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The American Diabetes Association (ADA) sparked a social media uproar at its annual conference in San Diego earlier this month when it restricted participants from posting photographs of slide presentations on Twitter:

ADA Twitter response to an attendee who posted a photograph from a slide presentation.

The response by conference attendees especially those quite active on social media was brisk, passionate, and hinted at Orwellian censorship. Medscape, who broke the story on the second day of the meeting, mostly focused on the response by physicians.

It would be fair to point out theres some selection bias at play here; after all, the survey was done via social media, and completed by people who use social media. Many like Kevin Campbell MD, a cardiologist in North Carolina with a substantial Twitter following felt the ban was ill-advised for these reasons:

Michelle Litchman PhD, FNP

Whether these rationale hold water or not will likely be debated frequently in the coming years, as more people attending medical conferences turn to social media.

But these arguments center on health care providers.

What about patients? Could such a ban affect the roughly 1 out of 10 Americans with diabetes?

Michelle Litchman is a Utah-based family nurse practitioner who specializes in diabetes care. She was unable to attend the ADA conference but followed it on Twitter so she could bring the latest information back to her patients.

Its impossible to be at every significant conference. There are just too many. Healthcare providers and patients rely on the collective sharing of conference pearls, which include photos, to engage in discussions. These discussions are focused on how to interpret and implement research findings, which in turn inform clinical practice and diabetes management. If we want to elevate healthcare, we need to give clinicians and patients access to up-to-date information.

Amy Tenderich

Amy Tenderich, who has Type 1 diabetes, agrees. I really dont see a downside to sharing openly, as that is also the world we live in now, says Tenderich, who started the popular diabetes advocacy website, DiabetesMine.com, about 12 years ago.

I can tell you that Twitter has definitely given many more people a window into these events. And I believe it helps patients to know what is happening in the field, to have hope, and to be able to look for research studies to potentially be involved in.

If live tweeting from a conference actually creates a pipeline from researchers up-to-date findings, through health care providers, and ultimately to patients this raises two important issues that I did not see brought up in any of the news coverage I saw of the Twitter debate (such as this strongKaiser Health News piece that emphasized possible corporate influence over the ADA policy). First, how often is there truly cutting edge information from medical conferences that needs to be disseminated ASAP? Second, what are the implications of globally disseminating new findings that have not been peer-reviewed or meticulously vetted for publication?

In theory, rapid and early dissemination of new research findings both to the medical community and the lay public may help to get appropriate care to patients sooner, and help important ideas spread, says Michael Hochman MD, an internist and director of the Gehr Family Center for Implementation Science.

In practice, however, it seems that the dissemination of early stage research findings often leads to the cart getting out ahead of the horse. Its hard to know where the optimal balance lies. There are clearly benefits to immediate communication, but there are also real risks that preliminary, un-adjudicated results will be taken out of context. And there are countless examples of new medical treatments and tests becoming widely disseminated before the data support their widespread dissemination.

Michael Hochman MD

Case in point: earlier this month we reviewed several presentations at the worlds largest cancer meeting (ASCO) that generated significant mainstream and social media buzz, but clearly did not live up to the hype. Some of it was downright misleading. Did these findings make their way through social media to ultimately become topics of discussion between patients and providers?

Over the years weve written about many other examples of news from scientific meetings that wasnt ready for prime time:

Clearly, we need to consider the potential consequences of rapidly spreading unfiltered misinformation via social media. Likewise, is there an argument to be made for not tweeting preliminary results and waiting until they are published? Certainly, the possibility of doing harm seems very real.

This Twitter debate at the ADA meeting in San Diego may very well become a bellwether for both the benefits and limitations of social media in broadcasting health care information.

As they stand now the bookends seem to be on one end an ideal of a democratization of access to information that flies in the face of tradition and promises open dialogue, open sharing, and accelerated innovation and on the other a push to protect property rights (doctors, drug companies, and associations) that on the surface, at least, seems to be primarily financially motivated.

The ADA stance centered on unpublished data and intellectual property is a curious one. If the abstracts from the conference are available online, and the data is publicly presented at the meeting, what is it about tweeting the same information that concerns them?

Of note, after the meeting the ADA promised to re-evaluate its social media policy and our legal obligations to the researchers. It was not made clear what those legal obligations were, and if they involved not just the researchers, but also the funders of research.

But I suspect what might become rather neglected as this story evolves is the issue of spreading unvetted findings, and how that can mislead both doctors and patients.

This very well may be the most important consideration of all especially for patients and may not initially appear to be associated with costs, but will ultimately prove very costly in every sense of the word.

Joy Victory is deputy managing editor of HealthNewsReview.org. She tweets as @thejoyvictory. If you feel

"With each passing week he displays the classic symptoms of medium-grade mania in more

Increasingly, I'm becoming more appreciative of, and am on the lookout for, alternative, creative approaches

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American Diabetes Association's Twitter fiasco: Does it matter to patients? - HealthNewsReview.org

Podiatrist Vinaya A.S. has bumped across southern India in a bus-turned mobile clinic for 17 years, going village to village checking feet for the ulcer-causing effects of diabetes. These days, her key to staving off limb amputations comes down to one thing: food.

Millets, to be precise. The ancient grains were a staple in India for thousands of years, but largely spurned since a so-called Green Revolution last century led to cheaper, more abundant supplies of refined rice and wheat flour that can bolster blood-sugar. Now a surge in type-2 diabetes is pushing doctors and government officials to recommend a return towholegrains, like ragi or finger millet, that healthfully sustained previous generations.

Vinaya A.S. with patients at a mobile clinic on the outskirts of Bengaluru

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

Food is your medicine you need to eat right, Vinaya, 48, told a group of villagers inDoddaballapur, on the outskirts of Bangalore, last month. Bring the fiber-rich ragi back to your plates, along with fruits and vegetables.

Healthy food choices are becoming critical in India, where diabetes is ripping through the population with deadly consequences. The number of adults living with the disease has risen more than five fold since 1980, though more than half of sufferers arent aware they have it. Left uncontrolled, high blood-sugar levels can damage organs and tissues, including the nerves and blood vessels in the feet, making them susceptible to injuries that fail to heal and eventually turn gangrenous. When that happens, amputations can be life-saving.

