By Reuters By Reuters June 17

Properly treating a common sleep-related breathing disorder may have benefits for the heart and for blood sugar, a new study suggests.

If people with obstructive sleep apnea dont use machines at night to help keep the airway open, measures of their heart health and blood sugar worsen, researchers found.

One of the long-standing debates in our field is whether sleep apnea causes heart issues and problems with blood sugar or if theyre just associated, said the studys senior author, Jonathan Jun of Johns Hopkins University.

In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway intermittently collapses or becomes blocked during sleep. The blocked airway causes pauses in breathing. Some people address this by using CPAP continuous positive airway pressure machines at night to keep the airway open.

In the past, researchers have tried to directly link sleep apnea with heart health and blood sugar by comparing patients instructed to use CPAP devices with patients instructed to sleep without these machines. But one of the major issues with those studies is that people may not actually use the CPAP machine, Jun said by phone.

For the new study, the researchers recruited 31 people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who were known to regularly use CPAP machines.

The participants slept two nights in a lab, using their CPAP device on only one of the nights. The researchers obtained blood samples while participants slept.

We are looking at real-time changes, Jun said. Were getting blood every 20 minutes.

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, on the night without CPAP, patients obstructive sleep apnea returned. On those nights, the participants had low levels of oxygen in their blood, poor sleep and an increased heart rate.

Additionally, their blood samples showed increases in fatty acids, sugar and the stress hormone cortisol.

The researchers also saw increases in blood pressure and arterial stiffness, which has been linked with a risk for heart problems.

These were obese patients and patients with relatively severe sleep apnea. They also had other medical problems, Jun pointed out. People who fit that description may be experiencing the same changes if they sleep without using a CPAP machine, he said.

Glucose and fatty acids rose in the overall group without the CPAP machines, but participants with diabetes may be more vulnerable to the glucose elevation, Jun warned.

He said the study cant say what would happen to people with milder sleep apnea.

Because obesity has been tied to an increased risk of sleep apnea, it has been difficult to know whether its sleep apnea or obesity that is causing those problems, Jun noted.

The new study, he said, advances that idea that other conditions and not obesity itself are drivers of those levels.

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Broccoli contains an ingredient that can help those with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar level, according to a new study potentially providing a much-needed treatment option for millions.

A chemical in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and sprouts calledsulforaphaneis thought to be responsible,having been shown to lower glucose levels in earlier lab experiments on diabetic rats.

To identify suitable compounds to examine, researchers used computer models to identify gene expression changes linked with type 2 diabetes, and then sift through thousands of chemicals that might reverse these changes.

"We're very excited about the effects we've seen and are eager to bring the extract to patients," one of the researchers, Anders Rosengren of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, told Andy Coghlan at New Scientist.

"We saw a reduction of glucose of about 10 per cent, which is sufficient to reduce complications in the eyes, kidneys and blood."

That 10 percent average reduction was across a sample of 97 human volunteers taking part in a 12-week randomised, placebo-controlled trial. The participants who were obese and who had higher baseline glucose levels to begin with benefitted the most.

The dose was the equivalent of around 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of broccoli daily a fair few platefuls but the researchers say it could be adapted into a powder to add to food or drinks.

It's important to note that all but three of those taking part in the trial continued to take metformin, a drug already used to improve blood sugar regulation in people with diabetes.

However, the researchers think sulforaphane could eventually replace metformin for some patients up to 15 percent of those with diabetes can't take metformin because of the associated risks of kidney damage.

The two chemicals take different approaches: sulforaphane suppresses the enzymes in the liver that stimulate glucose production, whereas metformin makes cells more sensitive to insulin, taking more glucose out of the bloodstream.

With more than 29 million people having type 2 diabetes in the US alone, and that number on the rise, any kind of help is going to be very welcome.

Before the human trial, the researchers also found sulforaphane was able to reduce glucose production in liver cells grown in a lab, and shift liver gene expression away from an abnormal, diseased state in diabetic rats.

