Category Archives: Diabetes

CREDIT: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

A top White House official tried to defend the American Health Care Act (AHCA) the GOPs response to Obamacareearlier this week by implying that health care systems shouldnt help someone who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes.

According to the Washington Examiner, Mick Mulvaney of the Office of Management and Budget delivered the line on Thursday while speaking to the LIGHT Forum at Stanford University. Mulvaney was asked whether he agreed with the Jimmy Kimmel testor the idea famously forwarded by the late-night show host that No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their childs life. Kimmel made the quip while delivering an impassioned account of his newborn sons struggle to survive a congenital heart disease.

Mulvaney said he agreed with the idea in principle, but with one a very specific caveat: taxpayers shouldnt help people who fall ill because of, ostensibly, their own actions.

That doesnt mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes, Mulvaney said. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmels kid? I dont think that it is.

Mulvaney was attempting to defend the AHCA, which was narrowly approved by House of Representatives this month without a single Democratic vote. In its current form, the bill would essentially allow insurance companies to price people with pre-existing conditions out of the health insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, so-called Trumpcare includes a $880 billion cut to Medicaid, which stands to result in roughly 24 million Americans losing their health insurance because of premium increases.

Mulvaneys statement was widely panned by progressives as compassionless, but diabetes advocates also noted that it is also inaccurate: The American Diabetes Association was quick to condemn Mulvaneys remarks, saying they are extremely disappointed and describing his statement as misinformed.

Mr. Mulvaneys comments perpetuate the stigma that one chooses to have diabetes based on his/her lifestyle, the statement read. We are also deeply troubled by his assertion that access to health care should be rationed or denied to anyone. All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause. People with diabetes need access to affordable health care in order to effectively manage their disease and prevent dangerous and costly complications. Nobody should be denied coverage or charged more based on their health status.

Indeed, poor diet and lack of exercise does not appear to have been the cause of diabetes for professional athletes who suffer from the disease, such U.S. soccer star Jordan Morris.

Whats more, Huffington Post health care reporter Jonathan Cohn pointed out that health care systems that attempt to segregate patients by medical condition (or, presumably, how they acquired their condition) often hurt all people with illnesses, because the practice almost inevitably leads to shabby care for the sick, regardless of how they got that way.

Roughly two-thirds of the states operated [condition-segregated health care systems] before the Affordable Care Act took effect, and they inevitably offered coverage that was less affordable, less available or less comprehensive than standard policies, he said.

The idea that the needy somehow contributed to their own plightand that more privileged Americans shouldnt be required to care for themis an old conservative argument traditionally applied to economics. In 2013, Republican and then-congressman Stephen Fincher attempted to justify cutting food stamps by misquoting a Biblical verse, declaring Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) repeated the exact same verse earlier this year to justify increasing the work requirements for unemployed adults on the food stamp program.

Now the same idea is reemergingoften with religious undertonesas a way to cut ostensibly underserving sick people out of health care systems. In March, Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS) argued against Medicaid expansion by arguing that society will always have sick people.

Just like Jesus said, The poor will always be with us, Marshall told Stat News in March, citing scripture in a way that arguably belies its original intent. There is a group of people that just dont want health care and arent going to take care of themselves.

Just, like, homeless people. I think just morally, spiritually, socially, [some people] just dont want health care, he added. The Medicaid population, which is [on] a free credit card, as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising. And Im not judging, Im just saying socially thats where they are. So theres a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought [into] the ER.

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Top Trump official says we shouldn't take care of someone who 'eats poorly and gets diabetes' - ThinkProgress

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) - More than a thousand people walked a course around New Bo Market Saturday in an effort to end type 1 diabetes.

The Eastern Iowa chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation held its 19th annual One Walk in front of the New Bo Market Saturday morning. The weather helped boost the turnout for some food, music and festivities that accompanied the walk. Sponsors provided some free snacks and games for kids as teams met in a tailgate format ahead of the walk.

