Clifford Whittaker Given Medal For Living With Diabetes For 80 Years

Clifford Whittaker given medal for living with diabetes for 80 years

A pensioner who has lived with diabetes for 80 years has become the first person in the UK to get a medal for the way he has coped with the condition.
Clifford Whittaker, 88, from Colchester, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was eight years old.
He was awarded the medal by the charity Diabetes UK which described him as "an inspiration".
"My diabetes has never stopped me doing anything," said Mr Whittaker, adding he had only stopped driving two years ago.
If poorly managed or left untreated, diabetes can lead to blindness or amputations.
'Long and healthy life'
Mr Whittaker said he had managed to live with the condition for so long thanks to his late wife Doreen, to whom he was married for 60 years.
The couple met while working in a sweet shop in Hertfordshire.
He said: "Doreen passed away six years ago. But she used to look after me very well and make sure I was eating properly and generally looking after myself," said Mr Whittaker.
300,000
people in the UK have Type 1 diabetes
10% of all diabeties is Type 1 - where the pancreas doesn't produce any insulin
40 Most people are diagnosed in their childhood and before they reach the age of 40
NHS England
"My diabetes has never stopped me doing anything and people have always been very kind. I worked in the wages department of a company until I retired in my 60s."
Sharon Robert, of Diabetes UK said: "He is an inspiration, and has really shown that through managing your diabetes well you can live a long and healthy life".
Mr Whittaker was given an HG Wells medal which is awarded to people who have lived with the conditi Continue reading

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Fat is GOOD for you! New research says cheese and cream to PREVENT diabetes and heart risk

Current dietary advice says foods containing high levels of saturated fats such as cream, butter, red meat, eggs and cheese should be avoided because they increase the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer.
But a study published in a leading medical journal has found the opposite is true, with a diet full of natural fats improving the health of people taking part.
Professor Sherif Sultan, a heart specialist from the University of Ireland, said: “We urgently need to overturn current dietary guidelines.
"People should not be eating high carbohydrate diets as they have been told over the past decade.
“Instead our diets should be largely based on good quality high-fat foods. This will prevent the rising epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and reverse the growing numbers of people suffering weight-related heart problems.”
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found overweight middle-aged men who ate high levels of saturated fat and low levels of carbohydrate became slimmer and healthier.
Researchers also saw reduced blood pressure and glucose levels, which are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer, in the patients.
The people in the study were given unprocessed fats from natural sources, including butter, cream and cheese, along with coconut oil. Scientists believe these are “good fats” that absorb well in the body.
They did not include manufactured fats such as margarine, highly refined oils and trans-fats used in processed foods.
Experts say refined carbohydrates turn into sugar in our bodies, caus Continue reading

Type 1 diabetes breakthrough using stem cell research raises hope for cure

Scientists believe they have made a major advance in the quest to find an effective treatment for type 1 diabetes.
Using human embryonic stem cells as a starting point, they have for the first time been able to create human insulin-producing beta cells equivalent in almost every way to normally functioning beta cells in the kind of large quantities needed for cell transplantation and pharmaceutical purposes.
Doug Melton, Xander University Professor at Harvard University, who led the work, said he hopes to have human transplantation trials using the cells under way within a few years.
The stem cell-derived beta cells are currently undergoing trials in animal models, including non-human primates.
Prof Melton, who is also co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, said a device being tested had so far protected beta cells implanted in mice from immune attack for many months.
“[While] there have been previous reports of other labs deriving beta cell types from stem cells, no other group has produced mature beta cells as suitable for use in patients,” he said.
“The biggest hurdle has been to get to glucose-sensing, insulin-secreting beta cells, and that’s what our group has done.
“We are now just one pre-clinical step away from the finish line.”
Beta cell transplantation as a treatment for diabetes is still essentially experimental. It uses cells from cadavers, requires the use of powerful immunosuppressive drugs and has been available to only a very small number of patients.
Professor Elaine Fuchs, of Rockefeller University, described the findings as “one of Continue reading

A Diabetes Drug Has Shut Down Cancer’s Primary Way of Making Energy

In a study of 39 non-diabetic cancer patients, low-dose treatment with diabetes medication metformin resulted in a significant increase in tumor cell death.
Though more studies are needed before this can become a recommended cancer treatment, the results are promising as metformin produces almost no unwanted side effects.
A Welcomed Side Effect
While the typical side effects noted along with medications include upset stomach, headache, and difficulty operating heavy machinery, one medication used to treat diabetes has shown a far more positive unintended consequence: It helps fight cancer.
Researchers have observed that diabetic patients whose diabetes was being treated with the drug metformin had better chances of recovering from head and neck cancer than non-diabetic patients. During the course of a three-year study, which was detailed in the journal The Laryngoscope, researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University examined this unintended side effect further and learned a great deal about how metformin affects the biology of cancer cells.
The researchers tested tumor cells in 39 non-diabetic cancer patients before and after they were treated with metformin in doses equal to half of what diabetic patients are usually given. While looking for molecular markers of cell death and changes in the metabolic pathways of cancer cells, which can make them more susceptible to standard therapy, the researchers noticed two things. The first was that the patients showed a significant increase in tumor cell death, or apoptosis. Secondly, cancer-supporting Continue reading

The 14 Best Foods to Control Type 2 Diabetes

We all know that maintaining a healthy diet is vital in terms of type 2 diabetes prevention and treatment. Generally, the advice given to diabetics is relevant to the general population as well: consume adequate vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry and fish, and less industrial sweets and foods high in fat and salt. It is known that patients who use professional advice and expert dieticians and nutritional supervision have a much better chance to maintain balanced levels of sugar, and avoid the complications of the disease. Diabetics should also keep meals at regular times throughout the day to avoid sharp rises in blood sugar levels.
So what are the best foods to control diabetes and add to the menu? There are 12 foods that can help balance blood sugar in your body. These are olive oil, cinnamon, green tea, pulses, green vegetables and oats. These common foods that are already in our kitchen help maintaining adequate blood sugar and prevent diabetes complications:
1. Olive oil
Oil lacks carbohydrates, and therefore does not raise blood sugar levels. In addition, it slows the absorption of foods eaten along with the oil. Olive oil is rich Omega 9 and Omega 3 which help maintain the flexibility of blood vessels, allowing good blood flow. Also oil does not increase insulin levels, thus reducing the non-insulin tolerance that exists in many people and causes an increase in blood sugar levels. Find here more information about the great health benefits of olive oil.
2. Cinnamon
Many studies show that consumption of one teaspoon cinnamon (2.5 Continue reading