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General Article Archives
November 2002
October 2002
Novo Nordisk has suspended development of ragaglitazar—a drug that has potential for regulating both blood-glucose and lipid levels—after finding urine bladder tumors in one mouse and several rats tested with the drug during preclinical trials.
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Add another complication to the list of diabetes-related diseases: acute liver failure.
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Researchers are discussing yet another risk factor for diabetes-related complications: health literacy, defined as the measure of a person's "ability to read, comprehend and act on medical instructions."
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Anti-diabetes drugs are on the list of medications that cause as many as 28 percent of visits to hospital emergency rooms. Other drug classes frequently linked to ER visits include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (N-SAIDS), anti-convulsants, antibiotics, respiratory drugs, hormones, central nervous system drugs and cardiovascular drugs.
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August 2002
If you have type 2 diabetes and don't take insulin, it's possible your mid-morning blood-glucose levels are high.
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Mama told you to drink your milk. Now there is evidence that she might have been inadvertently protecting you from developing insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) during your young adult years.
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July 2002
Twenty-four-hour continuous glucose monitoring can provide extremely useful information about an individual's blood-glucose pattern and fluctuations during the day and night.
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Officials from the United States and Vietnam agreed on March 10 to launch a joint study to determine the links between Agent Orange—a herbicide sprayed as a jungle defoliant during the Vietnam War—and a range of health problems including diabetes and cancer, according to the Associated Press (AP).
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June 2002
If patience is a virtue, then millions of people with diabetes who have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the GlucoWatch Biographer can now enjoy their just deserts.
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Medical Alert Corporation of London, Kentucky, is now offering a new product, its Medical Alert Watch, which displays a red medical alert symbol and your medical condition on the face of the watch.
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Many studies have shown that type 1 diabetes may be triggered by exposure to viral infections. Now researchers believe that interferons, a family of small proteins that can stimulate viral resistance in cells, can help protect beta cells in the pancreas from being destroyed by a common virus called coxsackie virus B4 (CVB4). Findings were reported in the April 2002 issue of Nature Immunology.
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People with diabetes are 3 percent more likely to stop working outside the home than people without diabetes, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor.
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May 2002
Carb Cards, of Montrose, Colorado, is offering four new products designed to help you count carbohydrates during mealtimes.
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SpectRx, Inc., added another tool to the insulin delivery arsenal when it received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on February 4 for its minimally invasive insulin patch infusion set for use with insulin pumps.
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Russ Berrie and Company, Inc., of Oakland, New Jersey, is now making its diabetes bears available for retail purchase and plans to give a portion of its proceeds to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Ruby and Rufus are beanbag bears with heart appliques that indicate areas to test blood glucose and inject insulin.
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People with type 1 diabetes feel the impact of their diabetes diagnosis more severely than people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the December 2001 issue of the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing.
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SpectRx, Inc., added another tool to the insulin delivery arsenal when it received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on February 4 for its minimally invasive insulin patch infusion set for use with insulin pumps.
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April 2002
Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is the best way to determine whether someone has resistant hypertension (high blood pressure that apparently is uncontrolled with the maximum level of treatment), according to researchers in Australia. In addition, the researchers found that patients are less likely to suffer from "white-coat hypertension" (elevated blood pressure in the doctor's office) when their blood pressure is taken by a nurse instead of a doctor.
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The parents and siblings of people who were diagnosed with diabetes before the age of 5 are at higher risk to develop the disease, according to the results of a new study published in the January 2002 issue of Diabetes.
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Focusing on the patient's perspective when it comes to intensive diabetes treatment can help the patient achieve better glycemic control and prevent diabetes complications, according to researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center.
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March 2002
Kraft Diabetic Choices, of Rye Brook, New York, has launched its interactive meal planner for people with diabetes. Available free of charge on the Web site www.kraftdiabeticchoices.com, the planner creates a customized weeklong plan for meals and snacks based on a person's nutritional and calorie requirements. Recipes, preparation time, a list of ingredients and nutritional information are provided for each meal or snack. The program generates a personalized grocery list. It also develops an individualized fitness plan and offers a log to track medication doses and blood-glucose readings.
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Q: Do you know how I can find places that accept sharps containers in my area? I have been unsuccessful in finding them.
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Women with long or irregular menstrual cycles are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a recent study. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health published their findings in the November 21, 2001, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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North Carolina researchers are suggesting that the surging increases in type 1 and 2 diabetes in the United States may be attributed less to genetics than to environmental factors.
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Providing goals and support to doctors can result in better outcomes for their patients with type 2 diabetes, say Danish researchers. Doctors who were helped to set guidelines and who received regular follow-ups and continuing medical education were most likely to have healthier patients. Results of the study were published in the October 27, 2001, issue of the British Medical Journal.
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February 2002
Who says the people who invent computers, cell phones and other devices that make our life easier should have all the fun?
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The American Medical Association (AMA) is debating a topic scorned by many: providing financial incentives for organ donations. As it stands, giving money to people for donating organs is illegal, banned by Congress in 1984. But the fact remains that 6,000 people in the United States die every year waiting for those desperately needed organs, according to the AMA.
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KV Pharmaceuticals Co., of St. Louis, Missouri, is offering a new vaginal cream for the treatment of yeast infections, a condition common among women with diabetes. Gynazole-1, which is available by prescription only, contains 2 percent of the active ingredient butoconazole nitrate and requires only one dose. It is packaged in a prefilled applicator that employs the company's patented VagiSite delivery technology. The cream has been shown in clinical trials to be bioadhesive, lasting for approximately four days without leaking, according to KV Pharmaceuticals. Because it is nonleaking, the cream can be applied at any time of the day.
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Diabetes Educational Services of Chico, California, is offering a two-day diabetes educator review course that provides a comprehensive survey of approaches and tools for diabetes management.
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Having shorter legs may increase a man's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers in the United Kingdom suggest. Publishing their findings in the December 2001 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers from England, Wales and Ireland found a link to diabetes and heart disease in middle-aged men with shorter legs.
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People in Western countries don't ingest enough potassium, claim researchers from the United Kingdom. Increasing potassium intake by eating more fruits and vegetables may have a range of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure; reducing the risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney damage; and helping to prevent calcium deficiency and glucose intolerance, these researchers say.
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Who says the people who invent computers, cell phones and other devices that make our life easier should have all the fun?
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January 2002
How do couples in which one partner has diabetes and the other doesn't deal with the question of whose diabetes it is? Answers to this question, often overlooked by many healthcare professionals, can be critical to the successful long-term management of diabetes and its integration into daily life.
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On November 13, 2001, Novo Nordisk announced a decision to establish an international foundation called the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) with the purpose of supporting projects that will improve diabetes care in developing countries.
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The increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes and the demand for drugs that treat microvascular complications are going hand in hand, it seems. This is the conclusion of an October 25, 2001, study conducted by Decision Resources, Inc., a company that prepares pharmaceutical research publications and offers advisory services and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets.
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On November 6, 2001, a settlement was reached in a $175 million lawsuit filed against the makers of the diabetes drug Rezulin.
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Approximately 1.2 million people with diabetes in the United States suffer from retinopathy or macular edema, complications of diabetes that involve bleeding in the eye, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a result, people with diabetes are 25 times more at risk for blindness than the general population, says the CDC.
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Bone density is likely to be lower than normal in adults newly diagnosed with adult-onset type 1 diabetes, according to researchers in Spain. Osteoporosis could appear upon diagnosis of type 1 diabetes rather than as a late consequence of the disease, they say.
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Nearly one-quarter of research subjects with type 1 diabetes who had diabetic kidney disease showed signs of remission of their kidney disorder after beginning treatment with angiotensin-converter enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, say researchers at the Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark.
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December 2001
Blues artist B.B. King released a holiday album entitled "A Christmas Celebration of Hope" on November 6. Proceeds from album sales will be donated to City of Hope, a Los Angeles medical center dedicated to the treatment and research of fatal diseases such as cancer, AIDS and diabetes.
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A positive outlook may just be critical to keeping teens with diabetes happy. That's why the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is sponsoring "Rock the World," a one-day confidence-building and training program for teens with diabetes.
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Forgetting to take your medications can now be eliminated with a specialized alarm clock designed to keep you on your pills—uh, toes.
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There is no scientific evidence proving that glitazones, oral medications that reduce insulin resistance, should be used more, say researchers in the September issue of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.
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Taking iron supplements may help prevent a cough associated with taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, say researchers in Korea.
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Tossing back a couple of brews while watching the big game could be protecting you from getting type 2 diabetes, according to researchers in the United States and Australia.
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Tossing back a couple of brews while watching the big game could be protecting you from getting type 2 diabetes, according to researchers in the United States and Australia.
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November 2001
Over 400,000 people are expected to participate in the Walk to Cure Diabetes 2001-2002, hosted by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The JDRF anticipates raising a minimum of $78 million to fund research on finding a cure for diabetes and related complications. The event involves series of walks taking place at different times around the U.S.
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Roche Diagnostics recently rolled out its Accu-Chek Active blood-glucose monitor and will introduce its Accu-Chek Compact monitor this fall.
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The September issue of Technology Review reported that a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based company called Sentek Group "has come up with a new, non-invasive way of monitoring diabetes that doesn't require any pricey machinery."
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Researchers in Jamaica say the compound capsaicin, which makes peppers hot, also lowers blood sugar in dogs. They add that some day it might be used to treat diabetes in humans.
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One of the most commonly used over-the-counter drugs may lead to a new treatment for type 2 diabetes, say researchers. Aspirin, used for decades to treat headaches and minor aches and pains, has been shown to reverse high blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity when taken in high doses, according a study published in the August 2001 issue of Science.
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October 2001
The American Association of Diabetes Educators' 28th Annual Conference was held this year in Louisville, Kentucky, from August 16 to 19. It drew quite a crowd—3,200 attendees, a record number for the association. A total of 215 companies made appearances, displaying both new and tried-and-true products. The AADE announced its educator of the year, Gail Lorenzi, RN, CDE, and Diabetes Health conducted its yearly raffle—$1,500 to the first prize winner! Connie Gilbert, RD, MS, CDE, of the Methodist Medical Group in Indianapolis, Indiana, walked away with the check.
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What does the flu mean to people with diabetes? Better known as "influenza" in medical circles, the flu is a highly contagious virus that infects the respiratory tract. Most people recover from the flu in a week or two, but for some it is a more serious threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites that more than 20,000 deaths occur nationwide and more than 100,000 people are hospitalized annually.
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Of all the advances in technology out there, now there's a talking machine to help you remember to take your medications.
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A new portable foot device used to treat blood clots and swelling feet has received approval in Europe, according to Medical Dynamics, the product's manufacturer. An over-the-counter version called WalkCare received approval earlier this year.
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On July 25, the Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted to not recommend approval of Symlin (pramlintide acetate), a new drug for controlling blood-sugar levels in type 1 and insulin-using type 2 people with diabetes.
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Testing at night and after meals may give you the most accurate A1c reading, according to the result of recent research. Doctors from California and Washington, D.C., tested blood-glucose levels continuously on patients for three days to identify the times when the readings most closely reflected A1c levels. They found that glucose levels tested at night and after meals matched the patients' actual A1c levels. Glucose levels taken in the morning did not match their A1c levels as closely.
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"Currently, diabetes guidelines in the United States are not consistent with world-wide standards,'' said Rhoda Cobin, MD, FACE, president of the American College of Endocrinology (ACE), in its press release. "We need more aggressive, complete and cohesive standards."
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September 2001
You've probably been warned about the downsides of not getting enough sleep: fatigue, irritability and weakening of your immune system. Now, researchers have discovered an effect that poses a much more serious risk to your health: lack of sleep can lead to diabetes.
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Imagine it if you will: having a source at your fingertips to receive unlimited amounts of information about managing your diabetes. Well, Dr. Joe, the Diabetes Doctor, a daily newsletter sent by e-mail, is now offering that very source for a monthly fee of $29.95.
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Abbott Labratories S/B, MediSense Products announced that its new test strips have received marketing approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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Brains cells taken from human corpses could become a source of stem cells used for research, say doctors in California.
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Being exposed to infections at an early age may help prevent children from developing diabetes, say researchers.
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Doctors think that the current approach to diabetes treatment and the established goal for glycemic control should be reconsidered. According to the results of a recent survey of endocrinologists, the goal for achieving blood sugar control should be lower and achieved by better planning of when to take insulin. The Council for the Advancement of Diabetes Research and Education (CADRE), which commissioned the survey, announced the results in a press release on June 26. The purpose of the survey was to determine why, according to CADRE, less than half of type 2s have good blood sugar control.
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August 2001
Participants in the intensive treatment sector of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial are continuing to see lower microalbumin rates six years after the study ended, despite the fact that their average HbA1cs have increased. The DCCT proved, among other things, that the chances of progressing to microalbuminuria was reduced by 39 percent with intensive treatment.
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Cod protein has been proven to be a natural insulin sensitizer in rats fed a high-fat diet, say researchers in Canada, who presented their findings at the American Diabetes Association's scientific sessions in June.
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Want to decrease your chances of developing diabetic cataracts? Drink your tea, say researchers in Pennsylvania, who submitted a paper for the American Diabetes Association's scientific sessions in June.
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Normal diagnostic methods for carpal tunnel syndrome don't work for people with diabetes who have nerve damage, say researchers in Massachusetts, whose findings were published at the American Diabetes Association's scientific sessions in June.
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Diabetes could use a little more public relations activity, based on an analysis of health coverage on national newscasts that ran between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2000 on ABC, CBS and NBC. During that period, there were 1,695 reports related to cancer and 2,151 heart-disease-related reports, compared with only 68 reports on diabetes. None of the diabetes-related reports said that minorities, particularly African-Americans and Hispanics, are at higher risk for diabetes.
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For a number of years, it was believed that C-peptide, which links the alpha and beta chains of active insulin before they break apart, was merely a waste product. Research is showing, however, that C-peptide could be beneficial in helping prevent diabetes complications.
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If you don't want to get type 2 diabetes, lighten up! People who measure high on the Cook-Medley hostility scale are more likely to have abnormal glucose metabolism and a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
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Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co. Inc. of Amityville, New York, announced the launch of a nutritional catalog for people with diabetes. The Diabetic Health catalog, which allows readers to order products for home delivery by mail, features a series of unique formulas such as Multivitamin Formula, Eye Care Formula and Neuropathy Formula to help treat different type of diabetes complications. The treatments have many well-known nutritional supplements including chromium, vitamin E, alpha-lipoic acid, vanadyl sulfate, bilberry extract and coenzyme Q10. Also found in the catalog are pharmaceutical products sold by Hi-Tech, including the Diabetic Tussin line of products for cough and colds.
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Nine out of 10 primary-care doctors in this country could not correctly name the top three tests that a person with diabetes requires on a regular basis to stay alive—tests that could save patients' lives.
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Millions of people turn to the Web daily as a source of information on health topics ranging from the latest trends in diets to treatments for serious diagnoses. Is what you’re searching for accurate and accessible? For the most part it is not, say researchers in Southern California.
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Results of a study show that valsartan (Diovan), a common drug used to treat hypertension, had a significant secondary benefit—it helps to reduce microalbuminuria, high level of protein in the urine that can be a sign of kidney disease. The results of the Microalbuminuria Reduction with Valsartan (MARVAL) trial were presented at the 16th annual Scientific Session of the American Society of Hypertension.
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July 2001
On May 23, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) of New Brunswick, New Jersey, announced it has entered into an agreement where it would acquire Inverness Medical Technology (IMA), in a deal valued at $1.3 billion.
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Don't look for rising blood pressure as a first indicator of impending kidney disease if the subject is a child.
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"The thrill of victory-the agony of defeat" can play havoc with your blood-glucose levels-even if you're merely cheering for your favorite teamItalian researchers M.G. Cavallo, S. Romeo, G. Coppolino and P. Pozzilli examined a 25-year-old Italian man with type 1 diabetes who was wearing a MiniMed Continuous Glucose Monitoring System both the day before and the day of the semi-final soccer match between Italy and Holland during the European Soccer Championship on June 29, 2000. The research was published in the February issue of Diabetologia.
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Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals of Denmark violated federal regulations for inaccurately representing the type 2 drug Prandin (repaglinide) in promotional materials, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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June 2001
Researchers at Harvard are making some progress with the development of a gene they hope can help promote pancreatic development and create replacement stem cells.
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When you're caught up in the daily routine of eating well, exercising, testing your sugar levels and taking medications, it may seem impossible to track the patterns in your diabetes management. With the help of a new product, the WeeklyTrack Diabetes Management Kit, you just may get the guidance you need.
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May 2001
Bicarbonate, a common treatment used on children with type 1 diabetes who suffer from ketoacidosis, has been shown to increase the risk of cerebral edema, or swelling of the brain, according to a study published in the January 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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On November 2 and 3, 2001, the Dorothy L. and James E. Frank Diabetes Research Institute of Mills-Peninsula Health Services in San Mateo, California, will be presenting The Diabetes Technology Meeting, a conference to learn about the latest diabetes-management technology.
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On March 19, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its Innovo "dial-a-dose" insulin-delivery device. The device is expected to be available for people with diabetes later this year.
