Genetics And Type 1 Diabetes
If you have type 1 diabetes, you might wonder if your child would get it, too. Or if one of your parents has it, what it means for you. Your genes definitely play a role in type 1, a less common form of diabetes that’s often diagnosed in children and young adults. But they’re not the whole story. Like much in life, it’s a mix of nature and nurture. Your environment, from where you grow up to the foods you eat, also matters. Researchers don’t know exactly how -- and how much -- all those things affect your chances of getting the disease. Your genes set the stage, but you can’t be certain how it'll all play out. There’s no diabetes gene that gets turned on or off to give you type 1. Instead, a bunch of them play a role, including a dozen or so that have the biggest say: the HLA genes. They make proteins your immune system uses to keep you healthy. Since type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease -- your body destroys the cells that make insulin -- it makes sense that HLA genes are front and center. There are thousands of versions of them in the human gene pool. Which ones you get from your parents affect your chances of diabetes in a big way. Some make you more likely to get it, while others can help protect you from it. You have type 1 if your body makes little or no insulin, a hormone that helps your body turn sugar into energy. Certain genes are more common in one group of people than in another. That’s why race and ethnicity affect things, too. For example, white people are more likely to have type 1 diabetes than others. But even if you have genes that make you more likely to get type 1, that doesn’t mean you definitely will. Even with identical twins -- who have the same exact genes -- sometimes one gets it and the other doesn’t. That’s where the e Continue reading >>
6 Ways To Prevent Diabetes In Dogs
6 Ways To Prevent Diabetes in Dogs Canine diabetes is on the rise. According to Banfield Pet Hospital’s 2016 State of Pet Health report, cases of diabetes in dogs have increased by almost 80 percent since 2006. Unfortunately with dogs, diabetes isn’t always preventable, says Dr. Anthony Ishak, a veterinarian at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Tampa, FL. “Some dogs are going to get diabetes no matter what you do,” he says. But you may be able to make it easier to manage or reduce the severity of your pup’s symptoms by following these six tips. Continue reading >>
How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes?
Around three in five cases of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed. However you’ve found out you’re at risk – and knowing is a big first step – the important thing to do now is take action to lower your risk. Evidence shows the best way to reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes is by: eating better moving more reducing your weight if you’re overweight Where do I start? The key is to find what works for you, fits in with your day and you enjoy. 1. Set clear goals Setting goals can help you break down what you need to do and how to do it. Use our Action Plan (PDF, 66KB)to set healthy goals and keep aFood and activity diary (PDF, 40KB)to keep you on track. 2. Plan ahead It’s helpful to plan meals for the week ahead especially when we all lead busy lives. This can help you reach your goal to eat better and stick to a budget. 3. Start to make healthy changes Time to put your plan into action. Each healthy choice you make is helping you to achieve your goal. If you find it hard, don’t give up – start again tomorrow. 4. Be creative Eating healthily doesn’t have to be boring. Take the opportunity to try new recipes and new food. 5. Sleep well Get a good night’s sleep. Research has shown that if you are tired you feel hungrier and are more likely to want fatty and sugary foods. This can make it harder to stick to your goals. What changes can I make to eat better? Eating better doesn’t have to mean boring or tasteless. We've got plenty of tools, tips and recipes to help you eat healthier. We've got healthier versions of your favourite recipes, or follow our videos and learn to cook a new recipe. How can I move more every day? Getting active and staying active will reduce your risk of getting Type 2 diabetes, and you’ll feel great too. If you're not sur Continue reading >>
Diabetes Runs In My Family. Does That Mean I’ll Get It?
