It is relatively easy to for those diagnosing diabetes mellitus to establish the condition. Diagnosing diabetes became much easier when the American Diabetes Association established the criteria for diagnosing diabetes in 1997. The ADA followed up with additional guidelines for diagnosing diabetes in 2003 and again in 2010. But if your doctor is diagnosing diabetes mellitus for you, what will a positive diagnosis mean? The term diabetes mellitus refers to several diseases of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism that are all characterized by hyperglycemia. Diabetes diagnosing is confirming that there is impairment in insulin secretion, along with an accompanying resistance of different degrees to the action of insulin.

Diagnosing diabetes mellitus is based on one of these four abnormalities – hemoglobin A1C (A1C), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), random elevated glucose with symptoms, or abnormal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are referred …

Many people wonder “does diabetes cause headaches or dizziness?” The fact is it can and it often does. Diabetes cause headaches in many patients for many different reasons. And dizziness is another common complaint. Often patients that are diabetic also have a problem with high blood pressure and occasionally low blood pressure, although the latter is rare. A headache is a common complaint of patients with elevated blood pressure and those with diabetes. It should be noted that the sudden onset of a severe headache should be treated as an emergency that needs immediate medical attention. Less severe headaches are not an emergency but are certainly painful and difficult to live with if they occur with any frequency. Let’s start off with answering the question – does diabetes cause headaches?

Can Diabetes Cause Headaches?

Hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar, occurs when there is an inadequate amount …

The destructive effects on major organs by diabetes are well known and documented. How diabetes causes kidney failure is mostly a matter of accumulated damage to the kidneys that occurs over time. If a diabetic is careful in the management of the disease and careful to monitor glucose levels, most of the damage can be mitigated. Testing can also be a major component to preventing kidney damage, but how? Diabetes causes kidney failure over a long period of time. The damage to the kidneys begins way before any symptoms are noticeable. Urine testing is the key to detecting this damage before it becomes too great.

Small amounts of protein begin to leak into the urine at the onset, or early stages of kidney damage. This protein is called albumin, and it can be detected in small amounts in the urine if you or your physician specifically request this test to …

Metabolic syndrome in women is more common than in men, and even more alarming is how much more widespread the problem is becoming. The exact cause isn’t known yet, but just the name “syndrome” implies that metabolic syndrome in women, or in men, is a cluster (or collection) of health risks rather than an actual disease in itself.

It is probably that our diet and exercise habits in general have become worse than they were years ago. We eat more junk food, we sit more at a desk instead of actually doing something physical at work, we spend more time driving and less time walking, and don’t get enough sleep at the end of the day.

Metabolic Syndrome in Women – How is it Diagnosed?

As stated, metabolic syndrome is a collection of risks. The National Cholesterol Education Program has issued a definition of the syndrome as having …

For decades, researchers have been trying to identify the number one cause of diabetes type 1 and type 2. The answer to this question will probably never be found, because diabetes can be caused by so many things, and it is really not a disease in itself. It is a syndrome, or a group of diseases that brings about a prolonged state of hyperglycemia. This is an elevated blood glucose reading. The number one cause of diabetes may just be age, since the longer you live, the more likely you are to become diabetic, especially with type 2 diabetes.

What Does Cause Diabetes?

While the number one cause of diabetes may be elusive, it can be helpful to dispose of some of the myths about causes diabetes. Surprisingly, when asked about the number one cause of diabetes, many adults will respond with something about eating too many sweets, …

A recent review article that was published by researchers at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing has shed new light on the link between Vitamin D3 and diabetes. Specifically, the researchers found that if a patient is taking at least an adequate amount of Vitamin D3 and diabetes is already diagnosed, the complications that might normally be expected will be reduced, or at least delayed. The entire article can be researched by looking in the January 2009 issue of Diabetes Educator.

Vitamin D has many health benefits beyond those pertaining to Vitamin D3 and diabetes, but it should be of particular interest to diabetics because of the benefits mentioned above and because it plays an important role in sensitivity to insulin and insulin secretion.

Some Scientists Call Vitamin D3 Deficiency an Epidemic

In modern societies, people spend an increasing amount of time indoors. One …

Researchers are unsure, as is the case with so many complications of diabetes. But some of what causes neuropathy in diabetes depends on the type of diabetic neuropathy in question. Studying the effect of long-term exposure to high blood glucose levels on the nerves have revealed some likely reasons for the nerve damage that is the cause of the diabetic neuropathies. In most cases, what causes neuropathy in diabetes is probably a combination of factors like:

• metabolic factors, including high blood glucose, the duration of the diabetes, abnormal blood fat levels, and maybe low levels of insulin
• neurovascular factors leads to damage to the smaller blood vessels. These vessels carry oxygen and nutrients to nerves
• autoimmune factors that cause the nerves to become inflamed
• mechanical injury to nerves, including things like carpal tunnel syndrome
• inherited or genetic traits that increase susceptibility to nerve disease
• lifestyle factors, such as smoking, inactivity,

If anybody knew what food causes diabetes, it would certainly make thing a lot easier. Unfortunately, there isn’t any one food that causes diabetes. And contrary to what some people still believe, eating more sugar, or drinking sugary drinks doesn’t cause diabetes either. Instead of looking for what food causes diabetes, it would serve you better to understand the risk factors for the different diabetes types and figure out what food causes diabetes risk factors like being overweight, or which foods contribute to fat levels in the blood getting too high.

Probably the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes is being overweight or obese. There are many foods that that are high in fat and sugar that increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes by making you gain weight. And simply eating too much of any food can contribute to obesity. So it is more helpful to …

In an indirect way, you could say that alcohol causes diabetes. This is certainly not the case for the majority of diabetes cases, but it is possible that alcohol causes diabetes by damaging the pancreas. About 80% of all cases of chronic pancreatitis are the result of alcohol abuse. And about one-third of people with chronic pancreatitis develop diabetes type 2.

Another indirect way that alcohol causes diabetes is by contributing to obesity. Alcohol is high in calories, and people that consume a lot of alcohol on a regular basis have a high rate of obesity. Obesity, or being overweight, is thought to be one of the major risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Alcohol Causes Diabetes Medication to React in Harmful Ways

The way insulin and most diabetes medications control the disease is to lower the blood glucose levels in the blood. Alcohol causes diabetes patients …

A decade ago, it was a rare occurrence for a child to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, it’s not so rare anymore. Researchers are trying to find the causes of diabetes in children with a sense of urgency as the number of people under the age of 20 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes continues to rise exponentially. Conventional wisdom used to be that if someone under age 20 had diabetes, it was type 1, or juvenile-onset diabetes. But the CDC now reports the number of people under age 20 with diabetes is approaching 200,000, and the causes of diabetes in children is taking on new importance.

What are the Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Children?

