Diabetes

July 2008

Vitamin D's Grade: A+, or Incomplete?

newser | Washington Post | Jul 4, 08 7:27 PM CDT

Vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin," has been getting plenty of good press lately, leading some to ask why more people aren't guzzling it to help stave off heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. But as the government looks to update its guidelines, many experts warn that bombarding people with the vitamin could be dangerous as well, the Washington Post reports. More »

June 2008

24M Americans Diabetic: CDC

newser | Reuters | Jun 24, 08 4:39 PM CDT

Almost 8% of the US population has diabetes, the government reported today. About 24 million Americans suffer from type-1 or -2 diabetes, an increase of 3 million since 2005, Reuters notes. Another 57 million Americans are pre-diabetic, a condition of insulin insensitivity that predisposes them to type-2 diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. More »
Blood Sugar Control Can Kill Diabetics

newser | USA Today | Jun 6, 08 7:05 PM CDT

Intensive blood sugar control can actually provoke heart attacks and strokes in some diabetes patients, USA Today reports. Scientists canned one US study 4 months ago after high-risk diabetes 2 subjects died more often under aggressive treatment. In another study, blood-sugar control helped their kidneys, but failed to stop heart-related deaths. More »

May 2008

Big Butts Are Healthy, Study Finds

newser | Reuters | May 7, 08 6:52 AM CDT

The kind of fat found in the hips and buttocks may actually help fight diabetes, a result that surprised Harvard doctors performing the research that produced the finding. Although belly fat is known to raise the risk of diabetes, subcutaneous fat injected into the abdomens of mice actually increased their sensitivity to insulin and even helped them lose weight, Reuters reports. More »
Bypass Surgery Shows Promise as Diabetes Fix

newser | Washington Post | May 4, 08 10:09 AM CDT

Intestinal bypass surgery—a variation on the gastric surgery used to combat obesity—is showing surprising and promising results in treating diabetes, the Washington Post reports. Cutting out some of the intestine but sparing the stomach, the procedure is producing full remission in a high percentage of cases, allowing patients to go off all medication. More »
US Measles Cases Highest Since 2001

newser | Washington Post | May 2, 08 1:05 PM CDT

Measles, once nearly eradicated in the US, appears to be regaining a foothold. The CDC reports at least four outbreaks under way, with at least 64 cases in nine states—the most since 2001. The new cases probably originated in other countries and incubated in pockets of non-immunized US children, the Washington Post reports. If people continue to shun vaccines, large-scale outbreaks are possible, the CDC says. More »

April 2008

Chocoholics: Science Wants You

newser | Reuters | Apr 29, 08 7:37 PM CDT

A bar of chocolate a day may keep heart disease away, Reuters reports—or so goes the theory British scientists want to test by recruiting 150 postmenopausal women willing to do their part for science. Eating one bar each day for a year will help study whether a key chemical compound can curb heart disease risk for menopausal women with type 2 diabetes. More »
Scientists Slim Down, Speed Up Mice by Stripping Enzyme

newser | BBC | Apr 29, 08 7:28 AM CDT

Australian scientists have made a breakthrough that could lead to treatments for obesity and diabetes, the BBC reports. Researchers removed an enzyme in fat cells of mice and found it sped up their metabolisms. The mice with altered cells were an average of 20% lighter than normal mice and had up to 60% less body fat. They also appeared to have lower risk of developing diabetes because they processed sugar more quickly. More »
Study Finds More Pregnant US Diabetics

newser | USA Today | Apr 28, 08 1:23 PM CDT

Diabetes among pregnant women has skyrocketed, a study finds, raising concerns for both mothers and children. In 1999-2005, the number of diabetic women giving birth more than doubled, the study found, and the number of diabetic teenage pregnancies rose five-fold. “These are high-risk pregnancies,” one doctor told USA Today . “All women with pre-existing diabetes need to plan their pregnancies.” More »
Patch Would Track Health

newser | MIT Technology Review | Apr 17, 08 12:25 PM CDT

Researchers are developing a patch to monitor the wearer’s health by collecting sweat. Embedded in a band or shirt, it analyzes the sweat’s electrolyte content to determine if the person is overexerting or stressed. Other health-monitoring clothing usually detects body temperature and heart rate—testing biochemical signals is “truly unique,” one industry engineer told Technology Review . More »
Diabetes Drug Slows Artery Clogging

newser | Cleveland Plain Dealer | Apr 1, 08 6:58 AM CDT

A drug used to lower blood sugar in diabetics significantly decreases the clogging of arteries, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Tests on diabetic patients found that Actos, a new-generation drug that lowers insulin resistance, aided arteries more than a drug that boosted insulin production. Heart disease kills 75% of diabetics and doctors are working to find ways to treat both blood sugar and heart disease. More »

