Diabeties Diets - For Life Improvement

Basically, there are two types of diabetes, 1 and 2. Type 1 is much less common than Type 2, and occurs before the age of 40.

Type 1 is associated with a lack of insulin, and without enough insulin you cannot maintain a normal blood glucose level. This in turn causes hyperglycemia, or an overabundance of sugar in the blood. This is a dangerous condition.

Type 2 is much more common, and develops later in life, usually when someone is overweight, and with poor diet and physical condition. Heredity plays a big role as well.

In Type 2, the problem is resistance to insulin rather than the lack of insulin. The result is the same however, an elevated blood sugar level

The diets and suggestions below are generally for Type 2 sufferers. There are four basic rules to follow:

Achieving an ideal body weight

Following a diabetic diet

Regular daily exercise

Diabetic medication if needed

Your doctor will know your ideal weight. Ideal weight differs from one's skeletal and genetic (and racial) factors. Let a doctor give you your ideal weight and then you must work to achieve it.

The diabetic diet (as guidelines) is outlined below.

Daily exercise, especially walking is very good for Type 2 diabetics.

Your doctor will have given you some medication. Take it per the prescription instructions.

The Diet

People with Type 2 diabetes generally are put on a 1500-1800 calorie diet per day to promote weight loss and then the maintenance of ideal body weight.

This always varies according to the person's age, sex, activity level, current weight and body type. More obese individuals will need more calories initially until their weight is less.

This is because it takes more calories to maintain a larger body and a 1600 calorie diet for them may promote weight loss that is too fast and will promote complications. Also, people whose activity level is low will have less daily caloric needs.

The diet will generally have about 50% carbohydrates of the daily calories (with an acceptable range from 40 to 60%).

As a general rule the lower the carbohydrate intake the lower the sugar levels in the blood. The benefits of the low calorie diet can be cancelled out by the problems associated with a higher fat diet substituted for the lower amount of carbohydrates. You can counter this by substituting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats.

Count your carbohydrates!

You can figure that each gram of carbohydrate is about 4 calories. A diabetic on a 1600 calorie diet should get 50% of these calories from carbohydrate.

This would be a total of 800 calories or 200 gms of carbohydrate (at 4 calories per gram) spread out over the day. You will need food tables (from diet books and also read those labels in all foods you buy).

There are some foods that you are able to enjoy without counting their food values. A good example is:

Bouillon or broth

Carbonated or mineral water

Club soda

Coffee or tea

Diet soft drinks

Drink mixes, sugar-free

Tonic water, sugar free

Sugar-free hard candy

Sugar-free Jell-O

Sugar-free gum

Jam or jelly, light or low-sugar, 2 tsp.

Sugar free syrup, 2 tsp.

You can eat foods with some sugar in it, but it will use up both your calories and carbohydrate requirements with poor nutritional value. Go for fruit. People with diabetes can eat any kind of fruit, regardless of the sugar content.

Everyone is encouraged to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Spreading the fruit you eat through the day will avoid a sudden rise in blood glucose levels.

Although some fruits have a lower glycogenic index, which shows how foods affect blood glucose levels, the important thing is to increase the amount of fruit you eat, including a wide variety of different fruits. Eating lots of fruit will also promote good heath and weight loss.

You can also eat as many vegetables as you wish.

None are forbidden except if you classify a potato as a vegetable. It is not. The goal here is to eat only the best quality foods, have 50% of your calories from carbohydrates, and then lose weight till you achieve the ideal.

Along with these diet guidelines and your medication, you can look forward to a healthy and normal life.

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Pre-Diabetes; Are You At Risk?

When your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes, you have a condition known as impaired glucose tolerance, or pre diabetes. Pre diabetes is usually accompanied by insulin resistance, and most people that are diagnosed with it go on to develop type 2 diabetes within a 10 year period.

Are You At Risk?

If you are over 45 years of age, are overweight, have a history of diabetes or gestational diabetes, have high blood pressure or are from a minority group with a higher risk of diabetes (Hispanic, African American, American Indian, Asian American/Pacific Islanders), you are at a higher risk of having pre diabetes and developing diabetes.

Detecting Pre Diabetes

Two tests are mainly used in detecting the presence of pre-diabetes:

In a fasting plasma glucose test, fasting glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.

In an oral glucose tolerance test, blood glucose levels between 140 and 199 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.

Pre diabetes symptoms are gradual and often go unnoticed. Many people have pre diabetes and diabetes without even knowing it. If any of the risks factor described above apply to you, talk to your doctor about getting tested. Other symptoms that you may notice include increased appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Pre Diabetes Treatment - The Good News!

Detecting pre diabetes early and following the needed treatment can actually reverse the condition and possibly bring blood glucose levels back to normal. Lifestyle changes are the effective way of treating pre diabetes and delaying or even preventing the development of type 2 diabetes. The health choices that you make on a daily basis can make a huge difference on your diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. If you make the needed lifestyle changes and follow your doctor's advice, your will dramatically lower your risks.

The needed lifestyle changes include:

o A healthy, low carb diet

o Staying physically active.

o Loosing weight

Talk to your doctor and come up with a plan that will fit you and your lifestyle best in order to keep pre diabetes under control.

Conclusion

Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous condition that is many times preceded by pre diabetes. Remember that you have the power to do something about it! If you act early and follow the needed lifestyle changes, educate yourself and work with your health care team, you can definitely slow down or even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and the complications associated with it.

For more information on diabetes visit Your Life with Diabetes

Jesus Chirino is webmaster of Your Life with Diabetes [http://www.yourlifewithdiabetes.com], a website dedicated to providing free diabetes information and resources.

Diabetes Symptoms - Early Symptoms of Diabetes, Diet, Facts and Info

The early symptoms of diabetes are often taken for granted as the norm. Diabetes (type 2 specifically) is at an all time high in the United States door to a number of various factors such as environment, work habits and poor diet. It is said that today's nine-to-five lifestyle of the average American is the breeding ground for this disease. So how does one stay safe from this disease when it is so common among today's adults? The key is in early detection of the symptoms of diabetes and taking action in order to make a healthy change.

So what are the common diabetes symptoms?

The common diabeties symptoms include the following: excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme weightloss or gain, highly increased fatigue, irritability, increased hunger, blurry vision, confusion, upon many other symptoms of diabeties. One extremely important thing to consider is that these symptoms do not mean you have diabetes, they are simply warning signs and should be used as "red flags" in order to get checked out by a medical professional. In other words, it is common for everyone to experience one or more of theses symptoms every now and then, but should not be ignored either. If these symptoms persist or come back repeatedly or if you experience more than one of these diabetes symptoms at a time, it may be time to visit the doctor to get tested.

Only a medical professional can diagnose whether or not you have diabetes through simple blood tests. The key to treatment is early detection. In addition, preventative maintenance is key to not falling victim to this disease. In addition, diabetes can be inherited through other family members. If you have a history of diabetes within your family, you may be at greater risk for this disease.

What is a proper diabetes diet?

There is a vast amount of information available on the topic of diabetes diets. As a rule of thumb, you should eat the way most medical professionals would want you to eat normally. The diabetes diet is considered quite possibly, the healthiest way to eat. Diabetics should eat small portions throughout the day, a healthy breakfast and a diet of regulated carbs as a routine. Many diabetics take cinnamon supplements as cinnomon can help regulate blood/sugar levels in the body. It is highly suggested that if you currently have diabetes, that you get involved in your own study of the disease and take part in programs that can help you cope and treat your disease.

If you don't have diabetes, but you may be at risk, there is no other time like the present to take action to ensure that you do not become afflicted with diabetes. This is your best chance at avoiding the risks associated with this disease. If you think you may be at risk, there is no time like the present to start making changes in your diet and lifestyle to avoid further declination in your health.

Studies have also shown that not getting enough sleep also contributes to your chances of getting diabetes, and those who have diabetes, it is more important than ever to get enough restful sleep every night. Sleep is highly under-rated in today's society but lack of sleep can easily cause a multitude of long-term health problems and should be taken seriously. Like sleep, exercise, even a short walk every day, can greatly increase your health and put you further away from the risks associated with diabetes.

