Makers Gonna Makea Book About Diabetes Devices? Kids Book Written By @DanaMLewis

Makers gonna makea book about diabetes devices? Kids book written by @DanaMLewis

Makers gonna makea book about diabetes devices? Kids book written by @DanaMLewis
Last year after Christmas, I was running around my parents backyard with my niece when she spotted my CGM sensor on my arm and asked what it was. Im always struck when my niece and nephews have noticed my diabetes devices, and am interested to see what new humans think about and how they encounter things and what they mean. In this case, I explained the CGM and we went back to running around, but it stuck in my mind for a few days.
I also remember the excitement and attention any time a kids book has a character with diabetes in it, or a storyline of diabetes, because theres just not much out there. I was diagnosed at 14, but I love seeing PWDs in the wild and like the idea of more diabetes inclusion in materials for all ages.
So, I wrote a kids book, with the goal of introducing the concept of diabetes devices and more broadly, how people are different in different ways. I talked my incredible artist aunt into illustrating this book.
This book is primarily for me and my niece and nephews, but I know there might be a few other people who like the idea, too (even as there may be a few people who sniff at the idea*). I investigated the publishing options and decided to go with self-publishing, which would allow for:
The cheapest copies for me as the author, to be able to give to my various family members who want them.
The ability to make it available to other people who want copies.
The ability to price said copies so its accessible and reasonable to order easily.
(Its actually cheaper Continue reading

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Alcohol on several days per week could lower diabetes risk

Alcohol on several days per week could lower diabetes risk
Researchers in Denmark have shown that drinking alcohol on 3 to 4 days every week can drastically reduce a person's chance of developing diabetes.
A Danish study that examined patterns of alcohol consumption has found that compared with abstainers, people who drank moderately on 3 to 4 days each week had the lowest risk of developing diabetes, especially if they drank wine.
The researchers, from the University of Southern Denmark in Copenhagen, report their findings in the journal Diabetologia.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that arises when something goes wrong with the body's ability to make or use insulin , a hormone that regulates blood sugar.
There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 develops when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin. Type 2, which accounts for the majority of diabetes cases, results from the body's inability to use insulin effectively.
If diabetes is not controlled, it results in a state of raised blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Over time, this causes serious damage to the body, especially to the heart, eyes, kidneys, blood vessels, and nerves.
Worldwide, the proportion of adults living with diabetes has risen from 4.7 percent in 1980 to 8.5 percent in 2014.
In 2015, diabetes was directly responsible for 1.6 million deaths, while another 2.2 million were attributed to high blood sugar in 2012.
Previous studies that have examined how alcohol consumption might be related to the risk of developing diabetes have consistently found that light to moderate consum Continue reading

Type 2 Diabetes is reversible

Type 2 diabetes is a reversible condition
A body of research putting people with Type 2 diabetes on a low calorie diet has confirmed the underlying causes of the condition and established that it is reversible.
A body of research putting people with Type 2 diabetes on a low calorie diet has confirmed the underlying causes of the condition and established that it is reversible.
Professor Roy Taylor at Newcastle University, UK has spent almost four decades studying the condition and will present an overview of his findings at the European Association For The Study Of Diabetes (EASD 2017) in Lisbon.
In the talk he will be highlighting how his research has revealed that for people with Type 2 diabetes:
Excess calories leads to excess fat in the liver
As a result, the liver responds poorly to insulin and produces too much glucose
Excess fat in the liver is passed on to the pancreas, causing the insulin producing cells to fail
Losing less than 1 gram of fat from the pancreas through diet can re-start the normal production of insulin, reversing Type 2 diabetes
This reversal of diabetes remains possible for at least 10 years after the onset of the condition
I think the real importance of this work is for the patients themselves, Professor Taylor says. Many have described to me how embarking on the low calorie diet has been the only option to prevent what they thought or had been told was an inevitable decline into further medication and further ill health because of their diabetes. By studying the underlying mechanisms we have been able to demonstrate the simplicity o Continue reading

Combination Drugs for Diabetes: Are They for You?

Combination Drugs for Diabetes: Are They for You?
For many people, having diabetes means taking multiple medicines. These medicines may include diabetes pills, insulin, and other injectables. They can also include medicines for managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and other health issues. Taking all of this medicine means a greater chance for missed doses or mix-ups, as well as an increased number of prescriptions to remember to refill. And lets not forget about the costs. Its always important to discuss and review your medications with your health-care provider on a regular basis. When you do, ask your provider about combination diabetes drugs and if they might be an option for you.
Benefits of combination drugs for diabetes
If you have Type 2 diabetes , theres a fairly high likelihood that at some point along the way, youll need medicine to help you manage your blood sugars. Certainly, many people can manage their diabetes with lifestyle measures healthful eating , weight control , and regular physical activity . But others will need the help of medicine to achieve safe blood sugar and A1C levels. Needing medicine isnt a failure on anyones part; rather, its an indication of the natural course of Type 2 diabetes.
Fortunately, there are many types of diabetes medicines available. For instance, there are nine classes of diabetes pills to choose from; there are injectable medicines, too, including insulin. Its not unusual for someone with Type 2 diabetes to take two or more types of diabetes medicine to manage blood sugars. Why? Because different diabetes drugs work i Continue reading

Theresa May's diabetes patch not available to all patients | Daily Mail Online

May sported the diabetes patch the size of a 2 coin on TV a few weeks ago
But people like George Hakes, from Cambridge, London, denied same device
Around 350,000 people in the UK have type 1 diabetes and need tests every day
Theresa May sporting a diabetes patch the size of a 2 coin on TV a few weeks ago giving a speech to the Lord Mayor's Banquet
Catching sight of Theresa May sporting a diabetes patch the size of a 2 coin on TV a few weeks ago, George Hakes saw it as a hopeful sign hed soon be able to get one on the NHS .
The device, worn on the upper arm, continuously monitors glucose levels. Results can be read using a device which scans through clothing, reducing the need for finger-prick blood tests. For 350,000 people in the UK who have type 1 diabetes these tests must be done throughout the day, before and after eating and exercising and before driving, to monitor for dangerously low or high blood sugar levels.
George, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 11, needs to inject himself with insulin around six times a day and was measuring his blood sugar up to ten times a day with a finger-prick test. Its time-consuming and painful and doesnt give you an accurate picture of your blood sugar over time, just at that moment, says George, 27, a local government officer, who lives in Cambridge.
The device he spotted on Mrs May, the FreeStyle Libre, is the first of its kind. It monitors glucose in fluid between cells via sensor filaments the width of two hairs. A device roughly half the size of a mobile phone takes readings.
The patches last two weeks Continue reading