Diabetes And Marijuana: A Possible Treatment?
Marijuana is currently legal for medical use in 28 American states and the District of Columbia. There are increasing evidence to support the claims that the Cannabis plant offers many potential medicinal properties for a wide number of diseases and disorders. Although we know that marijuana can be helpful in treating nervous disorders, little research is available on its other healing properties because of the law against using the herb for medicinal use. Because of the regulations and the stigma against marijuana, the opinions are biased. But the early research looks promising between the relationship between marijuana and the metabolic processes of the body is still in a relatively new research phase. Of the many research done on various health problems, one of the newest claims is that marijuana can help prevent diabetes, help treat diabetes, and treat certain complications as a result of diabetes. To clear the stigma about marijuana, this article will cover these following topics: What is Marijuana Marijuana has numerous of nicknames throughout the years. Amongst all the names, it is most commonly known as weed, pot, ganja, Mary Jane, hemp, and Cannabis. It is actually the female flower buds of the plant Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, or a hybrid of both strains (the male flower buds have very minimal psychedelic chemicals if not none). Of the 483 known compounds in the plant, there are 86 canninoid chemicals identified. Of the 86 chemicals, the main psychoactive pharmacological chemical is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Other cannabinoid chemicals found are cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabaravin (THCV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannbicyclol (CBL). All these cannabinoid chemicals are known to also have psychoactive and pharma Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Smoking
Tweet The information that smoking is bad for us is everywhere, but for diabetics, smoking can be even more damaging. Beyond the usual reasons, why shouldn’t I smoke if I have diabetes? Smoking is now proven to be an independent risk factor for diabetes, and amongst diabetics it increases the risk of complications. Diabetes complications already include heart disease, stroke and circulation problems. Smoking adds to the risk of developing all of these things. In some cases, smoking can double the likelihood of these conditions, as well as doubling the chances of suffering from kidney problems and erectile dysfunction. For type 2 diabetics, the major cause of death is cardiovascular disease. How does smoking increase my heart disease risk as a diabetic? Smoking and diabetes both increase the risk of heart disease in very similar ways, and so when combined, they greatly exacerbate the chances of suffering a heart related condition such as a heart attack or stroke. Both high levels of glucose in the blood and smoking damage the walls of the arteries in such a way that fatty deposits can build up much easier. As this occurs, the blood vessels narrow and make circulating blood much harder. When this happens to the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood and therefore oxygen) a heart attack can occur. Similarly, a stroke is when not enough blood can get to the brain, and so anything that may limit blood flow increases the risks of a stroke. High blood glucose levels also have this effect on the blood vessels and blood flow, so if you smoke when you have diabetes, you are putting yourself at a much greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. I am not diabetic, but I am a smoker. Could smoking lead me to develop diabetes? Smoking is als Continue reading >>
Diabetes (type 1 And Type 2) In Children And Young People: Diagnosis And Management
Diabetes (type 1 and type 2) in children and young people: diagnosis and management The following guidance is based on the best available evidence. The full guideline gives details of the methods and the evidence used to develop the guidance. The wording used in the recommendations in this guideline (for example, words such as 'offer' and 'consider') denotes the certainty with which the recommendation is made (the strength of the recommendation). See update information for details. This guideline refers frequently to circulating glucose concentrations as 'blood glucose'. A lot of the evidence linking specific circulating glucose concentrations with particular outcomes uses 'plasma' rather than 'blood' glucose. In addition, patientheld glucose meters and monitoring systems are all calibrated to plasma glucose equivalents. However, the term 'blood glucose monitoring' is in very common use, so in this guideline we use the term 'blood glucose', except when referring to specific concentration values. 1.1.1 Be aware that the characteristics of type1diabetes in children and young people include: hyperglycaemia (random plasma glucose more than 11mmol/litre) excessive tiredness. [2004, amended 2015] 1.1.2 Refer children and young people with suspected type1diabetes immediately (on the same day) to a multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes team with the competencies needed to confirm diagnosis and to provide immediate care. [2004, amended 2015] 1.1.3 Confirm type1diabetes in children and young people using the plasma glucose criteria specified in the World Health Organization's 2006 report on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus . [2004, amended 2015] 1.1.4 When diagnosing diabetes in a child or young person, assume type1diabetes unless there are strong indication Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes In Children
