Feature Channels: Diabetes

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A group of scientists in California is trying to develop a cheaper, less invasive way to spot the early stages of retinal damage from diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in American adults, before it leads to blindness. As described in the special Interactive Science Publishing (ISP) issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal, the scientists are using beams of light to measure blood flow in the back of the eye.

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AHRQ has a new tool that is designed to help employers better estimate how to save money while still paying health care costs for employees who have diabetes.

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A molecular switch found in the fat tissue of obese mice is a critical factor in the development of insulin resistance, report scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Previously found to increase glucose production by the liver during fasting, the culprit"”a protein known as CREB"”is also activated in fat tissue of obese mice where it promotes insulin resistance.

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New findings from the nation's largest study of diabetes in youth paint an alarming picture of disease on the rise among every racial and ethnic group studied. Five articles appearing in the March supplement of Diabetes Care provide a comprehensive picture of diabetes in children and adolescents from five ethnic and racial groups in the United States, including non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, blacks, Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians/Navajo Nation.

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Workers with diabetes and obesity improved their absenteeism and disability rate by as much as 87 percent with the help of a lifestyle intervention program administered by researchers at the University of Virginia Health System. The results appear in the February edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

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More than 13,000 top scientists, physicians and other health care professionals from around the world will share cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations and advances toward a cure for diabetes.

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Low-income pregnant women and new mothers with diabetes have nearly twice the risk of experiencing depression during and after pregnancy than women without diabetes, according to a study in the February 25 issue of JAMA.

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Pregnant women and new mothers who have diabetes have nearly double the chances of experiencing postpartum depression compared to those without diabetes. Researchers analyzed data from over 11,000 low income mothers in New Jersey. Approximately 1 in 10 of these women who had diabetes developed depression in the year following delivery.

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For patients with type two diabetes, a combination of two blood-pressure-lowering drugs reduces the risk of kidney disease by about 20 percent"”even in patients who don't have high blood pressure, reports a study in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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American Diabetes Association urges the nearly 60 million Americans who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes to take the Diabetes Risk Test. REVISED.

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With diabetes a national epidemic and the prevalence of the disease as high as 18 percent in the South Bronx, a unique physician "pay-for-performance" program at Montefiore Medical Center has reduced blood sugar and cholesterol levels significantly among many of this borough's diabetes population.

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A new drug called avosentan significantly lowers urinary protein excretion"”an important marker of kidney disease progression"”in patients with diabetic kidney disease, according to an international clinical trial appearing in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The study's results suggest that avosentan may slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease and help prevent end stage disease.

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A University of Virginia Health System study, led by Fraydoon Rastinejad, professor of pharmacology and director of U.Va.'s Center for Molecular Design, and published in the Oct. 29 issue of Nature, reveals the first-ever complete structure of a nuclear hormone receptor on human DNA "” a discovery that now clears a new path for scientists to design more effective drugs with fewer associated health risks.

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Weight-loss and major lifestyle changes may be more effective than intensive insulin therapy for overweight patients with poorly controlled, insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes, according to a diabetes researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

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Terminally ill rodents with type 1 diabetes have been restored to full health with a single injection of a substance other than insulin by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists.

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UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have genetically engineered a laboratory mouse in which pancreatic beta cells can regenerate after being induced to die. The new animal model's regenerative ability may provide future insights into improved treatments of diabetes, which affects millions of Americans.

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A study in mice indicates that overeating, rather than the obesity it causes, is the trigger for developing metabolic syndrome, a collection of heath risk factors that increases an individual's chances of developing insulin resistance, fatty liver, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

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For people with diabetes who have a visual impairment, reading the small print on a syringe and getting the right dose can be difficult or impossible. Another method of delivering insulin, popular in Europe and Asia but less so in the United States, is the insulin pen. The fountain pen-like device is a self-contained applicator with 300 units of insulin. What has currently interested NIH/Case Western Reserve postdoctoral fellow Ann Williams in the delivery of insulin is the disclaimer several drug companies have placed on insulin pen devices, warning against use by the visually impaired.

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Results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues show that cognitive functioning abilities drop as average blood sugar levels rise in people with type 2 diabetes.

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Tracy L. Breen, MD, Clinical Director of the Mount Sinai Diabetes Program, says that even though diabetes is a major health issue in the United States preventing and managing diabetes is completely within your control.

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The director of the Center for Diabetes Research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is available to talk about the leading edge of multidisciplinary research to overcome diabetes mellitus -- the pandemic of this millennium. Wake Forest Baptist researchers are studying genetics of diabetes, diabetes in minority populations, diabetes and aging, childhood obesity and diabetes prevention, and applying the possibilities of stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

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The Center for Diabetes Research of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has launched a new website to provide an overview of more than $23 million in diabetes-related studies now under way. The breadth of active research "“ outlined at http://www1.wfubmc.edu/DiabetesResearch/ -- places the institution on the front lines of research centers racing to solve what has emerged as this century's pandemic.

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Mount Sinai School of Medicine Division of Endocrinology's Diabetes Center has been awarded Education Recognition from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), for its Diabetes Self-Management Education Program.

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Eating just one serving of green leafy vegetables or three servings of fruit a day reduces the risk of developing Type II diabetes, while one serving of fruit juice a day may increase the risk of Type II diabetes in women.

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Researchers at Tulane University are participating in the National Children's Study to investigate factors influencing the development of such conditions as diabetes, obesity, autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, birth defects and asthma.

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Rising global rates of obesity, a major risk factor for diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease, cancer and other diseases, highlight the urgent need for governments and health organizations to develop programs targeting healthy weights.

