‘Type 3 Diabetes’: New Links Emerge Between Poor Glucose Metabolism And Alzheimer’s Disease

‘Type 3 diabetes’: New links emerge between poor glucose metabolism and Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is often broadly referred to as “Type 3 diabetes,” because it’s thought that glucose processing goes haywire in the neurodegenerative disease, just as it does in diabetes.
A new National Institutes of Health study adds some credence to that theory, finding that glitches in the way the brain breaks down glucose — a process called glycolysis — seem to correspond with more severe symptoms in patients with Alzheimer’s. Continue reading

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Type 2 Diabetes Medication Used for Type 1

Do people with Type 1 diabetes take medications for Type 2 diabetes?
The other day, Myra came to my clinic for her initial assessment for Diabetes Self-Management Education. As we were going through her list of medications, I discovered that she was taking liraglutide (Victoza), but her diagnosis was clearly Type 1 diabetes.
Myra stated that her endocrinologist had prescribed the medication. He informed her that this was becoming more common. I had heard that patients with Type 1 diabetes were being prescribed GLP-1 non-insulin injections for their Type 1 Diabetes, specifically liraglutide.
I had also heard about SGLT2 inhibitors were being used for Type 1 diabetes, but I had heard about an increased incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with these medications for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients. Since inquiring minds want to know, I decided to investigate both.
Liraglutide for Type 1 diabetes in the news
In August, 2015, Novo Nordisk made a decision not to pursue liraglutide for Type 1 diabetes with the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). This decision came after the second trial for the FDA approval was completed. In the trial, researchers compared the addition of liraglutide to insulin therapy with a control group on standard insulin therapy. Novo Nordisk concluded that the results were not quite good enough, and decided not to pursue the FDA approval for liraglutide for Type 1 diabetes.
Benefits of liraglutide in Type 1 patients
In the study, when taking liraglutide, Type 2 patients saw a lower A1C, significant weight loss, and decreased number of episodes of hypo Continue reading

Pregnancy and Type 1 Diabetes

When you are pregnant, your ideal scenario is to not gain too much weight, pass each milestone without worry, and have a safe, fast delivery that results in a healthy baby. When you have Type 1 diabetes, however, the ideal pregnancy may seem unattainable. Lisa Pink, a new mother, was able to manage her pregnancy along with her diabetes to have a healthy baby girl. She summed up her experience: “It’s a lot of work. However, it’s also worth it when you hold your healthy, perfect baby!”
Before conception
Lisa learned she had Type 1 diabetes when she was 25 years old. She didn’t think about pregnancy and starting a family until she reached her mid-30s. Lisa didn’t know any mothers with Type 1 diabetes, but two of her friends knew of women who had managed their diabetes throughout successful pregnancies. Encouraged, Lisa went to her doctor a year before she and her husband began trying to become pregnant, which is highly recommended. A woman with Type 1 diabetes should attain healthy blood glucose levels before conception. This is important for the baby’s health during pregnancy but also before conception. The National Institutes of Health recommends that a woman with Type 1 diabetes have blood glucose levels in the target range of 80 to 110 mg/dl before eating and 100 to 155 mg/dl one to two hours after eating for three to six months before becoming pregnant. During pregnancy, the recommended target blood glucose range is 60 to 99 mg/dl before eating and 100 to 129 mg/dl one to two hours after eating.
Safe sugar
Meeting these target ranges will help decrease the c Continue reading

Type 3 Diabetes: Metabolic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease

As the population of the industrialized world ages, illnesses associated with aging consume a larger portion of our healthcare budgets and impose increasing burdens on the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. Estimates suggest that in the U.S., Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects 12 percent of people over age 65 and nearly 50 percent of those over 85, with predictions for this to include 16 million people by 2050.1 National healthcare costs associated with AD are expected to surpass one trillion dollars by mid-century.1
Considering the fact that AD has no known cure and current therapies are largely ineffective, identifying the triggering mechanisms and exacerbating factors behind AD is of paramount importance, as prevention and early detection would serve to decrease—or at the very least delay—the physical, emotional and financial hardships this illness creates. Prevention is also critical because AD symptoms often do not appear until loss of functional neurons is so widespread that irreversible damage has already occurred.
Significant epidemiological and clinical evidence has emerged that suggests AD belongs among the “diseases of civilization,” primarily caused by modern Western diets and lifestyles at odds with human physiology. High intakes of refined carbohydrates and omega-6-rich polyunsaturated oils, low antioxidant intake, lack of physical activity, and misguided avoidance of cholesterol and saturated fats combine to create a perfect storm for glycation and oxidative stress in the brain, ultimately resulting in severe cognitive decline that rend Continue reading

7 Symptoms to Never Ignore if You Have Diabetes

If you have diabetes watch for these warning signs that something is amiss – and make sure you know how to respond
#1. Blurry vision.
Vision changes may mean your blood sugar is high, says endocrinologist Alan L. Rubin, MD, author of Diabetes for Dummies, Type 1 Diabetes for Dummies and other health books in the “Dummies” series. “High blood sugar draws more fluid into the lens of the eye, so your vision is less sharp,” he explains. “The first thing to do is to check your blood sugar more frequently and bring it under better control.” Temporary blurriness may also occur when starting insulin.
What to do: If problems persist despite good glucose numbers, tell your doctor. Eyesight changes may be caused by an easy-to-fix problem like dry eyes, be a side effect of some medications or even computer eye strain. But it can also be a warning sign of diabetic retinopathy – when tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye swell and leak. It could also be a sign of other vision issues like glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. All can be treated to prevent further problems.
#2. Unusual thirst and feeling extra-tired.
High blood sugar is usually the culprit, according to the American Diabetes Association. But don’t shrug it off —letting your numbers drift beyond the healthy range sets you up for complications and could be a sign of a serious condition that needs immediate medical attention.
What to do: Check your glucose level now and recheck frequently; make sure you’re following your eating and exercise plan and taking your medication as directed. If you� Continue reading