Is there a diabetes cure?

This is a highly argued topic as the diabetes symptoms can be suppressed so much that they are almost, if not completely, undetectable. There are many programs online that use a variety of methods that can do such things. The generals are completely important; sleep, diet and exercise are key! Like mentioned before, it is highly recommended in getting in to a diabetes treatment program as to progressively attack this disease head-on.

The best thing you can do whether you have diabetes, know someone that has diabetes, or are at-risk for diabetes, is get informed, get educated and take action towards better health.

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Diabetes in Cats

It's scary when you first know your cat has diabetis but once you start understanding the disease and get more used to the monitoring it becomes easier for you and your kitty.

Informing yourself of the disease is crucial, its not the same as human diabetis and its a complex disease that you need to inform yourself about.Don't feel overwhelmed by the amount of information. Get all the info printed and make it a point to read them every night until you basically have learned the info by heart.

First of all, Feline diabetes is extremely difficult to regulate. Feline metabolism is simply not designed to be diabetes friendly. By "regulate," we mean finding the correct insulin dosage for steady, healthy blood sugar levels.Feline metabolism is built specifically for short, fast bursts of power and speed, not long chases, unlike dogs. It can take a very long time to find the right dose of insulin, and the "right" dose can change on you with little or no notice. Stress, even things that don't appear to us to be stressful, can set off sugar spikes in cats.

Thus, you MUST monitor your cat at all times. At any sign of trouble,at least call your vet. You'll get better over time at recognizing what needs immediate attention.

Signs of trouble (over-insulin) include:

Balance loss, unsteady walking (they'll act drunk ...)

Head shaking

Sudden craziness - this is different from the regular feline nightly run around and be active craziness. Sometimes, the cat might let out a horrible witchy yowl at top voice, spin madly around chasing its own tail 4-5 times, jump in the air, fall on the sides, pant and ultimately even lose consciousness.

So, in such instances have a light corn syrup handy. If you over-insulin (which is all too easily done) you will need to get come easy sugar into your cat FAST.

The insulin is given subcutaneaously, that is, directly under the top layer of skin, and NOT into the blood. What you'll do is lift your cat's skin somewhere around the scruff or near that area, just as you would do to check hydration (something you'll want to do daily, by the way ...) You'll then have a little tent of skin lifted off from the body. You'll insert the the needle along the long line of the tent (think of a long pole supporting the tent like a roof line) rather than from side to side of the tent. Inject and you're done. You'll get to where you can do it easily.

Never give another shot if you think you missed the shot (sometimes you can make a mistake and give the shot to the fur.. which isn't helpful at all!) but its always best for your kitty to skip a dose than have a double shot.

Eating is crucial - and it is equally crucial that your cat eats something immediately before or after the insulin shot (just like human diabetics). This can be difficult, as cats often don't eat when they don't feel well, so start finding all the creative treats you can find that will entice your cat.You can probably try home-made (no salt or spices) chicken broth, which gels when cold; baby food (all meat, NO spices, particularly onion powder, which is poisonous to cats); wet food (from the vet, particularly made for kidney problems); TUNA (the special favorite.) Experiment, but don't go overboard, and remember that however 'underboard' is more dangerous.

As the diabetes progresses, be on the watch for other complications; Joint problems , need for heat, blindness. You'll need to make environmental changes to accommodate such things as they develop. Some cats can come down with renal failure as a secondary condition to the diabetes. These are all treatable, but it will add to the adjustments you and your cat will need to make.

Find out where your nearest emergency animal hospital/clinic is NOW before you need that information. Because you will need it.Unless you are extremely blessed, there will be at least once or twice that you will need to rush your cat for immediate care, because he goes into diabetic coma (the warnings I mentioned above.) Keep the number someplace where you can find it at a moment's notice.

Towels are your friend. They can be used to wrap a cat who struggles when given shots; they can be used to put under a cat who is retching to catch the vomit (towels, unlike rugs and floors, are easily thrown into a washing machine!);they can make emergency beds as the cat's ability to navigate the environment changes. They can be used with plastic to catch extraneous urine around the litterbox (again - washable!).

Periodically ,talk to your vet about cat's diet. He may already be on lower-protein food. If not, it may be time to introduce it. Kidney problems necessitate lower protein foods than normal

This can be a harsh statement, but to be realistic, Diabetes in cats is fatal -- you may have weeks or years, depending on how well your cat's blood levels regulate. Now is the time for the two of you to come to an agreement about what constitutes a quality-of-life threshold. Only you and your cat can decide when that is for the two of you. But it is a conversation you should start, now,while you can still enjoy yourselves together as you have it.

Anand Srinivasan is the author of Tech Crunchies and Stats, a website of varied themes and topics for the internet surfer who wants to surf but does not know what to!

Diabetes: 24,000 Deaths A Year Blamed On NHS

Widespread failings in NHS diabetic care cause 24,000 unnecessary deaths every year, a report has warned.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report found treatment for diabetic patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another.

In some regions, only 6% of sufferers received the recommended levels of care compared to 69% in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs).

Across England only half of people with diabetes received the recommended standards of care in 2009 to 2010.

But not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK , said: "This report shows that diabetes healthcare in England is not meeting the challenge and that much of the colossal amount of money being spent on it is being wasted.

"But by using the money we already spend on diabetes more wisely, we could stop 24,000 people dying unnecessarily every year.

"Action is needed now. Escalating diabetes costs threaten to wreck the NHS budget so this is an issue that affects all of us, not just people with diabetes."

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "There is no excuse for delivering anything but the best diabetes care.

"Nice (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance and Quality Standards set out what good care looks like.

"By exposing poor practice and shining a light on best practice, we are determined to drive up standards for everyone.

"We are already working on a new outcomes strategy covering long-term health conditions and are committed to publishing a companion document on diabetes later this year."

The worst offenders were Mid Essex and Swindon PCTs where less than 9% of patients were given the nine basic tests which are recommended by the Department of Health (DH).

The report's authors said: "The Department holds information to assess performance but there is a lack of accountability for PCTs who fail to ensure that the recommended standards of care are met."

It also claimed the NHS does not "clearly understand" the costs of diabetes at a local level and is therefore finding it difficult to deliver diabetes services in the most effective way.

The report said: "People with diabetes require regular review of clinical indicators of disease progression.

"Without regular monitoring and treatment, this damage can lead to complications such as blindness, amputation and kidney disease."

View the original article here

'Failings' on diabetes condemned

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News  People with diabetes need to check their blood sugar levels on a regular basis Standards for diabetes care are still not being met in England - 11 years after they were set, a report suggests.

The Department of Health recommended in 2001 that patients should receive nine basic services, including cholesterol and blood pressure monitoring, eye screening and foot examinations.

But the National Audit Office analysis said despite improvements, just half of patients were getting the checks.

The government said the NAO had taken only a "snapshot" of care.

The watchdog also criticised ministers for not having a grip on costs.

It said the NHS was spending at least £3.9bn a year on diabetes - three times more than ministers had estimated.

'Failed to deliver'

But the watchdog said better management of patients could save £170m a year through fewer hospital admissions and less complex treatment. About 24,000 unnecessary deaths could be prevented too.

More than 2.3m people are diagnosed as having diabetes.

Without effective care, patients can develop a range of complications, including blindness, amputation and kidney disease.

NAO head Amyas Morse said the Department of Health had "failed to deliver".

And he said without action, the expected rise in diabetes - by 2020 numbers are forecast to jump by a quarter - would have a "major impact on NHS resources".

The report also points out the NHS reorganisation has led to many diabetes specialists in the community leaving their posts.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the findings were a "damning indictment of the current approach to the condition".

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said plans were already in place to improve services.

But he added: "There is no excuse for delivering anything but the best diabetes care."

View the original article here

Natural Solutions For Living With Diabetes

Diabetes is a ever growing concern in today's world. It has had its largest impact in the in the western world as we become ever busier with time crunches, due dates and quotas to meet. During earlier years diabetes was not nearly as much of an issue. Many believe this is the result of many differences in society, for example having more physical jobs rather than desk jobs, lack of preservatives in food as opposed to food saturated in preservatives today, people also ate a much more balanced diet rather than eating fast food in a hurry. Many would agree that this major change in our society and the way we live pose the greatest threat for those dealing with diabeties or in danger of acquiring diabetes.

