Defeat Diabetes: August 2004 News Articles

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	Disease Management Improve Clinical and Economic Outcomes (Aug.30, '04) Disease management programs were associated with marked improvements in many different processes and outcomes of care. Few studies demonstrated a notable reduction in costs.
	Diabetes Increases Mortality Among Elderly Patients (Aug.30, '04) Annual mortality rate for patients with diabetes age 65 or older was 10%. A study of almost 300,000 people found that In comparison, the annual mortality rate for people in the same age group who do not have diabetes is 6%.
	Heart Drugs Cause Dangerous Build Up Of Potassium (Aug.30, '04) A new American study has found that heart drugs, such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme or ACE inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers, can increase potassium levels in approximately 10% of patients. If your potassium levels are raised your heart’s normal rhythm can be disrupted.
	New Treatment Is Saving Eyesight of Diabetics (Aug.19, '04) Laser surgery has been used in the past, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Now doctors at John Hopkins have discovered a new therapy that may breathe new life into some damaged eyes. "By giving patients with diabetic macular edema supplemental oxygen where they simply breathe higher levels of oxygen in, this resulted in a decrease in thickening in the retina and some improvement in visual activity."
	Scientists On The Way To Genetically Altering Fat Genes (Aug.19, '04) Imagine if you could indulge in the fattiest of foods and not gain a single pound. It sounds too good to be true, but genetically engineered mice at the University of Michigan Medical School are living every frustrated dieter's dream.
	Treatment of Blood Sugar Levels in Intensive Care Patients Reduces Mortality 29% (Aug.19, '04) This represents 49 saved lives from the first 800 patients treated with the protocol. There was also a decrease in the development of new kidney failure and a decrease in the need for red blood cell transfusions. The ICU length of stay decreased among the patients treated with the protocol.
	Low-Carb Potato (Aug.19, '04) Now you can have your potato and eat it too! New potato to have 1/3 less carbs. "It is a creamy, moist, delicious potato that looks like the butter's already in it."
	Too Many Fluids as Bad as Too Few (Aug.19, '04) Hydration and dehydration are important factors for people with diabetes. Dehydration raises blood sugars very rapidly. For water and for sports drinks, the new message is to drink wisely. Too many fluids are at least as dangerous as too few. Most people still think you're supposed to drink as much as you can. But that advice is dead wrong.
	Eyes' Vessel Changes Predicts Severe Hypertension Risk 5-Years Early (Aug.19, '04) The tiny vessels that supply blood to the retina appear to narrow before blood pressure exceeds normal ranges. A long-term study suggests that people with relatively narrowed retinal arterioles (the tiny vessels of the retina) are twice as likely to develop severe hypertension in five years as people with relatively wider arterioles.
	Kerry Vows to Lift Bush Restrictions on Stem Cells (Aug.19, '04) Democratic challenger John Kerry vowed to lift the restriction on stem cells for the sake of millions of Americans with debilitating diseases such as diabetes. "To those who pray each day for cures that are now beyond our reach, I want you to know that help is on the way,"
	FDA Approves OptiClik(TM), New Insulin Pen System from Aventis (Aug.19, '04) Precision delivery device offers an additional tool to help people with diabetes achieve their treatment targets with once-daily LANTUS® .
	Type 2 Diabetes: Silent Heart Problems (Aug.19, '04) 1 In 5 People With Type 2 Diabetes at High Risk for Heart Disease Despite Lack of Symptoms. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. Yet, unlike other people, these patients have few symptoms until the advanced stages -- until their first heart attack.
	Tennessee Fights Obesity and Diabetes With Small Steps (Aug.19, '04) In less than two years, obesity will be the No. 1 killer. Obesity is a big problem in Tennessee, more than in many other states. But the solution may be in small steps. Walk more, eat less and include dairy products to burn fat is the message of a largely grass-roots, consumer-driven, voluntary health project called Tennessee on the Move.
	Low Glycemic Index Diet Helpful in Men With Type 2 Diabetes (Aug.17, '04) Although carbohydrates will be included in any diet for a patient with diabetes, the glycemic index can separate foods based on their effects on long-term glycemic control. Carbohydrates such as pasta, lentils, chickpeas, and pumpernickel have a low glycemic index while wholemeal bread, French baguettes, potatoes, and rice have a higher glycemic index.
	Occasional Physical Activity Increases Longevity (Aug.17, '04) Staying physically active during the golden years may help seniors live longer, according to a team of Swedish researchers. They found that men and women aged 65 years and older who engaged in even occasional physical activity during their leisure time were much less likely to die during a 12-year period than their sedentary peers.
	Worldwide Diabetes Will Double By 2030 (Aug.17, '04) U.S. will have over 30 million,but the most significant increases are expected in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and India. “The human and economic costs of this epidemic are enormous,” Wild and her colleagues noted. “A concerted, global initiative is required to address the diabetes epidemic.”
	Hypoglycemia Increases Ischemic Retinal Injury (Aug.17, '04) So how does hypoglycemia interact with low blood flow to make eye damage worse? When low blood flow occurs, cells often become more reliant on sugar as an energy source, the authors note. Therefore, if sugar levels are low, the cells may not be able to meet their energy requirements, possibly resulting in cell death.