Although the exact causes of diabetes in children aren’t completely understood, some of the risk factors for children developing type 2 diabetes are the same as they are for …

For some people a diabetes checklist may seem like an unnecessary chore. That may be true for some, but a diabetes checklist may prove to be a valuable tool for some diabetics to manage everything from meal planning to checking for symptoms. They can also be useful to help monitor glucose levels. A diabetes education checklist could even be used for publications or articles you intend to read but don’t have time for right away. Check them off as you read them and you’ll be sure you get to everything you intend to read. Take a look at some of the following examples and then develop a diabetes checklist that suits your needs and diabetic condition.

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms Checklist

If you have more than a couple of these symptoms, you should get further testing at a doctor’s office. This is also useful to use for your …

If you have diabetes, foot disease is something you need to be on the lookout for. Having too much glucose over a long period causes usually normal foot problems to turn serious for many diabetics. The resulting complications are commonly referred to as diabetes foot disease. There is no one problem named “diabetes foot disease”, but rather a couple of problems that turn other foot conditions into serious medical conditions. Diabetic neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease are those two problems. Let’s take a brief look at each one.

Diabetic Neuropathy

Nerve damage caused by uncontrolled diabetes is responsible for much of what is called diabetes foot disease. When the nerves in the foot become damaged, you lose the ability to feel temperature extremes and pain. This lack of sensation is called sensory diabetic neuropathy. If you get a cut, sore or blister on your foot, you don’t realize …

With diabetes, glucose metabolism doesn’t work the same as it does in the body of a non-diabetic. It’s important because glucose metabolism is the way your body turns the foods you eat into energy that your body needs. If you have diabetes, glucose metabolism is either stopped or slowed down severely because your body isn’t producing any (or enough) insulin. Insulin is a hormone that the body needs to turn your glucose (blood sugar) into fuel for your cells. Let’s take a look at the diabetes/glucose metabolism relationship.

Blood Sugar Metabolism

Every time you eat something, your digestive system uses enzymes to break the food down into proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, fats, and sugars. These digestive system byproducts are then absorbed into the bloodstream to be used as energy by your body’s cells.

Of all the byproducts, the most important is glucose, or blood sugar. After eating, the …

If you are looking for diabetes nutrition information, you don’t need to look far. There are diabetes cookbooks, recipe websites, meal planning software, and spreadsheets to be found everywhere. But the main diabetes information you need to know is this – diabetics have the same nutritional needs as everyone else. The single, most important thing you can do for yourself nutritionally is to watch your calorie and fat intake. It’s not so much the food that you eat that can cause diabetic complications as it is how closely you monitor your weight and your blood sugar levels.

Let’s face it – eating is one of life’s simple pleasures that everyone enjoys. And although it is important that you understand as much as you can about diabetes nutrition information, there is no need to make it complicated. Just learn to eat well-balanced meals that will keep you at a healthy …

Among people with diabetes, diabetic cardiovascular disease causes more death than any other diabetic complication. Much of society is not aware of this fact. Usually, diabetes is associated with kidney failure, blindness, amputations, and other organ failure. While these things reduce the quality of life for many diabetics, diabetic cardiovascular disease will kill more diabetics than anything else.

When blood glucose levels are not controlled and the diabetic suffers from chronic hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels), the arteries lose their elasticity and become narrowed. High cholesterol can clog the arteries. All of is puts the diabetic at increased risk of diabetic cardiovascular disease.

Diabetic cardiovascular disease is the class of diseases that involve the heart, the vessels, or both. A cardiovascular disease is technically any disease that involves the cardiovascular system.

Diabetic Cardiovascular Disease Usually Involves Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of the arteries that is caused by …

Let’s take a look at some European juvenile diabetes statistics first. In Europe, best-guess estimates are that new cases of juvenile diabetes are likely to double over the next decade or so. And WebMD sources expect the United States will see this same trend very shortly. Some juvenile diabetes statistics from Europe of particular interest are:

• New cases of juvenile diabetes are increasing by 3.9% a year. This is not a good trend, and the most new cases are being diagnosed in the younger children
• The increase is in all ages between birth and 14 years old. But the greatest increase was in the younger age group, where children under the age of 5 are showing an increase of 5.4%
• Using math on current juvenile diabetes statistics data will show an increase of 70% by the turn of the next decade (somewhere in 2020 or 2021)
• In the same decade,

Even as recently as the 1970’s and 1980’s, scientists couldn’t say with any degrees of certainty that they knew what the major causes of diabetes were. Diligent research and lots of funding has brought us a long way towards understanding this condition. They had a pretty good idea that genetic and ethnic factors played a role. There was also evidence that pointed to gender playing a role. Beyond that, there was plenty of hypotheses but also plenty of controversy and opinion. We now understand that environmental factors are one of the major causes of diabetes. The good thing about this knowledge is that environmental factors are things you sometimes have control over, thus being able to take preventative measures to do something about one of the major causes of diabetes.

What Do We Now Know about the Major Causes of Diabetes?

• Unfortunately, age is one of the major

The use of maltitol and diabetes control is becoming widespread. Many people don’t even know what it is. So let’s take a look at maltitol, and diabetes management by using it. Maltitol is a reduced calorie bulk sweetener that tastes similar to sugar and has sweetness similar to sugar. It is suitable to use in a wide variety of reduced-calorie foods, sugar-free foods, and in reduced fat foods. It doesn’t cause or promote decay of the teeth.

It is in a family of bulk sweeteners known as sugar alcohol, or polyols. Most people like the taste, and are satisfied with foods that use it as an ingredient. It’s about 90% as sweet as sugar, and has way less calories than sugar. Many hard candies, gum, ice creams, and baked goods use maltitol. And diabetes patients are naturally attracted to using it to help them control their weight.

Is Maltitol

Before we list the metabolic syndrome risk factors, it would be useful to first describe exactly what metabolic syndrome is. As a reference, it used to be called metabolic syndrome X, and is now sometime referred to as insulin resistance syndrome. Now most commonly referred to as metabolic syndrome, risk factors have not changed despite what it is called.

Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of risk factors that increase the chance of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some other health complications. The word “metabolic” is just a medical term referring to the biochemical processes that are involved in the normal functioning of the body. And “risk factors” are conditions (medical or environmental), traits, and habits or lifestyle choices that increase the chances of developing something. There are five metabolic syndrome risk factors, and to have metabolic syndrome, you must have at least three of them. Almost anyone …

If only researchers could find out what causes diabetes in children to be diagnosed with increasing frequency every year, we might not only have better ideas about what causes diabetes in children, but also an insight into more of the risk factors that are causing diabetes to rise every year at for all age groups.

Since the 1950’s, something is causing more children under the age of 15 to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every year. This disturbing trend is worldwide. And as in adults, the incidence of type 2 diabetes is rising in children as well. It seems this was almost unheard of in the middle of the last century. And if we don’t figure out what causes diabetes in children to keep rising, imagine the consequences both in terms of overall health, but in the rising cost of caring for more diabetes care in more people for …

Although we are making huge strides in technology and science, some medical conditions still remain a mystery. What causes juvenile diabetes is one of those still unsolved mysteries. The exact cause or trigger is still not able to be defined, but researchers are narrowing in on what causes juvenile diabetes and are a lot closer to the answer than they were even at the turn of the century.

