia solution

Ascensia Diabetes Care has shown clinically meaningful results from the use of IDM and demonstrated how such a solution has the potential to improve type 2 diabetes management. A study found that using an investigational IDM solution decreased HbA1c levels of 0.43% in people with type 2 diabetes over 12 weeks, independent of any changes to medication. This suggests that IDM solutions could lead to better glycemic control through an improvement in self-care.

The Ascensia solution combines remote behavioural coaching and a mobile application to collect, store, and analyze key data about a persons health from a variety of sources, which in my opinion represents the ideal digital solution for type 2 diabetes. The coaching needs to be based on the data that is gathered by the app to offer tailored guidance, providing PWDs with actionable information in support of their individual self-management.

The use of digital coaching for diabetes is estimated to increase from 240,000 users in 2017 to 3.8 million by 2022, but the type of coaching is also an important consideration. Coaching should be provided by a combination of human-based and machine-based systems, in order to efficiently manage large populations of people with type 2 diabetes. For example, machine-based support can be used to provide simple recommendations based on analysed data, while regular interactions with trained staff, such as diabetes educators, can provide the more specific coaching for people to make positive behavioural changes in areas such as glucose monitoring, food choices, activity levels, stress, and sleep. The contributing factors to diabetes management outcomes are varied. Ascensias study assessed 25 impactful behaviours which could be addressed by the IDM solution it is currently developing.

Behavioural changes, education, more frequent readings, as well as a feeling of being supported leads to PWDs enjoying a healthier and better quality of life, at whatever stage of their diabetes journey they may be. It can help to improve outcomes and studies are starting to show that it can lead to better managed diabetes.

Additionally, the interaction between a patient and a CDE through a digital solution provides access to valuable guidance when visits to HCPs can be infrequent. By educating users remotely and providing tools to track progress, PWDs are still supported whilst payer costs and burden on the healthcare system are reduced. In fact, the total cost of diagnosed diabetes rose by 26% between 2012 and 2017, with costs in the US at $327 billion in 2018.

HCPs, payers, and healthcare systems are increasingly calling for bundled services. Simply offering a patient a drug and glucose monitoring device is no longer enough, with those involved now looking for each aspect of diabetes management to be carefully considered and interconnected in a holistic solution; with a view to improve patient outcomes.

We are just at the start of the digitisation of diabetes management, but we are making progress. Digital solutions are already beginning to demonstrate their benefits, with 52% of those using a health or wellness app to manage their diabetes seeing positive results. Increasing that figure will require more seamless integration of IDM and digital health solutions into every-day diabetes care.

By taking a more holistic approach to digital management in type 2 diabetes, we can reduce the impact of diabetes on society and healthcare systems, and improve the lives of PWDs everywhere.

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Diabetes and the role of digital health - Med-Tech Innovation

Some people believe that carrots raise blood sugar levels and that people with diabetes should not eat them. However, this is not the case.

In this article, we explore the effects that carrots can have on blood sugar and describe the ways in which carrots can benefit the health of a person with diabetes.

We also look into the carrots glycemic index (GI) score, the most healthful way to prepare them, and other dietary tips for people with diabetes.

Because carrots are a nonstarchy vegetable, people with diabetes can eat them freely, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

In fact, carrots may benefit people with diabetes because they contain the following compounds:

Carrots are a good source of carotenoids, a type of pigment.

In the diet, these compounds primarily occur in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.

The pigment in a persons eyes also contains carotenoids, and their antioxidant activity helps protect the retina from damage.

Some research suggests that carotenoids may be protective against diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that can lead to loss of vision, and it is a common complication of diabetes.

According to a 2015 study, diets that contain high levels of alpha and beta carotene may contribute to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Carrots are rich sources of these carotenes, containing 8,285 micrograms (mcg) of beta carotene and 3,477 mcg of alpha carotene per 100 grams (g).

Managing blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels is the primary goal of diabetes treatment. The total amount of carbohydrates that person consumes has a strong influence on these levels.

A medium raw carrot contains 5.84 g of carbohydrates. Although carrots are not necessarily low in carbohydrates, they are a healthful source.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on average, carbohydrates should make up 45% of the calorie intake for people with diabetes.

Counting carbs and keeping them within a healthful range can help a person regulate their blood sugar levels and thus prevent diabetes complications, which can include:

According to a 2015 article in the journal Diabetes Management, low levels of vitamin A may be an independent risk factor for diabetes.

Another article, published the same year in Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders Drug Targets, warns that people with chronic diseases involving carbohydrate intake, such as diabetes, should be sure to consume enough vitamin A.

This may be especially good advice for people with type 1 diabetes, which causes T-cells in the body to attack insulin-producing beta cells.

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in the pancreas and in the production of these beta cells.

The vitamin also helps regulate immune functions, such as T-cell-mediated immunity, which may affect the onset of type 1 diabetes.

Carrots are a good source of vitamin A, containing 835 micrograms per 100g.

Eating more fiber can improve blood glucose levels and boost insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity, helping to combat diabetes.

People with diabetes should consume 2035 g of fiber per day, from vegetables, fruits, and minimally processed grains.

Carrots contain 2.8 g of dietary fiber per 100 g.

The GI is a tool that measures how the carbohydrates in specific foods affect a persons blood glucose levels.

A type of food with a high GI score will raise blood sugar levels more than a food with a low GI score.

The ADA consider foods with scores of 55 or under to have low GI scores. Boiled carrots have a GI score of 33, and raw carrots score even less.

The association recommends eating at least 35 servings of vegetables a day. One serving is about:

Choosing nonstarchy fruits and vegetables, with GI scores of 55 or less, can help a person with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.

Other nonstarchy vegetables, which people with diabetes can eat freely, include:

The GI score of carrots varies, according to their preparation:

The following strategies can help a person with diabetes follow a healthful diet:

People with diabetes can eat non-starchy vegetables freely including carrots.

Eating them raw or cooking them very lightly can help prevent the preparation from increasing the GI score.

Various compounds in carrots, such as carotenoids, fiber, and vitamin A can help manage blood sugar levels and prevent complications, such as diabetes-related eye damage.

Maintaining a healthful diet, reducing the intake of carbs, and boosting levels of physical activity can all play important roles in managing diabetes.

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Are carrots good for people with diabetes? Benefits and more - Medical News Today

Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.

An international panel of diabetes experts has published practical recommendations for managing diabetes in patients with COVID-19both in and out of the hospital setting.

The aim, they say, is to emphasize "the multiple challenges" healthcare professionals "from practitioners to intensive care staff might face in the management of...this vulnerable subgroup...of patients with diabetes...at risk of, or with, COVID-19."

The recommendations were published online April 23 as a "personal view" in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology by a 19-member panel led by Stefan R. Bornstein, MD, of the Helmholtz Center Munich and Technical University of Dresden, Germany.

Other panelists include individuals from Europe, the United States, Asia, Australia, and South America.

Diabetes is generally a major risk factor for the development of severe pneumonia and sepsis due to virus infections, and data from several sources suggest the risk for death from COVID-19 is up to 50% higher in people with diabetes than those without, they say.

Evidence also suggests risks associated with COVID-19 are greater with suboptimal glycemic control, and that the virus appears to be associated with an increased risk for diabetic ketoacidosis and new-onset diabetes.

Based on these findings and initial advice from the American Diabetes Association, among others as well as a literature search for a combination of appropriate terms on PubMed between April 29, 2009, and April 5, 2020, the panel made the following consensus recommendations.

1.Infection prevention and outpatient care:

Sensitization of patients with diabetes to the importance of optimal metabolic control. This is particularly important in individuals with type 1 diabetes, who should be reminded of home ketone monitoring and sick-day rules.

Optimization of current therapy, if appropriate.

Caution with premature discontinuation of established therapy.

Use of telemedicine and connected health models, if possible, to maintain maximal self-containment.

2. Monitor for new-onset diabetes in all patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

3. Management of infected patients with diabetes (intensive care unit):

Plasma glucose monitoring, electrolytes, pH, blood ketones, or -hydroxybutyrate.

Liberal indication for early intravenous insulin therapy in severe disease courses (acute respiratory distress syndrome, hyperinflammation) for exact titration, avoiding variable subcutaneous resorption, and management of commonly seen very high insulin consumption.

4. Therapeutic aims:

Plasma glucose concentration: 4-8 mmol/L (72-144 mg/dL) for outpatients or 4-10 mmol/L (72-180 mg/dL) for inpatients/intensive care, with possible upward adjustment of the lower value for frail patients to 5 mmol/L (90 mg/dL).

A1c < 53 mmol/mol (7%).

Continuous glucose monitoring/flash glucose monitoring targets: Time-in-range (3.9-10 mmol/L) > 70% of time (or > 50% in frail and older people).

Hypoglycemia < 3.9 mmol/L (< 70 mg/dL): < 4% (< 1% in frail and older people).

Regarding medications, the panel advises that both metformin and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors be stopped in patients with COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes to reduce the risk of acute metabolic decompensation.