Teams competed to raise money to talk part in the walk. All the money raised goes to JDRF to fund research into treatment and finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can hit children or adults at any age and, unlike type 2 diabetes, is not preventable. It causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin, a hormone that helps breakdown food into energy. People with type one must constantly monitor blood sugar levels and manage it with insulin injections and diet restrictions. More tha 1.25 million Americans are living with type 1 diabetes, 200,000 of them less than 20 years old. 40,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

Warning signs of T1D may occur suddenly and can include:

Extreme thirst Frequent urination Drowsiness or lethargy Increased appetite Sudden weight loss Sudden vision changes Sugar in the urine Fruity odor on the breath Heavy or labored breathing Stupor or unconsciousness

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Hundreds walk against diabetes - KCRG

Science Daily

Novel tissue-engineered islet transplant achieves insulin independence in type 1 diabetes Science Daily Scientists from the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have produced the first clinical results demonstrating that pancreatic islet cells transplanted within a tissue-engineered platform can ...

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Novel tissue-engineered islet transplant achieves insulin independence in type 1 diabetes - Science Daily

After being diagnosed with diabetes, every meal became a complicated math lesson.

Barbara Goldsmith had to become vigilant about everything she put in her body. The Edinburgh resident meticulously counted carbohydrates, too many of which can spike her blood sugar level and wreak havoc on her body.

She calculated how much she has eaten, and immediately following a meal, factored in housework, gardening or some other activity so that her sugars dont rise to unsafe levels.

On top of the four different medications she takes, diabetes has shifted everything in Goldsmiths life. But changing her lifestyle has been her only option.

Lauren Witt unpacks the blood sugar monitor that she keeps with her at all times. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

The blood sugar monitor and testing strips that Lauren Witt keeps with her at all times. Witt, 29, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

The different types of insulin that Lauren Witt keeps with her at all times in case of a diabetic emergency. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt, 29, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Watch what you eat and how much you eat. If you have medication, take it. Watch your sugar, and try to stay active. Those are the main things, she said. I dont know what would happen to me if I dont do that.

More and more Johnson County residents such as Goldsmith are living with diabetes or are on their way to developing it in the future. The disease has become worryingly more prevalent throughout Indiana, growing by more than 50 percent from 2000 to 2009.

Battling the growing epidemic has required a multi-faceted approach. Health officials have focused on educating patients about ways to avoid the disease, stressing diet and exercise, and teaching how the sugars we consume impact the body.

The hope is to stem the increase of new cases, while helping people already diagnosed live healthier and minimize the impact.

Diabetes is a global epidemic. Its out of control, said Dr. Gaston Dana of Johnson Memorial Internal Medicine Specialists. Once you develop it, you have it for life. By realizing that you can make changes in lifestyle that can significantly impact that, you can possibly stop that.

Diabetes is broad term for diseases characterized by high levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. The disease is caused by defects in insulin production, how insulin acts in the body, or a combination of both. Insulin is a hormone necessary for the regulation of blood glucose levels.

When insulin production and action in the body works improperly, complications such as heart disease, stroke, amputation and blindness can occur. At its worst, the disease can cause death.

The disease can come in varying forms. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks beta cells in the pancreas, the only cells in the body that make insulin to regulate glucose.

Type 2 is the more common form, accounting for between 90 and 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The bodys cells start resisting insulin and not using it properly, which eventually causes the pancreas to lose the ability to make it.

Diabetes levels in Indiana, particularly Type 2, have risen sharply since 2000, climbing from 6 percent of the population to 12.9 percent. In Johnson County, 11 percent of people have the disease. Treating diabetes costs Indiana $6.6 billion in medical costs each year, according to the American Diabetes Association.

I would say its over 50 percent of our patient population that is dealing with diabetes, Dana said.

Many of those people are referred to the Diabetes Care Center at Johnson Memorial Health, where specialists help patients adapt to what is a consuming and jarring diagnosis.

