November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a time that calls attention to the impact this disease has on millions of Americans and to the daily health choices we make.

But while most associate diabetes with humans, many do not realize that our feline friends are also susceptible to the disease.

Dr. Audrey Cook, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences who is board certified in feline practice, shares with cat owners how this condition may present in their pet and how it can be managed.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a fairly common endocrine disease in domestic cats, Cook said. Although there are many reasons why cats become diabetic, most cats have underlying insulin resistance, much like people with type 2 diabetes. This means that an affected cat may still be able to produce some insulin, but the body does not respond to this appropriately and the insulin produced is not enough to control blood sugar concentrations.

Symptoms of feline DM include excessive urination, excessive thirst, lethargy, weight loss, and increased appetite. Cats who are obese, older than 7 years, inactive, male, and neutered are at a higher risk for developing DM. Certain breeds may also be predisposed, and some commonly used medications, such as glucocorticoids (steroids), may also increase the risk of diabetes.

If your cat shows any signs suggestive of diabetes, please talk to your veterinarian immediately, Cook said. Most cats respond well to treatment with insulin, but a delay in starting therapy can cause serious problems.

Most cats will require insulin injections twice daily, though a variety of treatment options are available. A veterinarian will likely recommend a specific diet and will address weight issues if the cat is carrying any extra pounds.

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Owner participation plays a key role in the management of feline DM. In addition to the administration of insulin, owners must monitor their cats daily activities, including water and food intake and urine production. Many owners also check blood-glucose levels at home, although this is not a requirement for successful diabetic regulation.

We have a lot of options for monitoring our feline diabetic patients, Cook said. Some of our diabetic cat owners learn to collect a tiny amount of blood and others prefer to check the blood glucose using a device that is placed on the back of the cats neck and scanned with a smartphone. We can also run tests in the hospital that let us know how well the insulin is working.

Regular veterinary visits are important for long-term disease management, as insulin doses may need to be adjusted over time. Some cats undergo remission, in which case insulin is no longer needed.

Although a diagnosis of DM can be daunting, many cats do well with treatment and live happy, comfortable lives.

Owners should find a veterinarian who is interested in this disease and who has experience in caring for cats with DM, Cook said. Treating a cat with DM takes some extra effort, but most owners are very satisfied with the outcome and say that caring for their cat made the bond between them even stronger.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.

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Don't sugarcoat it: The facts of feline diabetes - New Castle News

The Cherokee Nation has its sights on eliminating the significance of diabetes in Northeastern Oklahoma, and have been encouraging folks to get outdoors and get active this month - National Diabetes Awareness Month.

As a way to combat diabetes, Cherokee Nation Health Services has been hosting Diabetes Month Awareness Walks throughout the tribe's 14-county jurisdiction. Tonya Wapskineh, coordinator of the Cherokee Nation Diabetes Prevention Program, said exercise is a key factor in addressing the disease, as well as other measures.

"Diabetes can be prevented by getting your blood sugar tested on a yearly basis; reducing intake of sugar and refined carbs; engaging in 150 minutes of activity a week; drinking more water; losing weight if you are overweight; quit smoking; eating foods that are rich in nutrients; reduce the intake of saturated fats; watch portion sizes; move throughout the day; try to get in 10,000 steps a day; and reduce intake of processed foods and fast food," said Wapskineh.

Diabetes remains a considerable issue for people across the globe, as 414 million, or one in 11 people are impacted by the disease. Okies have been susceptible, too. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 14 percent of Oklahomans have diabetes, and an estimated 19,000 people in the state are diagnosed with it each year.

The members of CN's Diabetes Prevention Program are working on the issue, though, and the program is the first tribal one of its kind to receive national recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"To gain CDC recognition, your organization must show that it can meet CDC standards and effectively deliver a proven diabetes prevention lifestyle-change program," said Wapskineh.

"Cherokee Nation Diabetes Prevention Program first received recognition in November 2018, and recently received an extension of their full status standing until August 2021."