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April 2001
I am 72 years old and have been a type 2 for 21 years. I keep my blood sugar under control and get lab work done every three months. My A1c remains at 6%. Despite these measures, every year I get neuropathy on a different part of my body that lasts from winter until spring. Currently, I have it in my right buttocks and the back of my thigh. It is very painful. My doctor doesn't know what to do other than to prescribe painkillers that irritate my stomach.
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If only medical technology found a way to target and kill off the bad cells responsible for autoimmine diseases without destroying the good ones, then it would be in business. It would mean being able to more effectively treat type 1 diabetes, as well as a host of other autoimmune diseases.
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New evidence suggests that diabetes can lead to breast disease in menopausal women.
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Editor's Note: DIABETES HEALTH encourages every person with diabetes to see an eye doctor at least once per year. A treatment like the one featured here should never replace professional care, and you should always notify your doctors when you take a non-prescription treatment. Only a professional has the tools to assess the health of your eyes.
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Editor's Note: DIABETES HEALTH encourages every person with diabetes to see an eye doctor at least once per year. A treatment like the one featured here should never replace professional care, and you should always notify your doctors when you take a non-prescription treatment. Only a professional has the tools to assess the health of your eyes.
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NIDDK-supported research, including basic discoveries in immunology and cell and transplant biology, laid the groundwork for the Edmonton advance.
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To ensure the highest scientific standards among funded projects, applications for grant funding undergo a two-step peer review by scientific experts from outside NIH.
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The Diabetes Research Working Group (DRWG) is an independent panel of 12 scientific experts in diabetes and four representatives from the lay diabetes community. The DRWG was appointed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the demand of Congress to spend a year determining what needed to be done for diabetes research and treatment.
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In one of the final decisions made at the end of its term, Congress and the White House awarded $240 million in funding over the next three years for diabetes research and treatment of the disease for Native Americans. The money is an addition to the $150 million grant that was awarded in 1997 as part of the Balance Budget Act to both Native American health care programs and type 1 research.
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March 2001
Diabetes has never before been considered a risk factor for hip and shoulder fractures among older women. It has now been proven, according to data from the largest study ever of fracture risks among diabetic women.
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On February 5, the American Diabetes Association announced the release of an educational video that uses comic relief to communicate the importance of diabetes awareness to the male demographic.
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February 2001
Kivalo, Inc., of Charlotte, North Carolina, has developed a prototype of a device that could, in the near future, allow parents and physicians of children with type 1 diabetes to access and monitor a child's glucose measurements in real time.
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Can you point me to any data on whether people with diabetes are prone to canker sores or other mouth sores?
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Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, say they have identified a gene linked to type 1 diabetes. The gene, called JM2, causes type 1 diabetes when it is mutated. It can also cause a host of other problems, including chronic diarrhea, eczema and food allergies.
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The results of a prospective study involving 21,000 physicians indicate smoking is associated with a substantial increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
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Researchers have discovered that injecting a specialized gene into diabetic rats and mice can put type 1 diabetes into remission, according to a November 22, 2000 press release from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary.
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On December 15, 2000 the U.S Congress and White House approved House Resolution 4577, which will increase federal spending for type 1 diabetes research at the National Institutes of Health. The 60 percent increase is the largest boost ever for type 1, increasing the estimated $134 million for fiscal year 2000 to $220 million for fiscal year 2001.
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On November 28, 2000, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) announced it and Wellcome Trust are providing a joint $34 million award over five years, to set up a new Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in England.
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On December 22, 2000, Novartis Pharmaceuticals received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its type 2 drug nateglinide (Starlix) as a therapy on its own and in combination with Glucophage.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2001
January 2001
Finnish researchers are saying children who undergo bone-marrow transplantation are at risk for impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia in adulthood.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2001
A recent survey shows the United States is far from alone in its high numbers of people with diabetes with a deficit in self-management education. The survey, conducted by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF), found that people with diabetes in five European countries said they had received little to no formal training on how to manage the disease.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2001
In an alarming new study, Canadian researchers say obesity nearly tripled for boys and more than doubled for girls over a 15-year span.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2001
In a November 13, 2000 press release, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International reported that a new survey shows a huge gap in the public's knowledge of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2001
Since 1970, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International (JDF) has been one of the more prominent organizations dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes. While its mission will remain the same, its name and logo will not.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2001
In a November 15, 2000 internal report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledged it has learned from its mistakes following the March 2000 withdrawal of the type 2 drug Rezulin.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2001
December 2000
I've Started Taking Avandia. What Changes Do I Need to Make to My Diet?
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
A new study by chemists at Ohio University and the University of Iowa suggests that people with diabetes can use light to measure blood glucose values. The scientists involved in the study feel they have edged one step closer to the development of a glucose-measuring device that uses light instead of a blood sample.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
Marshall B. Elam, MD, and a multi-center team at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, are saying patients with type 2 diabetes who receive lipid-modifying doses of niacin show a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol and a significant decrease in triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol levels.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
Excess sugar in the blood may boost the production of free radicals, which are byproducts of normal metabolism that have been linked to aging and heart disease. In turn, this could lead to arterial damage and blocked arteries.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
In a study of people with diabetes who suffered from high blood pressure, researchers found that no class of anti-hypertensive drugs appears to be more effective than any other.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
Doctors at the Indiana University School of Medicine say blood pressure drugs used to treat diabetes may also reduce the risk of dementia in older adults.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
If you do get a cold or flu, you will need more than anti-viral medication to feel better. You will probably need some over-the-counter drugs.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
On September 18, Disetronic announced it had obtained European market approval for the DiaPort, an implantable system for continuous insulin administration.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
On September 28, Congress signed legislation that for the first time recognizes autoimmunity as a major disease category that demands significant research attention. The legislation establishes a permanent Autoimmune Disease Coordinating Committee within the Director's Office of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The legislation, spearheaded by Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-Delaware) and Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-California), is included in the Children's Health Act. The autoimmune process results in diseases as diverse as type 1 diabetes, lupus and multiple sclerosis,'' said Senator Biden in a press release for the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA). "This new legislation will ensure that researchers working on one of these diseases will be able to fully benefit from knowledge gained from research on all other autoimmune diseases, with an eye toward eradication of all these devastating illnesses." Autoimmunity is the process whereby the immune system mistakenly recognizes the body's own proteins as foreign invaders and begins producing antibodies that attack healthy cells and tissues, causing a variety of diseases. According to AARDA, approximately 50 million Americans suffer from some 80 or so autoimmune diseases. The NIH Initiative on Autoimmune Diseases creates a coordinating committee within the NIH director's office that will oversee all the autoimmune research activities throughout the national research institutes. It will also promote cooperation and coordination among the institutes and other federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, involved in ongoing research into autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases. "Most significantly, the coordinating committee will develop a plan for research and education on autoimmune diseases," said Representative Waxman. "The strategic plan will create crucial new funding opportunities for autoimmune research and provide an objective, scientifically sound roadmap for Congress and NIH to follow in pursuit of new treatments and cures.'' In addition, the strategic plan, which must reflect input from a broad range of scientists, patients and advocacy groups, will provide for: basic research to determine causes of the diseases (etiology). epidemiological studies to address the frequency and national history of the diseases, including by gender and race. clinical research for the development and evaluation of new treatments. educational programming for both health care professionals and the public. For more information, visit AARDA's web site at http://www.aarda.org or call (888) 856-9433.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
Hi-Tech Pharmacal of Amityville, New York, announced on September 27 it had signed an agreement with Chris Dudley to be a spokesperson for its Health Care Products Division. Dudley will help develop a line of products designed to enhance the quality of life of people with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 2000
October 2000
How does massage therapy come into the picture of diabetes treatment? What are its benefits? What does a person with diabetes need to know about massage?
1 comment - Posted Oct 1, 2000
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that along with a rapid increase in obesity during the 1990s, the prevalence of diabetes has also increased-by 33 percent.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 2000
Traditionally, it has been assumed that if you eat too much, the increased demand for insulin causes beta-cell dysfunction and results in obesity, insulin resistance and, finally, type 2 diabetes. Consequently, doctors have told obese persons to lose weight so they won't develop diabetes, placing the blame squarely on the patient.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 2000
Dr. Mayer B. Davidson, past president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) published a letter in the August issue of Diabetes. The letter reminded ADA members that the current five-year plan of the ADA contained a goal of allotting one out of every three dollars of total public support to research awards and grants.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 2000
Catherine Agonis is a 13-year-old from Greenwhich, Connecticut, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of six. Since then, the 8th grader has been on a crusade to help raise awareness and money for a diabetes cure.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 2000
At a campaign stop in Portland, Oregon on August 30, Vice President Al Gore was confronted by American Diabetes Association national youth advocate Clare Rosenfeld on whether he will press Congress to support the Diabetes Research Working Group (DRWG)'s recommendations for the government's diabetes research budget.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 2000
September 2000
A recent Israeli study is showing that men and women with diabetes may need to watch out for very different things to find out if they are at increased risk of death.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 2000
Ted Martin of Iselin, New Jersey, started smoking when he was 14. When he was 33, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, but continued smoking into his early 40s. Quitting was not easy, but he finally succeeded through the technique of gradual withdrawal.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 2000
August 2000
Patients who measure their glucose levels from one to four times per day and their fructosamine levels once per week can significantly improve their BG control and lower HbA1c. Called the IN CHARGE, LXN Corporation of San Diego, has a GlucoProtein test which can provide both tests.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
The importance of physician self-management counseling for patients with diabetes is stressed time and time again. A new study, however, published in the July issue of American Journal of Preventative Medicine, says primary care is falling on its face in the area of helping people with diabetes to help themselves. The researchers argue more doctor-patient collaborative activities are needed.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
Pundits across the world have always claimed that marriage is about compromise, and now science may be backing them up.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
People with diabetes have been thought to have slightly healthier diets and exercise habits than the general population for some time, and a recent study suggests that quitting smoking can be added to that list.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
To the dismay of many Americans with diabetes, the cost of diabetes medications has soared in recent years. This has occurred in large part because relatively new medications such as Avandia, Glucophage and Actos cost a lot more than older diabetes drugs-sometimes up to 10 times more.
3 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
Learning About Diabetes: A Game for Healthy Living is a new board game developed by Tracey Associates of Bridgewater, New Jersey. The game was introduced at the ADA Scientific Sessions in San Antonio, Texas.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and PacifiCare Health Systems have announced the formation of a $1.5 million partnership to educate seniors with diabetes and their caregivers who treat them. According to the ADA and PacifiCare Health Systems, the prevalence of diabetes increases with age with "approximately one out of five people over the age of 65 having diabetes."
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and PacifiCare Health Systems have announced the formation of a $1.5 million partnership to educate seniors with diabetes and their caregivers who treat them. According to the ADA and PacifiCare Health Systems, the prevalence of diabetes increases with age with "approximately one out of five people over the age of 65 having diabetes."
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
On June 12, at the ADA Scientific Sessions in San Antonio, Texas, Roche Diagnostics introduced a Spanish version of the Accu-Check Voicemate monitoring system. The system includes a BG monitor, testing strips with a curved edge for tactile confirmation and an insulin vial identification feature.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
LifeScan introduced the new One Touch FastTake test strips with FastDraw design at the ADA Scientific Session in San Antonio, Texas. The new test strip requires only 1.5 microliters of blood. The original One Touch FastTake strip required 2.5 microliters of blood. The new test strip also come equipped with a capillary-action feature that provides results in 15 seconds.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 2000
July 2000
Years ago, restaurant eating was reserved for special occasions. It was a time for celebration and overindulging in foods not typical of our normal fare. Today, eating out has become second nature for many, a by-product of our fast-paced life on the run.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 2000
After a two-year research effort, the Eli Lilly and Company Consortium for Diabetes and Obesity identified 12 genetic regions as keys to unlocking what makes individuals susceptible to type 2 diabetes and obesity.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 2000
June 2000
The department of pathology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions decided to launch an investigation into BG monitors and test strips used at one of its intensive care units after receiving reports that the meters were giving inaccurate readings. In an experiment, test strips were deliberately contaminated by exposure either to liquids or to air. When the strips were used with the meters, they gave false readings instead of an error message. The researchers conclude that medical professionals, as well as patients, need to be educated on the importance of keeping test strips dry and free from contaminants.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that people with diabetes be immunized against influenza and pneumonia, because they are considered a moderate- to-high-risk group. The numerous complications that often accompany diabetes also make people with diabetes particularly susceptible to infections.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
Short of finding a cure for diabetes, the next best thing is probably perfecting a "closed-loop" insulin delivery system with an implanted glucose sensor capable of continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels. This would reduce the incidence of hypoglycemia, a risk faced by people who are on intensive insulin therapy.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
A review of the charts of diabetic girls aged 10 to 18 revealed that better BG control can help regulate their menstruation. Of 47 girls studied, those who had menstrual problems had a higher mean HbA1c (11.4%) than those who had regular menstruation (9.7%).
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
Thyroid dysfunction may affect as many as 30 percent of type 1 females. Type 2s are more often affected by hypothyroidism. Since thyroid disorders and diabetes manifest similar symptoms, this makes it hard to diagnose.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
When officials at MediCal realized how much diabetic patients were costing the program, they came up with a team management plan to reduce the number of complications associated with diabetes. By doing so, they hoped to cut down on hospitalizations, amputations and other medical costs associated with diabetes. The California program is based on the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
Kumetrix Inc. of Union City, California, has entered into an agreement with Bayer Diagnostics to further develop Kumetrix's silicon micro-needle device for diabetic blood glucose monitoring.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
In June, the Hollywood community is uniting to make a difference for the diabetes community by donating items which will be sold through the Hollywood Garage Sale.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 2000
May 2000
People with diabetes who took abciximab (also available as ReoPro) during angioplasty could significantly improve their chances of survival, according to research published in the March 15 issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
Taking 1,800 mg of oral alpha-lipoic acid daily for 19 days helped reduce nerve pain for type 2 patients, according to a Berlin study reported in the December 1999 issue of Diabetic Medicine. At the start of the trial, the patients all had multiple neuropathic symptoms such as burning and numbness. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was funded by German drug company ASTA Medica AG, which supplied the alpha-lipoic acid for the research.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
In a follow-up study of the 10-year DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial), it was found that people who intensively managed their blood sugar significantly reduced their risk of developing retinopathy and kidney disease.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
On March 29, Robert Burns, an Associated Press military writer, reported that a 47 percent increase in diabetes was detected in Vietnam War veterans exposed to the dioxin-laced chemical Agent Orange.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
For the purposes of this article, we have chosen a sampling from the many solicitations that come into DIABETES HEALTH. Many of them are reputable organizations, but one of them, National Diabetes Fund, proved to have a negative PAS (Philanthropic Advisory Service) report. PAS reports are issued by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), and a negative report means that a particular organization does not meet the CBBB's standards for nonprofits.
2 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
The FDA announced that it plans to make a public presentation of the data underlying, and the rationale for, its decision to request the withdrawal of Rezulin. This presentation will be made to the next meeting of the Endocrine and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, tentatively scheduled for May 18 and 19. According to the FDA, that date could change based on availability of committee members.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
SmithKline Beecham, maker of the glitazone Avandia, is working with doctors to help the transition of patients taking Rezulin to safer alternatives. SmithKline Beecham will be offering special services for type 2 diabetes patients to get more information about glitazones.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
On March 21, people with diabetes, and their families and friends, converged on Washington, D.C. at the Rally for a Cure. The 1,500-strong crowd lobbied Congress and President Clinton to fully implement the recommendations of the Diabetes Research Working Group (DRWG).
