mydiabetes.com

What is pre-diabetes

2009-11-02T02:20:00.000-08:00

Pre-diabetes or Pre Diabetes is a condition that usually remains undetected. It is a blood sugar disorder that can cause long term damage to the circulatory system and to the heart.

Patients with pre-diabetes are 15 times more likely to develop type II diabetes and the risk of further complications.

Am I at risk?

If you are over weight and/or your waist measurement is more than 31.5 inches for a woman or 37 inches for a man you may be at risk.

If you have raised blood pressure you may be at risk.

If you have a close relative such as a brother or sister who has type II diabetes you may be at risk

What can I do about pre-diabetes?

90% of people diagnosed with pre-diabetes are over weight and the excess fat, particularly around the waist and tummy, affects the regulation of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar leads to damage to the small blood vessels in the body.

Small lifestyle changes can make all the difference . Paying attention to your diet, eating regularly and avoiding packaged, processed or junk food would be a start. Increasing your activity levels can make a difference too. Small changes such as parking your car at the wrong end of the car park, getting our of the elevator one or two floors early and taking the stairs or taking an occasional walk have significant health benefits.

Healthy eating groups such as slimming world can offer practical advice on your diet and gentle exercise. They can also help you to keep focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Further information about pre-diabetes can be found at www.diabetes.org.uk

www.mydiabetes.com is an online support network for patients, family members, friends and healthcare professionals who travel on the diabetes journey. Membership is free and you are most welcome to join our community.

UK’s South Asian children 13 times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes

2009-08-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

Diabetes UK reports

10 August 2009

Children of South Asian origin in the UK are 13 times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes than White children.

The statistic is from the charity’s new report, Diabetes in the UK 2009: Key statistics on diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is up to six times more common in people of South Asian descent and those who have diabetes are three times more likely to have heart disease – just one of the devastating complications of diabetes.

Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “It is very worrying that any child is developing Type 2 diabetes as it is usually only found in adults, but it is particularly alarming that South Asian children are at such high risk. South Asian people are more likely to develop the condition and factors such as eating traditional foods high in salt and fat alongside western ‘fast foods’ compound their risk.

“Type 2 diabetes is serious. It can lead to complications including heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, blindness and amputation. It is a genetic condition but many cases are preventable through lifestyle changes, so Diabetes UK is working hard to raise awareness of the risk factors and symptoms to give people the best possible chance of reducing their risk of developing it.

“Awareness of diabetes must be increased among agencies that interact with people from South Asian communities at grass roots level. Information about the condition should be tailored where necessary and made available in formats that are accessible. We must prevent generations of children needlessly facing a lifetime of ill health.”

Risks and symptoms

Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include having a large waist or being overweight; being of Black or South Asian origin; having a family history of the condition; and being over 40 years old, or over 25 if you’re Black or South Asian. Type 2 diabetes can be undetected for 10 years or more and around half of people already have complications by the time they are diagnosed. At risk waist measurements are 37 inches or more for men, except those of South Asian origin who are at risk at 35 inches or more, and 31.5 inches or more for all women.

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include increased thirst, going to the loo (for a wee) all the time – especially at night, extreme tiredness, blurred vision, genital itching or regular episodes of thrush, and slow healing of wounds.

www.mydiabetes.com is a community of patients,family members, friends and healthcare professionals providing support and wncouragenemt to each other along the diabetes journey. For more information please visit us at www.mydiabetes.com

Insulin Appreciation Day

2009-07-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

Insulin Appreciation Day

www.mydiabetes.com

Thursday the 30th of July is insulin appreciation day.

Some History

In the fall of 1920 Dr. Frederick Banting had an idea that would unlock the mystery of the dreaded diabetes disorder. Before this, for thousands of years, a diabetes diagnosis meant wasting away to a certain death.

Working at a University of Toronto laboratory in the very hot summer of 1921 Fred Banting and Charles Best were able to make a pancreatic extract which had anti diabetic characteristics. They were successful in testing their extract on diabetic dogs.

Within months Professor J. J. R. MacLeod, who provided the lab space and general scientific direction to Banting and Best, put his entire research team to work on the production and purification of insulin. J.B. Collip joined the team and with his technical expertise the four discoverers were able to purify insulin for use on diabetic patients.

The first tests were conducted on Leonard Thompson early in 1922. These were a spectacular success. Word of this spread quickly around the world giving immediate hope to many diabetic persons who were near death. A frenzied quest for insulin followed. Some patients in a diabetic coma made miraculous recoveries.

While insulin is not a cure, this medical discovery has and continues to save millions of lives world-wide. The production of insulin has changed a great deal since 1922. Modern science and technology has made high quality insulin and delivery systems available to diabetic persons.

What to do on the 30th?

Clarence Haynes who is a member of our community has suggested that on Thursday we contact five people who live with diabetes and simply ask this question “how are you today?”

Pick up the phone, send an email or send a message via the members tab on our web site.

Thanks to the work of Banting and his team great progress has been made in the management of diabetes.

For ordinairy people a little “how are you doing” can act as a great encouragement in the day to day management of their diabetes

Please do your best to make five calls on Thursday. Thank you

Diabetes 101: What will happen if I ignore my blood sugar level?

2009-07-19T15:24:00.001-07:00

Diabetes 101: What will happen if I ignore my blood sugar level?

Posted using ShareThis

DailyGood: Laughter Is the Best Medicine?

2009-07-19T14:13:00.001-07:00

DailyGood: Laughter Is the Best Medicine?

