Type 2 Diabetes: New Biopolymer Injection May Offer Weeks Of Glucose Control

Type 2 diabetes: New biopolymer injection may offer weeks of glucose control

Keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible is important for people with type 2 diabetes, as it lowers the risk of serious complications. However, despite a long list of treatment options, patients still struggle with glucose control, especially when working out meal-specific doses. Treatments that cut down on injections are seen as a way to overcome this problem. Now, in a paper in Nature Biomedical Engineering, scientists describe a new biopolymer injection that could potentially replace daily or weekly insulin shots with one that need only be given once or twice per month.
Untreated diabetes results in high levels of blood sugar, or glucose, which in the long-term can lead to blindness, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, and amputation of lower limbs.
Diabetes arises because of a problem with insulin, which is a hormone that is made in the pancreas and which helps cells to absorb glucose so that they can use it for energy.
In type 1 diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin, while in type 2 diabetes - which accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes cases - it cannot use it properly.
Although the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes is starting to drop in the United States, it is still a huge public health problem that affects more than 29 million people.
In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested that diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., and that more than a fifth of the country's healthcare costs are for people diagnosed with diabetes.
In their study paper, biomedical engineers from Duke Uni Continue reading

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Seven yoga poses for diabetes

People with diabetes need to carefully manage their blood sugar levels as they may become too high. This happens because the body doesn't make enough insulin, or the body can't use insulin efficiently.
Without insulin, the sugar in the blood does not reach the body's cells, and it builds up in the blood. Over time, having too much glucose in the blood leads to health problems.
There is currently no cure for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. However, type 2 diabetes can be managed to a large degree by a healthful diet and regular exercise.
This article explores the role of exercise in diabetes management and addresses whether yoga is beneficial for people with diabetes.
Contents of this article:
How diet and exercise can control diabetes
Eating a healthful diet and being physically active can help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Keeping blood sugar under control is the best way to avoid complications of diabetes.
A healthful food and exercise plan can help a person:
These are all important factors to help people with diabetes manage their condition and prevent more serious condition, such as heart disease.
A Consensus Statement from the American Diabetes Association strongly links regular physical activity to better outcomes in people with diabetes, including a lower mortality rate.
It is a good idea to get a doctor to approve a diet and exercise program before beginning. In part, this is because exercising too much or too quickly can lead to low blood sugar. This happens because exercise lowers blood glucose levels.
In addition, people with diabet Continue reading

Sixty-five people a day in UK die early from diabetes complications – study

Sixty five people a day in the UK are dying early from complications arising from diabetes, which is the “fastest-growing epidemic of our time”, according to a charity.
The number of adults with diabetes in the UK has risen by more than 1.5 million in the past decade to more than 4.5 million, including an estimated 1 million who have type 2 diabetes but do not know it.
Diabetes UK analysis of official figures found that 20 people a day underwent diabetes-related amputations, and about 80% of these procedures were preventable.
It also said 203 people a day suffered heart failure, 78 suffered strokes and 39 needed dialysis or kidney transplants, and that people with diabetes were more likely to develop these problems.
To mark World Diabetes Day, the charity is seeking to raise awareness of the life-threatening complications of the condition.
“It is the fastest-growing epidemic of our time,” said Chris Askew, the chief executive of Diabetes UK. “The more you know about diabetes, the better. Cutting your risk of developing devastating complications is crucial.”
He said that as a result of research into specialist eye tests, diabetes was no longer the leading cause of blindness in the working age population, an example of how complications could be avoided when diabetes is managed properly.
Research has found only a small minority of people with diabetes are taking courses designed to help patients manage the symptoms, and others are missing out on health checks.
Diabetes is caused by too much glucose in the blood, or the inability to process glucose. About 10% of pe Continue reading

What It’s Like to Watch People Die From Your Disease

My immune system attacked my body when I was 10, resulting in a loss of ability to make a crucial hormone called insulin, which turns the food you eat into fuel for your body. Without insulin, the sugar from your food compounds in your blood stream, quickly poisoning you from within.
Before 1921, this event was a death sentence. The only “treatment” was harsh diets that sometimes led to starvation. Even over the last few decades, being diagnosed with this autoimmune disease meant shorter lifespans and drastic changes in what life could look like. Outcomes weren’t great. Complications were inevitable.
Technological advancements have made it so that I, by being born at the right time and into privileged circumstances, can not only live, but can live the life healthy me would’ve lived too.
But the reality is, people still die from complications of type 1 diabetes all the time. And whenever I hear stories of it, I break down.
When people die from this disease, it’s rarely from their own negligence. It’s mostly from simple things – not realizing that what felt like the flu was actually diabetic ketoacidosis. Not waking up from a low blood sugar and dying in your sleep. Not realizing how much medicine or food you would need when you’re out and about. Or, also common, from not having the money or resources to afford what you need to survive.
I, like the rest of the world, am obsessed with “Hamilton.” There’s a lyric repeated throughout the show, “…if there’s a reason I’m still alive when so many have died…”
I’m aware that a large part of my lega Continue reading

7 Easy Lunches for Type 2 Diabetes

If breakfast is the most neglected meal of the day, lunch can often be the most hurried. A recent survey found that 62 percent of Americans rush through lunch at their desks, and even when we manage to leave the office, fast-food restaurants and food courts often prevail over more healthy options. But they don't have to be your only option — and, in fact, they shouldn't be your first choice if you have type 2 diabetes.
In general, try to pack your own lunch whenever possible — the health benefits, not to mention the cost-savings, can be enormous. Short on prep time? Put these quick and nutritious lunch ideas on your menu to fill you up and keep your blood sugar in check.
1. Salads
Salad should be in regular rotation for lunch. You can create a different salad every day of the week by varying your toppings. Try grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish, but avoid heaping on a lot of fattening ingredients, such as bacon bits and heavy cheeses.
Salads with lots of raw vegetables are best, including carrots, cucumbers, radishes, celery, and spinach. Sprinkle nuts or seeds on top, add a few dried cranberries, and garnish with some avocado chunks to give it zip. Choose a salad dressing made with vinegar and olive oil to avoid added sugars found in fat-free and low-fat versions, and limit the serving to one tablespoon for a side salad and two tablespoons for an entrée-sized salad.
2. Sandwiches
As with salads, there are many ways to spice up a sandwich. Start with whole-grain bread or a whole-wheat tortilla. Pick a lean meat, such as turkey, ham, or grilled chicken; layer on your choi Continue reading