No one wants to have this diagnosis. Probably 50 percent of the people who sit in front of me are angry and in denial, said Carla Duncan, a registered nurse at the Diabetes Care Center. Theyre not hearing a word that I say, so you have to find a way to connect to them.

The staff works to ensure their patients understands what their disease is and what theyll be going through. They explain the genetic factors of the disease, how things such as being overweight, skipping meals or smoking can turn the hereditary aspects of diabetes on. Medication and how it can impact the disease is also covered.

The key is to help people understand how the disease is managed now, Duncan said.

A lot of the people who come here have preconceived ideas and old beliefs about diabetes. My grandma did this, it worked for her 50 years ago, why are you telling me something different now,' she said. So just making people realize that what we knew 50 years ago is different than what we know now about diabetes.

Lauren Witt was 24 when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She noticed that she was losing a lot of weight, despite still eating the same amount she always had. Her vision would get blurry, and on one occurrence, she passed out.

A blood test confirmed that her glucose levels were incredibly high. Once doctors determined that she had Type 1 diabetes, she was referred to Duncan to help manage the disease. She helped Witt learn to take insulin, count carbohydrates and learn more about nutrition.

(Duncan) has been so helpful. I call her my diabetes mom. She always takes care of me, and I can count on her to help with whatever questions I have, she said.

In the five years since diagnosis, Witt has adapted every part of her life around the disease.

It affects everything I do. When I wake up, I need to make sure sugar is decent, that I didnt get too low during the night. When I exercise, I have to have something to eat with me because my blood sugar can drop quickly. And everything I eat I have to count, she said. A lot of people dont know a lot about food, so to learn actual nutrition helped me comprehend everything better.

Lifestyle is a huge focus for patients with diabetes, Duncan said. Many of the people they see dont exercise, eat poorly or smoke, contributing to and exasperating the situation. Misconceptions about the disease also have to be overcome.

People have to adjust the food they consume, when and how much they eat, factor in exercise and adapt to the medications.

Changing your lifestyle is probably the hardest thing in the world. We want everybody else in the world to change, but not us. When were told to change, it gets very uncomfortable, Duncan said. The key to being successful at this is helping the patient get to that point in their life, when they say theyre ready to change.

Goldsmith was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes around 2005 but refused to change much about her life. She had always eaten whatever she wanted and didnt do much exercising.

Though she was told to watch her concentrated sugars, she didnt pay attention. She kept gaining weight, reaching 171 pounds at the most.

I knew I was diabetic, but I just didnt do anything about it. I didnt watch myself. Thats what got me out of control, she said.

But during a checkup with her doctor, a blood test revealed that Goldsmiths glucose levels were almost twice the normal levels.

(My doctor) was very upset with me. She put me on medication, and sent me to Carla, she said. Without their help I wouldnt be where I am today.

Duncan schooled Goldsmith on portion control, how to count her carbohydrates so that too much wouldnt spike her glucose levels.

Living a more active lifestyle was also very important. Goldsmith hurt her back, which prevents her from walking long distances or running. But after she eats, she makes sure to do housework, finish the dishes, take care of laundry anything to keep moving.

The more I move around after I eat, the better my blood sugar numbers will be. If you eat a meal and sit down, let it absorb, it will screw up your numbers, she said.

Following Duncans advice, Goldsmith lost 40 pounds and dropped to 133. Her blood sugar levels have stabilized and she feels better than she has for years.

In addition to her diet and exercise, she takes one pill after breakfast, and three others after dinner to help her body regulate her blood sugar. Three times a day, she has to test her blood to monitor her sugar levels.

Medical professionals measure blood sugar to determine if a patient has diabetes. A normal blood glucose level is below 5.7 percent, while diabetes is diagnosed if that level is 6.5 percent of above.

Patients need to know how different factors affect their blood sugar, how to test it and what those numbers mean.

Even most people who have had diabetes for many years cant tell me what their blood sugar should be, Duncan said.