“My mom has Type 2 diabetes, and it also runs in my dad’s side of the family,” a patient will occasionally tell me. “Does that mean I’m doomed?” This is a relevant concern, especially considering over a 25-year period (1983 to 2008), the number of people in the world with diabetes increased nearly sevenfold, from 35 million to 240 million. While I believe this is actually a serious underestimate, its magnitude could not happen with a purely genetic or inherited disorder in such a short time. The genetic code of the human population changes only 0.2 percent every 20,000 years. In other words, genes do not become altered from generation to generation. So if genetic alteration isn’t the reason, then why the dramatic increase in diabetes? Well, our environment affects our genes. The genetic code itself may not change, but the world around us highly influences the way those genes are expressed. Our environment has changed more in the last 100 years than in all of previous human history. Diabetes is almost entirely induced by environmental and lifestyle factors. Predisposing genes certainly contribute, but those genes get turned on (or “expressed”) only under conditions of poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, stress, and exposure to environmental toxins. A search for the diabetes gene and the magic bullet drug or gene therapy to treat it will lead us nowhere. Scientists who have examined the human genome for the obesity and diabetes gene have been disappointed. (1) Understanding how our genes predispose us to certain conditions helps us personalize our approach to metabolism and weight loss, yet becoming overly fixated overlooks the most important target: Modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors that are driving this epidemic. How we eat, how much we exerci Continue reading >>
Top 20 Ways To Prevent Diabetes
Diabetes is a serious disease and the number of people affected with it has skyrocketed in the last couple of years . If you think diabetes affects only elderly people then think again. By adopting few simple tips, you can turn off the diabetes clock. To get started, try these simple diabetes prevention tips, shared by Sunita Pathania - Sr. Registered Dietician and Diabetes Educator, Healthy Living Diet Clinic, Mumbai. 1: Know about diabetes Before beginning the diabetes prevention act, it is important to know what is exactly diabetes. Once you are well acquainted with this disease, you can start your prevention therapy easily. 2: Reduce your portion size Reduce the amount of food you eat, each day. Instead, of having one cup of fruit every day, try having half a cup of fruits, or you can also drink a glass of water every day before beginning your meal, this will make you less hungry and you will avoid over eating. 3: Get physically active If you acquire the habit of exercises daily, it will benefit you in many ways. Exercising daily helps to maintain a healthy weight, lowers blood sugar level and boosts your sensitivity to insulin. Thus, exercise everyday for at least 30 minutes daily to keep your blood sugar lavel in normal range. 4: Lose weight If you think, your excessive weight is making you closer to the risk of diabetes than, slash some kilos in a healthy way. Shedding even 10 pounds can significantly drop your diabetes risk drastically. 5: Add lots of whole grain in your diet Count your carb intake and switch to whole grain diet, to reduce your risk of diabetes. Including whole grain, products in your diet not only help to prevent diabetes but also slow down your carb absorption in the body. 6: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day No matter how full y Continue reading >>
How To Prevent Diabetes
What is type 2 diabetes? If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels are too high. With type 2 diabetes, this happens because your body does not make enough insulin, or it does not use insulin well (this is called insulin resistance). If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you might be able to prevent or delay developing it. Who is at risk for type 2 diabetes? Many Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Your chances of getting it depend on a combination of risk factors such as your genes and lifestyle. The risk factors include Having prediabetes, which means you have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes Being age 45 or older A family history of diabetes Being African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander Having given birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more Having acanthosis nigricans, a skin condition in which your skin becomes dark and thick, especially around your neck or armpits Smoking How can I prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes? If you are at risk for diabetes, you may be able to prevent or delay getting it. Most of the things that you need to do involve having a healthier lifestyle. So if you make these changes, you will get other health benefits as well. You may lower your risk of other diseases, and you will probably feel better and have more energy. The changes are Losing weight and keeping it off. Weight control is an important part of diabetes prevention. You may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 10 percent of your current weight. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, your goal would be to lose between 10 to 20 pounds. And once you lose the weight, it is important that you don't gain it back. Following Continue reading >>
Reducing Diabetes Risks For The Whole Family
Diabetes is a disease that affects more and more Americans every day: Almost 26 million children and adults in the United States now have diabetes, and another 79 million US residents are living with prediabetes, a condition in which blood tests show a blood glucose level that is higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. People with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Blood relatives of people with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes also have a higher risk of developing the same type of diabetes as their family member. And people who have diabetes run the risk of developing long-term complications associated with diabetes. In some cases, being aware of having a heightened risk for diabetes enables a person to be proactive about reducing the risk. For example, people with prediabetes and blood relatives of people with Type 2 diabetes can reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by making lifestyle changes, such as increased physical activity, that burn calories, lower blood glucose levels, and encourage weight maintenance or weight loss. Close relatives of people with Type 1 diabetes can have their risk of developing the condition assessed through blood tests. While no one yet knows how to prevent Type 1 diabetes, people determined to be at high risk can be followed closely, so that if they develop diabetes, they can be diagnosed early and be started on treatment as early as possible. People who already have diabetes can lower their risk of developing long-term complications by taking steps to manage their blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels. Diabetes and genetics The reasons that diabetes runs in families are complex, and they differ between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. In both cases, ho Continue reading >>
