When it comes to diabetes in the United States, minority populations are hardest hit.

African Americans and Hispanics are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and national examination surveys. African American and Hispanic Americans have higher rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) caused by diabetes and start ESRD treatment 2.4 and 1.6 times more often, respectively, compared with non-Hispanic whites.

Income, stable and affordable housing, access to healthy food, quality education and a host of other factors influence a person's health status and longevity. These factors, what public health professionals recognize as social determinants of health, contribute to higher rates of diabetes and associated illness in African American and Hispanic American communities.

During National Minority Health Month each April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (OMH) leads the nation in raising awareness about these disparities, their causes and the impact they have on minority communities and the nation as a whole.

The theme of this years National Minority Health Month observance Bridging Health Equity Across Communities, emphasizes the collaborative, community-level work being done across the

nation to help achieve health equity. Dannons partnership with WIC and Lenox Hill Hospitals partnership with leading health providers are two examples of collaborative efforts to bridge the health equity gap.

One way Dannon is helping to achieve health in minorities is by working to make healthier food choices readily available to WIC participants. The addition of yogurt to the WIC food packages, which began on April 1, 2015, brings important nutrients to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and young children at critical life stages.

Yogurt is especially well suited for the WIC audience. Most yogurts provide three out of the four nutrients of concern -- calcium, potassium and vitamin D -- and eating yogurt regularly is associated with less weight gain over time. Overweight and obesity are two major risk factors for diabetes. Yogurt is also a source of high quality protein, which can help support bone and muscle strength, and most yogurts contain live and active cultures that help with lactose digestion.

Dannon offers a variety of WIC eligible products to meet WIC participants needs and preferences which can be found here.

Lenox Hill Hospital Partnership

The Gerald J. Friedman Diabetes Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York along with a coalition of other leading health care providers, government officials, public- and private-sector companies, and community-based organizations, recently pledge to help build a sustainable path to health and wellness for the thousands of New Yorkers living with diabetes.

The coalitions new program Vida SI, Diabetes NO! (Life YES! Diabetes NO!), is a bilingual, long-term health initiative that will take a comprehensive and systematic look at diabetes among Latinos with the goal of uncovering the root causes, leading to more effective and efficient delivery of prevention, education, testing, and treatment.

Participants of Vida SI, Diabetes NO! (Life YES! Diabetes NO!) have access to bi-lingual diabetes educators, nutritionists, social workers, exercise trainers and other diabetes specialists to help improve the management of their diabetes and help them live longer healthier lives.

You can learn more about Vida SI, Diabetes NO! (Life YES, Diabetes NO!) on social media including Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VidaSIDiabetesNO on https://twitter.com/VSIDNO and on Instagram under user name @vsidno.

Dannons partnership with WIC and Lenox Hills Vida SI, Diabetes NO! (Life YES! Diabetes NO!) program are national and community level partnerships that will help close the diabetes disparities gap in African Americans and Hispanics.

More here:
Closing the Diabetes Disparities Gap - Huffington Post

(CNN)

It's well-known that type 2 diabetes can cause medical complications in certain organs, including the brain. But overweight and obese people with early-stage type 2 diabetes have more severe abnormalities in brain structure and cognition than normal-weight people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

Having type 2 diabetes and being overweight, then, can combine to have a greater effect on brain structures.

"There's a general agreement that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for various types of both structural and functional abnormalities in the brain," said Dr. Donald C. Simonson, a co-author of the study and an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes. "Simple obesity also shows the same type of abnormalities ... in a milder stage. You can see where it's not quite exactly normal but not quite as bad as someone with diabetes.

"So, if you have both, will it be worse than if you have them alone? That's what we looked at in this particular study," said Simonson, who teaches at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. In Kyoon Lyoo, lead author and a professor at the Ewha Brain Institute at Ewha Womens University in Seoul, South Korea, wrote in an email, "As obesity has been known to be associated with metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and brain changes independently of diabetes, we expected that brain alterations might be more pronounced in overweight/obese participants with type 2 diabetes."

