I am extending the reach of my research for this series of DK posts, as you will see below. The news is coming thick and fast about drugs, diet, implants, legal actions, and much more. As always, let us know how you and others you know are doing.
The waffle cushion is letting my one sore heal slowly, and I continue to work on ramping up exercise, also slowly. I learned the name for my muscle weakness, sarcopenia. Now let’s see whether any of the advice given about it works for me. I start a new drug insurance plan from Humana on Jan. 1. It promises to cut my costs for medications in half, and it will let me go back to the Kroger Pharmacy.
We begin today with another treatment for type I diabetes.
Medical Xpress: Under-the-skin implant could treat type I diabetes
A collaboration between researchers from Cornell and University of Alberta, Edmonton, has created a new technique to treat type 1 diabetes: implanting a device inside a pocket under the skin that can secrete insulin while avoiding the immunosuppression that typically stymies management of the disease.
The group's paper is published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Having a first menstrual period (menarche) at age 10 or younger was linked with a greater risk for type 2 diabetes and a greater risk of stroke in women with diabetes, a retrospective study of US women under age 65 found.
News Medical
Brown seaweed emerges as a potent ally in diabetes control
Even though brown seaweed did not significantly alter the fasting blood insulin (FBI), an almost 16.5% reduction in fasting blood glucose (FBG) was observed. Postprandial blood glucose levels (collected at 60, 90, and 120 min following exposure) depicted similar beneficial outcomes, with a reduction in blood glucose observed at all analyzed time points.
This includes kelp and other seaweeds used as food around the world.
NICE recommends life changing technology is rolled out to people with type 1 diabetes
Thousands of people with type 1 diabetes could be offered wearable technology to help them manage their condition following the publication of final draft guidance by NICE. Professor Partha Kar, national specialty adviser for diabetes at NHS England, said: “This is amazing news for people living with type 1 diabetes.”
Clinical trial and real-world evidence show that hybrid closed loop systems are more effective than standard care at maintaining blood glucose levels within a healthy range. Evidence suggests that the systems appear to be more effective for people with higher long-term average blood glucose levels.
NICE has agreed with NHS England that all children and young people, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, and those people who already have an insulin pump will be first to be offered a hybrid closed loop system as part of a 5-year roll-out plan.
This research study helps us understand—and better prepare for—the post-COVID-19 era of cardiovascular risk.
Breaking News | ADA/American Diabetes Association
Extra Weight, Extra Risk
Being overweight raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. It can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, and high blood glucose (sugar). If you are overweight, losing weight may help you prevent and manage these conditions. And you don't have to lose a lot to improve your health—even losing 10–15 pounds can make a big difference.
ED, too.
2 hours ago — Learn about early diabetes symptoms, diabetic diet information, diabetes care, type 1 diabetes, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Apr 5, 2023 — Diabetes factsheet from WHO providing key facts and information on types of diabetes, symptoms, common consequences, economic impact, …
WHO: Diabetes
- The number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. Prevalence has been rising more rapidly in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
- Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.
- Between 2000 and 2019, there was a 3% increase in diabetes mortality rates by age.
- In 2019, diabetes and kidney disease due to diabetes caused an estimated 2 million deaths.
- A healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
- Diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication and regular screening and treatment for complications.