For both drug classes, concerns include increased risks for dehydration, acute kidney injury, and chronic kidney disease, so close monitoring of renal function is recommended.

Metformin also increases the risk for lactic acidosis, and SGLT2 inhibitors increase the risk for diabetic ketoacidosis.

Metformin and SGLT2 inhibitors should not be discontinued prophylactically in outpatients who don't have evidence of COVID-19.

Both glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors can be continued, with the latter generally being well tolerated. However, patients taking GLP-1 agonists should be carefully monitored for dehydration, and adequate fluid intake and regular meals encouraged.

Insulin therapy should never be stopped and may need to be started in new-onset patients or those with hyperglycemia after being taken off other agents.

Blood glucose monitoring should be encouraged every 2 to 4 hours or using continuous glucose monitoring. Insulin dose should be adjusted based on need, which can be quite elevated in people with COVID-19. Intravenous insulin infusion may be necessary.

Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) should be continued; evidence to date is reassuring on this issue, and all major cardiology societies recommend patients remain on these agents.

Statin use should also be maintained, "because of the long-term benefits and the potential for tipping the balance towards a 'cytokine storm' by rebound rises in interleukin(IL)-6 and IL-1 if they were to be discontinued," Bornstein and colleagues write.

Lastly, the experts say, "Considerable care is required in fluid balance as there is a risk that excess fluid can exacerbate pulmonary edema in the severely inflamed lung."

Furthermore, potassium balance needs to be considered carefully in the context of insulin treatment, "as hypokalemia is a common feature in COVID-19 (possibly associated with hyperaldosteronism induced by high concentrations of angiotensin II) and could be exacerbated following initiation of insulin."

Because patients with type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease may be at increased risk for cytokine storm and severe COVID-19 disease, screening for hyperinflammation is recommended.

Screening includes looking for laboratory trends (eg, increasing ferritin, decreasing platelet counts, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or erythrocyte sedimentation rate), which are important and could also help identify subgroups of patients for whom immunosuppression (steroids, immunoglobulins, selective cytokine blockade) could improve outcomes.

Despite its advantages in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, elective metabolic surgery should be postponed during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Because SARS-CoV-2 can induce long-term metabolic alterations in patients who have been infected, careful cardiometabolic monitoring of patients who have had COVID-19 is advised.

In conclusion, the panel stress that "all our recommendations and reflections are based on our expert opinion, awaiting the outcome of randomized clinical trials."

"Executing clinical trials under challenging circumstances has been proven feasible during the COVID-19 pandemic...Investigating if some of the various management approaches would be particularly effective in managing diabetes in a COVID-19 context...will be important."

Bornstein has reported no relevant financial relationships. An author has reported serving on advisory boards for Novo Nordisk, Abbott, and Medtronic. The other authors have reported no relevant financial relationships.

Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. Published April 23, 2020. Full text

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More Guidance on 'Vulnerable Subgroup' With Diabetes and COVID-19 - Medscape

INDIANAPOLIS, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced free access to the mySugr Pro app to help the millions of Americans living with diabetes maintain their personalized daily diabetes routine during the COVID-19 crisis. This offer is especially beneficial as healthcare providers increasingly transition to remote patient visits.1,2

With the mySugr Pro app, users have access to valuable features to better manage their condition. They can create and share with their healthcare team detailed PDF reports of their aggregated diabetes data from Accu-Chek blood glucose meters, blood sugar levels, carbohydrate intake, stress levels, insulin dosages, medication, and estimated HbA1c. This efficient overview of information helps healthcare providers recognize patterns and individualize guidance. For people with diabetes, this helps prompt questions about blood sugar highs and lows for discussion with healthcare providers, enabling a satisfying experience during remote visits.3

For people with diabetes, good glucose control is important in avoiding or reducing the severity of infection. The risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 is likely to be lower if diabetes is well managed.4

"It is more important than ever for people with diabetes to feel supported in their self-management and connected to their healthcare team," said Matt Jewett, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Roche Diabetes Care, US. "Diabetes is well-suited to virtual care, and our goal is to facilitate highly productive interactions between healthcare providers and patients now and in the future."

With more than 2 million registered users worldwide, the mySugr app eases the complexity of the daily diabetes routine with data, motivation and detailed reports.

Visit accu-chek.com/mySugrPro to unlock the mySugr Pro features for free. This offer is valid until September 30, 2020.

For all further updates on our COVID-19 response, visitaccu-chek.com.

Rates of diabetes on the rise According to the International Diabetes Federation5 nearly half a billion (463 million) adults worldwide are currently living with diabetes; by 2045 this number will rise to 700 million. Controlling glycemic levels is critical in preventing long-term microvascular and macrovascular complications.6 As with many chronic diseases, the achievement of optimal therapeutic outcomes relies on both treatment persistence and treatment adherence.

References

[1] Virtual Diabetes Care during COVID-19: Practical Tips for the Diabetes Clinicianhttps://www.centerfordigitalhealthinnovation.org/posts/virtual-diabetes-care-during-covid19-practical-tips-for-the-diabetes-clinician. Accessed April 21, 2020 [2] The mySugr vouchercode can only be redeemed one time per user until September 30, 2020. The voucher code will enable mySugr pro version for 185 days. Void where prohibited by law.[3] Teresa L. Pearson, MS, RN, CDE, FAADE, Telehealth: Aiding Navigation Through the Perfect Storm of Diabetes Care in the Era of Healthcare Reform, Diabetes Spectrum2013 Nov;26(4):221-225.https://doi.org/10.2337/diaspect.26.4.221. .Section 7: Diabetes and Telehealth, Lines 7-10, Section 11: Nonface-to-face services conducted through live video conferencing or "store and forward" telecommunication services, Paragraph 3, Lines 7-13 https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/4/221%5B4%5D American Diabetes Association FAQ, Do people with diabetes have a higher chance of experiencing complications from COVID-19? Paragraph 2, Line 1 https://www.diabetes.org/covid-19-faq. Accessed April 21, 2020[5] IDF Facts & Figures, February 20, 2020: https://www.idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes/facts-figures.html. Accessed April 21, 2020[6] UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group: "Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33)." Lancet 352(9131): 837-853 (1998).

About mySugrFounded in 2012in Vienna, Austria, mySugr specializes in all-around care for people with diabetes. Its app and services combine diabetes coaching, therapy management, unlimited test-strips, automated data tracking, and seamless integration with a growing number of medical devices to ease the daily burden of living with diabetes. The mySugr app has more than two million registered users and has received an average 4.6 star rating in theAppandPlay Store. The mySugr Logbook as well as the mySugr Bolus Calculator are both medical devices.

The mySugr App is available in 79 countries and 24 languages. mySugr joined the Roche Diabetes Care family in 2017. In addition to its headquarters in Vienna, the company has a second office in San Diego, California, and currently employs more than 175 people. For more information, please visitmysugr.com/en/for-media.

About Roche Diabetes CareRoche Diabetes Care has been pioneering innovative diabetes technologies and services for more than 40 years. More than 5,500 employees in over 100 markets worldwide work every day to support people with diabetes and those at risk to achieve more time in their target ranges and experience true relief from the daily therapy routines.Being a global leader in integrated Personalized Diabetes Management (iPDM), Roche Diabetes Care collaborates with thought leaders around the globe, including people with diabetes, caregivers, healthcare providers and payers. Roche Diabetes Care aims to transform and advance care provision and foster sustainable care structures. Under the brands RocheDiabetes, Accu-Chek and mySugr, comprising glucose monitoring, insulin delivery systems and digital solutions, Roche Diabetes Care unites with its partners to create patient-centred value. By building and collaborating in an open ecosystem, connecting devices and digital solutions as well as contextualise relevant data points, Roche Diabetes Care enables deeper insights and a better understanding of the disease, leading to personalised and effective therapy adjustments. For better outcomes and true relief.

Since 2017, mySugr one of the most popular diabetes management apps is part of Roche Diabetes Care.

For more information, please visit http://www.rochediabetes.com, http://www.accu-chek.comand http://www.mysugr.com.

About RocheRoche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the eleventh consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit http://www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

For more information please contact:- Amy Lynn (amy.lynn@roche.com)

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Roche offers free access to mySugr Pro helping people with diabetes stay connected to their healthcare team during COVID-19 - Kokomo Perspective

A study completed by the University Hospitals at Leicester showed that heart function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may be improved more effectively through exercise training than through a weight loss regimen.

The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and similarly conducted at the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

Heart failure is one of the most common complications in people with type 2 diabetes, and younger adults with type 2 diabetes already have changes in their heart structure and function that pose a risk of developing heart failure, Gaurav Gulsin, a BHF clinical research fellow at the University of Leicester, trainee heart physician, and a lead author of the study, said We wanted to confirm the abnormalities in the structure and function of the heart in this patient population using the latest scanning techniques, and explore whether it is possible to reverse these through exercise and/or weight loss.

