Free Driving Clinics for Teens With Type 1
By Web Team
Are you a teenager with Type 1 diabetes and a valid driver's license or learner's permit? Then you may be interested in free driving clinics being offered by the nonprofit Juvenile Diabetes No Limits Foundation.
According to the foundation, "Check B4U Drive is a one-day drivers mini-camp combining effective diabetes management with advanced driving skills." The program includes presentations about safe driving and dealing with critical situations, a discussion with a certified diabetes educator, and in-car practice with professional drivers learning about hard stops, slalom handling, accident avoidance, and ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 29, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Hypoglycemia on the Rise
By Diane Fennell
A variety of new diabetes-specific findings were recently unveiled at the 73rd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, which took place in Chicago from June 21–25. Included among the new research were two studies indicating that, despite (and perhaps as an unintended consequence of ) national improvements in glucose control, serious hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) is still prevalent in the United States. One-third of people with diabetes currently use insulin, and roughly 90% of those who use insulin have experienced hypoglycemia.
Hospital admission rates for hyperglycemia (high...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 28, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
You Can't Do It Alone
By Scott Coulter
I remember the summer of my sixteenth year. I was still fairly new to diabetes (having been diagnosed with Type 1 at 15), but it had been with me long enough to sink in — there was no longer any part of my brain convinced that I would wake up one day and find out this whole diabetes thing was just a dream. Living with diabetes for the rest of my life was a reality. And while the day-to-day maintenance wasn't overwhelming to me, there was a persistent thought that drove me absolutely up the wall. It was the notion that I was no longer "independent." I was now tied to insulin. I was tied to medical car...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 27, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott Coulter Source Type: blogs
The Right Germs: Gut Bacteria and Diabetes
By David Spero
Type 2 diabetes tends to run in families: If parents have it, children are likely to get it too. But is that because of having similar genes, or similar behaviors? Maybe it's neither. Maybe it's having the same kind of bacteria in their guts.
This is an exciting idea, because if we find a way to change gut bacteria, we might be able to cure diabetes. The right germs have cured several other diseases, so why not diabetes?
What's the evidence for a bacteria/diabetes connection? A Swedish study of 145 women found that the genes in intestinal bacteria predict diabetes more accurately than waist-to-hip ratio or b...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 26, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Red Meat Risk
By Quinn Phillips
Red meat has been getting a bad rap for years, as studies have shown that it (along with its even more infamous cousin, processed meat) increases the risk of death from ailments such as cancer and heart disease. Two years ago, a large meta-analysis (using the combined data from many different studies) found that eating red meat, and processed meat in particular, was associated with a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This was true even after controlling for the generally less healthy lifestyle of frequent red meat eaters; age, weight, physical activity, smoking status, and family history of diabe...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 26, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
Home Is Where the Pickles Are
By Jan Chait
When I said last week I would write more about doctors, little did I know what was about to transpire. Flying to a major US city to attend a meeting, I told the flight attendant a couple of times I was having trouble breathing.
His reaction was along the lines of "Uh-huh."
Then I remember a brief moment of moving and the word "ambulance."
Nothing more until: "Do you know where you are? What's the date? Who's the vice president?"
And thus began my weeklong stay in a well-known east coast hospital. If it's Tuesday, I'm probably still there. At any rate, I missed the meeting. And I met a lot of docs.
And, by the...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 25, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
Prostate Cancer: What It Is and Who It Affects
By Amy Campbell
First, the bad news. Research tells us that Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for several types of cancer, including breast, endometrial, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancer. Knowledge of the link between cancer and diabetes is actually nothing new. Back in 1910, a biostatistician made the connection between diabetes and cancer. More recently, studies have shown that diabetes does indeed increase cancer risk, likely, in part, due to the incidence of overweight and obesity, not-so-healthy food choices, and lack of sufficient physical activity (all modifiable risk factors, by the way).
Now, for the somewh...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 24, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
2013 DiabetesMine Patient Voices Contest
By Web Team
Do you have ideas about how to best use diabetes technology to improve health outcomes and lives? Then you'll want to enter this year's "Patient Voices Contest," run by DiabetesMine.com.
