Artificial Pancreas For Type 1 Diabetes Could Reach Patients By 2018

Artificial pancreas for type 1 diabetes could reach patients by 2018

A new report brings welcome news to patients with type 1 diabetes: an artificial pancreas that continuously monitors blood glucose levels and delivers insulin to the body as and when needed could be available in the next 2 years.
Type 1 diabetes is estimated to affect around 1.25 million children and adults in the United States.
The condition arises when the beta cells of the pancreas stop producing insulin - the hormone that is responsible for removing glucose from the blood and transporting it to cells, where it is used for energy. Without insulin, blood glucose levels become too high.
In order to control blood glucose levels, patients with type 1 diabetes require daily doses of insulin, either through injections or an insulin pump.
Injections remain the most common form of insulin administration; two daily injections are normally recommended for patients who have just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, normally increasing to three or four over time.
Insulin pumps are a more advanced form of insulin delivery. They are devices that deliver a continuous dose of insulin 24 hours a day via a catheter that is inserted under the skin.
The problems with current insulin therapies
However, while mostly effective for blood glucose control in type 1 diabetes, current insulin delivery methods do not account for variability of insulin needs among patients with type 1 diabetes.
The amount of insulin a patient needs can vary from day to day, depending on their diet, physical activity levels, and - for women - changes in insulin sensitivity during menstruation.
According to report auth Continue reading

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Diet rich in plant protein may prevent type 2 diabetes

Eating a diet with a higher amount of plant protein may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to researchers from the University of Eastern Finland. While plant protein may provide a protective role, meat protein was shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
More than 29 million people in the Unites States are affected by diabetes, with type 2 diabetes accounting for between 90 and 95 percent of all cases. An essential part of managing diabetes is partaking in regular physical activity, taking medications to lower blood glucose levels, and following a healthful eating plan.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, healthy eating consists of consuming a variety of products from all food groups, with nonstarchy vegetables taking up half of the plate, grains or another starch on one fourth of the plate, and meat or other protein comprising the final fourth.
It is recommended that fatty or processed meat should be avoided and that lean meat, such as skinless chicken, should be opted for as an alternative.
Meat consumption has frequently been explored as a variable associated with diabetes, and previous research has found a link between a high overall intake of protein and animal protein, and a greater risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating plenty of processed red meat, in particular, has been connected with the condition.
The new research - published in the British Journal of Nutrition - adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that the source of dietary protein may be important in altering the risk of developing Continue reading

NEW METHODS IN TREATMENT OF DIABETES

Innovations and technological advances in treatment methods, as well as developments that are gradually leading to production of an artificial pancreas and modern glucose meters that operate just like smartphones, are aimed to increase the life quality of diabetics.
Diabetes, which has an adverse effect on life quality and lifespan by progressing silently when not diagnosed, is a disease of which the rate of incidence has been on the rise lately. What is more is that many diabetics are not even aware that they have the disease! In fact, most of them are content to describe themselves as “having a sweet tooth”. Being aware of the presence of diabetes and performing the necessary lifestyle changes is essential in preventing the damage this disease may cause. In this article, we share with you the information we received from Doctor Yaser Süleymanoğlu, an internal diseases specialist in the Diabetes Clinic of Acıbadem Bağdat Street Outpatient Clinic, on diabetes, treatment methods and patient-friendly technological products for diabetics.
What is the significance of diabetes in relation to human health?
Diabetes is a disease that needs to be analyzed extensively. The disease, which can be briefly described as blood sugar imbalance, glucose level is higher than normal. This condition leads to short or long term damage in organs. The rate of incidence for diabetes has been increasing in recent years. This disease, which is usually accompanied by fatness (in other words, obesity), is more common in metropolises. The burden of diabetes, as well as the health problems it ca Continue reading

Type 2 Diabetes May Be Bad for Brain Health

Excess weight appears to amplify the threat, study says
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Previous research has linked type 2 diabetes and memory loss. Now, new research may be closing in on some of the reasons why.
The study found that people with type 2 diabetes -- particularly those who are overweight or obese -- have thinner gray matter in several areas of the brain.
These brain regions are related to memory, executive function, movement generation and visual information processing, said the study's senior author, Dr. In Kyoon Lyoo. He's director of the Ewha University Brain Institute in Seoul, South Korea.
"Obesity leads to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction and is also associated with brain alterations independently," Lyoo said. "We aimed to investigate whether overweight/obesity influenced brain structure and cognitive function in individuals with early stage of type 2 diabetes."
The study included: 50 overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes; 50 normal-weight people with type 2 diabetes, and 50 normal-weight people without diabetes.
The Korean study volunteers were between 30 and 60 years old. Those with diabetes had it for five years or less, and they were attempting lifestyle modifications and/or taking oral medication to lower blood sugar levels. No one was taking insulin.
The normal-weight group with type 2 diabetes had slightly better blood sugar control -- a hemoglobin A1C level of 7 percent. The overweight folks with type 2 diabetes had hemoglobin A1C levels of 7.3 percent.
Hemoglobin A1C is a two- to Continue reading

Understanding Diabetes: Life with a Chronic Illness

You wake up, and the first thing you think about is diabetes because you have to check your blood sugar … and kind of know where to start your day.
She was sitting in her kitchen, chatting over FaceTime as if a friend had just dropped by for a visit. It was Sunday night, and Meagan Sheikh and her husband were enjoying a few quiet hours after their young son went to sleep.
A hardworking wife and mother with a love for nursing, Meagan was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 26. Over time, Meagan has learned to balance her family, work life, and fluctuating blood sugar, all while sharing her experiences with others in her blog.
Meagan is one of approximately 29.1 million Americans currently living with a form of diabetes. Just like Meagan, every person has a unique experience with this complex disease.
The World Health Organization recently published the Global Report on Diabetes to address the rising prevalence of diabetes across the globe. From 1980 until 2014, the number of people living with some form of diabetes nearly quadrupled from 108 million to 422 million. 1 in 20 people worldwide already have some form of diabetes, and those numbers are expected to climb rapidly. If current trends for Type II diabetes continue, 1 in 3 US citizens will be diagnosed in their lifetime.
What is diabetes?
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes diabetes as a “chronic, progressive disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose.” If that definition sounds broad to you, that’s because it is. Diabetes is a general term for a family of diseases that occur fo Continue reading