The Deadly Connection Between Diabetes And Alzheimer's
With skyrocketing incidence rates that are expected to soar even higher in the future, diabetes is rapidly transforming the health landscape of the United States and other Western nations. It is no exaggeration to say that diabetes now looms as one of the most costly, destructive medical epidemics of the early twenty-first century. Those affected with diabetes face a host of insidious health threats that include heart disease, impotence, stroke, and blindness, to name just a few. Even worse, new research suggests that those with insulin resistance or diabetes are at significantly higher risk of developing one of today's most devastating and incurable neurological disorders: Alzheimer's disease. The emerging connection between diabetes and Alzheimer's is yet another compelling reason for those who value their health to address issues of impaired insulin sensitivity before it is too late. Although diabetes is an emerging epidemic, it is also wholly preventable and reversible through strategies that incorporate dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and nutritional supplementation. Achieving and maintaining optimal blood sugar and insulin sensitivity may thus be one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself against an array of life-threatening conditions—including diabetes and mind-destroying dementia. Type II Diabetes Fuels a Growing Epidemic It is frightening, but unsurprising, to think that almost everyone in America knows someone—a friend, relative, coworker—who has diabetes. Nearly 21 million adults and children in the United States have diabetes, while an estimated 41 million people between the ages of 40 and 74 have pre-diabetes.1 Type I diabetes, which affects fewer than 2 million people in the US, occurs when the body does not produce a Continue reading >>
Increased Rate Of Deadly Diabetes Complications Associated With New Drug
Diabetes awareness is important today as it affects thousands of people. There are two variations of the condition: type 1 and type 2, both of which affect glucose metabolism. It is estimated that approximately 29 million Americans have diabetes, and it leads to hundreds and thousands of deaths each year. It’s the 7th leading cause of death in America. In search of better treatment Diabetes prevalence has led the most talented and diligent scientists and researchers to develop new treatments and formulations for the condition. While insulin has been used for decades, more efficient medications are required. This has led to a new class of diabetic medication being created called SGLT2 [sodium-glucose cotransport – 2] inhibitors. Approved by the FDA, these drugs were created to help lower blood sugar when properly incorporated with diet and exercise. They work by making the kidneys remove sugar from the body through the urine. However, this new drug has been recently found to increase the likelihood of a potentially fatal condition known for occurring in diabetics called diabetic ketoacidosis. A deadly compilation Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication that occurs when the body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. It develops when the body can’t produce enough insulin, and instead, the body turns to fat breakdown for its energy source. If this is not remedied by proper glucose balance in the system, ketoacidosis can develop. This condition is sometimes the first thing that unknowing diabetics develop when taken to the emergency room. Symptoms of this condition can develop very quickly, sometimes within 24 hours. The following are various signs and symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis: Excessive thirst Frequent urination Abdominal pain Fatigue We Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes: 10 Things You Should Know About The Deadly Disease
Many people know that diabetes is a deadly disease but few actually know its causes, symptoms and risk factors. These are the things you should know about it. What Is It? When you have this disease, your body does a poor job turning the carbohydrates in food into energy. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Over time it raises your risk for heart disease, blindness, nerve and organ damage, and other serious conditions. It strikes people of all ages, and early symptoms are mild. About 1 out of 3 people with type 2 diabetes don’t know they have it. What Will You Notice First? People with type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms. When they do appear, one of the first may be being thirsty a lot. Others include dry mouth, bigger appetite, peeing a lot — sometimes as often as every hour — and unusual weight loss or gain. Later Symptoms As your blood sugar levels get higher, you may have other problems like headaches, blurred vision, and fatigue. Signs of Serious Problems In many cases, type 2 diabetes isn’t discovered until it takes a serious toll on your health. Some red flags include: Cuts or sores that are slow to heal Frequent yeast infections or urinary tract infections Itchy skin, especially in the groin area Risk Factors You Can Control Some health habits and medical conditions related to your lifestyle can raise your odds of having type 2 diabetes, including: Being overweight, especially at the waist A couch potato lifestyle Smoking Eating a lot of red meat, processed meat, high-fat dairy products, and sweets Unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels It Can Affect Your S*x Life Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves in your genitals. This could lead to a loss of feeling and make it hard to have an orgasm. Women are also prone to vaginal dryness Continue reading >>
Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms: Diabetes Could Be A Warning Sign For Deadly Disease
Pancreatic cancer is hard to diagnose in its early stages as the tumour doesn't usually cause any symptoms. The disease affects around 8,800 people every year in the UK. Diabetic have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer - however now experts have suggested cancer can cause some cases of diabetes. Experts have revealed the onset of diabetes, or existing diabetes getting much worse could be a sign of hidden pancreatic cancer. Medical records and the type of diabetic medicines they are prescribed could be a tool in identifying those at risk, scientists from the International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon said. An analysis of nearly a million patients with type 2 diabetes in Italy and Belgium with pancreatic cancer found half were diagnosed within one year of being found to have type 2 diabetes and being given their first prescription to control it. Experts said they had a 3.5 times greater risk of being diagnosed with the disease in the first three months after their first prescription for incretins, hormones which stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin to lower blood sugar levels. Injecting insulin was associated with a seven-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Professor Philippe Autier said: "Although it has been known for some time that there is an association between type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer, the relationship between the two conditions is complex. "Incretin therapies reduce diabetic hyperglycemia through stimulating the release of insulin by the pancreas. "These drugs are typically prescribed when the oral anti-diabetic drugs can no longer control blood glucose levels. "Because of their stimulating effects on the pancreas, it has long been thought that the incretin therapies could promote the occurrence of panc Continue reading >>
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by impaired ability of the body to produce or respond to insulin and thereby maintain proper levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, though these outcomes are not due to the immediate effects of the disorder. They are instead related to the diseases that develop as a result of chronic diabetes mellitus. These include diseases of large blood vessels (macrovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial disease) and small blood vessels (microvascular disease, including retinal and renal vascular disease), as well as diseases of the nerves. Causes and types Insulin is a hormone secreted by beta cells, which are located within clusters of cells in the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans. Insulin’s role in the body is to trigger cells to take up glucose so that the cells can use this energy-yielding sugar. Patients with diabetes may have dysfunctional beta cells, resulting in decreased insulin secretion, or their muscle and adipose cells may be resistant to the effects of insulin, resulting in a decreased ability of these cells to take up and metabolize glucose. In both cases, the levels of glucose in the blood increase, causing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). As glucose accumulates in the blood, excess levels of this sugar are excreted in the urine. Because of greater amounts of glucose in the urine, more water is excreted with it, causing an increase in urinary volume and frequency of urination as well as thirst. (The name diabetes mellitus refers to these symptoms: diabetes, from the Greek diabainein, meaning “to pass through,” describes the copious urination, and mellitus, from the Latin meaning “sweetened wi Continue reading >>
Why Doctors Believe This Toxic Myth
The single most dangerous idea you are likely to encounter after getting a diabetes diagnosis is the belief that science has proven, beyond a doubt, that no matter what you do, your Type 2 Diabetes will get worse. Your doctors probably believe this. Though they may give lip service to the idea that you can control your disease through diet, exercise, and drugs, most family doctors actually believe that nothing you can do will make much difference in your long-term outcome. This is why they are not likely to urge you to take an aggressive approach to managing your disease but merely write prescriptions for drugs that, if they do anything at all, do a mediocre job of controlling your blood sugars. They've Seen Poor Outcomes Among Their Own Patients Doctors will tell you that they've treated lots of patients with type 2 diabetes and that few, if any, of their patients can control their diabetes with diet. They'll say that their patients cannot lose weight, and that even with good control they end up with complications. What they don't understand is that the diet they have been recommending, thanks to the American Diabetes Association's partnership with so many national and state health authorities, is a high carbohydrate, low fat diet that contains so much sugar and starch it would raise the blood sugar of most normal people. Bananas and whole wheat bread won't control diabetes, but a diet that lowers your intake of starches and sugars often will--no matter how much fat it contains. They Think the UKPDS Study "Proved" People with Good Control Deteriorate Doctors will also tell you that a large-scale study, the UKPDS (United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study) proved that even with good control patients with Type 2 diabetes inevitably deteriorated over time. The UKPDS, they Continue reading >>