In an effort to spark discussions "that lead to faster and better development, design, and accelerated adoption of innovations to improve life with diabetes," the site is asking readers to submit a 2–3 minute video testimonial, presentation slides, or photos describing what health outcomes matter to them the most; how they want diabetes technology to fit into their lives; and/or what their biggest concerns are about th...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 22, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Breakfast and Insulin Resistance
By Diane Fennell
As the old saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And according to new research presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, this may be true, at least as it applies to insulin resistance.
Skipping breakfast has been associated with higher body-mass index (BMI; a measure of weight in relation to height) and disruptions in metabolism. To determine the metabolic effects of not eating breakfast in overweight and obese women, researchers looked at 10 women with an average age of 29 and a BMI of 27–35 (considered overweight to obese). Eight of the women typically ate...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 21, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
Lynchpin
By Scott Coulter
Man, I've been doing a lot of avoiding and scrambling lately. This blog entry is late, I've been putting off a whole list of promotional and business tasks for a band that's in its start-up phase, and I haven't really been meditating. My numbers have been decent, but I haven't really been checking them as often as I should.
Meditation ought to be the first thing on that list, though. Here's why: Meditation is my lynchpin. Here's the dictionary definition of a lynchpin:
1. a pin inserted through the end of an axletree to keep the wheel on
2. something that holds the various elements of a complicated struct...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 20, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott Coulter Source Type: blogs
Perfection, Diabetes Don't Mix
By David Spero
"I can't do this anymore," a 17-year-old woman named Lia posted here. "I can't control [my glucose]... I know I am responsible for myself, but…I find it extremely hard to do everything…when it is needed. Please help me!"
Well, I'd like to help, so I have to ask you all. Do you ever feel that way? Most people with diabetes and other chronic illnesses sometimes do. I know with my multiple sclerosis, I work very hard with diet, exercise, and relaxation to keep my body as functional as possible. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and the days it doesn't can be frustrating and scary. "Yester...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 19, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Doctor Ratings
By Quinn Phillips
The Internet has enabled many forms of communication that were not previously possible, to the displeasure, no doubt, of many people. But few people would argue against the benefits of one application of the Internet: sharing ratings and reviews of products and services. From product reviews on retail sites like Amazon.com to sites like Yelp and Angie's List that are dedicated to ratings and reviews, consumers can access more information with the click of a mouse than most people could have imagined 20 years ago.
Some people are still wary, however, of using the Internet to rate doctors. After all, the do...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 19, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
Another Day, Another Doctor
By Jan Chait
I'm in the throes of my semi-annual visits to the doctors. Some I visit more than others and, I swear, I have a doctor for every part of my body — which would be smart if, for example, I could send my eyes out to see the ophthalmologist while I stayed home and napped. Alas…
Last week, I saw the orthopedic surgeon and the family practice doc. I told the orthopedic surgeon the meds I was taking for phantom pain weren't quite doing the job, so he prescribed a different drug. It was the lowest dosage, but it could be as much as doubled, so I should let him know how it was going. Oh, and it might, he sa...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 18, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
Being Kind to Your Kidneys: Preventing Problems
By Amy Campbell
Now that you know a little more (or have refreshed your memory a bit) about diabetes and kidney disease, as well as the tests you need to see how healthy your kidneys are, you're ready for the most important part: what you can do to prevent kidney problems from happening in the first place.
Focus on blood glucose control.
It's no surprise that keeping your A1C and your blood glucose levels in a safe range is the first step. In fact, doing so can help reduce your risk for all of the complications related to diabetes. In case you need reminding, your A1C level should likely be less than 7%. However, your goal...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 17, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Joslin's 2013 Diabetes Innovation Congress
By Web Team
This October, the world-renowned Joslin Diabetes Center will be hosting its second annual Diabetes Innovation Congress, featuring hundreds of leaders in diabetes care and obesity.
The conference will bring together people with diabetes, health-care providers, manufacturers, government representatives, and scholars in an effort to find ways to improve the health system. It will include keynote speeches, interactive panels, exhibits, and more. Among the topics to be covered are diabetes prevention and management in the workplace, diabetes-friendly health insurance exchanges, and mobile health care for diabetes...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 15, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