The randomized study incorporated a total of 87 participants, between 18 and 65 years of age, with type 2 diabetes, who underwent echocardiography and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in order to verify their early heart dysfunction, as well as exercise tests to analyze cardiovascular fitness. Patients were randomly selected into 1 of 3 groups routine care, supervised aerobic exercise training, or low-energy meal replacement program all of which lasted for 12 weeks; 76 participants remained on the program for the entire duration of the study.

Researchers from the University Hospitals of Leicester reported that those who followed the supervised exercise program demonstrated significantly improved heart function compared with the control group.

The results also suggested that while a low-energy diet did not alter heart function, the program did show favorable effects on heart structure, vascular function, and diabetes reversal in 83% of the patient group.

Limitations of the study included small population size and failure of nearly 1 in 5 patients in the exercise arm of the study to complete the program, effectively restricting the studys application in future clinical practice.

Senior study author Gerry McCann, NIHR research professor and professor of cardiac imaging at the University of Leicester and a consultant cardiologist at Leicesters Hospitals said, Through this research we have shown that lifestyle interventions in the form of regular exercise training may be important in limiting and even reversing the damage to heart structure and function seen in younger adults with type 2 diabetes. While losing weight has a beneficial effect on heart structure, our study shows that on its own it does not appear to improve heart function.

The findings have been published in the journal Diabetes Care.

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Study: Exercise More Effective Than Weight Loss for Improving Heart Function in Diabetes - Drug Topics

Diabetes tends to go with obesity like a pint of ice cream with another pint of ice cream.

Diabetes can lead a client who seemed perfectly healthy into a whole new world of chronic disease management.

It can also lead to serious health problems, such as kidney disease, and it can make almost any other problem, including COVID-19, more deadly.

Its also consuming a large and growing share of government spending around the world, and especially in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects data on diabetes through many programs, including theBehavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey program.

For a financial professionals, diabetes trends among people with household income over $50,000 per year may be more relevant than averages for the general population.

We mined BRFSS data for a map that shows how the percentage of high-earning adults with diabetes changed between 2013 and 2018.

For trend dataforall 50 states and the District of Columbia, see the table below.

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Change in Percentage Points

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Read10 States Where Stroke May Hurt Your Sales,on ThinkAdvisor.

Connect with ThinkAdvisor Life/Health onFacebook,LinkedInandTwitter.

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Where More Prospects Have Diabetes: 50 States of Trend Data - ThinkAdvisor

Hospital teams are being urged to focus on glycemic management among COVID-19 patients with diabetes and hyperglycemia after a research team found mortality rates are higher in people with diabetes.

An American team from the Emory University School of Medicine in Georgia say death rates are four times higher among people with diabetes and hyperglycemia who are infected with COVID-19.

They used health data taken from 1,122 people who were admitted to hospital with coronavirus between March 1 and April 6.

The researchers said 42% of all the participants in the study had diabetes or hyperglycemia, which means their blood sugar levels greater than 6.5%.

They also found that those with diabetes and hyperglycemia had an in-hospital death rate of 29%, compared with just 6% of those who did not have either condition.

Another pattern emerged among people who had not been diagnosed with diabetes. Having studied mortality rates, they found 42% of people without a prior diabetes diagnosis who were admitted to hospital and developed hyperglycemia while there, passed away.

Dr Bruce Bode, diabetes specialist at Atlanta Diabetes Associates and Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, said: The coronavirus outbreak has stretched our hospitals and health systems to a point weve never experienced before, so its understandable that glycemic management may not have been a major point of focus thus far.

This research confirms that diabetes is an important risk factor for dying from COVID-19. It also suggests that patients with acutely uncontrolled hyperglycemia with or without a diabetes diagnosis are dying at a higher rate than clinicians and hospitals may recognise.

It is paramount that we treat hyperglycemia in COVID-19 patients as directed by national guidelines, with subcutaneous basal-bolus insulin in most non-critically ill patients, and with IV insulin in the critically ill.

Dr Bodes team also found that among the 493 people with diabetes who survived, their hospital stays were about 5.7 days longer among those who did not have the condition who stayed on average 4.3 days.

The study was supported by Glytec, a provider of insulin management software.

Dr Valerie Garrett, the companys Executive Director of Quality Initiatives, said: This initial analysis provides what we believe are new insights into the COVID-19 illness and suggests an opportunity exists for clinicians to save additional lives by intervening in acutely hyperglycemic patients to achieve guideline-directed glycemic targets.

While glycemic care may not be top of mind in clinicians caring for patients with COVID-19, it appears to be a potentially very important aspect of care. Were proud of Glytecs ability to participate in important areas of research with our clinical partners and focus our analytics capability on revealing insights that can significantly improve patient care.

Senior author of the research Dr David Klonoff, Medical Director of the Diabetes Research Institute, said their findings may have wide implications for how we care for COVID-19 positive patients who experience hyperglycemia during their hospital stay or who have already been diagnosed with diabetes.

The research has been published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.

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COVID-19 death rates 'four times higher' among those with diabetes and hyperglycemia - Diabetes - Diabetes.co.uk

Abstract

A smart contact lens can be used as an excellent interface between the human body and an electronic device for wearable healthcare applications. Despite wide investigations of smart contact lenses for diagnostic applications, there has been no report on electrically controlled drug delivery in combination with real-time biometric analysis. Here, we developed smart contact lenses for both continuous glucose monitoring and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. The smart contact lens device, built on a biocompatible polymer, contains ultrathin, flexible electrical circuits and a microcontroller chip for real-time electrochemical biosensing, on-demand controlled drug delivery, wireless power management, and data communication. In diabetic rabbit models, we could measure tear glucose levels to be validated by the conventional invasive blood glucose tests and trigger drugs to be released from reservoirs for treating diabetic retinopathy. Together, we successfully demonstrated the feasibility of smart contact lenses for noninvasive and continuous diabetic diagnosis and diabetic retinopathy therapy.

Recently, soft bioelectronics has been widely investigated to take advantage of its inherent polymer properties and organic electronics for wearable and implantable health care devices (1, 2). On the basis of this innovation, many kinds of medical devices have been developed for diagnostic (3), therapeutic (4), and theranostic applications (5). Wearable devices have been successfully applied in continuous glucose monitoring (5), electrocardiography (6), electromyography (7), photoplethysmography, and pulse oximetry (8). They can provide important medical information for health care monitoring and the diagnosis of various relevant diseases. In addition, a pioneering semiconductor implantable drug delivery device was developed for applications in the subcutaneous fluid (9) and triggered the development of on-demand implantable drug delivery systems (10). Combining these technologies together, many kinds of health care devices have been developed for theranostic applications at the interface of biological, nanoscale, and electronic technologies (5, 1113).

Among various wearable health care devices, smart contact lenses have attracted great commercial attention for health care applications (14, 15). The surface of the cornea uniquely presents a convenient and noninvasive interface to physiological conditions in the human body. The eyes are directly connected to the brain, liver, heart, lung, and kidney and can serve as a window to the body (16). In this context, Sensimed released a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved product, Triggerfish, to monitor the intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients in 2016 (14, 15). In addition, Google developed the Google lens for the diagnosis of diabetic patients in collaboration with Novartis (15). These smart contact lenses are especially important because they make noninvasive and continuous monitoring of glaucoma and diabetes, respectively, possible. Furthermore, smart wearable sensor systems integrated on soft contact lenses have been developed to measure the resistance change of graphene sensors upon glucose binding for the remote monitoring of diabetes (17, 18). However, the electrical current and the color changes in the sensors were proportional in log scale to the glucose concentrations, which might not be adequate to measure the real glucose concentration for accurate diabetic diagnosis.

Here, we developed a remotely controllable smart contact lens for noninvasive glucose monitoring and controlled drug delivery to treat diabetic retinopathy. The multifunctional smart contact lens consists of five main parts: a real-time electrochemical biosensor, an on-demand flexible drug delivery system (f-DDS), a resonant inductive wireless energy transfer system, a complementary integrated circuit (IC)based microcontroller chip with a power management unit (PMU), and a remote radio frequency (RF) communication system (Fig. 1). The real-time amperometric biosensor is designed to detect glucose in tears, replacing the need for invasive blood tests. Drugs can be released from the self-regulated pulsatile f-DDS by remote communication. The resonant inductive coupling to a copper (Cu) receiver coil allows wireless powering from an external power source with a transmitter coil. The device communicates with an external controller by RF communication. We assessed and discussed the feasibility of this smart contact lens for diabetic diagnosis and diabetic retinopathy therapy.