New Uk Study Ties Remission Of Type 2 Diabetes To Weight Loss
possible to reverse Type 2 diabetes through a low calorie diet program, without any help from medications. The study, which was funded by Diabetes UK, was led by Professor Roy Taylor from Newcastle University and Professor Mike Lean from the University of Glasgow. They presented their findings at the International Diabetes Federation Congress in Abu Dhabi on December 5. The study is published in The Lancet. A Deadly Condition In 2011, Isobel Murray, 65, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, a bodily condition that causes sugar levels to rise higher than normal. “I was on various medications which were constantly increasing and I was becoming more and more ill every day,” Murray said in a statement. Murray is one of millions suffering from Type 2 diabetes. According to 2015 figures released by Diabetes.org, among adults 20 years or older in the U.S., approximately one in every 10 has diabetes. Among seniors, 65 years or older, one in every four has diabetes. Between 90 to 95 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. Although preventable and curable, Type 2 diabetes can be deadly when left unmanaged. The condition can often lead to cardiovascular diseases, kidney disease or stroke. It is expected that a person with Type 2 diabetes may live 10 years less than a person without the condition. In 2015, diabetes was ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. In 2014, after suffering from this deadly condition for two to three years, Murray was asked by her general practitioner (GP) to take part in a two-year Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), whose purpose is to find an effective and accessible way to achieve Type 2 diabetes remission for the long term. “When the opportunity came to go on the DiRECT study, I had absolutely no he Continue reading >>
Types Of Diabetes
Today, there are 11 million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes. Every three minutes, another Canadian is diagnosed. Chances are that diabetes affects you or someone you know. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic, often debilitating and sometimes fatal disease, in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Diabetes leads to high blood sugar levels, which can damage organs, blood vessels and nerves. The body needs insulin to use sugar as an energy source. What is the pancreas and what does it do? The pancreas is an organ that sits behind the stomach and releases hormones into the digestive system. In the healthy body, when blood sugar levels get too high, special cells in the pancreas (called beta cells) release insulin. Insulin is a hormone and it causes cells to take in sugar to use as energy or to store as fat. This causes blood sugar levels to go back down. What is type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and kills the beta cells of the pancreas. No, or very little, insulin is released into the body. As a result, sugar builds up in the blood instead of being used as energy. About five to 10 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes generally develops in childhood or adolescence, but can develop in adulthood. Type 1 diabetes is always treated with insulin. Meal planning also helps with keeping blood sugar at the right levels. Type 1 diabetes also includes latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), the term used to describe the small number of people with apparent type 2 diabetes who appear to have immune-mediated loss of pancreatic beta cells. What is type 2 Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes: Deadly, Costly, Preventable
I’m a bit old fashioned in that I get my news from the news papers, magazines and watching the evening news, primarily Lester Holt on NBC since I like that he ends his program with a feel-good story about positive things going on, which often go unnoticed. Since our current news seems to be predominantly bad news, a feel good end-the-day to the news cycle is heart warming. I am struck by all the promotional advertisements from the pharmaceutical companies promoting their newest and undoubtedly expensive and very profitable drugs. The focus seems to me to be on type 2 diabetes, psoriasis, dry eyes and inflammatory bowel disease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. In my years of clinical practice I can’t recall a patient asking me about a specific drug they saw advertised on television. One of the most heavily advertised medications I see on television is that for type 2 diabetes and its complications. Because of this I decided to do an unscientific random survey of people to see what they knew about type 2 diabetes. The vast majority answered: Nothing, not much, very little, or that is has to do with eating too much sugar. No one mentioned the long-term risks and complications of the very significant disorder. Type 2 diabetes can be easy to ignore in its early stages since the patients feels fine, yet it is a very serious condition since it affects so many major organs including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. These complications are due to chronically elevated blood sugar over time, which develop gradually and can become disabling and life threatening. They increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. Long term elevated blood sugar levels injure the tiny blood vessels that nourish the nerves, especially in th Continue reading >>