Onset of diabetes occurs about a decade earlier in Indians than in North Americans and Europeans. About a third of Indians with the obesity-linked disease are thin, suggesting that too many calories isnt the only diet-related problem, saidK. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

Modern Indian meals lack fiber, which protects against diabetes, and are high in white rice and other refined carbohydrates, like wheat flour, used to make poori, or deep-fried bread, and samosas, a deep-fried, vegetable-containing pastry. Such energy-dense foods cause spikes in blood-sugar that weaken the bodys response to insulin and, when eaten regularly, can eventually lead to type-2 diabetes.

Traditional staples, like millets, have been replaced by polished rice and refined wheat flour even in rural areas, said Reddy, a cardiologist who is a past president of the World Heart Federation. Traditional Indian diets, not in vogue now, had a protective effect against diabetes.

There were 69.2 million adults living with diabetes in India in 2015, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Complications such as stroke, kidney failure and blood-poisoning from festering sores kill more than 1 million annually and the country will have 123.5 million diabetics by 2040 unless trends in overweight and obesity are curbed, the Brussels-based group predicts.

Health awareness is motivating Indias urban upper crust to seek out so-called superfoods, such as steel-cut oats and quinoa, a type of edible seed from South America, but millets an umbrella term for many small seeded grains have been slower to catch on, said Krishna Byregowda, the agriculture minister of Karnataka state.

Why are we forgetting our own superfoods while buying and adopting imported oats and quinoa? he asked a crowd at a three-day Organics and Millets National Trade Fair in the state capital, Bangalore, last month.

Customers at Vaathsalya Millet Cafe in Bengaluru.

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

Byregowda is spearheading a campaign involving chefs, nutritionists, doctors and food businesses to bolster demand for a grain he grew up eating as ragi mudde finger-millet flour cooked and shaped into soft mounds and served with leafy greens in a spiced gravy.

His farmer-ancestors grew it not just for its nutritional benefits: the crop needs a third of the rainfall of rice. Yet, millet and sorghum production have declined by a combined 51 percent in India and rice and wheat output has almost quadrupled since the 1960s, when a Green Revolution introduced modern seeds, chemicals and irrigation to boost harvests and stave off hunger.

Drought-induced crop failures in recent years in southern India have convinced the 44-year-old American University graduate of the need to return to growing millet.

In these times of climate change, it made sense to encourage farmers to switch to climate-smart crops rather than cultivate the water-intensive rice, Byregowda said in an interview. The post-Green Revolution planning left millet farmers, like my family, in the lurch.

The government of the neighboring southern state of Tamil Nadu has allocated 8 billion rupees ($124 million) to subsidize the cultivation of millets and pulses, and restaurants in the capital, Chennai, are catering for a growing appetite for millets. P. Sathiya Moorthi sells biscuits, biscotti and sweets from the grain to customers working at the local Hyundai Motor India Ltd. factory and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.s offices.

In Hyderabad in Telangana state, Narayana Peesapaty and his wife Pradnya Keskar have found another culinary use for the grain: edible spoons costing a few cents apiece.

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While millets have gained some international popularity thanks to pop starMadonna and chef Joanne Weir, they are only just gaining traction among health-conscious consumers in the U.S., according to Amrita Hazra. The India-born researcher is part of the Millet Project, a two-year-old University of California, Berkeley program thats working with Californian farmers, chefs and retailers to rediscover the traditions of cultivating and consuming millets.

Ancient grains are making a comeback in peoples diet, and very slowly into the fields, Hazra said.

A farmer cuts millet on the outskirt of Bengaluru.

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

A reviewin 2014 of sorghum and millets used as livestock fodder and birdseed in some countries found they contain health-enhancing properties, though more human clinical trials are needed to assess their direct dietary benefits. They contain more fiber, more micro-nutrients and probably have a smaller blood-sugar impact than refined carbohydrates, said Jennie Brand-Miller, professor of human nutrition at the University of Sydney.

As long as the millets are prepared and consumed in traditional ways, I think this is a good suggestion, said Brand-Miller, who is internationally recognized for her research on the bodys absorption of carbohydrates. To maximize the health benefits of millets, consumers need to resist the urge to grind and refine them.

For podiatrist Vinaya, they are much healthier alternative to the fast-foods, sweetened soda drinks and rice more of her patients are consuming. Of the 60 people who turned up for last months free clinicin which her team checks blood flow to the foot, nerve sensitivity and blood-glucose, 27 were found to have diabetes, she said.

Unchecked, that can lead to foot sores that ulcerate. Her hospital in Bangalore does 30 to 35 foot amputations a month because of diabetes. In at least three of these cases, an entire lower limb needs to be amputated to prevent gangrene causing lethal blood poisoning, or sepsis.

Checking for diabetes at a mobile clinic.

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

To London-trained Vinaya, who runs the diabetic foot clinic at Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital, the link between diet and lifestyle changes and the rising incidence of diabetes has strengthened based on data her team has gathered from 2.4 million people in 350,000 households across 1,700 villages the largest such diabetes study in the world.

Even physically active, slender farmers in their 30s and 40s are being afflicted with the disease in India. She tells them how to replace the rice in their favorite dosa pancakes and idli savory cakes with millets. On her repeat rounds to the rural camps, villagers gather round to titter, Doctor-madam has come to conduct cooking classes.

Continued here:
Birdseed Turned Superfood May Help Curb India's Diabetes Scourge - Bloomberg

Diabetes is a serious disease. People get diabetes when their blood glucose level, sometimes called blood sugar, is too high. The good news is that there are things you can do to take control of diabetes and prevent its problems. And, if you are worried about getting diabetes, there are things you can do to lower your risk.

Our bodies turn the food we eat into glucose. Insulin helps glucose get into our cells, where it can be used to make energy. If you have diabetes, your body may not make enough insulin, may not use insulin in the right way, or both. That can cause too much glucose in the blood. Your family doctor may refer you to a doctor who specializes in taking care of people with diabetes, called an endocrinologist.

There are two main kinds of diabetes.

