Ask.Screen.Know: A Chat With Rev Run And Justine Simmons About Diabetes And How Black Families Can Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

Ask.Screen.Know: A Chat With Rev Run And Justine Simmons About Diabetes And How Black Families Can Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle
We spend a virtual visit at Run's House and learn how his family are staying healthy!
Diabetes has always been a scary word for me. Growing up, the phrase diabetes runs in our family was drilled into my head over and over again, whilst watching my aunt inject herself with insulin on a strict scheduled basis.
As I got olderand being a stan for carbs and sweetsI always tried my best to keep an eye on it, knowing fully well just how more difficult my life would become, should I inherit this medical condition.
Thats why I was thrilled to chat with Rev Run and Justine Simmons, who are partnering up with Novo Nordisk for the Ask.Screen.Know campaign, on a mission to raise awareness about the risks of Type 2 diabetes and the importance of early screening. According to the American Diabetes Association , more than 30 million Americans are living with diabetes and one in four dont know it. African Americans are almost twice as likely to develop diabetes as Caucasian Americans.
In addition to discussing how to reduce the risk, we talked about ways to manage once you are diagnosed. Because Rev Run and Justine are all about family, we got to get a virtual peek into Runs House and how their family is about that healthy lifestyle.
Blavity: Were very excited to talk to you about the Ask.Screen.Know campaign because its a very important topic. What is your personal connection with diabetes?
Rev Run: My dad had diabetes and my wife, Justines dad, had dia Continue reading

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Diabetes Week: Know Type1 and Save Lives

My first blog post in a while… I’m so sorry, life has been absolutely bonkers and totally different to how I thought this year would play out! A large chunk of my life has been taken up by work after I was promoted in January from a part time Marketing Assistant to a full time position. I also finally managed to pass my driving test late March and I bought my first ever car, it’s PINK! Well kind of, it changes colour depending on the light, it might be pink today but tomorrow it could be more purple or red! So every spare minute I get away from work has been spent adventuring with Cici, cruising in our car. Wanderlust is my new favourite word!
I’m also busy packing, because my biggest wish for this year has come true… Cici and I are finally moving house! It’s currently being renovated by our new landlord, so we have some time to wait until we can move in yet, but we have a potential moving in date of August 1st. Hopefully we’ll get some warm weather by then and we can make the most of our gorgeous new garden before the colder months kick in.
Anyway, enough about that, let’s talk about the now! I attended my first ever Diabetes UK Type 1 event this week at The Senedd in Cardiff, (when I finally got there, late as usual… bloody sat nav!) and I had a fab time! I got to finally put some real life faces to names of fellow Type 1 Diabetics I’ve met through my blog. Arriving late, I expected that I’d have to walk into a packed out room, all flustered and red faced with embarrassment as everyone stared disapprovingly at me. Instead, I arrived to find David & R Continue reading

Diabetes Tied to Greater Death Risk in China

Diabetes was linked to a rise in all-cause and cause-specific mortality among a Chinese population, researchers stated.
The nationwide study of people in rural and urban areas of China reported a significant association between diabetes and all-cause mortality compared to those without diabetes (1,373 versus 646 deaths/100,000 adjusted rate ratio 2.00, 95% CI 1.93-2.08), which resulted in an average of 9-year shorter lifespan, according to Fiona Bragg, DPhil, of the University of Oxford in England, and colleagues.
Although prevalence rates of diabetes were higher among urban areas of China, mortality rates were higher in rural areas (rural RR 2.17, 95% CI 2.07-2.29), they wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The authors also found a link between an increased risk for several cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular cause-specific mortalities associated with diabetes.
China, which has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world with an estimated 110 million individuals affected, has experienced a rapid increase in diabetes prevalence over the past few decades, explained Bragg in an interview with MedPage Today.
"Because the increase in diabetes prevalence in China is recent, the full effect on mortality is unknown. Most previous studies looking at the impact of diabetes on mortality have been in high-income countries where diabetes is generally relatively well managed. It is not clear that the findings of these studies can be applied to China, where there are important differences in diabetes and its management compared with the West," she stated.
Usi Continue reading

Intermittent Fasting Reduces Your Diabetes and Heart Disease Risk, Studies Say

Intermittent Fasting Reduces Your Diabetes and Heart Disease Risk, Studies Say
Did you know that aside from helping you lose weight and supporting your fitness goals, intermittent fasting can also reduce your risk of chronic diseases, particularly heart disease and diabetes?
According to a 2013 review published in the British Journal of Diabetes and Vascular Disease, obese or overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes who fast on consecutive or alternate days not only lost more weight, but also acquired cardioprotective benefits and experienced better heart health.
I believe that this clearly supports the notion that going against the customary "three square meals" a day in favor of intermittent fasting may have superb benefits for your overall health.
Research Confirms How Intermittent Fasting May Be the Key to Fighting Obesity and Diabetes
The report, which evaluated the various approaches to intermittent fasting, particularly its benefits and limitations in fighting type 2 diabetes and obesity, found that fasting had a broad range of therapeutic potential. These effects were seen even though the total calorie intake of the subjects did not change or was only slightly reduced.
The review suggests that intermittent fasting may also play a role in:
Reducing LDL and total cholesterol levels
Helping modulate levels of visceral fat, the dangerous fat that gathers around your internal organs
Intermittent Fasting Is Not a Diet It's a Lifestyle
While most people would think that intermittent fasting is a fairly new approach to healthy living, this type of lifestyle Continue reading

New Diabetes Technology: Fact and Fantasy

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New Diabetes Technology: Fact and Fantasy
Guest Post by David Kliff, Diabetic Investor
Diabetes technology is evolving in a very exciting way, said Jeff Dachis, CEO and Founder of One Drop. But not surprisingly for the vast majority of people with diabetes worldwide, expensive sensors, automated insulin delivery solutions, or call center approaches to care can create barriers and challenges to effective disease management. This statement came from a MannKind press release announcing a new clinical trial.
Appropriate people with type 2 diabetes who meet inclusion criteria will be randomized to one of two treatment arms: Afrezza with One Drop | Premium or One Drop | Premium alone. Changes in hemoglobin A1C, quality of life, self-care, treatment satisfaction, and other metrics will be assessed.
Now before we get into whats really going on here I have a few quick thoughts about this trial. First, it is refreshing to see One Drop participate in a real randomized controlled clinical trial, as they have tended to use self-reported data to prove their system works. Two, I suspect that when this trial is over both groups will show various levels of improvements in HbA1c. As I keep saying Afrezza does work; this has never been in dispute. The problems with Afrezza have nothing to do with whether it works. Third, the results of this trial will do nothing to change the fortunes of MannKind or One Drop.
What I found interesting was Mr. Dachis choice of words, as he has drawn a line in the sand. Expensive Continue reading