Another real danger in this world is the overwhelming amount of carbohydrates that we regularly consume. Now carbohydrates, also known as carbs are essential for energy production in the body with the help of insulin. There are good carbs and bad carbs as well. certain sugars can cause extreme irregularities in the blood sugar levels of the body and can literally take the body on blood sugar roller coaster. Todays foods that are most prevelent in today's fast paced world are full of these bad carbs as well as other elements that also contribute to poor health and blood sugar stability.

Another big contributor to the overwhelming cases of diabetes, especially in the western world is the lack of exercise. Today it is more and more common for people to have desk jobs, in which they sit in front of a computer eight to ten hours a day and go home and watch television for another three to four. This is another flaw that has been woven in to our diabetic society which most certainly plays a role in so many people who acquire this disease.

So what needs to be done? Many of the common diabetes symptoms seem almost common in today's world. We should be extremely mindful of what we eat such as organic foods that are non processed. A rich diet in whole foods and more importantly a well balanced diet, eating at regulated times of the day can significantly reduce the chances of getting diabetes and can lower the symptoms of those who already have this disease. Another important concept is to remember to get regular exercise, whether that means riding a bike or walking to work, getting a gym membership or doing any little thing possible to keep in motion can also reduce your chances of getting this horrible disease as well as reduce the common diabetes symptoms.

In short, what we put in is what we get out. Above anything, respect of your body will provide long lasting benefits as well as your mental outlook and help you in the fight against diabetes.

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Green Tea Diet Pills Jump Start Your Fat Burning And Diabeties Fighting Ability

Green tea diet pills are a good way in which you can educe your weight. It is also widely recognized as a substance that can protect against many different cancers such as stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, cancer of the colon, oral cancer, prostate cancer, and breast and cervical cancers.

Green Tea Diet is standardized and tested to ensure that each tablet delivers the active. But the basic and best advantage of super green tea diet is that it helps in burning calories by promoting sugar and fat metabolism.

Benefits

More than four thousand years ago, green tea diet has become a staple beverage for most Asians because of its countless health and medicinal benefits. It seems that each study yields more benefits of the tea.

One of the benefits of having such diet is providing a potential cure for cancer. Rather it's about supplementing your diet with green tea so that you can receive its weight loss benefits that go along with that.

Some people even call it weight loss tea as it has benefits including increasing metabolic rates and fat burning ability, as well as providing antioxidants that help decrease free radicals in your body.

There are a large number of remedial benefits of drinking Green Tea and research has confirmed that consuming a small amount like just one cup a day can greatly assist in weight reduction and fat burning. What you have to do is incorporate the tea into your daily diet, which needs to be a healthy and balanced one, for the benefits to really show.

Diabetes

In the US, there are over 20 million people with diabetes, equal to 7% of the population. Do you or a loved one need all the help you can get managing this condition.

Diabetes and excess weight are very closely related; the risk increases with weight gain. Dietary supplementation with EGCG could potentially contribute to nutritional strategies for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

New herbal supplement product uses green tea and cinnamon for controlling diabetes. Consult doctor before use if you have, or have had, diabetes, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, ulcer, iron-deficiency, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, kidney, liver, or heart problems; gastrointestinal disorder, heartburn, gallstones, fever, a bleeding disorder, if you are sensitive to caffeine, if you smoke or consume alcohol daily or if you are taking any medications or remedies such as blood thinners, daily aspirin, asthma, cold or flu remedies; antidepressants, ulcer, antipsychotic or migraine medications, birth control pills or stimulants.

Conclusion

Creating a green tea diet is not about going on a liquid diet where all you consume is green tea. If you want to jump-start your fat-burning ability, then this is the product for you.

The truth is that the astounding weight loss being achieved on the Green Tea diet is just one of the numerous miracle-like benefits of simply drinking it. A combination of this with the green tea diet is a successful and effective method for maintaining health and physique or also losing weight. The Green Tea diet is all natural and is healthy providing additional benefits to their body as well.

Retired from active professional life. Paul Rodgers concentrates his energies promoting healthy lifestyle. His internet marketing is done by ways of his websites. You are invited to visit : http://dietea4u.com/

Diabetes report shock

 By Laurence Cawley

DIABETES treatment is a postcode lottery with one of Essex’s health areas being cited as one of the nation’s worst areas in a report by the National Audit Office (NAO), it emerged last night.

Published today, the NAO survey highlights a massive variation in care quality from region to region.

In some regions, only 6% of sufferers received the recommended levels of care compared to 69% in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs).

Not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

The report highlighted Mid Essex PCT as one of the worst performers with less than 9% of patients getting the nine basic tests recommended by the Department of Health (DH).

Mid Essex last night hit back saying the figures used by the NAO - which relate to 2009-2010 - are out of date, did not factor in the PCT’s use of a different test to the one audited and did not reflect the care now being given to people with diabetes.

According to the NAO, the DH was not holding poorly performing PCTs to account.

The authors say: “The Department holds information to assess performance but there is a lack of accountability for PCTs who fail to ensure that the recommended standards of care are met.”

The report says: “People with diabetes require regular review of clinical indicators of disease progression.

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: “The DH has failed to deliver diabetes care to the standard it set out as long ago as 2001.

“This has resulted in people with diabetes developing avoidable complications, in a high number of preventable deaths and in increased costs for the NHS.

“The expected 23% increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS recourses unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved.”

A spokeswoman for Mid Essex PCT said: “We have looked closely at this audit and it does not present a true picture of diabetic care in our area in 2012.

“The National Diabetes Audit (NDA) is based on 2009/10 data. It shows that NHS Mid Essex is in the mid range for seven out of the nine care processes that have been measured but there are two care processes that have significantly reduced our overall score.

“One relates to a routine blood test for creatinine that GPs order for diabetic patients. We believe that diabetic patients in mid Essex are receiving this test routinely as our Quality and Outcome Framework Figures (QOF) from our GP practices indicate this. It seems that this information was not captured by the NDA system in 09/10.

“The second relates to protein testing. The test used in mid Essex was different to the one in the national audit but was equally as effective so people with diabetes in mid Essex were not disadvantaged. We now commission the protein test that the NDA measures.

“Since 2009/10 progress has been made in a number of the care process areas. We are also making a number of improvements to diabetic care that are not measured by this audit including developing more integrated commissioning for diabetic patients so that local access to services improves and care is more ‘joined up’.

“A handbook for diabetic patients, to enable them to record and plan their care more effectively has been developed and piloted. We will be distributing this to all GP practices in mid Essex by August 2012.”

View the original article here

How Do Snacks Loaded With Sugar Relate to Diabeties

It is a common notion that a person with diabetes is advised not to eat anything that is loaded with sugar. Most patients with diabetes tend to stay away from sweets because sugar is a big "NO" to their diet. However, the truth is that small amounts of sugar are allowed for a diabetic patient.

Experts state that a person with diabetes can eat small portions of sweets as long as they maintain healthy lifestyle and diet.

Sweets do not actually cause blood sugar levels to shoot up anymore than products which are made up of starch with the same amount of calories. In fact, sugar is just one form of carbohydrates.

Still, it is not advisable to load up on sweets if the goal is to lose weight, keep fit and maintain an ideal blood sugar level.

Reading Food Labels

If you are a person with diabetes, Practice Reading Food Labels and Nutrition Information. This way, you can determine just how much carbohydrates or sugar you are taking.

Food Substitution

It is also important that you Practice Food Substitution. This is essential in the diabetes diet.

EXAMPLE

Let's say you want to have some cookies today, you will have to remove something from your diet today to compensate. The cookies will substitute for what you will remove in your diet. If you are supposed to have chicken breast and potatoes, you will have to give up the potato and go for just the chicken breast.

Do not forget that snacks loaded with sugar can make you gain weight fast. Being overweight is not advisable for patients with diabetes. For weight control and maintenance, set your limits on sweets and be smart with your food choices.