Diabetes can affect many parts of your body. Its important to keep diabetes under control. Over time, it can cause serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, and circulation problems that may lead to amputation. People with type 2 diabetes also have a greater risk for Alzheimers disease.

Many people have prediabetes. This means their glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Prediabetes is a serious problem because people who have it are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

There are things you can do to prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes. Losing weight may help. Healthy eating and being physically active can make a big difference. Work with your doctor to set up a plan for good nutrition and regular exercise. Make sure to ask how often you should have your glucose levels checked.

Some people with type 2 diabetes may not know they have it. But, they may feel tired, hungry, or thirsty. They may lose weight without trying, urinate often, or have trouble with blurred vision. They may also get skin infections or heal slowly from cuts and bruises. See your doctor right away if you have one or more of these symptoms.

Doctors use several blood tests to help diagnose diabetes:

Your doctor may want you to be tested for diabetes twice before making a diagnosis.

Once youve been told you have diabetes, your doctor will choose the best treatment based on the type of diabetes you have, your everyday routine, and any other health problems you have. Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose levels with diet and exercise alone. Others need diabetes medicines or insulin injections. Over time, people with diabetes may need both lifestyle changes and medication.

You can keep control of your diabetes by:

Your doctor may want you to see other healthcare providers who can help manage some of the extra problems caused by diabetes. He or she can also give you a schedule for other tests that may be needed. Talk to your doctor about how to stay healthy.

Here are some ways to stay healthy with diabetes:

Make sure you always have at least 3 days worth of supplies on hand for testing and treating your diabetes in case of an emergency.

Medicare may pay to help you learn how to care for your diabetes. It may also help pay for diabetes tests, supplies, flu and pneumonia shots, special shoes, foot exams, eye tests, and meal planning.

For more information about what Medicare covers, call 1-800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE) or visit their website, http://www.medicare.gov.

American Diabetes Association 1-800-342-2383 (toll-free) askada@diabetes.org (email) http://www.diabetes.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1-800-232-4636 (toll-free) 1-888-232-6348 (TTY/toll-free) cdcinfo@cdc.gov (email) http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/home/index.html

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 1-800-860-8747 (toll-free) 1-866-569-1162 (TTY/toll-free) healthinfo@niddk.nih.gov (email) http://www.ndep.nih.gov http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes

Smokefree.gov 1-800-784-8669 (1-800-QUITNOW/toll-free) cancergovstaff@mail.nih.gov (email) http://www.smokefree.gov https://60plus.smokefree.gov

For more information on health and aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging Information Center P.O. Box 8057 Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057 1-800-222-2225 (toll-free) 1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free) niaic@nia.nih.gov (email) http://www.nia.nih.gov

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National Institute on Aging National Institutes of Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Diabetes in Older People | National Institute on Aging

Diabetes is affecting a growing population of Americans.

Almost 29 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with prevalent cases of the condition, which can cause serious health problems like vision loss, organ damage, and dangerously low levels of blood sugar.

In addition, an estimated 86 million Americans aged 20 years or older have pre-diabetes, which is a condition where blood glucose levels become higher than normal without reaching a level high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Insulin is the standard form of treatment, but a research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year indicated the price of these drugs more than tripled between 2002 and 2013. The total cost rose from around $231 a year to $736 a year for each patient, according to the report.

Moreover, many patients require multiple daily injections and struggle with taking medications consistently at the same time with the same dosage. This can make treatment an arduous process.

Novel technologies may offer a solution to these challenges.

A number of tech firms and startups have emerged over the past few years with technologies such as artificial pancreas, machine learning algorithms, and implantable treatments that have the potential to help the growing population living with the disease.

R&D Magazine highlighted a few of the inventions that could redefine the treatment process for this condition.

Artificial Pancreas

This technologys proposed purpose is to help diabetes patients automatically manage their disease without needing to manually adjust their blood sugar levels.

Medtronic is leading the charge on this effort, becoming the first company to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A) last year for its own artificial pancreas. The device is named the MiniMed 670G, and operates as hybrid closed loop system, helping patients with type 1 diabetes automate the laborious process needed to check glucose and insulin levels.

The system is comprised of a glucose sensor and insulin pump that gets strapped to a patients body where it can be worn for seven days at a time. Insulin gets administered through a catheter while an algorithm powers the sensor so the component can continuously monitor baseline glucose levels. An apparatus similar to a smartphone will let users know what the levels are but some basic maintenance on the device is still required.

Medtronic may have made the most progress, but this isnt stopping other companies from planting their own stake in this market.

Senseonics, for instance, struck a development deal with TypeZero technologies to develop their own proprietary artificial pancreas.

This particular system will combine TypeZeros artificial pancreas algorithms with a durable specialized sensor that can last up to 90 days being able to automatically adjust and regulate insulin delivery.

Machine Learning Algorithms

Other firms are exploring software-oriented solutions that could help individuals deal with some of the side-effects of this condition.

Computing giants like IBM are using a mix of deep learning and visual analytics to predict and diagnose the severity of diabetic retinopathy, a condition where high blood sugar levels inflict harm on the retina.

Over 35,000 eye images were used to train the technology to pinpoint lesions and hemorrhages so it could analyze the damage to a retinas blood vessels while also predicting how severe this harm was.

Results from a clinical trial indicated the software was able to achieve an accuracy score of 86 percent when it came to categorizing the severity of the condition, which was better than previously published efforts using this same technology.

A breakthrough like this would help produce a new diagnostic technique for one of the worlds leading causes of blindness.

Other startups developing unique software platforms include DreaMed Diabetes. This venture wants to use machine learning programs to help identify the most efficient intensive insulin therapy for diabetics.

Its technology, emulates the way expert endocrinologists actually evaluate their patients, progressively refining their understanding of how a particular patient responds to insulin treatment adjustments, according to the company website.

One program called Advisor can synthesize information transmitted during daily routine home care tasks, like glucose readings, insulin dosing, and meal data, and automatically adjust insulin treatments and behavior modification recommendations in a manner akin to the way a medical professional would.

The startup also hasanother platform called Glucositter, which can perform round-the-clock monitoring of glucose levels and real-time adjustment of insulin levels as well.

Implantable Treatments

Another unique area being explored within diabetes is implantable prototypes that could continuously deliver medication to patients who need it.