Shared via AddThis

Young people and diabetes

2009-07-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Young and diabetic a report from www.asiaone.com.sg

A sedentary lifestyle, obesity and poor eating habits are why more youngsters are becoming diabetic. -ST

IT USED to hit those above 45, but there are now more young children and adolescents diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, at a rate doctors describe as alarming and worrying.

Dr Daphne Gardner, a registrar at the endocrinology department at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), says: "Type 2 diabetes in childhood or adolescence was uncommon in the past but now accounts for at least a third of childhood diabetes. Today, a child above the age of 12 who gets diagnosed with diabetes, has almost as much chance of having Type 2 diabetes as Type 1 diabetes."

While both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have a genetic component, studies have found that a sedentary lifestyle with poor eating habits and excessive weight gain are very strong contributing factors in the latter.

In Type 1 diabetes, patients' bodies produce little or no insulin, a hormone that is important for glucose metabolism. They have to be put on daily insulin injections to control their blood glucose level.

In Type 2 diabetes, patients are unable to utilise insulin. While these patients do not need insulin injections, they have to watch their diet, exercise and keep their weight down. Excess weight, particularly in the abdomen, affects one's ability to utilise insulin.

What is worrying, says Dr Goh Su-Yen, director of the diabetes clinical services at SGH, is that the younger the onset of diabetes, the longer the period of time the patient is being exposed to its complications in young adulthood.

"This ultimately increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, renal failure, blindness and limb amputations, all occurring in a younger age group. The rising trend in obesity, and consequently Type 2 diabetes, does not appear to be reaching a plateau, another observation that is worrying," adds Dr Goh.

What's also of concern is that it's easy to miss Type 2 diabetes in patients because it can be asymptomatic or the patient may present with general symptoms such as fatigue or repeated episodes of infections.

Hence the importance of medical screening, particularly for those at risk. Associate Professor Lee Yung Seng, a senior consult-ant with the University Children's Medical Institute at the National University Hospital, advises: "Type 2 diabetes usually affect older children, especially those in puberty. Children who are overweight and have a family history also have a higher risk of being hit by this type of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has recommended considering screening children with risk factors, even if they do not appear to have any symptoms." When left undetected, patients are at risk of cardiovascular disease, renal failure, blindness and limb amputations.

While Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by oral medications and insulin injections, doctors say the mainstay of treatment is to lose weight by watching one's diet and exercising.

However, compliance is often an issue in the young sufferers.

Prof Lee says: "Young sufferers may have more risk-taking behaviour and may omit insulin injections, medications or forgo their dietary control.
"Physically, there are surges of sex and growth hormones during puberty which can affect their diabetes control too."

As diabetes is a chronic disease, prevention is definitely better than cure. Dr Gardner says: "There are many things we can do to prevent Type 2 diabetes in the young: we should encourage more physical activity and healthy meals. For kids who are overweight, some suggestions include limiting time spent on sedentary activities like watching television to less than four hours a day, avoiding carbonated drinks or sweet juices and limiting fast foods."

The Influence of Hormones on Weight Gain

2009-06-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Influence of Hormones on Weight Gain

According to Dr Pamela Peeke, assistant clinical professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and author of Fight Fat After Forty, comfort eating during stressful moments - which tend to be many - is one of the main reasons our waistlines expand.

According to Professor Peeke, Whenever we're angry, scared, anxious, or tense, the brain produces cortisol and adrenaline: hormones specifically designed to incite the fight-or-flight response that was once crucial to our survival. 'Adrenaline's main role is to make you alert and focused, with exceptional concentration and memory,' says Peeke. She adds that cortisol also helps increase heart and respiratory rates and getting your muscles tensed and ready.

While those physiological processes worked well for our prehistoric ancestors, they're not as useful in a world where physical dangers are few. The trouble is, whenever we're stressed these hormones are released into your system. Though adrenaline levels plummet as the stress subsides, cortisol remains in the body much longer. Since, physiologically speaking, your body thinks you've run a mile or two or done something active in response to the 'threat', the hormone sends signals to refuel the body as soon as possible. It's a biological green light to indulge in foods loaded with carbs and fat that leads to weight gain in the chronically stressed. It's a vicious cycle of stress, followed by elevated cortisol, followed by that scone you don't need.

Weight Gain

What's even more worrisome is the type of weight gain this cycle encourages. Cortisol, along with adrenaline, travels to the body's fat cells, allowing them to open and release fat - what the body knows as fuel - into the bloodstream, to the liver and then to the muscles to use as energy.

Toxic Abdominal Weight

In an interesting twist, Peeke's research has found that fat cells deep inside the belly are especially good at attracting cortisol. Simply put, the cascade of responses caused by stress encourages the accumulation of excess 'stress fat', the layer of fat below the abdominal muscle. 'This creates "toxic weight" - or extra fat inside the abdomen - which is the only type of fat on the body associated with death,' she says. She adds that this type of fat has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

Midlife Weight Gain

So how to break the vicious cycle of midlife weight gain and stress? Peeke suggests, among other things, a combination of healthy eating, regular exercise and stress management techniques.

Diet -
Reduce Processed Foods

One of the best ways to combat stress and anxiety is to eat foods that give you long-lasting energy, such as whole grains. Peeke advises avoiding foods that release sugar into the bloodstream too quickly, such as highly processed foods made with white, refined sugars and white starches - pasta, white rice, potatoes, and white bread. These increase the amount of insulin, another hormone that plays an important role in weight gain and appetite. In fact, Peeke calls elevated cortisol and elevated insulin levels a 'lethal duo' that creates an insatiable appetite for carbohydrates and fat.