What It’s Like To Have Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes
One of the greatest dangers of type 2 diabetes is that it can be slow and silent. Many people with the condition don’t experience any symptoms at all, even though their unbalanced blood sugar is already affecting their cells and tissue. You might be one of those people. How can you tell if you're at risk for developing type 2 diabetes? You may be more likely to develop the condition if you: Are overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher Are inactive Are age 45 or older Have a family history of type 2 diabetes Are African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian-American, or a Pacific Islander Have low levels of HDL, or the “good” cholesterol Have high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat) in your blood Although the telltale signs of type 2 diabetes may develop slowly over many years, the condition will cause symptoms for many people. Do any of these sound familiar? Increased thirst Frequent urination Increased hunger Unexplained weight loss Extreme fatigue Irritability Blurred vision Sores that are slow to heal Skin, bladder, or gum infections Whether you're experiencing any of these symptoms or not, uncontrolled levels of high blood sugar over time can lead to tissue damage throughout your body, from your eyes to your toes. Uncontrolled Diabetes Is Scary — and Even Deadly Type 2 diabetes damages essential systems in your body: your blood vessels, nerves, or both. The consequences of uncontrolled diabetes can be very serious, and some can eventually be fatal. They include: Infections Amputations due to infections in the feet These complications sound scary — and they are. Fortunately, controlling your blood-glucose levels can help prevent many of these secondary problems, or at least manage them if they have already developed. Take Action Tod Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes In Kids Proves Deadly
Kids with type 2 diabetes have been jokingly referred to as "sugar babies," but statistics show type 2 diabetes in children is no laughing matter. The future looks quite grim for kids with type 2 diabetes, historically an adult disease. Research finds significant differences in lifespan between these two populations. In fact, kids with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to die from disease complications than those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Ted Wu Director of the Diabetes Centre at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital said in regards to this research, "It just shows the insidious nature of type 2 diabetes. Just because you're on tablets and not insulin (injections) doesn't mean it's not serious." Type 1 diabetes is labeled the riskiest and most difficult to manage of the two diagnoses. This is a controversial topic for some with type 1 diabetes, who view these diseases as so incredibly different that they propose the two shouldn't shouldn't be lumped together or even compared with one another. Type 2 diabetes may not be labeled as serious as type 1 diabetes, but one thing is for certain — it's the deadliest. What is the smoking gun for these children? According to this research study, it's cardiovascular disease. With risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, hyperinsulinemia, poor nutrition and lack of physical exercise, type 2 diabetes in children may be our newest epidemic. Tags: type 2 diabetes Continue reading >>
How Serious Is Type 2 Diabetes? Is It More Serious Than Type 1 Diabetes?
A fellow caregiver asked... How serious is type 2 diabetes, and is it less or more serious than type 1 diabetes? My mom, just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, keeps it under control without taking insulin. So is type 2 diabetes less of a problem than insulin-dependent type 1? Expert Answers No, definitely not. In fact, in some ways type 2 diabetes is a more serious disorder because your mom may have had it for years before she was diagnosed. So she may well have developed some of the long-term, debilitating complications linked to the condition without knowing it. In addition, since type 2 diabetes is a progressive disorder without a cure, over time her body may not be able to produce insulin or use it as well as it does now, and she may wind up needing insulin injections or pills. A person with type1 diabetes ignores it for a day at his own peril. He'll likely end up in the emergency room because his body can't absorb glucose without a continuous supply of insulin via injection or an insulin pump. People with type 1 diabetes typically develop such severe symptoms over a short time in childhood or early adulthood that they're forced to deal with it. Type 2 diabetes is a sneakier condition: Its harmful health effects can slowly build for years until full-blown complications, such as vision loss, heart disease, or foot problems, make it impossible to ignore. Plus it often comes with its own set of problems. For instance, people with type 2 diabetes are frequently diagnosed with high blood pressure and cholesterol along with high blood sugar. This damaging threesome can lead to progressive thickening of the arteries and reduced blood flow, putting your mom at greater risk for a slew of complications including heart disease, stroke, and nerve damage. If your mom is overweigh Continue reading >>
- diabetes: Gestational diabetes is a more serious problem in India than in other parts of the world: Dr Nam Han Cho, Health News, ET HealthWorld
- Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study