One organization testing this method is ViaCyte, a privately-held regenerative medicine company.

The firm raised $10 million to help advance clinical research on two of its stem cell-based inslet replacement therapies.

One candidate named PEC-Direct works by delivering pancreatic progenitor cells through an implantable device to enable direct vascularization cells. A concomitant maintenance immune suppression therapy is used in conjunction with this experimental therapy in an effort to deliver a possible cure for type 1 diabetes patients at high risk for acute life-threating complications.

The second candidate PEC-Encap is designed to perform a similar function in terms of delivering stem cell-derived islet replacement therapies, but it is geared towards type 1 diabetes as well as type 2 diabetes patients that require insulin. It produces the progenitor cells through an immune-protected device that has demonstrated a viable safety and efficacy profile in an early preliminary clinical evaluation.

Another leader in this research field is Intarcia Therapeutics, which is a biotech startup valued at an estimated $5 billion.

The firm created a specialized technology comprised of an osmotic mini-pump component, high-temperature therapeutic stabilization features, and a mini-pump placement tool.

Its investigational product named ITCA 650 is a GLP-1 receptor agonist administered through a small injectable pump embedded within the skin. The goal is to have this device eliminate the need for daily or weekly injections, essentially boosting adherence to the medication.

The F.D.A. accepted a filing for this device in February 2017.

Read more:
Novel Tech Pushes Diabetes Treatment in New Direction - R & D Magazine

With the upcoming watchOS 4 update for Apple Watch slated to bring new features for diabetes management devices, we took some time to speak with Dexcoms CEO Kevin Sayer this week about what it means for users. When Apple revealed watchOS 4 at its Worldwide Developers Conference this month, it featured Dexcom, makers of the G5 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) popular among iPhone users, on stage as an example of an Apple Watch app that will benefit from new features in the release.

Sayer shared details on how exactly Dexcom devices will improve from these new features in watchOS 4, and more specifically why CoreBluetooth support will be a game changer for Apple Watch users with diabetes.

We also learned from Sayer about the next-generation of the companys popular G5 CGM coming soon. And we had to ask about the chatter prior to WWDC that Apple is reportedly developing its own glucose monitoring technology, to find out his thoughts on the possibility of such features being built directly into future Apple Watch models.

Dexcoms G5 CGM already works with both the iPhone and Apple Watch, but currently the G5s signal has to go to the iPhone first before syncing data to Apple Watch. That means the data on Apple Watch is a bit delayed, and it also means you must have your iPhone around if youre on the go and want to continue syncing data. With new support for CoreBluetooth in watchOS 4, the G5 CGM will make a direct connection:

The way we architected our transmitter to transmit this glucose data many years ago is there is two Bluetooth channelsso it could communicate with two devices at the same time because our sensor talks to Android phones as well, it also speaks with certain models of insulin pumps an Apple patient now with this Watch direct connectivity can have a direct Watch connection and a direct connection with another device what that means for our patients, I think its a game changer for them.

People who work out who have diabetes right now always have these fanny packs and if they have a Dexcom system theyre carrying their phone so the datas there If they have an Apple Watch [with CoreBluetooth support], they can leave that phone home, and track their workout real-time. Or if youre in your office if I had a meeting in the boardroom and had diabetes and was tracking my glucose. I could leave my phone in my office so it wouldnt bother my meeting theres a number of places where this direct connection will be useful I think its part of a much longer term strategy to make that wearable more useful in the lives of people who use it.

Apple announces CoreBluetooth support for watchOS 4 at WWDC 2017

Our ultimate goal is to make the on body component, the wearable, the size of about a penny to wear it like a bandaid.

Sayer also confirmed that the current-generation G5 CGM will get the CoreBluetooth support for a direct connection with watchOS 4, although the iPhone will still likely be required for some setup and data entry:

Hardware-wise its ready to go what we will have to do is once the new OS for the Watch comes out, well have to fine tune our app and get it ready and make sure it works Then well submit our app to the FDA for review We absolutely will support the feature.. We will give patients the ability to see their data directly on the Watch for the current G5 system and systems after that

I believe we will continue to have set up with the phone app a patient doesnt have to enter data that often they have to enter a couple calibrations a day Those things are to be worked out during our human factors testing and our discussions with the FDA, in addition to our discussions with Apple.

Apple announces new diabetes management features at WWDC 2017

One report from CNBC back in April, prior to the unveiling of new features for diabetes management with watchOS 4, claimed Apple had a secret team working on optical sensors to allow for noninvasive measuring of glucose levels (and Tim Cook was reportedly spotted wearing a sensor of some kind connected to Apple Watch). Thats something no one else has been able to do, so we asked Sayer his thoughts on the reports and the possibility of integrating the technology directly into a device like a smartwatch:

Right now the way our sensor works is theres a small wire literally about the width of a human hair thats inserted in the subcutaneous tissue, and that wire is coated with several membranes. And thats how glucose is measured is through that sensor thats inserted under the skin for years people have tried to come up with solutions that dont involve any thing under the skin, similar to what the Apple Watch would be with some type of light technology bouncing through the skin and back up people who intensively manage their diabetes really require extremely accurate information, because insulin is a life saving and a life threatening drug. If somebody could solve that problem it would be a boon for diabetes, but we havent seen anything thats better than what we have and we know how hard it is to do what we do

He also told us about the companys ultimate goal to make the on body component, the wearable, the size of about a penny, which in theory could enable a device the size of a bandaid that could be worn underneath or attached directly to a device like Apple Watch:

We experiment with a number of new form factors Our ultimate goal is to make the on body component, the wearable, the size of about a penny, and have you be able to wear it like a bandaid. What our patients want today more than anything else, is to not have that [the CGM] seen if its the size of a penny and like a bandaid sitting on your arm, if it can communicate directly to an Apple Watch thats a wonderful solution for a patient, theyll be thrilled If Apple asked for a collaboration, wed certainly talk about it.

