Diabetes: October 2006 Archives

SARASOTA, Fla., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A cinnamon extract reduces oxidative stress associated with the metabolic syndrome linked to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, a U.S. study found.

The placebo-controlled, double-blind study was designed to determine both the antioxidant and insulin-like activity of a water-based cinnamon extract on people with impaired insulin function.

Twenty-four participants with impaired fasting glucose were given either a placebo or 250 mg of Cinnulin PF twice daily for 12 weeks. The Cinnulin PF group saw a significant increase in two measures that determine antioxidant activity, including ferric reducing ability of plasma and plasma SH. Additionally, the cinnamon group demonstrated a decrease in malondialdehde showing heart health protection. No changes were observed in the placebo group, according to study leader Dr. Anne-Marie Rousel.

Background: Islet transplantation offers the potential to improve glycemic control in a subgroup of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who are disabled by refractory hypoglycemia. We conducted an international, multicenter trial to explore the feasibility and reproducibility of islet transplantation with the use of a single common protocol (the Edmonton protocol).

Methods: We enrolled 36 subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus, who underwent islet transplantation at nine international sites. Islets were prepared from pancreases of deceased donors and were transplanted within 2 hours after purification, without culture. The primary end point was defined as insulin independence with adequate glycemic control 1 year after the final transplantation.

Diabetes is a fact of life for millions. According to figures from the American Diabetes Association, more than 17 million Americans are living with diabetes, and 16 million of them have type 2 (formerly known as adult onset diabetes).

Diabetes can cause health problems throughout the body, but those who have type 2 can do a lot about improving their own health by keeping a careful watch on their nutrition.

People with diabetes can live long, healthy lives if they take good care of themselves – particularly by controlling blood glucose levels through good nutrition.

- study shows

There is more evidence that the American love affair with coffee is helping to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Drinking caffeinated coffee was found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 60% in a newly published study that included people at high risk for the disease.

Even those who used to drink coffee but quit were less likely to develop diabetes than those who never drank it.

Carrying two copies of a common variant of a particular gene doubles your chances of developing diabetes and puts you in a similar risk category to being clinically obese, according to a collaborative study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

The collaborative team led by UCL Professor Steve Humphries studied the TCF7L2 gene, which was discovered to be implicated in diabetes earlier this year by a group working in Iceland. The new study followed healthy middle-aged men in the UK for 15 years, and found that carrying a common variant of the gene increased their risk of developing diabetes by 50 per cent. Carrying two copies of the variant gene increased the risk two-fold, to nearly 100 per cent. In the population as a whole, the impact of this gene on the risk of developing diabetes is as big as the problem of being clinically obese (having a body mass index over 30).

A new systematic review calls into the question the health benefits versus risks of an oral medicine widely prescribed for diabetes throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

The drug -- called pioglitazone -- is marketed in the United States by Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Co. under the trade name Actos.

Your diabetes diet is an important part of your treatment plan. Consider the latest guidelines for diabetes nutrition.

When you have diabetes, diet plays a key role in controlling blood sugar. You probably already know the cornerstones of any diabetes diet — moderate portions of healthy foods and regular mealtimes. Now, new guidelines from the American Diabetes Association can help you make even better choices about what you eat.

Here's a quick look at the latest recommendations, including how to incorporate the basics into your own diabetes diet.

Food labels can be an essential tool for diabetes meal planning. Here's what to look for when comparing food labels.

When you have diabetes, your diet is an important part of your treatment plan. And of course you know what you're eating — a turkey sandwich, a glass of skim milk, a sugar-free fudge pop. But do you pay attention to the details? Reading food labels can help you make the best choices.