Diabetes is about friends and family too

2009-06-07T12:59:00.001-07:00

We all come into contact with diabetes through different routes. Some as patients during childhood, some as patients in older life. Some of us are parents of children with diabetes and for others it is our parents who develop the disease. For friends and workmates we are often faced with learning that someone we know and care for has been diagnosed with diabetes.

As patients and healthcare professionals we are all aware off the myths associated with diabetes.

What sould we do when someone we know is diagnosed? If we are a patient what should we tell our friends?

The sad and unexpected death as a result of diabetes related complications has inspired one of our members to take on the challenge of learning about the disease and set about training to enter a marathon ironman competition to raise funds for diabetes research.

The folowing item gives some pointers that may help explaining diabetes to friends and family members and sits alongside the recent video that discusses the bullying of children who have been diagnosed.

Tips for helping a person who has diabetes.

Bullying, Children and Type 1 daibetes

2009-06-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

The importance of working towards control.

2009-04-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

The importance of working towards control.

Keeping with the advice of the health care professionals who look after us is not always easy. Following diets and exercise programmes, checking of blood sugar levels, attending appointments can be tough.

I often wonder how difficult it must be for parents whose children have diabetes. It’s tough enough bringing up children but to add the necessity to keep track of your child’s blood sugar levels and to administer insulin injections must at times become very challenging.

For these parents there is little choice, they must follow the advice and work towards control of their children’s blood sugar levels.

For the rest of us we are faced with many choices and temptations. Nicely packaged and advertised processed foods, candy, chocolates, sugar laden fizzy drinks, reasons not to do that exercise, I’ll leave it to tomorrow syndrome to name a few.

Unfortunately, diabetes that's not properly managed can cause many serious health problems. It's wise to take precautions against associated illnesses as soon as possible.

Excess glucose in the blood damages the blood vessels and nerves, contributing to:

heart disease

strokes

kidney disease (nephropathy)

impotence

peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

nerve damage (neuropathy)

damage to the back of the eye (retinopathy)

Uncontrolled diabetes is the commonest cause of blindness in people of working age, although treatment can prevent blindness in 90 per cent of those at risk.

Diabetes is the second most common cause of lower limb amputation, trauma being responsible for most leg amputations.

However, it's possible to minimize the risk of developing these complications by working towards keeping diabetes under tight control. What has passed is in the past and the important message this morning is that we all continue with the advice of our health care professional and work towards keeping our diabetes under control. Much like the parents of children with diabetes have to do on a daily basis.

Tax on unhealthy food - A tax to save your life!

2009-04-15T11:12:00.001-07:00

Sugar, rum, and tobacco are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which are become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are therefore extremely proper subjects of taxation.

— Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776

BREAKING NEWS: Quoted from the New England Journal of Medicine April 8, 2009, on-line edition. Will appear in print edition of the NEJM on April 30, 2009.

The obesity epidemic has inspired calls for public health measures to prevent diet-related diseases. One controversial idea is now the subject of public debate: food taxes.

Forty states already have small taxes on sugared beverages and snack foods, but in the past year, Maine and New York have proposed large taxes on sugared beverages. Because excess consumption of unhealthful foods underlies many leading causes of death, food taxes at local, state, and national levels are likely to remain part of political and public health discourse.

Sugar-sweetened beverages (soda sweetened with sugar, corn syrup, or other caloric sweeteners and other carbonated and uncarbonated drinks, such as sports and energy drinks) may be the single largest driver of the obesity epidemic. A recent analysis found that the intake of sugared beverages is associated with increased body weight, poor nutrition, and displacement of more healthful beverages; increasing consumption increases risk for obesity and diabetes; Studies show that reduced intake of soft drinks improves health. Studies that do not support a relationship between consumption of sugared beverages and health outcomes tend to be conducted by authors supported by the beverage industry.

Sugared beverages are marketed extensively to children and adolescents, and in the mid-1990s, children's intake of sugared beverages surpassed that of milk. In the past decade, per capita intake of calories from sugar-sweetened beverages has increased by nearly 30%; beverages now account for 10 to 15% of the calories consumed by children and adolescents. For each extra can or glass of sugared beverage consumed per day, the likelihood of a child's becoming obese increases by 60%.

Taxes on tobacco products have been highly effective in reducing consumption, and data indicate that higher prices also reduce soda consumption. A review conducted by Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity suggested that for every 10% increase in price, consumption decreases by 7.8%. An industry trade publication reported even larger reductions: as prices of carbonated soft drinks increased by 6.8%, sales dropped by 7.8%, and as Coca-Cola prices increased by 12%, sales dropped by 14.6%.5 Such studies — and the economic principles that support their findings — suggest that a tax on sugared beverages would encourage consumers to switch to more healthful beverages, which would lead to reduced caloric intake and less weight gain.

An estimated $79 billion is spent annually for overweight and obesity alone — half at taxpayers' expense. In the case of sugared beverages, marketers commonly make health claims about energy and vitamins to young children who often cannot distinguish a television program from an advertisement. A penny-per-ounce excise tax would raise an estimated $1.2 billion in New York State alone, which could be used to promote better health.

Americans consume about 250 to 300 more calories daily today than they did several decades ago, and nearly half this increase is accounted for by consumption of sugared beverages.

