November 14 Is World Diabetes Day

November 14 is World Diabetes Day

Millions of people around the world unite and celebrate on November 14 in honour of World Diabetes Day (WDD). WDD is a day created to draw awareness to the growing concerns surrounding diabetes and the escalating health threat it poses. Over 300,000 Canadians currently live with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the most devastating form of the disease, as T1D is not caused by diet or lifestyle and is not preventable.
We are counting on you this November 14, to help raise awareness by showing the T1D community that you are standing behind them in the fight for a cure. Help raise awareness by drawing a circle on your index finger and send us a picture showing you stick it to diabetes! The first 50 people who email their picture to [email protected] will receive a pair of JDRF branded, UV ray protection sunglasses in WDD and JDRF blue! We will also be featuring your pictures in a Facebook album showing there’s strength in numbers as we all join in the fight against diabetes.
Don’t forget, raising funds is even more crucial during this special month and every dollar counts! We are counting on you this month to help bring us closer to a cure. Show your support for WDD by making a donation to JDRF here: jdrf.ca/countingonu. Each donor will receive a JDRF Fling Ring, pictured below. There is strength in numbers, and we’re all counting on you to help us conquer T1D. Continue reading

Rate this article

Total 1 ratings

Diabetes: Taking steps to prevent amputation

The Preservation Amputation Care and Treatment (PACT) program in Nashville decreased amputation rates by 40% in patients with diabetes. Here’s how they did it.
Clinicians who treat the lower extremity know that of all the pathology that can affect it, few medical problems present more challenge, are more complex, cause more damage and result in wounds more difficult to heal than those caused by the co-morbidities of diabetes. Chronically elevated blood glucose levels are responsible for the processes that impair the neurological, vascular, and immune systems, which can result in a variety of medical problems to the lower extremity of the patient with diabetes.
When it comes to the foot and leg, we know with almost 100% certainty how they will be affected by diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy and its three subcategories — autonomic neuropathy, sensory neuropathy and motor neuropathy — can leave the lower extremity vulnerable to silent or painless trauma. That is the triggering event that can ultimately lead to lower extremity amputation. A compromised circulatory system fails to bring enough fresh oxygenated blood, nutrients, and antibiotics to a traumatic wound, and the immune system cannot resolve an infection by fighting bacteria and cleansing the wound site on a cellular level.
The results are tragic. In the United States, infected foot ulcers are the most frequent admitting diagnosis for hospitalization of patients with diabetes. In 2003, there were about 111,000 hospital discharges for lower extremity ulcers.1 There are more than 90,000 lower extremity amputation proc Continue reading

Diabetes-Related Amputations Up Significantly In California — And San Diego

Clinicians are amputating more toes, legs, ankles and feet of patients with diabetes in California — and San Diego County in particular — in a “shocking” trend that has mystified diabetes experts here and across the country.
Clinicians are amputating more toes, legs, ankles and feet of patients with diabetes in California — and San Diego County in particular — in a “shocking” trend that has mystified diabetes experts here and across the country.
Statewide, lower-limb amputations increased by more than 31 percent from 2010 to 2016 when adjusted for population change. In San Diego County, the increase was more than twice that: 66.4 percent.
Losing a foot, ankle or especially a leg robs patients of their independence, hampers their ability to walk and makes them more vulnerable to infection. It also can shorten their lives.
This trend, which inewsource documented with state hospital data, is one physicians, surgeons and public health officials are at a loss to explain, though many have theories.
RELATED: Inewsource Research Methodology
Edward Gregg of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the California numbers are worrisome.
Public health officials consider amputations to be an important indicator of a region’s diabetes care because diabetes and its complications can be prevented, said Gregg, chief of epidemiology and statistics for the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation.
“If we see it going down, then it’s a good sign, because so many aspects of good diabetes care are in theory affected. And when you see it going up, that’s a conce Continue reading

Diabetes Amputation: Its Causes, Symptoms & Risk Factors

Diabetes, often commonly referred as a condition where the blood sugar or glucose levels are on a spike has been a major culprit for inducing a whole lot of complications over the years. Diabetes if not cared for or prevented along may result in mammoth complications like kidney issues, eye issues, heart disorders and more.
Legionella Testing
Lab - High Quality
Lab Results
CDC ELITE & NYSDOH ELAP
Certified - Fast Results North
America Lab Locations
legionellatesting.com
But the trend just doesn’t stop there. In severe cases, diabetes often results in damaging the body where amputation remains the only viable option. We here would be dealing with diabetes and its relation to amputation as part of our series of diabetes.
We’ll further look into the causes, symptoms and risk factors for amputation and reckon on with the proper advice to help you out. Read along as we present the ‘Diabetes and Amputation: Causes, Symptoms and Risk Factors’.
What’s Amputation?
Amputation is the process of removing a limb from the body via surgical measures so as to battle the trauma or medical illness. In many of cases, these limbs are removed to help control the pain preceding as a result of a disease like malignancy or gangrene.
Amputation has been part of the medical procedure for many centuries and has been a major treatment policy against the limb related problems. As for the minute details, amputation was even practiced as a means of punishment back in the days, but that’s not something we’d be touching on in this segment.
Types of Amputation
There are two general classificat Continue reading

Foot Health | Diabetes and your feet

Diabetes is becoming more and more common, with almost 20 percent of Bahamians currently living with the disease. It is also one of the leading causes of death. With the increasing numbers of obesity and poor lifestyle choices, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of people with diabetes worldwide is projected to increase exponentially and that deaths due to diabetes will double by 2030.
Uncontrolled diabetes leads to high blood sugar levels over time, which can have detrimental effects on the feet and many other organs in the body including the heart, eyes, and kidneys. All diabetics are at high risk for foot ulcers that take a long time, or never heal, leading to infections, amputations and possibly death. In five years, more people die from a diabetic foot ulcer or a lower limb amputation than persons with prostate cancer, breast cancer or Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves causing loss of feeling in both feet. Diabetes can also cause the feet and toes to be deformed and change their shape and the skin can become very dry and cracked. These changes put all diabetics at high risk for foot complications such as ulcers that take a long time or never heal leading to infections and even amputations.
Damage to the blood vessels can lead to Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) or poor blood flow to the feet. This decreased circulation or blood flow to the leg and foot will cause poor healing if there is a cut or sore on the foot. If there is an infection, it will take a long time to treat because there is not enough blood to tak Continue reading