Archive for the ‘Diabetes’ Category

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Inadequate sleep affects children with type 1 diabetes

Saturday, January 7th, 2012

Lack of sleep caused by type 1 diabetes may worsen a child’s condition, reports HealthDay.

In a study published in the most recent issue of SLEEP, it was found that diabetic patients between the ages of 10 and 16 get an average of 5 percent less sleep than their peers. This lead to impaired ability to control blood sugar and also negatively affected the children’s performance in school, according to the source.

“Clinicians and school-based professionals need to be aware that reports of daytime sleepiness, disrupted sleep, or poor sleep habits may affect patients’ daytime functioning, including the possibility of interfering with their diabetes self-care, quality of life, and school performance,” the authors of the study reported.

The students who got approximately 20 minutes less sleep than those without diabetes experienced symptoms of hyperglycemia, emotional and behavioral problems, worsened grades and a decreased ability to keep up with their insulin shots.

The study performed at the University of Arizona in Tucson analyzed the data of 50 patients, reportedly keeping watch on their glucose control with monitors and hemoglobin A1C values.

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Study finds link between breast cancer and diabetes, obesity

Saturday, December 17th, 2011

Women with diabetes may be at a higher risk for breast cancer, as well as those who become obese as senior citizens, according to HealthDay.

While past studies have shown evidence of a connection between the two diseases, the link has not been sufficiently clear and further research was reportedly warranted.

Swedish researcher Dr. Hakan Olsson, of Lund University’s oncology department, analyzed the health information of more than 2,700 women over the course of a decade prior to developing breast cancer. He compared this data with the records of more than 20,000 healthy patients.

According to the news provider, obese women over the age of 60 were at a 55 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Additionally, the risk increased by 37 percent within four years of a diabetes diagnosis.

“Olsson also found a link between abnormally low levels of blood lipids or fats, mostly cholesterol, and a 25 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Women with higher cholesterol had a lower risk, he found,” reported the source.

Because the results of the study are so complicated, Olsson emphasized that further research must be done in order to clarify his findings. Part of the complex findings included both increased and decreased risk of breast cancer with various diabetes treatments.

The Swedish researcher presented his research last week at the 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

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552 million to have diabetes by 2030

Saturday, November 19th, 2011

According to new research by the International Diabetes Federation, more than 10 percent of adults will be diagnosed with diabetes in the next two decades.

The report states that 552 million people will have diabetes by the year 2030, up from the current 346 million, which amounts to every one of 10 people. The current rate is one in 13, according to The Associated Press. These statistics take into account the estimated number of sufferers who are undiagnosed as well.

The IDF expects the rate of diabetes to skyrocket in Africa and developing countries, where more than 80 percent of deaths are caused by diabetes, according to the World Health Organization.

“It’s worrying because these people will have an illness which is serious, debilitating, and shortens their lives,” Gojka Roglic, head of the diabetes unit at the WHO, told the news provider. “But it doesn’t have to happen if we take the right interventions.”

While many cases of diabetes develop because of obesity, the forecasted rise in the disease is attributed to aging.

“Most cases of diabetes are Type 2, the kind that mainly hits people in middle age, and is linked to weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.”

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Kidney disease risk cut in half for Type 1 diabetes sufferers

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

Those who suffer from Type 1 diabetes have another important reason to make sure they keep their blood sugar levels in check — a new study has found that patients using insulin “aggressively” can decrease their risk of kidney failure by 50 percent, reports Bloomberg.

After monitoring 1,375 patients for a span of nearly two decades in the Diabetes Control and Complication Trial, researchers have discovered that those who normalize their blood sugar level with three or more insulin injections per day reportedly experienced better kidney function and cut their risk for disease in half.

“Tight control early in the course of the disease has long-lasting benefits on all major diabetes complications,” Ian de Boer, an assistant professor of medicine at Seattle’s University of Washington who led the study, told the news provider. “The benefits were from early intensive therapy and they only manifested more than a decade after the treatment began.”