Such a reduction in calorie consumption would be expected to substantially reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes and may also reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions.

UK diabetes audit, icebergs and cuckoo clocks

2009-04-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

UK Diabetes audit is just the tip of the iceberg.

A stroll down the shopping malls of Manchester city centre confirms the time bomb of health problems that, like the German cuckoo clock, tick tocks away with such a sense of certainty that at some point, like the cuckoo clock, will explode horribly on all of us.

The survey of more than 23000 children explains that 97% of childhood incidences of diabetes in the UK are of type 1. More worryingly 3% of the incidences are now of Type II diabetes which has been associated almost exclusively with age onset and obesity. Age onset and obesity traditionally meant the over 50’s who had given up the battle of middle age spread.

When we toss into the melting pot to the fact that the UK has one of the poorest reported proportion of these children exercising good control and balance over their diabetes any one with any interest in healthcare, children’s welfare, economics (chronic disease in expensive for the state and its taxpayers) should be sleeping less well in their beds tonight.

How can you help yourself?

As a starter for 10 here are some pointers.

1) Understand the daily challenges of patients and their families who live with diabetes.

2) Diabetes is not concerned about political correctness. Afro Caribbean, Asian and socially deprived communities face greater risk of developing the disease. However look for the log in your own eye before you make judgment about other people and their lifestyles. In this consumer world where even opening a tin of beans has been mechanised diabetes lurks in places where physical activity has stopped.

3) Support Diabetes Uk and other diabetes related charities whilst supporting your own body with a little more exercise.

4) Learn about some of the long term complications associated with diabetes. Type II is a serious disease with the possibility of horrible long term complications.

5) Take an interest in your diet. Do you know what the effect of transfats and empty calories are having on your body?

6) Lobby like hell the supermarket chains. Enough of processed food it’s killing us and our wallets.

7) Learn to cook and teach your children to cook.

Diabetes, Cataracts, blood pressure and Mt. Rianier

2009-03-29T03:57:00.001-07:00

Sunday 29 March

Manchester.

Good Morning!

mydiabetes is for patients, family members, friends and healthcare professionals and is about providing support and encouragement to each other along the diabetes journey. It’s also about sharing our good and sometimes not so good news with each other.

The clocks have sprung forward and it’s a beautiful sunny day here in Manchester. The daffodils are in bloom and the trees are showing signs of turning green. The forecast is for settled weather and fingers crossed spring has won its battle with winter. Much like the battle with our health, diabetes, diet exercise etc it’s not always easy and but the spring sunshine tells me to keep going with the battle!

How are you getting on with your diabetes this week?

Free blood pressure monitor competition

We have some Omron blood pressure monitors which will be sent to members who submit the best poems. Either add your poem to this link or send them by e-mail to poems@mydiabetes.com we will announce the winners next week.

Cataract Operation

Val has had her first cataract operation (have a look her post)

Inspirational pictures

Alan has shared with us some more stunning photographs

Useful Links

We are in the process of putting together a listing of useful web links and it would be great it you could help by passing on any links or web site addresses that you think might be helpful.

http://mydiabetessocialnetwork.ning.com/forum/topics/useful-web-links-please-can

Call to action!

Our membership is growing rapidly and for the site to be most benefit we need to encourage new members. Other patients, our friends, our family members and healthcare professionals are all welcome. There is an invite page on the site. (The link is here). It explains how you can send an invite card to the contacts in your e-mail address book.

http://mydiabetessocialnetwork.ning.com/main/invitation/new

Best wishes and we look forward to seeing you on www.mydiabetes.com

The temptation of chocolate

2009-03-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

During Lent the Christian tradition is to give something up. This year I’ve given up chocolate. So far so good but it’s getting difficult. I heard that it takes 30 days to establish a habit. By the time we get to Easter 40 days will have passed and hopefully, for me, so will the temptation of chocolate.

One of the churches in Modena Italy has asked it’s congregation to give up texting on Fridays. The church seems to think that technology has got a hold of its congregation and that giving up texting on Fridays will act as a reminder to the members of the church to rid themselves of the temptations of wealth and material goods. Maybe the Diabetes community could give up television and electronic gadgets once a week and spend the time getting some of that exercise the Diabetes educators constantly remind us all about.

As spring approaches should we take the opportunity to spend a little less time with our televisions and electronic gadgets and get out doors and enjoy the sights, sound and smells of nature a little bit more?

Amanda’s Photographs on our site www.mydiabetes.com always remind me of how beautiful the outdoors is. http://mydiabetessocialnetwork.ning.com/profile/Amanda28

How are you and your diabetes getting on this week? Here is the link to our forum where you can share your story. http://mydiabetessocialnetwork.ning.com/forum/topics/how-are-you-and-your-diabetes

Have a great week

Will chocolate tax help with the diabetes epidemic?

2009-03-12T15:31:00.001-07:00

I wonder if the Idea of a tax on unhealthy food or "chocolate tax" might help with the diabetes epidemic that is facing the western world. I've not yet decided however the prospect of McDonald's, Burger King and Waffle House being closed down would not cause me too many sleepless nights.

Courtesy of the BBC www.bbc.co.uk 12 March 2009

Scottish GPs have voted against a proposal for chocolate to be taxed in the same way as alcohol and cigarettes to tackle increasing levels of obesity.

Dr David Walker, a GP in Lanarkshire, warned that chocolate had lost its status as a "treat" and had become a harmful addiction for some people.