Currently under development and scheduled for a release as soon as next year following watchOS 4, Sayer told us about the next-generation of the companys G5 CGM, which will feature a lower profile design, a new automated insertion system, and other new features:

Gen 6 is the name of the next platform that is a different hardware configuration that will be lower profile and the insertion system will be automated and very, very user-friendly and easy for patients to use, with the same connectivity that we have in our current G5 system. So it will give the patients a much better on body experience, and the sensor we believe is really the next step in our technology evolution as far as making these things more accurate and more consistenttheres a bunch of great features Apple users have that to look forward to next year sometime, we hope to file it with the FDA in September

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news!

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Dexcom CEO talks 'game changer' diabetes management coming to Apple Watch - 9to5Mac

Science is increasingly uncovering new ways toreversediabetes, achronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar, and which has more than doubled in prevalence over the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists arealso increasingly aware of whos most at risk for the disease: According to a new study looking at the demographics of diabetes in this country, the highest risk can be found among racial and ethnic minorities, people with low incomes or lower educational levels, and people living in rural areas. In one scary finding, the research, which was published in theInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,showedthat across the country, women with diabetes were at a higher risk of foregoing medical care.

Ifyoure among the more than 29 million Americans or8.5percent of the global population withthe disease, you absolutely can live a healthy, happy lifeif you take care of yourself and follow certain diabetes guidelines.

Whether youve just been diagnosed or have been managing the disease your whole life, this handy infographic from Vitality spells out the absolute must-dos for optimum diabetes care. Follow it exactly tominimizediabetes complications and achieveyour best quality oflife. And dont miss these simple tricks for living well with diabetesfrom people who have it.

Courtesy Tips for Living Well from Vitality

Source:Tips for Living Well from Vitality

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This Infographic Is Like the 10 Commandments of Diabetes - Reader's Digest

June 20, 2017 Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and exacerbated by type 2 diabetes, yet diabetes treatment regimens tend to focus primarily on blood sugar maintenance. This common approach to type 2 diabetes management can leave patients at risk for heart attack and stroke. But results from four recent randomized clinical trials suggest that using medications that offer glucose control while reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease could improve patient outcomes.

"Strong evidence provided by the four recent trials published within the past 1.5 to 2 years in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that some of the modern available therapeutic agents that control blood glucose also help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease," said Faramarz Ismail-Beigi, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and Endocrinologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. "Based on this evidence, we propose that we must shift from our previous paradigm with its monocular focus on control of blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c, to one of control of blood glucose plus preventing cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular causes." Hemoglobin A1c is a common test used to determine a patient's average blood sugar levels over the previous 2-3 months.

Ismail-Beigi helped conduct three of the four clinical trials, and he and his collaborators recently reviewed trial results in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The trials each tested a blood sugar-lowering medicationpioglitazone, empagliflozin, liraglutide, or semaglutidebut recruited patients with heart disease or stroke. The goal was to determine whether or not the drugs were safe, but in each study, researchers were surprised to find participants with or at risk of type 2 diabetes also experienced cardiovascular improvements.

"For the first time we have seen glucose-lowering medications that can improve cardiovascular outcomes," Ismail-Beigi said. "It is highly possible that newer agents in these classes of medications, used singly or in combination, will prove to be more efficacious in the management of type 2 diabetes and prevention of cardiovascular disease, even in patients at earlier stages of the disease process."

Previous studies focused on tight control of blood sugar have not shown major cardiovascular benefits for diabetes patients. "Strict control of blood glucose levels has shown minor, if any, positive effect on prevention of cardiovascular disease," said Ismail-Beigi. "In fact, a large NIH-funded clinical trial on type 2 diabetes management failed to show that strict control of blood glucose levels had any positive effect on cardiovascular outcomes or mortality, and in fact, may be harmful."

The new trial results could help address a major dilemma for clinicians looking for ways to control heart disease and reduce mortality, while simultaneously managing blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Said Ismail-Beigi, "Our review focuses on the need for a paradigm shift on how we should think about management of type 2 diabetes. I believe it will necessitate a rethinking of goals and approaches by guideline committees. We also hope that the FDA might consider approving new medications for management of type 2 diabetes not only based on their safety profile and their efficacy to control blood glucose, but also whether the medication reduces overall mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality."

Explore further: Major study heralds new era in treatment of type 2 diabetes

More information: Faramarz Ismail-Beigi et al, Shifting Paradigms in the Medical Management of Type 2 Diabetes: Reflections on Recent Cardiovascular Outcome Trials, Journal of General Internal Medicine (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11606-017-4061-7

A drug that lowers blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes has also been revealed to significantly reduce the risk of both cardiovascular and kidney disease.

More work needs to be done to examine the real world effects of the commonly prescribed diabetes drug empagliflozin, new research in the journal Diabetes Therapy finds.

Researchers have shown that the glucose-lowering drug liraglutide safely and effectively decreases the overall risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death for people with type 2 diabetes. These patients are at high ...

The health risks and mortality associated with prediabetes seem to increase at the lower cut-off point for blood sugar levels recommended by some guidelines, finds a large study published in The BMJ today.

A new study shows that the drug fenofibrate might reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes who have high levels of triglycerides and low levels of "good" cholesterol, despite being treated ...

Why is heart failure not more rigorously assessed in clinical trials of antidiabetes drugs? In a Personal View, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, Professor John McMurray of The University of Glasgow ...

Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and exacerbated by type 2 diabetes, yet diabetes treatment regimens tend to focus primarily on blood sugar maintenance. This common approach to type 2 diabetes management ...

A team of researchers from Sweden, the U.S. and Switzerland has found that treating rat liver cells with a compound called sulforaphane, which is found in cruciferous vegetables, reduced production of glucose. In their paper ...

(HealthDay)For many people with diabetes, low blood sugar levels are a serious health risk, but researchers report that a new nasal powder quickly reverses the effects of this dangerous condition.

An inexpensive first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes may also reduce heart disease in those with type 1 diabetes, according to a new global trial led by the University of Glasgow.

In a landmark study, UNC School of Medicine researchers have shown that blood glucose testing does not offer a significant advantage in blood sugar control or quality of life for type 2 diabetes patients who are not treated ...

Low-income Hispanics with Type 2 diabetes who received health-related text messages every day for six months saw improvements in their blood sugar levels that equaled those resulting from some glucose-lowering medications, ...