Diabetes And The Family
The World Health Organisation now advises that the relations of people with type 2 diabetes should take precautions. The dietary and exercise advice really apply to every person (whether related to people with diabetes or not), but regular sugar checks are not usually necessary for relations of type 1 diabetics. Some of the genes that are passed on from parents to children have been found. Visit the American Diabetes Association for further information, as they publish new reports each month. A recent study found that losing weight, and having a healthy diet with regular exercise, can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 50%. here. We need to change the way we live...and Government and local Government needs to help at a local level. For everyone (but especially the relations of type 2 diabetics) A healthy lifestyle can delay and even prevent diabetes, even if it is your family and you have inherited the 'diabetic' genes (Lancet 09). Regular exercise such as swimming, cycling, or walking helps to delay or prevent diabetes: 30 minutes a day is the recommended minimum, but 90 minutes a day is needed to lose weight. Exercise is proven to prevent diabetes. Gaining weight increases the risk of diabetes 2-3 times at least. A healthy diet helps to delay or prevent diabetes (see below). Smoking is harmful; it damages the arteries and can double the problems that diabetes can itself cause. Smoking doubles the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Even passive smoking increase the risk. See For the relations of type 2 diabetics, the World Health Organisation recommends a fasting blood sugar test every 3 years. Sunlight also prevents diabetes, mainly type 2, but also to a lesser degree type 1. Thus Bangladeshi immigrants to the UK are thought to be very prone to type 2 di Continue reading >>
Prediabetes
What Is Prediabetes? Prediabetes is a “pre-diagnosis” of diabetes—you can think of it as a warning sign. It’s when your blood glucose level (blood sugar level) is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough to be considered diabetes. Prediabetes is an indication that you could develop type 2 diabetes if you don’t make some lifestyle changes. But here's the good news: . Eating healthy food, losing weight and staying at a healthy weight, and being physically active can help you bring your blood glucose level back into the normal range. Diabetes develops very gradually, so when you’re in the prediabetes stage—when your blood glucose level is higher than it should be—you may not have any symptoms at all. You may, however, notice that: you’re hungrier than normal you’re losing weight, despite eating more you’re thirstier than normal you have to go to the bathroom more frequently you’re more tired than usual All of those are typical symptoms associated with diabetes, so if you’re in the early stages of diabetes, you may notice them. Prediabetes develops when your body begins to have trouble using the hormone insulin. Insulin is necessary to transport glucose—what your body uses for energy—into the cells via the bloodstream. In pre-diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or it doesn’t use it well (that’s called insulin resistance). If you don’t have enough insulin or if you’re insulin resistant, you can build up too much glucose in your blood, leading to a higher-than-normal blood glucose level and perhaps prediabetes. Researchers aren’t sure what exactly causes the insulin process to go awry in some people. There are several risk factors, though, that make it more likely that you’ll develop pre-diabetes. These are Continue reading >>
What Is Type 2 Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that's characterized by high blood sugar, which doctors refer to as hyperglycemia. In type 2 diabetes, the two main contributors to high blood sugar are insulin resistance and a drop in your body's production of insulin. These two factors are what makes type 2 diabetes different from type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and other types of diabetes. What Is Insulin Resistance? Insulin — the hormone that allows your body to regulate sugar in the blood — is made in your pancreas. Insulin resistance is a state in which the body’s cells do not use insulin efficiently. As a result, it takes more insulin than normal to transport glucose (the main type of sugar found in the bloodstream) into cells, where it can be used for fuel or stored for later use. Insulin resistance develops over time, and as the body becomes more and more insulin resistant, the pancreas responds by releasing more and more insulin. This higher-than-normal level of insulin in the bloodstream is called hyperinsulinemia. For a while, the pancreas may be able to keep up with the body’s increased need for insulin, and blood sugar levels may stay within the normal range — about 70 to 100 mg/dl before meals and lower than 140 mg/dl after meals. Eventually, however, the pancreas can no longer keep up, and blood sugar levels begin to rise. What Causes Type 2 Diabetes? It's not known for certain why some people develop type 2 diabetes and some do not. There are several factors, however, that can increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes: Obesity Being obese or overweight puts you at significant risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Four out of five people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Prediabetes Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar levels Continue reading >>
Diabetes Runs In My Family. How Can I Lessen My Risk Of Getting The Disease?