Current Issue - American Diabetes Association
High doses of exogenous glucagon stimulate insulin secretion and reduce insulin clearance in healthy humans
Glucagon is generally defined as a counter-regulatory hormone with a primary role to raise blood glucose concentrations by increasing endogenous glucose production (EGP) in response to hypoglycemia. However, glucagon has long been known to stimulate insulin release, and recent preclinical findings support a paracrine action of glucagon directly on islet β-cells that augments secretion. In mice, the insulinotropic effect of glucagon is glucose dependent and not present during basal euglycemia. To test the hypothesis that the relative effects of glucagon on hepatic and islet function were also varied with blood glucose, a group of healthy subjects received glucagon (100 ng/kg) during fasting glycemia or experimental hyperglycemia (~150 mg/dl) on two separate days. During fasting euglycemia, administration of glucagon caused blood glucose to rise due to increased EGP, with a delayed increase of insulin secretion. When given during experimental hyperglycemia, glucagon caused a rapid, 3-fold increase in insulin secretion, as well as a more gradual increase in EGP. Under both conditions, insulin clearance was decreased in response to glucagon infusion. The insulinotropic action of glucagon, which is proportional to elevated levels of blood glucose, suggests distinct physiologic roles in the fasting and prandial states.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with cognitive impairment and a twofold increased risk of dementia compared with age-matched individuals without diabetes. Given that the eye and the brain share similar embryologic origin and anatomical features, the retina offers a unique window to the brain. People with type 2 diabetes and MCI demonstrate alterations in retinal structure and metabolism, suggesting noninvasive retinal markers may be useful to detect people with type 2 diabetes at risk for cognitive dysfunction.
Latest Diabetes News
Five clinical trials are recruiting participants to see how well the investigational drug orforglipron can improve blood glucose levels and reduce body weight.
Orforglipron is a once-daily oral
GLP-1 receptor agonist being developed by Eli Lilly. The latest data for orforglipron showed A1C reductions of up to 2.1% and weight loss of up to 22 pounds over 26 weeks.
Diabetes Research, Education, Advocacy | ADA
Leading the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes for those affected by it through research funding, community services, education and advocacy.
Diabetes
AI could help diagnose diabetes in 10 seconds through voice analysis
- Researchers developed a highly accurate model tool by analyzing six-to-ten-second voice clips from participants — some of whom had diabetes and some of whom did not — recorded on their smartphones.
- The study found that changes in pitch and voice strength were significant for diagnosing diabetes.
- The authors of the study hope that their research will eventually lead to a simple, in-home test for diabetes.
Low muscle mass may increase death risk among people with diabetes
Sarcopenia has to do with low muscle mass and low strength. People with sarcopenia may have a more challenging time completing activities of daily living. They may have a higher risk of falling.
People with obesity, people who have insulin resistance or diabetes may be at a higher risk for developing sarcopenia.
The study found low muscle mass was associated with an increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality. They further concluded that this risk is directly related to the effects of sarcopenia instead of indirectly through poor blood sugar control, complications of small blood vessels, or frailty.
Causes of sarcopenia are generally attributable to the natural processes of aging, which are not entirely understood and are multifaceted. Factors contributing to its development include decreased type II muscle fiber size and number, inactivity, obesity, insulin resistance, reduced androgen and growth factor serum concentrations, inadequate protein intake, and a blunted muscle protein synthesis (MPS) response to protein meals or resistance exercise.
Physical activity, particularly resistance training, effectively attenuates muscle loss and improves strength in sarcopenia, providing a means of both preventing and managing the condition.[74][75] Additionally, increasing total protein intake through supplementation or food sources can help prevent and manage sarcopenia. Specifically, consuming 20-35 grams of protein per meal is advised, as such amounts provide sufficient amino acid content to maximize MPS, thus minimizing age-related muscle loss.[76] Additionally, patients with sarcopenia are recommended to consume 1.0 - 1.2 g/kg (body weight)/day.[77] Furthermore, the greatest effects are observed when resistance training and high protein diets are combined and appear to act synergistically.[78]
Diabetes - STAT News
The latest news and research on diabetes, insulin resistance and the ever-present pursuit of a possible diabetes cure. Articles here span a range of ...
A growing number of U.S. states, cities, and counties are suing insulin makers and PBMs [pharmacy benefit managers]
In recent weeks, state officials in Utah and Arizona, and municipalities in New York, Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio have filed lawsuits alleging that the companies artificially drove up the cost of insulin, making the medication unaffordable for countless residents who have diabetes and causing the governments to overpay for the medication.
Such claims are hardly new. Over the past few years, various lawsuits, some of which were also filed by consumers, alleged that Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk conspired with the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers — Express Scripts, OptumRx, and CVS Caremark — to profit from a complicated scheme involving lockstep pricing, favorable insurance coverage, and secret rebate fees.