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: What is type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is a disease that affects how your child's body makes insulin and uses glucose (sugar). Normally, when the blood sugar level increases, the pancreas makes more insulin. Insulin helps move sugar out of the blood so it can be used for energy. Type 1 diabetes develops because the immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that make insulin. The pancreas cannot make enough insulin, so the blood sugar level continues to rise. A family history of type 1 diabetes may increase your child's risk for diabetes. What are the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes? More thirst than usual Frequent urination or unexplained bedwetting Feeling hungry most of the time Weight loss without trying How is type 1 diabetes diagnosed? An A1c test shows the average amount of sugar in your child's blood over the past 2 to 3 months. Your child's healthcare provider will tell you the level that is right for your child. The goal is usually below 7.5%. Your provider can help you make changes if your child's A1c is too high. A fasting plasma glucose test is when your child's blood sugar level is tested after he or she has fasted for 8 hours. Fasted means he or she has not eaten anything or had anything to drink except water. A 2-hour plasma glucose test starts with a blood sugar level check after your child has not eaten for 8 hours. Your child is then given a glucose drink. Your child's blood sugar level is checked after 2 hours. A random glucose test may be done any time of day, no matter how long it has been since your child ate. An antibody test may show that your child's immune system is attacking his or her pancreas. How is type 1 diabetes treated? Type 1 diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. The goal is to keep your Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Smoking
Smoking is bad for everyone, and it's especially risky if you have diabetes. The nicotine in cigarettes makes your blood vessels harden and narrow, curbing blood flow around your body. And since diabetes makes you more likely to get heart disease, you definitely don't want the extra risk that comes from smoking. No matter how much or how long you have smoked, quitting helps your health. You'll feel better, look better (since smoking gives you wrinkles before you're old), and you'll save money, too. If you have diabetes, here are some tips to help you quit, based on guidelines from the American Cancer Society. 1. Set a quit date. You don't have to quit immediately. If you know it's more realistic for you to kick the habit after a big event or deadline, make that your quit date. 2. Tell your doctor the date. You'll have built-in support. 3. Make smoking inconvenient. Don't have anything you need to smoke on hand, like ash trays, lighters, or matches. 4. Breathe deeply when you crave a cigarette. Hold your breath for 10 seconds, and then exhale slowly. 5. Spend time in places where you can't smoke because it's banned, such as a library, theater, or museum. 6. Hang out with friends who are also working on kicking the habit. Go to places that don't allow smoking. 7. Reach for low-calorie, good-for-you foods instead of smoking. Choose fresh fruit and crisp, crunchy vegetables. 8. Exercise to ease your stress instead of lighting up. 9. Go decaf. Pass up coffee, soft drinks that have caffeine, and alcohol, as they all can increase the urge to smoke. 10. Keep your hands too busy for cigarettes. Draw, text, type, or knit, for examples. 11. Hack your habits. If you always had a cigarette on your work break, take a walk, talk to a friend, or do something else instead. 12. Wrap a ci Continue reading >>
Diabetes Type 1 Patient Smoking Marijuana
nonah31750 over a year ago Hi, diabetes type one is very serious condition. I can understand your friend is under a lot of stress because of her situation. However, marijuana is definitely not the answer. She may think that this substance is helping her, but I believe she is wrong. Marijuana is an illegal substance so therefore there are not any valid studies that show it can help with lowering blood glucose level. You have every right to worry about her condition. I think you should try talking to her about her habit and the effects of marijuana smoking. This is a drug that alters person's state of mind. Under the influence of marijuana your friend can even endanger her health, because she might forget to take her insulin injection on time. If she refuses to listen to you, you shouldn't hesitate to talk to her parents. Believe me, it is for her own good. Guest over a year ago Actually it is not true that marijuana does not help. It does not alter one's state of mind, nor is it habitual. You need to look at research being done. I don't have the facts on hand, but I would definitely look into otehr points of view before I went and told my 19 year old friends parents that she is smoking weed. The knee-jerk reactions to say that marijuana is bad and lump it in with hard dcrugs like heroin, etc. is really disengenuous at best. Go to your university and do some research, especially from countries where it has been researched quite a bit, like the Netherlands. BTW I have type II diabetes and I find it helps relieve the pressure off my eyes to smoke medical marijuana. Guest over a year ago I am diabetic and have neurothapy. My doctor put me on nurontin which helps but the only thing that stops the pain is smoking marijuana. If you dont smoke marijuana and you think it is bad b Continue reading >>