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Researchers call for paradigm shift in type 2 diabetes treatment - Medical Xpress

Posted on June 20, 2017 | 10:43 a.m.

Ocho Pasos program targets nutrition, treatment, exercise, monitoring, stress management

Jenifer Swartzentruber, l, Wendy Bevier, Mary Conneely, Ellen Goodstein of William Sansum Diabetes Center. (William Sansum Diabetes Center)

The William Sansum Diabetes Center'sOcho Pasos a la Buena Salud (Eight Steps to Better Health) was selected to be showcased in a moderated poster discussion at the recent American Diabetes Associations 77th Scientific Sessions in San Diego.

The presentation, led by WSDC diabetes educator Mary Conneely, was part of the ADA tour titled Community Strategies to Improve Care Delivery.

More than 15,000 physicians, scientists and health care professionals from around the world convene annually at the ADAs Scientific Sessions to unveil cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations and advances toward a cure for diabetes.

It was a great experience for me personally and it was just overwhelming with how much information there was at the conference, said Conneely who attended the conference for the first time this year.

During the conference Conneely said she experienced an impressive example of just how far reaching WSDCs Ocho Pasos education is across the globe.

Conneely, who is from Bolivia, met two conference attendees, also from Bolivia. When she told them about the WSDCs presentation they said they'd already downloaded WSDCs Ocho Pasos program, even before they met Conneely that day.

More than anything, it was so amazing to show other people what we are doing at William Sansum Diabetes Center and what works to better the lives of the community, Conneely said.

The moderated poster presentation detailed how Ocho Pasos is a culturally-relevant diabetes education program designed for low-income, monolingual Latino participants with or at risk for type 2 diabetes.

The eight weekly sessions focus on nutrition, treatment, monitoring, exercise and stress management. The results of Ocho Pasos were on display, highlighting the dramatic A1C reduction by taking the class.

It is incredibly empowering, energizing and awe inspiring to be around the nearly 15,000 talented and dedicated physicians, researchers, engineers, educators and others all making incredible progress in the fight against this dreadful disease," said Ellen Goodstein, WSDC executive director.

"To hear the progress being made in so many areas of diabetes research gave me genuine hope for the future. We will beat this disease, she said.

Dr. David Kerr, who attended the event, said, "The ADA showcases the best and the brightest for diabetes research and innovation, and this year the center was especially prominent because of the cutting-edge work we are involved with right now."

Diabetes affects nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States and contributes to the deaths of more than 230,000 Americans each year.

The American Diabetes Association estimates the total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. is more than $177 billion.

Published studies suggest that when additional costs for gestational diabetes, prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes are included, the total diabetes-related costs in the U.S. exceeds $322 billion annually.

William Sansum Diabetes Center attendees included: Goodstein, Conneely, Ceara Axelrod, Wendy Bevier, Jenifer Swartzentruber, Kerr, Dr. Jordan Pinsker, Laura Lindsey and Mei Mei Church.

Regina Ruiz for William Sansum Diabetes Center.

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Sansum Diabetes Program Takes Global Stage - Noozhawk

Some people don't like to eat their vegetables , but for obese people with type 2 diabetes , broccoli could hold the key to slowing, and potentially reversing, the disease, according to a new study.

Scientists used both computational and experimental research to zero in on a network of 50 genes that cause symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes. They also located a compound called sulforaphane which is found naturally in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli , Brussels sprouts and cabbages that could turn down the expression of those genes, according to the findings, published today (June 14) in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

In the study, the scientists gave sulforaphane to obese patients , in the form of a concentrated broccoli sprout extract. They found that it improved the patients' systems' ability to control their glucose levels and reduced their glucose production two symptoms of diabetes that can lead to other health problems, including coronary artery disease , nerve damage and blindness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

"It's very exciting and opens up new possibilities for the treatment of type 2 diabetes ," Anders Rosengren, an assistant professor at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, told Live Science.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, affects more than 300 million people globally. For those with the disease who are obese, the excess fat in the liver makes the body less sensitive to the hormone insulin, which can make it difficult for the organ to help regulate blood sugar levels. Normally, insulin, which is produced by the pancreas , stimulates the liver to pull glucose out of the bloodstream and store it for later use.

People with type 2 diabetes are usually advised to change their diet to help control their blood sugar levels. " Lifestyle changes are at the core of type 2 diabetes treatment but often need to be complemented with drugs," Rosengren said.

Currently the main treatment option is the drug metformin . But not every person who needs it can take it. About 15 percent of type 2 diabetes patients have reduced kidney function and taking metformin can increase their risk for lactic acidosis, an unhealthy build-up of lactic acid, which can cause abdominal discomfort, shallow breathing, muscle pain or cramping, and tiredness.

About 30 percent of patients who take metformin develop nausea, bloating and abdominal pain.

Finding an alternative to metformin was one of the team's objectives. But there was also general frustration in the clinical community that research labs were having a difficult time developing new anti-diabetic compounds , Rosengren said.

One challenge is that researcherslooking to develop new drugs have traditionally studied single genes or individual proteins . But diabetes is much more complicated than that. It involves a large network of genes, so the scientists had to find a new, systematic approach that took a holistic view of the disease.

Study leader Annika Axelsson, a doctoral student at Gothenburg, and her colleagues began by analyzing liver tissue from diabetic mice who were raised on a "Western diet" containing 42 percent fat and 0.15 percent cholesterol. After several tests, the scientists identified 1,720 genes associated with hyperglycemia, a condition in which an excessive amount of glucose circulates in the blood.

After further analysis, the researchers narrowed the 1,720 genes to a network of 50 linked genes that together result in high bloodglucose levels . This network became the so-called disease signature for type 2 diabetes.

Next, the researchers used a database of existing drug compounds and employed a mathematical modeling program to rank those compounds for their potential ability to reverse the disease signature in other words, to turn down those overexpressed genes.

Sulforaphane had the highest ranking. The team ran several experiments to see if it could actually lower glucose levels in living systems. First, they tested the compound in cells growing in lab dishes, and found that it inhibited glucose production. Next, they tested it in rodents, and found that it improved glucose tolerance in animals on a high-fat or high-fructose diet.

