Increasing the amount of green leafy vegetables in an individual's diet could help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. An increase of 1.15 servings a day was associated with a 14% decrease in incidence. The data did not show any significant relations between the consumption of fruits, vegetables, or fruit and vegetables combined on the incidence of diabetes. As there was significant heterogeneity between studies, however, we carried out a sensitivity analysis. This showed no significant interactions between the outcomes of variables examined, and thus could not identify differences that occurred between the studies.

However, long term observations seem to have revealed two key factors: (1) the effectiveness of the transplanted cells diminishes through time and (2) their are risk factors associated with the immunosuppression drugs.

Consider the summary from a recent British Medical Journal Commentary:

Summary points

Islet of Langerhans transplantation is used in a select group of patients with type 1 diabetes with severe glycaemic lability, recurrent hypoglycaemia, and hypoglycaemia unawareness

The procedure is minimally invasive, with few procedure related complications

Two to three islet infusions are usually needed to achieve insulin independence

Most patients need insulin by five years post-transplantation owing to declining graft function; beneficial effects on the frequency of hypoglycaemic episodes and hypoglycaemia awareness remain

Most long term complications are related to systemic immunosuppression

The risk-benefit ratio of islet transplantation should be carefully weighed by the treating physician and the potential recipient, who should be given adequate information

Well- who is a candidate for these procedures? Usually patients with a BMI of over 40 or over 35 with health consequences that are obesity related. Does gastric bypass have any effect on diabetes? In a series of 1000 patients, 150 of whom had diabetes, 83% experienced resolution of their diabetes (defined by a normalization of A1c and coming of medications for diabetes) after the surgery

A new report from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that patients who had received gastric bypass surgery not only lost weight but had maintained healthier cardiac health, while also reducing previous cardiac complications spurred by obesity.

Often times when a patient is obese, an increase in the largest portion of the heart, the left ventricle can become larger in mass causing the heart to work harder to pump blood into the body. According to the study, echocardiograms, or ultrasounds of the heart showed a remodeling of the heart structure which included a reduction of left ventricular mass and right ventricular cavity area in patients that had received Gastric Bypass Surgery, a procedure Texas Bariatric Specialists performs.

â€Å"Patients now have another reason to add to their check-off list of the benefits of a gastric bypass. Why would anyone severely obese wait any longer when the health risks are too high,” says Texas Bariatric Specialists founder Dr. Nilesh A Patel.

A gastric bypass is a bariatric procedure that is the single largest contributor to these findings and is offered at Texas Bariatric Specialists. In the Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery procedure, the surgeon makes a small stomach pouch at the top of the stomach, the pouch is later connected to the small intestine bypassing the larger stomach. The gastric bypass can result in complete resolution in type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and the loss of 65 percent of excess body fat.

Source: press release

A NORTH-WEST man died within hours of being discharged from the North West Regional Hospital in what a coroner has labelled a "regrettable misjudgment".

The diabetic man, known as Mr H, was taken to the emergency department of the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie suffering a low blood-sugar level about 5.30pm on January 10, 2009.

An investigation by Coroner Rod Chandler found the 46-year-old was discharged at 7pm and died at home about 1.45am the next day.

"In these circumstances the decision to permit Mr H to go home about 7pm on 10 January, 2009, was a regrettable misjudgment," he said.

"Had he remained in hospital for a longer period and been subject to close monitoring and to more intensive investigations then it is likely in my view that the seriousness of his condition would have become evident and life-saving treatment put in place.

"These matters give rise to the question whether the decision to permit Mr H to go home without further monitoring and/or investigation was, in all the circumstances, a reasonable one."

Health authorities implemented new procedures after the man's death.

The man, a self-employed electrical technician, weighed 150kg and was taken by ambulance to the hospital with a very low blood sugar level of 1.5 millimoles per litre.

There is a clinically significant association between enterovirus infection, detected with molecular methods, and autoimmunity/type 1 diabetes.