Check Blood Sugar Levels

If you are considering eating some snacks loaded with sugar, make it a habit to check your blood sugar level.

Consult Your Doctor

If you want to make some diet modifications, CONSULT your doctor first. The doctor can discuss and advise you on the things you need to observe based on your type of diabetes particularly planning your diet and maintaining your weight control.

If you are a person with diabetes and having difficulty with weight control, you should consider using ProShapeRx Pills along with a healthy diet and regular physical exercise. Its ingredients are 100% Pure and Natural, with no harmful side effects.

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East Anglia ‘faring better than most’ in diabetes postcode lottery

Treatment for diabetic patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another, according to a report which reveals that East Anglia is faring better than most areas.

In some regions, only 6pc of people with diabetes received the recommended levels of care compared to 69pc in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs), a National Audit Office (NAO) report found.

But not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes, which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease, to 100pc of patients.

In Norfolk, 61pc of patients were given the nine tests which are recommended by the Department of Health (DH), which put it in the highest percentage bracket of between 60pc and 69pc for trusts in the country.

Cambridgeshire and Suffolk were placed in the second highest-performing group of PCTs, with between 50pc and 55pc of patients receiving the tests. Great Yarmouth and Waveney was in the same group, with 57pc of patients.

The worst offenders were Mid Essex and Swindon PCTs, where less than 9pc of patients received the tests in 2009 to 2010.

The report said that the DH is not holding poorly performing PCTs to account.

NHS Norfolk and Waveney says diabetes is a condition which patients routinely manage themselves, supported by their GP or practice nurse.

Dr Alistair Lipp, medical director of NHS Norfolk and Waveney, said: “We do not rest on our laurels; all GP Practices in England are offered financial incentives to deliver all of these care processes and there are clinically-led networks across Norfolk and Waveney which promote good practice.

“We would advise all patients to attend for diabetes check-ups when invited to do so by their GP.”

Without regular monitoring and treatment, diabetics can experience complications such as blindness, amputation and kidney disease.

The authors of the report recommend that services for the growing number of people suffering from the disease are “adequate” to help minimise additional costs which are generated by diabetes-related complications.

NHS Suffolk has been holding regular sessions to help GPs learn how to better manage difficult cases of diabetes with Ipswich Hospital diabetes consultants offering them advice.

Dr Mark Lim, a public health doctor for NHS Suffolk, said: “Diabetes care is really important which is why we have enhanced the GP contract to include more services at locations closer to patients and why we have been buying time from hospital consultants to advise GPs on better management.”

South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon said: “The National Audit Office couldn’t be clearer. Having set standards for care way back in 2001, the Department of Health has been failing diabetes patients for over a decade.

“Only half of diabetes patients have received the recommended levels of care and estimates show that up to 24,000 people die each year of avoidable diabetes-related complications.

“This isn’t good enough. The NHS’s treatment standards have been in place for over a decade and it is unacceptable that they still are not being met. The Department of Health needs to do more to ensure that people with diabetes get the care they need.”

The NAO is warning an expected 23pc increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS resources unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “It has been clear for the last 10 years what needs to happen to fix the problem, but the plan the government published on this has never been implemented.

“Action is needed now and escalating diabetes costs threaten to wreck the NHS budget so this is an issue that affects all of us, not just people with diabetes.”

kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk

View the original article here

Diabetes Population May Rise To 53 Million Within 13 Years In USA

By the year 2025, researchers predict that 53.1 million individuals in the United States will have diabetes (mainly type 2 diabetes) - a 64% increase from 2010. The study is published in Population Health Management

Diabetes is a life long disease in which there are high levels of glucose in the blood. In type 1 diabetes the body does not produce insulin and in type 2 diabetes the body either produces insufficient amounts of insulin or ignores it.

William Rowley, M.D., and Clement Bezold, Ph.D., Institute for Alternative Futures (Alexandria, VA) projected the dramatic increase using their Diabetes 2025 Model. In addition, the model enables the researchers to estimate the potential benefits of society-wide changes in lifestyle and healthcare delivery systems to reduce the burden of diabetes.

Over the last thirty years, obesity rates in the USA have grown steady, as have rates of diabetes, mainly type 2

Journal Editor-in-Chief David B. Nash, M.D., MBA, Dean, Jefferson School of Population Health, Philadelphia, PA, said:

"Diabetes is now a national security issue as it threatens all aspects
of our nation's well-being."

Diabetes Type 2 is mainly a result of becoming overweight/obese and long-term physical inactivity, while Diabetes Type 1 is the result of an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas; mistaking them for pathogens (harmful substances or organisms). Diabetes type 2 is a preventable chronic-disease, while diabetes type 1 is not. Diabetes type 1 has nothing to do with lifestyle.

In an Abstract in the same journal, the authors concluded:

"This research is important because little data exist that project the future prevalence and potential costs of diabetes at the state and metro area level. With this data, key stakeholders can make informed decisions concerning diabetes, its impact on their communities, and resource allocation."

Written By Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our diabetes section for the latest news on this subject. "Creating Public Awareness: State 2025 Diabetes Forecasts"
William R. Rowley and Clement Bezold
Population Health Management, May 2012, doi: 10.1089/pop.2011.0053. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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Grace Rattue. "Diabetes Population May Rise To 53 Million Within 13 Years In USA." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 18 May. 2012. Web.
24 May. 2012. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

posted by rusty on 23 May 2012 at 12:31 pm

Your projections are nonsense! You fail to take into account that various diabetes organizations continue to lower the blood sugar number which defines diabetes, thus automatically including more of the marginal patients. There is no diabetes epidemic.

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Diabetes Dramatically on the Rise Among Teenagers - Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)

Nearly a quarter of American children and adolescents is developing type 2 diabetes or has already the disease, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published in the journal Pediatrics. Diabetes and other metabolic conditions seem to spread more rapidly among the young and are harder to treat than in adults.

The study also found that over 50 percent of overweight and obese teenagers had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Prediabetes and diabetes rates rose faster than other lifestyle-related diseases among adolescents. “This was unexpected, especially since obesity has been leveling off,” said Dr. Ashleigh May, a researcher at the CDC and lead author of the study report.

The term “prediabetes” refers to higher than normal blood sugar levels and the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes and other risks factors for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, according to the CDC.

Not too long ago, type 2 diabetes was known as adult onset diabetes because it was virtually unheard of affecting children. But with the growing childhood obesity epidemic in recent years, more youngsters are being diagnosed with the disease every year.

Even normal-weight children are not completely safe. Of those thinner kids, 37 percent have at least one heart risk factor, said Dr. May. “Anyone who’s eating a diet high in sugar and fat will likely have problems, even if it isn’t apparent in their weight,” said Dr. Dorothy Becker, chief of endocrinology and diabetes at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. “If they don’t make a change, then they’ll carry all of these risk factors into adulthood, and that’s like having a ticking time bomb over your head. You don’t necessarily know when it’s going to go off, but it’s likely that it will,” she added.

Dr. Mark Hyman, chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine and founder of The UltraWellness Center as well as bestselling author of “The Blood Sugar Solution,” agrees. “One in three children born today will have diabetes in their lifetime. We are raising the first generation of Americans to live sicker and die younger than their parents. Life expectancy is actually declining for the first time in human history,” he warned.

Even the distinction between prediabetes and diabetes he considers as meaningless. “Prediabetes is not ‘pre’ anything,” he said. “It is a deadly disease driving our biggest killers – heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia and more. So if your doctor has diagnosed you with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome, don’t think that you are only at risk for something “in the future,” such as diabetes or heart attack. The problem is happening right know.”

In response to study reports like these, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that children and adolescents undergo regular check-ups of their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The good news is that these developments are largely reversible and avoidable in the future through dietary changes and lifestyle improvements. “The big message here is that children and teenagers need more help with following a healthy diet and staying physically active,” said Dr. May.

Obviously parents are the first line of defense when it comes to their children’s health and well-being. But society has a role to play as well – nutrition and health education in all public schools being one of them.