Finally, the researchers tested sulforaphane in people. Over the course of 12 weeks, 97 patients with type 2 diabetes took a daily dose of concentrated broccoli sprout extract in powdered form. The dose was about 100 times the amount found naturally in broccoli . For those who were not obese, the sulforaphane did not have any affect.

But for those who were obese, the results were significant, the researchers reported. Typically, for people with type 2 diabetes, glucose levels in the blood stay high, even when they are fasting. But sulforaphane reduced fasting blood glucose in these patients by 10 percent compared to the participants in the study who took a placebo, according to the study. That amount is enough to lower a person's risk of developing health complications. And the compound did not cause gastrointestinal problems that metformin can cause, nor other side effects.

For the next phase of this study, Rosengren said the team would like to investigate the effects of sulforaphane on people with prediabetes to see whether it could improve their glucose control before type 2 diabetes develops.

Originally published on Live Science .

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Broccoli compound could help treat type 2 diabetes - Fox News

CLEVELAND, Ohio Diabetes can be deadly. Each year, more than 70,000 Americans die from complications of the disease. About half of all people with type 2 diabetes dont have their condition under control.

Now, new research shows a well-known procedure for weight loss may be the best bet for patients with uncontrolled diabetes.

This was the old Lisa Shaffer. At her heaviest: almost 300 pounds!

When I was obese, my life was so limited, Shaffer said.

Her health suffered, too. Lisa had type 2 diabetes, and she tried everything to control it.

Shaffer explained, Nothing worked, nope.

But today, Lisa is 120 pounds lighter and her diabetes is gone. The reason; gastric bypass surgery.

Its been incredible. Yeah. It really did give me my life back, Shaffer exclaimed.

Phillip Schauer, MD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, led a study that compared bariatric surgery, either gastric bypass or gastric sleeve, to intense medical therapy in people with diabetes. After five years, the gastric bypass patients did the best. Many were in complete remission without drugs or insulin.

Which is pretty remarkable. Thats about as close to a cure that you can get, Dr. Schauer explained.

Twenty-nine percent of gastric bypass and 23 percent of gastric sleeve patients achieved and maintained normal blood sugar levels -compared to just 5 percent of medication-only patients. The surgery groups also lost more weight and reported a better quality of life.

All in all, the patients who had surgery did better and were happier at the five- year mark, Dr. Schauer stated.

Three days after her surgery, Lisa was off all of her meds. Her A1c, a measure of blood sugar control, was 10.5 before the surgery and today, its 5.3. Now shes able to live the life shes always wanted.

Ever since I lost the weight, Ive run three 5ks. Ive done zip lining with the family, which is fantastic. Just no limits anymore, theres no limitations on my life anymore, Shaffer stated.

Doctor Schauer says weight loss is one reason diabetes patients benefit from bariatric surgery. The other is something that happens in the body as a result of the surgery. When the intestines are bypassed, special hormones increase, which helps the pancreas produce insulin more effectively.

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Weight loss procedure may help people with uncontrolled diabetes - WNDU-TV

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Secondary market arises for diabetes test strips | Pittsburgh Post ... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette High retail costs for the strips and limits on prescription availability have created a gray market — and related concerns. and more »

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Secondary market arises for diabetes test strips | Pittsburgh Post ... - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gothenburg, Sweden (Scicasts) Researchers have identified an antioxidant - richly occurring in broccoli - as a new antidiabetic substance. A patient study shows significantly lower blood sugar levels in participants who ate broccoli extract with high levels of sulforaphane.

"There are strong indications that this can become a valuable supplement to existing medication," says Anders Rosengren, Docent in Metabolic Physiology at the University of Gothenburg.

The publication in the journal Science Translational Medicine builds on several years' research at Sahlgrenska Academy and Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, and the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University.

The objective was to find new medications against type-2 diabetes by addressing an important disease mechanism: The liver's elevated glucose production. The classic drug metformin works by doing just that, but often causes gastric side-effects and can also not be taken when kidney function is severely reduced, which affects many with diabetes.

The researchers began by mapping the genetic changes in the liver in diabetes. 50 genes proved to play key roles. These were then matched against different substances in the search for compounds that could affect these particular key genes, and thereby attack the disease on a broad front.

Of 2,800 substances investigated through computer-based mathematical analyses, sulforaphane proved to have the best characteristics for the task. An antioxidant that was previously studied for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory disease, but not for diabetes was thereby identified.

Cell experiments were followed by animal studies on rats and mice with dietary-induced diabetes. The blood sugar of the animals that received sulforaphane dropped by 23 percent in four weeks, and by 24 percent in those given metformin.

"We tested removing sulforaphane from the extract and the effect disappeared. We also looked at the genes from the liver of the animals and saw that the 50 key genes had been changed in the right direction," says Anders Rosengren.

With the knowledge that sulforaphane does not hurt people, which was already documented, a patient study was then done with around hundred patients. Basically all were on metformin treatment, but in the group that took sulforaphane every morning for 12 weeks, the patients with poor glucose control and BMI at 30 or above (well-known factors associated with elevated glucose production) had significantly lower blood sugar levels than the placebo group. In other words, sulforaphane benefited exactly those patients, totally 17 in the study, who have elevated glucose production in the liver.

A daily dose of sulforaphane is extracted from four to five kilograms of broccoli. The plan is to have a functional food preparation out within two years. Development is taking place with farmer owned organization Lantmnnen.

"Sulforaphane targets a central mechanism in type 2 diabetes and has a mild side-effect profile. As functional food, it can reach the patients faster than a medication, and it is also an interesting concept from a diabetes perspective where diet is central," says Anders Rosengren.

Article adapted from a University of Gothenburg news release.

Publication: Sulforaphane reduces hepatic glucose production and improves glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Annika S. Axelsson et al. Science Translational Medicine (2017): Click here to view.

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Researchers Identify New Substance Against Diabetes in Broccoli - Scicasts (press release) (blog)

A compound found in broccoli improves diabetic outcomes to an extent that rivals the go-to drug treatment, according to a new study. Photo by Flickr user LID/Jonas Ingold.

Pills, pills, pills. It seems every ailment from headaches to high blood pressure needs them. But, what if you could swap the medication for vegetables?