The smart contact lens is embedded with a biosensor, an f-DDS, a wireless power transmission system from a transmitter coil to a receiver coil, an ASIC chip, and a remote communication system as a ubiquitous platform for various diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Silicone contact lens hydrogels were prepared with a chemical structure as schematically shown in fig. S1A. The silicone hydrogels were fabricated in the form of a contact lens with a diameter of 14 mm, a thickness of 200 m, and a radius curvature of 8.0 mm. Attenuated total reflectanceFourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) showed clear peaks corresponding to the chemical attachment of added monomers (fig. S1B). The wavelengths of five peaks were well matched with those of a commercial silicone hydrogel contact lens of lotrafilcon A. The silicone hydrogel contact lens exhibited nearly comparable transmittance to that of the poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogel contact lens as a control in the visible wavelength range (fig. S1C). The equilibrium water content (EWC) of the silicone hydrogel contact lens was 33.6%, which was higher than those of the PHEMA hydrogel contact lens (21.3%) and lotrafilcon A (24%) (fig. S1D) owing to the high ratio of hydrophilic silicone-containing monomers. The diameter of the silicone hydrogel lens increased by only 1 to 15 mm, whereas that of the PHEMA hydrogel lens increased by 2 to 16 mm. The surface hydrophilicity of the silicone hydrogel contact lens was controlled by the ozone plasma treatment. The surface-treated silicone hydrogel contact lens showed a lower water contact angle than the PHEMA hydrogel contact lens in every time point (fig. S1E), and the water droplet was rapidly absorbed into the silicone hydrogel contact lens (fig. S1F).

An ocular glucose sensor was designed with three electrodes to have a low electrical resistance for the facilitated electrochemical glucose reaction (Fig. 2A). The working electrode (WE) and the counter electrode (CE) were prepared with platinum (Pt) for the efficient electrochemical reaction. To enhance the adhesion between polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Pt, a Cr layer was deposited on the PET substrate as an adhesive layer before Pt layer deposition. The reference electrode (RE) coated with silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) increased the accuracy of amperometric electrochemical glucose sensor in the fluidic environment by providing a constant voltage to the WE during the glucose measurement. To monitor the tear glucose content with high sensitivity and stability, we coated a mixed solution of glucose oxidase (GOx), bovine serum albumin (BSA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and chitosan on the WE. After drying, glutaraldehyde was added to cross-link chitosan and PVA for the immobilization of GOx with BSA. To confirm the strong correlation between blood and tear glucose levels, their glucose concentrations in normal and diabetic rabbits were measured before and after three times feeding and fasting. The diabetic rabbits showed higher glucose concentrations both in tear and in blood than those of normal rabbits (Fig. 2B). These blood and tear glucose levels seem to be in the reasonable range, because the normal blood glucose level for nondiabetics while fasting is between 70 and 130 mg dl1 (19). Because of the big sampling time interval, we could not observe the lag time in the increase of glucose concentrations between the blood and the tear as reported elsewhere (19). However, we made clear the repetitive strong correlation between the blood and the tear glucose levels. These results indicated the feasibility of measuring a tear glucose level as an alternative to the blood glucose measurement for the diagnosis of diabetic diseases.

(A) Schematic illustration of an ocular glucose sensor with three electrodes (WE, working electrode; RE, reference electrode; CE, counter electrode) and the mechanism of glucose measurement in tear. (B) Correlation between blood and tear glucose levels in normal and diabetic rabbit models. (C) Real-time electrical detection of glucose concentrations compared with that of PBS. (D) Current change of the glucose sensor showing the selectivity to 0.35 and 0.7 mg dl1 ascorbic acid (AA), 22.5 and 45 mg dl1 lactate, 18 and 36 mg dl1 urea, and 5 mg dl1 glucose. (E) The long-term stability of the glucose sensor after storage for 0, 21, 42, and 63 days (n = 3).

As shown in Fig. 2C, we could measure the real-time glucose concentration from the electrical current change in vitro using a potentiostat. The current increased from 0.41 to 3.12 A with increasing glucose concentrations from 5 to 50 mg dl1. This range of current change might be suitable for the remote monitoring of physiological glucose levels. To assess the selectivity toward glucose, we applied potentially interfering molecules of ascorbic acid (A), lactate (L), and urea (U) in the tear (Fig. 2D). The concentrations of ALU are reported to be around 0.70 mg dl1 for A (20), 18 to 45 mg dl1 for L (21), and 36 mg dl1 for U (20) in the tear. When the corresponding concentrations of interfering molecules (A, L, and U) were added in the glucose sensing system, only a little noise was observed with a negligible current change. Unlike A, L, and U, addition of 5 mg dl1 of glucose rapidly increased the current up to 0.42 A. In addition, we assessed the long-term stability of glucose sensors (Fig. 2E). After fabrication, smart contact lenses were stored in sterilized phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 20 to 25C, which was similar to the actual contact lens storage environment, for 21, 42, and 63 days. The performance of glucose sensors was maintained stably with less than 2% deviation for up to 63 days (n = 3).

The f-DDS was fabricated with dimensions of 1.5 mm by 3 mm by 130 m (Fig. 3, A and B). An exfoliation layer and a buffer silicone oxide (SiO2) layer were deposited on a glass substrate, and the drug reservoir was covered with a defect-free Au anode electrode. The laser lift-off (LLO) process using an excimer laser locally melted and dissociated the exfoliation layer. A buffer SiO2 layer supported the upper device layer during the LLO process and blocked the heat flow generated during the laser-induced exfoliation. In addition to controlling the duration time of the laser shot, the thickness of the buffer SiO2 layer was an important factor for minimizing thermal damage to the device during the LLO process. We used two different photoresists of SU8-5 and SU8-50. SU8-5 has lower viscosity and strength than SU8-50. Accordingly, SU8-5 was used to insulate the electrode except that the drug release site for the stable operation of f-DDS and SU8-50 was used to build the DDS. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the electrodes and the insulated layers of the reservoir (fig. S2). The mechanical bending test was performed to evaluate the mechanical reliability of f-DDS on a flexible substrate (fig. S3, A and B). The operating current of f-DDS was maintained without any notable changes during the mechanical durability test up to 1000 cycles (fig. S3C).

(A) Schematic illustration for the fabrication of f-DDS. (i) Growing the buffer silicone dioxide (SiO2) layer on a glass substrate; (ii) deposition of Ti, Au, and Ti metals for anode and cathode electrodes; (iii) patterning SU8 drug reservoirs; (iv) drug loading; (v) attaching PET and laser scanning of the device; (vi) detaching f-DDS; and (vii) Ti etching with SU8 insulation. (B) Photograph of f-DDS. Photo credit: Beom Ho Mun, KAIST. (C) SEM images of f-DDS before and after gold electrochemistry test. Scale bar, 250 m. (D) Confocal fluorescence microscopic images of rhodamine B dye released from drug reservoirs. Scale bars, 300 m (left) and 500 m (right). (E) Current change of the f-DDS. (F) Released concentration of genistein in a pulsatile manner. (G) Normalized content of genistein released from the reservoirs (n = 6) in comparison with the initial loading content.

The loaded drugs were selectively released from the drug reservoir by the on/off control of voltage. As shown on the SEM image of the Au anode electrode, a thin Au membrane covered the whole area of drug-loaded reservoirs without any leakage of drugs (Fig. 3C, left). After applying an electrical voltage of 1.8 V, the Au membrane was dissolved within 40 s (Fig. 3C, right). The Au layer was melted in PBS under constant voltage in the form of AuCl4. Confocal fluorescence microscopy showed the red rhodamine dye released from a reservoir by applying the electrical potential (Fig. 3D). The current between anode and cathode electrodes increased up to 6.08 0.16 A, and Au anodes were slowly dissolved under a slight current decrease from 6.08 0.16 A to 4.35 0.11 A (Fig. 3E). Genistein was released in a pulsatile manner from three different drug reservoirs (Fig. 3F). The anode was slowly dissolved by the current in microscale, and the drug was almost completely released after the current was recovered to the initial state. We could detect 89.97 37.10% of loaded genistein in PBS, confirming that a therapeutic amount of drug might be released from f-DDS (Fig. 3G). In addition, a diabetic therapeutic amount of metformin could be released from the smart contact lens by the synchronized feedback for the point-of-care therapy and further theranostic applications (fig. S3D).

A wireless power transmission system was developed via resonant inductive coupling. The receiver coil embedded in the smart contact lens received a different electrical power from the transmitter coil depending on the distance (fig. S4A). The efficiency of wireless power transmission between two coils was measured with a network analyzer, which was inversely proportional to the distance (fig. S4A). The required power consumption of PMU, the sensor readout block, and the remote communication unit (RCU) on the smart contact lens was 43, 34.4, and 2.3 mW, respectively (fig. S4B). The RCU transmitted data at a rate of 445 kbitss1 in the 433-MHz industry-science-medical (ISM) frequency band using on-off keying modulation and could be controlled to turn off for power saving when data were not transmitted. Using resonant inductive coupling, the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip connected to an additional capacitor for energy storage successfully received electromagnetic power at a 1-cm distance from the transmitter coil with an efficiency of 2%. The efficiency was sufficient to maintain the basic operation and the remote communication of the smart contact lens. The average output code of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) from the ASIC chip was proportional to the input current (fig. S5, A and B). The total input conversion was available up to 4.1 A with a resolvable input of 150 pA, which was suitable for the electrical detection of glucose using the ocular glucose sensor. The ocular glucose sensor and the f-DDS were operated under the control of the ASIC chip by applying the corresponding bias voltages (fig. S5, B and C). The converted data of the biosensor were serialized by the ASIC chip and successfully transmitted to an external device of the personal computer (PC) using the wireless power and remote communication systems (fig. S5D).

