Type II Diabetes
Whole Grain Reaffirmed As Effective Diabetes Fighter
09/08/07
Prediabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Type II Diabetes, Nutrition & Exercise, Living Well, Prevention, General
Whole grains can reduce the risk of diabetes, and that medical notion was upheld in a recent scientific study from a major University. We've known the benefits of whole grains for a few decades. The fiber aids digestion, and helps the digestive system assimilate carbohydrates properly. The germ from whole grains is an abundant source of nutrients like phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals. A professional nutrition publication authored by a group of professors from Harvard University reinforces how effective whole grains are at reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
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.
Symlin—Part of the Diabetes Hormone Balancing Act
09/06/07
Diabetes Medications, Type II Diabetes, Type I Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes, Treatment Options, General
In 1987, an Oxford University research team isolated a hormone produced in the pancreas that was later named amylin. As their research persisted, scientists learned that amylin delays the time it takes for the stomach to empty into the intestines, and delays sugar transfer from the digestive system to the blood stream. It also slows the liver's production of glucose. Scientists found that type 1 diabetics often produce little or no amylin, and type 2 diabetics make less amylin.
Genes May Determine Response to Metformin for Diabetes
09/06/07
Diabetes Medications, Type II Diabetes, Research, General
Your genes may be signaling how well you respond to metformin. If you have the right genetic makeup, metformin may lower your A1C score to a healthy level. A change or variation in gene that tells the body how to create a small structure with cells call an organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) contributes to metformin's effectiveness. (A simplified explanation of an organic cation transporter is a chemical that helps certain atoms to enter a cell.)
Making Sense of Blood Sugar Readings
09/06/07
Type II Diabetes, Type I Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes, Treatment Options, Disease Basics, General
Diabetes introduces people to a whole new life complete with different rituals, a new language, and metrics that can be confusing. According to a recent story from a Las Vegas television station, many people do not know how to interpret their blood sugar measures.
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.
Society is Learning to Beat Diabetes
08/31/07
Type II Diabetes, General
It's so easy to criticize and point fingers. So let's start off by looking at the bright side of the American health care system. It prevents diseases that used to kill and cripple millions of people. It was just a few decades ago when every American worried about:
- Rubella
- Typhoid
- Mumps
- Diphtheria
- Measles
- Polio
- Smallpox
Even the less malicious chicken pox can be largely prevented by vaccination. The American health care system found the miracle that keeps these diseases largely in check. Critics of the American health care system would correctly point out the side effects and dangers associated with immunizations. Certainly, they are not perfect. Nevertheless, on a large scale, they have been amazingly effective.
Mendosa's Diabetes Got Him Scaling Mountains
08/28/07
Type II Diabetes, Nutrition & Exercise, Living Well, Disease Basics, General
David Mendosa often tackles the science of diabetes treatments in his writing, but he is at his strongest when he addresses life. That is what he did in his post today, Diabetes is my Lemonade. Before being diagnosed with diabetes, he was not living a lifestyle that was healthy. Now, diabetes compels him to eat right and be active. You will enjoy the picture that he took after summiting an 11,900 foot peak. Pretty good for a 72-year-old.
Bone Protein Osteocalcin Also Important to Blood Sugar
08/10/07
Type II Diabetes, Treatment Options, Research, General
When we pass on scientific experiments from animal studies we are careful because they do not often turn out the same in humans. However, a recent study from Columbia University Medical Center conducted with mice revealed how important the bone compound osteocalcin is to the endocrine system.
Healthier Life by Addressing Hyperlipidemia
08/01/07
Treatment Options, General, Living Well, Type II Diabetes, Diabetes Medications
Lipids are fats that exist in the blood. We all have them, and it is unhealthy to live with elevated levels of certain lipids, including triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Physicians perform blood tests to measure lipid levels—that's the easy part. For patients who learn they have elevated lipid levels, or hyperlipidemia, the hard part is doing what is required to bring them down.
Your doctors will consider many treatments to help you reduce the unhealthy levels of fat in your blood. One effective treatment with low risk of side effects is changing a patient's lifestyle. Altering diets and increasing exercise and activity levels can often produce amazing results and eliminate hyperlipidemia. It also makes you feel great.
A second treatment option are statins. Statins are lipid lowering drugs that have proven effective for decades now. However, they have their risks and side effects. We recommend a patient use statins in conjunction with proper diet and exercise. The combined effect is powerful, and can reverse diabetes and heart disease in many patients. Your physician can help you know if a statin could be an effective treatment for you.
If your physician diagnoses you with hyperlipidemia, you will need to set some goals for yourself. You want to do the work required to return to the physician a few months later for impoved bloodwork results. Your targets are:
- A total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg per dL
- Triglyceride levels less than 150 mg per dL
- LDL (bad cholesterol) levels less than 100 mg per dL
Once you have achieved those goals, we hope exercise and your new diet help you continue maintaining healthy lipid levels.
Sources:
American Academy of Family Practice
National Institutes of Health
Cleveland Clinic