Effects on the brain

Lyoo, Simonson and their colleagues designed a study around 50 overweight or obese people age 30 to 60 who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Fifty normal-weight people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 50 normal-weight people without diabetes also participated. These additional participants were age and sex matched to the original group. Those diagnosed with diabetes were also matched for disease duration. Standard body mass index ranges defined "overweight" (having a BMI of 25 to 29.9), "obese" (greater than 30) and "normal weight" (18.5 to 25).

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to examine each participant's brain structure, including the thickness of the cerebral cortex and white matter connectivity. Gray matter in the brain contains the neuron cell bodies, whereas white matter contains bundles of nerve fibers and its job is to process and send signals along the spinal cord.

The researchers chose to study thickness and connectivity "because these could be sensitive markers of diabetes-related brain changes, and could be reliably quantified by using magnetic resonance imaging," Lyoo explained.

Participants also were tested for memory, psychomotor speed and executive function, since these are known to be affected in people with type 2 diabetes.

The results aligned with the researchers' initial assumptions, Lyoo said.

Clusters of gray matter were significantly thinner in the temporal, prefrontoparietal, motor and occipital cortices in the brains of diabetic participants than in the non-diabetic group, the study found. More thinning of the temporal and motor cortices could be seen in the overweight/obese diabetic group compared with normal-weight diabetics. Separately and collectively, these areas of the brain impact motor control, executive function, body awareness, concentration and other cognitive functions.

"Most of the things we looked at, you could see that there was a progression, and the obese patients with diabetes were worse than the lean patients with diabetes, and they were both worse than the age-matched controls," Simonson said.

In particular, the temporal lobe appears vulnerable to the combined effects of type 2 diabetes and being overweight or obese, the researchers say. The temporal lobe is implicated in language comprehension and long-term memory.

The brain has been the last frontier in the study of complications of diabetes, Simonson said.

Similarities to Alzheimer's disease

"Diabetic retinopathy, eye disease, is reasonably well-understood," he said. "The same is true of kidney disease, amputations -- we understand much better what causes them and how to prevent them.

"But the brain has been the proverbial black box. It's incredibly complicated, and you can't directly study it. You can't go in and take samples," he said. "The last several years, the techniques of MRI got good enough that we could really look carefully at the brain."

Most of the initial work in the very late 1990s was done in Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, depression and other classic psychiatric diseases, but then scientists began to look at other diseases including diabetes, explained Simonson. At this point, researchers around the world began to see connections.

"You can see a person with depression has thinning of the surface of the brain in certain areas, and you go in and do the same study with somebody with diabetes, and they have thinning in the exact same areas," Simonson said. And diabetes may be a predisposing or risk factor for developing Alzheimer's, he said.

"You see the same types of abnormalities in a milder form in the brain in people with diabetes that you see in people with Alzheimer's disease," Simonson said.

According to Dr. William T. Cefalu, chief scientific, medical and mission officer of the American Diabetes Association, the study is consistent with previous research.

"The presence of overweight and obesity have been shown in other studies to be associated with early structural changes in the brain, and may contribute to cognitive issues," said Cefalu, who was not involved in the new study. "The current study implies that obesity/overweight status in individuals with diabetes may also contribute."

That said, longer-term and more definitive studies are needed to evaluate that aspect.

In the end, Simonson said, another question is more important: "What can you do to prevent it? That's the big question."

See the rest here:
Diabetes, weight gain can alter your brain, says study - WLWT Cincinnati

Aimee Chiavaroli achiavaroli@s-t.com

UMASS DARTMOUTH A UMass Dartmouth male student and lacrosse player died Saturday due to complications related to Type 1 Diabetes, according to a news release.

Sean Peters was a Crime and Justice major and four-year member of the mens lacrosse team, according to the universitys athletics website. He was 22 years old and went to UMass Dartmouth from Medway High School.