In all likelihood this latest CDC study will be dismissed (like most others) in the public discourse as just another “doomsday” report that can be ignored. In truth, however, an entire generation’s future is at stake. If we continue on the path we are currently on, we are going to become a nation where being sick is normal and good health is the rare exception. It doesn’t have to come to that.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

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Diabetes care in 'state of crisis'

Diabetes care in England is in a "state of crisis" with less than half of people with the condition getting the basic minimum care, a new report warns.

According to the State of the Nation 2012 report, published by Diabetes UK, there are some areas where just 6% of people with diabetes are getting the regular checks and services recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice).

The report details how not getting these checks has helped fuel a rise in rates of diabetes-related complications such as amputation, blindness, kidney failure and stroke.

These complications account for about 80% of NHS spending on diabetes and are one of the main reasons that treating diabetes costs about 10% of the entire NHS budget, Diabetes UK said.

The report also shows that a National Service Framework for diabetes - setting out the healthcare which diabetes patients should get - has been in place for 11 years but has not become a reality.

Diabetes UK is calling on the Government to urgently deliver a plan to implement these standards.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "We already know that diabetes is costing the NHS a colossal amount of money, but this report shows how in exchange for this investment we are getting second rate healthcare that is putting people with diabetes at increased risk of tragic complications and early death.

"Whether showing the number of children with Type 1 diabetes who are only diagnosed at accident and emergency or highlighting the thousands of preventable diabetes-related amputations performed every year, the report shows that diabetes healthcare has drifted into a state of crisis.

"It is a compelling case for change. Above all, the wide variation in standards of care shows the need for a national plan to be put in place for giving people with diabetes the kind of healthcare that can help prevent complications, as well as a greater focus on preventing Type 2 diabetes."

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "There is still much to be done to help tackle diabetes and root out poor care. That is why we are working on a new long term conditions strategy with diabetes as an exemplar. Our focus is on prevention and education, with more done to get earlier diagnoses and to help people manage their conditions themselves. This report and our new strategy will help local NHS services act so that diabetics get the care they need and deserve."

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Report reveals diabetes 'lottery'

Treatment for diabetic patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another, a report has revealed.

In some regions, only 6% of sufferers received the recommended levels of care compared to 69% in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs), a National Audit Office (NAO) report found. But not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

The worst offenders were Mid Essex and Swindon PCTs where less than 9% of patients were given the nine basic tests which are recommended by the Department of Health (DH). The report said that the DH is not holding poorly performing PCTs to account.

The authors say: "The department holds information to assess performance but there is a lack of accountability for PCTs who fail to ensure that the recommended standards of care are met."

It also claims that the NHS does not "clearly understand" the costs of diabetes at a local level and is therefore finding it difficult to deliver diabetes services in the most effective way. Across England only half of people with diabetes received the recommended standards of care in 2009 to 2010.

The report says: "People with diabetes require regular review of clinical indicators of disease progression. Despite the DH setting clear standards for good diabetes care, analysis from general practice records in the 2009-10 National Diabetes Audit found that under half (49%) of people with diabetes received all the care processes recommended for the monitoring of risk factors for tissue damage.

"Without regular monitoring and treatment, this damage can lead to complications such as blindness, amputation and kidney disease."

The review into the management of adult diabetes services in the NHS in England states that up to 24,000 people die each year from avoidable causes relating to diabetes. It said that there is poor performance in expected levels of care, low achievement of treatment standards and high numbers of avoidable deaths.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "There is no excuse for delivering anything but the best diabetes care. Nice (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance and Quality Standards set out what good care looks like. By exposing poor practice and shining a light on best practice, we are determined to drive up standards for everyone."

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said it was a "national disgrace" that only half of people with diabetes received the recommended standards of care in 2009/10.

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Diabetes care provision 'crisis'

People with diabetes need to check their blood sugar Campaigners are warning that diabetes care in England is in "crisis" - with less than half of people getting the basic care they need.

Diabetes UK warns there are some areas where only 6% of people are getting the recommended regular checks and services.

Its head said the State of the Nation 2012 report showed people with diabetes were getting "second rate care".

Ministers said the report would encourage local NHS services to act.

Amputation

Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.

Type 1 diabetes develops if the body cannot produce any insulin and usually develops by the age of 40.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly and in most cases is linked with being overweight.

Between 2006 and 2011 the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in England has increased by 25%, from 1.9m to 2.5m.

Almost all - 90% - have type 2 diabetes.

Continue reading the main story

We could save money by reducing the number of complications and make life immeasurably better for people with diabetes.”

End Quote Barbara Young, Chief executive, Diabetes UK It is also estimated that up to 850,000 people have diabetes but are unaware of it.

Diabetes is now the biggest single cause of amputation, stroke, blindness and kidney failure.

Spending on the condition accounts for around 10% of the NHS budget.

Diabetes UK says that because so many people are missing out on the relevant checks, there has been a rise in complications such as amputation, blindness, kidney failure and stroke.

Such complications account for about 80% of NHS spending on diabetes, it says.

A National Service Framework for diabetes was drawn up in 2001, but the charity says its recommendations are not being followed.

Regular checks

Diabetes UK wants better risk assessment and early diagnosis for people with the condition.

It says a national audit found only 50% of people with diabetes get all the recommended health checks - ranging from 6% in the worst areas to 69% in the best.

For children with diabetes, just 4% have all their annual checks, they claim.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This report shows how in exchange for this investment we are getting second rate healthcare that is putting people with diabetes at increased risk of tragic complications and early death.

"Above all, the wide variation in standards of care shows the need for a national plan to be put in place for giving people with diabetes the kind of healthcare that can help prevent complications, as well as a greater focus on preventing Type 2 diabetes.

"By taking the longer-term approach of investing in making sure people get the basic checks and services, we could save money by reducing the number of complications and make life immeasurably better for people with diabetes."

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said there was still much to be done to tackle diabetes.

"Our focus is on prevention and education, with more done to get earlier diagnoses and to help people manage their conditions themselves.

"This report and our new strategy will help local NHS services act so that diabetics get the care they need and deserve."

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Diabetes timebomb: Only half of NHS patients receiving acceptable care

Less than half the people with diabetes in England receive all the recommended health checks which would reduce the risk of serious complications such as blindness, amputations and kidney disease.

In some regions, only 6 per cent of patients received the nine basic health checks, which monitor patients for tissue damage, compared to 69 per cent in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs), according to the National Audit Office (NAO) report.

Around 24,000 people in England die from avoidable diabetes complications every year, but the variations in care standards mean a person’s risk of being admitted to hospital or dying from diabetes significantly depends on where they live.

The worst offenders were Mid Essex and Swindon PCTs where less than 9 per cent of patients were given the nine basic tests, including blood tests, retina screening and foot examinations, recommended by the Department of Health since 2001 and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence.

But not a single primary care trust carried out all the health checks recommended for diabetic patients, in essence playing Russian roulette with blindness, amputations, stroke and kidney disease.

In addition, less than one in five patients achieve the safe levels for glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, which are all known to increase the risk of diabetic complications.

The report strongly suggests that the DH has failed to get a handle on the spiralling costs of diabetes. According to the NAO’s conservative estimate, diabetes cost the NHS in England £3.9bn in 2009/20 – three times the government’s official figures.

Detecting potential problems earlier, by carrying out the health checks and treating people in the community, would save the NHS £170m every year by slashing hospital admissions, according to the NAO.

“[From] the low achievement of treatment standards and high number of avoidable deaths we conclude that diabetes services in England are not delivering value for money,” the report concludes.

The DH is also criticized for failing to get a grip of the problem nationally and for not holding poorly performing PCTs to account.

The number of people with diabetes doubled between 1994 and 2009 to 3.1million. This is expected to rise by a further 23 per cent by the end of this decade. Nine out of 10 cases have type 2 diabetes, the risk of which increases with age and is strongly linked to obesity and ethnicity.

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: "The DH has failed to deliver diabetes care to the standard it set out in 2001. This has resulted in people with diabetes developing avoidable complications, in a high number of preventable deaths and in increased costs for the NHS.

"The expected 23 per cent increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS recourses unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved."

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the report was a “damning indictment” of the current approach to diabetes.