- More than 500 children with Type 2 diabetes - just 16 years after first ever case
Ncoa5,il-6, Type-2 Diabetes And Hcc: The Deadly Quartet
Diabetes, obesity and male gender are associated with elevated HCC risk (El-Serag and Rudolph, 2007; Naugler et al., 2007). Given the increasing prevalence of obesity andT2Dit is important to understand the underlying mechanisms linking them to HCC development. Although previous work had implicated inflammation in the pathogenesis of both T2D and HCC (Donath and Shoelson, 2011; He and Karin, 2011), the precise molecular link between the two remains unknown. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF and IL-6 are involved in both HCC and T2D. But whereas the tumor promoting role of IL-6 in HCC is quite clear (He et al., 2013), its involvement in the pathogenesis of T2D depends on whether it is produced acutely or chronically. Nonetheless, as far as the liver is concerned, it is widely accepted that chronically elevated IL-6 promotes hepatic insulin resistance. Now the question arises: does IL-6 link T2D to HCC? A recent study (Gao et al., 2013) provides some support to this hypothesis by showing that haplo-insufficiency of NCOA5, a transcriptional regulator that suppresses IL-6 expression, predisposes mice to insulin resistance, T2D and HCC. NCOA5, also known as coactivator independent of AF2 (CIA), is a coregulator of estrogen receptor α (ERα)-mediated transcription, which influences both HCC and T2D (Naugler et al., 2007; Tiano et al., 2011). Moreover, NCOA5 was recently identified as a T2D susceptibility gene (Lewis et al., 2010). In the new study, Ncoa5+/− (haplo-insufficient) male mice were generated in two different genetic backgrounds (due to fertility issues homozygous Ncoa5−/− mice were not studied) and found to develop HCC by 18 months of age. Additionally, Ncoa5+/− male mice became insulin resistant at a young age and presented with elevated fasting bloo Continue reading >>
Symptoms
Print Overview Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is vital to your health because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It's also your brain's main source of fuel. If you have diabetes, no matter what type, it means you have too much glucose in your blood, although the causes may differ. Too much glucose can lead to serious health problems. Chronic diabetes conditions include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Potentially reversible diabetes conditions include prediabetes — when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes — and gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy but may resolve after the baby is delivered. Diabetes symptoms vary depending on how much your blood sugar is elevated. Some people, especially those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, may not experience symptoms initially. In type 1 diabetes, symptoms tend to come on quickly and be more severe. Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are: Increased thirst Frequent urination Extreme hunger Unexplained weight loss Presence of ketones in the urine (ketones are a byproduct of the breakdown of muscle and fat that happens when there's not enough available insulin) Fatigue Irritability Blurred vision Slow-healing sores Frequent infections, such as gums or skin infections and vaginal infections Although type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, it typically appears during childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, can develop at any age, though it's more common in people older than 40. When to see a doctor If you suspect you or your child may have diabetes. If you notice any poss Continue reading >>
Your First Vet Visit: Diagnosing Feline Diabetes
Your first vet visit: diagnosing feline diabetes Your veterinarian can diagnose diabetes with a simple, in-office physical examination of the cat and laboratory tests, which will determine if there is an abnormally high level of sugar in the bloodstream and urine. Your veterinarian may ask if your cat has exhibited any of the following symptoms, indicating a possibility of feline diabetes: Increased thirst Sudden increase in appetite Sudden weight loss (despite an increase in appetite) Increased urination Increased lethargy Understanding your cat's diagnosis The food your cat eats is broken down into glucose during the digestion process. Glucose is the fuel that provides energy needed by the cells of the body to sustain life. As glucose enters the bloodstream, the cat's pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin is a hormone released in small amounts to properly balance the blood sugar (glucose) levels in the blood. Feline diabetes is similar to human diabetes, and occurs when your pet either doesn't produce or is unable to process insulin, a hormone that helps regulate glucose or sugar in the bloodstream. Just like humans, diabetic cats are diagnosed primarily with Type 2 diabetes.The types of diabetes in cats are based on the human classification system. Type 1 Diabetes Type 1 form of diabetes is defined as an absolute insulin deficiency. In this form, the pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin to regulate the glucose in the bloodstream, leading to persistent high glucose levels in the blood. This type of diabetes is very rare in the cat. Type 2 Diabetes Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes in cats, occurs when the cells in the cat's body don't respond to the insulin that is being provided. As a result, the cat becomes hyperglycemic (high blood sugar), wh Continue reading >>