0 comments - Posted May 1, 2000
April 2000
I thought Daniel Trecroci's foot care feature in the February issue ("Does the Shoe Fit? Important New Products for the Diabetic Foot") was very well written and organized. It is always good to express opinions from a variety of specialties.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
The results of the MICRO-HOPE (Microalbuminuria, Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes) ramipril drug trial were so promising that it was concluded six months early. Tested on 3,500 middle-aged and elderly people with diabetes, ramipril (Altace) was shown to significantly reduce the combined and individual risks of heart attacks (22 percent), and stroke and cardiovascular death (37 percent), regardless of whether the subjects were insulin-dependent or had a previous heart history. Altace belongs to a group of drugs called angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors which are commonly used to treat high blood pressure and kidney problems. The findings were published in the January 2000 issues of The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
The 2000 presidential election is only seven months away and people with diabetes are curious to know where their candidates stand on allocating money for diabetes research.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
FDA Official Wants Rezulin Pulled
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
Established in 1994, LifeMasters Supported HealthCare provides health-management services that improve patient outcome and reduce medical costs. Services include education, vital-sign monitoring, longitudinal health records, behavior modification and virtual nurse coaching.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
Health Care Products of Amityville, New York, has introduced an antacid tablet specifically designed for people with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
Through the partnership of M. Joann Henry, RNC, MSHS, CDE and Patricia Payne-Zajac, MSW, RD, CDE, Sweet Success Express promotes diabetes and pregnancy guidelines across the country.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
Spectrum Essentials of Petaluma, California, recently introduced Daily Essential Fiber, a formula which contains 700 mg of omega-3 essential fatty acids per serving, and provides 12 percent of the recommended daily allowance of insoluble and soluble fiber.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 2000
March 2000
Kidney disease, retinopathy, angiopathy, neuropathy and delayed wound healing are the more commonly known complications of diabetes. Consider periodontitis, or gum disease, to be the sixth complication of diabetes, an important risk factor that needs to be controlled in order to improve your overall dental health. The more diabetes-related complications you may have, the more likely you are to develop others. Periodontitis has been linked with complications such as retinopathy, angiopathy and kidney disease. Periodontal disease can be monitored and controlled with careful attention to your at-home oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Q: My father is a 62-year-old man and he has had diabetes for a little over 10 years. He has showed an allergic reaction to the 70/30 insulin. When he first started using this insulin, after injecting the proper dose he would start to itch all over his body and he would feel hot inside and sweaty and his face would turn red. He couldn't understand why this was happening and his family doctor could not provide him any answers regarding this reaction. My father kept using the same insulin for months after that and he always had that reaction.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
For the first time, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has demonstrated a capability to accurately measure glucose levels. The device uses fiber optics to illuminate vascular tissue. A tungsten-halogen light is connected to the fiber optic bundle; this is directed at the subject's thumb. Glucose has its own special "spectral signature" which can be differentiated from other molecules in the tissue. The device then processes this information (which is both reflected and absorbed by the fiber optic light) using a mathematical algorithm to come up with an accurate plasma glucose level.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
While rigorous glycemic control is important for all diabetic patients, it's especially important after surgery. Better glycemic control after surgery reduces the rate of bacterial infections; and high post-surgery BGs often lead to more infections.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
In a study involving almost 10,000 elderly women, Edward W. Gregg, MD, and researchers from the Centers for Disease Control found that long-time sufferers of diabetes were more susceptible to failing memory and other cognitive problems. Those who had diabetes for more than 15 years were 57% to 114% more likely to suffer a decline in cognitive function and mental faculties than women without diabetes. The findings were reported in the January issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Yet another study seems to confirm the link between type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of heart disease. In the 5-year Framingham Offspring Study involving 3,000 people, James B. Meigs, MD, MPH, and fellow researchers found that those with elevated levels of insulin also had high levels of the PAI-1 antigen, a chemical that inhibits the body's ability to dissolve blood clots. The findings were reported in the January 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, and may help explain why heart attacks and stroke currently account for two-thirds of all deaths among the type 2 diabetic population in the U.S.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Moderate drinkers may be less at risk for developing type 2 diabetes than nondrinkers and heavy drinkers, according to research by Ming Wei, MD, and his colleagues at the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas. The research was published in the January 2000 issue of Diabetes Care. Wei's team examined the effect of alcohol consumption and the rates of type 2 diabetes in 8,663 men in the state of Texas. Over 6 years, 149 subjects developed diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
People hospitalized for bipolar disorder may be three times more likely than the general population to have diabetes, according to a study by researchers at Duke University which was reported in the September 1999 issue of the Journal of Psychiatry. Fred Goodwin, MD, the Director of the Center on Neuroscience, Medicine, Progress and Society at George Washington University, cites recent studies showing a connection between diabetes and depression. "Often," he says, "we make the mistake of treating depression with anti-depressants in the absence of mood stabilizers*; which can make the depression cycle more rapidly and convert simple depression into a bipolar disorder."
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
It is accepted medical knowledge that people with diabetes have an increased susceptibility to infection. A recent review in December 16, 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine shows the most common infections associated with diabetes; and in which instances the jury is still out. Many specific infections appear more frequently in diabetic patients, and others occur almost exclusively in them. Diabetes has been implicated as a risk factor for salmonella, staph and candida infections. There is evidence that more closely controlled glycemic levels will improve immune function. Diabetic patients do experience some alteration of their immune function, such as depressed leucocyte levels or a reduced ability by the body to combat bacteria (phagocytosis). But it would be best to look at some of these conditions individually, rather than draw the more general assumption.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
On the heels of the GlucoWatch monitor receiving a unanimous recommendation for approval from an advisory panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), another company, SpectRx Inc., is saying that they are developing a similar continuous glucose monitoring device. Despite being almost two years behind the GlucoWatch monitor, spokespersons at SpectRx are saying that their product will be better.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Twenty years ago, the first blood glucose meters used 30 microliters of blood. When the One Touch came out 10 years ago, it only required 10 microliters of blood. Today, the FastTake, Advantage, Elite and Precision QID only use 2 or 3 microliters of blood. As Bayer claims in its "Size Matters" print ad for the Elite and Elite XL, "less blood means fewer errors, fewer punctures, less pain" resulting in "...reduced wastage and reduced cost."
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Peter Van Etten, former president and chief executive officer of the University of California at San Francisco Stanford Health Care, recently became the new president and chief executive officer of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF).
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
On Tuesday, March 21, people with diabetes are invited to a Rally for a Cure at the capitol in Washington, D.C. According to Joe LaMountain, national director of advocacy at the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the rally will begin at 11:00 a.m. EST, and anybody can attend.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Polymer Technology Systems, Inc., of Indianapolis, announced that they have received FDA clearance to market their blood ketone test to the consumer market. The test runs on the company's BioScanner 2000 analyzer, which also measures glucose and total cholesterol. It is designed for both home and physician office use.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Ann Doherty, CDE, RN, has designed a one-week vacation for people who want to improve their diabetes or heart disease.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
Patients with neuropathy can participate in a clinical trial in San Diego that will test a non-narcotic treatment for the debilitating pain caused by diabetic neuropathy. According to a Diabetes and Endocrine Associates news release, a hand-held device, known as the PlexxNet Patient LogPad, will enable researchers to monitor a patient's safety and response to experimental therapy.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 2000
February 2000
Healthcare providers are urged to move beyond the conventional concepts of compliance and adherence when it comes to caring for their patients with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2000
Many people with diabetes assume that there is a strong correlation between their mean blood sugar level and their glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Some researchers, however, are sounding a warning: some people with identical glycosylated hemoglobin levels have been shown to have very different average blood glucose levels.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2000
Six-time Grammy winner Jose Feliciano is the spokesperson for a new type 2 diabetes education initiative supported by an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb, the maker of Glucophage. This new program is intended to promote health and well-being in the Hispanic community. Recent studies have indicated that as many as one in six Hispanic adults has diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2000
In a recent study, 93 percent of people who were given Gebauer Company's Ethyl Chloride, a topical anesthetic applied before injections, reported feeling no pain when receiving the injection.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2000
Gene Logic Inc., of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., of Osaka, Japan, will co-develop a custom gene expression database to aid in the development of drugs to help counter the progression of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 2000
January 2000
How have tens of thousands of people managed to successfully quit smoking, many without any withdrawal symptoms? Would you believe self-hypnosis?
0 comments - Posted Jan 9, 2000
An international team of researchers announced its discovery of the root cause of all serious diabetes complications the April 13 issue of the journal Nature reported.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
A recent survey published in the May/June issue of The Diabetes Educator found that most health care professionals with diabetes manage their own care more intensively than most of their patients do.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
The May 11 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine reports that fiber may be one step closer to becoming a vital part of the diabetes diet.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
A British study published in the April issue of Diabetes Care has put caffeine under the microscope again. After a two-year study, researchers conclude that caffeine can intensify the warning symptoms of hypoglycemia without affecting a patient's glycemic control.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
Maple Grove Farms of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, has introduced Cozy Cottage sugar-free, maple-flavored syrup, now sweetened with Splenda and fortified with six vitamins and minerals.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
The world's most famous diabetes clinic has now teamed up with a local health club to promote good diabetes control through exercise.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
In 1996, Humalog was given FDA approval for patients, aged 12 to 65, for injection within 15 minutes of a meal. On May 2, that approval was expanded to include children over age 3 and adults over age 65.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, head of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said the FDA should ask Congress for authority to impose large civil fines on companies that do not complete their required studies. In April, Wolfe told Reuters Health the apparent neglect of the drug studies might mean that side effects go undetected.
0 comments - Posted Jan 7, 2000
Ramadan is an annual month of fasting observed by as many as 1 billion Muslims globally. During Ramadan, which takes place this year from December 9, 1999 to January 8, 2000, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. Although Islamic leaders allow exemptions on medical grounds, many devout Muslims with diabetes prefer to fast during Ramadan. As a result, they must make adjustments to their insulin dosages to avoid hypo- or hyperglycemia. Previously, doctors had reservations about allowing people with diabetes to fast but recent research indicates that fasting can be done safely as long as proper self-monitoring and close professional supervision are guaranteed.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2000
People with type 1 diabetes are susceptible to delayed digestive transit through the esophagus and abnormal esophageal motility as a result of intestinal problems.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2000
The $28 million Texas Diabetes Institute (TDI) was built in response to the alarming prevalence of diabetes in San Antonio and South Texas. The 153,000 square-foot comprehensive and community-based center aims to become the national model for diabetes treatment, education and research.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2000
While the demand for animal and artificial donor transplants continues to grow, the supply is not keeping pace.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2000
People with diabetes should know that they have the option of treating their seasonal cold and flu symptoms with a sugar-free cough syrup.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2000
NetGrocer.com (www.netgrocer.com), the leading nationwide online grocery and drug store supercenter, has announced the opening of its virtual Diabetic Solution store.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 2000
December 1999
Even one week of not getting eight hours of sleep can alter a person's capacity to metabolize carbohydrates.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1999
According to Cygnus Inc., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has scheduled December 6 as the date for an advisory committee review of the GlucoWatch monitor.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1999
The flu season is among us and it is likely that many people with diabetes will not get their flu or pneumonia vaccination this year. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that all people with diabetes be vaccinated against flu and pneumonia.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1999
The laxative effect from sorbitol, a sugar substitute, is more than a discomfort, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). According to studies, sorbitol can lead to severe diarrhea, and the CSPI wants its label to say so.
27 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1999
With its patent exclusivity on metformin (Glucophage) about to end, Bristol-Myers Squibb is looking at a new pill to help keep its strong position in the type 2 drug market. In 2000, other companies will be able to manufacture generic forms of Glucophage, the best-selling diabetes pill in the United States. With generic medicines being less expensive, the company is bound to lose sales.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1999
November 1999
I am a 25-year-old female with type 2 diabetes. My father passed away at 56 and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only four months before his death. Tests showed that he had damage to his eyes as a result of diabetes. Is it possible he had this for many years before his diagnosis?
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
More than 97 percent of people with diabetes use more than one educational resource for their information.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
Roche Diagnostics wrote to us with an update on the operating temperatures for its Accu-Chek Advantage and Complete meters and test strips. These two meters will function in temperatures ranging from 57 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
When I was 3, I had small boils on the webs of my left forefinger and thumb. Shortly thereafter I suffered a severe carbuncle on my bottom and could not sleep because the blankets hurt so much. For the next eight years I had boils, carbuncles and styes almost continuously. At one point I had five boils on one leg. These boils went untreated.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
I have had diabetes for 24 years and my HbA1cs run below 6.4%. When I am ill, I tend to need stronger antibiotics and need them longer than the average nondiabetic. My doctor, however, tells me that I should only need the same amount of antibiotics as anyone else. I usually have a relapse and need additional antibiotics to clear an infection.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
I am a 39-year-old type 1. What is a good strategy for controlling BGs during the night?
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
Hypnosis. For many, the word conjures up images that make a person uncomfortable. Many fear hypnosis because they fear a loss of control, yet a person is actually more in control while in a state of trance. This fact should interest people with diabetes, because control is exactly the issue that concerns them: controlling blood sugar levels.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
A few months ago, Ron Pruiksma of Roswell, Georgia, was driving to pick up his 3-year-old daughter from school, when a thought popped in his head.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
Mail-order medical supplier We Care Corporation will sell diabetes and other medical products on its new Web site, www.supplyPlanet.com. The site cannot handle insurance claims, so all transactions must be paid up front, either by personal check or credit card. We Care promises its customers security in their orders, vowing never to share customer information to outside organizations.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
Medicaid recipients in California can now be prescribed new type 2 drug Avandia. Called Medi-Cal, it is the nation's largest Medicaid program, which should further boost Avandia's booming sales. Avandia is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a solo treatment or in combination with Glucophage.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1999
October 1999
A person with diabetes who receives an angioplasty to reopen a narrowed blood vessel is more likely to experience artery reclosure after the operation than a nondiabetic person who undergoes the same procedure.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1999
Hemochromatosis, a genetic metabolic disorder where a person absorbs too much iron in the digestive tract, can result in diabetes, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1999
Owen Mumford is offering two new products. The Unilet GP 28 lancet joins the Owen Mumford lancet line. Called "ultra-thin," it fits most lancing devices on the market. For insulin injections, Owen Mumford introduces Unifine Pentips, designed for use with the Autopen insulin pen, plus all other major insulin pens.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1999
A cholesterol screening has been approved as the newest test offered by the StatSite Point-of-Care Analyzer. Used by health care professionals, the system measures patients' glucose levels, ketones, total hemoglobin, bilirubin and acetaminophen levels, all in one device.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1999
Diabetes summer camps help children develop healthy habits, and the Diabetes Camping Association (DCA) helps camps to enrich their curricula. To help prepare for the summer of 2000, the DCA will host its third annual Diabetes International Camping Conference February 16-20, 2000, near Orlando, Florida.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1999
September 1999
This month, Nicole Johnson will end her reign as Miss America, but certainly her influence on the diabetes world is not over. DIABETES HEALTH wishes to thank Nicole for sharing her thoughts and the latest information with us throughout her reign. We hope we can continue working together to inform people with diabetes, and to increase diabetes awareness throughout the world.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1999
Looking over my application, the martial arts instructor asked, "Do you suffer from any health problems I should know about?" I answered promptly, "I have diabetes." He paused for a few seconds, then nervously asked, "Are you sure this is the right sport for you?"
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1999
The D-Care line of products now offers several herbal combination tablets specifically designed for diabetes care. All contain gymnema sylvestre, an herb often linked to improved glucose control, plus other herbs to aid in specific areas of wellness.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1999
The Personal Lasette, the only home-use alternative to the stainless steel lancet, was displayed at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting in San Diego from June 19-21.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1999
August 1999
Researchers at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in Dorset, United Kingdom, discovered that alcohol consumption in people with type 1 diabetes is less than average, and that at least half of them experience some form of acute blood glucose change when drinking.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1999
Type 2 patients with the ACE gene could be at risk for developing diabetic kidney disease and retinopathy.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1999
Twenty-five percent of all people with diabetes feel that alternative therapies are beneficial in their diabetes treatment, but consider conventional diabetes medications and therapies to be superior.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1999
Deborah B. Rolka of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, reports that fewer than 1 in 5 diabetic patients who would benefit from aspirin therapy actually take aspirin. She presented here findings at the American Diabetes Association (ADA)'s scientific sessions in June.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1999
In 1995, I was diagnosed with an advanced case of type 2 diabetes. At the time, I hardly knew what the disease was, but I was sure that a few pills would fix it. Still, I wanted to do some research, which started me on a medical journey. It dawned on me that I had a real problem, not just a minor interference with my work schedule.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1999
Large retailer Wal-Mart has introduced a line of diabetes care products called ReliOn, including lancets, glucose tablets and alcohol swabs. It will also offer many skin care products, including skin sanitizer, two types of skin cream, sunscreen and body wash. With nearly 2,500 stores, Wal-Mart promises to keep its prices low.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1999
KMart and The Senior Network, a marketing company which helps companies target senior citizens, will join forces in a campaign to educate seniors about diabetes and sell them diabetes products.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1999
July 1999
Women with diabetes may be at a greater risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to results from the 18-year Nurses' Health Study.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1999
A vaccine to prevent childhood diabetes could be 10 to 15 years away, according to researchers at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1999
Almost a third of people with sleep apnea also have diabetes, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1999
If your glucose level drops below 70, it's time to act quickly. You may have an old tried-and-true (and cheap) solution like cake frosting, orange juice or candy, but many diabetes experts recommend glucose tablets. Tablets and gels are predictable, easy to carry and don't tempt you to snack on them when you don't need them, like a delicious chocolate bar.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1999
Splenda, the new sweetener approved over a year ago, is promised to be safe, very sweet, stable when heated and harmless to your blood sugars. People have been wondering why they can't find it in the supermarket, or anywhere else, until now.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1999
You know you need a calcium supplement, but that awful, chalky taste just makes it unbearable. A new, chocolate-flavored calcium chew might make it more tempting. It's called Viactiv, and it comes from Mead Johnson Nutritionals.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1999
Type 2 medication Avandia, said to work like Rezulin but not affect liver function, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late May. Manufacturer SmithKline Beecham says it will cost from 10 to 20 percent less than Rezulin.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1999
June 1999
It was discovered that HbA1c measurements in adolescents went up during the summer months by .73% and declined by .75% in the fall.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1999
Gary was excited to make the junior varsity crew team. The team usually met at 5:30 a.m., rowed until 6:30, showered, dressed, grabbed some breakfast and got to school by 8. Gary wasn't sure how to swing insulin and breakfast, but he thought his blood glucose levels would be okay. Gary also told his coach that he didn't want special favors or attention because of his diabetes. He and his parents had been well educated about adjusting insulin, and were encouraged by their medical team to see what worked best. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as he planned.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1999
“We decided to start the Web site because we wanted to encourage others to reach for the stars, to show that dreams can come true no matter what obstacles get in the way. We want others to know that they are not alone.”