First, note that enteroviruses are second only to the "common cold" viruses, the rhinoviruses, as the most common viral infectious with an estimated 10-15 million cases per year in the United States.

Second, the study was a retrospective analysis of published reports. This is a common method and accepted approach although there are limitations due to the difficulty in normalizing results across diverse study protocols.

Third, the study found a clear relationship between the presence of an enterovirus infection and type 1 diabetes. However, causality was not proven --- the results provide 'additional support to the direct evidence of enterovirus infection in pancreatic tissue of individuals with type 1 diabetes'. That is, the two are often observed together.

The makers of Airborne have agreed to refund money to consumers as part of a $23.3 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit for false advertising. It does not admit wrongdoing or illegal conduct.

Products included are the Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Airborne On-the-Go, Airborne Power Pixies, Airborne Nighttime, Airborne Jr., Airborne Gummi, and Airborne Seasonal (formerly sold as Airborne Seasonal Relief).

Sleep only when sleepy

Don't oversleep or nap during the day.

Have a light snack before bed

Laugh a little. What a comedy, joke with a friend and drop your stress hormones.

Put your work in perspective and get a hobby. A joint study of 314 workers conducted by the University of South Australia and the University of Rotterdam found that workers with higher levels of active leisurely activities, such as exercise, hobbies, and social activity, were able not only to bounce back from workplace stress better than their always-on-the-job coworkers but also sleep significantly better than others.

Use sunlight to set your biological clock

Connect. Studies at UCLA reveal that women's friendships and relationships with their children can block stress hormones.

Stay away from caffeine, nicotine and alcohol at least 4-6 hours before bed. (Nicotine is a stimulant)

Stretch and relaxation - Some people find that a gentle stretching routine for several minutes just before getting into bed helps induce sleep. Others practice relaxation techniques. Libraries or bookstores have books on developing stretching or relaxation routines.

Put yourself on a regular schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time each day.

Forgive others and let go of the past.

Be realistic. Rather than worrying about what you want to do match your expectations with what can actually be done.

Create a pre-sleep ritual. Ideally, nights should be as relaxing as possible, but try telling this to a working mom who needs to get a million things done.

Wind down for the night at least 30 to 60 minutes before bed.

Exercise early in the day.

Avoid drinking large amounts of fluid late in the day. A full bladder doesn't make for a good nights sleep.

Cut down on alcohol. Alcohol might help you get to sleep, but it results in shallow and disturbed sleep, abnormal dream periods, and frequent early morning awakening.

Check your iron level. Iron deficient women tend to have more problems sleeping, so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might help your health and your ability to sleep.

Change your lifestyle expectations. According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, 4 of the top 10 stressors we experience are related to money. Do with less, be healthy and be happy.

A good sleep environment can help:

• Make sure your bed is large enough, and comfortable. If you are disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a queen- or king-size bed. Test different types of mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets.


• Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.


• Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room is well ventilated and the temperature consistent. And try to keep it quiet. You could use a fan or a "white noise" machine to help block outside noises.


• Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can't see the time when you are in bed.

Gastric bypass surgery can lead to diabetes remission independent of weight loss even in subjects who are are not obese, which points to the small bowel as the possible site of critical mechanisms for the development of diabetes.

Women with type 1 diabetes who take less insulin than they should to try to lose weight triple their risk of dying compared to women who do not skip insulin doses, a new study finds.

University of Minnesota School of Public Health Project Eating Among Teens (EAT) researchers have found further evidence to support the importance of encouraging youth to eat breakfast regularly. Researchers examined the association between breakfast frequency and five-year body weight change in more than 2,200 adolescents, and the results indicate that daily breakfast eaters consumed a healthier diet and were more physically active than breakfast skippers during adolescence. Five years later, the daily breakfast eaters also tended to gain less weight and have lower body mass index levels an indicator of obesity risk compared with those who had skipped breakfast as adolescents.

Details here