Prevention
Heart Rate as a Predictor of Diabetes
03/17/08
Prevention
By Corie Richter, PA, RN
People with a faster pulse are also more likely to have diabetes and die younger, according to research.
Experts have identified a significant relationship between resting heart rate and life expectancy. A study was undertaken at Northwestern University in Chicago. Their goal was to determine if resting heart rates of middle aged adults could predict diabetes or diabetes related death as they entered the geriatric population (65 years old and older).
Statistics can sometimes be complicated, and no less so with this study. The subjects were between 35 and 64 years of age with no signs or diagnosis of diabetes when the data was collected.
Making adjustments for body mass index (BMI) and smoking, the research revealed when individuals aged 35 to 49 had elevated resting heart rates (12 beats per minute above normal) they were 10 percent more likely to have diabetes and die sooner in old age.
While reading such information is interesting, this research begs the question of why the heart rates were elevated in the first place. If the affected individuals in the study group were out of shape to start with, it comes as no surprise they might pass on sooner than those who were physically fit. What kind of lifestyle did they lead? What kind of diet did they follow?
Diabetes Complication Rates Falling
11/12/07
Prevention
Diabetes treaments are working!
People are avoiding more complications than they used to a year ago, according to a story about diabetes complications in USA Today. The article sites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that shows clear trends toward people living better with diabetes.
British and Americans Missing Key Diabetes Treatments
10/26/07
Prevention
If you are not taking advantage of all of the diabetes care you should have, you may be missing opportunities. In Great Britain only a small number of diabetics get the tests and exams they should. It is not just a British phenomenon; we have similar statistics here in the United States.
The BBC story Many lacking good diabetes care points out that people with diabetes should perform regular blood sugar checks and have annual foot exams. In addition to those treatments, diabetics should also have:
Kidney Health in Diabetes
10/03/07
Prevention
Approximately 30 percent of people with diabetes will eventually develop kidney failure. However, there are some behaviors and treatments that help diabetics maintain low blood sugar and improve their chances of avoiding or delaying kidney disease.
Battling Third Cause of Type 2 Diabetes
09/13/07
Prediabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Type II Diabetes, Nutrition & Exercise, Living Well, Treatment Options, Prevention, General
Since the scientific identified a third cause of type 2 diabetes, we have to ask the question, how do we battle it? It may be too early for answers, but it is a great time to ask .
Diabetes is a problem that arises when one or both of the following conditions occur:
- A person's body cannot make enough insulin.
- A person's body is not able to use the insulin it produces to process blood sugar
Pioglitazone Reduced Heart Attack, Increased Heat Failure
09/11/07
Diabetes Medications, Prediabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Type II Diabetes, Treatment Options, Prevention, General
CHICAGO – It is hard to know which medications to use to lower blood glucose levels. Beside their potency as anti-diabetes medications, diabetics must also consider side effects. Many of them are potentially serious.
A study combining previous research suggests that use of pioglitazone, marketed as brand name Actos, significantly reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, but increases the risk for serious heart failure, according to an article in the September 12 issue of JAMA. The risk of heart failure is low, while the reduction in heart attack rate is high. As a result, we suspect that many doctors will be migrating their patients to Actos (brand name for pioglitazone).
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Releases Revised Guidelines
09/06/07
Diabetes Medications, Prediabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Type II Diabetes, Type I Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes, Living Well, Treatment Options, Prevention, Disease Basics, General
After scouring the 66 pages of the newly revised Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus, just released by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), we want to introduce some of the content. In contrast to other medical guidelines, this set of diabetes guidelines is refreshingly specific and direct. It has exact recommendations for patients living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. We want to share some wisdom from this document and recommend some places to start researching.
Heart Images Identify Pre-diabetes Fat Deposits
09/05/07
Prediabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Type II Diabetes, Living Well, Treatment Options, Diagnosis, Prevention, General
According to research reported in this article, fat often builds up on the heart before the onset of diabetes. Researchers in Texas learned this while developing an exam that would allow them to take more complex images of the heart during an MRI scan.
Soft Drinks May Be Contributing to Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
07/26/07
Prediabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Type II Diabetes, Nutrition & Exercise, Prevention, General
Scientists Find One More Type 1 Diabetes Gene
07/18/07
Research, General, Type I Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes, Prevention
During ongoing research to pinpoint genes that may contribute to the risk of developing diabetes, researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk for type 1 diabetes. The research team uncovered new type 1 diabetes instigators on chromosome 16, occupied by a gene called KIAA0350As. Investigators have their eyes on providing a scientific basis for designing better treatments and preventive measures for the disease.