Avandia now believed to have caused over 83,000 heart attacks from 1999 to 2007 alone.

the Type-2 diabetes drug produced by GlaxoSmithKline has been warned against by the Food and Drug Administration, as well as banned in both Europe and the UAE. Experts claim that Avandia may be responsible for causing heart problems as well as strokes in patients.

Diabetics Alert : Do not end up with this foot !

For a diabetic with poor blood circulation,  a wound may not heal and the limb or digit may turn gangrenouns.

This is because diabetes damages blood vessels and makes them more susceptible to fatty deposit build-up called plaque. When a limb is injured, clogged arteries prevent blood from flowing to the wound and healing it. If the wound rots, the limb may require amputation.

So even if its just a small cut to the foot, but for a diabetic, it is an invitation to a surgeon’s saw !

One theory is that excess blood sugars binds to proteins in the blood vessels and alters the structure and function of the blood vessels, making them less elastic. Hence, this interferes with the flow of blood. damaged blood vessels also tend to attract fatty deposit build-up and, over time, this narrows the blood vessels.

Therefore, when there is a wound or infection, it is tougher for blood to reach the extremities to heal the area.

Gangrene sets in and strikes harder and faster than other complications that can results from the diseases, such as renal failure and blindness.

Within weeks, the area around the wound will become purplish. It refuses to heal. That is when the doctor’s saw comes in.

Worldwide, a gangrene infected limb is lost to diabetes every 30 seconds, a study published in the International Wound Journal last year said. This figure may be higher in the future, as the International Diabetes Federation estimates that 438 million people worldwide will have diabetes in the year 2030, compared to 285 million now.

If the gangrene is detected early, procedures such as ballooning and stenting can help save an infected leg by widening the blood vessels in the leg to improve blood circulation.

For example, in ballooning, a balloon is inserted up a narrowed artery via a wire, then inflated to squash the plaque built-up against the vessel wall. Stents also work to widen blood vessels.

Proper foot care techniques include keeping the feet dry and wearing proper shoes and socks.

Usually, gangrene starts with ulcers on the feet. Hence, amputation can be avoided if the patient takes care of his feet and inspects them every day for signs of problems.

A doctor once told me  : ” many people are just needlessly losing their feet”.

Green leafy veg, rather than a healthy diet in general, were linked to benefits

Researchers have found that a diet rich in green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of diabetes developing, BBC reported last week.

In an analysis of six studies into fruit and vegetable intake, only green leafy vegetables, including spinach and cabbage, were found to have a significant positive effect.

Taking 1.5 portion a day was found to cut type 2 diabetes risk by 14%, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reports. A portion is classified as 80g.

However, experts urged people to continue to aim for five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

The researches from Leicester University reviewed data from the studies of 220,000 adults.

They found that eating more fruit and vegetables in general was not strongly linked to a smaller chance of developing Type 2 diabetes but “there was a general trend in that direction”.

However, when It came to green leafy vegetables – which also include broccoli and cauliflower – the risk reduction was significant. The team calculated that a daily dose of 106g reduced the risk of diabetes by 14 per cent.

It is not clear why green leafy vegetables may have a protective effect, but one reason may be that they are high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C. Another theory is that they contain high levels of magnesium.

Study leader Melaine Davies, professor of diabetic medicine at the University of Leicester, said the message to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day remains an important one.

She added :” People like very specific health messages. We know that intake of fruit and vegetables is important, but this study suggests that green leafy vegetables seem to be particularly important in terms of preventing diabetes.”

The team is now planning a study on people with a high risk of developing diabetes to see if increasing their intake of vegetables like spinach and kale can help reduce their chances of being diagnoses with it.

Dr Iain Frame, the director if research at Diabetes UK, said :”We already know that the health benefits of eating vegetables are far-reaching but this is the first time that there has been a suggested link specifically between green leafy vegetables and a reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.”

However, he warned that the evidence was limited and it was too early to isolate green leafy vegetables alone as method to cut the chances of developing the condition.

“We would be concerned if focusing on certain foods detracted from the advice to eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, which has benefits in terms of reducing heart disease, stroke, some cancers and obesity as well as type 2 diabetes.”