The disease is costly for Americans, too, as nearly $200 billion are spent per year on obesity-related health costs. The weight felt on people's wallets is not only figuratively, but literally. WalletHub released a recent study for National Diabetes Awareness Month which labels Oklahoma as the sixth "fattest state" in America.

The tribe's prevention program has been shedding that weight, though, as the program's participants have trimmed down in recent years.

"A total of 1,972 pounds have been lost between August 2016 and November 2019, and we have served 447 community members in seven locations throughout the Cherokee Nation tribal jurisdiction," said Wapskineh.

Cherokee Nation is not alone in its mission to combat the disease, as the members of the Oklahoma Legislative Diabetes Caucus announced Nov. 1 that their agenda next year will focus on creating more partnerships, improving education and training, and encouraging more activity in schools to helps Oklahoma's diabetic and pre-diabetic citizens.

State Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, said there are many "state and tribal agencies, nonprofits, medical institutions, and other resources working tirelessly to fight diabetes and protect patients."

"I'm proud of how far we've come as a state in raising awareness and educating Oklahomans about diabetes management and prevention, but our work won't be done until the disease no longer exists," Simpson said in an Oklahoma State Senate press release. "The tools and services are available, we just need to figure out how to provide those resources to more Oklahomans in the most efficient manner possible."

The Cherokee Nation's recourses are already in place, as well, and community members interested in preventing diabetes can participate in the tribe's Diabetes Prevention Program. The program is currently recruiting for classes to be held in 2020. The Healthy Native classes are available in Tahlequah, Stilwell, Sallisaw, Muskogee, Salina, Ochelata, Vinita, and Jay.

"It is a year-long program that encompasses weekly and monthly Healthy Native classes to help participants work towards a 5 percent weight loss goal, by meeting nutrition and physical activity goals," said Wapskineh.

Learn more

Those interested in participating in, or for more information about, the CN Diabetes Prevention Program, call 918-453-5000.

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Cherokee Nation leading the way in fight against diabetes - Tahlequah Daily Press

People with type 1 diabetes may be more than twice as likely to develop potentially fatal complications when they use cannabis somewhat regularly than when they avoid the drug or rarely indulge, a study suggests.

Researchers surveyed 932 adults with type 1 diabetes about alcohol, smoking and substance use. They assigned each person a cannabis use score ranging from 0 for no use at all to 33 for the highest exposure to the drug.

Most participants 871 had little or no risk from cannabis exposure, with cannabis use scores of 0 to 3. Another 61 people were considered to have moderate risk from cannabis exposure, with cannabis use scores of 4 to 26.

Compared to low-risk individuals, people with moderate risk were 2.5 times more likely to experience ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes that develops when blood sugar is elevated for too long and the body produces high levels of acids known as ketones. Left untreated, ketoacidosis can lead to severe dehydration, swelling in the brain, coma and death.

"Cannabis is a known addictive substance, and this potentially problematic aspect of cannabis use should be assessed in patients with type 1 diabetes," study leader Gregory Kinney of the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora and colleagues write.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S., and recent legislation has made cannabis legal for either medical or recreational use in more than half of states, Kinney and colleagues note in Diabetes Care.

In a separate paper published recently in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers involved in the current study reported similar findings, but only in patients from a single medical center in Colorado, where medical and recreational cannabis use is legal. The current study involved diabetes patients at 69 sites.

Moderate risk cannabis users in the current study tended to be younger, and more of them were male, compared to people who rarely if ever used the drug.

Moderate-risk individuals also had less education on average, had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a younger age, and had poorer control of their blood sugar levels than people who rarely, if ever used the drug.

One limitation of the current study is that researchers relied on participants to accurately report any cannabis use, even when they lived in states where the drug is illegal. Researchers also lacked data on how well patients managed their diabetes or followed prescribed insulin treatment regiments.

Some previous research suggests that for people with type 2 diabetes the more common form linked to obesity cannabis may make it easier to maintain lower blood sugar levels. But less is known about the impact of cannabis on people like those in this study, who had type 1 diabetes, the less common form that typically develops in childhood and is caused by a breakdown in the body's immune system.