Type 1 diabetes is the most severe form of the condition, which impairs the body’s ability to convert blood sugar to energy via insulin. According to the American Diabetes Association, less than 10 percent of patients with diabetes suffer from Type 1. This form attacks the pancreas, where the body’s insulin is produced.

The study was released this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Study: Diabetes drugs may heighten risk of pancreatic cancer

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Sufferers of type 2 diabetes may be at a higher risk for pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer if they are being treated with drugs Januvia or Byetta, according to HealthDay.

The studies performed at the University of California’s Larry L. Hillbom Research Center in Los Angeles suggest that both treatments, which are fairly new and administered via injection, have been linked to a sixfold increase in the risk for pancreatic diseases. Researchers analyzed data regarding adverse events from the Food and Drug Administration’s database between 2004 and 2009 for the study.

The statistics also revealed that Byetta could possibly increase one’s risk of developing thyroid cancer, reports the news source.

While these findings may seem worrisome, doctors emphasize that these studies are very preliminary and there is far more work to be done.

“We have raised concern that there may be a link but we haven’t confirmed it,” Dr. Peter Butler, director of the Hillborn Research Center, told the news provider. “It is important to avoid alarmism and have people stop medicines that they may be benefiting from when the risk is not yet defined.”

“If the drug and you are working well together, I wouldn’t say there is any reason to stop the drug, based on the evidence we have right now,” he said. Butler also stressed that if you do have a concern, make sure to discuss it with your doctor.

Januvia and Byetta reportedly help increase the production of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) hormone, which controls one’s blood sugar.

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Diabetics at increased risk for developing dementia

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Those who suffer from diabetes already have plenty of health risks to worry about, and scientists have discovered yet another one – the risk of dementia.

A recent study published in Neurology reveals that diabetic patients, including those with prediabetes, have a higher risk of developing a form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, according to WebMD.

For 11 years, research participants were monitored for diabetic conditions as well as dementia. Out of the 150 individuals with diabetes, more than 27 percent developed dementia. About 21 percent of the 559 people without diabetes developed dementia as well. Two-hundred thirty-two of these patients were reportedly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

While there is now proper evidence of a link between the two conditions, further research must be done to explore just how they are related. According to Zoe Arvanitakis, MD, one possible explanation is that diabetes increases the risk of stroke, which can cause dementia.

Arvanitakis maintains that it is too early to determine whether preventing diabetes would also lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, but taking precautions is certainly not out of the question. For example, eating heart-healthy foods (which help lower the risk of stroke) can also be good for the brain.

“The mechanism linking diabetes and dementia still needs to be sorted out,” Arvanitakis told the news provider. “It is important to stay healthy and prevent vascular risk factors from getting out of hand.”

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Statin therapy shown to cause diabetes, study says

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Got high cholesterol? You may want to stay away from statin therapy, as new studies in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) support the claim that this type of treatment actually causes diabetes.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 40 million Americans are recommended to take statin therapy. This figure rose from 13 million people, all of whom were diagnosed with heart disease. The additional numbers come from those who are using statins to treat high cholesterol, a method referred to as “primary prevention.”

One of the new studies in JAMA found that over the course of nearly five years, 8.4 percent of non-diabetic patients treated with statins developed the disease. Those who were given the highest doses of statins were also at the highest risk of becoming diabetic. Mark Hyman, a family physician and chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine, does not believe that the success rate of statin therapy in patients without diabetes is strong enough to take the risk of developing the condition.

“You have to treat 155 people for one year to prevent just one heart attack or death,” Hyman says, summarizing a portion of the study. “On top of that, for every 498 people treated, one more person would become diabetic.”

If doctors continue prescribing the statins, Hyman claims that there will be more than 3.5 million new cases of diabetes by 2020.

The second JAMA study revealed that “powerful immune suppressing medications (TNF alpha blockers like Remicade or Enbrel” helped to decrease the risk of diabetes. While this may sound like a good alternative, patients could face expenses of approximately $50,000 annually for this treatment, and it comes with potentially fatal side effects.

