What I Have Learned At The 2017 International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress In Abu Dhabi.

What I have learned at the 2017 International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress in Abu Dhabi.

What I have learned at the 2017 International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress in Abu Dhabi.
First, diabetes is a worldwide pandemic affecting people at all socio-economic levels. Rich or poor, young or old, thin or obese—diabetes crosses all boundaries and barriers, bringing with it serious and life-threatening consequences. Pandemic is an epidemic over a wide geographic area and affecting a large proportion of the population- DIABETES!, Which is not a disease that with a proper hygiene life could keep one away from developing diabetes and its complications.
Second, despite the progressive nature of this disease, not all nations are able to offer adequate and timely treatment and education. As the state of the science of diabetes care and education advances, new treatment and technology, modalities may be inaccessible to the populations most in need of care. Dr. Shaukat Sadikot shared a powerful story in one his presentation. He said that at one time he was educating people of diabetes about what is best to eat to better control diabetes. When he finished his talk, a person approached him to say that he appreciated the knowledge that he was sharing as a doctor to help him control his diabetes, but the problem that this person had was that he was not so sure if his family would have something to eat that day. Wow a powerful story, one that changed Dr. Sadikot and all of us who listened to him. Yes, we as healthcare professionals need to be reminded about the social determinants of health and the impact of these in all of the aspects related with diabetes care and diabet Continue reading

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Government is helping to feed the diabetes crisis in Texas

Government is helping to feed the diabetes crisis in Texas
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Type 2 diabetes is rampant in Texas. Two million residents have the condition, and that figure is expected to shoot up by another million by 2030.
The disease generally afflicts those with unlucky genes who eat poorly. But unhealthy diets are not entirely the fault of Texans. Federal dietary guidelines are based on weak science. These recommendations, which are developed by nutritionists who champion widely accepted but increasingly questionable advice, have a huge impact on how everyone eats. Given the scale of the diabetes epidemic, it's time to reform the process that produces our nation's nutritional guidelines.
Diabetes takes a huge and increasing toll here in Texas. From 2000 to 2010, the prevalence of the condition surged 57 percent. It kills 5,000 Texans annually. In 2012, diabetes caused $18 billion in medical expenses and another $5.5 billion in lost productivity.
Obesity is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes. People who are overweight require much more insulin to control their blood sugar but often struggle to produce enough of the hormone. Since 1990, Texas's obesity rate has surged from below 10 percent to 34 percent. The epidemic in obesity indicates that our state could soon be overwhelmed by a wave of diabetes in adults.
The federal dietary guidelines were first published in 1980 and are updated by government officials every five years. They were designed to help keep Americans healthy Continue reading

5 Questions About Type 1 Diabetes and Mental Health Answered

5 Questions About Type 1 Diabetes and Mental Health Answered
We interview Dr. Beverly Adler about her work tending to the mental health needs of the diabetes community.
Dr. Beverly Adler (aka Dr. Bev, right) is an award-winning certified diabetes educator and diabetes psychologist. She has combined her first-hand knowledge of living with Type 1 diabetes with a PhD in clinical psychology to serve the mental health needs of those within the diabetes community. Shes also written two self-help books and many articles, and does speaking engagements. We caught up with her via email to ask her a few questions about mental health care for people with Type 1 diabetes.
What has been your experience, as a mental health professional, working with people with diabetes?
When I see patients who are newly diagnosed, they are generally stressed and feel overwhelmed with all the information which they have to learn. I try to help them reduce their anxiety levels. Many people with diabetes are in denial and dismiss the seriousness of living with this chronic illness. I think they so fear the possibility of serious complications in the future that they hide their heads in the sand like an ostrich. Some people are so angry about their diagnosis that they have a hard time managing a self-care regimen. My goal with everybody is to help them accept their diabetes. I think it helps them to know that I also live with diabetes and can be a role model for them. Our goal is to do the best that we can which does not mean being perfect, since there is no such thing.
How would you recommend a pers Continue reading

Scientists in Texas closer to diabetes cure with unconventional treatment

Scientists in Texas closer to diabetes cure with unconventional treatment
by: Marty Toohey, American-Statesman Staff Updated:
SAN ANTONIO, Tx. - Years of testing remain, but UT Health San Antonio researchers say theyve cured Type 1 diabetes in mice.
In peer-reviewed paper, they say a gene transfer can wake up cells in the pancreas to produce insulin.
Health researchers at the University of Texas think they have found a way to trick the body into curing Type 1 diabetes.
The immune system of a person with diabetes kills off useful beta cells, but the UT researchers say they have found a way to make other cells in the pancreas perform the necessary work. Their approach, announced earlier this month in the academic journal Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology , not only would have implications for Type 1, formerly called juvenile diabetes, but also could help treat the far more common Type 2 variety, also known as adult-onset diabetes.
The researchers have cured mice, which are genetically similar to people but different enough that new rounds of animal testing and millions of dollars more are needed before human trials can begin. The researchers approach is sure to garner skeptics, at least in part because it is a significant departure from the many other attempts at curing diabetes, which typically involve transplanting new cells and/or suppressing the immune systems attempts to kill off useful ones.
By contrast, were taking a cell that is already present in the body its there, and its happy and programming it to secrete insulin, without changing it otherwise, sa Continue reading

Day In The Life: Jeweler To The Stars Juggles Business, A Baby And A Diabetes Diagnosis

Day In The Life: Jeweler To The Stars Juggles Business, A Baby And A Diabetes Diagnosis
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Fashion may not seem a likely pursuit for a girl who grew up with three brothers in North Carolina. Yet, after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, Mignonne Gavigan Smith followed her passion to Paris to study at the Sorbonne and Parsons. Following a move to New York City, where she completed her studies at Parsons NY, she honed her skills at Marc Jacobs, Loeffler Randall and Rachel Roy before deciding to go it alone. The decision was sparked by a wardrobe hack. In search of the perfect accessory, Smith ripped a couture gown and tied a swathe around her neck as a necklace. Three years later, Smiths handmade jewelry brand Mignonne Gavigan , known for its beaded scarf necklaces and oversized earrings, employs a team of eight women in NYC, is carried at major retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, and is adored by celebritiesincluding Jessica Biel, Nina Dobrev, Selma Blair, Sofia Vergara, Victoria Justice, Kate Mara and Katy Perry. Here, Smith shares a typical day in the life of a working mom juggling a business, a marriage, a nine-month-old and a type 1-diabetes diagnosis.
7 AM: I set my alarm for seven, but I sleep for as long as Fi Continue reading