Baptist Camp Helps Kids Fight Diabetes

Baptist camp helps kids fight diabetes

Camp Day2Day is a free camp for youth diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes sponsored by Baptist Memorial Health Care and the American Diabetes Association. Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal
Like any kid at summer camp, Russell Johnson enjoys the usual offerings of swimming, badminton and touch football, but what will stick with the 12-year-old most from the event he's attending this week is a lesson about how to shop at the supermarket.
"Don't get junk," says the Germantown Middle School student.
Russell was among 32 kids registered for Camp Day2Day, an event for youngsters diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, along with those considered at-risk for the disease because of family history and other factors. It's put on free of charge at The Kroc Center Memphis by Baptist Memorial Health Care and the American Diabetes Association.
The camp's attendance is up 45 percent from the 22 on hand last year, a reflection, perhaps, of the growing awareness of the perils of diabetes and its grip on the Memphis area.
The city lies within a "diabetes belt" -- a region covering 644 counties in 15 states -- identified by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's an area where at least 11 percent of the adult population has been diagnosed with diabetes, an incurable disease characterized by an excess of glucose in the blood, which can lead to nerve damage, blindness, kidney disease, heart trouble and death.
In Shelby County, more than 82,000 residents had been diagnosed with diabetes in 2013, the most recent year for which figures are available, and some 250 people die f Continue reading

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DNA methylation links genetics, fetal environment, and an unhealthy lifestyle to the development of type 2 diabetes

DNA methylation links genetics, fetal environment, and an unhealthy lifestyle to the development of type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a complex trait with both environmental and hereditary factors contributing to the overall pathogenesis. One link between genes, environment, and disease is epigenetics influencing gene transcription and, consequently, organ function. Genome-wide studies have shown altered DNA methylation in tissues important for glucose homeostasis including pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue from subjects with type 2 diabetes compared with nondiabetic controls. Factors predisposing for type 2 diabetes including an adverse intrauterine environment, increasing age, overweight, physical inactivity, a family history of the disease, and an unhealthy diet have all shown to affect the DNA methylation pattern in target tissues for insulin resistance in humans. Epigenetics including DNA methylation may therefore improve our understanding of the type 2 diabetes pathogenesis, contribute to development of novel treatments, and be a useful tool to identify individuals at risk for developing the disease.
EpigeneticsDNA methylationType 2 diabetesInsulin resistanceAgingObesityIntrauterine environmentGenetics
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic metabolic diseases in developed countries [ 1 ]. This form of diabetes is a consequence of the target tissues becoming resistant to the effects of insulin and the failure of pancreatic -cells to produce enough insulin. It is shown that type 2 diabetes develops with age, physical inactivity, and o Continue reading

Ramadan Fasting and Type 2 Diabetes

Home / Conditions / Type 2 Diabetes / Ramadan Fasting and Type 2 Diabetes
Fasting found to lead to deterioration of glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and takes place once a year. Muslims all over the world observe this month as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad. Fasting requires abstinence from any food, drink, and smoking from sunrise to sunset. Although patients with type 2 diabetes are exempt from fasting during Ramadan, most individuals still fast. People with type 2 diabetes who do fast increase their risk of developing hypo- and hyperglycemic episodes. This raises concerns as to whether fasting during Ramadan is safe for individuals with diabetes. This article observes studies determining whether fasting during Ramadan affects glycemic control in people with type 2.
During the holy month of Ramadan, individuals consume traditional foods that are high in carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Past studies have shown that foods consumed during Ramadan pose a risk of hyperglycemia among people with diabetes. Moreover, reports of low energy levels during Ramadan were observed among those fasting who have diabetes. In addition, repetitive dietary and sleep changes during Ramadan may induce changes in hormones, which regulate energy metabolism. In healthy adults, intermittent fasting caused an increase in insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Furthermore, studies have suggested that although Ramadan fasting does not affect glycemic control in people with di Continue reading

Eggs & Diabetes: Are Eggs Good For Diabetics? Know the Facts!

Eggs & Diabetes: Can Diabetics Eat Eggs? Know the Facts
Eggs & Diabetes: Can Diabetics Eat Eggs? Know the Facts
In Diabetes, one has to be really particular with the type of lifestyle one has, including the food habits and the amount of physical exercise .It is often very important to take extreme care of your body when you are suffering from diabetes as the disease brings in a lot of other related complications. As such, there are numerous questions on the inclusion of certain foods in the diet. One such food is an egg. Eggs are, without a doubt, a great source of protein , vitamins , and several other nutrients which can be considered really healthy. However, the doubt and the concern arises due to the eggs being very rich in cholesterol
In this article, we try to find out the answer to the question: Should Eggs be Included in the diet of a person suffering from diabetes? We shall delve deep and analyze whether it is safe to consume eggs for a diabetes patient.
How to Include Eggs in Your Daily Diet in Order to Stay Healthy?
Before we delve deep and try to analyze whether the consumption of eggs is healthy for a person suffering from diabetes, we need to understand a few facts related to eggs. Following are a few facts which might help us to understand the relation between diabetes and eggs:
Eggs contain a very high level of cholesterol . It is because of this reason that most of the studies suggest that eggs should not be consumed if a person is suffering from diabetes. This can lead to higher risks of contracting several heart- related issues.
Besides, the egg Continue reading

Common Health Risks and Associated Symptoms of Diabetes

Common Health Risks and Associated Symptoms of Diabetes
Sponsored Content by EKF Diagnostics Aug 2 2017
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects blood glucose control, and has become a growing problem across the world. From 1980 to 2014, the prevalence of diabetes grew from 4.7% to 8.5% worldwide, with the number of individuals affected by this disease increasing from 108 million to 422 million, respectively.1
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It is estimated that the number of people worldwide with diabetes will increase to 642 million by 2040, according to the IDF diabetes atlas, indicating a serious healthcare crisis for both providers and patients in the future.2
In line with this, healthcare costs are also projected to greatly expand, in the same way that it has in recent years. In just a period of 5 years, from 2007 to 2012, the overall healthcare spending associated with diabetes increased by 41%, from $174 billion to $245 billion.3
Diabetes prevalence is mostly seen in developing countries, reflecting a high proportion of the economic burden of this disease. Particularly in Asian countries, there is a high prevalence of diabetes cases and these are likely to grow further.4
In fact, Asian countries have the highest prevalence rates, representing 60% of the global population of people with diabetes, largely due to factors associated with rapid development. The three most common factors related to this increase are industrialization, socio-economic growth and urbanization. 4
In India, diabetes cases are increasing in epidemic proportions, Continue reading