Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Diabetes a tough battle for seniors

Thirty years ago, Julie Holder’s father died of heart disease when he was 61 years old.

He was a Type 2 diabetic, but with today’s treatments and medicines, Holder wonders if his life could have been prolonged. More...

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Diabetes Drugs May Be Related To Fracture Risk

A widely used class of diabetes medications appears to be associated with an increased risk for fractures, according to a new article. More...

Monday, April 28, 2008

Chocolate 'may cut diabetes risk'

Scientists are to investigate whether eating chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease in women with diabetes.

Volunteers - postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes - will be asked to eat a bar of chocolate a day for a year. More...

Friday, April 25, 2008

Natural Remedies for the Treatment of Diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which blood-sugar (glucose) levels are above normal -- either the body doesn't produce enough of the hormone insulin, which breaks down sugar in the blood, or it cannot utilize its own insulin properly. More...

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Blood pressure in diabetic kids needs watching

In a study of people with type 1 diabetes, those with higher blood pressure or hypertension in childhood had higher levels in young adulthood, German researchers report. More...

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Is Surgery the Magic Bullet Against Obesity?

I had no idea, until I saw this report on 60 Minutes last night, that gastric-bypass surgery causes immediate remission of type 2 diabetes, stops sleep apnea, and may even reduce the incidence of obesity-related cancer. More...

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Diabetes Testing Not Always Helpful, Study Finds

For people with Type 1 diabetes, monitoring their own blood sugar levels and taking insulin is a constant part of life.But the great majority of people with diabetes have Type II, which usually develops later in life. They rarely take insulin and regularly monitoring their blood sugar may do more harm than good. More...

Monday, April 21, 2008

Bitter Melon Is a Safe and Effective Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes

The mechanism by which bitter melon effectively treats Type 2 diabetes has been revealed by researchers.

The bitter melon is a nontoxic vegetable that has long been an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Despite tasting very bitter, the melon is widely consumed as a food in Asia. The melon has evolved bitter compounds over time to help it evade consumption by animals. More...

Friday, April 18, 2008

Six Type 2 diabetes genes identified

Researchers at the University of Oxford have identified six new genes that play a role in the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The discovery provides valuable new insights into the mechanisms responsible for controlling blood sugar levels and how malfunctions can result in type 2 diabetes, a university release said. More...

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Eye signs a marker of future diabetes

Retinopathy signs could be a marker of future diabetes and may help identify a particular high risk group, findings from the AusDiab study suggest. More...

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Mid-Life DIabetes Linked To Higher Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease

Men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. More...

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

A Surgical Cure for Diabetes?

A new, experimental surgery could make type 2 diabetes disappear in some patients. While doctors have refrained from calling it a cure, some believe a duodenal jejunal bypass may be the first step in finding a surgical solution to the country's diabetic epidemic. More...

Monday, April 14, 2008

Canola protein shows anti-diabetes potential

Substituting proteins milk for proteins from rapeseed (canola) could delay the onset of insulin resistance and protect against diabetes, suggests a new study with rats. More...

Friday, April 11, 2008

Vitamin A Suppresses Type 1 Diabetes in Animal Study

Pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes and many other holiday favorites are rich in vitamin A, a nutrient essential for good health. Now a study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) nutrition scientists has shown, for the first time, that high levels of vitamin A can suppress development of type 1 diabetes in laboratory mice prone to that disease. More...

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Middle aged diabetes linked to Alzheimer's

Men who develop diabetes in middle age may have significantly higher odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease, research suggests.

A study of more than 2,000 men found that low insulin secretion capacity at age 50 was linked to a one and times increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. More...

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Gum disease linked with gestational diabetes risk

Pregnant women with gum disease may be more likely to develop gestational diabetes than those with healthy gums, researchers have found.

Gestational diabetes arises during pregnancy and usually resolves after the baby is born, but it can raise a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on. It can also contribute to problems during pregnancy and delivery, including maternal high blood pressure and a larger-than-normal baby, which may necessitate a cesarean section. More...

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Tart cherries may help reduce type 2 diabetes, heart disease risk

Tart cherries not just offer good taste, for a new study has shown that the fruits may help reduce inflammation, potentially lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. More...

Monday, April 7, 2008

Doctors demand freeze on use of diabetes drug for heart patients

SCOTTISH doctors have said there is "no defence" for the use of a widely prescribed diabetes drug after warnings that it should not be used in patients with heart problems, The Scotsman can reveal.

The consultants, who work in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, recommend no new patients are given Avandia – also known as rosiglitazone. More...

Friday, April 4, 2008

TB Vaccine May Cure Diabetes

Harvard researchers began a clinical trial in December to determine whether a vaccine originally developed to treat tuberculosis (TB) can cure Type 1 diabetes.

“Most trials trying to reverse the disease are for new-onset diabetes,” said Denise L. Faustman, a Harvard Medical School professor who is helping to lead the study. “This is one of the first trials actually trying to manipulate the immune system in someone who has a long-standing disease.” More...

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Reduced lung capacity accelerates with diabetes

People who have diabetes encounter a faster loss of lung capacity than those who do not have diabetes, a finding that may have implications for the potential use of inhaled insulin, according to a study appearing in the April issue of Diabetes Care.

The April issue also contains a consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association and American College of Cardiology Foundation emphasizing the need for more aggressive goals in controlling lipids to reduce cardiometabolic risk. More...

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Red Wine, Tea, May Help Regulate Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetics

Food scientists have found that certain antioxidants found in red wine and tea may help regulate the blood sugar of people with type 2 diabetes by inhibiting the action of alpha-glucosidase that controls the absorption of glucose from the small intestine, and protect the body from complications such as high blood pressure and heart disease. More...

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Diabetes equals heart attack in later heart risk

People with diabetes have the same risk of a heart attack or stroke as patients who have survived one heart attack already, researchers reported on Monday.

Diabetics have more than 2.4 times the normal risk of dying from cardiovascular disease -- about the same as those who have had a heart attack, the five-year Danish study of more than 3 million people found. More...