National Conference: Improving Diabetes Transition – Lynsey Choules

National conference: improving diabetes transition – Lynsey Choules

A few weeks ago, I was invited by Diabetes UK to a national conference organised by Diabetes UK which followed the publication of the UK’s first National Diabetes Transition Audit; a report looking at the transfer from paediatric to adult services within diabetes care.
I jumped at the chance to get involved with this as it is a subject that I am very passionate about due to my own experiences a few years ago. The period in a young person’s life where their care changes is hugely important to get right as it can affect their long-term health outcomes as well as their engagement with diabetes care.
It was quite bizarre to arrive and sit down in a room full of 60+ healthcare professionals at first and I thought I might feel out of place for the rest of the day. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) had come from all over the country to understand the key findings of the report as well as share best practice and hear from clinical leads for diabetes. I’m used to being in groups with other people with diabetes, thanks to being a member of Diabetes UK’s Young Adults Panel and completing courses such as DAFNE, but being outnumbered by HCPs made me feel quite nervous!
I found it really interesting that only 20% of attendees were from adult diabetes services, especially since there was a lot of discussion about how adult and paediatric services need to be more connected as it is both sides that handle the transition of care.
The study itself involved following paediatric patients using their NHS numbers, which were tracked over 11 years (2003-2014) as they moved into adult care, f Continue reading

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5 Ways to Observe National Diabetes Month

In America, the rate of diabetes has nearly doubled over the last 20 years. Now, more than 29 million American adults have diabetes and another 86 million have prediabetes. This makes National Diabetes Month, which occurs during the month of November, a particularly important month. Whether you’re someone who has diabetes, someone whose life has been affected by this disease, or someone who simply wants to learn more, there are plenty of ways to make the most of a month devoted to diabetes! Ready to get involved?
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood sugar is too high. A hormone produced by your pancreas called insulin helps get the glucose from your blood to your cells to use for energy. Sometimes, your body doesn’t produce enough – or any – insulin or doesn’t use it as it should. This means that sugar stays in your blood which, over time, causes health issues such as:
heart disease
stroke
kidney disease
eye problems
dental disease
nerve damage
Types of Diabetes
Type 1
Type 1 diabetes occurs when your body doesn’t produce insulin of its own. This is because the cells in your pancreas responsible for creating it have been attacked by your immune system, which means that you must take insulin each day to remain healthy. Although this type is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, it can occur at any age.
Type 2
This type of diabetes means that your body does not make or use insulin as it should. It most often in middle-aged and older people, but type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly in children and adolescents worldwide. Type 2 Continue reading

Join Clickstop Employees in the Fight Against Diabetes!

One of the most amazing things about Clickstop employees is their unwavering commitment to help a good cause. Whether it is buying Christmas gifts for a family in need, supporting the graduates who have achieved so much despite obstacles in their way, cleaning up the ditches in the spring and fall to beautify our little corner of the world, or coming together to show a fellow employee that they matter. Clickstop employees are the BEST. If you have not visited our company and experienced it first hand, you are missing out because it is truly amazing what we can do together.
Yesterday was a prime example of Clickstop employees stepping up to support a good cause.
Earlier this year, Joe and I (this is Amy, btw) decided to form a Clickstop team for the Tour De Cure, hosted by the American Diabetes Association. Their mission, to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all those with diabetes. So, in order to raise money to help find a cure, the Tour De Cure was formed. People across the United States can sign up to ride their bicycle, raising money for the cause. Diabetes affects the lives of millions of people. So if Joe and I are able to ride our bikes and raise money for a good cause, we are in.
So we formed a team and decided to throw a spaghetti lunch and bake sale.
(yes, we know… bake sale and diabetes do not really go well together.)
All Clickstop employees were able to have a plate of spaghetti, salad with all the fixings, and a slice of garlic bread for $6.00. Baked goods were up for grabs for $2.00 a piece. Joe made some wonderful crunchy cookie bars, I Continue reading

Impact of metformin on cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of randomised trials among people with type 2 diabetes

, Volume 60, Issue9 , pp 16201629 | Cite as
Impact of metformin on cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of randomised trials among people with type 2 diabetes
Metformin is the most-prescribed oral medication to lower blood glucose worldwide. Yet previous systematic reviews have raised doubts about its effectiveness in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, the most costly complication of type 2 diabetes. We aimed to systematically identify and pool randomised trials reporting cardiovascular outcomes in which the effect of metformin was isolated through comparison to diet, lifestyle or placebo.
We performed an electronic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. We also manually screened the reference lists of previous meta-analyses of trials of metformin identified through a MEDLINE search. We included randomised controlled trials of adults with type 2 diabetes comparing any dose and preparation of oral metformin with no intervention, placebo or a lifestyle intervention and reporting mortality or a cardiovascular outcome.
We included ten articles reporting 13 trials (including a total of 2079 individuals with type 2 diabetes allocated to metformin and a similar number to comparison groups) of which only four compared metformin with placebo and collected data on cardiovascular outcomes. Participants were mainly white, aged 65years, overweight/obese and with poor glycaemic control. Summary estimates were based on a small number of events: 416 myocardial infarctions/ischaemic heart disease events in seven studies and 111 strokes in four studies. Continue reading

Homemade Korean Kimchi Recipe – Fights Diabetes and Burns Fat in a Healthy Way

What is Kimchi you might ask? Well, it is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented cabbage and various spices, plus salt and vinegar. It has recently gained more popularity and you can easily find it in most healthy food stores nearly everywhere. But like with most healthy alternatives, it is even better to make your own homemade Korean kimchi recipe.
So, here you’ll learn the incredible benefits of kimchi as well as the recipe to prepare it at home.
Homemade Korean Kimchi Benefits!
In order to better explain the Korean Kimchi Recipe, it is the process of fermentation which cultivates this natural source of probiotics. That’s how healthy bacteria is born, which also improves the taste.
The bacteria in question, Lactobacillus, plays a crucial part in a healthy digestive system and intestines. Many already recognize cabbage as a soother for inflammation, as well as its detoxification abilities.
But by fermenting it, we make it even healthier by complementing it with even more nutrients and making it bioavailable. In this way, it can also aid in preventing ulcers, obesity, diabetes and even some types of cancer!
Kimchi is a must-have in the Korean cuisine, and the whole world should take a page from their book in this matter. So here is a whole bunch of information on the health benefits of this particular fermented food.
Once you read through them and get informed, you might also want to try the following recipe in the comfort of your home.
It will Improve your Gut Health
You may know cabbage as the gut’s benefactor, but consuming it in its fermented form can help Continue reading