Duncan and her staff also work with people who come to the center with prediabetes their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet reaching the level to be considered diabetes. The condition can often be reversed with lifestyle changes, such as improving your diet and getting more exercise.

They have to know how to do that, though, Duncan said.

Weight loss, exercise, diet. Most people with prediabetes need to lose a little bit of weight, probably arent as active as they need to be, she said. Our goal is more about lifestyle. By changing lifestyle, we can change that diagnosis back to normal to prevent the diagnosis of diabetes until later in life.

If you go

Diabetes education series

What: A series of workshops and informational meetings presented by the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center teaching people about diabetes, blood sugar and other aspects of nutrition and the disease.

Where: Johnson County Public Library, Franklin Branch, 401 State St.

Next session: 1 to 3 p.m. June 22, focusing on sugars and carbohydrates, reading a food label and balancing your plate.

Additional workshop: 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 28

Cost: Free. No registration necessary.

Information: (317) 346-3846 or JohnsonMemorial.org/Diabetes

Link:
Diabetes cases on the rise - Daily Journal - Daily Journal

Recent studies are showing more frequent occurrences of diabetes in the U.S. and Kentucky, but the numbers could be even higher than they appear.

Cases of diabetes diagnoses have gone from about 6.5 percent in 2000 to 13.4 percent in 2015 in the state, according to the Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance survey. And about one in three people or 37 percent of Kentuckians have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Scott Countians are faring better than people in eastern Kentucky, which has a higher rate of diabetes, most likely because theres less access to medical treatment in rural areas, said Cindy Caywood, a dietician and director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Center at Georgetown Community Hospital.

Prevalence of diabetes in children has also risen across the U.S., with an estimated 3,000 children in Kentucky having it.

Thats not including people who are walking around that are diabetic, but they dont know, Caywood said. The data has shown that its increased, but the prevalence of folks who have diabetes is much higher than theyre even able to capture in the data.

Most people, if they have blood sugar issues and they dont know it, theyre running high.

Symptoms of high blood sugar include constant thirst, blurry vision, frequently having to use the bathroom and fatigue, according to the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program from 2014.

I have some people who will say, My vision was acting up, and they have no idea that that can be a direct relation to their blood sugars, Caywood said.

People not knowing they have the disease can be dangerous, Caywood said.

Usually if someone has diabetes they have other comorbidities, she said.

Circulation and heart problems are some of the conditions that often accompany diabetes. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or stroke while two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke, according to the National Diabetes Education Program. Close to 40 percent of people who visit the hospital for cardiovascular issues are diagnosed with diabetes as a secondary condition, Caywood said.

And diabetes-related hospitalization and treatment are costing Kentuckians a lot of money. Charges for inpatient hospitalizations in Kentucky related to diabetes complications in 2015 amounted to $269,148,739, according to the 2017 Kentucky Diabetes Report.

I think theres a lot of folks who cant afford their diabetes, their testing strips, their medicine, Caywood said.

The obvious cause for diabetes is weight gain, although genetics do play a role as well, Caywood said. The number of obese adults in the U.S. have increased drastically to 68 percent today from only 10 percent in 1900, Caywood said.

Although diabetes cant necessarily be cured, there are ways to treat it effectively and keep its symptoms in check.

The good news is that it responds to lifestyle changes, Caywood said.

Eating healthier and exercising regularly can help type two diabetes sufferers lose weight and could possibly reduce their need to take insulin. The key to eating healthier is mostly eating vegetables, fruits and lean proteins as well as staying away from simple carbs sugary foods such as desserts and regular sodas.

For those who find it difficult to lose weight on their own, bariatric surgery is now considered a viable treatment option for diabetics, Caywood said. In fact, patients who have bariatric surgery often see lowered blood sugar levels before leaving the hospital.

It gives them a tool to not just lose the weight but to keep the weight off, she said. If you gain it back, the issues reappear.