Juvenile diabetes is more commonly referred to now as type 1 diabetes by the experts, but most laymen still call it juvenile diabetes. It is the least common of all the diabetes types, with about 10% of the total number of diabetes patients having type 1, or juvenile diabetes. And even though nobody can say with certainty what causes juvenile diabetes, the mechanisms and course of the condition are pretty well understood. Risk factors are pretty well defined too, but some of …

Many people think there is a diabetes metabolic disease, and in a sense they are right. But it is really a misnomer, or a somewhat misapplied name. Diabetes metabolic disease is probably referring to the fact that diabetes is a metabolic disorder, and metabolic disorders are somewhat confusing. Let’s start off with trying to define what a metabolic disorder is and why diabetes metabolic disease might be used to describe the disease of diabetes.

What is a Metabolic Disorder?

A metabolic disorder is a series of chemical reactions in your body that disrupt the normal metabolism process of a healthy person. Metabolism is the process of turning the food you eat into the energy your body needs to survive and be healthy. The body’s metabolism breaks the food you eat every day down into sugars and acids. The balance of sugars and acids in the blood is …

The American Diabetes Association has come up with a diabetes risk test that is readily available in a number of formats for anyone to take. You might wonder why there is a need for a diabetes risk test. The answer is simple – There are about 26 million people in the United States alone who have diabetes, and about 7 million of them don’t know it.

There’s a reason for that. Diabetes has known symptoms, but many of them come on slowly over time and the patient doesn’t really notice unless they pay specific attention to them. Things like increased thirst or more frequent need to urinate can be gradual and something you just don’t pay attention to. Also, many of the symptoms are easily misinterpreted for other ailments, and are common symptoms of many medical conditions. The symptoms themselves often don’t seem so terrible that anything needs to be …

In recent years, researchers have been looking into the role of environmental factors as a risk factor for diabetes. Vitamin deficiency has been getting a lot of attention and publicity lately. Vitamin D deficiency and diabetes seem to have a surprisingly high correlation. We’ll take a look at a couple of the diabetes vitamin deficiency relationships that have been uncovered recently.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Diabetes

Maybe all the hysteria in the media over the “harmful effects” of sunlight exposure has had a negative impact on the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes. Vitamin deficiency studies at John Hopkins University School of Medicine have shown that over 90% of their study participants with type 2 diabetes also had a vitamin D deficiency. Diabetes patients in the study with the lowest levels of vitamin D also seemed to have the highest levels of blood sugar.

Another study …

No matter which type of diabetes you may be interested in, diabetic data of every type is readily available on the internet, and in more traditional style in books at any local bookstore. The years of research on this disease has generated enough diabetic data to fill a large warehouse if it were to all be printed out.

But the best source is probably the internet. If you have access to a computer and can get online, you are more likely to get the most recent, up-to-date, and relevant diabetic data. The knowledge base is growing exponentially now, and if you purchase a book, chances are good that some of the information in the book will be outdated by the time you read it. And since books are not updateable, it could be expensive to keep your information current.

If you have a diabetic in the house, probably the best …

Some quick and interesting facts about diabetic illness in the United States might provide a few surprises. Many people without a diabetic in the house don’t realize how many households in this country are affected in some way with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Being the 7^th leading cause of death in the U.S., surprisingly little publicity is given to diabetic illness when compared to other diseases like breast cancer, aids, or other medical conditions that often lead to death. And considering how many other serious complications diabetes illness is responsible for, one might wonder why we don’t hear more about diabetic illness. Besides Mary Tyler Moore, it’s hard to even think of a celebrity who has taken on the cause. Here are some quick facts you may not be aware of:

• Diabetic illness affects almost 26 million people in the United States. This includes all types

The International Diabetes Federation came up with and owns the rights to the blue circle that has come to be recognized as the Universal Diabetic Symbol around the world. It is a thick lined blue circle, hollow in the middle, and very simple in design. If you aren’t familiar with it and want to see the diabetic symbol, you can go to the website of the IDF and see it, or search for it using any search engine. It was designed to give diabetes a common identity around the world. The diabetic symbol was introduced in 2006 so that a simple symbol could be used to raise awareness of diabetes globally, and provide a symbol to be used to advocate for diabetic causes that needs no words and can cross language barriers, culture barriers, and sort of “brand” diabetes. The simplicity of the design couldn’t possibly be offensive to any …

Type 2 diabetes is becoming a pandemic in the United States. It’s important to know the symptoms so you can begin caring for yourself sooner rather than later. Diabetic symptoms in men are very close to what women see in their diabetic symptoms. In men, type 2 diabetes is what more than 95% of those diagnosed have. And more than ever, it is being found at younger ages every year. Just as juvenile diabetes has begun being referred to as type 1 diabetes; it is no longer really appropriate to call type 2 diabetes “adult onset” diabetes. It used to be that type 2 diabetes wasn’t seen in men until around the mid forties, well into their adulthood. Now it isn’t at all uncommon to see men in their 20’s being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Symptoms in men include:

• Increase urination frequency
• Increased hunger – which is particularly bothersome

Diabetes is a complicated enough disease even without all the myths that continue to live on about the disease. One of the most prolific of the myths is that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. It’s easy to see how this myth may have got started, especially before all the research of the recent decades have shed light on what the risks factors of diabetes really are.

The fact is, nobody can say for sure what causes diabetes. Particularly with type 2 diabetes, there may not be a single cause. Eating too much sugar causes diabetes in the same way that eating too much bacon does. There is no question that foods high in sugar content will make a person gain weight if they eat too much of those foods So gaining weight is one thing that eating too much sugar causes. Diabetes type 2 risk factors include being …

Many people refer to metabolic syndrome as metabolic disease. The former is actually the correct way to refer to the condition, but either one could be used. But is diabetes a metabolic disease? Technically it is not when asked in that way. The question could be better asked as “is diabetes a metabolic disease risk factor?” And to that we can say yes.

Metabolic disease, or metabolic syndrome actually refers to a group of risk factors that, when combined, will increase the chance of developing diabetes. It also will increase the odds of developing heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. With the prevalence of metabolic disease increasing with age, about one out of every 5 Americans is affected by it. The word “metabolic” is a medical term that describes the biochemical processes involved in the normal way the body turns food into energy. There are a couple of …

Coming home from the doctor’s office with a metabolic syndrome diagnosis is nothing to throw a party about, but there is a positive aspect to it. Metabolic syndrome is becoming more common in the United states with each passing year, and the frightening thing about it is that many times those that have metabolic syndrome aren’t aware that they have it. So a metabolic syndrome diagnosis can be a good thing as it allows you to begin doing something about it.

What is a Metabolic Disorder Syndrome?