3.16 Smoking And Diabetes
Suggested citation: Bellew, B, Greenhalgh, EM & Winstanley, MH. 3.16 Smoking and diabetes. In Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH [editors]. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria; 2015. Available from Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is an umbrella term for a number of metabolic diseases which affect the body's ability to control blood glucose levels; it is a disease marked by high blood glucose levels resulting from defective insulin production, insulin action or both. The hormone insulin is produced in the pancreas, and helps the body use glucose for energy. If insulin production or the effectiveness of an individual's insulin is impaired, then diabetes may result.1 There are three major types of diabetes: type 1 (sometimes referred to as 'insulin dependent diabetes'), type 2 (sometimes referred to as 'non-insulin dependent' or 'adult onset' diabetes); and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes most often occurs in childhood or young adulthood (though it can occur at any age), and is the result of low levels of or the inability to produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin replacement for survival.1 Based on data from the 2007–08 National Health Survey, 10% of people with diabetes reported that they had type 1, while the majority (88%) of people with diabetes reported type 2. Another 2% of people reported diabetes, but did not know which type.2 These figures correspond to an estimated 818 200 persons (4% of the population) in 2007–08 with diabetes mellitus who had been medically diagnosed (excluding those with gestational diabetes).2 As noted, type 2 is the most common form of diabetes; it occurs mostly in people aged 40 years and over and is marked by reduced or less effective insulin. Although uncommon in childhood, it is Continue reading >>
Diabetics Who Quit Smoking May Have Trouble Controlling Blood Sugar
(Reuters Health) - Although smoking increases the risk of diabetes and quitting has numerous health benefits, diabetics who quit may have temporary difficulty controlling their symptoms, a British study finds. Researchers reviewed medical records for 10,692 adult smokers with diabetes in the UK and found that smoking cessation led to an uptick in blood sugar levels that lasted three years and was not caused by weight gain. “We know that smoking increases the risk of developing diabetes so when people stop smoking we would expect things to immediately improve; however, we found that things get a little worse in terms of glycemic control before they get better,” lead author Dr. Deborah Lycett, of the faculty of health and life sciences at Coventry University in the U.K., said by email. Worldwide, nearly one in 10 adults had diabetes in 2014, and the disease will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. Most of these people have type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and aging and happens when the body can’t properly use or make enough of the hormone insulin to convert blood sugar into energy. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to nerve damage, amputations, blindness, heart disease and strokes. Lycett and colleagues examined the impact of smoking cessation on diabetes symptoms by testing hemoglobin A1c, a protein in red blood cells that gets coated with sugar over time, making it a gauge of average blood sugar levels for the past two or three months. Diabetics have A1c levels of at least 6.5 percent. The study included more men than women, and most participants were white. At the start of the observation period in 2005, participants were 62 years old on average and had been living with diabetes for about six Continue reading >>
New Risk Of Smoking Found For Type 1
You may already know that smoking increases the risk for Type 2 diabetes, and that it can increase a person’s risk of diabetes complications such as circulation problems, nerve damage, and kidney disease. A recent study, however, looked at people with Type 1 diabetes and found a link between smoking and severe hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood glucose levels). The study, published in the June issue of the journal Diabetes Care, analyzed data collected from 537 people with Type 1 diabetes who participated in the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy. The researchers divided these people into three groups: those who had never smoked (58%), those who had smoked in the past but quit successfully at least one year before the study (27%), and those who currently smoked (15%). After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, HbA1c, alcohol consumption, waist-to-hip ratio, intensive insulin treatment, and history of severe hypoglycemia, the researchers found that people who currently smoked had almost three times the risk of experiencing severe hypoglycemia than those who had never smoked. For the purposes of the study, severe hypoglycemia was defined as loss of consciousness or being hospitalized overnight because of hypoglycemia. The researchers theorized that smoking may possibly cause too much insulin to build up in the blood, leading to low blood glucose levels. In addition, smoking can increase the body’s secretion of certain hormones that work against the action of insulin, leading smokers to need to inject more insulin, thereby increasing their risk of hypoglycemia. For an online guide and support system for quitting smoking, please visit www.smokefree.gov. Continue reading >>