However, his motion calling for a tax on chocolate was defeated by two votes at a BMA conference in Clydebank.

He said he was "disappointed" but glad his suggestion had provoked debate.

People have been lulled into a false sense of security about chocolate

Dr David Walker

Speaking after the vote, Dr Walker, who is also a trained food scientist and nutritionist, said: "A little of what you fancy may do you some good, but as nearly one in four people in Scotland are obese a lack of physical activity, an unhealthy diet and larger portion sizes are clearly taking their toll on the health of Scotland.

"Chocolate has lost its status as a special treat and I think that if we charged a tax on it then, over a number of years, we could restore that status."

He had earlier told the BBC news website that obesity was a "mushrooming" problem, and Scotland risked heading the same way as the United States.

He added: "There is an explosion of obesity and the related medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes. I see chocolate as a major player in this, and I think a tax on products containing chocolate could make a real difference."

Dr Walker said that a 225g bag of chocolate sweets contained almost 1,200 calories - almost half the recommended daily calorie intake for a man - and could be eaten incredibly quickly.

I suppose the good doctor has a point but a life without chocolate?

He warned that many people were consuming this amount of chocolate on a daily basis, as well as their normal meals, and were unaware of the harm it was doing.

He said: "There is lots of negative publicity about other fast food and junk food but chocolate is sneaking under the radar.

"People have been lulled into a false sense of security about chocolate.

"I had one patient recently who said to me she thought chocolate was good for you. People are being brainwashed into believing this."

Under Dr Walker's proposal, presented at the annual conference of Scottish Local Medical Committees, revenue raised from taxing chocolate products would be used by the NHS to deal with the health problems caused by obesity.

He also argued that the extra money raised could be spent on increasing and improving sports facilities.

FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME

Making your “atmosphere” the right one.

2009-03-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

Question: Why is there life on earth and no life on the moon?

Answer: Because of the atmosphere on earth.

Human life needs a specific atmosphere to support it including nitrogen, oxygen, traces of argon and carbon dioxide with some water vapor. We have that kind of atmosphere here on Earth and the moon doesn’t.

We often take the earth’s atmosphere for granted and only really pay attention to it at times of severe weather conditions or natural disasters like hurricanes, droughts and bush fires. Most of the time we go about our day to day lives breathing in the oxygen and drinking the water without giving it too much thought.

Occasionally we may think about the greenhouse effect or global warming.

The Diabetes Atmosphere

Managing our own health and our own lives requires an “atmosphere” too. We need to make and create the kind of surroundings around ourselves the support and encourage each of us much in the same way that oxygen and water help to sustain life on our planet.

Our diabetes “atmosphere” includes the choices we make, the food we eat, the exercise we can take, the advice from our medical professionals, medication where required, our friends, our neighbors, our family members and our community.

We often take our own “atmosphere” for granted and as spring starts this seems like a good opportunity to have a look at the things around us and pay attention to our own diabetes “atmosphere”.

One way may be to talk about the good choices we are making at the moment. For example the changes in diet that we have made so far, the care that we are taking with looking after our feet or even our increasing knowledge of diabetes. Spend a little time appreciating these things because like the oxygen in the air we may sometimes take the good choices and changes we have made for granted. At the same time we might want to think about getting to grips with the things that we have not yet addressed. For example can we move away from choosing those fizzy drinks or the temptation to choose to ignore some of the advice from the nurse educator?

I’m sure that you have many many ideas about your own diabetes “atmosphere” and I look forward to learning all about them.

The purpose of mydiabetes is for patients, family members, friends and healthcare professionals to support and encourage each other along the diabetes journey and to add a little to the “atmosphere”.

Please continue to write about your own experiences, share your stories, swap ideas and pass on the http://www.mydiabetes.com/ details to anybody who you think may be interested.

Members are the "atmosphere" of mydiabetes.com and it was brilliant to learn that this week 20 more members joined our community.

Diabetes Drugs Given Too Soon?

2009-03-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

here is an article published on the BBC.co.uk web site today. Interesting for the members of www.mydiabetes.com is the reference to the support of behavioral change amongst the diabetic population.

Diabetes drugs given 'too soon'

One in three people with type 2 diabetes are given medication too soon, instead of being urged to eat better and do more exercise, a study suggests.

A study of 650 people in south west England found 36% were put on tablets within a month of being diagnosed, a Diabetes UK conference heard.

Yet UK guidelines recommend patients should first try to make lifestyle changes to control the condition.

The Royal College of GPs agreed diet and exercise should come first.

More than 400 people a day are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the UK.

“ When people are diagnosed, they're ready to make a lot of changes but if you give them a tablet, you're saying it is not their lifestyle that is the problem ”
Dr Rob Andrew

It is often associated with obesity, and attempts in recent years to screen people for the disease has increased the number of people being diagnosed.

In the latest study, researchers found that in many patients lifestyle management was not given a chance, despite being widely recognised as being the initial first "treatment".

Metformin is the first drug of choice, but more drugs can be added if that is not doing enough to control blood sugar levels.

The researchers found that 13% of participants were actually on two types of tablets within the first few weeks of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Lifestyle

Study author Dr Rob Andrew, a senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, said they had not expected the figures to be quite so high.

"There is quite clear guidance that says when you're first diagnosed, you should have the opportunity to concentrate on lifestyle then if that doesn't work the next stage is metformin.

"When people are diagnosed, they're ready to make a lot of changes but if you give them a tablet, you're saying it is not their lifestyle that is the problem."

