C-peptide, yes, the c-peptide molecule when given with insulin may reduce the damage of insulin.
What damage you ask? Insulin causes some cells within blood vessels to grow and cause narrowing of the blood vessels. This in turns leads to heart problems, a risk in people with diabetes. Now researchers at the University of Leeds have found that C-peptide when administered with insulin stops these cells from growing. This will prevent many of the heart problems experienced by people with diabetes.
I have wondered why very few other publications or bloggers have not picked up on this article as important as this is. Telegraph dot co dot uk is only one of two places I have seen this article. It was published May 10, 2010. Please take time to read this important article.
25 June 2010
Has your medications passed their expiration date?
All of us on medications have to ask ourselves about this when we take our medications. Is the expiration date on the bottle or vial correct? Has it been stored correctly? What other factors affect the expiration date?
National Public Radio is not a source I rely on for information generally, but their article on expiration dates for medicines is one that I will say is written with more thought than many. This article is published June 21, 2010, and another on March 20, 2000.
I find that the statement “drugs stored under ideal conditions can last longer than a year” to be an excellent example of where we need to begin to doubt the expiration date. Was the medication transported properly in the winter or summer. Was the medication frozen while in transit? Or was the medication cooked in a hot van during the summer?
These are all questions we need to have answered. This information would lead us to a better understanding of the expiration date validity.
National Public Radio is not a source I rely on for information generally, but their article on expiration dates for medicines is one that I will say is written with more thought than many. This article is published June 21, 2010, and another on March 20, 2000.
I find that the statement “drugs stored under ideal conditions can last longer than a year” to be an excellent example of where we need to begin to doubt the expiration date. Was the medication transported properly in the winter or summer. Was the medication frozen while in transit? Or was the medication cooked in a hot van during the summer?
These are all questions we need to have answered. This information would lead us to a better understanding of the expiration date validity.
15 June 2010
Diabetes causes decline in mental abilities
Memory, speed of cognitive processes, and cognitive flexibility are the focus of a five year Dutch study. Results were submitted November 3, 2009, accepted May 26, 2010, and published June 2, 2010 in American Diabetes Association's “Diabetes Care”. It then took Reuters to bring this to the attention of the public on June 11, 2010.
At the 5-year follow-up, the decline in global mental functions in diabetes patients was approximately 3 times greater than in persons without diabetes. It is important to know that as we reach our middle years, that our brain may be slowing us down.
Diabetes can lead to a decline in memory, thinking speed, and mental flexibility in middle age; however, aggressive control of blood glucose might prevent some of the decline. This was not a factor in the study.
At the 5-year follow-up, the decline in global mental functions in diabetes patients was approximately 3 times greater than in persons without diabetes. It is important to know that as we reach our middle years, that our brain may be slowing us down.
Diabetes can lead to a decline in memory, thinking speed, and mental flexibility in middle age; however, aggressive control of blood glucose might prevent some of the decline. This was not a factor in the study.
14 June 2010
Fear of syringes and needles
Most everyone dislikes needles, but some have a real fear of needles. For those of us with diabetes, this is not a good a good combination, especially if the person has type 1 diabetes and some of us with type 2. For many people with type 2 diabetes, doctors will not prescribe insulin and will use the threat as a way to get patients to follow orders. Then when they need insulin the patient blames him/her self and feels that he/she is a failure.
Although this reference is humorous, it is not and has good information. I have personally seen examples of this while in the military, out of a group of over 100 men, six went down, succumbing to Trypanophobia . The way medical professional should handle type 2 patients is presented here. This article also covers other fears about insulin that many people with type 2 diabetes have and explains these.
For those people that need some encouragement about using syringes, view the following video from BD on using insulin syringes.
Although this reference is humorous, it is not and has good information. I have personally seen examples of this while in the military, out of a group of over 100 men, six went down, succumbing to Trypanophobia . The way medical professional should handle type 2 patients is presented here. This article also covers other fears about insulin that many people with type 2 diabetes have and explains these.
For those people that need some encouragement about using syringes, view the following video from BD on using insulin syringes.
13 June 2010
Earlier screening for diabetes recommended
Researchers now say that screening should now start at age 30 instead of age 45. Of course what the articles does not mention until near the end that this is only for those that are obese and have a family history of diabetes. The article is here.
Their recommendations say start at 30 and continue screening every three to five years until high blood pressure and then more often. They claim this is more cost effective.