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1999
May 1999
Q: If an individual with diabetes has numbers that are all within normal when compared to a healthy nondiabetic, are there adjustments that must be made in terms of diet? By normal numbers, I mean fasting blood glucose less than 100, HbA1c less than 5.3%, body mass index less than 23 percent, and a lipid panel within normal.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1999
DIABETES HEALTH: What have you been up to as America's first lady of diabetes?
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1999
The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) spoke through a small voice to help push the $827 million NIH funding through Congress.
JDF volunteer Philip Burgin, a 9-year-old from Burlington, Vermont, wrote to his state's representatives in Congress. One of them, Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., was so impressed he presented it to the Congressional Record on March 2.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1999
Type 1 diabetes, 40 years. Vet.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1999
Both the JDF and the ADA continue to pressure Congress to give diabetes research the entire $827 million that was recommended by the Diabetes Research Working Group, a group of researchers that recently gave this figure as the amount needed for diabetes funding.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1999
Rezulin cleared its most recent FDA hurdle, but the question looms as to whether there are any more in the future.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1999
April 1999
Over a year ago, the United States Congress gave the Diabetes Research Working Group (DRWG) this task: tell us what we need to do, and what we need to spend, to cure diabetes. On February 25, the group answered the question, recommending a strategic plan for the next five years of diabetes research.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
Q: Is the Dr. Atkins low-carbohydrate diet bad for me? I was around 200 pounds last year. I went on a diet and lost 20 pounds by eating a lot of meat, vegetables and eggs, and drinking a lot of diet soda. When I reached 180 pounds, I quit the diet and lost another 20 pounds. Soon thereafter, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
According to a report in the January 25, 1999, issue of Nurseweek, diabetes is rising at an "epidemic" rate.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
Nicole Johnson: Congratulations. I saw Scott King's letter in Ann Landers. How wonderful that it was published.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
Last month, Nicole Johnson told us her special tips for eating on the road, saying she has a few different meals from which she chooses. Here's what she told us are her usual meals:
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
If you eat more fiber, you will lose weight, says the Journal of Nutrition. A person who goes from 18 grams of fiber per day to 36 grams will absorb 130 fewer calories per day, translating to a 10-pound weight loss over one year.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
Avoiding overdoses of a supplement requires knowing just how much you are taking. Do you know the difference between a microgram and a milligram? And, have you heard of an IU?
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
Roche Diagnostics introduces a new member of the Accu-Chek family, the Simplicity glucose meter, this month.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1999
March 1999
Miss America 1999, type 1 Nicole Johnson, is devoting her year to diabetes awareness. She will check in with DIABETES HEALTH every month, to describe her lobbying and fund raising efforts. She'll also discuss the personal side of being Miss America, including her conversations with others who have diabetes and her own self-care during this hectic year.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
Joan Harmon, PhD, senior advisor for diabetes at the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, sees MiniMed's FDA submission as the "most interesting news," however, she stresses that much more is still going on. For instance, the NIDDK's most recent funding awarded $4 million in grants to a variety of promising and innovative research.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
Two of Beth Schatzman's patients called her in a panic. Schatzman, RD, CDE, is a diabetes educator in the Eureka, California, area. Both patients got word on the Internet that aspartame (NutraSweet), their favorite artificial sweetener, was harmful.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
Although Pycnogenol has been proven to be a powerful antioxidant and a weapon against clogging of the blood vessels, American doctors generally do not recommend it for people with diabetes. Here are four of many studies linking Pycnogenol to fighting oxidation in the blood vessels.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
Three important diabetes experts, plus Miss America 1999, Nicole Johnson, will speak at "A Day of Hope" at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, on March 27.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
The International Diabetic Athletes Association (IDAA) and LifeScan want to reward athletes who have diabetes with $5,000.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will again address the safety of Rezulin (troglitazone), the controversial type 2 medication, on March 26 at a scientific advisory panel meeting. In the wake of two recent deaths, the FDA will look at steps to make Rezulin safer for people with type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
Fourteen people with diabetes are certain to put their equipment to the test when they climb the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere, Argentina's Mount Aconcagua, in January 2000.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
Washington gave diabetes research a big raise, increasing diabetes money by 20 percent for 1999. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) diabetes budget has grown nearly as much in 1998 and 1999 as it did in the entire decade from 1987 to 1997.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1999
February 1999
Q: I cannot find any information on the effect of short-term spikes in blood sugar (i.e., 115 before breakfast, 170 one hour after breakfast). How dangerous are swings? Currently, I am not on any medication and I am simply trying to control my blood sugar through diet and exercise. I am not overweight (6 feet tall, 175 pounds), and I walk four miles about four to five times a week. Even with all of this, I still cannot control my blood sugar into the nondiabetic range. Any suggestions?
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1999
Over five years, patients taking pravastatin showed a 25 percent reduction in risk for coronary events compared to patients taking a placebo. Furthermore, patients taking pravastatin showed a 32 percent decrease in coronary bypass operations compared to the placebo group.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1999
Recent studies indicate that glycemic control is not up to standards.
According to the December 1998 issue of Diabetes Care, HbA1c values of 2,579 French people with type 1 diabetes registered at an average of 8.9%. Approximately 33 percent of the research subjects registered HbA1cs less than 8%.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1999
In a speech delivered at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association in Chicago last June, Mayer B. Davidson, MD, of King-Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles outlined the current state of diabetes research and diabetes care in the United States.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1999
The "Bill of Rights for People with Diabetes," published by Diabetes Advocates, can help you in communicating with your health care team to get the tests every person with diabetes needs.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1999
Two thousand dollars can now buy "nearly painless" finger lancing, according to Chronimed, distributor of the Lasette laser finger perforator. People with diabetes can now use this laser beam technology at home.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1999
The JDF and the ADA fight against diabetes all across the United States, but when they hit Capitol Hill they go in different directions. So says The Washington Post in a December 1998 story.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1999
January 1999
Q: I am interested in knowing what the current recommendations are for rotating insulin sites. I recently received a request to research this topic from a nurse developing diabetes protocol, and I am learning that many of my heavier, older, insulin-using clients are injecting into adipose (abdomen) tissue. Are there any professional resources you could recommend?
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1999
Retinopathy, a degenerative eye disease, has long been associated with diabetes complications. According to news wire reports, however, there is now a drug being tested that can help normalize some of the characteristics of diabetic retinopathy.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1999
According to a survey of 335 family physicians, more than half (51.7 percent) of patients with diabetes do not follow their doctor's advice.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1999
According to recent findings from a Decision Resource (DR) report, it was revealed that cases of type 2 diabetes will dramatically increase by 2005.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1999
They can't agree about much, but they do agree on one thing: a cure for diabetes. But will they put their money where their mouths are?
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1999
A new needle disposal kit, called SafeSharps, surrounds needles in a disinfecting gel which can then be thrown away with the regular, household trash.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1999
People with diabetes and the clinicians who treat them represent a major chunk of the medical industry. Corporations know this. People with diabetes see and hear many sales pitches but generally count on their health care professionals to help them weed out the safest, most effective products.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1999
December 1998
Q: I would appreciate any information you can provide me concerning whether people with diabetes can qualify for fire fighter positions. Any information concerning the medical requirements, training, etc., would be appreciated. This is for insulin-dependent people with diabetes. Can they qualify for appointment as firefighters for municipal or private fire departments? Are there any special requirements? If you can put me in contact with anyone who is currently a fire fighter with diabetes, it would be most appreciated.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1998
As early as next year, there could be a new drug on the market that is considered revolutionary in the treatment of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1998
DIABETES HEALTH: Thank you for speaking with Diabetes Health, Nicole, and congratulations. In preparation for this conversation, I asked our Diabetes Health email group which questions they would ask you if they could, so some of my questions will be from our readers with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1998
As people with diabetes head into the manic holiday pace and try to stick to their diet plans, Brown's Sugarless Bakery offers a bit of sanity with its line of sugarless desserts.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1998
November 1998
Q: My daughter was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 2. She is now 7. I have read Dr. Bernstein's book, Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1997) several times, and would like to put my daughter on the program. What do you think about it? I don't remember you ever talking about it in DIABETES HEALTH.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
Developing countries will see a 170 percent rise in diabetes cases in the 21st century. According to this recent prediction from the United Nations health agency, India and China will be the hardest hit. The World Health Organization named obesity, bad eating habits and lack of exercise as the causes of this increase in developing countries.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
In a report that was published in the September 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, it was revealed that people with diabetes who use cocaine increase their risk of developing ketoacidosis.
1 comment - Posted Nov 1, 1998
Flu season is upon us, and officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta are recommending that people with diabetes get their inoculations.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
A team of researchers from Yale University was recently awarded the Applied Nursing Research Award for its study on teaching coping skills to adolescents with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
There is an old refrain that says "dog is a man's best friend." Individuals with diabetes might beg to differ.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
Strategic Diabetes Management (SDM) is a program concept that can guide professionals through diabetes treatment, ensuring that patients receive the most thorough and specific guidelines on how to manage their blood sugar. Recent research has indicated that this new treatment strategy really works.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
During the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) annual meeting in Minneapolis this August, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals held its 17th annual "Walk/Jog-A-Thon" for diabetes awareness. At the early hour of 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, more than 800 diabetes educators raced for the company's pledge of $5,000 to the AADE Foundation.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
You are indeed if you are buying from Fifty 50. That's Fifty percent for profit, and 50 percent for diabetes research, because half of their profits go to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. In seven years of business, they have sent $4.65 million dollars to JDF. Fifty 50 chose JDF because "they are organized with a sole mission of funding diabetes research."
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
A new device called the Diabetes Exchange Kit helps people keep track of their daily food intake, in order to adhere to the American Diabetes Association food exchange recommendations. Each morning, users start off with the total exchanges of each food group that they should eat that day. As they eat throughout the day, they "click off" their exchanges on the hand-held device. People can then be sure that they eat the proper amounts of food, as well as stay away from foods that are not recommended, like those high in fat.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
Fortune magazine 's "Top 100 Fastest-Growing Companies" list includes a top diabetes player, Chronimed Inc.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1998
October 1998
Q: The subject of treating diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet is virtually untouched by other publications. I would like to see a series of articles about it. Of course, a quicker way would be to read Dr. Richard K. Bernstein's book Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1997).
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
Two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes are experiencing high blood sugar after eating, but not after fasting. Thus, a fasting glucose test fails to identify this type of diabetes, known as IPH, or Isolated Postchallenge Hyperglycemia. Because IPH diabetes prevalence increases with age, a fasting glucose test will miss a diabetes diagnosis among the elderly population, particularly elderly women.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
Researchers at the Catholic University in Rome, Italy, are further exploring the effect that diabetes might have on hearing loss. The study, which was conducted by Walter Dinardo, MD, and fellow researchers, was aimed at exploring hearing loss in patients with type 1 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
African-American teenagers in Allegheny County, Penn., are experiencing an epidemic-level onset of type 1 diabetes, and researchers are fighting to find the cause. Some even suspect that a new type of diabetes has surfaced.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
In a letter to Diabetes Care (August 1998), three Japanese doctors endorsed blood sampling from body sites other than the fingers, and recommended a new lancing device which makes this possible.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
If you wish to complain about the shortage of beef-pork insulin, file a shortage complaint using the Medwatch Form 3500 discussed below. You may also wish to appeal to Congress (the FDA's boss).
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
When peering over the edge of Half Dome, one of the signature peaks of Yosemite National Park, it is hard not to worry about falling. When Paul Wiersma reached this precipice, he had other falls to worry about as well. In the Sierra heat of this past summer, Paul, who has type 1 diabetes, had to worry that a combination of exertion and insulin would cause his blood glucose levels to fall too low. Overdosing on insulin and exertion can be dangerous anywhere, but it is especially unforgiving on a mountain trail with perilous drops only a misstep away.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
Minimed Inc. has been informed by the Food and Drug Administration that its application for marketing clearance of a continous glucose system is being actively reviewed.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
The American Association of Diabetes Educators held its 25th annual meeting in Minneapolis from August 19 to 23, 1998. This silver year celebration brought the largest group ever to the gathering, with over 5,000 people attending.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
Roche Diagnostics of Indianapolis has manufactured a new strip which should make blood testing easier than ever.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1998
September 1998
An early phase 1 clinical trial presented at the American Diabetes Association's 58th Annual Scientific Sessions showed that the hormone leptin promotes weight loss and may also help lower blood sugars.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
The cause of type 1 diabetes has been studied for many years and several possible explanations have been presented. Research recently published in Emerging Infectious Disease claims that rodents carrying infectious agents may be responsible for a number of diseases including type 1 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
Darryl Rawlinson, a 47-year-old middle manager for a Silicon Valley semiconductor plant, was a little hesitant to have needles stuck in his body. Although Rawlinson had diabetes, the needles he was concerned about would not be delivering insulin but would help to stimulate his flow of qi (pronounced CHEE).
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
Traditional Chinese medicine recognizes three types of diabetes, corresponding to problems with organs in three key energy centers of the body. Those include: 1) superior or lung diabetes, a condition of heat and dryness of the fluids around the lungs, and characterized by a normal appetite but dry mouth and throat, copious and frequent urination and constant thirst; 2) middle or stomach diabetes, noted by excess heat in the stomach and constipation, constant hunger, along with extreme thirst, dryness and frequent urination; and 3) inferior or kidney diabetes, which usually is characterized by extreme urinary symptoms, a damaged liver function, as well as the thirst and hunger seen in the other types.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
For more information contact the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, (301) 608-9680; the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, (703) 548-9004, fax: (703) 548-9079; the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, (800) 521-2262; or the American Association of Oriental Medicine, (610) 266-1433.3. Relevant web sites include www.acupuncture.com or www.healthy.net.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
How does a new sweetener get approved for use in foods and beverages in the United States? The most common way taken is the food additive petition route. If the information and data provided to the FDA are satisfactory, the agency will indicate that the petition has been "accepted for filing."