Caywood also believes prevention is the best way to fight diabetes.

I think we need more education on healthy eating habits and signs of prediabetes, Caywood said.

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Diabetes diagnoses rising in Kentucky, bigger problem than data shows - News- Graphic (subscription)

Despite declining rates of diagnosis, the number of diabetes cases in America is still high.

In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 29 million citizens are living with diabetes and 86 million are living with pre-diabetes, which increases the risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2013 (and may be underreported), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website. It is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations and adult-onset blindness.

Twin Towns Area residents can learn if theyre at risk for diabetes by taking the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions screening test. The test, available at https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/pdf/prediabetestest.pdf, consists of seven yes or no questions with point values ranging from 1-9, as well as a chart to compare when your weight is potentially too high for your height.

Residents with high scores are invited to join Weight 2 Change, a free, weekly one-hour class held by Essentia Health and the NDSU Extension office, Richland County. Starting Thursday, June 15, Weight 2 Change classes will be held at 1 p.m. at ComDel Innovation/Heartland Precision building 10, 2200 15th St. N. in Wahpeton.

This free 16-week series is a community-based wellness program that offers education and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle. (It meets) once a week with a lifestyle coach to learn about maintaining a healthy weight, choosing and preparing healthy meals and ways to increase activity levels, states materials for the class.

Requirements for taking Weight 2 Change classes are:

One of the following: a history of gestational diabetes, a doctors diagnosis of pre-diabetes within the last year or a score of nine or more on the screening test

Your healthcare provider can refer you to the program, but a referral is not required, said Deb Evenson, an administrative assistant with NDSU Extension.

Following the 16 weekly sessions, an additional eight sessions will be held each month.

According to the NDSU Extension, Weight 2 Change was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has a proven track record of preventing diabetes in people who are at risk.

Results showed participants who made lifestyle changes reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent, stated information Evenson shared. Participants age 60 or older reduced their risk by 71 percent.

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'Weight 2 Change' class offers support on lowering diabetes - Wahpeton Daily News

Diabetes is an epidemic in the United States, with about 29 million people who have it, another 8 million who are undiagnosed and 86 million who are considered pre-diabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, is a disease in which the bodys cells dont use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to get glucose into the cells, but over time, the pancreas cant make enough to keep blood glucose levels normal and the result is type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes increases a persons risk for several health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Its also responsible for as many as 12 percent of deaths in the U.S., three times higher than previous estimates, a January 2017 study in the journal PLOS ONE found.

7 HEALTHY MIDNIGHT SNACKS TO HELP YOU GET BACK TO SLEEP

Although genetics can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, both diet and exercise also play a big role.

In fact, people with pre-diabetes who lost just 5 to 7 percent of their body weight reduced their risk by 54 percent, a study out of John Hopkins in July 2013 found.

Here, experts weigh in with 10 foods that balance your blood sugar and can prevent diabetes:

1. Apples You might think fruit is off the menu because of its sugar content, but fruit is filled with vitamins and nutrients that can help ward off diabetes.

Apples are one of the best fruits you can eat because theyre rich in quercetin, a plant pigment. Quercetin helps the body secrete insulin more efficiently and wards off insulin resistance, which occurs when the body has to make more and more insulin to help glucose enter the cells. Insulin resistance is the hallmark characteristic of type 2 diabetes.

Its filled with antioxidants, and also theres fiber in the fruit that naturally slows the digestion of the sugars, Karen Ansel, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Syosset, New York, and author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging, told Fox News.

But be sure to eat apples with the skin because this park of the fruit has six times more quercetin than its flesh.

6 COMMON FOODS WITH HIDDEN SUGAR

2. Yogurt Eating a serving of yogurt every day can cut your risk for type 2 diabetes by 18 percent, a November 2014 study out of the Harvard School of Public Health found.