Our hearts are broken by Seans passing, Interim Chancellor Peyton R. Helm wrote to students, faculty, and staff Saturday. There are no words that can adequately express the profound loss being felt today by his family, friends, teammates, and classmates. All we can do is hold close those who loved Sean and support them in the difficult days ahead.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Sean, said Amanda Van Voorhis, athletic director, in a statement. Sean was a four-year letter winner for the Corsairs, and was in the midst of the most prolific season of his career. He had just been recognized on Senior Day last Saturday. This is incomprehensible and a tremendous loss for our athletic community. The UMass Dartmouth Athletics family extends our condolences to the Peters family and loved ones.

According to the news release, Peters was the epitome of a Corsair who balanced the challenging demands of being a student and an athlete.

Peters appeared in 49 career games, starting 24 and all 13 of his contests during his senior campaign. This year, he had 23 goals and 14 assists for 37 points. He registered four goals in a game twice this season, including a career-high seven-point performance in UMass Dartmouths 19-5 win over Becker College April 10. In his final game April 22, he tallied two goals and two assists versus Western Connecticut State University in a 14-8 win, according to the university.

"We encourage friends, teammates, and community members who were close to Sean, and there were many, to come together to support each other and his family at this most difficult time, said David Milstone, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, in a statement. We will ask the family if they are amenable to holding a campus memorial. Our counseling staff is available to meet with members of the community as individuals or as groups."

Read this article:
UMD loses student athlete to diabetes-related complications - SouthCoastToday.com

(CNN)

It's well-known that type 2 diabetes can cause medical complications in certain organs, including the brain. But overweight and obese people with early-stage type 2 diabetes have more severe abnormalities in brain structure and cognition than normal-weight people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

Having type 2 diabetes and being overweight, then, can combine to have a greater effect on brain structures.

"There's a general agreement that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for various types of both structural and functional abnormalities in the brain," said Dr. Donald C. Simonson, a co-author of the study and an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes. "Simple obesity also shows the same type of abnormalities ... in a milder stage. You can see where it's not quite exactly normal but not quite as bad as someone with diabetes.

"So, if you have both, will it be worse than if you have them alone? That's what we looked at in this particular study," said Simonson, who teaches at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. In Kyoon Lyoo, lead author and a professor at the Ewha Brain Institute at Ewha Womens University in Seoul, South Korea, wrote in an email, "As obesity has been known to be associated with metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and brain changes independently of diabetes, we expected that brain alterations might be more pronounced in overweight/obese participants with type 2 diabetes."

Effects on the brain

Lyoo, Simonson and their colleagues designed a study around 50 overweight or obese people age 30 to 60 who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Fifty normal-weight people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 50 normal-weight people without diabetes also participated. These additional participants were age and sex matched to the original group. Those diagnosed with diabetes were also matched for disease duration. Standard body mass index ranges defined "overweight" (having a BMI of 25 to 29.9), "obese" (greater than 30) and "normal weight" (18.5 to 25).

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to examine each participant's brain structure, including the thickness of the cerebral cortex and white matter connectivity. Gray matter in the brain contains the neuron cell bodies, whereas white matter contains bundles of nerve fibers and its job is to process and send signals along the spinal cord.

The researchers chose to study thickness and connectivity "because these could be sensitive markers of diabetes-related brain changes, and could be reliably quantified by using magnetic resonance imaging," Lyoo explained.

Participants also were tested for memory, psychomotor speed and executive function, since these are known to be affected in people with type 2 diabetes.

The results aligned with the researchers' initial assumptions, Lyoo said.

Clusters of gray matter were significantly thinner in the temporal, prefrontoparietal, motor and occipital cortices in the brains of diabetic participants than in the non-diabetic group, the study found. More thinning of the temporal and motor cortices could be seen in the overweight/obese diabetic group compared with normal-weight diabetics. Separately and collectively, these areas of the brain impact motor control, executive function, body awareness, concentration and other cognitive functions.

"Most of the things we looked at, you could see that there was a progression, and the obese patients with diabetes were worse than the lean patients with diabetes, and they were both worse than the age-matched controls," Simonson said.

In particular, the temporal lobe appears vulnerable to the combined effects of type 2 diabetes and being overweight or obese, the researchers say. The temporal lobe is implicated in language comprehension and long-term memory.

The brain has been the last frontier in the study of complications of diabetes, Simonson said.