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
The Diabetes Camping Association will hold its Second Annual International Camping Conference in the Happy Hollow Camp in Nashville, Indiana from September 23rd through the 27th. The conference will focus on administrative, program and medical issues related to operating a diabetes camp. Specific session topics include "Alternative Ways of Running a Camp," "Keeping Connected with Teens," "New Insulins and Pumps in Camp" and others. For more information contact the DCA at (765) 348-1762.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
Sales of Rezulin (troglitazone) by Parke-Davis pharmaceutical corporation soared recently, reaching $226 million during the second quarter of 1998-a three-fold increase. Rezulin is used by individuals with type 2 diabetes and helps muscle cells respond to insulin and metabolize glucose.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1998
August 1998
Sifting through the research findings from Chicago, we found many exciting new developments. Some of the results, which we have reviewed below, offer new insights into the complications and associated conditions that come with diabetes. Some of these discoveries offer the possibility of radical new therapies that can help mitigate, if not eliminate, certain damaging effects. Here is a sample of the more interesting reports we found.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1998
When I first became involved last November in what was originally to be a march on Washington, I had no idea it would turn out like this. It was May and I was sitting on a soft chair in the office of Senator Connie Mack of Florida, waiting for my appointment. Around me were two large groups of people: about 15 portly, older men in dark suits-Presidents and CEOs from Florida's electric companies-and 10 well-dressed women-librarians carrying bulging briefcases. My daughter Kathryn and I were clearly by ourselves, dressed casually and obviously nervous. Neither of us had ever been in a senator's office before, and it was apparent that we were out gunned.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1998
After only two weeks with Diabetes Health as managing editor, I was in Chicago covering the 58th American Diabetes Association's conference. Even before I arrived in the windy city, it was obvious from the phone book-sized conference program that there would be much to learn.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1998
In addition to the physical transformations that occur with age, there are also several social changes that can have a profound impact on general health and diabetes control.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1998
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is seeking individuals age 65 and older to participate in the three-year study. The investigation will examine whether medication (glucophage) or diet and exercise can help to prevent type 2 diabetes in people at risk for the disease. Individuals eligible to participate must have high blood glucose levels-fasting glucose levels should be between 95 and 125 mg/dl-but not yet have diabetes. Twenty-seven medical centers across the United States are involved in the study. To find out if you can participate, call (888) DPP-JOIN (377-5646) or visit the web site at www.preventdiabetes.com.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1998
A series of new studies has shown that Prandin (repaglinide), a new oral antidiabetic drug, is effective in providing 24-hour control of blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Prandin stimulates beta cells within the pancreas to produce insulin and is taken just before each meal, when insulin is needed. The drug reduces risk of hyperinsulinemia (excess insulin) or severe hypoglycemia (low glucose levels) by allowing insulin levels to return toward baseline between meals and at night.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1998
July 1998
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have recently shown that soy products have the power to lower total and LDL cholesterol levels, especially in individuals with mildly elevated cholesterol. It is believed that compounds called isoflavones which naturally occur in soy products are responsible for this cholesterol lowering property.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1998
According to Monica Ramirez Basco, PhD, perfectionism should take a back seat when diabetes management is involved. She notes that, "while it could be argued that perfect control is a great goal, most people with diabetes find it impossible to consistently achieve." For a perfectionist, inability to achieve perfect control can lead to great frustration which may in turn cause even greater problems.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1998
Researchers from Duke University Medical Center have found that a depletion of antioxidants may increase the risk of several diabetic complications.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1998
The new FastTake blood glucose meter from LifeScan promises to make blood glucose readings less time consuming. The novel egg-shaped meter delivers readings within 15 seconds and requires the smallest blood drop of any meter currently on the market.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1998
The National Institutes of Health recently discontinued the use of the drug troglitazone from its Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). The drug was being given to individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) to determine if it might be a successful preventative treatment for type 2 diabetes. Parke-Davis (a division of Warner-Lambert), currently markets troglitazone under the brand name Rezulin.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1998
Diabetes specialists are warning people with diabetes not to discontinue home glucose monitoring or stop taking Rezulin (troglitazone) because of recent reports of problems with both the medication and SureStep meters.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1998
Long-time diabetes advocate Charles Ray III recently established a foundation in his name to help low-income diabetics in North Carolina and Virginia to obtain glucose monitors. The foundation also intends to serve as a resource and advocate for minorities with diabetes. Roche Diagnostics, LifeScan and MediSense have committed to donate meters to the foundation.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1998
June 1998
A new study shows patients may have a lower risk of death the first two years of treatment on peritoneal dialysis (PD) as compared to hemodialysis (HD). The study, "Hemodialysis versus Peritoneal Dialysis: A Comparison of Adjusted Mortality Rates," published in the Sept. 1997 issue of American Journal of Kidney Diseases, compared death rates for patients on the two forms of treatment using data from the Canadian Organ Replacement Register. The 10,633 end-stage renal disease patients studied started dialysis treatment between 1990 and 1994 and were monitored for five years.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1998
Treating fear may be an important yet overlooked element of diabetes management, according to a recent study published in The Diabetes Educator. Patients with diabetes tend to fear long-term complications rather than acute complications, and the study asserts that lack of education may be a factor.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1998
Low intensity laser irradiation has been shown to induce wound healing in patients with impaired circulation due to diabetes. Foot problems are a common complication of diabetes and account for half of all diabetes-related amputations. Their economic and socioeconomic effects are extensive.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1998
The cost of a kidney/pancreas transplant ranges from $120,000 to $150,000. The average cost of a pancreas transplant is $60,000 to $90,000. Most transplants are covered by major insurance companies. Kidney transplants are covered by Medicare, but it is more difficult to get Medicare to cover a pancreas transplant since they still consider it experimental.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1998
Have you taken your vitamin E today? - Exercise that is. More than any pill or potion, exercise is the most beneficial thing you can do for your health.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1998
May 1998
NASA and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation brought together leading figures from academia, NASA, and the diabetes industry for a two day think tank in Washington D.C. on noninvasive and minimally invasive blood glucose testing.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1998
In a study of children with diabetes and their non-diabetic siblings, researchers found a possible link between cows' milk and type 1 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1998
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a new regulation in March which overhauls the existing organ transplant program. The regulation requires the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, a private system created by the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984, to develop new allocation programs making the waiting time for donor organs more equal throughout the United States. Almost 55,000 people are on transplant waiting lists and approximately 4,000 people die each year while waiting, according to experts at UCSF Stanford Health Care.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1998
Becton Dickinson and Cygnus Inc. canceled their agreement for distribution of the GlucoWatch, the glucose monitoring system being developed by Cygnus, according to the companies. Changes occurring in the area of diabetes monitoring since the signing of the two-year-old-agreement were cited as the reason for the decision.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1998
Agents from the U.S. Attorney's Office searched the offices of LifeScan Inc., located in Milpitas, Calif., then confiscated documents as part of an FDA investigation of LifeScan's SureStep meters.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1998
April 1998
The PureTek Corporation recently announced the launch of its D-Care line of products designed for people with diabetes. There are 26 items in the D-Care line including nutritional supplements, skin and foot care products, cough syrup, toothpaste and food bars.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Work, or academic performance, is not affected by a hypoglycemic episode the night before, according to a study in March's Diabetes Care. Low blood glucose at night can have an affect on feelings of well-being, vitality and sleep. The "hung over" feeling many people with diabetes experience may actually be caused by the interruption in sleep brought on by the hypoglycemia, not the hypoglycemia itself.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Walking at least 30 minutes a day can increase your body's sensitivity to insulin, according to a study published in the March 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medial Association.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
A study published in the November/December 1997 issue of Practical Diabetes International found that one in six patients interviewed had used some form of complementary, or alternative, medicine. Other studies show that 25 to 49 percent of the general population have made use of alternative medicines.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Newly published studies show that calcium channel blockers may be linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and suicide. The drugs may be particularly problematic for people with diabetes and those with coronary heart disease.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Ketoacidosis is an extremely serious diabetic complication that can lead to coma and even death. Unfortunately it is also fairly common. The good news, however, is that with proper care and an eye towards prevention, this costly and dangerous complication can be avoided.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Ron Brenners of Plano, Texas, and his son Ben will be there at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on May 5th at 8:00 am. So will John Reinemann of Washington, D.C., and Martin MacArthur of Winter Park, Florida.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced it will lay off 25 percent of its employees due to Johnson & Johnson's surprise announcement to terminate its pact to collaborate with Amylin on Pramlintide, a diabetes drug currently in phase III clinical development.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
The much beleaguered Biocontrol Technology Inc., makers of the Diasensor 1000 noninvasive BG monitor which has drawn fire from both media and its own stock holders, is now in the metal coating business.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Everyone's heard about the other white meat, but have you heard about the other red meat? - that's ostrich meat to be exact. That's right, the large prehistoric-looking bird prone to sticking its head in the sand has been cropping up in restaurants all over the United States.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
Over 13 million people in the United States are affected by urinary tract infections each year. Although women are affected most often, men over 50, people with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, lower paralysis and diabetes are also susceptible.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1998
March 1998
Life-threatening infections after heart operations are dangerous for anyone, but can be even more so for people with diabetes. Controlling post-operative high blood sugars seems to be the key to preventing mortal infections for diabetic heart operation patients.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
While clinical trials with Lispro on pregnant animals revealed no dangerous side-effects, some are suggesting that this may not be the case for pregnant women and that the use of Lispro in pregnant women has not been sufficiently studied.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
When to take lispro is the subject of a study in January's Diabetes Care. When Mark W.J. Strachen, MRCP, and Brian M. Frier, MD, investigated how lispro and glucose interacted in type 1 patients before and after eating, they found that meal types and times made a significant difference.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
DIABETES HEALTH attended the ADA's 45th Annual Postgraduate Course January 23-25 in San Francisco where the latest products, services and research findings in diabetes were featured. Here is a brief review of what we heard:
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
The Diabetes Society of Santa Clara Valley's "Diabetes Symposium for Professionals" will take place on Saturday, April 4, 1998 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, Calif. The one-day symposium is designed for physicians and allied health professionals to enhance the knowledge of the practioner in the management of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
Fear keeps many patients away from the dentist. The source of this fear is quite simply pain. New procedures, however, can reduce or do away with the pain that many people associate with going to their dentist
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
Alfred E. Mann, founder and CEO of MiniMed Inc., endowed $100 million a piece to two Southern California universities in order to establish biomedical research institutes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
Sari Edelstein, PhD, RD, CDE, LD, has created a simplified one-sheet educational tool called "Meal and Snack Tips for People with Diabetes."
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
Cell Therapeutics Inc. and City of Hope National Medical Center have formed a joint venture to discover and develop a new class of drugs to treat diabetes and its complications.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
Becton Dickinson is now marketing the B-D Ultra Fine II lancet. According to product manager Guillermo de la Vega, "Becton Dickinson's 30 gauge lancet is now the thinnest lancet available on the market."
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
The Accu-Chek Complete blood glucose monitor, Boehringer Mannheim Corp.'s latest addition to its Accu-Chek line, will be available throughout the United States this month.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
On March 21st, over 1,500 people are expected to gather in Palm Springs, Calif., for an extraordinary diabetes conference where a top line-up of nationally renowned speakers will discuss the latest developments in diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1998
February 1998
According to a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, estrogen therapy protects against cardiovascular disease, decreases glucose levels and improves HbA1cs in postmenopausal woman with diabetes .
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1998
A new study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood shows that children who have infections before and up to the age of one are protected against diabetes. Making up more than half of the illnesses, respiratory infections seem to offer children the most protection.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1998
Because type 2 diabetes is thought of as a genetic disorder, the ADA is currently sponsoring the GENNID (genetics of non-insulin dependent diabetes) project to study which genes cause the disorder.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1998
Cell Robotics, Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, received clearance from the FDA to market its Lasette laser finger perforator to diabetic patients.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1998
LXN Corp., developer of the first at-home fructosamine test, announced that it has secured an additional $12.2 million in private financing. The additional capital strengthens the company's financial position as it prepares for the spring 1998 launch of its Duet Glucose Control System which monitors glucose and fructosamine levels. The once-a-week test will allow persons with diabetes to better monitor the effectiveness of their diabetes management programs by giving them data on their current BG level and their degree of BG control over the past two weeks.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1998
A battle over who developed the technology for a noninvasive glucose monitoring system has erupted between Americare Diagnostics and Technical Chemicals & Products, Inc.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1998
Gainor Medical Management LLC recently bought Universal Self Care Inc., a provider of product services for people with diabetes, for $37 million. The sale price includes $17 million in cash and a convertible note for up to $20 million.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1998
January 1998
Peripheral neuropathy affects more than 36 percent of those with type 2 diabetes. Now doctors and sufferers may have a non-pharmacological treatment to lessen the pain associated with this often painful diabetic complication.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
The first study to determine how severe hypoglycemic episodes in type 1 patients impact spouses was recently conducted by researchers Linda Gonder-Frederick, PhD, Daniel Cox, PhD, et al. Two sets of spouses were compared: spouses of diabetics who had a severe hypoglycemic episode within the last year and spouses of diabetics who had not. Data on psychological status and intensity of marital conflict was measured and compared.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
Past studies have suggested that increasing the frequency of meals may have beneficial effects on people with type 2 diabetes. Studies of healthy, nondiabetic individuals have shown that insulin, LDL and total cholesterol levels are often lowered when meal frequency is increased. In addition, two studies of people with diabetes have shown that insulin levels and glucose levels have been lowered on days of increased meal frequency.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
Although it is usually associated with type 1 diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur in some patients with type 2 diabetes. Researchers Charlton Wilson, MD, Jonathan Krakoff, MD, and Dorothy Gohdes, MD, studied type 2 patients from two Apache Indian reservations and found that 17 of 724 patients had experienced at least one DKA episode.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
Getting a child with diabetes to adhere to his or her BG control regimen can feel like pulling teeth at times. However, recent research shows that something as simple and enjoyable as touch can help kids relieve stress, make them more resistant to disease and improve their BG control.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
The FDA has recommended that labeling on the medication Rezulin be revised after learning of three deaths linked with Rezulin in Japan. One hundred fifty cases of liver damage have also been associated with the medication.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
Another food designed for people with diabetes has entered the market. Gluc-O-Bar, from Apic USA, Inc., is especially notable because the bars are designed to stabilize blood sugars and keep patients from eating high fat foods like ice cream and peanut butter to avoid hypoglycemia.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
The Diabetic Youth Foundation is offering two new camping programs at Bearskin Meadow Camp in California during the summer of 1998.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
Becton Dickinson and Company recently announced the introduction of its internet website, The Diabetes Village. The site is designed to serve people living with diabetes and the health care professionals who work with them.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1998
December 1997
In the past five to ten years there has been an explosion in the number of diabetes medications available. These medications are effective and can be very helpful, but only if taken correctly. Unfortunately, a study in October's Diabetes Care by Arseniko H.P. Paes, PhD, and Albert Baker, PhD, found that a lot of patients don't properly self-administer their medication.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
What causes diabetes? We still don't know for sure, but Swiss and Italian researchers have discovered another link in the chain of genetic and immunological factors that are believed to lead to the disease.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
Parke-Davis and the FDA have recently changed Rezulin's (troglitazone) prescribing information and label to warn users and doctors of Rezulin's association with a rare but severe form of liver damage.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
A recent USDA study has found that chromium picolinate significantly lowers blood sugars. Chromium is not a drug, but a trace mineral that helps insulin attach to cell membranes to control blood sugars.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
A march to focus the nation's attention on diabetes has been planned for May 8, 1998. It will take place in front of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
The estimated $6.85 billion worldwide diabetes therapeutics marketplace of 1997 is expected to increase to $17 billion by 2005. Analysts attribute the influx of non-insulin therapies and devices as the major reason for the market rise.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
MiniMed Inc. recently acquired Home Medical Supply, Inc. (HMS) and its affiliated companies. HMS operates a medical products and supplies distribution business in approximately 30 states.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) is announcing the release of three new videos in its patient education video series, which it developed in response to topics most requested on customer surveys.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
Glaxo Wellcome will be marketing Sankyo Co.'s troglitazone antidiabetes drug (Noscal) in the United Kingdom. Troglitazone was developed by Sankyo and granted FDA approval in August. The drug was launched in the United States by Sankyo Parke-Davis and Warner-Lambert Co. as Rezulin.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
Eli Lilly and Blockbuster Video are now offering a free educational video to help people understand and manage their diabetes. Through real-life examples and interviews with leading doctors, the 26-minute, "Stop! Take Control of Diabetes," video teaches viewers how to achieve the ADA's recommended BG level of 140 mg/dL.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
Robert Dixon, a type 1 diabetic for 25 years, will set up a surfing school in the spring of 1998 for active and fit diabetics who want to experience the thrill of surfing. The classes are designed for inexperienced surfers and no surfing experience is necessary.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
According to a recent Gallup survey of 252 of the nation's largest employers, 75 percent of health care plans available to employees do not cover patient education classes, 49 percent do not cover lab tests, 38 percent do not cover BG meters and 25 percent do not cover test strips. This is despite the fact that diabetes remains the fourth leading cause of death from disease in the United States and costs an estimated $105 billion annually.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1997
November 1997
Home Diagnostics, Inc. (HDI), the only diabetes product manufacturer whose sole specialty is glucose testing systems, has recently broken ground on a new 72,00 square foot facility.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
Researchers Bernard Mach and Bernard Conrad from Geneva, Switzerland, have made a discovery that could possibly be a turning point in the research and treatment of diabetes reports Taiwan's Central News Agency.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
The risk of death from influenza increases if you have diabetes. That's why California, Montana, Florida and Texas, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are collaborating to prompt people with diabetes to take another shot - a flu shot.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
A diabetes epidemic is hitting developing countries according to the World Health Reports (WHO). The impact on health care resources will be enormous. The global number of people with both type 1 and 2 diabetes is approximately 132 million. By 2010 the number will be 240 million. China, India and Africa are projected to develop the majority of new type 2 cases.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
An abundance of valuable information was gathered at the 16th Annual International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress in Helsinki, Finland this past July.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
November 1: Diabetes is the reason for the season. November is National Diabetes Month, for more information about events and resources available to you check with your local diabetes care and education center.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
Julio Castro could not keep his eyes open. At ten o' clock in the morning his eyes would begin to droop. "I felt like I could sleep all day, no problem," says Castro.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
Novo Nordisk has recently filed a patent infringement lawsuit in New Jersey Federal Court against Genentech, Eli Lilly, Pharmacia & Upjohn and Serono corporations. The companies all make and/or sell biosynthetic human growth hormone products that compete with Novo's Norditropin.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
Cell Robotics International has gotten the green light from the FDA to market its Lasette laser finger perforator. The Lasette, a small, hand-held, battery operated laser device, emits a single pulse of laser light, making a small hole in the finger. The device eliminates the need for a lancet for capillary blood collection.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
Did you know that most airlines offer special meals for people with diabetes? While other airlines' policies may differ, United Airlines can provide a meal specially designed for people with diabetes free of charge if given at least 24 hours notice. It is advisable to call first to see if a particular airline offers the same service.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
Managed Healthcare magazine recently named Diabetes Treatment Centers of America (DTCA) as one of twelve award winners for innovative managed care leadership. Managed Healthcare, an industry magazine for managed care executives, health care providers and employers, based its award on DCTA's ability to control costs and improve outcomes and quality for the patient, and on its public service initiatives during 1996.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1997
October 1997
Awake and Aware to a Sleeping Hypoglycemic Coma
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
Are babies born small at a higher risk of developing diabetes? Yes, according to French researchers who published their findings recently in the British Medical Journal .