Although its not clear whether thats because yogurt has probiotics, one thing is for sure: The snack, especially the Greek variety, is high in protein, which makes you feel satiated and prevents large blood sugar spikes, Marina Chaparro, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), and a certified diabetes educator in Miami, Florida, told Fox News.

Although yogurt contains natural sugars, be sure to read labels to avoid excess sugar, and select varieties that have 12 to 15 grams of carbohydrates.

3. Asparagus Low in calories and high in fiber, asparagus and other types of green leafy vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which reduce inflammation and can balance blood sugar levels.

In fact, people who ate one and half extra servings of green leafy vegetables a day cut their risk for type 2 diabetes by 14 percent, an August 2010 meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal found.

FOODS THAT CAN HELP IMPROVE YOUR EYESIGHT

4. Beans and legumes Studies suggest that people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than their meat-eating counterparts.

Chickpeas, lentils and beans are all low in calories and saturated fat, have a low glycemic index and a ton of fiber, which takes a long time to digest, so blood sugar doesnt rise as quickly, Chaparro said.

In fact, eating a cup of beans a day has been shown to reduce blood sugar, an October 2010 study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine found.

5. Chia seeds Because type 2 diabetes can lead to heart disease and stroke, its also a good idea to eat foods like chia seeds. Two tablespoons of chia seeds provides 4 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber, as well as heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Chia seeds are also versatile: Add them to oatmeal or muffins, blend them into a smoothie, or make a chia pudding.

6. Berries Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are all low in calories and carbohydrates, and have a low glycemic index to keep your blood sugar steady. Although they all contain fiber, raspberries and blackberries in particular take the lead to fill you up.

5 SURPRISING FOODS TO HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER

7. Coffee When it comes to preventing type 2 diabetes, coffee remains controversial, but some studies suggest a coffee habit can be a good thing for preventing diabetes.

In fact, people who drank more than one and a half cups a day for 10 years were 54 percent less likely to develop diabetes than non-coffee drinkers, a July 2015 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found.

However, if youre going to drink coffee, enjoy it black or with a small amount of milk, but skip the sugar. Those fancy sugar-laden drinks at Starbucks will definitely spike your blood sugar and negate any benefit, Chaparro said.

8. Pumpkin seeds Pumpkin seeds are rich in plant chemicals known as lignans, as well as magnesium, both of which help the body use insulin more efficiently. They also contain globulins, or proteins that help lower blood sugar.

Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of protein, which is slowly digested so it keeps blood sugar stable, and fiber, which curbs hunger, can prevent overeating and help you lose weight.

Enjoy them as a snack, or add them to a salad or baked goods.

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9. Brown rice People who ate three to five servings of whole grains per day were 26 percent less likely to develop type2 diabetes in a July 2012 study published in the Journal of Nutrition. One of the best types of whole grains is brown rice, which is rich in magnesium and fiber, and has a low glycemic index.

If you havent been able to make the switch, try medium-grain brown rice, which has a more tolerable texture than the whole-grain variety. Or mix brown and white rice together until youre able to nix the white rice altogether.

10. Vinegar Vinegar has acetic acid, a compound that can lower blood sugar and insulin levels after you eat carbohydrates.

Its suspected to reduce the activity of enzymes in your gut that break down sugars, Ansel said. So those sugars are being broken down much more slowly [and] released into your blood stream at a much more gradual pace.

Julie Revelant is a health journalist and a consultant who provides content marketing and copywriting services for the healthcare industry. She's also a mom of two. Learn more about Julie at revelantwriting.com.

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10 foods that can help prevent diabetes - Fox News

We are saddened by Mr. Mulvaney's comments, and we look forward to working closely with the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services to dispel the erroneous stigma around diabetes and the millions of Americans living with this disease.

