Taking on the role of spokeswoman for the BYETTA Let’s Talk Campaign, Delta Burke has been battling her own diabetes and wants to share the importance of a healthier more active lifestyle.

If you or someone you are caring for is battling diabetes and are in the New York area please stop by the BYETTA Let’s Talk Campaign’s booth where you can speak with Virgina Valentine, see Chef Smith cook some tasty and health meals and also talk to Nikki Kimbrough of Bally Total Fitness. Keep in mind when battling type 2 diabetes, knowledge is power.

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Lead author, Renee S. Aronsohn, instructor of medicine at the University of Chicago, said that study ‘demonstrates for the first time that there is a clear, graded, inverse relationship between OSA severity and glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.’

The study also confirmed other reports that undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea is very common among patients with type 2 diabetes, indicating that it is largely unrecognized additional medical risk factor in these patients.

Dr. Aronsohn and colleagues consecutively recruited patients with type 2 diabetes from outpatient clinics to participate in the study.

The participants were interviewed to assess their diabetes history, medical history and medications, and level of physical activity.

Height and weight measurements were also taken, and each participant’s sleep/wake cycles were monitored for five days using wrist actigraphy and self-reported sleep logs.

Finally, participants underwent an overnight polysomnography test for OSA , and glucose control was assessed by obtaining a blood sample for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement, the main clinical marker of glycemic control in diabetes

In total, 60 patients were included in the study’s final analysis. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of participants had OSA, but only five had been previously evaluated for the disease, and none were undergoing treatment. Of the study sample, 38 percent (23) were classified as having mild OSA, 25 percent (15) had moderate OSA and the 13 percent (8) had severe OSA.

The researchers found that more severe OSA was associated with poorer glucose control, implying a role more severe diabetes with potentially more complications. Also preventing OSA can help with lowering your A1C and improve sex.

Relative to patients without OSA, the presence of mild, moderate or severe OSA significantly increased mean adjusted HbA1c values by 1.49 percent, 1.93 percent, and 3.69 percent respectively.

These effect sizes are comparable to those of widely used hypoglycemic medications, meaning that having OSA may negate the beneficial effects of
anti-diabetic drugs.

“Our findings have important clinical implications as they support the hypothesis that reducing the severity of OSA may improve glycemic control. Thus effective treatment of OSA may represent a novel and non-pharmacologic intervention in the management of type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Aronsohn.

The findings have been published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (ANI)

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Don’t have any diabetic friendly gift ideas? No worries. I have put together some Christmas Gift Ideas for Diabetics that should make any Diabetic on your list happy.

What’s great is that not all the gifts are diabetes themed but all are included in the American Diabetes Gift of Hope program meaning partial proceeds go towards Diabetes research and awareness. What better Christmas gift could a diabetic receive than support for finding a cure for diabetes?

Pocket Page Recipe Book $15.99
We all know that diet is one of the most important elements in living a diabetes friendly lifestyle. A great gift for the diabetic in your life would be providing a place for them to organize all of those diabetes friendly recipes that they have been accumulating. Go one step further and gather some diabetes friendly recipes to fill their book for them.

Snowman Cookie Jar $19.99
I know that this may seem a little impersonal and actually kind of cruel – diabetics can’t have cookies right? Wrong. Instead of giving them an empty cookie jar you can fill it with homemade diabetes friendly cookies. There are tons of places on the web that you can find wonderful diabetes friendly cookie recipes. The diabetic in your life will appreciate the homemade touch.

Cast Iron Fragrant Wax Melter $17.99
Now like I said, not all the gifts have to have a diabetic theme to them. This one is just plain cool. You should also remember that partial proceeds from your purchase of this gift go towards diabetes research and awareness…a gift in itself. This wax melter comes with Cinnamon and Apple scented wax and will remind anyone in smelling distance of a homemade apple pie.

Make A Donation
One of the most thoughtful gifts you can give a diabetic is an honorary donation to the American Diabetes Association in their name. This donation will go towards finding a cure for Diabetes. The person you are making the donation in honor of will receive a card in the mail personalized with a message from you announcing your care and support. To me this is the best gift a diabetic could receive.

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“Pistachio, when eaten with high carbohydrate food items like white bread, may actually slow the absorption of carbohydrates in the body, resulting in a lower than expected blood sugar level,” said a statement on a study conducted by the University of Toronto.

“Therefore, these nuts can help control diabetes in a country like India where 40 million people suffer from the disease. This figure is likely to go up to 80 million by 2025,” the statement added.

Cyril Kendall, lead researcher of the study, said: “Controlling blood glucose level is important for preventing and controlling diabetes. Our preliminary findings demonstrate that suppressing the glycemic (blood sugar) response of high carbohydrate foods may be part of the mechanism by which pistachio contributes to the prevention and control of diabetes.”

The study further found that pistachio helps control the appetite by controlling hunger stimulating hormones – thus improving long-term blood sugar control.

