Posts Tagged ‘2010’

www.einstein.yu.edu – Jill Crandall, MD, professor of clinical medicine (endocrinology), presents “Impact of Clinical Trials on Real-World Outcome Experiences with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes” at the 2010 “Translating Clinical Research Into Better Health” symposium hosted by the Einstein Montefiore Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR). (November 12, 2010)

Combining resistance training with aerobic exercise is more beneficial than either type of exercise alone for individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. If you have type 2 diabetes, exercising regularly can help you: • Improve the way your body uses insulin • Lower your blood pressure • Reduce your risk of developing heart disease Researchers from Louisiana State University randomly assigned over 250 adults with type 2 diabetes who did not exercise routinely to one of three exercise groups or to a non-exercise group, which acted as a comparison group. In one of the exercise groups, the participants engaged in resistance training three days a week. In another, they engaged in aerobic exercise such that they burned 12 kcal/kg every week. In the third, they engaged in resistance training twice a week and burned 10 kcal/kg through aerobic exercise every week. Measurements of hemoglobic A1c, an indicator of diabetes control, improved significantly among those in the combined exercise group but not in the resistance training or aerobic exercise groups, compared with the non-exercisers. In addition, only those in the combined exercise group saw significant improvements in their maximum oxygen consumption, an indicator of overall fitness level, compared with the comparison group. Finally, both those in the combined exercise group and the resistance training group lost more body fat than those in the …

Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the American Journal of Medicine. Some benefits of breastfeeding an infant are: • Reduction in infectious diseases in early and later childhood • Promotion of optimal brain development • Protection against life-threatening illnesses in premature infants Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh explored the relationship between breastfeeding and type 2 diabetes among over 2200 women aged 40 to 78 who were all members of a large integrated health care delivery organization in California. Among these women were over 1800 mothers, and 56% had breastfed an infant for one month or more. After controlling for several factors that affect the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, including age, race, weight-for-height, physical activity level, and family history, women who had never given birth to a child and mothers who had breastfed all of their children for at least one month had about an equal risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In contrast, mothers who had never breastfed any of their children were nearly twice as likely to develop the condition as women who had never had a child. In addition, mothers who never exclusively breastfed any of their children were more than 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than mothers who exclusively breastfed for 1 to 3 months. Today’s research demonstrates that breastfeeding is not only important for infant health but also for the …

GlucoBand is a non-invasive glucose monitor wrist band for Diabetic Care. When worn, it indicates the wearers glucose level continuously through a color coded system and an alarm to warn of excessive glucose levels. We want users to perceive GlucoBand as a lifestyle item more than a medical device in which Diabetes is a manageable condition rather than a disease. Vote for us www.diabetesmine.com

From North Carolina – Meconium can indicate how much a mother smoked during pregnancy, according to a report published in Environmental Health. Studying meconium samples of 337 babies, researchers found that the tobacco smoke metabolites found in the tarry stool were indicative of the amount of gestational exposure to cigarette smoke. From Minnesota – According to a report published in Neurology, people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are at raised risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers studied 135 elderly patients for 10-15 years, finding that those who had type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance were more likely to develop plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. And finally, from Washington – Two more brands of eggs have been added to the large egg recall in the US. Cardenas Market and Trafficanda Egg Ranch products have now been recalled, amidst concerns over salmonella.

While bariatric surgery is expensive, the long-term benefits for both health and health care costs make it worthwhile for individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the Archives of Surgery. Here is some information about bariatric surgery: • It refers to surgery conducted for the purpose of facilitating weight loss • The surgery generally works by limiting the intake of food and/or limiting the absorption of food • While they can be effective, such surgeries can be complex and carry significant risks and should thus be considered a last resort for weight loss Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health used insurance claims data to calculate the costs of bariatric surgery among over 2000 individuals with type 2 diabetes who underwent the procedure. The investigators also compared medication use and health care costs before and after they underwent bariatric surgery. During the first two years following bariatric surgery, nearly 85% of the participants eventually no longer needed to use any antidiabetes medications. Bariatric surgery and its related hospitalization, on average, cost nearly $30000, and there was an initial spike in annual health care costs in the first year following the surgery, compared with before surgery. In the third year following surgery, however, average annual health care costs dropped by over 70%, compared with the annual costs of health care per patient in the year or two before surgery. We spoke …

A new analysis of several previous studies confirms that taking rosiglitazone, more commonly known as Avandia, actually increases the chances of having a heart attack but not the risk of dying of a cardiovascular cause. The study is published online ahead of print in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Here is some information about rosiglitazone: • It is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, which works by helping to increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin • Insulin helps the cells of the body absorb sugar, so the increased sensitivity to insulin helps reduce the abnormally high blood sugar levels seen in type 2 diabetes • Controversy has surrounded the drug in the past few years because of early studies suggesting it might increase the risk of heart attack and perhaps death from cardiovascular causes Researchers from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation analyzed data taken from 56 studies looking at the effects of rosiglitazone on cardiovascular adverse events, such as heart attacks and strokes. More than 35000 patients were included in these studies. Taking rosiglitazone was associated with a 28% increased risk of having a heart attack. The risk of dying from a cardiovascular cause was not higher among those taking this drug, however. We spoke with Dr. Steve Nissen, one of the investigator’s of this study, who offered some further insight. Today’s research confirms earlier findings that the risks of taking rosiglitazone may well outweigh the benefits.

A low dose combination of two antidiabetes medications may help stave off the development of type 2 diabetes among individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), according to research published online ahead of print in The Lancet. Here is some information about IGT: • It is a condition in which blood sugar (or glucose) levels are above normal but below those seen among those with diabetes • It is considered to be a pre-diabetes state, with many who suffer from the condition going on to develop type 2 diabetes • It is associated with a combination of impaired sensitivity to insulin and reduced release of insulin by the body Researchers from the University of Toronto randomly assigned over 200 individuals with IGT to receive a daily low dose of the antidiabetes drugs rosiglitazone, commonly known as Avandia, and metformin, commonly known as Glucophage, or a placebo. Treatment continued for an average of about four years, and the participants were regularly assessed for the presence of diabetes. Only 14% of those who took the medications developed diabetes, compared with 39% of those taking a placebo. This means that only four individuals with IGT would need to take the drugs for one case of type 2 diabetes to be prevented. In addition, 80% of those taking the medications actually developed a normal response to glucose, compared with only 53% of those on placebo. And while impaired sensitivity to insulin remained stable among those receiving treatment, it worsened among …

Taking the antidiabetes drug metformin for years at a time can result in reduced levels of vitamin B-12 and increased levels of homocysteine, a marker of body-wide inflammation, according to research published online ahead of print in the British Medical Journal. Here is some information about metformin: • It is a drug that helps keeps levels of sugar in the blood at normal levels among those with type 2 diabetes • Keeping blood sugar under control can help reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney problems, and other known effects of diabetes • It is usually the first drug chosen for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but many individuals with this condition need to take several drugs to control their condition Researchers from the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam randomly assigned nearly 400 individuals with type 2 diabetes who were taking insulin to treatment with metformin three times a day or a placebo. The treatment continued for just over four years. During that time, the investigators regularly measured participants blood levels of vitamin B-12, another B vitamin known as folate, and homocysteine. After taking into account participants body mass index (BMI) and smoking status, taking metformin was associated with reduced levels of vitamin B-12 but not folate in the blood. In addition, lower levels of B-12 in the blood were associated with higher levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine is broken down in the body by B vitamins, and elevated levels of …

Visit robbybarbaro.org and search for the title of this video for more information. healthyoptimist.smugmug.com – for food consumption screen shots and type 1 diabetes data.