Today, approximately 28.5 million Americans have diabetes, making diabetes a growing health epidemic. There are many causes of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Heredity is a major risk factor in developing type 2 diabetes, so it is important to know your family's medical history and other risk factors for getting diabetes. Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes greatly increases your risk for getting diabetes at some time in your life. There are some lifestyle changes you can make now to lessen your chance of getting diabetes. It is important for everyone - whether they have a family history of diabetes or not - to follow these steps in an effort to avoid developing type 2 diabetes, and to enjoy better health overall. A healthy, well-balanced diet should include high-fiber foods, whole grains (as opposed to enriched flour products), more fruits and veggies (preferably ones that are darker in color) and heart-healthy fats. Also, try eating certain foods like canola oil instead of vegetable oil, and whole grain pasta rather than regular pasta. Some other tips to follow: Avoid foods that are high in saturated or trans fats; choose low-fat dairy products; lower your salt intake by avoiding sodium-loaded foods like canned products, pickles, bacon and ham. Regular exercise is also important for someone who would like to head-off hereditary diabetes. Partaking in physical activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week is key to preventing the disease. You do not need to own a gym membership to stay active. Try walking outside, using exercise DVDs, riding a bike or swimming. Even simple changes like taking the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator and parking far from the entrance to work or a store can help you increase your daily physical activity. Smo Continue reading >>
Simple Steps To Preventing Diabetes
Table of Contents Simple Steps to Lower Your Risk Introduction If type 2 diabetes was an infectious disease, passed from one person to another, public health officials would say we’re in the midst of an epidemic. This difficult disease, once called adult-onset diabetes, is striking an ever-growing number of adults. Even more alarming, it’s now beginning to show up in teenagers and children. More than 24 million Americans have diabetes; of those, about 6 million don’t know they have the disease. (1) In 2007, diabetes cost the U.S. an estimated $116 billion in excess medical spending, and an additional $58 billion in reduced productivity. (1) If the spread of type 2 diabetes continues at its present rate, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the United States will increase from about 16 million in 2005 to 48 million in 2050. (2) Worldwide, the number of adults with diabetes will rise from 285 million in 2010 to 439 million in the year 2030. (3) The problems behind the numbers are even more alarming. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure among adults. It causes mild to severe nerve damage that, coupled with diabetes-related circulation problems, often leads to the loss of a leg or foot. Diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart disease. And it’s the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., directly causing almost 70,000 deaths each year and contributing to thousands more. (4) The good news is that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. About 9 cases in 10 could be avoided by taking several simple steps: keeping weight under control, exercising more, eating a healthy diet, and not smoking. What Is Type 2 Diabetes? Our cells depend on a single simple sugar, glucose, for most of their energy needs. That’s why the body Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition in which the body becomes resistant to the normal effects of insulin and/or gradually loses the capacity to produce enough insulin in the pancreas. We do not know what causes type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is associated with modifiable lifestyle risk factors. Type 2 diabetes also has strong genetic and family related risk factors. Type 2 diabetes: Is diagnosed when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (reduced insulin production) and/or the insulin does not work effectively and/or the cells of the body do not respond to insulin effectively (known as insulin resistance) Represents 85–90 per cent of all cases of diabetes Usually develops in adults over the age of 45 years but is increasingly occurring in younger age groups including children, adolescents and young adults Is more likely in people with a family history of type 2 diabetes or from particular ethnic backgrounds For some the first sign may be a complication of diabetes such as a heart attack, vision problems or a foot ulcer Is managed with a combination of regular physical activity, healthy eating and weight reduction. As type 2 diabetes is often progressive, most people will need oral medications and/or insulin injections in addition to lifestyle changes over time. Type 2 diabetes develops over a long period of time (years). During this period of time insulin resistance starts, this is where the insulin is increasingly ineffective at managing the blood glucose levels. As a result of this insulin resistance, the pancreas responds by producing greater and greater amounts of insulin, to try and achieve some degree of management of the blood glucose levels. As insulin overproduction occurs over a very long period of time, the insulin producing cells in the pan Continue reading >>
Why Can’t We Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?
Maybe it’s time to try a different combination Type 1 diabetes is potentially preventable Both the name and that notion emerged in the mid-1970s, when it became clear that this form of diabetes has an autoimmune basis. Studies in identical twins showed that two of three initially unaffected cotwins would remain nondiabetic, an experiment of nature implying that type 1 diabetes was a disease involving a dose of happenstance, not solely of genetic predestination. Knowledge that the immune system was involved raised therapeutic possibilities because immunity had been successfully manipulated to our own advantage (e.g., vaccines). Proof of principle for disease prevention emerged from rodent models of type 1 diabetes, and trials of immunosuppression with cyclosporin at disease onset showed that this could prolong β-cell function in humans, if only transiently. Join this to the discovery that islet autoantibodies appeared in the circulation many years before clinical onset and could be used to predict disease development and one has a condition for which screening and intervention are justified, if such an intervention could be identified (1,2). The emerging therapeutic possibility has been matched to a growing need. The incidence of childhood diabetes continues to rise steadily, and the ever-increasing push toward more intensive management is limited by rising costs and the unremitting demand this form of therapy places on its recipients. It has been clearly demonstrated that improved clinical management can make an enormous difference, but there is at present little evidence to suggest that its impact extends much beyond well-motivated patients attending specialized centers. Meanwhile, the burden of long-term complications continues to rise, and it has been estimated th Continue reading >>
Prediabetes
Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Approximately 84 million American adults—more than 1 out of 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, 90% don’t know they have it. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The good news is that if you have prediabetes, the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. Causes Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as energy. If you have prediabetes, the cells in your body don’t respond normally to insulin. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Eventually your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes—and type 2 diabetes down the road. Symptoms & Risk Factors You can have prediabetes for years but have no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes show up. It’s important to talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk factors for prediabetes, which include: Being overweight Being 45 years or older Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes Being physically active less than 3 times a week Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds Race and ethnicity are also a factor: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk. Getting Tested You can get a simple blood Continue reading >>
