April 2005


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April 30, 2005

Fiber Supplements Reduce Cholesterol and Risk

Researchers have found that fiber supplements lower levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increase levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in people with this type of diabetes. Participants in the reported study -- 78 people with type... ... more

Posted at 11:20 AM | TrackBack

April 29, 2005

FDA has approved a diabetes drug derived from lizard saliva

The FDA has approved a diabetes drug derived from lizard saliva for patients who have not responded to other treatments. Exenatide, developed by Eli Lilly and Co. and Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., is an injectable drug to be sold under the... ... more

Posted at 12:15 PM | TrackBack

April 27, 2005

Study Finds Possible Mechanism for Link Between Sleep Disturbances and Metabolic Syndrome

An interesting study, conducted on mice, indicates that poor sleep patterns may lead to obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and other health patterns. The study compliments existing research that has shown a link between sleep habits and diabetes.A new mouse study suggests... ... more

Posted at 12:17 PM | TrackBack

Obesity, Diabetes and Sleep

Americans have been sleeping less over the past several decades. The median sleep time for American adults aged 40-79 was eight hours per night in 1959; it dropped to seven hours in 2002, with more than one in three sleeping... ... more

Posted at 11:56 AM | TrackBack

April 25, 2005

Average HbA1c Levels are Over Nine (9) Percent

At the 2004 Diabetes Technology Meeting, Dr. Statish Garg of the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, began a presentation on Rapid Acting Insulin Analogs by informing the audience that the average HbA1c for diabetic patients seeing primary care physicians... ... more

Posted at 11:31 PM | TrackBack

Breaking News - Brain Stem Cells May Treat Diabetes

Following ground-breaking research, US scientists believe they have found a way to use brain stem cells to "cure" diabetes. Although the work is not yet ready to be tested on human patients, results in animals have been promising, say the... ... more

Posted at 7:07 PM | TrackBack

Diabetes Risk Tied to Lack of Sleep

Sleeping for less than six hours or for more than nine hours each night is associated with an increased risk of diabetes and impaired blood sugar (glucose) tolerance, researchers report in this week's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.... ... more

Posted at 3:06 PM | TrackBack

Another Transplate Success

An islet cell transplant performed at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC appears to have had success after three procedures:Andrea Anderson is a transplant recipient, "It's still hard to believe I'm off insulin, when I do tests with my meter,... ... more

Posted at 7:43 AM | TrackBack

Most People With Diabetes Do Not Meet Treatment Goals

The question is why less than 12 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes meet the recommended goals for blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Substantial evidence exists showing that controlling these factors delays or prevents diabetes complications. In addition, the... ... more

Posted at 7:01 AM | TrackBack

Inhaled Insulin Said to Be 'Safe' and 'Effective'

Test results presented at the Diabetes UK annual conference in Glasgow showed that for people with Type 2 diabetes already on tablets, inhaled insulin gave better blood glucose control than taking more tablets as treatment. Among patients with Type 1... ... more

Posted at 6:49 AM | TrackBack

Simple Actions Wipe Out Huge Higher Heart Risks For Asian Diabetics

New research, not yet fully disclosed, has shown that very simple interventions to target the health care of UK Asian diabetics can almost wipe out the 40% higher risks of heart disease linked to diabetes in that community. [University of... ... more

Posted at 5:55 AM | TrackBack

April 23, 2005

Medical Device Reduces Blood Pressure

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are the first in the nation to test an investigational medical device that lowers blood pressure by activating the body’s natural blood pressure regulation systems.... ... more

Posted at 7:17 PM | TrackBack

Propensity for Obesity, Diabetes May Occur In Utero

A study conducted at the University of Buffalo (on rats) indicates that obesity and diabetes may be influenced by the maternal intrauterine environment. The researchers believe (of course) that their results can be extended to humans. The adage "You are... ... more

Posted at 8:15 AM | TrackBack

The Top Three Sugar Substitutes

Barbara Quinn has written and excellent summary of the most popular FDA approved sugar substitutes. These supliments are generally classified as sweeteners that contain minimal calories and do not affect blood sugar levels:Saccharin: The pink packet also known as Sweet... ... more

Posted at 5:53 AM | TrackBack

April 22, 2005

Update on the Recent Islet Cell Transplant

All eyes are on the recipient of the first transplant of the insulin producing islet cells from a live donor. A healthy 56-year-old woman without diabetes donated half of her pancreas to her 27-year-old daughter in a ground breaking procudure.... ... more

Posted at 5:04 AM | TrackBack

Diabetes drug 'may stop cancers'

A drug commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes may prevent cancer, researchers have said. The team studied cancer rates among 6,000 people with diabetes and found those who took metformin cut their risk of all tumour types by more... ... more

Posted at 1:53 AM | TrackBack

Spleen Stem Cells Produce Potential Cures

Previously, researchers discovered that adult stem cells taken from the spleen could regenerate the insulin-producing islets of the pancreas. The finding is significant because it provides a potential cure for diabetes. The same team is now reporting that spleen adult... ... more

Posted at 12:09 AM | TrackBack

April 21, 2005

The Irony of Global Obesity

Obesity is a growing problem worldwide, even in countries whose populations have in the past been enviably lean, as new research reports make clear.In China, for example, about 18 million adults are obese and another 137 million are overweight, according... ... more

Posted at 6:36 AM | TrackBack

April 20, 2005

Coffee better than Green Tea?