He added that incentive payments to encourage GPs to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes, a lack of NHS resources for lifestyle support and a cultural attitude that people will not make the necessary changes are probably all to blame.

Simon O'Neill, from Diabetes UK, said they were concerned that in some cases medication seemed to be the first port of call.

"A healthy, balanced diet and doing physical activity should always be the foundation of good diabetes management.

"Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition - the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they are to need tablets, and eventually insulin.

"Even if people are on tablets, medication should not simply replace diet and physical activity."

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said there was probably a case of jumping in too quickly with pills.

"It is a reminder for GPs and nurses managing newly diagnosed diabetes that lifestyle advice is the most important component."

He added that in some areas of the country there was a lack of resources for supporting behavioural changes.

Virus link to type 1 diabetes

2009-03-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

Today published in Diabetoliga and reported on the BBC

A common virus may be the trigger for the development of many cases of diabetes, particularly in children, UK researchers have reported.

Signs of enteroviruses were found in pancreatic tissue from 60% of children with type 1 diabetes, but in hardly any children without the disease.

They also found that 40% of adults with type 2 diabetes had signs of the infection in insulin-producing cells.

The study published in Diabetologia raises the possibility of a vaccine.

Although genetics is known to play a fairly substantial role in a person's risk of developing diabetes, environmental factors must also be involved and the idea of a viral cause of diabetes has been considered for decades.

Diabetes Time Bomb for England

2009-02-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

The Manchester Evening News published this article today about the diabetes "Time Bomb" in Greater Manchester and the United Kingdom.

The true cause of diabetes is unknown however there are without doubt clear links between Type II diabetes, diet and our sedantary lifestyle.

Here is the article.

A RISING tide of obesity is fuelling an increase in the `time bomb' disease of diabetes.

More than 100,000 people in Greater Manchester have the condition and it is becoming much more common in younger people and even children.

Nationally, the number of newly-diagnosed people has jumped 63 per cent in one decade and experts warn that if the rise continues as predicted, the NHS will not be able to cope.

Dr Martin Gibson, of north west diabetes research network, said: "There is no such thing as `mild' diabetes, it is all very serious. It is crucial to work more on prevention, not just on cure.

"We need better information, better education and better planning to help children live healthier lifestyles, eat better and exercise more."

Experts found the number of men, women and children with Type 1 diabetes, which usually develops in childhood, and Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, rose dramatically between 1996 and 2005.

'Sad indictment'

In the six years between 1997 and 2003, the number of new cases leaped 74pc, and rose 63pc across the decade.

The figures were based on new and existing cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes recorded by more than 300 GP surgeries. Over the decade, 49,999 people who already had diabetes were registered, along with 42,642 newly-diagnosed.

Of the newly diagnosed, 1,256 had Type 1 diabetes - and 41,386 had Type 2.

In Bolton, 4.5pc of people have the disease, one of the 20 highest rates in the country.

There are also high levels in Oldham, Rochdale and Wigan and all 10 Greater Manchester health trusts have higher levels than the national average, with 111,294 in total, figures show.

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This is a sad indictment of the state of the nation's health - we know soaring rates of Type 2 diabetes are linked to the country's expanding waistline.

"It is imperative to raise awareness of the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day if we want to defuse the diabetes time bomb."

Diabetes and the UK

2009-02-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

BBC Article about the explosion of diabetes in the UK

The UK is seeing an explosion of diabetes linked to growing obesity rates, experts are warning.

From 1997 to 2003 there was a 74% rise in new cases of diabetes.

And by 2005, more than 4% of the population was classed as having diabetes - nearly double the rate of 10 years earlier.

The bulk of cases are type 2 diabetes -which is linked to being overweight or obese - the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reports.

This research is a sad indictment of the current state of the UK's health

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK

'Diabetes makes me cry'

The findings suggest that rates of diabetes are increasing at a faster rate in the UK than they are in the US, where prevalence of the disease is already one of the highest in the world.

Of more than 42,642 people who were newly diagnosed with the disease between 1996 and 2005, just over 1,250 had the "insulin-dependent" type 1 diabetes, and more than 41,000 had later-onset type 2 disease, which is linked to lifestyle.

While the numbers of new cases of type 1 diabetes remained fairly constant over the decade, the numbers of new cases of type 2 diabetes did not.

These shot up from 2.60 to 4.31 cases per 1,000 patient years, equivalent to an increase of 69% over the decade.

The researchers from Spain and Sweden who analysed the data from almost five million medical records say the trends are not due to increased screening or the UK's ageing population, but from rising obesity rates.

'Time bomb'

Over the course of the study, the proportion of patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who were obese increased by a fifth.

The researchers said: "Our results suggest that, although the incidence of diabetes remains lower in the UK than in the USA or Canada, it appears to be increasing at a faster pace."

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said projections suggested the worst was yet to come: "Rates of obesity and diabetes will continue to rise unless we do something urgently."

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This research is a sad indictment of the current state of the UK's health. Sadly, the statistics are not surprising as we know that the soaring rates of type 2 diabetes, are strongly linked to the country's expanding waistline.

"Research shows that losing weight can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%. It is imperative that we raise awareness of the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet and doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day if we want to make any headway in defusing the diabetes time bomb."

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: "Early detection and treatment are crucial. We must do whatever we can to find the half-million people who don't know they've got it."