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Cannabis Tied to Deadly Problems in Type 1 Diabetes - Newsmax

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin to function properly, or the body's cells don't react to insulin, and because of the bodys poor insulin production, blood sugar levels in the body keep rising. Over time, if left untreated, rising blood sugar levels can pose life-threatening health risks, such as heart disease and stroke, so it is important to regulate blood sugar levels.

Modifying your diet plays an essential in managing blood sugar levels as certain foods have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and slow the rate of absorption of food into the bloodstream - a mechanism that helps to control blood sugar spikes after meals.

Numerous studies suggest cinnamon, an aromatic spice that is used in a wide variety of cuisines, boasts blood-sugar-lowering properties so adding it to your meals can help to control blood sugar.

Research investigating the effects of of cinnamon on blood sugar has shown that cinnamon has been shown to decrease the amount of glucose that enters your bloodstream after a meal, reducing the risk of blood sugar spikes.

Glucose is a simple sugar that builds up in your bloodstream and is the primary cause of high blood sugar levels.

READ MORE:Type 2 diabetes: The plant extract proven to lower blood sugar leve

Cinnamon does this by interfering with numerous digestive enzymes, which slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract.

When people eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the bloodstream, so slowing down the time it takes for carbs to be absorbed in the bloodstream can help to manage blood sugar levels.

In addition, research has also shown that a compound in cinnamon can act on cells by mimicking insulin.

This greatly improves glucose uptake by your cells, though it acts much slower than insulin itself.

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Mounting evidence suggests cinnamons impact on blood sugar levels is significant, showing that it can lower fasting blood sugar levels by 1029 percent.

A study reported in the Agricultural Research Magazine found that consuming just one gram of cinnamon per day can increase insulin sensitivity and help manage or reverse type 2 diabetes.

In addition, results from a a clinical study published in the Diabetes Care journal, found that a daily intake of one, three or six grams reduce serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL or bad cholesterol and total cholesterol after 40 days among 60 middle-aged diabetics.

Triglyceride and cholesterol are types of molecules found in your blood and high levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Sticking to a low carb diet is a surefire way to control blood sugar levels as foods high in carbohydrate are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose.

One way to distinguish between foods that are high in carb and those that are low in carb is to use the the glycaemic index (GI).

As the NHS explains, the glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates which shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

High GI foods include:

Low or medium GI foods, on the other hand, are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time.

These include:

In addition, low GI foods, which cause your blood sugar levels to rise and fall slowly, may help you feel fuller for longer, helping you to control your appetite and may be useful if you're trying to lose weight - a key measure in blood sugar management.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

The NHS recommends visiting your GP if you have any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes and you're worried you may have a higher risk of getting it.

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Type 2 diabetes: Eating this winter spice could lower blood sugar - Express

Published: December, 2019

While eating more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of heart attack, that doesn't seem to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, according to a study published Aug. 24 in The BMJ. Prompted by past findings that this type of healthy fat might reduce diabetes risk and improve blood sugar (glucose) control, researchers decided to look further into the issue. They reviewed 83 randomized trials involving more than 120,000 people, both with and without diabetes. Each trial went on for six months or longer. These trials looked at whether increasing consumption of omega-3 fats (derived from fish or plants), omega-6 fats (such as those in soybean or corn oil), or total polyunsaturated fats could help lower blood glucose or reduce the risk of developing diabetes. They found that increasing the amount of omega-3, omega-6, or total polyunsaturated fats in the diet over an average study period of nearly three years didn't seem to have any effect on glucose metabolism or diabetes risk. It didn't matter whether the additional healthy fats came from supplements, enriched foods, or foods that were naturally rich in these fats.

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Disclaimer:As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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Omega-3 fats don't reduce the risk of diabetes or improve blood sugar control - Harvard Health

By Tania RabesandratanaNov. 20, 2019 , 12:25 PM

For many people, the most apparent effect of the European privacy law called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been a flourishing of website pop-ups, demanding your consent to store browsing behavior as cookies. An annoyance, perhaps, but hardly more than an inconvenience. For Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), however, the regulation has turned out to be a serious impediment to research.