On the basis of preliminary experimental results, a smart contact lens was fabricated by the chemical cross-linking of silicone hydrogel precursor solution containing a PET film, which was embedded with a glucose biosensor, an f-DDS, an ASIC chip, a Cu power receiver, and RF communication coils and passivated with Parylene C (fig. S6A). The reader coil, which was connected to a commercial power amplifier, wirelessly transferred enough electrical power to the smart contact lens for the real-time sensing of glucose in tear and the remote control of f-DDS (fig. S6B). A constant potential was applied on the RE of the electrochemical glucose sensor, enabling high sensitivity and stability. The output data of the biosensor were wirelessly transmitted by the remote communication using a custom-made amplitude shift keying (ASK) receiver module, an Alf Vergard Risc (AVR), and a PC. The remotely transferred data showed that the current change of glucose sensor was proportional to the applied glucose level in vitro, confirming the feasibility for real-time wireless electrical glucose detection using the smart contact lens (fig. S6C). The output current change values of 0.40 to 3.13 A were similar to those of the glucose measurement using a potentiostat in vitro in Fig. 2C. In addition, on-demand drug delivery was demonstrated by the remote control of the ASIC chip to apply a constant voltage of 1.8 V to the f-DDS (fig. S6C). The silicone hydrogel contact lens with a high water content did not cause any substantial damage to the biosensor, f-DDS, and other micro-sized components.

Before in vivo applications, the safety of the integrated smart contact lens was evaluated in the eyes of New Zealand white rabbits for a period of 5 days (fig. S7). Histological analysis of extracted rabbits eyes with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining did not show any notable damage on the corneal epithelia, stroma, and endothelia of rabbits after wearing smart contact lenses for 3 and 5 days in comparison with the normal cornea of rabbits. Although our smart contact lens induced some degree of corneal swelling, it did not incite an inflammatory reaction after 5 days. The corneal swelling was likely caused by the poor oxygen transfer through the closed eyelid during sleep while wearing the contact lens, which leads to the accumulation of lactic acid and water inside the cornea as a result of osmotic shift. No infections or serious adverse ocular surface reactions or changes were observed with the lens in place. Overall, our results demonstrated the preliminary safety of the smart contact lens while placed on the eye.

After that, we carried out the assessment of the integrated smart contact lens on diabetic rabbit eyes for biosensing and drug delivery applications as schematically shown in Fig. 4A. The integrated wireless smart contact lens for glucose sensing only (fig. S8A) or that for both glucose sensing and drug delivery (fig. S8B) was worn on the rabbit eye and operated by wireless power transfer between an external transmitter coil and a receiver coil on the smart contact lens (fig. S8C). The portable power transmission system can be ultimately installed on smart glasses or smart phones as schematically shown in Fig. 4A. Diabetic rabbits were injected with insulin, anesthetized with ketamine, and fitted with our smart contact lens (movie S1). After wearing the smart contact lens, the ocular glucose sensor indicated the increase of glucose concentration up to 30.53 mg dl1 by contacting the tear glucose and then the decrease down to 16.72 mg dl1 by the insulin effect on the glucose metabolism, which was well matched with the blood glucose concentration profile determined by a glucometer (Fig. 4B). The real tear glucose level measured by glucose assay was well matched with the converted glucose level from the output current values. Parvizs group previously developed a contact lens sensor system and performed wireless glucose monitoring using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) eye model (20, 22). While the online sensor output current was in the range of 0 to 400 nA for the glucose concentration of 0 to 10.81 mg dl1 (20), the wireless sensor output current was in the range of 0 to 80 nA for the glucose concentration of 0 to 36.03 mg dl1 (22). In contrast, we wirelessly measure the real tear glucose level in a wide physiologically meaningful range of 0 to 49.9 mg dl1 in vitro and in vivo with the improved sensitivity (Figs. 2C and 4B and fig. S6C).

(A) Schematic illustration for in vivo diabetic diagnosis and therapy of the smart contact lens. (B) In vivo real-time wireless measurement of tear glucose levels with the smart contact lens. The blood and tear glucose levels were measured (i) after injection of insulin and anesthesia for wearing the smart contact lens in PBS. (ii) The tear glucose level increased due to the glucose in tears and decreased, reflecting the blood glucose level decrease due to the injected insulin. The blood glucose level was measured every 5 min with a commercial glucometer. (C) Fluorescence microscopic images of drugs absorbed in cornea, sclera, and retina of rabbits wearing the smart contact lens loaded with (top row) and without (bottom row) genistein. Scale bar, 0.1 mm. (D) Infrared thermal camera analysis for the temperature of the eye, smart contact lens, and transmitting coil after operating for 0, 15, and 30 min.

Furthermore, we could remotely trigger the release of antiangiogenic genistein from f-DDS on the smart contact lens by applying the electrical potential on-demand. Figure 4C shows the fluorescence microscopic images of cryo-sectioned cornea, sclera, and retina. The genistein released from the smart contact lens appeared to be effectively delivered through the cornea to the retina. The weak fluorescence in sclera revealed that genistein had passed through the sclera with little absorption. In the case of the control, no fluorescence was observed in the cryo-sectioned tissues of rabbits wearing the smart contact lens without genistein or the smart contact lens with genistein without electrical triggering for its release (Fig. 4C, below). From the results, we could confirm the feasibility of the smart contact lens for electrically controlled on-demand ocular therapeutic drug delivery (Table 1).

An infrared thermal camera showed no notable temperature change in the body of the smart contact lens on rabbit eyes (Fig. 4D). In the beginning, the temperature of the smart contact lens was 32.4C, that of the ocular surface was 34.4C, and that of the external coil was 32.0C. After 30 min of operation, the temperature of the smart contact lens was 33.8C with a temperature increase of 1.4C, that of the ocular surface was 34.8C with a temperature increase of 0.4C, and that of the external coil was 29.7C with a temperature decrease of 2.3C. The slight temperature increase revealed the thermal safety of our smart contact lens.

New Zealand white rabbits were divided into five groups to assess the therapeutic effect of genistein released from the smart contact lens on diabetic retinopathy compared to a series of control and comparator groups. The left eyes of rabbits were treated with a topical eye drop of PBS as a negative control in group 1, a topical eye drop of genistein in group 2, intravitreal injection of genistein in group 3, and intravitreal injection of Avastin as a positive control in group 4. The right eyes of all groups were treated with smart contact lenses containing genistein (which collectively comprised group 5). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) visualized the inhibitory effect of genistein released from the smart contact lens on the deformation of retinal vascular structure (Fig. 5A). The diabetic retinal vessels in Fig. 5A(iv) (left eye of group 4) and Fig. 5A(v) had a round shape surrounded by the thick vascular endothelial cell (EC) layers, which were comparable to that of the healthy rabbit (23). However, the vascular basement membrane appeared to be irregular and folded without the clear vascular EC layer in Fig. 5A(i) (left eye of group 1), reflecting increased vascular permeability and the blood-retinal barrier breakdown. In Fig. 5A(ii) (left eye of group 2) and Fig. 5A(iii) (left eye of group 3), the vessels had a round shape, but the surrounding vascular EC layers were not as thick as those in Fig. 5A(iv and v).

The eyes of diabetic rabbits were treated with (i) an eye drop of PBS (control), (ii) an eye drop of genistein, (iii) intravitreal injection of genistein, (iv) intravitreal injection of Avastin, and (v) genistein released from the smart contact lens. (A) Electron micrographs of the retinal vessels. L, lumen of vessel; EC, endothelial cell; RBC, red blood cell. Scale bar, 1 m. (B) Fluorescence angiograms of the retina (arrowheads, retinal vessels). Scale bar, 0.2 mm. (C) Histological analysis for the damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroidal vessels (CVs) (arrowheads, damage in CV). Scale bar, 0.1 mm. (D) Apoptosis detection in retina by TUNEL assay. Scale bar, 0.1 mm. (E) Merged images of immunohistochemistry staining for collagen type 4 (red) and PECAM-1 (green) with nuclear staining by 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (blue). Scale bar, 0.1 mm. (F) Fluorescence intensity of retinal choroidal neovascularization lesion quantified from the images of (B). (G) Fluorescence intensity of TUNEL assay quantified from the images of (D). (H) Immunochemical fluorescence intensity (E) of collagen type 4 (filled box) quantified from the images in fig. S9A (red) and PECAM-1 (dashed box) quantified from the images in fig. S9B (green) [n = 3, *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01 versus the control sample of (i)].