Rates of obesity and diabetes will continue to rise unless we do something urgently

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum

There are currently over 2.5 million people with diabetes in the UK and there are more than half a million people with diabetes who have the condition and don't know it.

Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, however, recently, more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven.

Although obesity is a risk factor, not all people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

According to Diabetes UK, statistics show that over 80% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

The NHS is spending £1m an hour - 10% of its yearly budget - treating diabetes and its complications, according to the charity.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the rise in recorded diabetes cases was partly due to improvements in diagnosis, along with rising rates of obesity and an ageing population.

As a result, more people were getting the support, advice and treatment required to prevent or delay complications.

"We are committed to working with the NHS to help prevent people from developing diabetes," the spokesperson added.

Shadow Health Minister Anne Milton said: "We need to see proactive policies which look to reduce obesity rather than policies that simply treat the effects of it."

Rebecca's Story

2009-02-17T23:58:00.000-08:00

Rebecca shared with us her story on our social network site mydiabetes.com and I share it with our blog readers this morning.

Rebecca writes;

"My name is Rebecca , I'm 39 and have been type 2 insulin required diabetic since Feb 1988.I have had a lot of up and downs in the past 21 years. But, the most recent is this past year I lost my right leg just below the knee. I had 2 diabetic ulcers caused from a rusty nail I stepped on in 2004. I walked on it for a week before anyone found it. By then it was so black I thought I was going to lose it then. But, with the luck of my doctors the where able to save it for a few years After the infection was out of the sore it healed up. Then December of 2006, I got a little sore on the bottom of the right foot again. We battled with it for 2 years in and out of the hospitals and nursing homes. In May of last year I got down real sick I thought it was the flu here my foot had gangrene in it( I found out later). I went to the doctor and one look he said to the hospital you go. We are removing the foot in the morning. I was so scared I had nobody to talk to except the nurse's on my floor. And of course they where busy. But, one of them did come in after shift and talked to me. After being in the hospital for 2 weeks I went back to the nursing home again for another 4 months for rehab. Now , I am home and I have a prosthetic leg and I can walk again after 2years. And I can even dive into a swimming pool again. They are even getting ready to make me a new leg cause the first one is getting to big."

GMR Heather Stott and www.mydiabetes.com

2009-02-16T14:18:00.001-08:00

It was a real pleasure to be interviewed this morning by the ubiquitous Heather Stott about www.mydiabetes.com.

Prepared to talk about the myths of diabetes, reasons f0r blood sugar control, the importance of exercise and the challenges of the "healthy diet". I arrived early at the headquarter of the BBC in the center of Manchester.

The interview lasted all but two minutes and at the very least I managed to explain what diabetes means to most people. Fear, shock, anger, resentment. I also explained that our community has the purpose of letting patients, family members, friends and health care professionals share their stories and provide support and encouragement on the diabetes journey.

Be Happy!

2009-02-15T05:25:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!

One of our members has been in Las Vegas this week. Not on holiday but to look after her parents. Her mother has undergone heart surgery and she has been teaching her dad how to cook meals that will be more suitable for both him and his wife. The last I heard is that between them they had cooked over 65 lo-salt healthy meals and mum is recovering from the operation. Good for them and the best wishes of the mydiabetes.com community are with you.

One of the challenges facing all of us is that of getting over the shock, anger and resentment of diagnosis and being able to move forward and come to terms with the inevitable changes. It’s not easy, there are no simple answers but we know that when we laugh and smile things always seem a little better.

I was sent this list from the reader’s digest which gives 20 ideas about how to be happy.

What do you think?

1. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead of worrying about your checkup tomorrow while you have dinner with your family, focus on the here and now -- the food, the company, the conversation.

2. Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones and lower production of stress hormones. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, tested 16 men who all agreed they thought a certain videotape was funny. Half were told three days in advance they would watch it. They started experiencing biological changes right away. When they actually watched the video, their levels of stress hormones dropped significantly, while their endorphin levels rose 27 percent and their growth hormone levels (indicating benefit to the immune system) rose 87 percent.

3. Go to sleep. We have become a nation of sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. one night with a good book -- and turning the light out an hour later -- can do more for your mood and outlook on life than any number of bubble baths or massages.

4. Hum along. Music soothes more than the savage beast. Studies find music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness -- the same parts activated by food or sex. It's also relaxing. In one study older adults who listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye surgery had significantly lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cardiac workload (that is, their heart didn't have to work as hard) as those who had silent surgery.

5. Declutter. It's nearly impossible to meditate, breathe deeply, or simply relax when every surface is covered with papers and bills and magazines, your cabinets bulge, and you haven't balanced your checkbook in six months. Plus, the repetitive nature of certain cleaning tasks -- such as sweeping, wiping, and scrubbing -- can be meditative in and of itself if you focus on what you're doing.

6. Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren't necessary and that you don't enjoy. If there are enough people already to handle the church bazaar and you're feeling stressed by the thought of running the committee for yet another year, step down and let someone else handle things.

7. Make a list. There's nothing like writing down your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety. Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.

8. Do one thing at a time. Edward Suarez, Ph.D., associate professor of medical psychology at Duke, found that people who multitask are more likely to have high blood pressure. Take that finding to heart. Instead of talking on the phone while you fold laundry or clean the kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to the conversation. Instead of checking e-mail as you work on other projects, turn off your e-mail function until you finish the report you're writing. This is similar to the concept of mindfulness.

9. Garden. Not only will the fresh air and exercise provide their own stress reduction and feeling of well-being, but the sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching seeds turn into flowers, or pruning out dead wood will last for hours, if not days.