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
People with diabetes miss more work days due to sickness. Consequently, they earn less money, yet have higher medical costs for their illnesses. For those on tight budgets, this can lead to a higher probability of having to depend on public assistance, like Medicaid, to cover medical expenses.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
Managing diabetes alone is tough enough. Add a cough or cold and health management becomes even more time consuming and possibly dangerous.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
October 1: Walking is one of the best possible exercises, so why not walk for diabetes? Walktoberfest is the ADA's national walking event to raise money for diabetes research. Over 100,00 walkers participate each October. Call 1(800) 254-WALK for more information.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
A new treatment for erectile dysfunction from Vivus, Inc., the Actis Venous Flow Controller, is now commercially available in the United States. Actis works for patients who have venous leak syndrome - or the inability to store blood within the penis and maintain an erection.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
The Wall Street Journal reports that increases in prescription drug prices significantly outpaced the general inflation rate in 1996. Drug prices rose by 4.1 percent, while the inflation rate was only 3.2 percent.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
LifeScan, one of the leading manufacturers of BG monitoring systems, recognized athletes with diabetes for outstanding athletic accomplishments at the International Diabetic Athletes Association (IDAA) this past May. Winners Scott Coleman, the first male swimmer with diabetes to swim the English Channel; U.S. amateur tennis player Gwen Sikora; and blind cyclist Pam Fernandes split the $20,000 prize awarded by LifeScan.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
Eli Lilly & Co. has jumped on the consumer ad bandwagon and begun advertising in general interest magazines. Among others, Lilly has placed ad space in People, Parade and Good Housekeeping.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1997
September 1997
Managing diabetes is hard enough but when experiencing illness or stress, extra pampering - and extra insulin - is necessary to avoid Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The latest statistics show that DKA is responsible for one third of the total of health insurance costs for diabetes. Preventing DKA will not only prevent chronic health complications but it will save big dollars as well.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1997
Should people with diabetes in need of a retinal examination go to an ophthalmologist or an optometrist?
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1997
A press release from the British government's Health Education Authority (HEA) confirms what we've heard time and time again:
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1997
You know your friends and family can raise your blood pressure, but what about your glucose level? A study published in the July 1997 Diabetes Care shows a relationship between environmental stress and increased BGs for people with type 2 diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1997
Becton Dickinson recently launched The Compass Project, a five-year campaign dedicated to helping people with diabetes worldwide lead healthier lives. The Compass Project plans to develop global and local strategies to spotlight the scope of diabetes and related problems. The project wishes to recognize the best practices by health care professionals worldwide, advocate the use of clinically proven models of diabetes care, improve self-care behaviors and spark innovative community programs. Currently, a quarter of the world's nations have no diabetes care budget.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1997
During National Diabetes Month this November, the third edition of Consumer's Diabetes Digest (formerly Consumer's Guide to Diabetes Care Products) will be available free at over 15,000 nationwide pharmacies including American Drug Stores, Albertsons, Bergen Brunswig, CVS, Kmart, Kroger, Longs and McKesson.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1997
In Boston, marathoner Bill Rogers led off the Precision Walk for Diabetes Research, an event which was held in conjunction with the 57th Annual Scientific Sessions of the ADA. Over 1,000 people registered for the walk, and for each participant, MediSense, Inc. donated $5 to the ADA National Research Fund.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1997
August 1997
Why do the majority of women with diabetes not plan their pregnancies and enter pregnancy with poor BG control that can increase the chances of birth defects? Two studies from the AMSS show that there are multiple reasons.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
The study found a borderline association between short-acting calcium channel blockers and increased mortality in people with type 1 diabetes. While the association was not statistically significant, mortality was more common in people who had hypertension.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
This study provides people with diabetes one more good reason to be seen by a diabetes specialist. The study found that people hospitalized for life-threatening DKA had shorter hospital stays - 2.9 versus 5.2 days - and less than half the costs - $4,700 versus $10,700 - when treated by endocrinologists rather than a generalist physician, like an internist.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
While depression can be treated with drug therapy, it is ineffective or poorly tolerated in up to 50 percent of people with diabetes. The study found that cognitive therapy was more successful and had the potential to improve diabetes self-management as well.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
The Centers for Disease Control has confirmed that diabetes is grossly underestimated as a cause of death on death certificates. Its study found that vital statistics on mortality that rely solely on death certificates that list diabetes as the underlying cause of death underestimate diabetes' effect on mortality by three-fold. The study suggests that death rates based on death certificates that have diabetes mentioned anywhere on them may provide a more realistic and reliable picture of the impact of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Syndrome X, or insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia metabolic syndrome, is the name given to a constellation of metabolic factors and hypertension associated with type 2 diabetes that lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The components of syndrome X include insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, decreased HDL cholesterol, increased triglycerides, elevated blood pressure and albuminuria.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Switching patients from an established insulin regimen to Humalog does not necessarily improve glycemic control, but it does reduce the frequency of mild and severe hypoglycemia and improves their quality of life.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Patients with better glycemic control have lower medical care expenses, report researchers from Minneapolis.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
It is well known that poor BG control leads to greater risk of infections. In the first clinical study of this relationship, heart surgery patients with the highest blood glucose levels were found to be 70 percent more likely to develop post-operative complications like wound and urinary tract infections.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
It is commonly recommended that insulin boluses be taken 15 to 45 minutes before eating. The new fast acting insulin Lispro has cut this time down considerably. Now it appears that if the dosage is adjusted to the amount eaten, the insulin can even be taken after a meal and provide equal or better control.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Most of the weight loss drugs currently available affect the central nervous system. Orlistat is a weight-loss drug being studied that inhibits the breakdown of fat in the intestines. It enables the passing of fat from the body without it being metabolized. People can pass up to 25 to 30 grams of fat, or 300 to 400 calories, in a day on orlistat.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
The DCCT showed that there is a strong relationship between HbA1c values and the risk of developing chronic diabetes complications. But this information is of limited benefit to people with diabetes in setting up day-to-day glycemic goals if they don't understand the relationship between HbA1cs and mean blood glucose levels (MBG).
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Better BG control for type 2s not only reduces the risk of diabetes complications, but also has short-term benefits as well. Patients with improved glycemic control resulting from glipizide GITS therapy were shown to have enhanced work productivity compared to those on a placebo. They also had less absenteeism, bed days and fewer doctor visits.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Why is neuropathy (nerve damage), once begun, so difficult to halt even if you control blood sugar very well? This study suggests it's due to a secondary autoimmune attack.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
The Spanish know how to live, in more ways than one. A recent study published in the July issue of Diabetes Care suggests that the Spanish diet, which is high in fat due to the prevalence of olive oil, may be a healthy one for people with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Do modern conveniences lead to modern diseases? According to a study presented at the ADA's 57th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, lifestyle may play an even bigger role in the development of type 2 diabetes than was previously thought.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
It's been 20 years since the standards for the diagnosis of diabetes were set. Things have changed.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Don't you hate it when people say...
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Reducing the rising costs and prevalence of diabetes in the United States is the goal of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP).
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
NASA and the JDF signed an agreement in June that allows the JDF and researchers in the diabetes community access to important technological advances developed by NASA. The agreement also allows NASA and the JDF to work in conjunction on future research projects.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
For the first time in history an international panel of diabetes specialists has come together to work toward a cure.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
The FDA recently cleared Amerx Health Care Corporation's Amerigelª Ointment as a wound management product. This FDA clearance has helped to usher the product into Wal-Mart Stores and generated interest in stocking the product in other drug and supermarkets as well.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
Integ Inc. received some good news regarding their LifeGuideª System hand-held glucose meter at the AMSS. Two separate clinical studies were presented that confirmed the use of interstitial fluid (ISF) - the clear fluid between cells found throughout the body and skin - as a viable, bloodless method for measuring glucose.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1997
July 1997
A recent survey of diabetes educators found that they feel the telephone is a valuable tool to help patients with their diabetes care regimes. However, the survey also determined that years of experience and certification were factors that significantly affected the topics covered in their phone conversations.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1997
Our only child, Katherine, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1991 at age eight. We immediately learned as much as possible, not only about its management, but about research for a cure. After more than six years of reading countless articles, corresponding with researchers, and living with diabetes, we consider ourselves knowledgeable about the best hope for eradicating it. Our concern today is that the last ten years of research, at a cost of millions, has turned up little to improve the lives of people with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1997
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has launched a new campaign called Patients First to help managed care organizations treat people with diabetes more effectively. The campaign has two initial goals: to help patients aim for intensive diabetes self-management by having their physician sign a patient-physician contract; and to persuade insurers, managed care companies and public officials to provide coverage for an intensive diabetes self-management system.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1997
June 1997
A recent study by the Coalition for Excess Weight Risk Education ranked the 33 largest metropolitan areas in the United States by their percentage of obese residents. The study found that for many Americans being "overweight" is normal, and they expressed a strong loyalty to frequently consumed "comfort foods," whether the foods are healthy or not.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1997
For many, having to give up favorite foods and follow the nutritional guidelines of their diabetes control program seems like a fate worse than death. But sacrifice doesn't necessarily have to be the name of the game. Below, cookbook author Suzi Castle provides some delicious advice on how to make a healthy diet taste great.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1997
Growing up is a confusing time for everyone - even more so for an adolescent who has been diagnosed with diabetes. Kelli Sweitzer's life changed at age 15 when she was diagnosed with type I diabetes. Kelli describes in her own words the frustration and confusion of struggling with her disease.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1997
Venisect Inc., based in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been granted clearance by the FDA for its Laser Lancetª. The Laser Lancet is a small hand-held, battery-powered blood letting device. According to the company, the new device draws blood by sending a laser pulse through a disposable plastic tube. The laser perforates the skin and a small slit is made, normally in the fingertip, just deep enough to break through the outer skin layers.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1997
The American Diabetes Association has teamed up with Yahoo!, a World Wide Web navigation guide, to promote its national bicycling fundraising event, the Tour de Cure.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1997
May 1997
Researchers in Finland have found that people with diabetes who suffer from frozen shoulder also have a greater chance of developing autonomic neuropathy and heart problems.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) episodes account for one dollar of every four dollars spent on direct medical care for people with type I diabetes in the United States.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
Judging from the number of letters to the editor on the subject, many members of the diabetes community realize the importance of an active patient advocacy program to bring more national attention to diabetes. What is perhaps less understood is how terribly far we are from realizing this goal.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
Injecting insulin through clothing has apparently become a sore subject among people with diabetes, who are just now learning the benefits of this relatively new practice.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
Here is a letter that DIABETES HEALTH received from a subscriber voicing her anger and frustration with diabetes:
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
Diabetes advocates often have to do more than just write letters to get the attention of politicians. In Michigan, "Delegates for Diabetes on the March" grabbed their banners and marched to the state capital to get the ear of their elected officials.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
Boehringer Mannheim Corp. (BMC) has released a new meter that can provide BG readings as well as monitor cholesterol levels. The new palm-sized monitor, the Accu-Chek¨ InstantPlusª System, can provide a cholesterol reading in three minutes and a blood glucose reading in 12 seconds.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
A recent international meeting of diabetes specialists in Lisbon, Portugal found education and prevention to be the most powerful and under-utilized weapons against diabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
Advanced Corneal Systems Inc. (ACS) is now enrolling qualified patients in a research study designed to test Vitraseª, a new drug being developed as a non-surgical treatment for vitreous hemorrhage.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
A host of new diabetes start-ups are trying to develop alternatives to finger-stick home glucose testing. It is their hope that an alternative to the finger-stick will bring high acquisition valuations like those paid for LifeScan by Johnson & Johnson and for MediSense by Abbott Laboratories Inc.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1997
April 1997
Two major clinical trials aimed at discovering whether or not type I and type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed are currently underway. Both the type I Diabetes Prevention Trial (DPT-1) and the type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP also referred to as the DPT-2) are sponsored by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
The City of Hope National Medical Center is in the midst of a study investigating the "insulin-like effects" of exercise. The City of Hope was awarded a $99,339 grant from the American Diabetes Association to research the increase of insulin sensitivity following exercise in July 1996.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
A study published in the February 1997 issue of Diabetes Care shed new light on the importance of the C-peptide test.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
Children and adolescents with diabetes are far more likely to experience moderate to severe hypoglycemic episodes than their adult counterparts.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
The American Diabetes Association, researchers and other advocates are lobbying for more research money from a poll-driven, tight-fisted Congress. They say the small increase in funding for 1997 is eclipsed by inflation alone, and that related to diabetes' cost to the taxpayer, more research is a wise investment.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
Biocontrol is once again going to bat for their Diasensor 1000 non-invasive blood glucose meter. Defending its much-plagued meter is nothing new for Diasensor at this point. What is different is that the company is employing more intense measures in its clash with the media.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
Good diabetes control protects against diabetes complications. In the case of children with diabetes, good control should start immediately after diagnosis with frequent blood glucose testing (usually four to six times a day).
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
A new color-coded system for insulin identification is on the market. Ident-A-Caps, developed by Terron Inc., are color-coded plastic vial caps with three-dimensional raised symbols on top to designate different insulin types by touch.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
Call it the Humana touch. At a time when many other health management organizations (HMO) are cutting back on care for people with diabetes, Humana Health Care Plans was recently recognized for its diabetes education programs.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1997
March 1997
Don't ignore kids with diabetes' psychological health, say experts from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
The relationship between diabetes and hearing loss has been controversial for some time.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
The importance of dietary changes and exercise for the proper management of type 2 diabetes is well documented. Doctors, educators and many people with the condition realize its benefits. The difficulty people with diabetes have making these lifestyle changes is just as well understood.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
In our last issue, we reviewed injection aids. Here we present a review of lancing devices with a few comments from our readers. Like our last review, this is an unscientific and informal review, not an exhaustive consumer survey. The comments of readers are solely the opinions of the respondents and do not necessarily reflect the views of Diabetes Health.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
You've seen the distinctive ribbons worn on the lapels of noted celebrities at awards ceremonies and public functions - red for AIDS awareness, blue for domestic violence and pink for breast cancer. These ribbons are important because they make us conscious of those who are suffering from these deadly afflictions. They remind us that with time, money and hope a cure or a solution might be found and the suffering of millions of individuals ended.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
Do you ever find yourself short of time and in need of a healthy snack to control your blood sugars? Mead Johnson may have the solution for you. Their Choice dmª beverage is designed to offer meal planning flexibility that aids diabetes self-management.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
In early December 1996 Diagnostic Solutions Inc. (DSI) stopped their shipping of Chronimed's Quick Check One blood glucose test strips after the FDA questioned the strips' reliability.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. has recently received Food & Drug Administration marketing clearance for Nascobalª, a gel for intranasal delivery of vitamin B12. The product is intended for use by those with vitamin B12 deficiency, a condition that leads to increased rates of disease and mortality when left untreated.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1997
February 1997
There is now one more good reason to have your urine checked regularly. A new study shows that elevated protein (microalbumin) levels in the urine of people with type 2 diabetes are associated with a greater risk of developing kidney disease, heart disease, and neuropathy.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1997
What would you do for an extra five years of life, eight years of sight, six years free from kidney disease and six years free from nerve damage and the risk of amputation?
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1997
With no significant advances for people with diabetes on the horizon, many in the diabetes community wonder what the future holds. Will there ever be a cure? Is research moving in the right direction? Just what can people with diabetes expect in 1997?
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1997
The American Diabetes Association sent letters to President Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich in mid-November urging them to make changes to diabetes-related Medicare coverage the first order of business in the 105th Congress.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1997
Eli Lilly is currently the subject of a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) probe into its relationship with PCS Health Systems, a pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1997
Have a question about your diabetes? The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) might have the answer. The NDIC is a free informational service funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, an arm of National Institutes of Health.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1997
January 1997
Researchers from the University of Florida at Gainsville have developed alternative visual aides to help children find the correct insulin injection sites. The report, published in the April 1996 issue of Clinical Pediatrics, found that children ages 6-11 were significantly more successful at finding injection sites when using "injection bears" than when using the traditional injection charts. The injection bears simplify the process of site recognition by marking teddy bears with injection sites that correspond to the same sites on a child's body.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1997
It is not news that people with diabetes over the age of 45 are prone to develop a large number of medical problems. What is news is the finding that people with diabetes have a far greater chance of being hospitalized for conditions that were thought to be unrelated to diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1997
A little pill could save some big money. A recent study determined that using captopril to prevent kidney problems for people with diabetes could save $2.4 billion dollars in cumulative health care costs from 1994 to 2004 alone.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1997
This case study comes from Peter Lodewick, MD, one of our endocrinology board advisors and the medical director of the Diabetes Care Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1997
Bearskin Meadows Camp, for children and families with diabetes, has staff positions available for summer 1997. Counselors are needed to teach arts, riflery, archery, rock climbing, backpacking, nature and ecology. Registered and student dietitians are needed, as well as office help, drivers, cooks and assistants. The camp is also looking for lifeguards, nurses, a photographer and a songleader. The summer camp begins June 14 and ends August 29. Part-time positions are also available. All positions are paid. Salaries are dependent upon the position and level of experience.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1997
A study, conducted at the University of Wisconsin Medical School at Madison and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in March of 1996, found that hypertension is significantly related to high HbA1c levels in people with diabetes who are taking insulin. The study concluded that controlling high blood sugars may reduce the risk of developing hypertension.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1997
November 1996
In the spring of 1973, while on vacation in Morro Bay, California, I began experiencing severe thirst and corresponding urination, along with a loss of appetite.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
The Security Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed suit against Futrex and its president Bob Rosenthal-the makers of the proposed "Dream Beam" non-invasive glucose meter-alleging that the company made false and misleading claims to investors.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
The new fast-acting insulin Humalog is finally here. Since Lilly's introduction of the insulin many people have been switching over. However, Humalog can produce unexpected surprises in blood sugar control. This column explains several important differences in the action of this new insulin and suggests ways to best utilize Humalog.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
The risk of infection with the hepatitis C virus for people with either type I or type 2 diabetes is more than four times higher than it is for people without diabetes, according to a study in the September issue of Diabetes Care. The study also hypothesizes that hepatitis C infection may play a direct role in the development of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
Have you ever wondered if you were a good diabetes patient? Nancy Bohannon, M.D., an experienced diabetes specialist from the Monteagle Medical Center in San Francisco, explains how to be a good patient and feel empowered with your diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
As high-carbohydrate diets are on the decline, Bio Foods, Inc. is experiencing an increase in the popularity of its nutritional food bar Balance. The Balance bar offers a supplement to high-protein diets similar to the program promoted in Dr. Barry Sears' bestseller The Zone.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
A good night's sleep for diabetics during hospitalization may be a reality with the new VIA Continuous Glucose Meter.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
People with type I diabetes who have high blood pressure have a greater chance of developing retinopathy, according to a study by R. Miccoli of Pisa, Italy. The study, presented at the American Diabetes Association's 56th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions in San Francisco, found this relationship to be unaffected by long term glycemic control or duration of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1996
October 1996
Relatives of people with type I diabetes who test positive for three specific autoantibodies may have a 100 percent chance of developing the disease in the next five years, according to a new study in the July 1996 Diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1996
The prospect of developing cheap generic test strips for blood glucose monitors earned Selfcare a $10 million vote of confidence this past August, when the company completed its initial public offering.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1996
Charges of espionage filled the pages of a lawsuit filed in federal court on June 19 by German corporation Boehringer Mannheim against LifeScan, a diabetes product subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1996
The unfortunate consequence of healthcare cost-cutting is that patients are often shuffled out the door without all their questions answered. Not fun for anyone, especially patients just diagnosed with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1996
In India, a country with 25 million people with diabetes, Novo Nordisk human insulin is six times more expensive than locally produced insulin, according to a June, 19, 1996 Chemical Business Newsbase report, making the Novo product a choice for the affluent only.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1996
September 1996
August 1996
Beverly Mack wasn't always a diabetes educator. Advertising was her first profession, but a change of interest and a diagnosis of type I diabetes conspired to change that.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1996
The day began with a crisp breeze buffeting over the desert. Men and women clad in sweatshirts and neon spandex spoke quietly to each other while stretching; others checked their blood sugars next to their bicycles. Though the group of roughly 60 people had come from such scattered locations as Washington state, Montreal, Canada and Papua, New Guinea, each person dealt with diabetes every day. The bicyclists spread out along the road that morning like a long line of ants, bound for Tempe, Arizona 125 miles away.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1996
The newest pharmaceutical weapon in the battle-of-the-bulge will not be a "magic bullet" for people with diabetes, according to researchers who have worked with the drug.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1996
Back in the early fifties, Dr. Salvatore G. Scotti, a Doctor of Chemistry, decided to create a medication without sugar, dye or alcohol. Those were the days before the word "sugar-free" had been invented. He called his first concoction "Sucro-Sine," meaning "without sugar." He went on to coin the phrase "sugarless" before becoming the first pharmacist to label his cough medicine "sugar-free."