Figure 5B shows fluorescence angiograms for the morphology of retinal vessels. While no clear morphology of vessels was observed in Fig. 5B(i and ii), retinal vessels (arrowheads) with clear morphology were observed with the notably decreased retinal vascular permeability in Fig. 5B(iv and v). Fluorescence was observed throughout the retinal parenchyma owing to the increased vascular leakage after blood-retinal barrier breakdown, as quantified in Fig. 5F. In Fig. 5B(iii), little fluorescence was observed with only a scant vasculature. The results of histological H&E analysis were consistent with those of TEM images and fluorescence angiograms (Fig. 5C). In addition, retinal cell death was validated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferasemediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay in retinal cross-sectioned images (Fig. 5D). Fluorescence of TUNEL assay was quantified by ImageJ program. When the mean fluorescence intensity in Fig. 5D(i) was set to be 100%, the mean percentage of fluorescence intensity was 76.0% in Fig. 5D(ii), 69.0% in Fig. 5D(iii), 37.0% in Fig. 5D(iv), and 45.1% in Fig. 5D(v) (Fig. 5G). Furthermore, the immunohistochemical staining for collagen type 4 and platelet EC adhesion molecule1 (PECAM-1) revealed the therapeutic effect of genistein released from the smart contact lens (Fig. 5E). The expression degree of collagen type 4 and PECAM-1 was lower in fig. S9(iv and v) than in fig. S9(i to iii) (Fig. 5H).

Smart electronic contact lens devices have been widely investigated for diagnostic applications, especially for continuous glucose monitoring and intraocular pressure monitoring. In addition, there have been many reports on the electrical and optical glucose sensing with improved sensitivity using various nanomaterials (2426). To improve the sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility, we immobilized GOx in the chitosan and PVA hydrogels together with BSA. PVA appeared to mitigate the problem of uneven coating and cracking by increasing the viscosity of the GOx mixture solution with the increased loss modulus (27). PVA was also reported to have a substantial effect on the sensitivity of glucose sensors (28, 29). As shown in Fig. 2, the glucose concentrations could be accurately measured from the electrical current change using our glucose sensor, showing the stability for the repeated glucose sensing even after storage for more than 63 days (Fig. 2E) and enabling the real-time continuous tear glucose monitoring in live rabbit eyes in comparison with the blood glucose sensing by a glucometer (Fig. 4B). In contrast, Parvizs group used a model eye and Parks group dropped glucose samples directly onto the rabbit eyes after wearing the smart contact lens for the assessment of their electrochemical glucose sensors, and there is no scientific journal report on in vivo glucose sensing of the Google lens (Table 1).

Despite the intensive effort for the commercial development of Google lens, they recently reported that there was insufficient consistency in their measurements of the correlation between tear glucose and blood glucose concentrations to support the requirements of a medical device. The disappointing clinical results might be associated with the challenges of obtaining reliable tear glucose readings in the complex on-eye environment. Although the correlation between tear and blood glucose concentrations remains controversial, there are many reports supporting the strong correlation between them (15, 1719). As shown in Fig. 4B, we could perform real-time continuous tear glucose monitoring in live rabbit eyes, which was strongly correlated with the blood glucose concentrations. We believe that with proper calibration and baseline monitoring, the changes in glucose concentrations can be measured reliably for each patient using the smart contact lens. This is similar to that of the FDA-approved Triggerfish lens that measures changes in intraocular pressure rather than an absolute intraocular pressure.

On top of that, our smart contact lens has a unique function of ocular drug delivery. To date, a variety of drug-eluting contact lenses have been developed using biodegradable polymer nanoparticles and micelles to improve the efficiency of ocular drug delivery. However, there has been no report on smart contact lenses with an electrically controlled on-demand DDS, possibly due to the difficulty in the miniaturization of all these electronic components onto the small contact lens. Antiangiogenic genistein and the glucose levelcontrolling metformin could be delivered from the f-DDS on the smart contact lens (Figs. 3 and 4 and fig. S3). The released genistein could be delivered through the cornea to the retina as shown in Fig. 4, exhibiting the therapeutic effect on diabetic retinopathy. This smart contact lens for wireless biosensing and therapeutic drug delivery might pave a new avenue to ubiquitous health care for further theranostic applications. Although metformin has been commercialized as an oral drug, its therapeutic effects through various other delivery routes have been well documented, such as transdermal delivery (25) and ocular delivery (30, 31). Berstein (31) reported that metformin is not simply an oral drug and that it influences many reactions and processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress in cell lines and, given these findings, stated that it is very reasonable to target metformin for topical and ocular delivery applications.

Concerning the safety issue of the smart contact lens, the wireless energy transfer system should be carefully investigated because of the possible ocular damage by the generated heat of the smart contact lens. In this context, we measured the heat from operating the contact lens using an infrared thermal camera, which showed no notable temperature change in the smart contact lens on rabbit eyes (Fig. 4D). The only slight temperature increase revealed the thermal safety of our smart contact lens. Optical images and histological analyses of corneas in the eyes of New Zealand white rabbits also confirmed the safety of our smart contact lens (fig. S7). From all these results, we could confirm the preliminary safety of our smart contact lens for further applications. Moreover, the FDA approval for the clinical use of Triggerfish is an important supporting information on the safety of smart contact lenses.

In summary, a smart electrochemical contact lens has been successfully developed with a glucose biosensor and an f-DDS controlled by wireless power and remote communication systems for both diabetic diagnosis and therapy. We demonstrated the real-time biosensing of glucose concentrations in the tear and on-demand therapeutic drug delivery of genistein for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy in diabetic rabbit eyes. The ocular glucose biosensor uniformly coated with GOx immobilized in the cross-linked hydrogels of chitosan and PVA with BSA showed high sensitivity, linearity, and stability for the repeated applications after long-time storage for 63 days. The genistein delivered from the smart contact lens through the cornea to the retina showed a comparable therapeutic effect to that by the intravitreal injection of Avastin on diabetic retinopathy. This smart theranostic contact lens will be investigated further as a next-generation wearable device to achieve the real-time biosensing of ocular biomarkers and on-demand medication for ubiquitous health care applications to various ocular and other diseases.

Silicone contact lens hydrogels were prepared under nitrogen by the photocrosslinking of 2-hydroethylmethacrylate (HEMA), silicone-containing monomers of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, 3-[tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl]propyl methacrylate, and a cross-linker of ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) for 15 min using a photoinitiator of Darocur TPO, diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide. As a control, PHEMA contact lens hydrogels were prepared by mixing HEMA and EGDMA with the photoinitiator. To form a contact lens shape, the precursor solution was loaded on a polypyrrole mold under ultraviolet (UV) light at a wavelength of 254 nm for 8 min. Silicone and PHEMA hydrogel contact lenses were detached from the mold and surface-treated under oxygen plasma (OptiGlow ACE, Glow Research). The prepared contact lens was completely submerged in PBS at 37C for a day before use.

ATR-FTIR (Tensor 27, Bruker) of dehydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens and lotrafilcon A was recorded over the 400 to 4000 cm1 range. The transmittance of silicone and PHEMA hydrogel contact lenses was measured using a UV-visible spectrometer (SD-1000, Scinco) after soaking in PBS for 24 hours. Both samples were placed in quartz plates, and the transmittance was measured at the wavelength range of 250 to 1000 nm. The EWC was determined by weighing the dried contact lens (Wdry) and the hydrated contact lens with soaking in PBS for 24 hours (Wwet). The value of EWC was calculated as the percentage of the weight gain during hydration and dehydration using the following equation: EWC = (Wwet Wdry)/Wdry 100 (32). The water contact angles on dried silicone and PHEMA contact lenses were measured in static mode by dropping 5 l of water every 2 min (SmartDrop, FemtoFAB).

Three WE, CE, and RE in the glucose sensor were patterned with 20-nm-thick chromium (Cr) and 80-nm-thick Pt on a 0.23-m-thick PET substrate using an electron beam evaporator. RE was additionally treated to form a 200-nm-thick silver (Ag) layer. For the long-term stability, all parts of the glucose sensor except WE, CE, and RE were passivated with Parylene C. For chlorination, the Ag layer was dipped in FeCl3 (1 M, Sigma-Aldrich) solution for 1 min. Then, PVA [2 weight % (wt %), 100,000 g mol1, Sigma-Aldrich] was dissolved in deionized water and chitosan (0.5 wt %, mid molecular weight, Sigma-Aldrich) was dissolved in acetic acid (1 M, Sigma-Aldrich) with vigorous stirring at 80C for 12 hours. BSA (10 mg ml1, Sigma-Aldrich) and GOx (50 mg ml1, Sigma-Aldrich) were dissolved in 2 wt % of PVA solution, which was mixed with the chitosan solution. The mixed solution was stored in a desiccator to remove bubbles. To uniformly fabricate a GOx layer only on the WE, all areas of the sensor except WE were passivated with PDMS. Then, glucose sensors were treated with UV in the presence of ozone for 10 min. After removing PDMS, 1.8 l of the prepared GOx mixture solution was dropped onto WE and dried in a desiccator. Last, 1.8 l of glutaraldehyde (2 wt %, Sigma-Aldrich) was dropped on the GOx layer and dried slowly at 4C.

