In response to research confirming that even small elevations in blood sugar during pregnancy can lead to sick babies, an international panel of experts is recommending sweeping changes in how gestational diabetes is diagnosed.
If adopted, the changes would mean that in the future two or three times as many pregnant women would be diagnosed and treated for gestational diabetes.
About 5% of pregnant women in the United States receive a diagnosis of gestational diabetes.
But Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Professor of Metabolism and Nutrition Boyd Metzger, MD, says closer to 15% of pregnant women and their babies would benefit from treatment.
“Current recommendations for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes are designed to identify women at risk for developing diabetes after pregnancy,” Metzger tells WebMD. “But we now know that many low-risk women with blood sugar levels considered normal in the past are at risk for having overweight babies.”
High-birth-weight babies have an increased risk for obesity and diabetes later in life, and women carrying large babies are at increased risk for premature delivery and C-section delivery.
Modest Blood Sugar Increases Risky
Findings from a seven-year, international study led by Metzger showed that even modest increases in blood sugar during pregnancy raise the risk for complications to mothers and their babies.
More than 23,000 women who took part in the trial were followed for nearly a decade. The study was published in May 2008.
Several months later, diabetes experts from across the globe met to consider the clinical implications of the findings and this meeting led to the new recommendations.
Under the proposed guidelines, a fasting blood sugar of 92 or higher, a one-hour glucose tolerance test reading of 180 or higher, or a two-hour glucose tolerance test of 153 or higher would meet the criteria for gestational diabetes.
“Any one of these would be enough to make the diagnosis,” Metzger says.
He says that at these levels, the risk of having an overweight baby or developing pregnancy-related high blood pressure doubles and the risk for early delivery increases by 40%.
The consensus panel recommendations appear in the March issue of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) journal Diabetes Care.
But it is not clear if the ADA or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) will endorse the proposed guidelines.
An ACOG spokesperson tells WebMD the group does not comment on recommendations by other organizations.
Carol J. Homko, PhD, of the ADA, says the recommendations may overwhelm already struggling obstetrics practices.
Homko is an associate professor of medicine with a joint appointment in obstetrics and gynecology at Temple University in Philadelphia. She also served on the ADA’s Gestational Diabetes Mellitus workgroup.
“I worry that these practices may not have the resources to suddenly double or triple their gestational diabetes caseload,” she says.
Continue Reading...
Showing posts with label DIABETES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIABETES. Show all posts
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Diabetes Education
The Diabetes Education Program at Norwalk Hospital provides education to people with diabetes so that they can learn to better manage their diabetes, according to a news release.
By increasing their knowledge about the disease and promoting self-management, a person with diabetes will be able to better control blood sugar and prevent acute and chronic complications, according to Barbara Nadolny, coordinator of Diabetes Education.
Diabetes is growing at epidemic proportions. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million Americans have diabetes and each year 1.6 million people age 20 or older are diagnosed with diabetes.
Many first learn that they have it when they are treated for complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness or nerve damage. Through education and self-management a person with diabetes can learn to control the disease, which will reduce the risk of getting diabetes related complications.
The American Diabetes Association has recognized Norwalk Hospital's Outpatient Diabetes Education Program as a quality diabetes self-management program. It is a comprehensive program with both individual and group sessions.
Sessions are provided by Certified Diabetes Educators that are Registered Nurses or Registered Dietitians.
The program begins with an individual one-hour initial assessment followed by group or individual classes.
Group classes are available in the day or evening hours.
According to Nadolny, "Diabetes is a controllable disease. People can learn to control their diabetes and we can help."
"Our goal is to provide quality education to people with diabetes and to promote self-management and participation in personal health," Nadolny said.
Norwalk Hospital Diabetes Self-Management Education is a certified provider for Medicare and many other insurance companies.
Source : Stamford Times
By increasing their knowledge about the disease and promoting self-management, a person with diabetes will be able to better control blood sugar and prevent acute and chronic complications, according to Barbara Nadolny, coordinator of Diabetes Education.
Diabetes is growing at epidemic proportions. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million Americans have diabetes and each year 1.6 million people age 20 or older are diagnosed with diabetes.
Many first learn that they have it when they are treated for complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness or nerve damage. Through education and self-management a person with diabetes can learn to control the disease, which will reduce the risk of getting diabetes related complications.
The American Diabetes Association has recognized Norwalk Hospital's Outpatient Diabetes Education Program as a quality diabetes self-management program. It is a comprehensive program with both individual and group sessions.