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Peripheral neuropathy affects about one-third of persons with diabetes mellitus. It causes balance problems and unsteadiness when walking. According to a study in Volume 45, Issue 9 of JRRD, vibrating insoles improved standing in persons with peripheral neuropathy when attention was distracted and vision was occluded.

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Diabetics must be extra vigilant in protecting against urologic conditions that could further damage their kidneys---- Diabetes can cause chronic kidney disease and, ultimately, kidney failure. March is Kidney Health Month, and the AUA and AUA Foundation are encouraging patients with diabetes to be well informed about the impact this disease can have if not treated or managed properly.

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Spring Point project has several litters of high health medical grade pigs whose islet cells are suitable for human transplantation as a possible cure for diabetes. This is a major milestone for the effort which anticipates clinical trials in 2010.

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Cutting-edge DNA testing technology is being used for medical -grade source pigs being developed by Spring Point Project for pig islet cell transplantation to cure diabetes. GeneSeek, Inc, a privately held biotechnology company will identify pigs that are naturally superior donors of pancreatic islet tissue. The Infinium HD Porcine SNP60 Bead Chip from Illumina, Inc is being used to genotype over 60,000 DNA markers.

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There is another tool to manage diabetes and fight obesity"”the Internet, specifically, an online, university-based program on obesity and physical activity that can apply to diabetes education. The University of Houston department of health and human performance developed Public Health Issues in Physical Activity and Obesity (Kinesiology 1304) because of the prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity on campus.

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Taking clues from their stem cell research, investigators at the University of California San Diego and Burnham Institute for Medical Research have discovered that a signaling pathway involved in normal pancreatic development is also associated with type 2 diabetes.

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New Geisinger research shows that far more diabetes patients than previously estimated didn't fill prescriptions for medications. This study is based on a review of physician medication orders that were captured or tracked through Geisinger Health System's electronic health record and insurance claims.

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Diabetics have a significantly greater risk of dementia, reveals important new data from an ongoing study of twins. The risk of dementia is especially strong if the onset of diabetes occurs in middle age, according to the study. Indeed, developing diabetes before 65 more than doubles the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

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Physicians say they are counseling their overweight type 2 diabetes patients to lose weight, but patients say that the message is not getting through, according to a new survey announced today by the Behavorial Diabetes Institute. Eight in 10 physicians surveyed said that they discuss weight issues with their patients every/ almost every visit, yet half as many patients - only four in 10 - report having these discussions with such frequency.

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A new Cochrane review finds that following a low glycemic index diet helps people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to improve their blood glucose (blood sugar) control significantly. The GI food-ranking approach, which originated in Canada, is popular in Australia and gaining ground in Europe and the United States.

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Scientists in Oregon and India are reporting an advance toward developing the first saliva test to diagnose and monitor effectiveness of treatment for Type 2 diabetes.

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Patients with dementia and diabetes appear to display a different pattern of injuries in their brains than patients with dementia but without diabetes, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the March print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Dr. Robin Goland is available for expert commentary on a new study by the New York City Health Department, also published online in the journal Diabetes Care, finding that diabetes is underdiagnosed and undertreated in New York City. The study reports that less than 10 percent of New Yorkers with diabetes are fully controlling their disease, and more than 90 percent of them have elevated blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar -- placing them at increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and other complications. The study also links socioeconomic factors to disease prevalence. Further information is available at NYC.gov.

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Adults with diabetes experience a slowdown in several types of mental processing, which appears early in the disease and persists into old age, according to new research. Given the sharp rise in new cases of diabetes, this finding means that more adults may soon be living with mild but lasting deficits in their thought processes.

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Persons with type 2 diabetes who had a diet high in low-glycemic foods such as nuts, beans and lentils had greater improvement in glycemic control and risk factors for coronary heart disease than persons on a diet with an emphasis on high-cereal fiber, according to a study in the December 17 issue of JAMA.

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Three-quarters of youths with type 1 diabetes were found to have insufficient levels of vitamin D, according to a study by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center.

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Diet and exercise goals always rank high on New Year's Resolution lists. But rising food prices and the uncertain state of post-holiday bank accounts leave many to wonder if they can afford to make resolutions this year, let alone stick to them. So if you or a loved one has diabetes, or is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, how can you afford a healthy lifestyle in 2009?

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New findings out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of East Anglia show that long-term use of a popular class of oral diabetic drugs doubles the risk of fractures in women with type 2 diabetes.

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Overweight siblings of children with type 2 diabetes are four times more likely to have abnormal glucose levels compared to other overweight children. Because abnormal glucose levels may indicate risk for diabetes or diabetes itself, these children could benefit from screening tests and diabetes prevention education.

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A Tufts University study of 355 non-diabetic elderly men and women found men who took a vitamin K supplement had less progression of insulin resistance over a period of three years compared to men not receiving vitamin K. Vitamin K did not appear to protect supplemented women from age-related increases in insulin resistance.

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Patients with type 2 diabetes who have poor glycemic control and a certain genetic variation have an increased risk of coronary artery disease, according to a study in the November 26 issue of JAMA.

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Diabetes Care press release on new medical costs article.

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Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have shown that insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells can form after birth or after injury from progenitor cells within the pancreas that were not beta cells.

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November not only ushers in American Diabetes Month "“ it's also the unofficial start of the holiday season. Between now and New Year's, people with diabetes must navigate a tempting course of sugar-centric festivities, maintaining a delicate nutritional balance against all odds. One Rochester endocrinologist is showing them how.