Defeat Diabetes: July 2004 Articles

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	New Gene Associated With Diabetes Discovered (07/28/04) Researchers have identified a new gene, a mutation which is associated with type 1 diabetes. The finding gives scientists a clue about the autoimmune cause of diabetes and suggests that the mutated SUMO-4 gene may influence the inflammatory process itself and increase the susceptibility to the complications of diabetes.
	Nonadherence A Major Factor in Blood Pressure Control (07/28/04) Only about a third of persons with hypertension have controlled blood pressure.Nonadherence to hypertensive therapy is a major factor leading to poor blood pressure control, according to a new report that provides a "conceptual framework of factors affecting medication adherence and subsequent blood pressure control, outcomes, and health care utilization."
	Six Diabetes Deaths Every Minute In The World (07/21/04) According to recently published World Health Organization (WHO) figures, diabetes is responsible for 6 deaths a minute in the world.
	Fading Social Life Signals Trouble in Diabetes (07/21/04) Older diabetic patients who withdraw from their normal social activities may be showing early signs of deteriorating health. Researchers found that among more than 5,200 people with diabetes, age 65 and older, those who said they had recently curtailed their leisure activities were more likely than others to die or develop a disability over the next two years. None of the study participants had any apparent disabilities at the outset, suggesting that a diabetic person's withdrawal from social life may be one of the first signs of declining health.
	Medicare Redefines Obesity As An Illness Not A Disease (07/21/04) Medicare now recognizes obesity as an illness, a change in policy that may allow millions of overweight Americans to make medical claims for treatments such as stomach surgery and diet programs.
	High-Fiber Cereal Cuts Excess Insulin Production (07/21/04) Dietary fiber can help to prevent so-called hyperinsulinemia, therefore helping to ward off full-blown diabetes.
	First Conference on Science of Low Carbohydrate.... (07/21/04) First Conference on Science of Low Carbohydrate Diets Reports Benefit for Diabetes Control. “If some of the low carb vs. low fat graphs presented had been labeled drug vs. placebo, everybody would rush out to buy stock in the drug company.”
	Pancreas Transplant Cuts Cardiovascular Risks in Diabetics (07/21/04) Patients with type 1 diabetes who undergo pancreas transplantation achieve vascular improvements which indicate a reduction in their risk for cardiovascular disease-related events.
	Workout in a Pill Comes a Step Closer (07/21/04) Wash down that pizza, cheesecake and beer with a magic pill to make it all vanish from your waistline. The prospect may be only a few years away, say Australian scientists doing research on a drug to simulate the effect of exercise, a move sure to excite couch potatoes the world over.
	TV in Childhood Tied to Poor Health Later (07/21/04) The amount of television watched during childhood and adolescence is directly related to the risk of high cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking, poor fitness, and being overweight in adulthood. In terms of population-attributable fractions, the authors estimate that 17% of overweight, 15% of poor fitness, 15% of elevated cholesterol, and 17% of current smoking in 26-year-olds could be explained by watching more than 2 hours per day of television during childhood and adolescence.
	Insulin Pump Beats Shots for Young Diabetics (07/21/04) Insulin pumps found to be more effective than multiple daily injections in controlling blood sugar levels in young people with Type 1 diabetes. Moreover, most patients chose to continue with or switch to insulin pumps after the study was over.
	Obese Kids Developing Diabetes At An Alarming Rate (07/21/04) A study of very obese children suggests that half may have a worrisome cluster of health conditions that increase their risk of developing diabetes and heart disease at an early age. "Obesity is not just a cosmetic issue. It's a big problem because you open the door for serious, chronic complications,"
	New Study Shows Diabetes Management Program Reduces Costs, Improves Quality Of Life (07/19/04) Study Findings Show An 8% Decrease In Cost. As employers and employees alike face escalating health care costs and recent reports show many patients aren't receiving medical care at recommended levels, a newly released study concludes that a diabetes disease management program addresses both concerns by reducing costs and improving the quality of care.
	Lidocaine Patch Helps with Diabetes Pain (07/19/04) During a 3-week treatment period, most of the patients experienced a dramatic reduction in pain. Patients also reported an improved quality of life with treatment, according to the team. Significant improvements were noted in sleep quality as well as in various psychologic measures, such as depression and anger.
	Diabetes UP’S Cancer Death Risk (07/19/04) New research suggests diabetes increases the risk of death from pancreatic, colon, liver, breast and bladder cancer. Moreover, this holds true even after accounting for obesity, which is common among diabetics and is a well-known risk factor for cancer.
	New National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Guidelines Call For LDL Levels Of Below 70 (07/19/04) The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has updated their Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III guidelines with evidence derived from recent statin trials. The updated recommendations, which are endorsed by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association, suggest that more intensive cholesterol treatment is an option for people at high risk for myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiovascular death. "The lower the better for high-risk people."
	Airlines To Offer In-Flight Disease Prevention Program (07/19/04) Later this month the airline Song, which is operated by Delta Airlines, plans to begin offering an in-flight exercise program. The move is aimed at promoting health and competing with rival low-cost carrier JetBlue which offers an in-flight exercise program. Rival JetBlue already had a yoga program, and has added Pilates to it.
	Undetected Damage from High Protein Diets (07/19/04) Type 2 Diabetics with elevated Homocysteine are almost two times more likely to die within 5 years than non diabetic patients. Homocysteine is a destructive amino acid created by the body as it breaks down protein. Too much Homocysteine is directly linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
	Fosamax Boosts Bone in Older Women with Diabetes (07/19/04) Older women with diabetes have an increased risk for fractures, so "preservation of bone mineral density is particularly important." Diabetic women treated with alendronate had increases in bone mineral density of the spine and hip and at all sites.