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1996
Taking blood samples may become a bit more convenient thanks to the advent of the Autolet Mini, the smallest lancet device on the market. Owen Mumford, the developers of the device, released the Autolet Mini in August.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1996
July 1996
The new fast acting Lispro insulin received FDA approval on June 17, thanks in part to a study presented during the American Diabetes Association's 56th annual scientific meetings.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1996
An on-going follow-up study of the original DCCT patients found those with poor insurance coverage had poor blood glucose control.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1996
Two studies identifying shortcomings in physicians' approaches to improving patient self care were identified at the American Diabetes Association's 56th annual sessions.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1996
June 1996
DiabetiSweet, a new sugar substitute, has been available on the market since mid-March. The sweetner, produced by Health Care Products, has three sweetening ingredients-Isomalt, Sunette and Aspartame.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1996
In a statement released this past March, Abbott Laboratories and MediSense, Inc. jointly announced that Abbott would acquire MediSense by buying 100% of MediSense's outstanding shares-a value of $876 million.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1996
May 1996
Researchers have found that jet-injection devices might be a helpful method to treat those affected by severe human insulin-induced lipo-atrophy-a loss of fat from beneath the skin.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1996
In order to understand how young people with diabetes perceive health, the School of Nursing at the University of Wyoming recently told a group of adolescent diabetics to take pictures of what they considered to be "health."
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1996
Attending diabetes centers can mean the difference between life and death, according to a study published in the March 1996 issue of Diabetes Care.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1996
A protein believed to be linked to juvenile diabetes has been identified by scientists at the National Institute of Dental Research.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1996
April 1996
Despite Polymer Technology International's legal struggle with LifeScan and current Chapter 11 status, its newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Matthew P. Pazaryna, is optimistic about the company's future.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1996
According to reports from the American Diabetes Association, African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to get diabetes, due to a genetic predisposition to the disease.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1996
If you're in Tempe, Ariz. the week of March 31, you'll be sure to run into some active people with diabetes. The International Diabetic Athletes Association (IDAA) will be holding their seventh international conference that week, and it's certain to be fun and informative.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1996
Scientists in Paris and at the University of Kansas have developed an implantable blood glucose sensor. The device, inserted with a needle much like the cannula on an insulin pump, can remain in place beneath the skin for up to four days. A wire connects the sensor to a pocket-sized monitor.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1996
March 1996
Q: How and why do certain foods raise my blood sugars more than others? I find that pizza causes higher BGs than candy.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1996
Recently, DIABETES HEALTH received two letters regarding Frozen Shoulder (also called diabetic shoulder). Readers, Anna of Illinois and Joan of Michigan, wrote seeking additional information on the subject, stating that they could find very little.
1 comment - Posted Mar 1, 1996
A rare form of diabetes that affects children in the first month of life has been found to travel an unpredictable course over the life span. Neonatal diabetes-hyperglycemia in infants requiring insulin therapy-is a little-known form of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1996
February 1996
Noted authors and diabetes experts are slated to speak at a diabetes symposium in San Jose, Calif. The event will take place on Saturday, February 17, 1996 at the Fairmont Hotel.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1996
Good news for your sweet tooth-LifeSavers are now available without sugar.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1996
A new disposable needle-free injector became available in December 1995. The J-Tip Needleless Injector, manufactured by National Medical Products of Irvine, Calif., uses a cartridge of CO2 to propel insulin into the body without breaking the skin.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1996
What's the worst part about testing blood glucose? If you say "the discomfort," Boehringer-Mannheim Corporation may have the product for you. According to company literature, "Three-fourths of diabetes educators with diabetes surveyed said obtaining a drop of blood with the Softclix device was less painful than with their current device. Eighty percent said they would recommend the device to their patients."
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1996
Synthetic Blood International, Inc. recently announced that preliminary laboratory and animal studies on its implantable glucose biosensor appear to be positive enough to result in long-term implant studies in animals.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1996
January 1996
Q: What are some things I should consider when deciding whether to become a vegetarian? Do people with diabetes need to eat meat?
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
Q: I am wondering about the benefits and problems of using different injection sites. I am also curious to know about how hormones affect glucose control. I notice that my BGs are different at various points in my menstrual cycle.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
Prayer may do more than enrich your spirit. It may also contribute to healing your body.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
Any kid with diabetes can tell you that having the disease is no fun. But surprise! It can be if you have Packy & Marlon, a new game for the Super Nintendo.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
When children develop diabetes before turning two years-old, they are more likely to have a parent with type I diabetes. This may indicate that such children are genetically predisposed to the disease.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
Many doctors are hesitant to prescribe IUDs (intrauterine devices) for women with diabetes. There is a general belief that the devices pose a threat of pelvic inflammatory disease.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
More and more Americans are getting diabetes-there are three times more cases today than there were in 1958.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
If you think diabetes makes exercise an extra challenge, you may be right. A report published in the May 1995 Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise shows that people with type 2 diabetes "have a decreased exercise performance compared with non-diabetic subjects."
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
What could methane gas have to do with your cholesterol level? Plenty, according to a Canadian study published in the July 1995 issue of Diabetes Care.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
The Diabetes Epidemiology Research International (DERI) study found that Americans with type I diabetes have a higher mortality rate than diabetics in Finland and Israel. Only Japan surpassed the United States in this respect.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
Finland consumes more cow's milk than any other country and Finnish people have the highest incidence of diabetes in the world-40 cases per 100,000 people. This is about six times higher than the frequency of diabetes in France. The French drink much less milk and have only 7.5 people with diabetes per 100,000 among the Caucasian population.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
A recent study of patient and physician practices revealed that many changes have taken place over the past few years. The Scott Levin Associates 1995 Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Study found that patients are moving toward greater participation in their own wellness and doctors have become more willing to encourage that involvement. Also evident is the fact that patients pay more attention to drug advertising and now seek more information about products than they did in the past.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1996
December 1995
Picture this: You're a bomb disposal technician for the United States Army. You've been in the military for 13 years-your entire adult life. You've disarmed and disposed of bombs, both nuclear and conventional, and have worked in conjunction with the FBI and Secret Service.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
There are two major diabetes prevention trials underway, and both are actively seeking participants.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
Clinical trials are nearing completion for the Laser Lancet, a handheld, battery powered device that allows people to draw blood without the use of needles or lancets.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
Food is an important part of life, and it takes on extra significance when a person has diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
The same thing doctors use to monitor a fetus in the womb may one day bring you pain-free insulin injections.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
Low-cal plus low fat-since when does this combination equal delicious? Since PalateAbility of Coral Springs, Fla. went into business.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
The popular medical news magazine show, Living With Diabetes, has returned to television. Kaleidoscope, the Americans with Disabilities Channel, airs the program every Monday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. EST. Living With Diabetes is available in 15 million homes across the United States.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
CenterWatch, a publishing company that covers clinical research, has established a site on the Internet that patients can use to search for clinical trials by therapeutic area and by geographic region. Each posting contains contact information. The site currently includes postings for trials for treating diabetes. The Internet address is: www.centerwatch.com
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1995
November 1995
Q: I witnessed a problem that seemed related to the extreme heat at a sports camp in Tucson.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
When a person is in a long-term care facility, his or her diabetes is often in the hands of the nursing staff. A study led by Monica Turner Parker, RN in Greenville, N.C. recently revealed that there may be some problems with this arrangement.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
Syndrome X is a group of problems associated with type 2 diabetes. It includes obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipi-demia (abnormal cholesterol metabolism), macro-angiopathy, (large blood vessel disease/hardening of the arteries), and insulin resistance.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
Although some people smoke because they say it's relaxing, a study led by C. Lloyd in Pittsburgh determined that, among stressed people, smokers have the worst glycemic control.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
Diabetes educators shouldn't assume that there is just one way to talk to their patients. Like the general population, people with diabetes come from many different cultures, and it is essential that all patients understand how to take care of themselves.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
Five percent of people with type 2 diabetes develop secondary failure to sulfonylureas every year (secondary failure describes the condition wherein a drug that has been effective in controlling blood sugars stops functioning for a particular individual).
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
Do you have to jog ten miles a day to lose weight and maintain good blood glucose control? No, not according to some recent reports.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
Do you have to be skinny to have good control? Not necessarily, according to a study at the University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences in Galveston. Led by E. Ann Cabanas, researchers concluded that "consistent carbohydrate consumption in patients with type 2 diabetes is associated with improved glycemic control without regard to weight loss."
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1995
October 1995
Most people don't think about their teeth until something goes wrong. Several dental journals have recently published reports about the effect of diabetes on oral health.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1995
The company offered 2,500,000 shares of common stock for $13.00 per share (before underwriting discounts and commissions). On September 1st the stock was trading for $11.50 a share since hitting a low of $8.75. The company will receive net proceeds of about $30 million. 850,000 additional shares are available from selling stockholders, one of whom has granted the underwriters an option of an additional 502,500 shares.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1995
MediSense recently won an appeal to the European Patent Office to protect its exclusive right to use ferrocene in blood glucose strips. Boehringer-Mannheim, another medical supplies company, opposed MediSense's exclusive patent.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1995
Amylin Pharmaceuticals will be working in conjunction with LifeScan to develop and commercialize AC137. AC137 is an experimental medicine that mimics the effects of the recently discovered pancreatic hormone amylin, which apparently plays a significant role in blood glucose control. Research has shown that patients who self-administer AC137 in addition to insulin have better blood glucose control after meals.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1995
Novo Nordisk, the world's largest insulin producer, and LifeScan, Inc., the leading maker of blood glucose monitoring systems, have announced a worldwide alliance to enhance diabetes management solutions.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1995
Imagine taking your insulin in powder form right through your skin. Sound strange? Not to Oxford BioSciences Ltd., a company in England.
0 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1995
September 1995
As a doctor living with diabetes for more than 25 years and caring for more than 8000 people with diabetes, I know that diabetes can, though does not need to, cause accelerated aging of the vascular and nervous systems. Eating the best foods, including plenty of fresh raw vegetables and fruits, taking vitamins and anti-oxidants, controlling blood sugars, blood pressure and cholesterol are all crucially important in keeping healthy with diabetes. But there has been one element left overlooked by most people: water.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1995
It has been found that stressful and unpleasant feelings contribute to poor self-care. For many doctors, however, this problem of emotional distress may not seem important. Today, researchers are looking for a comprehensive way to monitor patients' attitudes about living with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1995
About 163,000 physicians could be unemployed by the year 2000 if projections published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and in the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter are accurate.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1995
Though hormone replacement therapy is generally recommended for post-menopausal women, not much is known about whether women with diabetes should take hormones. A study in Minneapolis recently shed some light on this tricky topic.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1995
In a recent study in England, researchers wanted to find out if people with diabetes perceive their hypoglycemic symptoms differently than their partners and nurses.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1995
Diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune disease, and a Scottish study recently found some more evidence to support that theory.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1995
August 1995
This study measured the effect of sucrose in the diet of children and adolescents with type I diabetes. One group received a diet containing five percent of their total calories as refined sugar. The second group remained on its usual sucrose-free diet. Long term metabolic control, which was measured by hemoglobin level, was not affected by the change in diet and did not differ between the two groups. (Published in Acta Diabetologica, December 1994.)
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1995
There is only one way to prevent complications: Start now.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1995
Weight Gain Linked to Diabetes Onset
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1995
Hypoglycemia, extreme low blood sugar, is regularly treated in emergency rooms, and the patients are not always diabetics.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1995
After more than a year of legal wrangling, Polymer, the manufacturer of First Choice blood glucose meter strips, has been ordered to remove its product from the market and reimburse its customers. The ruling came from the Federal District Court in Seattle on June 19, almost three weeks after LifeScan won its patent infringement suit against Polymer.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1995
July 1995
The Virginia Mason Research Center in Seattle has been awarded a $5 million grant by the National Institutes of Health. The money will aid in the development of treatments that could prevent insulin-dependent diabetes, which affects one in two hundred people born in the United States.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1995
In this era of rising medical costs, the popularity of inexpensive home medical tests is growing rapidly. Americans have become more health conscious, and the population of older people has grown, enlarging the target market for home testing and monitoring devices.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1995
Diabetes isn't cheap and the First Lady knows it.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1995
Do you crave sweets? Worried about what you can eat as a person with diabetes who is watching fat and sugar? How does some luscious frozen yogurt sound?
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1995
June 1995
Final Arguments in the patent infringement suit leveled by LifeScan, Inc., against Polymer Technology International were heard on April 18, but a ruling in the bench trial will have to wait until at least mid-May.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1995
May 1995
Researchers have demonstrated that family environment and psycho social factors have an important influence on glycemic control in children and adolescents suffering from type I diabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
A new discovery suggests that long enough hair samples may be able to provide extended records of hyperglycemia.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
There appears to be a prevalence of diabetes, hyperinsulinemia and associated metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk in people of Asian descent.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
Although it remains controversial as to whether people with diabetes have an overall increased incidence of infection as compared to people without diabetes, several potentially life-threatening infections do appear to be uniquely associated with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
In a recent study conducted at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, 42 insulin-dependent patients were asked to estimate their glucose levels and to rate the intensity of their corresponding symptoms.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
It has long been recognized that nearly one-third of all women of reproductive age with type I diabetes suffer menstrual dysfunction. Additionally, studies have shown that the age of the first menstrual period is frequently delayed in patients who develop diabetes before puberty.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
Blood glucose testing just got easier for people who are visually impaired, with the introduction of the Smart Dot Blood Collector.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
Ulster Scientific, Inc., has introduced a new single-use blood sampling device which the company claims has been designed to be the safest, most gentle, convenient and cost-effective device of its kind.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
Miles, Inc. announced Jan. 30 that it planned to begin using the name of its parent company, Bayer, in April.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
SpectRx, Inc. and Boehringer-Mannheim Group (BM) have announced that the two companies have entered into an agreement to develop the world's first painless, non-invasive device for detecting diabetes.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
MediSense, Inc. has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's acceptance of a new blood glucose monitoring system.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
Now Diabetes Health will begin serving the subscribers of the journal Real Living with Diabetes. Real Living ceased publication with its March/April issue, and Diabetes Health has agreed to fill their remaining subscriptions.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
A pair of surveys commissioned by LifeScan reveal that nearly half of the country's diabetes and heart disease patients do not follow their doctor's orders.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
One hundred thousand dollars will be awarded in Fall, 1995, for promising basic scientific or clinical research which has the potential to make a substantial difference in the way that diabetes mellitus is prevented, detected, treated or cured. Winner(s) will be selected by a panel of internationally recognized diabetes experts.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1995
April 1995
Answering questions this month is Peter Lodewick, MD, medical director of the Diabetes Care Center in Birmingham, Ala., and a member of our advisory board.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1995
March 1995
Researchers performed an oral glucose tolerance test on 18 non-diabetic patients with chronic respiratory failure, and found that half of them had impaired glucose tolerance as if they did have the disease.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1995
Having diabetes as a risk factor may affect the type of plaque that forms on the arteries, which can eventually lead to heart disease and stroke.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1995
The HemoCue Blood Glucose Analyzer has been reclassified for use by diabetes educators, home-care agencies and wellness clinics.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1995
Alteon Inc. announced Jan. 4 that it has licensed it's advanced glycosylation end products (A.G.E.) detection technology to Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1995
Contrary to previous reports, Cascade Medical, manufacturers of the Checkmate meter, have not gone out of business.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1995
February 1995
I request that you give me some information. Is it safe for me to take the Formula I nutritional supplement or not? I am enclosing an ingredient label and information sheet explaining ingredients, all of which are "natural Chinese herbs." According to the label and the info, this is supposed to lower glucose, lower blood pressure, etc.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1995
January 1995
A drop of 17.4 percent in triglyceride levels was obtained in a study conducted at the Medical Center Hospital and the Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, TX.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1995
To help people with diabetes incorporate the findings of the DCCT, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has launched the National Diabetes Outreach Program.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1995
Twenty percent more strips will be included with LifeScan's One Touch Test Strips for no additional charge while supplies last.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1995
Gooey caramel, rich chocolate, delectable syrups, chewy cookies and moist cake mixes are just some of the offerings from Palate-Ability, a mail-order company run by Carol Whitton.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1995
Scot-Tussin, well known for its complete line of cough, cold, and allergy medications, is introducing a sugar- and alcohol-free expectorant.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1995
November 1994
Menstrual irregularities are more common in adolescent girls who have type I diabetes, according to research done at John Radcliffe Hospital and published in Diabetes Medicine (June, 1994).
