Is It Possible To Catch Diabetes? It Sounds Absurd, But That's What A Reputable New Study Suggests. And It May Be That Other 'lifestyle' Diseases Such As Joint Pain And Even Obesity Are Contagious, Too

Is it possible to catch diabetes? It sounds absurd, but that's what a reputable new study suggests. And it may be that other 'lifestyle' diseases such as joint pain and even obesity are contagious, too

At one time, infectious diseases used to decimate human populations — catching something such as cholera or smallpox was usually a death sentence.
But now, thanks to vaccines and antibiotics, few of us need worry about ‘catching’ anything worse than a cold, flu or an upset stomach.
But have we become too complacent?
Intriguingly, scientists are finding evidence that you may be able to catch such ‘lifestyle’ disorders as diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even joint pain.
Last year, scientists found that bacteria from the gut that have been linked to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and allergies can form spores — tiny hibernating ‘seeds’ given off by live bacteria that help it survive and multiply.
The research, published in the journal Nature, showed these spores can survive in the open air and could potentially infect other people. ‘This is a new way of transmitting disease that hasn’t been considered before,’ said researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.
It’s cutting-edge science and, of course, more research is needed, but here we look at the surprising conditions researchers now believe might be infectious...
CAN YOU PICK UP DIABETES FROM MEAT?
Earlier this year, U.S. researchers suggested that type 2 diabetes may be caught from damaged proteins known as prions — these are infectious agents, like those that transmitted BSE (or mad cow disease) from cattle to humans.
This is very different to the standard explanation for diabetes of too much weight and too little exercise leading to an excess of sugar (glucose) in the blood bec Continue reading

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Good vibrations: A bit of shaking can burn fat, combat diabetes

It sounds like a crazy way to improve your health—spend some time on a platform that vibrates at about the same frequency as the lowest string on a double bass. But recent research indicates that the procedure, known as whole-body vibration, may be helpful in illnesses from cerebral palsy to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Now, a new study of obese mice reveals that whole-body vibration provides similar metabolic benefits as walking on a treadmill, suggesting it may be useful for treating obesity and type II diabetes.
“I think it’s very promising,” says exercise physiologist Lee Brown of the California State University in Fullerton, who wasn’t connected to the study. Although the effects are small, he says, researchers should follow-up to determine whether they can duplicate them in humans.
Plenty of gyms feature whole-body vibration machines, and many athletes swear the activity improves their performance. The jiggling does seem to spur muscles to work harder, possibly triggering some of the same effects as exercise. But researchers still don’t know how the two compare, especially when it comes to people who are ill. So biomedical engineer Meghan McGee-Lawrence of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and colleagues decided to perform a head-to-head comparison of exercise and whole-body vibration.
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The researchers tested mutant mice resistant to the appetit Continue reading

Leaves and Fruits for Diabetes

Did you know regular plants — leaves and fruits — can help treat (not cure) diabetes? Studies show these plants lower blood sugar reliably in people and rodents with few side effects. Here are some to try:
Guava
Tea made from the leaves of the guava plant is one of the Foods for Specified Health Uses approved by Japan. The approval process requires studies on animals and humans, chemical analysis, and proof that the product is what it says it is. I wish the U.S. had a list like that.
An article in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism found that compounds in guava leaf tea inhibit absorption of certain types of sugar, so that levels don’t spike after meals. In one study, people drank guava tea after eating white rice. They had far less of a glucose rise than people who drank hot water.
Guava leaf seems to lower fasting sugars as well. In a study of people with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, those who drank guava leaf tea with every meal for 12 weeks had lower fasting blood sugar levels than before they started drinking the tea.
Guava (scientific name Psidium guajava) has been used in East Asia for diabetes possibly for centuries. Several studies from Japan found that guava leaf tea also reduces cholesterol and insulin levels in mice and rats. You can make tea out of the leaves, or buy guava tea online.
Insulin plant
Costaceae is a family of plants called by people in the Indian subcontinent “insulin plant,” because the tea appears to reliably reduces blood sugar. There are roughly 200 species of insulin plant.
The plant was brought from South America to India in the Continue reading

A National Effort to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: Participant-Level Evaluation of CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program

OBJECTIVE To assess participant-level results from the first 4 years of implementation of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP), a national effort to prevent type 2 diabetes in those at risk through structured lifestyle change programs.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Descriptive analysis was performed on data from 14,747 adults enrolled in year-long type 2 diabetes prevention programs during the period February 2012 through January 2016. Data on attendance, weight, and physical activity minutes were summarized and predictors of weight loss were examined using a mixed linear model. All analyses were performed using SAS 9.3.
RESULTS Participants attended a median of 14 sessions over an average of 172 days in the program (median 134 days). Overall, 35.5% achieved the 5% weight loss goal (average weight loss 4.2%, median 3.1%). Participants reported a weekly average of 152 min of physical activity (median 128 min), with 41.8% meeting the physical activity goal of 150 min per week. For every additional session attended and every 30 min of activity reported, participants lost 0.3% of body weight (P < 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS During the first 4 years, the National DPP has achieved widespread implementation of the lifestyle change program to prevent type 2 diabetes, with promising early results. Greater duration and intensity of session attendance resulted in a higher percent of body weight loss overall and for subgroups. Focusing on retention may reduce disparities and improve overall program results. Further program expansion and investigation is needed to continue low Continue reading

New medicine in UAE for diabetes

Dubai:
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention will introduce a new medicine for Type 2 diabetes which will be administered through a small titanium device the size of a matchstick that will be placed under the skin to dispense a daily dose for the diabetes patient for up to six months. The device will be available within the next 3 months.
Current data explains how similar class of medicines approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the US work: Type II diabetics tend to eat a little more than normal due to an impairment in the production of Glucagon Like Peptide I (GLP 1), a hormone produced in the small intestine which sends the signal of fullness to the brain and also sends a signal for the pancreas to release insulin after a meal. However, in diabetics, the small intestine does not produce enough GLP I and there is a delayed signal of satiety resulting in obesity which in turn leads to diabetes.
These class of medicines release GLP I for six months as per the patient’s requirement so that he eats less and thereby has better blood sugar control. But the patient will require to take his regular medication or insulin injection along with it.
Over the last decade, pharmaceutical firms have come out with earlier versions of GLP I. The first came out 10-15 years ago under the brand name Byetta and contained a version of GLP I called Exenatide which was required to be taken twice daily. Five years ago, another version was produced under the brand name Victoza containing Liraglutide was introduced that was required to be taken once daily. In 2014. The GLP I Dulagluti Continue reading