Smoking & Diabetes
Smoking is bad for everyone. It increases your risk for lung cancer, heart attack and stroke. Each day, 100 Canadians die of a smoking-related illness.1 People with diabetes face an even greater risk from smoking: just like high blood glucose (sugar) levels, the poisonous chemicals in cigarette smoke attack blood vessels. This contributes to hardening of the arteries (or what is known as atherosclerosis) which impairs the blood’s ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Together, the deadly combination of high blood glucose (sugar) and smoking dramatically increases damage to the blood vessels that feed the heart, brain, eyes, kidneys and peripheral nerves, speeding up the long-term complications of diabetes. How can I quit? The first critical step is to make the decision to quit. It may help to set a firm, short-term quit date. In the meantime, get as much information as you can from your doctor or pharmacist about options to help you quit, including medications that can increase your chances of success. Similar to the day-to-day process of managing your diabetes through diet, exercise and regular blood glucose (sugar) testing, managing to quit smoking is something that is best approached by incorporating it into your daily routine. Why is it so hard to quit? Simply put, nicotine is among the most addictive drugs. Smoking is not a habit or a lifestyle choice. It’s an addiction that over time, changes brain chemistry. Nicotine has its effect by attaching to certain receptors in the brain, and when you become a smoker these receptors increase in number. If not regularly stimulated with nicotine, the increased receptors begin to make a person feel very unpleasant, a phenomenon known as withdrawal. Both withdrawal and the craving it causes are tied to changes in br Continue reading >>
Can Smoking Cause Diabetes?
Diabetes is caused by a combination of genes and triggers. If your DNA, the genetic blue print that makes you...well, YOU...carries the foundation for diabetes, then the right combination of age and weight sets the process in motion. So you cannot give yourself diabetes simply by eating too much sugar, by smoking, or by kissing a diabetic. But, before you go away, now that you have diabetes, smoking is an even worse idea than it was before you had diabetes. And what I’m worried about is your heart. Most diabetics actually die from heart disease. Diabetes is a huge risk factor for heart disease. Others include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and yep—you guessed it—smoking! Now smoking is not good for anyone, regardless of the rest of their health. It can quite literally kill you overtime. The great news is that once you stop smoking your body begins to repair the damage in a matter of days. Of course, it takes years to repair all the damage but consider the following: 20 minutes after your last cigarette your blood pressure drops to normal, your pulse rate falls to normal levels, and your body temperature in your hands and feet rises to normal. 8 hours after your last cigarette the carbon dioxide level in your blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in your blood returns to normal levels. 24 hours after your last cigarette your chance of a heart attack drops measurably. 48 hours after your last cigarette nerve endings start to re-grow, increasing your ability to smell and taste. 72 hours after your last cigarette your body is free of nicotine, your bronchial tubes relax and your lung capacity increases. 2 weeks after your last cigarette your circulation improves, walking becomes easier again. 3 months after your last cigarette your lung function has incre Continue reading >>
Diabetes And High Blood Pressure
If you have diabetes you should aim to keep your blood pressure well controlled. Having high blood pressure (hypertension) is one of several risk factors that can increase your chance of developing heart disease, a stroke and some other complications. Treatment includes a change in lifestyle risk factors where these can be improved. Many people with diabetes need to take medication to lower their blood pressure. How common is high blood pressure in people with diabetes? In the UK, about half of all people aged over 65, and about 1 in 4 of all middle-aged adults, have high blood pressure (hypertension). It is less common in younger adults. High blood pressure is more common in people with diabetes. Around 3 in 10 people with type 1 diabetes and around 8 in 10 people with type 2 diabetes develop high blood pressure at some stage. People with diabetes are more at risk of developing high blood pressure if they: Are of African-Caribbean origin. Are from the Indian sub-continent. Have a family history of high blood pressure. Have certain lifestyle factors - for example, those who: Are overweight. Eat a lot of salt. Do not eat much fruit and vegetables. Do not take much exercise. Drink a lot of alcohol. What is high blood pressure? This is not as simple to answer as it may seem. In general, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk to health. Depending on various factors, the level at which blood pressure is said to be high (hypertension) can vary from person to person. The cut-off point for blood pressure that is said to be high is 140/80 mm Hg or above for people with diabetes and 130/80 mm Hg for those with diabetes and complications (for example, kidney disease). These are lower than the cut-off point for people who do not have diabetes. Note: high blood pressure Continue reading >>