A recent study at Alexandra hospital among 537 diabetics between 2006 and 2007 reveals this !  : nearly 10 percent of those in the test are diagnosed with clinical depression.  – further profiling indicates that these 10 percent are either divorced or separated and neither on medication for diabetes nor exercising regularly.

Having symptoms of depression is bad news for a diabetic. This could mean more hospitalisation and longer stays each time.

A person diagnosed with depression will lose interest and concentration and have a low mood, a low energy level and a feeling of helplessness.

If you face diabetes complications such as nerve damage, or if you are having trouble keeping your blood sugar levels where you’d like, chance are you may feel like you are losing control of your diabetes. This may lead to stress and makes you feel depressed. 

If you are depressed and have no energy, chances are you will find such tasks as important as regular blood sugar testing too much.

As you can see, depression has implications on the illness itself, and on the diabetic’s productivity and quality of life. Therefore, if those showing signs of depression can be identified early, they can be sent for a deeper assessment.

To all debetics out there  — arresting depression early will save you from complications later. If you think you have symtoms of depression, Please seek treatment and there are always someone there who could help you.

Already recognised as a sign of potential cardiovascular disease , Swedish scientists say Waist circumference can be used to gauge sensitivity to insulin too.

“A waist circumference of less than 100 cm excludes individuals of both sexes from being at risk of being insulin resistant,” Hans Wahrenberg, of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, said in a study reported by the British Medical Journal.

People who suffer from insulin resistance do not use insulin properly.

They may have levels of blood sugars higher than normal but not yet in the range indicating pre-diabetes, which raises the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Sufferers of Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, do not make enough or do not properly use insulin.

Excess weight is a leading and avoidable risk factor for the illness.

The Swedish researchers studied 2,746 men and women aged 18 to 72 who had waists ranging from 65 to 150 centimetres.

They measured their height, weight, waist and hip sizes and took a blood sample to test insulin sensitivity.

They found that waist size was a strong predictor of insulin resistance.

“Waist circumference is a simple tool to exclude insulin resistance and to identify those at greatest risk,” Mr Wahrenberg said.

- Reuters

According to researchers at the University of Chicago medical school, There are more than 18 million Americans suffering from diabetes and the most common form is type 2 — in which the body either becomes resistant to insulin or does not produce enough insulin to process sugar in their bloodstream.
Having bad sleep quality for three nights in a row greatly lower this glucose tolerance of young or even healthy adults as much as if they had gained eight to 13 kilos (20 to 30 pounds) !!!

While it is possible that the body’s ability to regulate glucose counter chronic sleep deprivation, it is likely that poor sleeping patterns in the elderly as well as the obese play a major role in the development of diabetes.

In the study, nine lean, fit and healthy participants between the age of 20 to 31 spent a total of five nights in the laboratory so that their sleep patterns could be monitored.

Whenever the volunteers went into slow-wave sleep, the researchers will start to make some noises to disrupt their sleep but not to fully awaken them.

The sounds produced will reduce deep sleep by about 90% by shifting them out of the onset of deep sleep back into a lighter sleep.

In this way, the typical sleeping patterns of those over the age of 60 were mimicked because people in this age group tends to get only about 20 minutes of deep sleep a night in contrast to about 80 to 100 minutes for most young adults.

After just three days, the ability of the volunteers to regulate blood sugar was reduced by 25% which is an indication that they needed more insulin to dispose the same amount of glucose in their bodies.

Earlier studies have indicated that lack of sleep can reduce the ability to regulate sugar, and this report adds evidence that poor sleep quality is indeed a diabetes risk.

This report is a warning to anyone (not only for diabetes sufferers) not to take their sleep lightly and if you are constantly having bad sleep or feeling tired when you wake up in the morning consistently, do make an effort to understand the root cause and to improve your sleep either by yourself or through the help of a doctor or specialist. Once you have diabetes, you will not be able to “shake it off” easily so prevention is the key to a diabetic free life-style.

Diabetes affects more than 18,000,000 people and there are another 15,000,000 not yet diagnosed, just in the United States alone!

THE results of a large international study released recently (3 September 2007)  may herald a sea of change in how diabetic patients are treated.