About the American Diabetes AssociationMore than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and every 23 seconds, another person is diagnosed with diabetes. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association (Association) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization whose mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The Association drives discovery by funding research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and works to safeguard policies and programs that protect people with diabetes. In addition, the Association supports people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes, and the health care professionals who serve them through information and programs that can improve health outcomes and quality of life. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-diabetes-association-extremely-disappointed-and-saddened-by-comments-about-people-with-diabetes-from-white-house-office-of-management-and-budget-director-mick-mulvaney-300456896.html

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

http://www.diabetes.org

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American Diabetes Association Extremely Disappointed and Saddened by Comments About People with Diabetes ... - PR Newswire (press release)

By Serena Gordon

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists report a step forward in the plan to create a truly artificial pancreas, offering new hope to people with type 1 diabetes.

A 43-year-old single mother with dangerously difficult-to-control diabetes had insulin-producing islet cells transplanted into her omentum -- a fatty membrane in the belly.

The cells began producing insulin faster than expected, and after one year she is doing well and doesn't need insulin injections, the University of Miami researchers said.

"We're exploring a way to optimize islet cell therapy to a larger population. This study gives us hope for a different transplant approach," said the study's lead author, Dr. David Baidal. He's an assistant professor in the university's Diabetes Research Institute.

Others voiced optimism as well. "This study was a good start at evaluating a novel site for transplant," said Julia Greenstein, vice president of discovery research for JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. That means the body's immune system mistakenly damages healthy cells -- in this case, the islet cells found in the pancreas. This leaves people with type 1 diabetes without enough insulin to convert sugars from foods into energy for the body.

As a result, they must take multiple daily insulin injections, or use a pump that delivers insulin via a tube inserted under the skin that must be changed every few days.

Currently, islet cells from deceased donors are transplanted into the liver, but that's not an ideal option.

This new research was a proof-of-concept study expected to be the first step on a path toward developing a mini-organ called the BioHub.

In its final stages, the BioHub would mimic a pancreas and act as a home for transplanted islet cells, providing them with oxygen until they could establish their own blood supply.

The hope is that the BioHub also would attempt to tackle the autoimmune attack that causes type 1 diabetes.

But, the first step in developing the BioHub was to find a suitable location in the body. When the liver is used for islet cell transplants, only a limited amount of islet cells can be transplanted. There's also a risk of bleeding when the transplant is done and the possibility of other complications, the researchers said.

"For most people, the liver isn't a problem. It's a great source of blood. It's a good place for insulin to be made. But, there are rare complications that can occur and we want to be able to explant [take the cells out] in case something does happen," said Greenstein, adding that you can't take the cells out of the liver.

Also, with islet cell transplants in the liver, the underlying autoimmune condition is still there. And, if people didn't take immune-suppressing medication, the new islet cells would likely be destroyed.

Because of these and other issues, islet cell transplantation is generally reserved for people whose diabetes is very difficult to control or who no longer have an awareness of potentially dangerous low blood-sugar levels (hypoglycemia unawareness).

The woman in the current study had a 25-year history of type 1 diabetes. She also had severe hypoglycemia unawareness.

"Her quality of life was severely impacted. She had to move in with her parents. And, if she traveled, she had to travel with her father" in case her blood sugar levels dropped dangerously low, Baidal explained.

The surgery was minimally invasive, and the islet cells were placed on a "scaffold" that eventually dissolved. There were no complications, the researchers said.

"We were happily surprised when her glucose [blood sugar] profile improved quite dramatically," Baidal said.

Normally, after a transplant, doctors wait a while before stopping insulin to give the new islet cells a chance to rest. But the new islet cells worked so well that the injected insulin was causing low blood sugar levels.

"We were able to discontinue insulin sooner than we thought we would. And, the glucose control was very stable," Baidal said.

Baidal said the study results need to be replicated in other patients, and the researchers want to see what happens post-treatment over a longer time. The researchers plan to test the omentum as a site in five more patients.

Greenstein said a big clinical trial isn't necessary because "either the transplant works or it doesn't work," so only a small number of people is needed.