Sessions are provided by Certified Diabetes Educators that are Registered Nurses or Registered Dietitians.
The program begins with an individual one-hour initial assessment followed by group or individual classes.
Group classes are available in the day or evening hours.
According to Nadolny, "Diabetes is a controllable disease. People can learn to control their diabetes and we can help."
"Our goal is to provide quality education to people with diabetes and to promote self-management and participation in personal health," Nadolny said.
Norwalk Hospital Diabetes Self-Management Education is a certified provider for Medicare and many other insurance companies.
Source : Stamford Times
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Gene Action May Lead to Diabetes Prevention
A gene commonly studied by cancer researchers has been linked to the metabolic inflammation that leads to diabetes.
Understanding how the gene works means scientists may be closer to finding ways to prevent or cure diabetes, according to a study by Texas AgriLife Research appearing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
"Because we understand the mechanism, or how the gene works, we believe a focus on nutrition will find the way to both prevent and reverse diabetes," said Dr. Chaodong Wu, AgriLife Research nutrition and food scientist who authored the paper with the University of Minnesota's Dr. Yuqing Hou.
Wu said the research team will collaborate with nutritionists to identify what changes or supplements in a diet will activate the gene to prevent or stop the progression of diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are higher than normal and the body has a hard time converting food to glucose which is then turned into energy, according to the National Institutes of Health. When the body cannot metabolize food, the amount of glucose builds in the blood while the cells lack energy. Complications can include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve problems and gum infections. Some of the complications can lead to amputation.
The gene with the possible answers to ways of fighting the disease is known in the science world as PFKFB3. Wu and the team of researchers identified it as a regulator for metabolism, which plays a vital role in the development of diabetes.
Wu noted that while it is a major health concern in the U.S., obesity does not necessarily cause diabetes to develop; i.e., just because a person is overweight does not mean they have diabetes. Rather, "metabolic inflammation" causes or exacerbates the disease. That's where the team began looking at PFKFB3 -- because it regulates metabolism -- to find the mechanism or how the inflammation begins. Metabolic inflammation is different from classic inflammation because there is no infection, virus or bacteria present, though the symptoms appear similar.
He believes nutritionists working with the biological chemists can help develop food consumption plans that either prevent people from developing metabolic inflammation or cause existing conditions to retreat.
"First we will need to identify what effective compounds will trigger the gene to regulate metabolism," Wu said. "Then we need to determine what combinations within foods are more effective."
In the meantime, Wu suggested, people need to consume healthier foods.
"Basically, fish and seafood," Wu said. "That's always good in a diet."
SOURCE
Understanding how the gene works means scientists may be closer to finding ways to prevent or cure diabetes, according to a study by Texas AgriLife Research appearing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
"Because we understand the mechanism, or how the gene works, we believe a focus on nutrition will find the way to both prevent and reverse diabetes," said Dr. Chaodong Wu, AgriLife Research nutrition and food scientist who authored the paper with the University of Minnesota's Dr. Yuqing Hou.
Wu said the research team will collaborate with nutritionists to identify what changes or supplements in a diet will activate the gene to prevent or stop the progression of diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are higher than normal and the body has a hard time converting food to glucose which is then turned into energy, according to the National Institutes of Health. When the body cannot metabolize food, the amount of glucose builds in the blood while the cells lack energy. Complications can include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve problems and gum infections. Some of the complications can lead to amputation.
The gene with the possible answers to ways of fighting the disease is known in the science world as PFKFB3. Wu and the team of researchers identified it as a regulator for metabolism, which plays a vital role in the development of diabetes.
Wu noted that while it is a major health concern in the U.S., obesity does not necessarily cause diabetes to develop; i.e., just because a person is overweight does not mean they have diabetes. Rather, "metabolic inflammation" causes or exacerbates the disease. That's where the team began looking at PFKFB3 -- because it regulates metabolism -- to find the mechanism or how the inflammation begins. Metabolic inflammation is different from classic inflammation because there is no infection, virus or bacteria present, though the symptoms appear similar.
He believes nutritionists working with the biological chemists can help develop food consumption plans that either prevent people from developing metabolic inflammation or cause existing conditions to retreat.
"First we will need to identify what effective compounds will trigger the gene to regulate metabolism," Wu said. "Then we need to determine what combinations within foods are more effective."