Simply put, metabolic syndrome is a medical name for a group of risk factors that increase the risk for stroke, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes.  Nobody is certain if there is a single cause or not, but obesity is the root cause of all the risk factors. Since many people are obese, it may not occur to them to seek …

With both the use of Sucralose and diabetes on the rise, it shouldn’t be surprising that the artificial sweetener has both its advocates and detractors. If you have diabetes, sucralose may be more recognizable under its brand name in the United States – Splenda. Splenda has become very popular since its introduction in 1976. It is a versatile sweetener deemed safe by the FDA, and since it has been recommended for use by the American Diabetes Association, sucralose and diabetes patients have become very well acquainted.

What’s Benefit of Sucralose and Diabetes Patients Use of It?

Diabetes patients are always looking to control their blood sugar as part of managing their disease. With no calories, and no adverse effects on blood sugar control, sucralose and diabetes patients seem to be made for each other. A 2003 study published in the “Journal of the American Diabetes Association” found that …

Basic type1 diabetes information:

• Correct medical terminology for the disease is Type 1 diabetes mellitus
• Caused by pancreas that produces very little or no insulin at all.
• Requires treatment with insulin
• Can develop at any age, but usually begins in childhood
• Accounts for around 10% of all diabetes cases
• Is an autoimmune condition

Information on Diabetes Type 1 Causes

Researches don’t have a definitive single cause of type 1 diabetes. Information on type I diabetes causes over the past several decades has led researchers to believe that a family history of type 1 diabetes is a high risk factor, but some patients do develop it with no family history of the disease. It is believed that some people are genetically predisposed and therefore more susceptible to developing type 1 diabetes. Other type1 diabetes information from research suggests that environmental factors trigger the autoimmune response that destroys the …

Weight loss is usually thought of as a good thing. But this isn’t always the case. It is sometimes a symptom of a serious medical condition. Diabetes is one of those. What causes weight loss in diabetes type 1, in general is poor management of the disease. Type 1 diabetes, also referred to as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, results in not enough insulin in the bloodstream and too much glucose, or blood sugar, in the blood.

These conditions cause the release of triglycerides from the fatty tissues in the body, and a breakdown of the amino acids in muscle tissue. This will mean a loss of both fat and lean mass in the body, and is what causes weight loss in diabetes type 1.

Frequent urination, one of the main symptoms of diabetes, can also be what causes weight loss in diabetes. Frequent urination means a loss of body fluids, …

To understand how your treatment plan is working or how efforts you are making to control your disease, A1C levels for diabetes testing is the real answer. The only way to tell what your average blood glucose levels have been over the last several months the A1C levels for diabetes test will give you the answer.

It is done by measuring the glycated hemoglobin percentage in the blood, or the HbA!c. It is not meant to replace the daily testing that need to be done, but if done about twice a year knowing your A1C levels for diabetes will give you a good general idea about how well the treatment plan you are using is, or isn’t working.

How does the A1C Levels for Diabetes Test Work?

Inside the red blood cells of your body is found a protein called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs through …

For most people, coping with diabetes is as easy or as difficult as the individual makes it. In the great majority of cases, diabetics should expect to be able to live a fairly normal life. The easiest method of coping with diabetes involves making sure you take some time to understand your condition, the disease, and how you need to manage it. Then set aside some time each day for self-management of your diabetes. And most important, follow up for the rest of your life with this self-management.

There is no doubt that diabetes is a serious disease and needs to be treated as such. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. But early diagnosis and patient self-management will greatly reduce and maybe even eliminate most of the serious complications that chronically affect those who don’t take time to care for themselves. It’s really up to …

There are so many things to be concerned about when self-managing your diabetes. Bacteria are another one to add to the list. There are several infections that are common in people with diabetes. Bacteria are responsible, along with viruses, for infections that often result in serious complications for the diabetic. These infections may be little more than an annoyance for the non-diabetic.

Diabetes weakens the immune system and makes the body more prone to infections and illnesses. When blood sugar is not controlled in a person with diabetes, bacteria has an ideal breeding ground, making treatment of any bacterial infection more expensive and more difficult to get under control.

What are the most Common Bacterial Infections Diabetes Causes?

This list is not meant to be inclusive, or even to include the most serious infections seen with diabetes. Bacteria causes much more serious infections than these, but not as …

A diabetes database can provide detailed information in a format that provides quick information about the type of information available regarding a particular aspect of diabetes.  While it isn’t possible to list every database that you might need, this article can point you to some places where you will find a diabetes database to suit your needs.  A disease this complex couldn’t possibly be consolidated into one database.  Diabetes research has thankfully led to so much data being gathered that it is broken down into literally thousands of databases covering different aspects of the condition.

Research Diabetes Database

Most patients looking for information are interested in the latest research about a certain drug, condition, or maybe even specific research done by a specific organization or research group.  A very useful diabetes database is provided on diabetes research funded by the American Diabetes Association.  You will be amazed at …

It is never easy for children or adolescents to live with a chronic condition like diabetes. In boys, we often see different coping mechanisms by both the diabetic teen and the parents than in girls. Interestingly, diabetes in boys is perceived by the parents, especially the mothers. While there are no specific scientific studies on the matter, there have been some anecdotal and non-scientific studies conducted on diabetes in boys and girls and the way they perceive their condition, and the role the parents play in managing the condition. Usually, one parent is identified by the teenager as being the primary “helper” to them with the condition, even in two parent households. And in almost all cases where both parents are living with the child, the mother is identified as the primary caretaker.

How Do the Mothers Perceive Their Child’s Condition?

In an unscientific study done by …

There are many type 1 diabetes misconceptions that are still believed by the general public. Let’s look at some diabetes facts and fiction.

Diabetes fiction – Insulin cures diabetes.

Diabetes facts – Taking insulin doesn’t ever cure diabetes. It is necessary to keep the type 1 diabetic alive though. There is still not a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes fiction – Diabetics can’t participate in sports

Diabetes facts – Physical exercise and activity is actually important for the good health of a diabetic. A regular exercise program, or a regimen involved in organized sports practice, will help keep blood sugar levels lower. There are many examples of very successful athletes who are diabetic. The legendary hockey player Bobby Clarke and Olympic Gold Medal swimmer Gary Hall are just two examples. And in high schools and colleges around the world, diabetic participants compete successfully without incident.

Diabetes fiction – Diabetics …

If you watch a lot of TV commercials, or only listen to mainstream commentary, you would think the diabetic side effect of sexual dysfunction only troubles men. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The dialogue needs to be expanded to include the diabetic side effect of sexual dysfunction in women as well.

The obvious signs of sexual dysfunction aren’t as easily seen or observed as they are in men, but about half of women with diabetes report some sexual problem that robs them of the sexual pleasure they might otherwise experience if they weren’t diabetic. The symptoms are a little more subtle, but women need to know these are real problems, and the frustration they feel as a result of this diabetic side effect is shared by many other women. Let’s take a look at some of the sexual problems women with diabetes experience, and what they might do …

Sometimes the diabetic symptoms in women are more subtle than they are in men. Many women live with diabetes for years without knowing they even have it. This is when the real damage occurs – that is when the diabetes is untreated for prolonged periods. It is the early detection of diabetes that gives the best chance of avoiding the complications of being diabetic. For many, it goes untreated because they really don’t understand the diabetic symptoms in women and don’t get tested.