Fact Sheets On Smoking: Death And Disease
Australian and Victorian figures for deaths from smoking, and information about diseases related to smoking. Tobacco smoking is one of the largest causes of preventable illness and death in Australia. Research estimates that two in three lifetime smokers will die from a disease caused by their smoking. The most recent estimate of deaths caused by tobacco in Australia is for the financial year 200405. Tobacco use caused a total of 14,901 deaths in that year. The most recent estimate of deaths caused by tobacco in Victoria is for the financial year 200809. In that year, 3,793 people died from diseases caused by smoking. This figure includes the deaths of 8 children and 27 adults from secondhand smoke. Disease and health problems caused by smoking Cancers of the lung, throat, mouth, tongue, nose, nasal sinus, voice box, oesophagus, pancreas, stomach, liver, kidney, bladder, ureter, bowel, ovary, cervix, and bone marrow (myeloid leukaemia). Smoking-related cancers accounted for about 13% of all cancer cases in 2010. Heart disease . Around 30% of all cases of heart disease in those under 65 years are due to smoking. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes emphysema and small airways disease. Emphysema is rare in non-smokers. Chronic bronchitis is a recurring cough together with frequent and increased phlegm. It occurs in about half of all heavy smokers. Stroke. Smokers under 65 years are around three times more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers of the same age. Peripheral vascular disease is a narrowing of the leg arteries that can lead to blockage and, in some cases, amputation. Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for this disease. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the bursting of the lower part of the aorta leading from the heart. It often lead Continue reading >>
Have Type 1 Diabetes? Don’t Smoke.
A new study finds it’s bad for you. But you knew that already, didn’t you? According to a new study, smoking may influence metabolic control and increase the risk of vascular complications in people with Type 1 diabetes. It also ups your A1C score. These risks come in addition to the health hazards of cancer and emphysema. (We’d like to add the word “duh” to these findings, because, you know, smoking is bad for you.) The study, published in Diabetes Care, compared the health of smokers and nonsmokers with Type 1 diabetes. Researchers found that smokers had higher A1C levels – 8.5 versus 7.9 in the non-smoking population. Smokers also had a worse lipid profile, and higher triglyceride and LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels than non-smokers. The study used data from the T1D Exchange Registry in the United States and the Prospective Diabetes Follow-Up Registry in Germany and Austria. Researchers tracked 20,405 patients with Type 1 diabetes aged 18 and older who had been diagnosed for at least one year. Smokers were defined as having at least one cigarette per day. sponsor The study also revealed a large cultural difference in attitude towards smoking. Ten percent of the patients connected with the T1D Exchange in the U.S. were smokers, while a whopping 24.3 percent of those connected with the DPV centers in Europe identified as smokers. Such findings suggest that health care providers who care for the Type 1 community in Europe may want to up their efforts to help patients quit. The takeaway? Smoking is still bad for you, and it doesn’t get any less bad for you if you’re already dealing with a chronic condition. So if you smoke, quitting is good. If you want to quit smoking (and we really want you to quit), here are a few links to help get you started: Than Continue reading >>
The Effects Of Nicotine On Blood Glucose Levels
Nicotine is a plant compound that contains both stimulant and relaxation properties when ingested. Common recreational uses of nicotine include cigarette and cigar smoking and the use of chewing tobacco. Regardless of the source, nicotine is linked to an increase in blood glucose levels, as nicotine impairs insulin action and prompts the body to make extra glucose. Because of these effects, nicotine use has an impact on blood glucose control, making it problematic for individuals with diabetes. Video of the Day Nicotine Increases Glucose Production Nicotine causes an increase in the body's production of catecholamines, which include hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones are produced when the body is under emotional and physical stress. They affect the body in several ways -- increasing heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and blood glucose levels, while also causing the breakdown of fat and the increase of blood fat levels. Catecholamine production can also decrease appetite and increase the amount of calories burned -- which may help explain why weight gain is common when people stop smoking. Nicotine Affects Insulin Action Smokers who have diabetes are more likely than their non-smoking counterparts to have impaired insulin action, also known as insulin resistance. Nicotine use is linked to an increase in abdominal fat, which is another way it can interfere with the effectiveness of insulin. Insulin is the hormone that removes excess glucose from the blood, so impaired insulin action is a major cause of high blood glucose levels. Insulin resistance causes the body to make more insulin to keep blood glucose controlled, and if the body cannot keep up with this increased demand for insulin, blood glucose levels increase. This can lead to p Continue reading >>