In the meantime, Wu suggested, people need to consume healthier foods.
"Basically, fish and seafood," Wu said. "That's always good in a diet."
SOURCE
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Popular Diabetes Drug Could be Fatal
Sulphonylureas, a type of drug widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, has a greater risk of causing heart failure and death as compared to metformin, another popular antidiabetes drug, according to a study.
The findings suggest that clinically important differences in the cardiovascular safety profiles of different antidiabetes drugs, and support recommendations that favour metformin as first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes affects more than 180 million people worldwide and is associated with at least a two-fold increased risk of death, mainly from cardiovascular disease.
Oral antidiabetes drugs are widely used to help control blood sugar levels, but there are concerns that some may increase cardiovascular risk.
Thus, researchers led by Professor Paul Elliott from Imperial College London set out to investigate the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure and death from any cause associated with prescription of different types of oral antidiabetes drugs.
They used data from 91,521 men and women (average age 65 years) with diabetes included in the UK General Practice Research Database between 1990 and 2005 and took into account factors that could potentially affect the results.
Metformin was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed by second generation sulphonylureas. Compared with metformin, both first and second generation sulphonylureas were linked with significant excess risk of all cause mortality, and second generation sulphonylureas with up to 30 percent excess risk of congestive heart failure.
Another class of antidiabetes drugs called thiazolidinediones were not associated with risk of heart attack, and there was significantly lower risk of all cause mortality associated with pioglitazone use compared with metformin.
"The sulphonylureas, along with metformin, have long been considered the mainstay of drug treatment for type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest a relatively unfavourable risk profile of sulphonylureas compared with metformin," the British Medical Journal quoted the authors as saying.
SOURCE
The findings suggest that clinically important differences in the cardiovascular safety profiles of different antidiabetes drugs, and support recommendations that favour metformin as first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes affects more than 180 million people worldwide and is associated with at least a two-fold increased risk of death, mainly from cardiovascular disease.
Oral antidiabetes drugs are widely used to help control blood sugar levels, but there are concerns that some may increase cardiovascular risk.
Thus, researchers led by Professor Paul Elliott from Imperial College London set out to investigate the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure and death from any cause associated with prescription of different types of oral antidiabetes drugs.
They used data from 91,521 men and women (average age 65 years) with diabetes included in the UK General Practice Research Database between 1990 and 2005 and took into account factors that could potentially affect the results.
Metformin was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed by second generation sulphonylureas. Compared with metformin, both first and second generation sulphonylureas were linked with significant excess risk of all cause mortality, and second generation sulphonylureas with up to 30 percent excess risk of congestive heart failure.
Another class of antidiabetes drugs called thiazolidinediones were not associated with risk of heart attack, and there was significantly lower risk of all cause mortality associated with pioglitazone use compared with metformin.
"The sulphonylureas, along with metformin, have long been considered the mainstay of drug treatment for type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest a relatively unfavourable risk profile of sulphonylureas compared with metformin," the British Medical Journal quoted the authors as saying.
SOURCE
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Bariatric Surgery as effective treatment for Diabetes
Here's a news article written by Melissa Healy for LA Times regarding the use of Bariatric surgery to treat Type 2 Diabetes patients.
Fifty international scientific and medical experts have issued a "consensus statement" declaring that bariatric surgery should be considered a treatment option for patients with Type 2 diabetes, even if they are not extremely obese.
The new guidelines, published today online in the Annals of Surgery, urge surgeons performing bariatric surgery and healthcare insurers reimbursing for such treatment to relax criteria, adopted in 1991, that have restricted such surgery to patients with a body-mass index of 35 or more.
Reviewing more than a decade's worth of studies on weight-loss surgery and diabetes, clinicians and researchers backing the document have concluded that the improved metabolic function that is typical in diabetic patients who undergo bariatric surgery is not merely an incidental effect of weight loss. "Surgery is a specific treatment for diabetes...the effect on diabetes is a direct consequence of the new anatomy created by surgery," said lead author Dr. Francesco Rubino, director of the gastrointestinal metabolic surgery program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College.
The implications, added Rubino in an interview, "are enormous." For starters, that finding should drive a broadening of the patient population offered the option of gastric bypass surgery or less invasive procedures that reduce the capacity of the gastrointestinal tract. Rubino said that patients with Type 2 diabetes that is poorly managed by diet, exercise and medicine should now routinely be assessed as surgery candidates.