Larger and more detailed studies are required before the drug can get approved for regular treatments though, and until then it's probably wise to keep your vegetable intake to a normal, healthy level.

"More research is needed to see if this repurposed drug can be used to treat Type 2 diabetes, as it was only tested in a small number of people and only helped a subset of those who are taking it," Elizabeth Robertson from Diabetes UK, who wasn't involved in the research, told New Scientist.

"For now, we recommend that people continue with the treatment prescribed by their healthcare team."

The findings have been published in Science Translational Medicine.

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Broccoli Could Be a Secret Weapon Against Diabetes, Say Scientists - ScienceAlert

Sometimes its good to just be one of the gang.

This is certainly true for those dealing with Type 1 diabetes. And thats why Camp Hot Shots has become a favorite get-away destination for hundreds of youngsters ages 6-12 in central Nebraska since 2001.

Founded by Mary Lanning Heathcare and presented this year in partnership with Grace United Methodist Church, the two-day camp gives youngsters dealing with the disease a chance to bond with fellow diabetics without having to address those intrusive questions so often posed by their well-meaning but unmindful peers.

DeAnn Carpenter, program coordinator for Mary Lannings diabetes program, said the camp which is funded in part through donations from area organizations combines diabetes education and a host of fun activities to create an experience many campers have come to look forward to year after year.

More than 20 area children are taking part in this years long list of camp activities, which include: Boat rides and water play at Lake Hastings and Aquacourt Water Park, YMCA play, string art, balloon artist/magician Poppin Penelope, taekwondo, and more.

Its just a time for kids who have Type 1 diabetes to come together and realize theyre not alone, Carpenter said. A lot of them are the only ones in their school system or community who have Type 1 diabetes and maybe feel a little alone, having to take care of themselves. Its a time to bond and interact with people who have the same diagnosis as them.

For many campers, the camp has become an annual tradition, a place to bond with new found friends over shared activities. In some instances, it may be the only contact they have with their fellow diabetic companions each year.

For Braden Benjamin, 12, of Friend, this year marks his seventh go-around in the camp.

I like coming to the lake and swimming and tubing with my friends, he said. I get to see other diabetics that Im not around very often. I know most of them, but there are a few new ones every now and then.

I also like going to the YMCA. They have a bunch of different activities, like tennis and racquetball. You can go to the batting cage, and theres a pool there, too.

But its the camaraderie with fellow diabetics that makes the camp experience special to himself and fellow participants, he said.

The camp allows me to talk to other diabetics that I dont get to see very often. Its just nice to be around other people who share the disease that you have and know what it feels like. I hope to make more friends at the camp this year and get better at taking care of my diabetes. If my blood sugars are good I can pretty much do anything if I treat it beforehand.

Kordell Lovitt, 13, of Chapel, is attending the camp for the fourth straight year. Like most all of his fellow campers, he considers the lake activities the high water point of the two-day outing.

Im just swimming and having fun with my friends that I dont see a lot, he said. We talk about how we take care of our diabetes and how we treat our lows and highs. It (diabetes) is kind of stressful, but sometimes I just get over it.

And camp is a big reason for that, he said.

The others tell me what I dont do right and that I can do a better job of it, he said. I check on my blood sugars often here to keep them in range.

Having to explain himself and his limitations to non-diabetics day in and day out makes coming to camp seem even more of a getaway experience each year.

When people ask me, Why do you have to do this? its kind of weird and awkward, he said. Here, I dont have to tell them anything. I just want to have fun and pay attention to my diabetes.

Fourth-time camper Emmilly Berglund, 12, of Shelton said she felt right at home navigating the lakeside waters with friends of a feather.

I just like to come and see the other kids and talk to them about how everything is, she said. Its just enjoyable and relaxing to hang around other kids who have it (Type 1 diabetes). Im looking forward to the new activities they have this year like string art and going to the water park and learning new things.

Lee Wigert, 65, is a teacher at Hastings College and pastor of United Methodist churches in Juniata, Holstein and Kenesaw.