Since 1993, Collins has been principal investigator for a project studying type 2 diabetes in Finnish people, who have relatively homogenous genetics and detailed health records. Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare has sent 32,000 DNA samples to Collins's laboratory. He and his U.S. collaborators used the data to discover more than 200 places in the genome where variants increase the risk of illness. But in May 2018, when GDPR came into force, the Finnish institute stopped all data sharing on the project, because NIH could not provide guarantees that would satisfy the institute's interpretations of the law's requirements. Progress has since "slowed to a crawl," Collins says.

This week in Brussels, representatives from NIH, academia, industry, patient advocacy groups, the European Commission, and data protection authorities met to share their GDPR frustrations. They hope to highlight the obstacles it creates for some international collaborations and explore possible responses. "I hope this is only a temporary slowdown, and that the meeting in Brussels opens the way to a solution," Collins says.

The European Union's GDPR rules, which apply to the 28 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, include common sense principles, such as minimizing personal data used in research and using appropriate safeguards. Because "there's now teeth and liability attached," with steep penalties for rule breakers, the regulation has "scared everyone," says Cathal Ryan, assistant commissioner at Ireland's Data Protection Commission in Dublin, leading to scrutiny of projects that rely on personal data.

The European Union recognizes some countriesArgentina, Japan, New Zealand, and Switzerland, among othersas providing adequate data protection, which frees EU scientists to share data with researchers in those nations. But not in Canada and the United States. One way for research institutions there to collaborate with EU researchers is to sign contracts that guarantee data safeguards. However, standard contracts include requirements that institutions agree to European audits of their data systems or submit to the jurisdiction of its courtswhich NIH, as a U.S. government agency, cannot accept. "That was a nonstarter," Collins says.

Some researchers are finding work-arounds, but they are less than ideal. Neuroscientist Sudha Seshadri of the University of TexasHealth Science Center in San Antonio is one of the co-founders of the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project, which has gathered DNA sequences from more than 90,000 people in Europe and the United States to find genetic variants associated with Alzheimer's disease. She says partners in some EU nations have restricted data sharing, so the consortium now runs separate analyses on each side of the Atlantic Ocean. But this limits analysis, particularly when searching for rare variants that require big data sets, Seshadri says.

Although GDPR lays out overarching principles, it leaves member states to spell out details of research exemptions in national laws. "There's a common joke among ourselves: If you ask 20 lawyers, they'll give you 20 different opinions" on how to comply with it, says Salvador Capella Gutierrez, who leads the Spanish National Bioinformatics Coordination Node at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. For example, reusing data for secondary research is typically allowed in Spain without additional patient consent when this reuse is deemed in the "public interest." But in countries such as Italy, researchers often have to ask for consent again.

Another way to avoid the regulation and its uncertainties is to anonymize personal research data. But Mads Melbye, CEO of the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, says countries also have different interpretations of what constitutes appropriate anonymization. Even if subjects are not identified, their biological samples contain what some officials consider personally identifiable information, he says. After GDPR was enacted, his institute, which houses the Danish National Biobank, froze data streams to important partners, including NIH and the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. "We're talking about high-value data collections that have been costly to establish," he says. "It's a disaster for international collaboration if we can't find a solution."

NIH and its Finnish counterpart are close to resuming data transfers, under a deal defining them as "necessary for important reasons of public interest," Collins says. "We're trying to come up with a template that would be consistent with GDPR, but would resolve ambiguities that lead legal experts to take a conservative view for fear of financial penalties," he explains.

Seshadri is confident that clarity and best practices will emerge over time. "I'm hopeful that over the next few years we will find ways to do this efficiently," she says. In the meantime, researchers aren't alone in being frustrated, she says. "As a patient, you want solutions yesterday."

*Correction, 21 November, 2:20 p.m.: This story has been updated to correctSudha Seshadri's affiliation.

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European data law is impeding studies on diabetes and Alzheimer's, researchers warn - Science Magazine