Some of those will likely be far less overweight than the bulk of patients who have had the surgery for weight loss. Rubino cited the example of diabetic patients of Asian descent, who rarely reach a BMI of 35 but who might benefit from bariatric surgery.
For the more than 20 million Americans -- and counting -- thought to have Type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery may offer more than just another treatment option. Research shows that for many patients, diabetes abates dramatically and permanently with surgery. That, said Rubino, makes the possibility of a "cure"--a prospect not discussed until very recently--real for many patients who have been told that "living with diabetes" is the best they can do.
Beyond that, said Rubino, clinicians caring for these patients will need to optimize their pre- and post-operative care to serve a new objective: that of improving metabolic function. Currently, many bariatric surgery patients continue on diabetes medicines after their operation when that might not be optimal or even necessary.
Finally, the consensus finding should guide the search for drugs that can better treat Type 2 diabetes. Those should focus on how metabolic function is changed by an alteration of the gut's anatomy, and whether drugs could be developed or adapted to work in the same way, Rubino said.
Fifty international scientific and medical experts have issued a "consensus statement" declaring that bariatric surgery should be considered a treatment option for patients with Type 2 diabetes, even if they are not extremely obese.
The new guidelines, published today online in the Annals of Surgery, urge surgeons performing bariatric surgery and healthcare insurers reimbursing for such treatment to relax criteria, adopted in 1991, that have restricted such surgery to patients with a body-mass index of 35 or more.
Reviewing more than a decade's worth of studies on weight-loss surgery and diabetes, clinicians and researchers backing the document have concluded that the improved metabolic function that is typical in diabetic patients who undergo bariatric surgery is not merely an incidental effect of weight loss. "Surgery is a specific treatment for diabetes...the effect on diabetes is a direct consequence of the new anatomy created by surgery," said lead author Dr. Francesco Rubino, director of the gastrointestinal metabolic surgery program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College.
The implications, added Rubino in an interview, "are enormous." For starters, that finding should drive a broadening of the patient population offered the option of gastric bypass surgery or less invasive procedures that reduce the capacity of the gastrointestinal tract. Rubino said that patients with Type 2 diabetes that is poorly managed by diet, exercise and medicine should now routinely be assessed as surgery candidates.
Some of those will likely be far less overweight than the bulk of patients who have had the surgery for weight loss. Rubino cited the example of diabetic patients of Asian descent, who rarely reach a BMI of 35 but who might benefit from bariatric surgery.
For the more than 20 million Americans -- and counting -- thought to have Type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery may offer more than just another treatment option. Research shows that for many patients, diabetes abates dramatically and permanently with surgery. That, said Rubino, makes the possibility of a "cure"--a prospect not discussed until very recently--real for many patients who have been told that "living with diabetes" is the best they can do.
Beyond that, said Rubino, clinicians caring for these patients will need to optimize their pre- and post-operative care to serve a new objective: that of improving metabolic function. Currently, many bariatric surgery patients continue on diabetes medicines after their operation when that might not be optimal or even necessary.
Finally, the consensus finding should guide the search for drugs that can better treat Type 2 diabetes. Those should focus on how metabolic function is changed by an alteration of the gut's anatomy, and whether drugs could be developed or adapted to work in the same way, Rubino said.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Diabetes Debate : Diabetes Symptoms and Cost
In the bitter debate about health care, here's one thing many people agree on: The U.S. spends too much on health care, and much of it could be avoided.
Diabetes is one of the big examples.
About 20 percent of health care spending goes to people with diabetes. The number of people with diabetes nearly doubled from 1995 to 2006. About 8 percent of Pennsylvania residents have the disease. About half of people with diabetes receive taxpayer-funded health care through programs including Medicare.
In theory, it might seem easy to slash the diabetes-related expense. The disease is often the result of lifestyle. People exercise too little and eat too much. They become obese and then diabetic. In reality, that's hard to change. American culture tends to encourage minimal activity and overeating. Despite the alarm about obesity, rates of obesity and diabetes are rising.
Pennsylvania is mounting an effort to improve the health of diabetics and reduce the expense. The effort, backed by the Rendell administration, is called the Pennsylvania Diabetes Action Plan. So far, it involves about 100 medical practices, and the goal is to make the approach standard among family doctors.
The effort involves promoting a team approach to caring for diabetes patients and making sure they get tests and other support needed to control the disease. Health insurers are involved.