Similarities to Alzheimer's disease

"Diabetic retinopathy, eye disease, is reasonably well-understood," he said. "The same is true of kidney disease, amputations -- we understand much better what causes them and how to prevent them.

"But the brain has been the proverbial black box. It's incredibly complicated, and you can't directly study it. You can't go in and take samples," he said. "The last several years, the techniques of MRI got good enough that we could really look carefully at the brain."

Most of the initial work in the very late 1990s was done in Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, depression and other classic psychiatric diseases, but then scientists began to look at other diseases including diabetes, explained Simonson. At this point, researchers around the world began to see connections.

"You can see a person with depression has thinning of the surface of the brain in certain areas, and you go in and do the same study with somebody with diabetes, and they have thinning in the exact same areas," Simonson said. And diabetes may be a predisposing or risk factor for developing Alzheimer's, he said.

"You see the same types of abnormalities in a milder form in the brain in people with diabetes that you see in people with Alzheimer's disease," Simonson said.

According to Dr. William T. Cefalu, chief scientific, medical and mission officer of the American Diabetes Association, the study is consistent with previous research.

"The presence of overweight and obesity have been shown in other studies to be associated with early structural changes in the brain, and may contribute to cognitive issues," said Cefalu, who was not involved in the new study. "The current study implies that obesity/overweight status in individuals with diabetes may also contribute."

That said, longer-term and more definitive studies are needed to evaluate that aspect.

In the end, Simonson said, another question is more important: "What can you do to prevent it? That's the big question."

More here:
Diabetes, weight gain can alter your brain, says study - WYFF Greenville

Question: My cat is suddenly making a mess in his litter box. It is full of pee spots and really large-sized ones. He used to only pee in one small spot a day; now it is several large spots.

He acts fine and is eating good. He has always been a chunky cat, but I think he has lost a little weight recently.

Answer: I am glad that you are monitoring your kittys litter box so well. It is important to know what is normal for your cat. Most cats only urinate once or twice a day. When the amount in the litter box suddenly increases, it is a good indication that there is a problem. Please monitor his water and food intake as well. He is probably drinking a good bit more water.

Your kitty will need a trip to his veterinarian to check a urine sample and do a thorough physical examination. Many times, blood testing will be necessary to fully diagnose the problem. Things that can cause increased urination are: diabetes, kidney disease, infection, tumor, crystals or stones in the bladder, and thyroid disease. All of these can be serious, if left untreated.

Diabetes is most often seen in indoor cats that are overweight. The sooner they are diagnosed and treated, the better they tend to do. Diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels get too high and the body cannot utilize it. Insulin is needed to help absorb blood sugar and get nutrition to the cells that need it. When too much glucose (sugar) is in the bloodstream, it is flushed out in the urine and takes excess water with it this causes your cat to drink larger amounts of water and urinate at larger volumes. Diabetes in cats can be treated with insulin injections and a special diet high in protein, with little or no carbohydrates.

Cats are true carnivores, so too much carbohydrates in the diet are not tolerated well. Diabetes in cats can be reversed if caught quickly, however, changes must be made to control blood sugar, weight and diet.

Go here to see the original:
Messy litter box could mean diabetes for indoor cats - Palm Beach Post

The local University of Illinois Extension is giving people a chance to become more educated about diabetes. (WJBC File Photo)

By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

EUREKA The local University of Illinois Extension is providing information to get a handle on diabetes.

The Extension is offering I on Diabetes, a four-part series beginning May 1 in Eureka.

Jenna Smith, nutrition and wellness educator and registered dietician for the Extension, explained how the class works.

It is really designed to help you manage diabetes, and if you dont have diabetes, its really a good program to help you think about ways to prevent diabetes, because no one wants that. Its a great program that usually costs money, and this year, it is absolutely free, because we got a grant. So Im super excited about that, Smith said.

To register, call 309-467-3789 or visit go.illinois.edu/lmw.

Cynthia Grau can be reached at cynthia.grau@cumulus.com

Go here to see the original:
Extension offering free diabetes education - WJBC News