According to an India-US study, there are about 2.98 million people suffering from diabetes in Delhi alone.

Health expert R.R. Kasliwal said: “In the past five decades, the rate of coronary disease among urban population has more than doubled from four to 11 percent. The situation is of concern in India where more and more young people are getting affected by heart diseases.”

“The mono-unsaturated fat in pistachio has been scientifically proven to help lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the good cholesterol (HDL) which protects the heart,” he added.

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“If your blood pressure (BP) is 136/88 and you’re a man with a waist over 40 (inches) or a woman with a waist over 35 (inches), it spells trouble,” said Dale J. Hamilton, diabetes clinical services chief at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

“These are two of the five symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a problem that can lead to type 2 diabetes. All you need is three to begin seeing increased atherosclerosis.”

High triglyceride levels over 150, insulin resistance and a low LDL (good cholesterol) are factors of metabolic syndrome, along with high BP and central obesity. This condition afflicts 47 million Americans, says American Heart Association.

Many of them will end up with type 2 diabetes, which can eventually lead to coronary artery disease and stroke. “Small changes every day can help curb big problems later on,” said Hamilton.

“Losing five to 10 pounds will help lower blood pressure. Reducing saturated fats, carbohydrates, and eating about two-thirds the amount you eat now will help you lose weight around the middle. Walk 45 minutes a day instead of 30,” added Hamilton.

Some experts believe replacing sugar with high fructose corn syrup in processed foods in the US and Canada in the 1990s has played a role in the rise of type 2 diabetes cases. It’s all leading to diabetes denial.

High fructose corn syrup is made by changing the sugar in corn starch to fructose, another form of sugar. It has become popular because it extends the shelf life of processed foods and is cheaper than sugar. It has also become a popular ingredient in many sodas and fruit-flavoured drinks.

“The problem with high fructose corn syrup is that it promotes central obesity,” Hamilton said, according to a Methodist Hospital release.

“Another problem with it is that it fools your body into thinking you are hungry. I don’t think you need to eliminate it from your diet, you just need to be aware of how much of it you are consuming on a daily basis because too much can lead to serious weight gain.”

Keep in mind, he said, obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes often go untreated because there are few or no symptoms until it is too late.

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Upon visiting the BYETTA Let’s Talk booth at the festival you will be able to speak to Delta Burke who is currently the spokeswoman for the Let’s Talk Campaign. She along with Virginia Valentine, Chef Smith and Nikki Kimbrough of Bally Total Fitness, are trying to spread the word on the importance of a healthier more active lifestyle when battling diabetes.

If you suffer from diabetes or are the caretaker of someone with diabetes and are in the Atlanta area please stop by and see what the BYETTA Let’s Talk Campaign has to say. After all, knowledge is power.

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Barbara Oster has had diabetes for 15 years, and her medication wasn’t working so well, reported WBAL-TV in Baltimore.

“It just blows you up, makes you feel like you’re gaining all this weight,” she said.

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved two new diabetes drugs — Byetta and Symlin — that studies have proved help patients control their illness and cut back their eating.

“One of the lovely side effects of both drugs is people tend to lose weight,” said Dr. Paula Yutzy, a diabetes educator at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center.

Byetta comes from the saliva of a scary-looking lizard — the Gila monster. The drugs mimic the effects of hormones, helping to regulate the disease by controlling liver functions and digestion, as well as making patients feel more full.

Yutzy said she’s glad the medications have reached the public.

“When you have diabetes, you don’t have cruise control, and so you have to monitor your blood sugar, watch what you’re eating, take your medicine — there’s a lot more involved in staying at the right speed,” Yutzy said.

The drugs have to be injected, but Oster said it’s no big deal for most diabetics because the needles are tiny.

“The girls at work, when I stick my fingers, say, ‘OK, let me get out of the room!’ But it doesn’t hurt,” she said.

Patients still have to watch their diet, exercise and monitor their other drugs.

“It has taken a long time to bring this drug to market, but those of us in the diabetes world are very excited about it,” Oster said.

Oster has only been taking Symlin for two weeks, but she said she already feels positive results.

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I’m a regular diet coke drinker and I thought that because there is no sugar in diet coke it was safe for me to drink regularly…I was wrong.

The American Diabetes Association announced the findings of a Duke University study which showed that caffeine raised the blood glucose levels of type 2 diabetics throughout the day and especially after meals. But I thought caffeine was ok for diabetics?

Previous studies on the link between caffeine and diabetes had shown that caffeine consumption lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes. Those who drank the most caffeine were the least likely to develop type 2 diabetes. It was these finding that may have lead to the misconception that caffeine had no ill effect on diabetics.

What the Duke University study is now showing is that in people who have type 2 diabetes, caffeine raised their blood sugar levels throughout the day. So even if they drank caffeine in the morning it had an effect on their blood sugar level throughout the entire day making it difficult to keep it under control.