A goal is to adjust the payment system to encourage medical practices to provide the best care for diabetics and reward good results.
Dr. Robert Gabbay heads the diabetes clinic at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where he has worked for 11 years. Gabbay, 51, is one of the leaders of the diabetes plan.
He recently discussed diabetes and the plan. (Gabbay's responses have been summarized.)
Why do so many people have diabetes, and why is it rising?
SOURCE
Diabetes is one of the big examples.
About 20 percent of health care spending goes to people with diabetes. The number of people with diabetes nearly doubled from 1995 to 2006. About 8 percent of Pennsylvania residents have the disease. About half of people with diabetes receive taxpayer-funded health care through programs including Medicare.
In theory, it might seem easy to slash the diabetes-related expense. The disease is often the result of lifestyle. People exercise too little and eat too much. They become obese and then diabetic. In reality, that's hard to change. American culture tends to encourage minimal activity and overeating. Despite the alarm about obesity, rates of obesity and diabetes are rising.
Pennsylvania is mounting an effort to improve the health of diabetics and reduce the expense. The effort, backed by the Rendell administration, is called the Pennsylvania Diabetes Action Plan. So far, it involves about 100 medical practices, and the goal is to make the approach standard among family doctors.
The effort involves promoting a team approach to caring for diabetes patients and making sure they get tests and other support needed to control the disease. Health insurers are involved.
A goal is to adjust the payment system to encourage medical practices to provide the best care for diabetics and reward good results.
Dr. Robert Gabbay heads the diabetes clinic at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where he has worked for 11 years. Gabbay, 51, is one of the leaders of the diabetes plan.
He recently discussed diabetes and the plan. (Gabbay's responses have been summarized.)
Why do so many people have diabetes, and why is it rising?
SOURCE
Friday, November 20, 2009
Diabetes Testing Mandatory in India
Blood tests to detect diabetes are likely to be made compulsory at health centres across India following the internationally followed 'opportunistic screening' norm. The scheme was in its pilot stage in 10 states, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday.
'The government has launched a National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPDCS) on a pilot basis in 10 districts in 10 states which, among other things, seeks to facilitate early detection of this disease. This is in consonance with the internationally accepted strategy of opportunistic screening,' Azad told the Lok Sabha.
According to the health ministry, the exact number of diabetics in India is not known but the World Health Organisation estimates that there were 32 million diabetics in India in 2004.
India is estimated to have the largest number of diabetics (80 million) in the world by 2030, Azad said.
'An outlay of Rs.1,660.50 crore (Rs.16.6 billion) has been allotted for NPDCS during 11th Five Year Plan which will cover the entire country eventually,' Azad informed.
SOURCE
'The government has launched a National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPDCS) on a pilot basis in 10 districts in 10 states which, among other things, seeks to facilitate early detection of this disease. This is in consonance with the internationally accepted strategy of opportunistic screening,' Azad told the Lok Sabha.
According to the health ministry, the exact number of diabetics in India is not known but the World Health Organisation estimates that there were 32 million diabetics in India in 2004.
India is estimated to have the largest number of diabetics (80 million) in the world by 2030, Azad said.
'An outlay of Rs.1,660.50 crore (Rs.16.6 billion) has been allotted for NPDCS during 11th Five Year Plan which will cover the entire country eventually,' Azad informed.
SOURCE
Monday, November 9, 2009
Diabetes Frequently Asked Questions
Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes; another 57 million have prediabetes, a precursor to the disease. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that if the diabetes epidemic continues, one in three Americans will develop it in his or her lifetime.
That's especially bad news for women, because the disease can affect both mother and child during pregnancy, and women with diabetes are more likely to have a heart attack (and at a younger age) than women without diabetes. Along with the worries about diabetes, there's a lot of misinformation (like skinny girls can't get the disease, or eating too much candy causes it), which is why we've gathered expert answers to the most common questions.
What's the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It's most often diagnosed in patients under 18, but it can strike at any age. Type 1 diabetics need insulin to manage the disease.
In type 2 diabetes, the body loses its sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that helps muscles absorb and use blood sugar. Traditionally, type 2 diabetes was diagnosed in older people. But with the rise in obesity, it's now being diagnosed at younger ages, sometimes even in children. Some traditionally thin populations are also being diagnosed with the disease as well. Type 2 is generally treated with changes to diet and exercise habits, as well as oral medication or insulin.
How will I know if I have diabetes?