I prefer coffee over green tea and was pleased to read that recent studies indicate coffee may do far more than just provide an energy boost. Coffee contains about 1,000 different antioxidants and has four times the antioxidant content when... ... more

Posted at 10:40 PM

Inhaled Insulin - Promising but Questions Remain

The Guardian reports what could be a press release from a Pharmaceutical company:Hundreds of thousands of people with diabetes may soon benefit from inhalers that could dramatically cut the number of injections needed to control the disease. Researchers believe the... ... more

Posted at 7:50 AM

Obese Children Develop Type 2 Diabetes

A stunning report reveals that overweight children are developing Type 2 diabetes, commonly referred to as "adult onset". Type 2 diabetes has traditionally affected adults over 40, but soaring rates of childhood obesity have led to rising numbers of children... ... more

Posted at 7:38 AM

April 19, 2005

Diabetes and Stem Cell Research

Type I diabetes, commonly diagnosed during childhood, is a condition in which the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is used in the body to process glucose by transporting it from blood into cells. Consequently, the... ... more

Posted at 9:59 PM | TrackBack

The Effect of Metformin and Intensive Lifestyle Intervention on the Metabolic Syndrome: The Diabetes Prevention Program Randomized Trial

Intensive diet and exercise or metformin can prevent the development of diabetes in individuals with impaired fasting glucose, but the effects of these interventions on development of the metabolic syndrome are unkno

... more

Posted at 4:26 PM | TrackBack

Preventing Diabetes - Drugs or Diet?

The question was the topic of a recent study aimed at understanding the health benefits of diabetes medication versus diet and exercising habits. New research suggests changing diet and exercise may have a greater effect than drugs. People with a... ... more

Posted at 2:27 PM | TrackBack

April 18, 2005

First Islet Transplant from a Living Donor - Pioneering operation gives hope to diabetes sufferers

Breaking News from the Guardian:A Japanese woman is free of the symptoms of diabetes after receiving cells from her mother's pancreas in the first transplant from a living donor, it emerged yesterday. The woman, 27, who had had insulin-dependent diabetes... ... more

Posted at 5:37 PM | TrackBack

Tea may help prevent diabetes and cataracts

Add another line to the list of benefits from drinking tea: New research in animals suggests that tea may be a simple, inexpensive means of preventing diabetes and its ensuing complications, including cataracts. The report, scheduled to appear in the... ... more

Posted at 2:46 PM | TrackBack

April 16, 2005

Future Drug to Make Cancer Manageable

A NEW drug that stops tumours from growing would enable people with cancer to manage the disease like diabetes or asthma. The medication, known as GSAO, has shown promising results in mice and will be tested in humans early next... ... more

Posted at 6:26 PM | TrackBack

April 15, 2005

What is Your Waist Size? It May Indicate your Risk for Developing Diabetes and Related Complications

Waist size is a good indicator of a person's risk of insulin resistance -- an early stage in the development of diabetes and heart disease, researchers said on Friday. "A waist circumference of less than 100 cm (39 inches) excludes... ... more

Posted at 3:08 PM | TrackBack

A Vaccine for Type 1 Diabetes

British scientsts at the University of Bristol and King's College in London are developing a vaccine for infants they hope will prevent the onset of Type 1 diabetes. The disease results from the destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the... ... more

Posted at 1:43 PM | TrackBack

April 14, 2005

Diabetes Management Program Billed a Success

A chronic disease management pilot project launched last year by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and Primaris, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Missouri, dramatically improved the quality of care given to Missourians with diabetes, prompting officials to extend the initiative for another year.

... more

Posted at 1:44 PM | TrackBack

April 13, 2005

Preventing Diabetes Complications Could Save $2.5 Billion Annually, Says AHRQ

A new research synthesis from HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that the nation could save nearly $2.5 billion a year by preventing hospitalizations due to severe diabetes complications. Diabetes, an increasingly common chronic disease, currently affects 18... ... more

Posted at 1:53 PM | TrackBack

April 12, 2005

Eye Exams Provide Clues to Heart, Blood Vessel Health, Says The Harvard Heart Letter

Over a romantic candlelit dinner, the eyes may be the windows to the soul. In a more prosaic light, they're windows to the heart, according to the March issue of the Harvard Heart Letter. A look into the eye can... ... more

Posted at 1:54 PM | TrackBack

April 6, 2005

Physical Activity Increases Insulin Sensitivity 44%

Physical Activity in women with type 2 diabetes may not only reduce waist size, but can also reduce the amount of visceral fat surrounding organs in the abdomen — the type of fat known to be associated with insulin resistance,... ... more

Posted at 10:30 AM | TrackBack