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1994
Kidney disease, possible advancement of retinopathy, and affected insulin action are just some of the things that the smoker with diabetes has to worry about, according to a study published in Diabetes Medicine (May, 1994).
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1994
The National Institute on Alcoholism in Kangawa, Japan studied a group of alcoholics and found that there was an increased risk to alcoholics with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1994
In a recent study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology (Oct. 1994) it was found that women with type I diabetes have an increased risk of miscarriage or having infants with birth defects.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1994
October 1994
Q: I am 23 years old and I have had insulin dependent diabetes for 9 years. My blood sugars during the day are generally under 150 mg/dl, but no matter what I do my fasting blood sugar before breakfast is always high, often over 300. What is going on?
3 comments - Posted Oct 1, 1994
September 1994
According to a survey conducted by the Beaver, Pennsylvania Medical Center, the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, a large number of people with diabetes in the United States have never received diabetes education.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1994
Researchers have found that soaring morning sugar levels can be better prevented by combining regular and long-acting insulin (Diabetes Care, June 1994). The study conducted by the University of Padova in Italy discovered that blood sugars could be safely lowered by injecting human recombinant Ultralente insulin together with a dose of regular insulin before the evening meal to more effectively control the conversion of glycogen into glucose by the liver. While scientists were concerned about possible hypoglycemic reactions due to the treatment's lack of flexibility, only one of the 16 patients with type I diabetes reported hypoglycemic symptoms-but he had also reported similar difficulties while using only Neutral Protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1994
According to an article in the August, 1994 issue of Diabetes Care, researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia have determined that a mother's blood glucose level during pregnancy does not increase a child's risk of developing type I diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1994
August 1994
Q: Does caffeine lower or raise your blood sugar?
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1994
June 1994
Q: There is a question which you may be able to help with. Good monitoring suggests frequent blood testing (4+ times a day), and usually equally frequent insulin injections. The question is: where do you keep sticking yourself to get the blood, without getting fibrosis of the sites (or worse)?
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1994
May 1994
Recent studies have found significantly more rapid gastric emptying in people recently diagnosed (within 3 years) with type 2 diabetes. This rapid gastric emptying results in increased after meal glucose levels and can make blood glucose control more difficult.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1994
Gainor Medical recently announced a new addition to their Cleanlet line of lancets, the Cleanlet 30, scheduled for release this summer. The Cleanlet 30 sports a 30 gauge needle, making it the thinnest lancet on the market and reducing the pain involved in lancing fingers.
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1994
The recommended procedure for using lancets is fairly simple:
0 comments - Posted May 1, 1994
April 1994
The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) was a 10-year, $165 million study funded by the National Institutes of Health. It compared two treatment methods in 1,441 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes at 29 clinical centers.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1994
The front page of the New York Times, Feb. 28, 1994, featured an article by Sandra Blakeslee blasting the outcome of the July 1993 DCCT report. According to the Times, diabetes centers across the nation "geared up for an onslaught of patients wanting to begin the new treatment. The response was, to say the least, disappointing." Dr. Philip Raskin, a leading diabetes expert at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center in Dallas said "I am shocked at the resistance, even from physicians."
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1994
March 1994
A recent study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine has concluded that low to moderate alcohol intake may increase insulin sensitivity. The study participants were healthy volunteers, 20 men and 20 women, matched for age, sex, and body mass index (a measure of obesity), none of whom had diabetes. Alcohol consumption was between 10 and 30 grams of alcohol per day, roughly equivalent to 1-3 drinks.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1994
Researchers in Paris have discovered a possible link between alcohol and diabetes (European Journal of Medicine, October, 1992). Using a routine health check of over 7000 workers (excluding people previously diagnosed with diabetes and pregnant women), alcohol consumption was compared with blood glucose levels after adjusting for other risk factors.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1994
Records from more than 40 countries, tracing the incidence of childhood type I diabetes (under the age of 15) up to the end of the 1980's, have provided an overview of the rate of insulin-dependent diabetes worldwide.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1994
Blood glucose awareness training (BGAT) is a patient education program designed to teach people who use insulin to estimate their blood glucose levels more accurately. It is specifically designed to help them recognize episodes of hypoglycemia. BGAT is a comprehensive, seven-class course which helps people identify and increase sensitivity to the symptoms of hyper- and hypoglycemia. The course also includes information on insulin, food, and exercise relating to extreme blood glucose levels.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1994
Researchers at the Diabetes Research Institute in Munich, Germany, have attempted to find dermatoglyphic differences between people with type I diabetes and non-diabetic control subjects. Dermatoglyphics is the study of hand and fingerprints, and the skin structures that make them unique (like ridge counts).
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1994
January 1994
In January of 1993, the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a national study conducted by Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Hospital on the prevalence, costs, and patterns of unconventional therapy use in the United States. "Unconventional" is defined as medical treatment not generally taught in American medical schools or available in American hospitals, and includes therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1994
Viral infection is suspected to be one of the causes of diabetes. The destructive mechanisms employed by different viruses can result in either direct destruction of islet cells with rapid insulin deficiency, or in a more gradual loss of islet cells with the onset of diabetes occurring many years later.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1994
The presence of microalbuminuria in the urine identifies people at risk for both heart and kidney complications. For this reason, screening for microalbuminuria can be beneficial for patients with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1994
In a review of the blood glucose profiles of 126 patients with insulin dependent diabetes, researchers attempted to determine the causes of fasting high blood glucose, and its effect on subsequent blood glucose control throughout the day.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1994
Dyslipidemia is abnormal lipid metabolism. It is very common among people with Type 2 diabetes, and most frequently involves increased levels of triglycerides, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, as well as decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). These abnormalities appear to be caused by increased secretion of VLDL particles from the liver due to increased concentrations of free fatty acids and glucose.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1994
Diabetic women are at risk for bearing children with congenital complications associated with the effects of abnormal blood glucose levels in the early period of pregnancy. For this reason, understanding behavior that supports family planning practices is an important aspect of preventing birth defects in children born to women with diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1994
Biocontrol Technology Inc. of Pennsylvania will give away its first non-invasive blood glucose sensor to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) for a charity auction. The sensor will be awarded to the highest bidder, with all proceeds going to the JDF. Biocontrol Technology plans to file a 510K application with the Food and Drug Administration soon, and hopes the new sensor will be available in the Spring of 1994.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1994
November 1993
A study conducted by Finnish researchers at the University of Helsinki has shown a link between cow's milk and type I diabetes. The level of cow's milk protein antibodies in children with type I diabetes less than three years old is six to seven times higher than in children of the same age who don't have diabetes. In addition, the duration of exclusive breast feeding, without the addition of cow's milk, was found to be shorter in children with IDDM than in the control group, although the difference was only 1 month.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1993
From Helsinki, Finland, researchers have reported that a patient diagnosed with type I diabetes experienced remission and normoglycemia for 7 years after diagnosis. Complete remission occurs in 10-25% of all people with type I diabetes, within a year of diagnosis. Remission usually lasts only a few weeks or months; only 5-10% of the cases last a year or more.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1993
A new program in Germany, offering a specialized office-based teaching program for people with non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes, has had markedly effective results. After completing the program, average body weight decreased by 2.8 kg (6.2 lbs.), average HbA1c levels decreased by .64%, the dose of oral medication was decreased by almost 50%, and the percentage of people treated with oral medication decreased by 21%. The program is taught in the physician's office, by the office staff, and is being paid for through health insurance. The cost is approximately $10 per person per session, plus $9 per person for learning materials. After the initial outlay of $49, the average savings per year due to reduced medication alone is approximately $13.20 per person, making the program cost effective in less than 4 years.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1993
Thursday, Sept. 16th—San Jose, CA
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1993
August 1993
The increase of arteriosclerosis in people with diabetes is well known. One of the key causes of arteriosclerosis is the binding of monocytes (large white blood cells found in circulating blood) to the cells that make up the lining of the heart. However, the effect of high blood sugar on the rate of monocyte binding has not been known.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1993
A study by Diabetes Epidemiology Research International (DEMI) measuring insulin-dependent diabetes mortality rates in the U.S., Japan, Finland, and Israel reports the United States ranks significantly behind Finland and Israel. The study found that after having diabetes for 25 years, 17% of the Americans studied had died, in contrast to only 5.4% in Finland and 5.1% in Israel. The highest annual death rate was seen in the 30-39 age group. By measuring the proportion of deaths that would have been avoided if the United States had the same mortality rate as Finland, "preventable" mortality was determined. Using this methodology, the study concludes that 76% of the deaths in America for 30-39 year olds with insulin-dependent diabetes were potentially avoidable. Despite the high cost and technological sophistication of diabetes care in this country, the study suggests that many Americans with diabetes are dying needlessly, and that something is wrong with our system of medical care and delivery.
0 comments - Posted Aug 1, 1993
July 1993
The National Institutes of Health have announced the results of a long-term study showing that intensive treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus slows the onset and progression of diabetes complications. For many people with diabetes, the standard treatment of one or two shots a day with infrequent blood sugar testing is not enough to prevent complications caused by high blood glucose. Results from this new study show that a tighter control of blood sugar can reduce the incidence of damage to eyes, kidneys, and nerves by 60% or more.
0 comments - Posted Jul 1, 1993
June 1993
Researchers at Temple University School of Medicine have determined that age, in and of itself, may have relatively little to do with insulin resistance and the links between its increase and age are more likely attributed to changes in body fat and lifestyle. The findings were published in the May '93 issue of Diabetes Care.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1993
Alan Marcus MD, an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist, is extremely active in the diabetes community. He serves on many advisory boards and speaks frequently to groups of all sizes. His practice is in Laguna Hills, CA, and he serves as Asst. Clinical Prof. at USC.
0 comments - Posted Jun 1, 1993
April 1993
If your blood sugar level is regularly higher when tested in a clinic than when you test it yourself, you are among those suffering from "white coat hyperglycemia." A recent study has indicated that about half of all cases of "white coat hyperglycemia" are due to errors in testing technique.
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1993
To develop a method for people with diabetes to recognize low blood sugar, researchers at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, have identified the seven most frequently observed symptoms (Diabetes Care, February, 1993).
0 comments - Posted Apr 1, 1993
March 1993
The authors of a report in Postgraduate Medicine, October 1992, state that a large body of evidence demonstrates the prevalence and consequences of magnesium deficiency in patients with diabetes. The authors recommend that physicians treating diabetes patients look to magnesium deficiency as a factor in diabetes related complications and as a contributor in increasing the severity of the disease. Treatment with oral magnesium supplements may help avoid or relieve such complications as arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), hypertension, and sudden cardiac death, and may even improve the course of diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1993
In a study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, October 1992, researchers from Tulane University in Louisianna discovered that a higher percentage of boys with diabetes had developed learning problems than girls with diabetes. They also found that children with diabetes experienced more learning difficulties than those without the disease, supporting the research findings that diabetes is associated with increased risk of learning problems.
0 comments - Posted Mar 1, 1993
February 1993
Dear Mr. Metabolism,
3 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1993
In a study from the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, the lipid-regulating drug, gem-fibrozil (Lopid), was found to significantly improve triglyceride (blood fat) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in a group of type 2 diabetes patients. Lipid disorders are a major cause of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a condition which accounts for the majority of diabetes-related deaths. The ability to control stable lipid levels would greatly reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
0 comments - Posted Feb 1, 1993
January 1993
The results of a study conducted by researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, suggest a possible relationship between poor blood glucose control and dental caries (tooth destruction) in children with type I diabetes. The report of the study was published in Pediatr Dent, May-June 1992.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1993
Even after participating in an intensive treatment and training program, it has been found that smoking and low-level education are indicators of poor metabolic control in people who have been newly diagnosed with type I diabetes. This study was conducted by researchers from the Department of Metabolic Disease and Nutrition, Dusseldorf, Germany.
0 comments - Posted Jan 1, 1993
December 1992
Q: How long should I wait to eat after injecting insulin?
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1992
According to a recent study from Sudan, the largest state on the African continent, there has been an increase in the incidence of childhood Type I diabetes. The study was conducted in Khartoum city by a joint research group from University Hospital in Khartoum, and University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. Their report was published in the November 1992 issue of Diabetes Care.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1992
The results of a recent study conducted in Colorado suggest that the exposure to low levels of nitrates in drinking water may play a role in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1992
Aminogaunidine, a drug manufactured by Alteon Inc., has been found to effectively prevent the formation of advanced glycosylation endproducts (AGEs). AGEs are thought to be involved in the developing stages of diabetes complications.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1992
INDIANA, PA. - September 2, 1992 - Biocontrol Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:BICO) announced today that it has entered into a lease agreement with the Indiana County Board of Commissioners within the Indiana County Commerce Center for 22,500 square feet for the purpose of manufacturing their non-invasive glucose sensor.
0 comments - Posted Dec 1, 1992
November 1992
Researchers have found that using a telephone modem to directly connect diabetes patients with their physicians can improve diabetes control, as compared to standard diabetes management. By making contact with a physician more convenient, it was found that people were stimulated to keep better control over their blood glucose levels. This method was particularly effective for people living in isolated rural areas with limited access to immediate diabetes care.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1992
According to a report in Diabetes Care, July 1992, the use of thermal biofeedback-assisted relaxation training can help to increase blood circulation in the body's lower extremities. The use of this relaxation technique to improve circulation may be of importance to people with diabetes, since diabetes greatly increases the risk of damage to small blood vessels.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1992
In response to reported epidemic levels of diabetes in certain populations, researchers in Canterbury, New Zealand, conducted a study on the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in their region. The purpose of their study, published in Diabetes Care, July 1992, was to confirm the significance of the observed variations in the incidence levels of IDDM.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1992
In a report published in Diabetes Care, October 1992, researchers from the Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, England, studied the relationship between height and the onset of clinical diabetes in children.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1992
We interviewed Cascade Medical after hearing that they had aligned themselves with Boston Advanced Technologies (B.A.T.). B.A.T. recently announced that they had received a grant form NASA to build the first non-invasive blood glucose testing device to go into space. We reached Richard E. Jones, Ph.D., president and CEO of Cascade Medical, at Cascade's headquarters in Eden Prarie, Minnesota.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1992
On June 1, 1992, the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland introduced their new and improved Instant Glucose. An advantage of purchasing their improved Instant Glucose is that 100% of the net profits go to support diabetes research.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1992
The headline of Peak Experience's press release reads "Too old for Diabetes Summer Camp? Backpack the John Muir Trail, July 1993." What Peak Experience has in mind is a 21 to 25 day journey through some of California's most treasured wilderness land-and it's entirely for people with insulin-dependent diabetes.
0 comments - Posted Nov 1, 1992
September 1991
Diabetes is a disease of the substance sugar, but is really about energy. In the final analysis, diabetes is a disease of poor energy metabolism. It is manifest in problems with sugar, the crucial fuel, and insulin, the crucial energy hormone. To understand diabetes, we need to understand biological energy: where it comes from, what it is, and how it works.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1991
Managing diabetes means keeping blood sugar as close to normal as possible. This, of course, means managing the delicate balance of diet, exercise, stress and insulin. Scientists have now uncovered another variable, and this one is fairly easy to control, once it is recognized. You may already know from personal observations, that the rate insulin is absorbed after injection depends upon where it is injected.
0 comments - Posted Sep 1, 1991