So what is suggested? Well, if you are a type 2 diabetic such as myself, and you are finding it difficult to keep your blood glucose levels in the normal range you may want to examine the amount of caffeine you are consuming.

Like I said, I am a diet coke drinker. This is the source of any caffeine that I consume. I have been having a hard time controlling my blood glucose levels lately and I have been examining all the parts of my life: fitness, diabetes friendly diet, stress reducing tai chi…stuff like that. What I didn’t take into consideration was the amount of caffeine I was consuming daily.

Now that studies have shown caffeine raises blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics I will have to monitor the amount of caffeine I consume. Of course, the ideal amount would be zero and that is what I’ll shoot for. But hey, no one is perfect.

So what if you drink tons of caffeine throughout the day but you have no problem keeping your blood glucose level under control? Well, my opinion would be not to change a thing. You have found the right combo of diet, exercise, medicine and whatever else you do to control your diabetes and shouldn’t tinker with it. You know the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it”.

1. Jolt Cola

2. Red Bull

3. Bawls

4. Water Joe

5. Afri-Cola

This caffeine diabetes link is one more example of how research and information can make living with diabetes more manageable. I think it was GI Joe that said “Now you know and knowing is half the battle…Go JOE!”.

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It’s real easy to overlook the warning signs that your blood sugar levels are not under control unless you stick to a very strict sugar level testing regimen. Like a lot of people, once my blood sugar levels were under control for a long period of time…I kind of slacked off with the frequency of testing my sugar levels.

Complacency is a huge factor in the denial associated with diabetes. Unfortunately I fell into this trap. I didn’t start with regular blood sugar level testing again until I was feeling the side effects of having a high blood sugar level. We all know that having a high blood sugar level for a prolonged period of time will cause diabetic related complications in the future.

So once I got back on track with regular blood sugar level testing I was alarmed to find that I had elevated levels. Just waking up in the morning my sugar level was around 280. That is really high for not having eaten anything since dinner time the evening before.

The Warning Signs Of Elevated Sugar Levels Were There

There are a few telltale signs of elevated sugar levels that you need to be on the look out for. Here is the thing, if you are not actually testing your blood sugar level and seeing that it is raised, some of these warning signs can seem to be due to other factors…at first.

• constantly tired
• body aches especially upon waking
• thirst
• shooting pain in your body
• frequent urination
• feeling confused

Now you may look at these warning signs and say “how did you not make the connection between any of these and diabetes?”. Well, the mind is a powerful thing. Since I was convinced that I was doing all the right things to battle diabetes I guess my mind just wouldn’t allow me to make the connection.

The tiredness and body aches in the morning I blamed on my mattress. Feeling confused went along with being tired. I figured I just wasn’t getting a good nights sleep and so this must be causing the confusion. The thirsty thing…hey it’s summer. Who doesn’t get more thirsty in the summer?

What it boils down to is that if I had stayed on top of my blood sugar level testing I would have known right away that my current diabetes treatment was no longer working.

Byetta Was My Solution

After being seen by my doctor it was decided upon that I would begin taking the Byetta drug to help control my blood sugar level. So, that’s good news right? I can just start a new drug and all will be well. But, what I didn’t realize is that Byetta is taken in the form of an injection. What, what, what?

Is this the beginning of the end for me? Are insulin injections right around the corner? Well, according to my doctor…no. Starting Byetta injections does not mean that I will have to do this for the rest of my life or that soon I will be giving myself insulin injections. It means that for right now, Byetta will be used to help control my blood glucose level. We can revisit my options again in the future.

Daily Injections!!!

In the doctors office I was shown how to properly inject myself in the stomach with Byetta. It didn’t seem like much fun. To stick myself in the stomach two times a day with a needle? I was not feeling good about this.

My doctor explained to me that if I can handle all the pin pricks in the fingers that it takes to test my blood glucose level…this tiny injection would be no big deal. I have to say, I wasn’t buying that right away.

Once I actually injected myself with Byetta I realized that it isn’t painful at all and it is something that I could handle doing to myself. After just one injection it was apparent that Byetta was working to lower my blood glucose level.

It has been one week since beginning Byetta and I have not had any raised blood sugar levels. Every time I test my blood sugar level it is always within the normal range. So for now…Byetta is working to control my diabetes.

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The continuous glucose monitoring device, which was approved for adult use last year, alerts diabetics to potentially dangerous fluctuations in their blood sugar levels and provides more frequent readings than finger stick tests.

Dips and spikes in a diabetes patient’s glucose level can lead to complications such as loss of vision, kidney function or limbs. The monitoring technology in Medtronic, Inc.’s continuous glucose monitoring device displays realtime glucose levels and provides an alert when there is a dip or spike in the glucose level.

Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes. That is roughly 7 percent of our country’s population. Thanks to research being done into this disease we are heading towards a cure. In the meantime the continous glucose monintoring device created by Medtronic, Inc. is certainly a step in the right direction.

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