It is estimated that about 10% of women over the age of 20 in the United States are living with diabetes. Those are the diagnosed cases. The number of undiagnosed cases is unknown, but all women should be tested as part of their regular annual check-up. And for African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos it is even more important that they know the diabetic symptoms in women …

Diabetic vascular disease is not to be taken lightly. It is all too common in diabetics, and many people can develop more than one diabetic vascular disease, which of course really complicates things. The condition refers to the blockages in the arteries that develop because of diabetes. You may be more familiar with the term “hardening of the arteries”. It’s really the same thing.

There are several vascular diseases related to diabetes, and unfortunately a diabetic isn’t limited to developing just one. Some of the diabetic vascular disease conditions you may subject yourself to if blood sugar levels aren’t controlled properly include:

• Retinopathy – this is the abnormal growth of the blood vessels in the retina, which is part of your eye.
• Nephropathy – a kidney disease
• Neuropathy – a condition in the nerves that cause a loss of sensation that is needed to warn you of other conditions like

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is more commonly known as diabetes, or adult onset diabetes. It is believed that many of the cases are preventable, but if you don’t know the common causes of diabetes, you won’t even have a chance at trying to prevent it.

Knowing the symptoms is important if you are at risk, but perhaps the first step would be to understand the most common causes of diabetes. Believe it or not, it’s not that much of a mystery what the biggest risk factors are, yet millions of Americans don’t know these common causes of diabetes and worse yet, many know them but do nothing to try to avoid them. It seems that much of the population lives in a state of self-denial about their own bad habits, thinking the risk must lie with somebody else. Don’t be one of these people. You do have a chance …

Coping with either one of these diseases on their own is difficult for most. But for those with diabetes and celiac disease, things get a little more complicated. Most people are at least familiar with diabetes, but many have not even heard of celiac disease. Let’s take a brief look at what celiac disease is, what the relationship between diabetes and celiac disease might be, and how a patient might approach managing both diabetes and celiac disease while living a normal life.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is a condition that does damage to the small intestine. This damage prevents the small intestine from absorbing the healthy components of food eaten. The damage is a result of ingesting gluten, which for unknown reasons causes damage to the nutrient absorbing villi that is found in the lining of the small intestine. Like diabetes, celiac disease is an …

Diabetes insipidus is a rare condition, affecting only about one out of every 25,000 people. Nobody knows for sure what the diabetes insipidus causes are for sure, but of course there are a lot of hypothesis about what causes diabetes insipidus. Diabetes insipidus is not related to diabetes mellitus. When used alone, the word diabetes almost always refers to diabetes mellitus. When referring to diabetes insipidus, the two words are always used together. Now that that is out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the possible diabetes insipidus causes.

Diabetes insipidus is characterized by an intense and unquenchable thirst and polyuria, which is a medical term meaning the excretion of large amounts of urine. It occurs in most cases when the body doesn’t produce, release, or store the hormone arginine vasopressin (ADH). ADH is an antidiuretic hormone. It can also occur when the kidneys don’t properly …

While there is no question that there is more information on the internet about diabetes-related topics, diabetes magazines still offer editorial comment, and a wider perspective on views than found in most internet searches. In case you’re wondering if there are a lot of diabetes magazines still available, a tally taken in 2008 showed that there are still about 65 publications and magazines on diabetes still in publication.

Thirty four of them are professional journals, which are actually still pretty popular in the circles of diabetic professionals, like researchers and physicians. About 31 diabetes magazines are intended for the general public, and of those 26 are published in the United States. 5 are published in other countries. Of all these magazines, diabetes patients would probably only find a handful they would be interested in paying for.

What are the most Popular Diabetes Magazines?

The three diabetes magazines with …

If you are a diabetic in search of diabetic info, you are certainly living in the right times.  The internet has made so much information available to the general public it’s hard to sort thru all the diabetic info out there to find out what you really need.

If you’re interested in something specific, a good starting point is the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) that is a service of the  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH).  They have a detailed A-Z alphabetical listing of all the diabetic info out there broken down by both Topics and by titles.  The list is surprisingly comprehensive, with each individual alphabetized topic given its own page full of links.  It seems endless!

And if this weren’t enough, they have other vast data base diabetes info in the following categories:

• Treatments for Diabetes
• Meal

A good diabetic manual is a useful tool to help manage diabetes in either the newly diagnosed or the lifelong diabetic who may be having trouble with self-management of their own diabetes. It is also helpful for the caretaker of a diabetic who can’t completely take care of themselves, because of age or disability. But it’s important that a diabetic manual is well-researched and thorough if it is to be depended on as a reliable source of information.

A good diabetic manual will help the newly diagnosed understand their disease and will help the long-term diabetic get back on track with good habits that they may have gradually fallen away from. While there are many options for a good diabetic manual, it’s important to make sure it covers all aspects of diabetes. Managing this disease is much more than just injecting insulin and testing your blood sugar. No matter which …

If you want to successfully manage your diabetes, educating yourself about the disease and how it is affecting you personally is paramount. You probably have many diabetic questions already, and you should get those answered either by educating yourself or with the help of your healthcare team.

There are some diabetic questions you may not even know you should be asking. The purpose of this short article is to make sure you at least know the right questions to ask. You need to go to your doctor on a regular basis anyway, so use the opportunity to ask some of the following diabetic questions on each visit. Listen carefully to the answers, and if you don’t understand – ask again, maybe in a different way.

Make a List of Diabetic Questions So You Don’t Forget to Ask

Your doctor’s time to spend with you is limited, so make a …

The 20 million or so diabetes patients in the United States suffer damage to many of the body’s organs and diabetic side effects in the form of other conditions and diseases caused by diabetes. Even for patients that do their best to strictly self-manage their diabetes, some diabetic side effects are all but inevitable. Depending on the type of diabetes and the length of time they live with it these diabetic side effects will vary widely, and will vary from minor to severe.

In all cases, long-term damage and diabetic side effects can be reduced by better control of blood glucose levels. According to the American Diabetes Association, the most common diabetic side effects seen follow:

• Diabetic Retinopathy causes more than 20,000 diabetes patients to go blind every year. The damage done to the small blood vessels in the retina is the main cause of this tragic statistic.
• Foot ulcers

There is no shortage of diabetes information available in these modern times of internet access. Information is everywhere. Most of the interesting facts about diabetes are found off the beaten path, if you will. The associations and national organizations have worthwhile and much needed information. But most of the interesting facts about diabetes are on personal blogs and social sites. These interesting facts about diabetes are not always well researched, but are usually anecdotal and unscientific. Some interesting facts about diabetes are found reading the history of the disease and in earlier remedies and “cures” before the age of modern medicine.

