Could A Diabetes Drug Help Beat Alzheimer's Disease?

Could a Diabetes Drug Help Beat Alzheimer's Disease?

Most of the 20 million people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. take metformin to help control their blood glucose. The drug is ultrasafe: millions of diabetics have taken it for decades with few side effects beyond gastrointestinal discomfort. And it is ultracheap: a month's supply costs $4 at Walmart. And now new studies hint that metformin might help protect the brain from developing diseases of aging, even in nondiabetics.
Diabetes is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, but using metformin is associated with a dramatic reduction in their incidence. In the most comprehensive study yet of metformin's cognitive effects, Qian Shi and her colleagues at Tulane University followed 6,000 diabetic veterans and showed that the longer a patient used metformin, the lower the individual's chances of developing Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other types of dementia and cognitive impairment. In line with some of the previous, smaller studies of long-term metformin use, patients in the new study who used the drug longer than four years had one quarter the rate of disease as compared with patients who used only insulin or insulin plus other antidiabetic drugs—bringing diabetics' risk level to that of the general population. The findings were presented in June at the American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions meeting.
Even in the absence of diabetes, Alzheimer's patients often have decreased insulin sensitivity in the brain, says Suzanne Craft, a neuroscientist who studies insulin resistance in neurodegenerative disease at the Wake Forest Scho Continue reading

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Uninsured with diabetes in the USA

The USA is in the midst of some very scary changes in healthcare. As a type 1 uninsured diabetic for the past six years, I have miraculously been able to survive. I have not had an A1C test in those six years, I cannot afford to test my blood sugar every day, and I have gotten off the insulin pump that I depended on for 20 years. I have had times of desperation where I have used expired insulin, skipped some meals and diluted my insulin with water until I could afford to buy my next vial, but I am alive. I would like to suggest a few things to those who are possibly facing a future with no insurance.
Hoard as many supplies as you can. Ask your doctor to give as many refills or samples as they can, because when you lose your insurance those supplies are no longer covered. My insulin at one point cost me $800 a month. I bought it until I could no longer afford it. Because I was no longer insured and unable to afford to go for doctor visits, my prescription eventually expired. When this happens, you are left with going to an emergency room or, like me, you have to go back to basics with no pump and old, cheaper insulin that I found barely works for me.
Do not expect a pharmacist to help you. Some might, but I was told that I had no business buying insulin if I did not know how to use it correctly. I suggest coming up with a game plan. Ask your doctor for an emergency sliding scale to figure out what happens when you cannot get the insulin you need. Ask about any equivalents of what you use now and learn about the prices of them. If you are not already in a patient assistance p Continue reading

Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-analysis

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RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Search Strategy and Selection Criteria
We searched the PubMed and Embase databases for prospective cohort studies or nested case-control studies that evaluated the association between coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes between January 1966 and February 2013. The computer-based searches included the key words coffee and diabetes. No Medical Subject Headings terms were used because of the clear definitions of coffee and diabetes. Reference lists of retrieved articles were manually scanned for all relevant additional studies and review articles. We restricted the search to studies on humans and written in English.
Studies included in this meta-analysis met the following criteria: 1) the study design was prospective cohort or nested case-control; 2) the articles were published in English; 3) the exposure was categorized coffee consumption, including total coffee, caffeinated coffee, or decaffeinated coffee; and 4) the outcome was risk of type 2 diabetes. Studies were excluded if they were cross-sectional in design and if information on dose-response modeling was inadequate, including the number of participants and cases, relative risk (RR) and SE for the estimate, and dose of coffee consumption in each exposure category.
Data Extraction and Quality Assessment
One author (M.D.) assessed study eligibility and extracted the data, and another (M.C.) independently double-checked the available data. The following data were extracted from each study: first author’s name, year of publication, geographical location, follow-up time, sex, a Continue reading

This Exotic Fruit Kills Cancer Cells and Treats Diabetes!

Nature holds the key to cure many ailments. We see remedies from around the world curing illnesses and saving lives – nuts, berries and even fruit juices have amazing effects on the human body. This is a refreshing change from what has become traditional medicines and reducing patients to chemotherapy and radiation for treatment.
One of the latest natural discoveries in health is the discovery of Bitter Melon as a weapon against diabetes and cancer. This fruit grown in the Caribbean, Africa and Asia has outstanding healing properties. Recently, it was found that Bitter Melon juice can actually kill cancer cells in-vitro—pancreatic cancer. Studies – IHC analysis of Mia PaCa-2 xenografts – were conducted, using laboratory mice, and showed that the effects were promising indeed.
How it works
The way Bitter Melon works is interesting. This fruit actually inhibits proliferation, starts cell apoptosis and activates AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase). This shows that BMJ (Bitter Melon Juice) works both in vivo and vitro. Where pancreatic cancer is concerned, this remedy proves very effective.
The most devastating Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is devastating because of its lack of symptoms. This type of cancer is often found in its later stages and proves difficult to treat. Even with radiation and chemotherapy, pancreatic cancer proves to be resilient for the most part.
Diabetes, Pancreatic Cancer and Bitter Melon
Cancer can be much worse when paired with other ailments. For example, cancer is devastating all on its own, but with diabetes, it can be a quick Continue reading

How Diabetes Impacts Your Mental Health

WRITTEN BY: Mark Heyman, PhD, CDE
How Diabetes Impacts Your Mental Health is part of our Mental Health series. Type 1 isn’t just about counting carbs, checking BGLs and administering insulin. The disease takes an emotional and psychological toll as well. Check out other clinical information and personal stories about Mental Health.
When I tell people I am a psychologist who specializes in diabetes, they usually look confused. Most people think of diabetes as a physical condition and have never really thought about the mental aspects with living with the condition. Even some people with diabetes are surprised that there are organizations like CDMH that focus on diabetes and mental health. They know that living with diabetes is hard for them, but often they are surprised to hear that their concerns are actually (and unfortunately) quite common. What is it about diabetes that is so hard?
I tend to think about diabetes and mental health issues very broadly. While some people with diabetes have a mental health condition (that may or may not be related to having diabetes), there are many others who struggle with issues that are very real, but which may not meet the (sometimes arbitrary) criteria for a mental health diagnosis.
Psychology is the study of how situations, emotions and relationships in our lives interact and impact our behavior. I think that this definition provides us with a framework we can use to talk about how diabetes impacts mental health.
Situation
Diabetes is a self-managed condition. This means that it is the person with diabetes, not their doctor, who is r Continue reading