The study's findings were published online May 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCES: David Baidal, M.D., assistant professor, division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, and clinical cell transplant program, Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Julia Greenstein, Ph.D., vice president, discovery research, JDRF; May 10, 2017, New England Journal of Medicine

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Cell Transplant Offers Hope For Type 1 Diabetes - WebMD

In the highly competitive space of diabetes, players will look for any edge they can get. One way companies can set themselves apart is by targeting a new mechanism of action - and this is the approach that the French group Poxel (OTC:PXXLF) has taken with imeglimin, a mitochondrial bioenergetics enhancer.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked with diabetes for some time, but Poxel is alone in this niche, its chief executive Thomas Kuhn believes. "We don't think there are any other products in the clinic targeting mitochondria for the treatment of type 2 diabetes," he tells EP Vantage.

This could make Poxel attractive to the bigger fish in the diabetes sector, which have been contending with US pricing pressure and slowing sales growth. And positive data from a Japanese phase IIb study of imeglimin reported last week cannot have hurt its cause ("Novo needs new blood despite earnings relief," May 4, 2017).

More energy

By targeting mitochondria, Poxel hopes to address an underlying issue in type 2 diabetes. Patients have dysfunctional mitochondria because "they usually eat too much, until they have an excess of nutrients coming into the mitochondria. On the other hand, they don't exercise as much as they should," Mr. Kuhn says.

Overall, this leads to an excess of nutrients and a low demand on energy, which creates oxidative stress that impairs mitochondrial function, according to the chief executive.

"Imeglimin restores normal functioning by increasing the capacity of the different proteins of the mitochondria to transform nutrients into energy - even in the diabetic pathological process."

Mr. Kuhn is adamant that Poxel will press on alone in Japan, where it should only need a relatively small phase III program - three trials of roughly 1,000 patients each, he estimates - to get approval. "The path to market is reasonable compared with other countries," he says. "This is something we have the experience for - we have a team in Japan that's looking after the clinical and regulatory processes."

The company plans to start phase III in the fourth quarter and hopes to submit imeglimin for Japan approval by the end of 2018. It will need more cash for this - Poxel only had 38.8 million ($42.2 million) in the bank as of the end of March 2017.

This lack of funds helps explain why development in the US and Europe has stalled in spite of promising data from a phase IIb dose-ranging trial in December 2014, which supported taking a 1,500mg dose of imeglimin monotherapy into phase III.

Mr. Kuhn admits that Poxel will need a partner to support a pivotal program here, which he believes will need to total seven trials in around 7,000 patients overall. He says the company is already in talks with potential collaborators, in parallel with discussions with the FDA and EMA about study design.

With the onerous requirement of huge trials to tease out cardiovascular risk in Europe or the US, it will take a bold partner to jump in on such a novel diabetes approach.

AMP it up

Meanwhile, Poxel has an earlier-stage diabetes asset with another novel mechanism, the direct AMP kinase activator PXL770.

According to EvaluatePharma, no AMPK activators are approved in diabetes, though Betagenon's O304 is already in phase II, putting it ahead of PXL770. There are also various projects in preclinical development.

Like imeglimin, PXL770 is designed to regulate energy - the AMPK enzyme's role is to maintain cellular energy homeostasis. "Put simply, our product will mimic the benefit of doing sport - that's the concept," says Mr. Kuhn.

However, Poxel has had a hiccup in development. It had to go back to the preclinical stage after a phase I trial found differences in the way the product was metabolised in humans versus animals. The chief executive insists that no safety worries were uncovered in the clinic, and the company hopes to start the second phase of the phase I trial in the second half of this year.

PXL770 acts directly on the liver, Mr. Kuhn says, so could also have utility in diseases such as Nash. The Nash space has garnered a lot of attention - and investment - potentially providing another avenue for Poxel to attract a partner.

But with limited resources, Poxel will not want to stretch itself too thinly. For now, the focus has to be on progressing imeglimin in diabetes.

Original post:
Poxel Takes High-Energy Approach To Diabetes - Seeking Alpha