He, along with his wife, Diane, and son, Nate, 32, who has diabetes, have been donating their time giving boat and jet ski rides and sharing their back yard abutting Lake Hastings for the past decade.

Its just amazing the bonding experience that these children have, he said. The kids come back year after year and call you by name and you remember them. I spend about three days getting the house ready and tubes and trampoline blown up.

We make sure everybody gets on the boat. What they take away from this is that they know the adults care for them and are here to help them out.

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Diabetes camp educates, entertains - Hastings Tribune

Sally Hillerich Galla, Guest Contributor 3:13 p.m. ET June 15, 2017

Measuring blood sugar(Photo: Maya23K, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It might be old-fashioned, but as a young child growing up in Kentucky, I was taught never to reveal my age. Yet to understand my story, you have to start with a number: Im 65, and Im incredibly fortunate to be alive.

At the age of 24, my doctor gave me six months to live, along with one last hope: an emergency surgery to treat the endometriosis which was threatening my life. Thankfully, that surgery was a success.

But my medical journey was just beginning.

In the weeks after my surgery, I lost 30 pounds, and my vision was getting increasingly blurry. A trip back to my doctor confirmed a new, equally troubling and unrelated diagnosis: Type-1 diabetes. At the time, the outlook for Type-1 patients was grim.

Like every person with Type-1 Diabetes, not a day goes by that I dont spend thinking about and treating my disease. But there are some risk factors beyond our control, notably that Medicare, unlike nearly every private insurance plan, wont pay for some treatments that helpus stay healthy.

To start, it helps to understand that Type-1 Diabetes keeps your pancreas from producing insulin, so those of us living with the disease must inject the right amount of insulin ourselves, using everything from needles to traditional insulin pumps. Youve probably seen these pumps; a patch is connected by tubes to a device clipped to your belt or placed in your pocket.

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Devices like this come with significant drawbacks. They cant get wet, and patients with neuropathy and arthritis have a hard time connecting and re-connecting the tubes multiple times a day. However, they do have one major benefit: theyre covered by Medicare.

The device I use called an Omnipod isnt.

My Omnipod is a wireless pump; a small pod that can be worn nearly anywhere and is connected wirelessly to a device about the size of a cell phone, which doesnt have to be clipped to your clothing. Instead, it just has to be close by.

And this is where that bureaucratic thinking comes in. All other insulin pumps are paid for under Medicare Part B because theyre considered durable medical equipment.

But the Omnipod isnt.

Thats because the Omnipod is different. Each of the pods lasts three days. Once its supply of insulin is used up, you replace it with another. You keep the cell phone-sized transmitter, which connects wirelessly to each new pod. Yet even though it has been approved by the FDA for 12 years, Medicare still wont cover it.

Medicares non-coverage policy is in conflict with Congresss intent, which was to promote medical innovation. Back in 2003, they passed the Medicare Modernization Act, which made it clear: new technologies not covered under Part B should be covered under Part D, which covers medicines. Medicare hasnt used that authority to cover the Omnipod either. But it should.

Because Omnipod isnt covered under Medicare, the Federal government is forcing seniors like me to abandon the treatment we need.

Now Im fortunate: After paying out of pocket since I turned 65, I recently found out that my Express Scripts Medicare Advantage plan has decided to stop mirroring Medicares policy. Thanks to that decision, I will get the coverage I need. But millions of people arent as fortunate they rely on other Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans where Omnipod still isnt covered.

Every major diabetes patient and medical advocacy group agrees: There should be no reason why the Omnipod remains the only FDA-approved insulin pump not covered by Medicare. Theyve urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to cover the Omnipod. And Im urging them now, too.

Medicare should cover Omnipod, because it is a critical part of my medical plan. I shouldnt be forced to lose it just because Ive turned 65and neither should any other senior.

A small business owner, Sally Hillerich Galla is a 40-year veteran of the health insurance industry who lives in Eastern Jefferson County with her husband, Patrick.

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Expand coverage for diabetes treatment | Sally Hillerich Galla - The Courier-Journal