Depression And Diabetes A Potentially Lethal Combination

Depression Diabetes Potentially Lethal Combination
Let’s get right to the heart of the matter. There are three things you absolutely must know and, more important, believe, about depression.
IT IS A REAL DISEASE.
Depression is not a prolonged period of moodiness, or a downbeat reaction to the world around you, or a perpetually negative disposition. It’s a formal disease. Meaning there is a physical component (out-of-balance brain chemicals, a set of common symptoms, a way to diagnose it, and a way to cure it.
DIABETES AND DEPRESSION ARE LINKED.
Having one significantly increases your likelihood of developing the other, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The link goes in both directions. People diagnosed with depression have a greater risk of getting type 2 diabetes, and if you have diabetes, your chances of having clinical depression are more than double those of people of the same age and general condition who don’t have diabetes.
IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, YOU ARE DEFINITELY AT RISK.
In one recent overseas study, fully one-third of patients attending diabetes clinics met the criteria for having depression. Yet few were diagnosed or getting care for the condition. While there hasn’t been a parallel study done in the United States, some estimates put the rate of depression among people with diabetes at over 20 percent.
Why does this matter? Because depression is far more serious than just a few days or weeks of feeling down. Not only does it make your life so much less than it can be, depression also raises your risk of other chronic conditions, i Continue reading

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Allergies & Diabetes

From fall leaves to spring pollen, allergies can strike during any season. People might be allergic to dust, pollen, animals, certain foods and other common environmental elements. Because people with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to allergies, it is essential to discover how to minimize the symptoms.
Allergies and Diabetes are both Autoimmune Disorders
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reports approximately 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. Allergies are an autoimmune disorder as is type 1 diabetes. Many people with type 1 or 2 diabetes may also have allergies. The body’s natural response to allergens is to fight them. As a result, you experience symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, and a dry throat. Sometimes your eyes are itchy, and you get swelling of the face, lips, tongue or hands. Other symptoms may include chest heaviness or tightness and difficulty breathing as well as a stomach discomfort and bloating.
The Ramifications of Dehydration: Allergies and Diabetes
Allergies may cause your body to become dehydrated. When people with diabetes suffer dehydration, it may lead to fluctuating blood sugar levels and an elevated heart rate. Drink plain filtered water throughout the day to prevent the release of histamines. Your body releases histamine to stop water loss, and this triggers allergy symptoms. Stay hydrated to eliminate allergy symptoms and avoid blood sugar surges. When you exercise, keep bottled water handy to avoid dehydration.
Foods and Allergy Symptoms
Certain foods may aggravate allergy symptoms. You may Continue reading

Research Roundup: Lupus protein identified, vaccine for Type 1 diabetes, new chronic pain treatment, andmore!

Research Roundup: Lupus protein identified, vaccine for Type 1 diabetes, new chronic pain treatment, andmore!
Welcome to this weeks Research Roundup. These Friday posts aim to inform our readers about the many stories that relate to animal research each week. Do you have an animal research story we should include in next weeks Research Roundup? You can send it to us via our Facebook page or through the contact form on the website.
A protein that may cause Lupus has been identified. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your bodys immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. An estimated 1.5 million Americans , and at least 5 million people worldwide, have a form of lupus. Previous research has implicated the gene PRDM1 as a risk factor for lupus. Scientists looking at Blimp-1 , a protein that is encoded by the PRDM1 gene, have found in mice that that a low level of or no Blimp-1 in a particular cell type led to an increase in the protein cathepsin S (CTSS) which caused the immune system to identify healthy cells as something to attack particularly in females. These results are particularly striking as women have an increased risk for lupus compared to men. While this work needs to be replicated and validated, this research provides some valuable insight into the etiology and treatment of lupus. This research was published in the journal Nature Immunology .
Mice from the Lupus study. Source: AJP Renal Physiology.
Vaccine for virus induced Type 1 diabetes successful in mice. Coxsackie B viruses are the most common enteroviruses and are believed Continue reading

5 Questions (and Answers) about Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy is an exciting and overwhelming time in a woman’s life. Learning that you have or may have gestational diabetes can really throw a wrench in an otherwise joyful experience. While developing gestational diabetes is certainly not ideal, it is not as scary as it seems. With timely testing and diligent health choices, gestational diabetes can be easily diagnosed and managed. Here are a few answers to common questions many women have about gestational diabetes:
What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes (or GDM) occurs when a woman who has never had diabetes before pregnancy develops elevated levels of blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy. It is thought that gestational diabetes affects up to 18% of pregnant women.
Doctor’s don’t really know what causes GDM, but they have some theories. One of the most prevalent is that hormones from the placenta block the action of the mother’s insulin in her body. This is called insulin resistance and it makes it hard for the mother’s body to properly use insulin. Without enough insulin, glucose is unable to leave the bloodstream and be utilized for energy. Blood glucose can then build up to dangerous levels, which is called hyperglycemia.
You will typically be tested for gestational diabetes between your 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. Testing is done by drawing blood after a screening glucose challenge test or an oral glucose tolerance test. For the screening test, you will drink a sugary beverage an hour before having your blood glucose checked. The glucose tolerance test involves having your blood gluc Continue reading

Tips for Eating with High Cholesterol and Diabetes

If you have been diagnosed with both high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, you may be feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of changing your diet. You should know that there is considerable overlap for how to eat with the two conditions and that it is not as difficult as you may think.
There are several things to keep in mind when it comes to your diet. Here are three first steps for managing high cholesterol and diabetes through your diet.
1. Increase Fiber
First things first. Eat more vegetables. There's a reason the diabetic plate method recommends filling half of your plate with nonstarchy vegetables: they're loaded with fiber. They're also super high in good-for-you phytonutrients, but fiber is the big one for both cholesterol and diabetes.
Fiber is the indigestible part of plants. Meaning, you eat it, it fills you up, but it doesn't add any calories. That's helpful for diabetes since many people with type 2 diabetes are also watching their weight.
Soluble fiber (the kind found in beans, apples, oatmeal) aids in lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol and also helps to keep blood glucose levels steady. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the best sources of fiber. Aim to increase the amount of fiber you eat every day gradually, to at least 25 grams per day if you're a woman; 38 grams per day if you're a man.
2. Choose Good Fats Over Bad Fats
Another healthy change for both diabetes and high cholesterol is to swap the fats and oils you use.
As a general rule, you want to eat more monounsaturated fats (found in foods such as walnuts, avocado, and olive oil) and decrease Continue reading