March 2008

Scientists Discover New Diabetes Genes

newser | Guardian (UK) | Mar 31, 08 9:40 AM CDT

Scientists pooling data from European and US studies have identified six more genes associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, the Guardian reports. The study, published in Nature Genetics , found small but significant connections between the genes and the disease, with certain genetic variants linked to a 10-15% increase in risk. Researchers hope the discovery can lead to developments in prevention and treatment. More »
Frogs Offer Hope to Diabetics

newser | BBC | Mar 3, 08 1:15 PM CST

A frog that lives in the Amazon secretes a substance that stimulates insulin release in humans, offering new hope to diabetics, the BBC reports. The South American shrinking frog, which grows smaller as it ages, produces pseudin-2 through its slimy skin. A synthetic version of the peptide worked even better than the real thing in lab tests conducted by scientists in Northern Ireland and the UAE. More »

February 2008

Diabetic Dieters Take Big Risks

newser | USA Today | Feb 27, 08 8:10 AM CST

Psychologists studying eating habits in type 1 diabetics have found that women who cut back on their insulin as a weight management tactic—and 30% do—triple their chances of dying young. Women who restrict their insulin use have higher rates of kidney disease and foot problems, and die on average at 45, compared to 58 for other type 1 diabetics, reports USA Today. More »
Substitutes Not All Sweetness and Light

newser | Time | Feb 15, 08 7:42 PM CST

Cutting back on sugary calories could make you gain weight instead of lose it, a study suggests. Scientists at Purdue University compared rats fed either zero-calorie saccharin or sugar, and found that those on artificial sweetener gained more weight—mostly in fat, Time reports. Animals appear conditioned to respond to sugar by eating less; when they don't taste it, they eat more. More »
Docs Shelve Diabetes Study After Deaths

newser | New York Times | Feb 6, 08 10:16 PM CST

Researchers have abruptly tabled a major study measuring the effects of lowering diabetics' blood sugar after a surprising number of deaths among participants. The results come as a shock to the medical community, which has long held that lowering blood sugar through diet and medication is the only way for diabetics to stave off heart disease, the New York Times reports. More »

January 2008

Caffeine May Worsen Diabetes

newser | Reuters | Jan 28, 08 4:53 PM CST

Diabetics may want to consider kicking the coffee habit after a new study showed caffeine consumption increased blood sugar levels, Reuters reports. Type 2 diabetics given caffeine pills equivalent to four cups of coffee experienced an 8% rise in average blood glucose levels relative to days when they were given placebo pills, Duke University researchers say. More »
Surgery Kicks Type 2 Diabetes Better Than Dieting: Study

newser | New York Times | Jan 23, 08 8:35 AM CST

Surgery is better than dieting and exercise to help people suffering from type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Three of four patients—73%—who underwent "lap-banding" surgery lost 20% of their body weight and were in diabetic remission within two years, WebMD reports. That compares with a 13% remission rate for patients undergoing conventional therapy of diet, exercise, and drugs and who lost an average of 1.7% of their body weight. More »
You're Only as Healthy as Your Last Meal

newser | Time | Jan 16, 08 5:41 PM CST

One meal can make you healthy…or quite the opposite, according to a review of recent dietary research. Eating junk food instantly causes inflamed tissue and creates molecules that damage cells. “People don’t understand this, even most physicians,” one researcher tells Time . “Your health and vigor, at a very basic level, are as good as your last meal.” More »
Conn. Grade School Kills Dessert

newser | CBS | Jan 11, 08 11:55 AM CST

Hoping to curb the trend toward obesity and diabetes in children, one Connecticut school has taken a drastic measure: It no longer serves sweets. The ice cream and cookies that drew huge cafeteria crowds twice a week have been replaced with fruit and yogurt, reports CBS 2 New York. The move makes parents happy, but many students are less than thrilled. More »