“Much of the colossal amount of money being spent on it is being wasted. Escalating diabetes costs threaten to wreck the NHS budget so this is an issue that affects all of us, not just people with diabetes.”

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said the NAO report confirms what the Coalition already know. "By exposing poor practice and shining a light on best practice we are determined to drive up standards for everyone. We are already working on a new outcomes strategy covering long term health conditions and are committed to publishing a companion document on diabetes later this year"

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Essex: Diabetes report reveals post-code lottery of care

By Laurence Cawley

DIABETES treatment is a postcode lottery with one of Essex’s health areas being cited as one of the nation’s worst areas in a report by the National Audit Office (NAO), it emerged last night.

Published today, the NAO survey highlights a massive variation in care quality from region to region.

In some regions, only 6% of sufferers received the recommended levels of care compared to 69% in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs).

Not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

The report highlighted Mid Essex PCT as one of the worst performers with less than 9% of patients getting the nine basic tests recommended by the Department of Health (DH).

Mid Essex last night hit back saying the figures used by the NAO - which relate to 2009-2010 - are out of date, did not factor in the PCT’s use of a different test to the one audited and did not reflect the care now being given to people with diabetes.

According to the NAO, the DH was not holding poorly performing PCTs to account.

The authors say: “The Department holds information to assess performance but there is a lack of accountability for PCTs who fail to ensure that the recommended standards of care are met.”

The report says: “People with diabetes require regular review of clinical indicators of disease progression.

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: “The DH has failed to deliver diabetes care to the standard it set out as long ago as 2001.

“This has resulted in people with diabetes developing avoidable complications, in a high number of preventable deaths and in increased costs for the NHS.

“The expected 23% increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS recourses unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved.”

A spokeswoman for Mid Essex PCT said: “We have looked closely at this audit and it does not present a true picture of diabetic care in our area in 2012.

“The National Diabetes Audit (NDA) is based on 2009/10 data. It shows that NHS Mid Essex is in the mid range for seven out of the nine care processes that have been measured but there are two care processes that have significantly reduced our overall score.

“One relates to a routine blood test for creatinine that GPs order for diabetic patients. We believe that diabetic patients in mid Essex are receiving this test routinely as our Quality and Outcome Framework Figures (QOF) from our GP practices indicate this. It seems that this information was not captured by the NDA system in 09/10.

“The second relates to protein testing. The test used in mid Essex was different to the one in the national audit but was equally as effective so people with diabetes in mid Essex were not disadvantaged. We now commission the protein test that the NDA measures.

“Since 2009/10 progress has been made in a number of the care process areas. We are also making a number of improvements to diabetic care that are not measured by this audit including developing more integrated commissioning for diabetic patients so that local access to services improves and care is more ‘joined up’.

“A handbook for diabetic patients, to enable them to record and plan their care more effectively has been developed and piloted. We will be distributing this to all GP practices in mid Essex by August 2012.”

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Diabetic heart and stroke deaths down 40% - UPI.com

For people with diabetes, the death rates for heart disease and stroke dropped substantially -- 40 percent -- from 1997 to 2006, U.S. researchers found.

Ann Albright, director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Diabetes Translation, and colleagues analyzed 1997-2004 National Health Interview Survey data involving 250,000 adults who were linked to the National Death Index.

Although adults with diabetes still are more likely to die younger than those who do not have the disease, the gap was narrowing due to better diabetes management, healthy lifestyle changes and better cardiovascular disease treatment.

The study published in the journal Diabetes Care also found people with diabetes were less likely to smoke and more likely to be physically active than in the past.

Although people with diabetes had better control of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, obesity levels among people with diabetes continued to rise.

"Taking care of your heart through healthy lifestyle choices is making a difference, but Americans continue to die from a disease that can be prevented," Albright said in a statement. "Although the cardiovascular disease death rate for people with diabetes has dropped, it is still twice as high as for adults without diabetes."

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Education and Prevention: Creating Public Service Campaigns About Type 2 Diabetes - New York Times (blog)

Karsten Moran for The New York TimesSara Chernov, 21, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes when she was 16.

Teaching ideas based on New York Times content.

Overview | In this lesson, students read about a new study showing a rise in Type 2 diabetes among adolescents. They learn more about Type 2 diabetes and its causes, then develop a public awareness campaign to promote education and prevention.

Materials | Computers with Internet access, poster paper, markers, tape

Warm-Up | Divide the class into groups of three. Give each group a sheet of poster paper and a set of markers, and have each group write at the top of the sheet, “Things We Know (Or Think We Know) About Diabetes.”

Give each group several minutes to brainstorm and write down anything they know from their own experience, or from what they’ve read, seen or heard — whether in health class, on television, or from public service campaigns. Remind them that they do not have to be sure of the information they put down, they just have to record what they think they know about the subject. They are welcome to also jot down questions.

Reconvene as a class and hang the posters at the front of the room and have a volunteer from each group read their poster aloud. Ask questions like: Are there common terms or themes among the posters? What else do you notice? What questions do students have about diabetes? Jot these on the board, to return to later in the lesson.

Next, ask students if they’ve heard references to diabetes in the news lately. For instance, students might recall the announcement by the celebrity chef Paula Deen that she has Type 2 diabetes, or the efforts by the “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson to use his own Type 2 diabetes diagnosis to help others learn how to manage the disease.

Finally, tell students they will now learn about a rise in Type 2 diabetes among adolescents and what it means for teenage health.

Related | In the Well post “Diabetes On The Rise Among American Teenagers,” Roni Caryn Rabin reviews a new study that shows that nearly one in four American adolescents may develop diabetes:

Nearly one in four American adolescents may be on the verge of developing Type 2 diabetes or could already be diabetic, representing a sharp increase in the disease’s prevalence among children ages 12 to 19 since a decade ago, when it was estimated that fewer than one in 10 were at risk for or had diabetes, according to a new study.

This worsening of the problem is worrying in light of recently published findings that the disease progresses more rapidly in children than in adults and is harder to treat, experts said.

The study, published online on Monday in the journal Pediatrics, analyzes data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which has a nationally representative sample. While it confirmed that teenage obesity and overweight rates had leveled off in recent years and that teenage rates of high blood pressure and high cholesterol had not changed greatly, it found that the percentage of teenagers testing positive for diabetes and prediabetes had nearly tripled to 23 percent in 2007-8 from 9 percent in 1999-2000.

Read the entire article with your class, using the questions below.

Questions | For discussion and reading comprehension:

What is diabetes? How do Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes differ? (This article, which is related to our featured article, offers a fuller explanation.)In your own words, describe the study highlighted in this article. Who participated in the study? What were its main findings?Why do scientists say we should interpret the results with some caution?What are some of the possible complications associated with Type 2 diabetes?Why was Type 2 diabetes once referred to as “adult-onset diabetes?” Why does this description no longer apply?A physician quoted in the article said “We are going from an 1845 definition of cancer to a 21st-century definition of cancer.” In your own words, explain what he means and describe a 21st century definition of cancer.

Activity | Working in pairs or groups of three, students create public awareness campaigns meant to educate their peers about Type 2 diabetes among adolescents and strategies to prevent it.

To provide inspiration, ask students to think about public health campaigns that might have caused them to change their own behaviors, such as the food choices they make, or how physically active they are. You also might point them to campaigns such as the first lady, Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! program, the (Red) campaign to raise AIDS awareness, the Media-Smart Youth program, or Susan G. Komen For The Cure. What messages do these campaigns send, and in what ways do they deliver their messages?

Explain that somewhere in the campaigns they create, students should include the following pieces of information:

Explanation of Type 2 diabetes, including a brief explanation of the role of insulinHealth consequences of Type 2 diabetesDifferentiating between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetesSigns and symptoms of Type 2 diabetesTips for preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetesSuggestions for treating and managing Type 2 diabetesSpecific information about Type 2 diabetes in adolescents, including reasons doctors are alarmed by its sudden rise and possible explanations for its rise

To help students get started, direct them to some of the following resources:

Times Topics pages on Type 2 diabetes and Obesity.