While I agree that screening needs to start earlier, education needs to start earlier along with some preventative health education classes in all areas of health.
Their recommendations say start at 30 and continue screening every three to five years until high blood pressure and then more often. They claim this is more cost effective.
While I agree that screening needs to start earlier, education needs to start earlier along with some preventative health education classes in all areas of health.
12 June 2010
More terms to eliminate from our diabetes vocabulary
Or these words should be used very carefully with proper explanation.
I have a request of you. Keep this open in one tab and open this article in a new tab so that you may easily go between this and the article. This article starts out as an example of the type of misleading information that those of us with diabetes don't need. When you read the title and subtitle, what do you envision?
It is almost a given after the title and subtitle the the first words of the article have to be - type 2 diabetes can't be cured. They needed to put these words there to legally blunt their misleading information and then to compound their error, they used the word reversed very shortly after “can't be cured”. This is an attempt to minimize “can't be cured” and keep you reading.
This points out what we are seeing more of today. The use of sensationalism in the writing of information about diabetes. And these websites wonder why they are losing respect and readership as a reliable source of quality medical information.
Did I read the rest of the article? Yes, only because I wanted to see how far they would take their attempt to mislead their readers. What the author concluded with can be found most any place on the web. While nutrition and exercise are “the” important keys for the management of diabetes, there was nothing new or newsworthy in this article.
Reverse or reversed may be technically correct in reversing the progression and improving control when used for this meaning; however, these are still words that should be used carefully. The words “get rid of” in conjunction with “reverse” really should not be used. Another case of misuse of the words “get rid of” is used in this blog (link broken) in the last sentence.
I have a request of you. Keep this open in one tab and open this article in a new tab so that you may easily go between this and the article. This article starts out as an example of the type of misleading information that those of us with diabetes don't need. When you read the title and subtitle, what do you envision?
It is almost a given after the title and subtitle the the first words of the article have to be - type 2 diabetes can't be cured. They needed to put these words there to legally blunt their misleading information and then to compound their error, they used the word reversed very shortly after “can't be cured”. This is an attempt to minimize “can't be cured” and keep you reading.
This points out what we are seeing more of today. The use of sensationalism in the writing of information about diabetes. And these websites wonder why they are losing respect and readership as a reliable source of quality medical information.
Did I read the rest of the article? Yes, only because I wanted to see how far they would take their attempt to mislead their readers. What the author concluded with can be found most any place on the web. While nutrition and exercise are “the” important keys for the management of diabetes, there was nothing new or newsworthy in this article.
Reverse or reversed may be technically correct in reversing the progression and improving control when used for this meaning; however, these are still words that should be used carefully. The words “get rid of” in conjunction with “reverse” really should not be used. Another case of misuse of the words “get rid of” is used in this blog (link broken) in the last sentence.
10 June 2010
The diabetes diet myth
At least people are beginning to put in writing the changes that I blogged about here in the last paragraph. This is has taken about six months from setting policy to having people actually start writing in ways following the changes.
While I do not totally agree with some of the recommendations of the writer for WebMD, the article is worth promoting as they are saying "One diet [plan] is not going to work for everyone," This article is three pages so don't stop at the end of page one.
Also worthy of note is their statement of “Diets for people with type 2 diabetes are also more individualized than in the past. Such diet plans follow good nutrition, but also take into account the individual's specific dietary needs.” (Bold is my emphasis).
Where I respectfully disagree is their support for whole grain cereals and canola oil.
They are more correct in their recommended distribution of calories between carbohydrates, protein, and fat than I have seen in recent times for people with type 2 diabetes that are overweight. This is more to the point of what real lifestyle change should be, unlike most of the high protein – low fat diets I have seen in recent years.
While I do not totally agree with some of the recommendations of the writer for WebMD, the article is worth promoting as they are saying "One diet [plan] is not going to work for everyone," This article is three pages so don't stop at the end of page one.
Also worthy of note is their statement of “Diets for people with type 2 diabetes are also more individualized than in the past. Such diet plans follow good nutrition, but also take into account the individual's specific dietary needs.” (Bold is my emphasis).
Where I respectfully disagree is their support for whole grain cereals and canola oil.
They are more correct in their recommended distribution of calories between carbohydrates, protein, and fat than I have seen in recent times for people with type 2 diabetes that are overweight. This is more to the point of what real lifestyle change should be, unlike most of the high protein – low fat diets I have seen in recent years.
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