Diabetes may cause no symptoms at all, but some signs include frequent thirst and hunger, having to urinate more than usual, losing weight without trying to, fatigue, and crankiness. If you're concerned, get your blood-glucose level checked, says Deborah Fillman, a registered dietitian and the incoming president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. A fasting blood-sugar test measures the amount of sugar in your blood after not eating for at least eight hours. Normal is 99 mg/dL or below. Prediabetes is 100 to 125, and diabetes is 126 and above.
My father has diabetes. Does that raise my risk?
Yes. Having a family member with diabetes raises your risk of developing type 1 by about 5 percent and type 2 diabetes by more than 30 percent.
Health.com: How your family may sabotage your efforts to manage diabetes
I've read that belly fat is a diabetes risk factor. Should I worry about my muffin top?
Yes. Excess fat around your midsection is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. (Type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with obesity). In particular, the visceral fat wrapped around your internal organs can pose a problem, and it increases insulin resistance (the problem in type 2 diabetes) more so than fat in other parts of your body.
Health.com: Why it pays to lose weight if you have type 2 diabetes
Being obese or overweight in general can hike your risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 90 times. Why? Overweight bodies may just be too big for their pancreases to keep up, says researcher Dr. John Buse, director of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Diabetes Care Center.
Can diet or exercise really prevent diabetes?
Yes, exercising and eating a healthy diet helps you keep off excess weight, which can prevent or at least delay diabetes. If you already have diabetes, doing aerobic exercise and resistance training helps by encouraging the muscles to take up more blood sugar.
Health.com: Can I drink alcohol with diabetes?
Over the short term, it may even reduce the amount of blood-sugar-lowering medication you need to take. Long term, exercise helps lower the risk of complications like blindness and nerve and kidney damage by helping you better manage blood-sugar levels. On the diet front, a recent study found that type 2 diabetics who ate a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fish, fruits, nuts, and olive oil, lost more weight and went longer without blood-sugar-lowering medication than those on a low-fat diet.
Health.com: 5 healthy snacks for people With diabetes
Could my sweet tooth lead to diabetes?
One of the oldest myths about diabetes is that sugar -- or a sweet tooth -- causes the disease. Says Riva Greenberg, a patient advocate and the author of 50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life, "A lot of people still think you get diabetes from eating too much candy."
Not true. Nor is it necessary for diabetics to avoid all sugar. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in whole grains, protein, veggies, and fruit -- and low in fat, cholesterol, and simple sugars (which cause blood sugar to spike) -- is a healthy plan for everybody.
I'm skinny, so I can't get diabetes, right?
Being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but 20 percent of people who get it are slim. "The number of type 2 diabetics is growing, especially in thin Asian populations," Greenberg says. Asian populations have higher concentrations of visceral fat, which may be a contributing factor, Buse explains.
If I had gestational diabetes that went away, should I worry?
Unfortunately, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes increases substantially -- between 20 percent and 50 percent. (Gestational diabetes occurs when hormones that help a baby's placenta develop interfere with the mother's insulin, resulting in higher blood sugars. It occurs in about 4 percent of U.S. pregnancies each year.) Your personal odds depend upon other factors like ethnicity, genetics, and weight. Losing weight after you've had a baby can help limit your risk.
SOURCE
That's especially bad news for women, because the disease can affect both mother and child during pregnancy, and women with diabetes are more likely to have a heart attack (and at a younger age) than women without diabetes. Along with the worries about diabetes, there's a lot of misinformation (like skinny girls can't get the disease, or eating too much candy causes it), which is why we've gathered expert answers to the most common questions.
What's the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It's most often diagnosed in patients under 18, but it can strike at any age. Type 1 diabetics need insulin to manage the disease.
In type 2 diabetes, the body loses its sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that helps muscles absorb and use blood sugar. Traditionally, type 2 diabetes was diagnosed in older people. But with the rise in obesity, it's now being diagnosed at younger ages, sometimes even in children. Some traditionally thin populations are also being diagnosed with the disease as well. Type 2 is generally treated with changes to diet and exercise habits, as well as oral medication or insulin.
How will I know if I have diabetes?
Diabetes may cause no symptoms at all, but some signs include frequent thirst and hunger, having to urinate more than usual, losing weight without trying to, fatigue, and crankiness. If you're concerned, get your blood-glucose level checked, says Deborah Fillman, a registered dietitian and the incoming president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. A fasting blood-sugar test measures the amount of sugar in your blood after not eating for at least eight hours. Normal is 99 mg/dL or below. Prediabetes is 100 to 125, and diabetes is 126 and above.