It seems that these treatment options are a lose-lose situation, but Hyman simply suggests turning one’s lifestyle around.

“A plant-based, whole foods, real-food diet without sugar and flour in pharmacologic doses, along with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, and a good dose of exercise, can dramatically reduce the risk of and even reverse heart disease and diabetes,” he said. “And they cost a lot less.”

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350 million people around the world suffer from diabetes

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Diabetes is on the rise, with the number of people affected jumping to about 347 million around the world – twice the amount recorded more than 30 years ago, according to The Associated Press.

A recently released study attributes this increase to populations simply getting older, as the condition is often diagnosed in middle age. Researchers also point towards population growth and, perhaps most importantly, the increase in worldwide obesity, reports the news source.

“Diabetes may well become the defining issue of global health for the next decade,” Majid Ezzati, the chair of global environmental health at Imperial College London who co-authored the study, told the news source. “Unlike high blood pressure and cholesterol, we still don’t have great treatments for diabetes.”

Ezzati continued, saying that the estimated 347 million diabetics do not include obese youths, who could tip the scales even further by the time they reach middle age.

Countries that have experienced the highest increase in diabetics include Cape Verde, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Western European countries only displayed a “slight” rise, while females in France, Italy, Singapore and Switzerland maintained low diabetes rates.

The study reportedly received funding from both the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization.

According to the AP, there were 153 million people suffering from diabetes in 1980.

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Healthy App-etite: Disease Management

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Healthetreatment is a place where patients all over the world can gather to find information and communicate with others about their conditions and experiences. You may not always be on the computer to take part in the dialogue, so you consider taking advantage of the many iPhone applications available to aid those living with medical issues. Here are a few of the top-selling apps.

Glucose Buddy – This app is for those suffering from diabetes, in which they can keep track of their glucose numbers, carbohydrate consumption, insulin doses and more. It has been features in multiple medical publications, including the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Forecast Magazine. (Free).

iChemoDiary – Patients undergoing chemotherapy for their cancer can keep a log of their doctor’s appointments, treatments, medications and symptoms. Your personal statistics can be translated into a graph to email straight from your iPhone and helps provide a more accurate documentation of your treatment for the doctor to see. (Free).

iHealth Log – Those who have a bevy of medications to manage their disease will benefit from this app, as it can help keep track of dosages and provide helpful information on each treatment, including a picture of the drug to help eliminate any confusion. ($1.99).

SleepTracker – For iPhone users suffering from insomnia or other sleep-related conditions. Track your sleep behavior long enough and the program will be able to identify what helps you sleep better or worse, such as drinking warm milk or keeping your room at a certain temperature. (Free).

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Healthy App-etite: Fitness and Exercise

Monday, March 28th, 2011

While heading to the gym and working with a personal trainer can surely help your fitness routine, you can save a ton of money by simply using a few handy iPhone apps. Exercise is an important part of life that can help reduce the effects and risks of depression, heart disease, stress, diabetes and many other conditions. Here are a few apps to help you get in the game.

iMapMyFitness – Forget about trying to record all of your physical activity while exercising outdoors, iMayMyFitness uses your iPhone’s built-in GPS to track your run, bike ride, hike and more with detailed information on time, distance, pace, speed and elevation. The app also allows you to share your workout routines with friends via the social networking function. (Free).

iFitness – No need for a gym expert with this app. There are more than 230 exercises and stretches included with pictures and instructions so you know you are doing them correctly. You can also log your work, record your weight, design your own workout or use any of the 12 pre-designed routines outlined in the program. ($1.99).

C25K – Couch to 5K is excellent for beginner runners. The nine-week training program has users gradually making their way to running 5K in just 30 minutes. If that sounds like an intimidating task, don’t worry, the first few weeks involve alternating short running and walking intervals to help you get in the swing of things. ($2.99).

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