The Taking Diabetes To Heart‘s campaign, including background information about reducing the health risks associated with Type 2 diabetes and managing the disease once it’s been diagnosed.

The Prevention resource from the American Diabetes Association.

The Can Diabetes Be Prevented? resource from kidshealth.org.

The CDC-produced Diabetes Prevention resources.

The kidshealth.org resource Type 2 Diabetes: What Is It?

After reviewing these resources, allow ample time for students to put together their plan for a public awareness campaign, centered on preventing the early onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Note that they are producing a planning document, meant to describe and outline the scope of their public awareness campaign. They may use any kind of media – they may create videos, posters, pamphlets, radio ads, social media campaigns or any other method they think would be effective. Encourage them to use facts, statistics, visualizations and explanations where applicable; they also may incorporate images in their campaigns.

To provide guidance, you might list the following strategies for a successful public awareness campaign, adapted from the National Center for School Engagement:

Who is the target audience?What goals do you want to accomplish?What behaviors would you like to change or encourage?What types of media and materials (i.e.; Posters? Video? Stickers or lanyards?) will you use to deliver your message?

When students have finished putting together their campaigns, have each group present their campaign ideas to the class.

Finally, circle back to the warm-up activity by having students pull out the posters they created. Now that they have learned more about Type 2 diabetes, would they change any of their answers? Can they now answer any of the questions they had at the beginning of the lesson?

Going Further | After the presentations, have students follow through and create their campaigns, using visual media such as posters, handouts, fliers or other materials they identified in their activity. If possible, arrange for their materials to be displayed throughout the school in places where students congregate, such as the cafeteria, common hallways, the library or resource room and even the restrooms.

Standards | This lesson is correlated to McREL’s national standards (it can also be aligned to the new Common Core State Standards):

Language Arts
1. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
4. Gathers and uses information for research purposes.

Life Skills: Life Work
2. Uses various information sources, including those of a technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks.

Life Skills: Working with Others
1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group.
4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills.

Science
4. Understands the principles of heredity and related concepts.
5. Understands the structure and function of cells and organisms.
13. Understands the scientific enterprise.

Health Education
1. Knows and uses health care terminology.
2. Understands the history and trends of health care, past and present.
4. Understands how technology is used in the health care industry.

Health
1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products and information.
2. Knows environmental and external factors that affect individual and community health.

View the original article here

JANET JACKSON RISKED DIABETES AT THE HEIGHT OF WEIGHT WOES - Daily Star

Singer JANET JACKSON's weight woes sparked major concerns for her health in 2005 - because she came close to becoming a diabetic.

The Together Again hitmaker has struggled with her figure for years, famously ballooning to her highest weight seven years ago, and Jackson admits the extra pounds really took a toll on her body and increased her risk of developing several life-threatening diseases.

She tells Prevention magazine, "Health was always a concern. When I gained weight in 2005, my nutritionist was very worried. I was close to having diabetes. Even when I lost it and then gained quite a bit back, there was always the thought of heart disease."

But now she balances a healthy diet and a fun work-out routine to stay in shape: "I don't like to work out, and I get bored easily. Tony Martinez (trainer) is great. When I'm getting ready for a tour, I'll work out with the dancers. He'll put us in teams and we'll do all sorts of drills and races."

Now a slimline spokeswoman for NutriSystem, the diet company that helped her get her perfect figure, the pop superstar tells the publication she hopes her battle with the bulge will help others.

She adds, "I think people really connect with the idea of someone who's gained and lost weight in a very public way, and also someone who's an emotional eater."

View the original article here

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Sleep Apnea Linked To Diabetes (Again) - Huffington Post

New research adds more evidence to the link between sleep problems and metabolic disorders like diabetes.

Moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea are predictors of Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference.

The researchers also found that the sleep condition and night-time hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood) were linked with levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), associated with diabetes.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep condition that occurs when a person stops breathing during sleep because of obstructed sleep airways, according to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

"Our study shows that OSAS is independently associated with metabolic disturbances," study researcher Brian Kent, MBBCh, a research fellow at St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, said in a statement. "This is important because individuals with T2DM [Type 2 diabetes mellitus] or elevated HbA1c levels are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease."

The study included 7,886 people who participated in overnight sleep studies at 22 sleep labs in Europe.

Past research has also shown a link between diabetes and sleep apnea -- a 2007 study from Yale researchers showed that the sleep condition raises the risk of diabetes by two-and-a-half times.

And in 2005, researchers found that treating sleep apnea could help blood sugar control in people with diabetes, WebMD reported.

Just this week, a study from researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Medicine showed that sleep-disordered breathing -- which includes obstructive sleep apnea -- is linked with an increased risk of dying from cancer.

And an animal study earlier this year also demonstrated how sleep apnea can affect the brain's blood vessels -- by decreasing the "cerebral vessel dilatory function" (another way of saying that the blood vessels don't work as well as they're supposed to, which is a risk factor for stroke).

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New research adds more evidence to the link between sleep problems and metabolic disorders like diabetes. Moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea are predictors of Type 2 diabetes, according t... New research adds more evidence to the link between sleep problems and metabolic disorders like diabetes. Moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea are predictors of Type 2 diabetes, according t...   HuffPost Lightbox

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Health chiefs failing sufferers of diabetes - Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Health chiefs failing sufferers of diabetes (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

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The district’s primary care trust is failing to provide around two-thirds of adult diabetic patients with the basic care services recommended by the Department of Health.

A report published yesterday by the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed treatment for diabetes patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another.

In some regions, only six per cent of sufferers received the recommended levels of care compared to 69 per cent in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs).

In Bradford and Airedale just 30 to 39 per cent of diabetes patients received the nine basic care processes which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications, such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

More than 28,000 people in the district have diabetes, with Type 2 diabetes accounting for around 90 per of all diagnoses.

The nine tests monitor a patient’s urine, blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, blood, eyes, feet, glucose levels and smoking habits.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: “The Department of Health has failed to deliver diabetes care to the standard it set out as long ago as 2001. This has resulted in people with diabetes developing avoidable complications, in a high number of preventable deaths and in increased costs for the NHS.

“The expected 23 per cent increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS resources unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved.”

A spokesman for NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds said: “We are working with GPs to ensure all patients with diabetes in Bradford and Airedale are monitored.

“In 2010 we completed a redesign of diabetes services across the district which has led to improved services and an expansion of community-based clinics, providing better access for patients, particularly those from disadvantaged groups.

“The new diabetic eye screening service has been designed around the needs of patients to help increase the number of people with diabetes who access this important annual check.

“Community clinic numbers have increased from six to 16 and we have also looked at areas of low uptake to help provide an even more accessible service with mobile clinics.

“We have a strong focus on diabetes prevention and education, particularly in areas of Bradford where prevalence of type 2 diabetes is high, to increase early detection and uptake of services and improve self-management.”

Telegraph & Argus reporter Hannah Postles, who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, here tells how important the right medical support has been for her.

I was diagnosed with type one diabetes five months ago.

Since then, I’ve had my blood glucose measured and blood pressure taken and been taught to count carbohydrates to calculate how much insulin I need to give myself. I’ve also had regular consultations and phone calls from my diabetes specialist nurse, seen a dietician and had a physical examination by my consultant.

Without the care I’ve received so far, I would have struggled to adapt to my new lifestyle and stay healthy.

Diabetes isn’t like other conditions where you’re told to take pills a set number of times a day. When I was diagnosed, I was given a bag full of insulin pens and needles and put in control of my own health. That is a lot to cope with, which is why it’s so important people receive the nine basic care processes to make sure they manage their condition properly.

People with diabetes can live normal lives and if problems are picked up early the risk of serious complications can be prevented.

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Diabetes programs resume June 7 - Morris Daily Herald

Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers has announced its schedule of free diabetes education programs for June.

The Carb Counting Class will be offered on Thursday, June 7 at 10 a.m. at Walmart in Morris. This month’s focus is a grocery store tour with a dietitian and a diabetes educator who will explain how to look for healthy food choices in the grocery store.