	Link Found Between Overeating, Obesity and Addiction (07/19/04) “What’s the difference between someone who’s lost control over alcohol and someone who’s lost control over good food?” asked Gold, who also is a distinguished professor of psychiatry at UF’s McKnight Brain Institute. “When you look at their brains and brain responses, the differences are not very significant.”
	Children Of Obese Parents At High Risk For Diabetes & Being Overweight (07/19/04) 64 Percent of children with overweight parents became overweight. The factor that puts children at greatest risk of being overweight is having obese parents. By identifying the risk factors that lead to childhood obesity, the researchers hope to pave the way toward preventive measures.
	Parents Must Get Involved To Combat Childhood Obesity (07/19/04) Parents of overweight children treat mealtime differently than parents of healthy children. Research suggests healthy-eating, active parents often pass their habits onto their kids, just as sedentary parents do.
	Nonadherence Major Factor in Blood Pressure Control (07/19/04) Only about a third of persons with hypertension have controlled blood pressure. Nonadherence to hypertensive therapy is a major factor leading to poor blood pressure control.
	Artificial Sweetener Disrupts Body's Ability To Count Calories (07/14/04) Study shows that switching to a diet drink may not be the best solution to fight obesity. Artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body's natural ability to "count" calories based on foods' sweetness.
	Triple Therapy Improves BG Without Weight Gain (07/14/04) The triple therapy actually showed a slight decrease in weight, along with lowering blood sugar to below 6% A1c. First study to analyze the safety and effectiveness of triple therapy using insulin, metformin and a drug in the thiazolidinedione family.
	Western Diet Raises Stroke Risk (07/14/04) "Western” diets consisting of red and processed meats, refined grains, sweets and desserts may be associated with a greater risk of stroke. The women who ate the "worst" Western diet had a 58 percent higher risk of stroke than women who ate the healthiest diets.
	New Diabetes Drug Exenatide - One Step Closer to Market (07/13/04) A large lizard, a federal researcher's hunch and a San Diego biotech's leap of faith could result in the next diabetes treatment from Eli Lilly and Co. Twice a day injection will help to control blood sugars and help patients to lose weight.
	Millions of Hispanics at Increased Risk for Type 2 Diabetes (07/13/04) "Without intervention, one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in his or her lifetime. For some of us, the risk is even higher. If that child is Hispanic and female, she has a one in two chance of developing diabetes in her lifetime. We need to get the word out that type 2 diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful."
	Hormone Therapy Hastens Plaque Formation in Diabetic Women (07/13/04) When treated with postmenopausal hormone therapy (HRT), women with abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT) experience greater atherosclerotic progression than healthy women. "This study provides evidence that hormone therapy should not be used to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in women with diabetes or pre-diabetes."
	Walking Equals Effects Of A Diuretic In Preventing High BP & Enlarged Heart (07/13/04) Increasing physical activity of just walking with mild-to-moderate intensity can induce a partial regression of LVH (Left Ventricle Hypertension) with reductions in LV mass index and relative wall thickness in older adults with mild hypertension. The data also suggests that the extent of this reversal is likely to be similar to that induced by thiazide diuretic.
	Lack of Vitamin D Tied to Insulin Resistance (07/13/04) Hypovitaminosis D is associated with insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction, even in glucose-tolerant subjects. "Low vitamin D is extremely common, moreover, "our observations indicate that low vitamin D has a small but significant impact" on blood glucose metabolism and diabetes.
	Poor Diabetes Control Causes Mental Decline (07/13/04) Elderly women with diabetes are significantly more likely to decline mentally over the years than women without diabetes. Researchers report that poor control of blood sugar levels may be partially to blame.
	New Under-Skin Sensor That Monitors Blood Sugar Levels For Diabetics (07/07/04) People with diabetes could soon be waving goodbye to the pain and hassle of needles, thanks to a new under-skin sensor that monitors blood sugar levels with a simple wave of the arm. The sensor, which is smaller than a dime and paper thin, is based on the same theory behind plastic security tags used in stores to prevent shoplifting.
	HRT Speeds Progression of Heart Disease in Diabetics (07/07/04) Hormone therapy can contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Using hormones to ease menopausal symptoms -- such as hot flashes or vaginal dryness -- in women with diabetes or prediabetes should be an individualized decision made in close consultation with a woman's physician, the study authors stressed.
	Obesity Tied to Steady Dose of Hunger Hormone (07/07/04) In thin people, levels of the hormone that makes you hungry -- ghrelin -- vary wildly throughout the day and peak at night. But overweight people maintain more constant levels of the hormone throughout the day and don't experience a nighttime spike. The researchers also found differences in the levels of two other hormones that may play a role in obesity -- leptin and adiponectin -- when they compared lean and heavy people.
	More Financial Pain For Firms That Make Needle-Free Injectors (07/07/04) "When are we gonna get those cool hypodermics with no needles?" In fact, the basic technology already existed when "Star Trek" first went on the air in 1966. It was used mostly in the military. But it wasn't until the 1990s that researchers refined it enough to be feasible for the mass market. Even today, makers of needle-free injectors (NFIs) are struggling to get a foothold in the U.S.
	Child Obesity Epidemic Report Is Grim (07/07/04) Childhood obesity in the United States looks significantly worse than previously believed, suggests the largest assessment ever of public school students. The report indicates 40 percent of students in Arkansas are overweight or at risk of becoming so. The U.S. government estimates that 30 percent of the nation�s kids are overweight or on their way to being too heavy.