Diabetes has been around for a Long Time

Diabetes has probably been around as long as humans have been alive. It seems that it wasn’t as prevalent even a century ago, which is one of the interesting facts about diabetes in itself. It is more widespread than …

Before discussing the question “Is diabetes an autoimmune disease?”, it may help to understand what an autoimmune disease is. In essence, and for the sake of simplicity, an autoimmune disease is an allergy to yourself. The immune system attacks certain cells, depending on the autoimmune disease, because it thinks those cells are foreign, or an enemy. Of course they are not, but the immune system attacks them just the same. So if the body is destroying cells that shouldn’t be destroyed as if they are an invasion of your own body, you have an autoimmune disease. Diabetes, an autoimmune disease if it is type 1 falls within the definition.

Insulin dependent diabetes type 1 is an autoimmune disease of the pancreas, destroying the cells that produce insulin. So, is diabetes an autoimmune disease if it is type? The answer is a resounding yes.

Diabetes as an Autoimmune

Although difficult to diagnose in children, there is a renewed interest in researching metabolic syndrome in children primarily because some researchers think that metabolic syndrome in children may be the origin of the condition in adulthood. Because metabolic syndrome in children is difficult to pinpoint, most of the focus on researching it has been directed at adults.  But the increased obesity rates in children seem to have scientists once again trying to establish the origin of metabolic syndrome as beginning in childhood.

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase the chances of developing both diabetes and heart disease.  There is some minor disagreement in defining metabolic syndrome in adults, although there is a consensus that central obesity (as measured by waist circumference) is a key factor.  The World Health organization defines the criteria as the presence of one of the following:…

There may be just enough connections to understand how the myth got started, but the fact is there is no truth to the notion that too much sugar causes diabetes. The common misconception may have got its start because blood glucose is more commonly referred to as blood sugar. When a diabetic tests the blood daily, they are checking for their blood glucose level, or blood sugar level. Just the name may be enough for some people to make the connection. But let’s take a quick look at what the root cause of type 1 and type 2 diabetes really is.

What is the real problem for a type 1 diabetic?

There is no facts or evidence to even suggest that too much sugar causes diabetes type 1. The problem with type 1 diabetes is that the pancreas doesn’t make the hormone insulin. Without insulin in the body, …

Research on vitamin C and diabetes treatment is inconclusive and varied. The human body does not produce its own vitamin C, which is required to make collagen, a structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. It is also critical for the function of neurotransmitters and is required for the synthesis of carnitine, essential for the transport of fat to mitochondria. There is also research showing that vitamin C is involved in the metabolism of cholesterol into bile acids. Additionally, vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant leading to many studies of its disease prevention and treatment qualities.

Heart Disease, Vitamin C, and Diabetes

Heart disease is the leading cause of death amongst diabetics. Studies have shown that vitamin C therapy significantly alleviated vasodilation (constricted blood vessels) in individuals with coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The First …

The need of vitamin C for diabetes patients has been illustrated in clinical studies showing reduced levels in diabetes patients. This occurs when there is insulin deficiency. Insulin transports vitamin C into cells, decreasing capillary permeability and improving healing of wounds however, in diabetics intracellular vitamin C is depleted leading to blood vessel damage. Researchers at the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center studied vitamin C for diabetes patients with insulin dependence, using it in combination with insulin. Neither insulin nor vitamin C alone produced the desired result of reduced blood vessel damage that researchers found when using combination therapy.

Vitamin C for Diabetes – Combination Insulin Therapy

In a 2009 study, the University of Warwick led by Dr. Antonio Ceriello investigated way to stop damage to blood vessels, called endothelial dysfunction, in type 2 diabetes. The same type of damage is common in most forms of cardiovascular disease …

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is not diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipidus is a condition in which the body cannot retain enough water, characterized by excessive thirst and urination. What causes diabetes insipidus is a deficiency or insensitivity to the hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) also called antidiuretic hormone (ADH). A very rare condition, diabetes insipidus affects 1 in 25,000 people. There are four types of DI: central, a deficiency of ADH; nephrogenic, an insensitivity of the kidneys to ADH; gestational, a rare form in pregnant women; and dipsogenic, over intake of fluids. Symptoms include: extreme thirst, polyuria (excessive, diluted urine), nocturia (waking in the night to urinate), enuresis (bed-wetting), and feeling unwell due to tiredness.

What Causes Diabetes Insipidus – Kidneys and Hypothalamus

The kidneys are responsible for removing excessive fluids from the bloodstream, storing it in the bladder as urine. When certain circumstances, such as perspiration, remove fluids in a …

The causes and effects of diabetes differ with the type of diabetes diagnosed. There are currently three types of diabetes as well as several subgroups. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is called type 1 diabetes and is characterized by insulin deficiency. Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), also called adult onset diabetes, is known as type 2. A rare form amongst women is gestational diabetes, type 3 diabetes, characterized by the development of the disease during pregnancy. There also exist very rare forms diabetes mellitus (DM) including latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY), and neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM).

Causes and Effects of Diabetes – Type 1 (IDDM)

IDDM (includes LADA) is an organ specific autoimmune disorder of the pancreas. Beta cells in the pancreas are responsible for producing insulin however in IDDM patients the beta cells are attacked by autoantibodies, ultimately destroying them. …

Studies show that diabetes and the immune system ability to properly respond diabetics at greater risk for infections. High blood glucose levels negatively effect blood vessels, circulation, and the healing of wounds and have been found to be a significant cause of bacterial and fungal infections. The specifics of this heightened susceptibility are still being investigated with in vitro analysis of diabetes immune cells showing similarities to other autoimmune diseases.

Type 1 Diabetes and Immune System

In type 1 diabetes cells from the immune system target and destroy insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas ultimately leading to a total lack of insulin. Scientist continue to study the cause for autoimmune diseases, with research consistently pointing to genetics and to a lesser extent environment. Research has also linked type 1 diabetes to other autoimmune disorders like anemia, thyroid disease, and Addison’s disease. In a Northwestern University  study diabetes patients …

There is a lot of diabetes disease information available to you. Upon diagnosis your doctor will tell you about your disease and the causes as well as give you a treatment plan and any necessary medication. You should be sure to voice any concerns or questions that you have about your medication as well as inform your doctor of any medications you are currently on. You can also request diabetes disease information from your pharmacist.

