How Statins Can Cause Diabetes: Pills Raise The Risk Of Getting Disease By 46 Per Cent

How statins can cause diabetes: Pills raise the risk of getting disease by 46 per cent

And the cholesterol-busting drugs do nothing to prolong the lives of those at low-risk of a heart attack, experts found.
The conclusions, published today, will put rival British doctors at loggerheads over the safety of the cheap, widely prescribed drugs.
One leading cardiologist last night said the benefits of statins, taken by eight million Britons, had been “grossly exaggerated”.
But another heart expert insisted “the benefits will outweigh the risks”.
Researchers in Finland studied 8,749 non-diabetic men to see whether taking two of the most popular statins increased the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes.
They found those who took simvastatin or atorvastatin were 46 per cent more likely to develop the condition and those on higher doses were at even greater risk.
Last year, Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issued guidance making 40 per cent of adults eligible for statins.
It said anyone thought to have a greater than 10 per cent chance of a heart attack or stroke within 10 years should be offered the drug on the NHS.
It means virtually all men aged over 55 and women over 65 are encouraged to take statins to stave off fatal cardiovascular disease.
But London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra said: “Although the benefits are clear in reducing the risk of death in those with established heart disease this is not the case for a low-risk population.
“Millions see them as a magic pill but they are not.
“This research shows you are more likely to develop irreversible Type 2 diabetes than prevent a non-fatal heart attack if you are at Continue reading

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How Does Diabetes Affect Endocrine, Excretory, and Digestive Systems?

Likewise on the digestive system, diabetes also has some consequences on the endocrine system. But before we delve into its effects, let us have a quick glance into the understanding of what endocrine system is and what role does it play.
Endocrine system is basically a complex network of glands that produce some chemicals known as hormones. These hormones are responsible for controlling various functions of the body by sending signals to the brain. The body falls under an endocrine disease either when the glands stop producing respective hormones or when the brain doesn’t respond to the hormonal signals.
Some of the major glands that form up the endocrine system are:
Adrenal glands
Pancreas
Pituitary gland
Reproductive glands
Hypothalamus
Thyroid
Pineal body
Parathyroid
Relation between Diabetes and Endocrine System
Diabetes is a form of endocrine disease caused by high blood sugar levels in the body. It is perhaps the most common disease affecting the endocrine system. Diabetes arises when the group of hormones governing the glucose levels in the blood stops functioning, resulting in shooting up of the blood glucose.
In addition to insulin and glucagon, various other hormones of endocrine system are responsible for influencing blood glucose levels. For instance, cortisol raises the levels of blood glucose to boost up the energy. Likewise, incretins hormones begin the insulin secretion from the pancreas, so that the glucose levels don’t increase much, after having meals.
How diabetes affects the stomach?
According to doctors, the other term for gastroparesis is ‘diab Continue reading

Exercising with Type 2 Diabetes

Manage Glucose, Lose Weight, and Reduce Complications
If your doctor has diagnosed you with Type 2 diabetes, then she has probably already told you about the importance of adding exercise to your treatment plan. Physical activity can help you improve your blood sugar control, lose weight, and reduce your risk of heart disease, peripheral artery disease and nerve problems that are often associated with diabetes. In many cases, the right combination of diet and exercise can even help eliminate the need for medication for people with Type 2 diabetes.
But before you get started, you need to understand how exercise influences blood glucose regulation, and how to avoid potential problems, minimize risks, and recognize when you may need to get additional information or support from your health care provider. *The general information in this article is not a substitute for talking to your health care provider before you begin an exercise program, or if you experience any problems in connection with your exercise.
How Exercise Benefits People with Type 2 Diabetes
In addition to boosting your energy levels, mood, and capacity to burn calories for weight loss, regular exercise can lead to the following benefits:
Improved blood sugar control by enhancing insulin sensitivity. Exercising on a regular basis makes muscles use insulin better. When muscles are able to use insulin better, they are able to pull more glucose from the bloodstream to use for energy. The more vigorously you exercise, the more glucose you’ll use, and the longer the positive effects on your blood glucose levels wi Continue reading

Best insulin injection sites: Absorption time and rotation

Insulin is a hormone that helps manage diabetes when it is injected into the body.
It can't be taken as a pill or oral medication. This is because the enzymes in the stomach will break down the insulin before it reaches the bloodstream.
Insulin injections are one of many ways to treat and manage diabetes. Others include dietary and lifestyle changes, and oral medications.
For people who require insulin injections, there are different types of insulin available. It is important to understand and follow the instructions that the doctor provides about how and where to inject insulin.
Common injection sites
Insulin is injected into the layer of fat directly under this skin, known as subcutaneous tissue.
It is injected with a small needle or a device that looks like a pen. There are several different sites where insulin can be injected, including:
Abdomen
The abdomen is a common site for insulin injection that many people with diabetes choose to use.
To give an injection into the abdomen, take a pinch of the fatty tissue from either side between the waist and the hipbones. It should be about 2 inches away from the belly button.
This site is easy to access and some people report that it causes less discomfort than other sites.
Upper Arms
The upper arm is another site where insulin injections can be given.
The needle should be placed into the back of the arm (tricep area), about halfway between the elbow and the shoulder.
The main disadvantage of this site is that it is very difficult to use for self-administration and may require somebody else to do it. It may be more comfortable Continue reading

How You Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, According to Experts

At 72, George King Sr. developed Type 2 diabetes and was put on multiple medications to keep his blood sugar in check. But he didn’t take the news sitting down. He started walking twice a day and modified his diet to include more vegetables and complex carbohydrates. The result? For the following 15 years, he no longer had to take medication.
None of this surprises his son, George King Jr., MD, who serves as research director and chief scientific officer of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and is author of the book Reverse Your Diabetes in 12 Weeks.
“We know that five to 10 percent of people who change their diets, lose weight and increase activity can get off all medications, and stay off them for 10 to 20 years,” King says. “Those numbers tell me that it’s definitely possible to reverse Type 2—you just need to find the correct path.”
Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and author of Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes agrees, but adds a caveat: Results depend on how long you’ve had the disease.
Diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas cannot properly produce insulin to regulate levels of glucose in your body. Over time, this can cause the pancreas’s beta cells to burn out, making it harder and harder to compensate for the body’s inability to use insulin effectively.
“People with diabetes for a short time have a better chance of getting rid of diabetes than someone who has had the disease for 30 years,” says Barnard. (King’s father, for example, did resume taking medication at Continue reading