My father has diabetes. Does that raise my risk?
Yes. Having a family member with diabetes raises your risk of developing type 1 by about 5 percent and type 2 diabetes by more than 30 percent.
Health.com: How your family may sabotage your efforts to manage diabetes
I've read that belly fat is a diabetes risk factor. Should I worry about my muffin top?
Yes. Excess fat around your midsection is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. (Type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with obesity). In particular, the visceral fat wrapped around your internal organs can pose a problem, and it increases insulin resistance (the problem in type 2 diabetes) more so than fat in other parts of your body.
Health.com: Why it pays to lose weight if you have type 2 diabetes
Being obese or overweight in general can hike your risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 90 times. Why? Overweight bodies may just be too big for their pancreases to keep up, says researcher Dr. John Buse, director of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Diabetes Care Center.
Can diet or exercise really prevent diabetes?
Yes, exercising and eating a healthy diet helps you keep off excess weight, which can prevent or at least delay diabetes. If you already have diabetes, doing aerobic exercise and resistance training helps by encouraging the muscles to take up more blood sugar.
Health.com: Can I drink alcohol with diabetes?
Over the short term, it may even reduce the amount of blood-sugar-lowering medication you need to take. Long term, exercise helps lower the risk of complications like blindness and nerve and kidney damage by helping you better manage blood-sugar levels. On the diet front, a recent study found that type 2 diabetics who ate a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fish, fruits, nuts, and olive oil, lost more weight and went longer without blood-sugar-lowering medication than those on a low-fat diet.
Health.com: 5 healthy snacks for people With diabetes
Could my sweet tooth lead to diabetes?
One of the oldest myths about diabetes is that sugar -- or a sweet tooth -- causes the disease. Says Riva Greenberg, a patient advocate and the author of 50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life, "A lot of people still think you get diabetes from eating too much candy."
Not true. Nor is it necessary for diabetics to avoid all sugar. Eating a well-balanced diet rich in whole grains, protein, veggies, and fruit -- and low in fat, cholesterol, and simple sugars (which cause blood sugar to spike) -- is a healthy plan for everybody.
I'm skinny, so I can't get diabetes, right?
Being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but 20 percent of people who get it are slim. "The number of type 2 diabetics is growing, especially in thin Asian populations," Greenberg says. Asian populations have higher concentrations of visceral fat, which may be a contributing factor, Buse explains.
If I had gestational diabetes that went away, should I worry?
Unfortunately, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes increases substantially -- between 20 percent and 50 percent. (Gestational diabetes occurs when hormones that help a baby's placenta develop interfere with the mother's insulin, resulting in higher blood sugars. It occurs in about 4 percent of U.S. pregnancies each year.) Your personal odds depend upon other factors like ethnicity, genetics, and weight. Losing weight after you've had a baby can help limit your risk.
SOURCE
Monday, November 2, 2009
Fight Diabetes by being fit
Walk, run, ride a bike! Get involved in one of the several American Diabetes Association events where you can exercise, have fun and boost your health while you raise money for diabetes research, education and advocacy.
Train For and Enter a Marathon with Team Diabetes Team Diabetes is the marathon-training program for a marathon fundraising event of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Participants solicit donations as they train to run or walk a half or full marathon. Everyone at every level of walking and running is welcome. Your local ADA chapter provides training and support. Visit www.diabetes.org to find out where and when Team Diabetes meets at the location nearest you.
Tour de Cure Tour de Cure is a series of fundraising cycling events held nationwide to benefit the ADA. It's not a race--it's a ride with routes designed for everyone from occasional riders to experienced cyclists. Participants travel a designated route supported from start to finish with rest stops, food to fuel the journey and fans to cheer them on!
Step Out Be a Red Strider and walk in a Step Out event. Red Striders are people who live with any type of diabetes who can walk as an individual or on a team with friends, family or coworkers to stop diabetes--one step at a time. The Red Strider Program showcases the courage it takes to live with this diabetes.
School Walk for Diabetes School Walk for Diabetes is a fundraising and educational event held in elementary and middle schools. In addition to raising funds for research, information and advocacy the event educates parents and teachers about the warning signs of diabetes in children, teaches kids the importance of exercise and healthy eating, and promotes community service and school spirit.
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