Diabetes Disease Information – Diabetes Educator

Many people will work with a diabetes educator. This person may be a doctor, though this is not required, and often may be a registered nurse (RN), doctor of philosophy (PhD), adult nurse practitioner (ANP), or a certified diabetes educator (CDE). The goal of diabetes educators is to teach self-management to individuals suffering from diabetes. Part of this includes intensive lifestyle counseling and the formation of management …

Diabetes in girls presents special risk factors as women are at particular risk of certain complications. Since the 1990s there has been a 10-fold increase in the number of cases of type 2 diabetes in adolescents, possibly due to increased rates of obesity. In 2003 the International Diabetes Federation Consensus declared an “epidemic” of obesity, lack of exercise, and insulin resistance syndrome (IRS). The prevalence of obesity among adolescents in 1999-2000 was 15.3% ages 6-11 and 15.5% ages 12-19. Of particular concern is the relationship between childhood obesity and the onset of insulin resistance in adulthood. There are about 61,500 girls under 20 in the U.S. with type 1 diabetes with most diabetic teenage girls (10-19 years old) suffering from type 1. By the age of 20, 40-60% of people with diabetes will have retinopathy, with girls at the highest risk of the most severe form.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Neonatal diabetes mellitus, often called hyperglycemia, occurs within the first month of birth ad lasts for a minimum of three weeks requiring insulin therapy. Diabetes in newborns is a very rare occurrence and is not autoimmune, with one in every 100,000 to 500,000 babies being diagnosed. There are three names used for diabetes in newborns: neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM), transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM), and permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM). There is no way to distinguish between the different forms of diabetes in newborns without expensive genetic testing. Most treatment is dependent on the appearance of symptoms.

Diabetes in Newborns – TNDM

TNDM is defined as hyperglycemia occurring in the first months of life and lasting at least two weeks and requiring insulin therapy. Most cases of TNDM resolve themselves spontaneously within 4 months with case studies showing short periods of insulin dependence before the disease clears and …

There is a plethora of diabetes websites offering a variety of information on the subject of all types of diabetes. In the age of the blog and other forms of internet communication the information available is not always reliable. Many blogs have the best intentions, often providing personal and relatable accounts of their experience with diabetes, offering tips and posing questions to their peers. Other websites for diabetes are not so genuine, sometimes giving contradictory information about medical research, practice, and guidelines. These sites can be opinion based and read similarly to op-ed articles. When searching the web for websites about diabetes it is advisable to keep a fair amount of skepticism. While the major diabetes, health, and government agencies provide accurate and up-to-date information, smaller sites may not have the same capacity and are not held to the same factual standards. The advantage of diabetes websites is that they …

Monitoring your blood glucose is an essential part of your diabetes treatment and management. Based on diabetic readings, from a fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) or a hemoglobin A1C tests your doctor is able to diagnose diabetes and develop an individual treatment plan. At home it is also important to monitor your blood glucose. Daily meter readings paired with optional at home A1C testing should be a part of your maintenance plan. The Amercian Diabetes Association (ADA) suggests people on insulin or diabetes medications, intensive insulin therapy, have difficulty controlling blood glucose, suffer from hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis, have unusual drops in blood glucose, or women who are pregnant should monitor their blood sugar several times a day, keeping a log book. While your doctor is able to interpret lab results for you, it is important that you understand what your diabetic readings mean. Diabetic blood sugar readings will depend …

Diabetic Resource® is a family of products manufactured by NestléHealthScience. The products are created specifically for diabetic nutritional requirements and provide an assortment of different types of food and supplements. Many of the products are designed to allow diabetics certain food choices that they may be missing by eliminating sugars from their diet such as the pudding and gelatin. Other products such Resource® Milk Shake Mix and Resource® Ice Cream Plus have additional nutrients added like whey protein specifically designed for type 1 diabetics. Additionally, diabetic Resource® products are labeled and marketed to include diabetes terminology and food values that other non-diabetic foods do not have. For example, some products are reduced calorie or provide different supplements. Alternative sweeteners are used and always labeled as well as the food value (ex: one carbohydrate choice) and the percentage of fat, protein, and carbohydrate calories. Many products can also accommodate special …

There are many diabetic resources with information for newly diagnosed diabetes patients and those already managing the disease. Your first resource should be your medical team. This group of highly trained individuals can give you the necessary personal advice and information to deal with such a complex disease. While many books, journals, and articles can give you general information and guidelines, ultimately your doctor will be able to translate what that information means to you. This becomes particularly important in the prescription and administration of medication and meal and exercise programs. In addition to your doctor you may opt to work with a diabetes educator, a specifically trained and certified individual who can help you with all aspects of diabetes self-management from glucose tests to counseling.

Diabetic Resources – Peer Groups

While your medical team is an important source of information, peer groups and forums are also rich …

Diabetic stages of disease progression have been reduced to five distinct stages of beta-cell destruction leading to diabetes. The article, by Gordon C. Weir and Susan Bonner-Weir of the Joslin Diabetes Center, outlines changes to beta-cell mass, phenotype, and function. Stage one is compensation: the body increases insulin secretion to counter insulin resistance and/or decreasing beta-cells. This is most commonly found in relation to obesity. Stage two is marked by rising glucose levels that reach 5.0-6.5 mmol/L signifying beta-cell adaptation and loss of beta-cell mass. Stage three is marked by rapidly rising glucose levels leading to stage four characterized by stable decompensation with severe beta-cell dedifferentiation. Stage five is severe decompensation with severe reduction of beta-cell mass and onset of ketosis. The researchers stated that the movement between the stages goes both ways with properly treated diabetes moving towards smaller numbers (http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/53/suppl_3/S16.full).

Diabetic Retinopathy Stages

There are four …

The Dr. Neal Barnard diabetes program is based on nutritional research, promoting a plant-based low-fat diet. His book is titled Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes. Dr. Barnard received his M.D. from the George Washington School of Medicine (where he is an adjunct professor of medicine) and is a member of the American Diabetes Association. He also founded the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which supports preventative medicine. Dr. Barnard’s nutritional philosophy differs significantly from the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Dr. Barnard’s goal is for the reduction and eventual elimination of diabetes medication using food as the sole form of therapy. For this reason, Dr. Barnard’s approach is only appropriate for individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2).

Dr. Neal Barnard Diabetes Nutrition Plan

The three main principles of Dr. Neal Barnard’s program for reversing diabetes are: stop consuming animal products; keep …

The idea that eating sugar causes diabetes is not true. Diabetes is a chronic illness that cannot be “caught” by over consumption of sugar or other foods. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), or type 1, is an automimmune disease of the pancreas that is both hereditary and environmental. This form of diabetes typically manifest during childhood when autoantibodies have destroyed pancreatic beta-cells creating a hyperglycemic state. There are no preventive measures for type 1 diabetes nor a cure.  Type 1 diabetes patients are reliant on insulin for the duration of their lives. Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, type 2 or adult onset diabetes, is a disease characterized by insulin resistance or deficiency. In development of type 2 diabetes there are a number of factors that can contribute to the likelihood of developing the disease, as well as possible autoimmune and hereditary links that scientists are researching. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented and …

Exactly how obesity causes diabetes is still being investigated with great promise. Recent statistics show that about 90% of international cases of type 2 diabetes are diagnosed in patients who are overweight. Furthermore, scientist have begun to notice an increasing trend of both obesity and noncommunicable diseases in the developing world, particularly middle income countries such as Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Within this group obesity was listed as the fifth greatest medical expenditure after underweight. Rising rates of obesity are particularly seen in urban areas where traditional ways of life and diet are left in preference of Western customs and diet. The paradox of some families where children are underweight and parents are overweight is attributed to intrauterine growth retardation, causing low birth weight that can lead to obesity later in life due to the “thrifty” phenotype that, when accompanied by rapid childhood weight gain contributes to insulin …