The monthly Diabetes Support Group will meet on Wednesday, June 13, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Family Birthing Suites classroom at Morris Hospital. This interactive support group is intended to provide a relaxed environment where people with diabetes can learn from others who understand the?unique challenges of living day-to-day life with diabetes.

The Diabetes Management Workshop will be offered Thursday, June 14 at 6 p.m. in the Family Birthing Suites classroom at Morris Hospital. This month’s focus is “Exercise, Diet and Stress” and how each relates to diabetes self-management.

Diabetes affects 25.8 million Americans. Whether a person is newly diagnosed or has been living with diabetes his or her entire life, managing diabetes is key to a healthy life.

Registration is not required for diabetes programs at Morris Hospital. Call the hospital’s diabetes educator at (815) 942-2932, ext. 7367 to learn more.

CPR classes

Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers has announced its schedule of CPR classes for the month of June.

The American Heart Association’s Heartsaver AED (adult, infant, child) course will be offered Tuesday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the hospital, 150 W. High Street in Morris. Heartsaver AED covers the basic techniques of adult, child and infant CPR, as well as use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and first aid for choking. The class is appropriate for anyone interested in learning skills that could save the life of a loved one, friend, coworker or citizen in the community. The cost is $60 for the Heartsaver AED course. Participants may add first aid training for an additional $50.

CPR for the Healthcare Provider will be offered Friday, June 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Intended for licensed and certified healthcare professionals, this course teaches the skills of CPR for victims of all ages, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), and relief of foreign-body airway obstruction. The cost is $70.

Register at morrishospital.org or call (815) 942-2932, ext. 7361 or 7362.

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BE THERE

Visit morrishospital.org or call (815) 942-2932, ext. 7361 or 7362 to register for CPR classes. Registration is not required for diabetes programs.

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Lilly posts clean safety data on PhIII diabetes blockbuster hopeful

The FDA's demanding requirements on cardio safety data has made diabetes one of the most challenging diseases in the drug development world. Today, Eli Lilly ($LLY) demonstrated that its late-stage diabetes drug dulaglutide cleared an important cardiovascular safety hurdle, impressing analysts with a savvy clinical game plan on an important experimental product in its pipeline.

Eli Lilly CEO John Lechleiter has already made it clear that dulaglutide is one of the company's top blockbuster hopefuls in its late-stage pipeline. Now investigators have data from a mid-stage study of 755 patients--two thirds of whom were diagnosed as hypertensive--demonstrating that dulaglutide is comparable with a placebo in its effect on systolic blood pressure.  

In addition, Lilly reported, "the 1.5 mg dulaglutide dose significantly reduced mean 24-hour SBP (systolic blood pressure) compared to placebo." And at the end of 16 and 26 weeks the drug--a once-weekly GLP1 therapy that could end up competing with Bydureon--significantly reduced average blood glucose levels.

"We are very encouraged by these clinical trial results, in addition to the rest of the clinical trial data we've seen to date for dulaglutide," said Gwen Krivi, Ph.D., vice president of product development at Lilly Diabetes in a statement. "Dulaglutide is currently in Phase III clinical trials, where it will continue to be evaluated on its efficacy to lower blood glucose levels, overall safety, weight effects and effects on cardiovascular outcomes. We believe dulaglutide, if approved, can bring significant benefits to people with type 2 diabetes."

- get the press release
- here's the story from Reuters
- read the report from Dow Jones

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Sleep Apnea Linked To Diabetes (Again)

New research adds more evidence to the link between sleep problems and metabolic disorders like diabetes.

Moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea are predictors of Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference.

The researchers also found that the sleep condition and night-time hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood) were linked with levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), associated with diabetes.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep condition that occurs when a person stops breathing during sleep because of obstructed sleep airways, according to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

"Our study shows that OSAS is independently associated with metabolic disturbances," study researcher Brian Kent, MBBCh, a research fellow at St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, said in a statement. "This is important because individuals with T2DM [Type 2 diabetes mellitus] or elevated HbA1c levels are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease."

The study included 7,886 people who participated in overnight sleep studies at 22 sleep labs in Europe.

Past research has also shown a link between diabetes and sleep apnea -- a 2007 study from Yale researchers showed that the sleep condition raises the risk of diabetes by two-and-a-half times.

And in 2005, researchers found that treating sleep apnea could help blood sugar control in people with diabetes, WebMD reported.

Just this week, a study from researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Medicine showed that sleep-disordered breathing -- which includes obstructive sleep apnea -- is linked with an increased risk of dying from cancer.

And an animal study earlier this year also demonstrated how sleep apnea can affect the brain's blood vessels -- by decreasing the "cerebral vessel dilatory function" (another way of saying that the blood vessels don't work as well as they're supposed to, which is a risk factor for stroke).

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Diabetes Deaths Down in US, Study Reveals

Diabetes is a growing threat to general health in the US- as both lifelines and waistlines trend bigger- but there is finally some good news about the problem facing America concerning the often lifestyle-related condition.

95% of the time, those diagnosed with Diabetes suffer from Type 2 diabetes, versus Type 1 diabetes, which is not influenced by lifestyle or weight. The number of Americans diagnosed with the former rather than the latter has been an issue for public health officials as well as a population facing some serious nutritional issues, but a new study reveals that there is some good news on the horizon regarding outcomes and diabetes in America.

National Health Interview Survey data gathered between 1997 and 2004 examined a quarter of a million Americans, and found that while diabetes rates are increasing, overall deaths- particularly from heart disease and stroke- are on the decline, and have been steadily decreasing for some time.

Ann Albright, the director of the Center For Disease Control and Preventions division of diabetes translation addressed the study’s findings in a news release. Albright reminds Americans that while diabetes is manageable, it is also preventable:

“Taking care of your heart through healthy lifestyle choices is making a difference, but Americans continue to die from a disease that can be prevented… Although the cardiovascular disease death rate for people with diabetes has dropped, it is still twice as high as for adults without diabetes.”

In 2009, diabetes was still the eight leading cause of death in the United States, and while 25 million Americans are diabetic, more than 7 million of those are estimated to not know they have the condition.

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Adult Onset Diabetes: Does It Need a New Name? - Care2

For years there were two distinct forms of diabetes (not including gestational diabetes, which occurs solely in pregnant women). They were Type 1, also referred to as ?juvenile diabetes? because patients are either born with it or develop it very early in life, and there was something called ?adult-onset diabetes? which occurred later in life and was sometimes caused by poor nutrition and/or obesity. While both forms of diabetes still very much exist (in increasing numbers), the ?adult-onset? terminology needs to be modified due to the ever-increasing numbers of children being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

According to a New York Times report:

?Nearly one in four American adolescents may be on the verge of developing Type 2 diabetes or could already be diabetic, representing a sharp increase in the disease?s prevalence among children ages 12 to 19 since a decade ago, when it was estimated that fewer than one in 10 were at risk for or had diabetes, according to a new study.?

The presumed cause for this Type 2 diabetes spike is obesity, which has reached epidemic proportions. Researchers analyzed data from 3,383 youths ages 12 to 19 who participated in a federal survey and found that the proportion of those with diabetes or “prediabetes” increased from 9 percent in 1999 to 23 percent in 2008, according to a paper published in the journal Pediatrics. While Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, until recently it was a relative rarity among children under the age of 18. Now, with the prevalence of junk food, lack of exercise, and the rise in childhood obesity, it is not uncommon to see Type 2 being diagnosed in children age 10. Diabetes is linked to all sorts of problems in adults and children alike, including blindness, nerve damage, heart attacks and strokes. And the difference between a 45-year-old and a 12-year-old being diagnosed with Type 2 is that the disease progresses far more rapidly in children than in adults and is harder to treat.

The figures and reports are sobering, and not really something we, as parents, ever thought we would have to contend with. Two or three generations ago parents were dealing with polio, small pox and Nazis. Now, when we drop our kids off at school, we look at the unfortunate children, struggling with weight issues, snacking on chips, and drowning themselves in sodas the size of wastepaper baskets, and think??will they live past 21??

How do these grim figures impact the way you eat, and/or feed your children? Is this an issue of education or self-control? Can we really reverse the trend?

Related:
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