	Calorie Restriction Reduces Risk of MI, Stroke and Diabetes (Aug.17, '04) People who restrict their caloric intake drastically reduce their risk of developing diabetes or atherosclerosis. In fact, some risk factors were so low they were comparable with those of people decades younger.
	Confronting Hypertension In Children As Early as 3-Years of Age (Aug.17, '04) Under the new guidelines, children once classified as high normal, that is, whose readings were between the 90th and 95th percentile, are now considered prehypertensive. When the high blood pressure is related to excess weight, the report advises, families should be strongly encouraged to change their children's diet and have them become more active.
	Low HDL-C Ups Risk of Breast Cancer in Older Overweight Women (Aug.17, '04) Women with type 2 diabetes usually have low HDL-C, increasing risk for breast cancer. Low-levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), as a component of the metabolic syndrome, may serve as a marker of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, research suggests..
	ACE Inhibitor Drugs Underused In Heart Failure Patients (Aug.17, '04) Almost a third of heart failure patients face an increased risk of death because they do not receive an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.
	Disturbed Eating Common in Young Diabetic Girls (Aug.17, '04) Young diabetic girls experience eating disturbances significantly more often than do those without the condition. Researchers conclude that "screening and prevention programs for this high-risk group should begin in the preteen years."
	Diet High In Carbs & Low In Fiber Increases Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes (Aug.16, '04) Harvard researchers prospectively examined the association between glycemic index, glycemic load, and dietary fiber and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers concluded: "A diet high in rapidly absorbed carbohydrates and low in cereal fiber is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes."
	Diabetic Foot Ulcers Linked With Less Steps (Aug.16, '04) Diabetics who develop foot ulcers appear to have lower levels of overall activity than their counterparts who do not develop ulceration, and "the quality of that activity may be more variable." The more steps taken, the less risk for foot ulcers.
	Caffeine Interferes With Diabetes Control (Aug.05, '04)The team at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina found a strong correlation between caffeine intake at mealtime and increased glucose and insulin levels among people with type 2 diabetes. The findings are significant enough that the researchers recommend people with diabetes consider reducing or eliminating caffeine from their diets.
	Work-Time Physical Activity Can Reduce Mortality in Diabetic (Aug.05, '04) The amount of work-related physical activity among patients with type 2 diabetes is inversely related to the risk of total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, new research indicates. Compared with subjects who sat at a desk most of the day, subjects engaged in heavy manual labor were 40% less likely to die from any cause or from CVD in particular.
	A1c Predicts Success of Amputation in Diabetics (Aug.05, '04) In diabetic patients being evaluated for lower extremity amputation, a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) value greater than 10% strongly suggests that a transmetatarsal amputation (TMA) will fail and that a below-knee amputation (BKA) will be required, new research shows. Conversely, values below 7% usually predict success.
	Heart Enlargement Appears Early in Type 1 Diabetes (Aug.05, '04) Children and adolescents with insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes, particularly girls, show early signs of changes in the heart.
	Insulin Sooner Than Later For Reduced Risk of Complications (Aug.05, '04)The availability of new insulin analogues has expanded therapeutic options and offers the potential to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic regimens for type 2 DM as well as improve the ease and safety of treatment when A1c cannot be maintained <7% on > or =1 oral antidiabetic agent.
	Acetaminophen Linked to Decline in Renal Function (Aug.05, '04) Higher lifetime use of aspirin and NSAIDs is not associated with renal function decline, but high acetaminophen use may increase the risk of loss of renal function.
	Use of ACE Inhibitors to Reduce Mortality in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (Aug.05, '04) The use of ACE inhibitor therapy in the early treatment of type 2 diabetes is associated with reduced risk of mortality.
	Diabetics Treated With Diet Only Have More Complications (Aug.05, '04) People with diabetes on "diet only" do less monitoring and do not take their diet seriously. Individuals with type 2 diabetes might be effectively managed by diet only, but there needs to be better routine surveillance and more intensive therapy if glycemic control, blood pressure, or cholesterol are not optimum, the authors point out.
	Green, Oolong Tea Significantly Reduce Risk of Hypertension (Aug.05, '04) Drinking 120 mL (4 oz.) to 599 mL (20 oz.) of tea per day showed a 46% decrease in risk of developing hypertension compared with nonhabitual drinkers.
	First OTC Cholesterol Drug Launched (Aug.05, '04) Britain became the first country in the world to sell a cholesterol-lowering drug without a prescription on Thursday when a low-dose "over-the-counter" (OTC) form of Merck & Co Inc's Zocor was launched.
	Casual & Comfortable Clothing Workdays Promote Increased Physical Activity (Aug. 02, '04) Wearing casual clothing every day for 50 weeks of work translates into burning an additional 125 calories per week and 6,250 calories per year.
	Occasional Physical Activity Increases Longevity (Aug. 02, '04) Staying physically active during the golden years may help seniors live longer, according to a team of Swedish researchers. They found that men and women aged 65 years and older who engaged in even occasional physical activity during their leisure time were much less likely to die during a 12-year period than their sedentary peers.