There are many online resources where you can read the latest diabetes research. Diabetes is one of the fastest growing noncommunicable diseases worldwide. Affecting millions of people with treatments occupying significant portions of public health budgets, government, universities, and scientist are eagerly pursuing cutting-edge research to understand the disease, its complications, treatments, and the possibility of a cure. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) website has pages where patients can enroll in type 1 and 2 diabetes research clinical studies (http://t1diabetes.nih.gov/; http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/Research/ScientificAreas/Diabetes/Type2Diabetes/T2RX.htm). The Diabetes Research Institute provides “cure-focused” research, news resources, and advice for diabetics on their website (http://www.diabetesresearch.org/).  The publication ScienceDaily has excellent articles on the latest diabetes research as well as other diseases, providing videos, photos, books and an RSS feed.  (http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/diabetes/).

Latest Diabetes Cure Research – Type 1 Diabetes

The latest research from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) …

The metabolic syndrome criteria (insulin resistance syndrome or syndrome x) are the presence of the following risk factors: central obesity (excess fat in the abdomen versus distribution around the body), high levels of lipids in the blood (dyslipidemia), high blood pressure, insulin resistance or glucose intolerance, prothrombotic state (increased risk of blood clots), and proinflammatory state (increased tendency of inflammation). While all of the risk factors are dangerous alone, together they increase the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis (peripheral vascular disease), coronary heart disease and heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions. The American Heart Association estimates about 35% of adults are affected by metabolic syndrome. It is more common amongst Asians and African-Caribbean people, African American and Mexican American women, and women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Diagnostic Criteria for Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria were developed by the Third Report of the National Cholesterol …

The idea that obesity causes diabetes is technically inaccurate though the link between the two is a frequent topic of research. Obesity is the greatest risk factor in the development of non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes (adult on-set) however, not every individual that is over weight or obese will develop diabetes and vice versa. Rather, it seems the state of being obese weakens all the body’s systems leading to a myriad of disease and syndromes including diabetes.  The main causes behind obesity are lifestyle choices. Individuals, who have diets high in processed or fast food, low fruits, vegetable, and whole grains, consume large amounts of alcohol, eat out frequently, eat large portions, and eat in response to emotion rather than hunger are likely to become over weight, and without changes, obese. For this reason childhood obesity is becoming more prevalent as children learn unhealthy habits from family members. Genes can …

There are many sources of type 2 diabetes information both online and off. Your health care provider should answer any questions you have as well as provide some literature, particularly on the type of treatment that you will need. It can also be beneficial to join a diabetes group. Your hospital may have one or you can look online for one near you. There is a wealth of information that can be learned from the personal experiences of others. Additionally, there are many forums that can be found online with first-hand type 2 diabetes information.

Information on Type 2 Diabetes – Online

The internet has made finding type 2 diabetes information easier than ever. One can easily use a search engine and come up with hundreds of findings. In the U.S. the leading associations, universities, and agencies all have websites with public access. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) …

It has long been known that obesity is related to the development of type 2 diabetes. Why obesity causes diabetes is a question researchers are attempting to answer on the cellular level. It has been proven that upper-body obesity correlates strongly with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Upper-body fat can accumulate in visceral fat or subcutaneous fat, releasing nonesterified fatty acids from adipose tissue (fat) contributing to the accumulation of lipids in other tissues in the body. Adipose tissue in obese people is insulin resistant worsening insulin resistance in muscle and altering hepatic metabolism. Insulin resistance paired with pancreatic beta-cell malfunction results in a failure to regulate blood glucose levels.

Why Obesity Causes Diabetes – Inflammation

The immune and metabolic systems have evolved together, with their functions closely related. Energy is needed to fight infection and many of the same cellular mechanisms function for both systems. Thus, metabolic …

Diabetes clinical studies are an important part of the research process. New drugs, treatment methods, and biological processes are often tested in lab animals in order for researchers to investigate and modify their hypotheses and methods. Often research moves into clinical trials on humans, an essential step for new drugs. Participants are voluntary and are selected through distinct parameters determined by the researchers, in order to provide a view of a select portion of the population. Trials are often “randomized”,  “blind”, or “masked”. Blind or masked trials are comparisons of one or more treatments sometimes involving a placebo. Participants are not told to which group they are assigned making the study randomized in order to eliminate bias. Participants are always told when there is a placebo involved. To learn more about national and state level trials, research budgets, statistics and historically ground-breaking diabetes trials, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) …

Type 1 diabetes in infants is very rare though it does occur, often first manifesting at birth. The complications of managing insulin dependent diabetes is compounded by the inability of infants to communicate what they are feeling, requiring a heightened amount of attentiveness from parents. Neonatal hypoglycemia is not diabetes. It is the most common metabolic complication in newborns but is extremely rare with one baby in thousands of live births suffering from it. Diabetes in infants is related to family history and the particular genetics of the individual. Possible risk factors for the development of type 1 diabetes in infants include: low vitamin D levels (it is important to note early ingestion of cow’s milk has been linked to increased risk of type 1 diabetes), nitrate laced water, exposure to viruses such as mumps of Epstein-Barr virus, and introduction of cereals and certain baby formulas.

Signs of Diabetes

Among the many factors that make diabetes a one of the greatest health concerns is the cost. For the diabetic, analysis of treatments, surgery, drugs, and complications and their prices should be a serious consideration. Particularly with type 2 diabetes, many of the complications and additional health risks associated with the disease are preventable. This is also true for metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes, both of which can be prevented with weight loss, a healthy diet, and physical activity. In a study published in the Diabetes Journals, researchers compared the incurred cost of screening for diabetes versus non-screening. Their results determined an average cost of pre-diabetes screening over 3 years to be roughly between $180,635 – $192,261 versus the estimated cost of $205,966 for not screening.

Diabetic Analysis – Cost of Care

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) operates a Diabetes Cost Calculator on their website that provides cost estimates …

Diabetic eye disease is very common and will affect most diabetics at some point in their lives. Blurred vision is often one of the fist symptoms of diabetes and can recur during periods of elevated blood glucose. The most serious of the diabetic eye conditions is diabetic retinopathy, affecting the blood vessels of the retina. There are four stages of diabetic retinopathy; the first may go unnoticed while the last possibly results in blindness. In the early stages on the blood vessels are effected and may bulge and leak though there will be no visible symptoms. A dilated eye can reveal if you are suffering from retinopathy, as most diabetics will. When the macula is affected it is called maculopathy and is more serious as vision can become altered. In the most severe stage vision may be temporarily or permanently lost due to hemorrhaging and retinal detachment. Proliferative retinopathy only …