UCD develops pathway to help diabetes

For all those Type 1 diabetes sufferers out there, I found some interesting information regarding research and findings on controlling the risk of cardiovascular disease in type 1 patients. Check out this article for more details.

Article source: http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_7737992

"Researchers at UC Davis Health System have discovered a novel pathway that results in increased inflammation of blood vessels in patients with type 1 diabetes. Their findings suggest that, with good diabetes control, this inflammation may be reduced, possibly resulting in a reduction of cardiovascular disease as well.

In a study now available both in the online edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism as well on the National Institutes of Health's PubMed, the researchers provide the first-ever demonstration of increased expression and signaling in type 1 diabetics of two key receptors within the body's innate immune system. Called TLR2 and TLR4, they are part of a family of pattern recognition receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), so-called because of their similarities to the well-defined Tollgene found in much-studied fruit flies."

For other articles like these, check out the Health Directory in 'My favourite links'

What can you do to raise awareness about diabetes?

I read this week about a young girl named Jordan Hickey, she is only 8 years old but as a sufferer of diabetes she is running with her classmates to help others understand about diabetes and raise money for research. Good on you Jordan! As Jordan has been quoted as saying "It's not contagious. They can touch me and they won't get it" Thats right, many people are so ignorant of this condition. Let's all do our part and help educate others about diabetes.

The students at Jordan's school were hoping to raise over $5000 for research and education purposes. What can you do?

Transporters may help delay diabetes-related retinal damage

Here is an update on some help to prevent blindness in diabetics - the leading cause of blindness in working age persons. Very interesting!

Article source: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=33061

Two transporters that deliver alternative energy sources to the eye may help delay retinal damage that can occur in diabetes, researchers say.

The transporters, SMCT1 and SMCT2, can circumvent the eye's protective blood-retinal barrier, delivering energy sources lactate and ketone bodies to a healthy eye, says Dr. Pamela Martin, biochemist at the Medical College of Georgia.

In diabetes, characterized by plenty of glucose but the inability of cells to use it, the retina may turn to those alternate sources for survival.

"Glucose is your primary energy source," says Dr. Martin. "But in diabetes, the retina undergoes a lot of stress, there is oxidative damage and a lot of other things going on. These transporters, we believe, may be instrumental in bringing in additional substrates which the cells can use for energy to try and prevent death."

Diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, results in death of retinal neurons, at least in part because glucose availability is compromised for this high-energy-consuming tissue, says Dr.

Hope for better awareness of diabetes

Awareness is a bit issues because many people don't even realise that children suffer from diabetes too. Many today think it is just a sickness for overweight people - well we know that isn't true, so good on Diabetes Week New Zealand for its efforts.

Article Source: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/071118/2/2gqt.html

Diabetes sufferers want people to understand there is no holiday from their illness. The focus of this year's Diabetes Awareness Week is the 3,500 children and young people affected by Type 1 diabetes in this country.

Diabetes New Zealand president Mike Smith says children with Type 1 do have some special needs. He says they do not need to be pampered, but people must understand they have a condition which needs to be managed 24 hours a day. He says the number of children diagnosed with diabetes each year is growing by about 10 percent.

Mike Smith says it is difficult for a child to get used to having the disease. He says it is scary for both children and their parents, as the young patients can often become hypoglycaemic in the night and need help.

Key Unlocks Obesity/Diabetes Link<

Here is an interesting article I found relating obesity and diabetes. I'm sure we have all heard that we should watch our waistlines or we are more likely to end up with diabetes. But this article seems to indicate that will change in the future.

I personally think we should still be so careful! Australia was just found to be the fifth fattest nation in the world - look out Aussies - Diabetes isn't the only health risk of being obese. Even if they have found the gene relating to diabetes and obesity, don't start overeating! There are plenty more dangers out there....

Article location: http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20071106/key-unlocks-obesity-diabetes-link?src=RSS_PUBLIC

"Obesity leads to insulin resistance and diabetes, but not if a key inflammatory pathway is blocked, mouse studies show.

Abdominal obesity is a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes. As people gain more and more belly fat, they become more and more resistant to insulin. Their bodies have to make more and more insulin to control their blood sugar. Eventually, they develop diabetes.

Why does this happen? Scientists have found that one of the body's chemical signals, called JNK1, is needed both for the accumulation of abdominal fat and for obesity-related insulin resistance. Mice lacking the JNK1 gene can eat a high-fat diet without getting fat and without getting diabetes.

But can you become obese without getting diabetes? The surprising answer seems to be yes."

November is American Diabetes Month

Diabetes can be an extremely debilitating disease for those who suffer from it, requiring thorough and consistent disease management and education to maintain good health and quality of life."We're reaching out to diabetes caregivers during American Diabetes Month because they are such an important link in improving quality of life for people living with diabetes and reducing health care costs for everyone," said Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Mark D. Birdwhistell. "With the right tools and knowledge, caregivers can help their loved one reduce the number of diabetes-related complications he or she experiences and live a long and healthy life."Many people living with diabetes, particularly children and the elderly, rely on caregivers to help them manage the disease. Often, this role presents many challenges."Caring for someone with diabetes is an extremely important role," said William Hacker, M.D., CHFS' undersecretary for health and public health commissioner.

Source: http://www.newsdemocratleader.com/articles/2007/11/06/news/features/features09.txt