In vitro electrical glucose measurements were conducted using a potentiostat (Ivium Tech. Co., AJ Eindhoven, The Netherlands) and a computer-controlled ADC (6030E, National Instruments). A 50-ml beaker was filled with 10 ml of PBS (1 M, pH 7.4). The glucose sensor was put into the beaker to dip the sensing area sufficiently in PBS. The glucose sensor detected the change of electrical current under a constant potential of 0.7 V versus Ag/AgCl for steady-state amperometric current responses. After stabilizing the glucose sensor, a high concentration of glucose solution (10,000 mg dl1, Wako) was added in PBS to slowly change the glucose concentration in the beaker from 5 to 50 mg dl1, and the change of current was monitored for the glucose quantification. To investigate the selectivity and specificity of the glucose sensor, the change of current was measured after adding the potentially interfering molecules such as A (0.1 M, Sigma-Aldrich), L (10 M, Sigma-Aldrich), and U (10 M, Sigma-Aldrich) in PBS. The long-term storage stability and the repeated usability of the glucose sensor were assessed at days 0, 21, 42, and 63 after fabricating the glucose sensors. The glucose sensors were stored at 20 to 25C in 5 ml of sterilized PBS (1 M, pH 7.4), similar to the conventional contact lens storage condition.

On-demand f-DDS was prepared by the LLO process. First, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) exfoliation and SiO2 buffer layers were grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Anode and cathode electrodes of the f-DDS were covered with 10-nm-thick Ti, 80-nm-thick Au, and 10-nm-thick Ti by e-beam evaporation and lithography. The reservoirs were patterned with 100-m-thick negative photoresists (SU8-5 and SU8-50) with dimensions of 500 m by 500 m. As a model drug, 25 nl of genistein (3 M, Sigma-Aldrich) or metformin (2 M) with rhodamine B (Sigma-Aldrich) dye was loaded in the reservoirs. Subsequently, drug-loaded reservoirs were sealed with a flexible PET film. The XeCl excimer laser was exposed on the back side of the glass substrate to separate the SU-8 drug reservoir on the PET film from the glass substrate. For the mechanical bending test, the entire f-DDS was bent with a bending radius in the range of 5 to 30 mm and the electrical current was measured with a probe station. The durability of the f-DDS was assessed by applying 1000 bending cycles at a fixed bending radius of 5 mm.

The drug release in response to applied voltage was investigated by connecting anode and cathode electrodes with the probe station. The constant electrical potential of 1.8 V was applied between anode and cathode electrodes for 1 min. Rhodamine dye released from the reservoir was visualized by confocal microscopy (Leica) using the corresponding imaging software (FluoView). The excitation wavelength was 543 nm and the emission wavelength was in the range of 560 to 610 nm. The concentration of released genistein and metformin in PBS was quantified with a spectrofluorometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific) at excitation/emission wavelengths of 355/460 nm and 485/538 nm, respectively.

To fit into a contact lens, a wireless power receiver composed of a copper (Cu) coil was prepared with a thickness of 0.1 mm and an outer diameter of 1.2 mm. PDMS was spin-coated on a glass substrate, attaching 0.1 mm of Cu foil (Sigma-Aldrich). After polymerization of PDMS in an oven at 70C for 1 hour, the Cu foil was patterned by photolithography. The foil was wet-etched in 5 ml of ammonium persulfate solution (12 mg ml1) for 6 hours and detached from the PDMS. Then, the Cu coil was rinsed with acetone, ethanol, and distilled water for 10 min with sonication, respectively. The power transmitting coil was fabricated using four-turned Cu wire (Sigma-Aldrich) with a thickness of 1 mm and an outer diameter of 5 cm.

The wireless power transmission system consisted of a Cu power transmitter coil, a Cu power receiver coil in a contact lens, a function generator (AFG 3101, Tektronix), a commercial power amplifier module (MAX 7060), and an ASIC chip. The power amplifier module was used to supply sufficient power to the ASIC chip. The transmitter coil transferred the power to the receiver coil by resonant inductive coupling. The receiver coil embedded in the contact lens was aligned in parallel to the transmitter coil with a distance from 0 to 4 cm to measure its efficiency. The efficiency of wireless power transmission between two coils was measured by using a network analyzer (N5230A, Agilent).

The ASIC chip is custom-built by multiwafer process fabrication. The ASIC chip was fabricated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company using a 180-nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The PMU rectified incoming alternating current (ac) energy from the coil to direct current (dc) supply voltage and generated various regulated voltages for other subunits. An RCU transmitted data through 433-MHz on-off keying modulation. A reference clock generator (CLKREF) was implemented with a relaxation oscillator for the system timing. A potentiostat with three nodes (WE, RE, and CE) was integrated into the ASIC chip by Au flip-chip bonding. The potentiostat applied a voltage bias of 1.2 V on the RE and 1.85 V on the WE using an operational amplifier with negative feedback. The change of electrical current was monitored in real time by dropping the glucose sample solution. An integrated ADC received the current input from the potentiostat and converted it to a 15-bit digital output code (33). The output codes were then externally transmitted through the ISM frequency band of 433 MHz using the RCU. The current sensing performance of ADC was measured by applying current input from a current supplier (B2961A, Agilent). To suppress the effect of large noise from the equipment, software-based filtering was applied to the measured digital codes. The RF receiver module passed the received data to the AVR, and the AVR communicated with a PC using an RS-232 protocol. The software decoded the data packets and displayed the raw data to the PC.

The PMU wirelessly received AC power and converted it into DC with a MOS-based rectifier, generating the external rectified voltage (VEXT). A bandgap reference circuit generated a reference voltage of 1.2 V, which was up-converted to 1.85 V and buffered with a regulator to provide an internal supply voltage (VINT), driving overall control logic blocks of the ASIC chip. For controlled drug delivery, anode and cathode electrodes in the f-DDS were connected to the PMU that selectively operated the f-DDS according to control commands received from the external reader.

The RCU consisted of a 433-MHz tuned inductor-capacitor (LC) transmitter and its control logics. Control logics serialized the ADC output and patched a predefined header to define the packet boundary. The carrier frequency was determined by internal capacitors with an external loop antenna (L). Data modulation was performed by controlling the impedance change of the LC transmitter that could be observed by the external reader. An ASK receiver in the reader demodulated the impedance change, recovering transmitted data from the ASIC chip. The remote telemetry was formed with the ASIC chip, a receiver module, an AVR (Atmega-128), and data processing software written in Java.

Because of the restriction to the ocular field of vision, a power receiver coil, a biosensor, and an f-DDS were fabricated on the peripheral area of a contact lens. The Cu power receiver coil was attached onto the ultrathin PET film (25 m) with f-DDS using adhesive PDMS. The ASIC chip was implemented through the standard 0.18-m CMOS process and diced into dimensions of 1.5 mm by 1.5 mm by 0.2 mm by chemical polishing and mechanical sawing. Afterward, the diced ASIC chip was attached, and WE, CE, and RE of the biosensor were deposited on the PET substrate. The power receiver coil, electrodes of the biosensor, and f-DDS were electrically connected with the ASIC chip using Au flip-chip bonding. For insulation and waterproofing, all devices on the PET substrate were coated with Parylene C and PDMS except for the sensing channel of the biosensor and the exposed electrodes of the f-DDS. Last, the integrated devices were molded into silicone hydrogels to fabricate a smart contact lens.

For in vivo glucose monitoring and diabetic retinopathy treatment, streptozotocin (STZ)induced diabetic rabbit models were prepared by single injection of STZ (65 mgkg1) (1% STZ solution, diluted with 0.1 M citrate buffer, pH 4.4) to New Zealand white rabbits (2.0 kg) via the ear vein after fasting for 12 hours. After STZ injection, the rabbits with a plasma glucose concentration higher than 140 mg dl1 were considered diabetic.

For in vivo real-time glucose monitoring, smart contact lenses were worn on each diabetic rabbits eye, and the power transmitter coil was placed outside the eyes to transfer the wireless power to the receiver coil on the smart contact lens. The voltage was applied onto the glucose sensor in a pulsed manner, and the electrical measurement of glucose concentration was performed in real time with remote data transmission. Before 15 min of wireless tear glucose sensing, 2 U of insulin was injected to decrease the blood glucose level. After 5 min, ketamine was injected into diabetic rabbits for anesthetization. PBS was dropped onto the diabetic rabbits eyes, and the smart contact lens was worn on the eye to start the wireless tear glucose monitoring.

The penetration of genistein released from smart contact lenses into eyes was investigated after positioning of the genistein-loaded smart contact lens onto rabbit eyes with wireless powering to operate the f-DDS. After 1 hour, the penetration of genistein was confirmed by fluorescence microscopic analysis in cryo-sectioned tissue of cornea, sclera, and retina using a fluorescence microscope (Fluoroskan Ascent, Thermo Fisher Scientific) at an excitation wavelength of 355 nm and an emission wavelength of 460 nm.

For the electron microscopic analysis of retinal blood vessels, the retinas were enucleated and fixed in 4 wt % glutaraldehyde and 1 wt % osmium tetroxide solution. The samples were dehydrated with ethanol and sectioned to observe the cross section of retinal blood vessels by TEM (JEM-1010, JEOL). Histological analysis was performed with H&E staining of retinas fixed in 4% (w/v) paraformaldehyde for 24 hours.