10. Tune out the news. For one week go without reading the newspaper, watching the news, or scanning the headlines online. Instead, take a vacation from the misery we're exposed to every day via the media and use that time for a walk, a meditation session, or to write in your journal.

11. Take a dog for a walk. There are numerous studies that attest to the stress-relieving benefits of pets. In one analysis researchers evaluated the heart health of 240 couples, half of whom owned a pet. Those couples with pets had significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure levels when exposed to stressors than the couples who did not have pets. In fact, the pets worked even better at buffering stress than the spouses did.

12. Scent the air. Research finds that the benefits of aromatherapy in relieving stress are real. In one study people exposed to rosemary had lower anxiety levels, increased alertness, and performed math computations faster. Adults exposed to lavender showed an increase in the type of brain waves that suggest increased relaxation. Today you have a variety of room-scenting methods, from plug-in air fresheners to essential oil diffusers, potpourri, and scented candles.

13. Ignore the stock market. Simply getting your quarterly 401(k) statement can be enough to send your blood pressure skyrocketing. In fact, Chinese researchers found a direct link between the daily performance of the stock market and the mental health of those who closely followed it. Astute investors know that time heals most financial wounds, so give your investments time -- and give yourself a break.

14. Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, and places of worship provide islands of peace and calm in today's frantic world. Find a quiet place near your house and make it your secret getaway.

15. Volunteer. Helping others enables you to put your own problems into perspective and also provides social interaction. While happy people are more likely to help others, helping others increases your happiness. One study found that volunteer work enhanced all six aspects of well-being: happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and depression.

16. Spend time alone. Although relationships are one of the best antidotes to stress, sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect. Take yourself out to lunch or to a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading, browsing in a bookstore, or antiquing.

17. Walk mindfully. You probably already know that exercise is better than tranquilizers for relieving anxiety and stress. But what you do with your mind while you're walking can make your walk even more beneficial. In a study called the Ruth Stricker Mind/Body Study, researchers divided 135 people into five groups of walkers for 16 weeks. Group one walked briskly, group two at a slow pace, and group three at a slow pace while practicing "mindfulness," a mental technique to bring about the relaxation response, a physiological response in which the heart rate slows and blood pressure drops. This group was asked to pay attention to their footsteps, counting one, two, one, two, and to visualize the numbers in their mind. Group four practiced a form of tai chi, and group five served as the control, changing nothing about their lives. The group practicing mindfulness showed significant declines in anxiety and had fewer negative and more positive feelings about themselves. Overall they experienced the same stress-reducing effects of the brisk walkers. Better yet, the effects were evident immediately.

18. Give priority to close relationships. One study of more than 1,300 men and women of various ages found that those who had a lot of supportive friends were much more likely to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar metabolism, and stress hormone levels than those with two or fewer close friends. Women, and to a lesser extent men, also seemed to benefit from good relationships with their parents and spouses. Studies also find that people who feel lonely, depressed, and isolated are three to five times more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have feelings of love, connection, and community.

19. Take care of the soul. In study after study, actively religious people are happier and cope better with crises, according to David Myers, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. For many people faith provides a support community, a sense of life's meaning, feelings of ultimate acceptance, a reason to focus beyond yourself, and a timeless perspective on life's woes. Even if you're not religious, a strong spirituality may offer similar benefits.

20. Count your blessings. People who pause each day to reflect on some positive aspect of their lives (their health, friends, family, freedom, education, etc.) experience a heightened sense of well-being.

Be happy this week! Good luck and thank you once again for being a member of www.mydiabetes.com

The story of the dog that has learned to save his diabetic owner

2009-02-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

A guide dog in County Durham saves her owner's life on a daily basis by detecting whether he is close to a diabetic collapse.

Zeta, one of the first "hypo-dogs" in the North East, has been trained by diabetes sufferer Cherry Kearton and his wife Angela.

She puts her paws on his stomach to test whether the amount of sugar in his blood is at the correct level.

If there is a risk of coma, she warns him and he takes his medication.

Angela, who trains guide dogs for a living, taught Zeta the life-saving skills when she was a puppy.

'Saved his bacon'

She said: "Zeta was being trained as a guide dog but at the end of her training she went lame and could not carry on, that's when I thought I could use her to help my husband.

"Believe me, she has saved his bacon on many an occasion. She is not always 100% accurate but she does seem to err on the side of caution."

She trained the Labrador by leaving traces of her husband's sweat, which would either be high or low in blood sugar, on a ball of handkerchiefs.

Zeta started to familiarise herself with the smell, and when she detected the difference she was awarded with a treat.

Ms Kearton added: "It took just over two weeks, the hardest part was persuading her to jump up and alert my husband as she was used to being an obedient guide dog. She has definitely got the hang of it now though."

Symptons of diabetes

2009-02-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

According to the British Health service the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar. However, type 1 diabetes usually develops suddenly over weeks or even days.Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without knowing it because early symptoms can be vague and may not seem important at the time.It’s important to seek medical advice if you think you might have signs of diabetes. Early diagnosis reduces your risk of developing complications.Symptoms of diabetes can include:feeling thirsty all the time, frequent urination, tiredness, weight loss, muscle wasting, frequent infections or slow-healing sores, itchiness around the vagina or penis, regular episodes of thrush and blurred vision.

These symptoms may be due to other conditions, so it's important you seek medical advice and diagnosis.