The treatment of diabetic retinopathy using the smart contact lens was performed for 5 days on the right eyes of rabbits in five groups. The electrical power was wirelessly transmitted at a frequency of about 433 MHz using a power transmission coil to operate the f-DDS. As a control, an eye drop of PBS (0.05 ml, group 1), an eye drop of genistein (0.4 mM, 0.05 ml, group 2), and intravitreal injection of genistein (0.4 mM, 0.05 ml, group 3) were performed on the left eyes of each rabbit at the same time with the smart contact lens treatment. In addition, intravitreal injection of Avastin (0.05 ml, group 4) was performed on the left eye of rabbits. The right eyes of all groups were treated with smart contact lenses containing genistein (group 5).

The rabbit eyes were placed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 45 min. After fixation, retinas were dissected and flattened by applying curve-relieving cuts. The retinas were then fixed for an additional 1 hour. The retinas were washed twice with PBS and incubated with a 0.2% solution of Triton X-100 in PBS at room temperature for 1 hour. Last, vessels were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanatelabeled lectin from Bandeiraea simplicifolia (1:100, Sigma-Aldrich).

TUNEL assay was performed following the standard protocol. The immunostaining of collagen type IV and PECAM-1 was performed according to the manufacturers protocols. The following antibodies were used: PECAM-1 antibody (sc-18916, Santa Cruz Biotechnology) and collagen type IV antibody (ab6586, Abcam). Nuclei were counterstained with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. The images of vasculature were obtained at 10 magnification. All fluorescence intensity was quantified by ImageJ program.

All experiments were performed in accordance with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research. The animal protocol was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea.

We performed one-sided statistical analyses using Students t tests or one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni posttest. P < 0.05 was considered statistically notable. The quantification of fluorescence images was performed using ImageJ program. All data points were derived from three or more biological or technical replicates, as indicated for each experiment.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.

Acknowledgments: Funding: This work was financially supported by Samsung Science & Technology Foundation (SRFC-IT1401-03) in Korea. This research was supported by the Center for Advanced Soft-Electronics (Global Frontier Project, CASE-2015M3A6A5072945) and the Basic Science Research Program (2017R1E1A1A03070458 and 2020R1A2C3014070) of the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea. This work was also supported by the World Class 300 Project (S2482887) of the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA), Korea. D.M. was supported by the National Eye Institute (K08EY028176 and P30-EY026877) and the Research to Prevent Blindness Foundation. Author contributions: S.K.H. conceived and supervised the project, designed experiments, interpreted data, and wrote the manuscript. D.H.K. and S.-K.K. performed experiments, collected samples, analyzed and interpreted data, and wrote the manuscript. J.K., C.J., B.H.M., K.J.L., E.K., and S.H.Y. contributed to preparing and designing the smart contact lens. G.-H.L., S.S., J.-Y.S., and Z.B. contributed to designing and performing the electrical experiments. J.W.M. and C.J. contributed to designing and performing the animal experiments. D.M. contributed to analyzing and interpreting the data and revising the manuscript. All authors contributed to critical reading and revision of this manuscript. Competing interests: S.H.Y., E.K., K.J.L., D.H.K., C.-K.J., and S.K.H. are inventors on a patent related to this work filed by Harvard Medical School and PHI Biomed Co. (no. US 2016/0223842A1, filed 4 August 2016). K.J.L., B.H.M., D.H.K., and S.K.H. are inventors of a patent related to this work filed by POSTECH and PHI Biomed Co. [no. US 10,399,291B2, filed 3 September 2019, registered in the United States and Korea (10-2016-0050139), and applied in Japan (2018-507476) and Europe (16783461.3)]. The authors declare that they have no other competing interests. Data and materials availability: All data needed to evaluate the conclusions in the paper are present in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials. Additional data related to this paper may be requested from the authors.

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Wireless smart contact lens for diabetic diagnosis and therapy - Science Advances

Junk food and what it has to do with COVID-19 deaths.

Thecoronavirushas killed 60,000 people living in the United States as of this past Wednesday, 29 April, and quickly. Though most of the more than1-Mknown to be infected do not become seriously ill and many do not show symptoms those who are hardest hit often suffer rapid declines.

As scientists struggle to understand the overall effect of the virus and how to best address it, there are certain established truths that we can not afford to take for granted when it comes to protecting our health going forward.

A Key truth, and I have been writing about it in this column for at least 10 yrs, is the kind, quality and quantity of our food is essential to the quality of our health.

Young people who are obese are at particular risk and that overall obesity may be one of the most important predictors of severe coronavirus illness. That is no small matter in a nation where more than 67% of adults and about 33% of children and our youth are obese.

The findings are particularly frightening for Blacks and other people of color, who account for adisproportionate amount of obesityin the United States and are tragically proving to make up adisproportionate shareof COVID-19 deaths.

As the casualties rise it is important to note that there are many complex factors fueling obesity in Black communities. But some are easily addressed, such as the daily junk food marketingaimed at them.

University of San Diego Professor Aarti Ivanic, who studies the intersection ofrace and food marketing, found that many companies target their advertising of unhealthy fast food and junk food to Black and Hispanic populations, while promoting more healthy food choices to affluent White consumers.

Her work is supported bya report released last yearby the Council on Black Health and the University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity that found restaurants, food, and beverage companies often target Black and Hispanic consumers for their least nutritious products, primarily fast-food, candy, soda/sugary drinks, and snacks.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has recognized the dangers of this targeted marketing and haswarned thatthat junk food advertising is so detrimental to the health of all young people, Black and Hispanic youth in particular that it should be sharply limited.

Jennifer Harris, senior research advisor at the Rudd Center, says these companies targeting youth in communities of color with their junk food advertising should be held responsible for putting their profits over young peoples health and even their lives.

Folks in the public health nutrition world are hopeful that this pandemic shines a spotlight on the tragic consequences of the health disparities created by inequalities in our food systems, she said.

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Healthhas issued guidancesaying it is imperative for governments to promote policy and environmental changes that make healthy foods more accessible and decrease the availability and marketing of unhealthful foods.

The people that eat that way are walking a Death Walk daily.

It should not take a pandemic to cure Americans of their complacency on this issue. After all, it is no secret that diet-related chronic disease has been on the rise in the US for decades and now impacts about 50% of all American adults, or more than 100-M people, according to the USDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS)

The Death March of this disease through our nations chronically ill population should be a wake-up call for all Americans.

Food quality, food access, food marketing and food choices are not casual concerns. They are proving to be matters of life and death

Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively

Have a healthy day, Keep the Faith!

adults, black, coronavirus, death, diabetic, food, health, HHS, Hispanic, junk, life, obese, youth

Paul A. Ebeling, polymath, excels in diverse fields of knowledge. Pattern Recognition Analyst in Equities, Commodities and Foreign Exchange and author of The Red Roadmasters Technical Report on the US Major Market Indices, a highly regarded, weekly financial market letter, he is also a philosopher, issuing insights on a wide range of subjects to a following of over 250,000 cohorts. An international audience of opinion makers, business leaders, and global organizations recognizes Ebeling as an expert.

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CDC Sites High Levels of Obesity and Diabetes in Coronavirus Victims - Live Trading News

Type 2 diabetes affects insulin in the body. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include increased thirst, increased hunger, headaches and tiredness. Everybody needs insulin to live and has an essential job to help keep the body healthy. Insulin allows the glucose in the blood to enter the cells and fuel the body. When a person has type 2 diabetes, the body still breaks down carbohydrate from the food and drink and turns it into glucose.

The pancreas responds to this by releasing insulin, however, this insulin cant work properly, and blood sugar levels keep rising and more insulin is released.

This plays havoc on the body with various warning signs that the blood sugar levels are too high.

Left untreated, high blood sugar levels could cause strokes or heart attacks.

There is another side effect to ones health caused by high blood sugars and is knowns as neuropathy.

What is it?

For people with type 2 diabetes, foot complications such as neuropathy and circulation problems can make it difficult for wounds to heal.

Serious problems could arise and other foot issues such as calluses are also common in people with type 2 diabetes.

While calluses may not seem a big problem, left untrimmed they can turn into ulcers or open sores.

People with diabetes are also at risk for Charcot joint, a condition in which a weight-bearing joint progressively degenerates, and this could lead to bone loss or deformity in the feet.

The NHS said: Peripheral neuropathy develops when nerves in the bodys extremities, such as the feet, are damaged.

The symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. In the UK its estimated almost one in 10 people aged 55 or over are affected by peripheral neuropathy.

The main symptoms of neuropathy can include a numbness and tingling in the feet or hands, burning, stabbing or shooting pain in affected areas, loss of balance and co-ordination and muscle weakness, especially in the feet.

These symptoms are usually constant but may come and go.

Continued here:
Type 2 diabetes: The major warning in your feet due to blood sugar levels being too high - Express