An international group of researchers envision such a future for type-2 diabetics based on new results published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Their findings show how a compound found in broccoli improves diabetic outcomes to an extent that rivals the go-to drug treatment, with fewer severe side effects.

To many patients, it might be more attractive to take a broccoli shot or drink than having to take another pill, said Anders Rosengren, at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the studys senior author.

Diabetes afflicts more than 400 million people worldwide, four times as many people as in 1980. Part of the problem is the disease can progress unnoticed for years, even decades, until severe complications like compromised kidney function arise.

Its why we need to be so active with this disease so we have the proper treatment at early stages, Rosengren said.

Their project wants to find an alternative for metformin, a gold-standard drug that tackles a hallmark of diabetes: runaway production of glucose in the liver. Insulin normally keeps glucose on a tight leash, but becomes dysregulated in diabetes. Although metformin works well, it has a few problems.

One problem is that it cannot be taken by people with poor kidney function, Rosengren said, yet poor kidney function is one of the most common complications of type-2 diabetes. And metformin can cause side effects including stomach pain, bloating and diarrhea in some patients.

Diabetes is not attributable to one gene, but rather a collection. So Rosengren and his colleagues wanted a drug that could modify a network of diabetes-related genes. A preliminary test, associating a set of 50 liver genes involved in type-2 diabetes and 3,800 drugs, landed on a compound called sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is found in cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, and has improved insulin responses in diabetic rats in previous studies.

To determine if sulforaphane modifies blood sugar levels, the researchers completed a series of investigations before conducting a human trial.

Early tests showed that sulforaphane could prevent glucose overproduction in liver cells grown in petri dishes. Next, the team tried their luck in rodent models of diabetes. There, they found sulforaphane both prevented the development of glucose intolerance, a hallmark of diabetes, and lowered blood glucose levels as much as metformin did.

Emboldened by these positive results, the researchers recruited 97 type-2 diabetics from Sweden to take daily doses of sulforaphane in the form of a highly concentrated, liquid broccoli sprout extract or a placebo for 12 weeks.

Only the patients who took broccoli extract showed a clear reduction in blood sugar levels.The broccoli extract was most effective for overweight patients with unmanaged type-2 diabetes. Plus, no patients on the broccoli regimen reported severe or lasting side effects during the three-month study.

Alongside the other lifestyle things like physical activity and not eating a whole lot of refined sugars, this could be a promising therapy, said Chris DAdamo, an epidemiologist and healthy lifestyle expert at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. It needs to be replicated, [but] I was positively surprised by the degree of efficacy that it showed and the lack of noticeable side effects.

But before you rush to the grocery store, know that the amount of sulforaphane taken by the patients was approximately 100 times that found naturally in broccoli or the equivalent of consuming 11 pounds of broccoli per day.

Rosengren is encouraged by the results, but advises that people should wait for drug regulators to approve broccoli sprout extract for type-2 diabetes before they rush to try the treatment.

It has the potential to become an important complement to existing treatment options for type-2 diabetes, Rosengren said.

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Tired of taking pills for diabetes? How about a shot of broccoli? - PBS NewsHour

By Reuters By Reuters June 17 at 11:00 AM

Properly treating a common sleep-related breathing disorder may have benefits for the heart and for blood sugar, a new study suggests.

If people with obstructive sleep apnea dont use machines at night to help keep the airway open, measures of their heart health and blood sugar worsen, researchers found.

One of the long-standing debates in our field is whether sleep apnea causes heart issues and problems with blood sugar or if theyre just associated, said the studys senior author, Jonathan Jun of Johns Hopkins University.

In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway intermittently collapses or becomes blocked during sleep. The blocked airway causes pauses in breathing. Some people address this by using CPAP continuous positive airway pressure machines at night to keep the airway open.

In the past, researchers have tried to directly link sleep apnea with heart health and blood sugar by comparing patients instructed to use CPAP devices with patients instructed to sleep without these machines. But one of the major issues with those studies is that people may not actually use the CPAP machine, Jun said by phone.

For the new study, the researchers recruited 31 people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who were known to regularly use CPAP machines.

The participants slept two nights in a lab, using their CPAP device on only one of the nights. The researchers obtained blood samples while participants slept.

We are looking at real-time changes, Jun said. Were getting blood every 20 minutes.

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, on the night without CPAP, patients obstructive sleep apnea returned. On those nights, the participants had low levels of oxygen in their blood, poor sleep and an increased heart rate.

Additionally, their blood samples showed increases in fatty acids, sugar and the stress hormone cortisol.

The researchers also saw increases in blood pressure and arterial stiffness, which has been linked with a risk for heart problems.

These were obese patients and patients with relatively severe sleep apnea. They also had other medical problems, Jun pointed out. People who fit that description may be experiencing the same changes if they sleep without using a CPAP machine, he said.

Glucose and fatty acids rose in the overall group without the CPAP machines, but participants with diabetes may be more vulnerable to the glucose elevation, Jun warned.

He said the study cant say what would happen to people with milder sleep apnea.

Because obesity has been tied to an increased risk of sleep apnea, it has been difficult to know whether its sleep apnea or obesity that is causing those problems, Jun noted.

The new study, he said, advances that idea that other conditions and not obesity itself are drivers of those levels.

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Exercise can improve the symptoms of sleep apnea

Snoring may be benign, or it may be a sign of a serious problem

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Untreated sleep apnea may worsen markers of heart health and ... - Washington Post

Ten-year-old Sherborn resident Jillian Tierney was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in August 2016; when faced with the decision of which charitable organization she would highlight for her fifth-grade Citizenship Project, Tierney chose Joslin Diabetes Center, where she receives her care from Dr. Anat Hanono.

Ten-year-old Sherborn resident Jillian Tierney was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in August 2016; when faced with the decision of which charitable organization she would highlight for her fifth-grade Citizenship Project, Tierney chose Joslin Diabetes Center, where she receives her care from Dr. Anat Hanono.

Dr. Peter Amenta, president and CEO of Joslin Diabetes Center, joined Jillian and her family at Pine Hill Elementary School for the fifth-grade expo on June 7, where she debuted her project. Tierney showed Amenta her diabetes kit and demonstrated how she uses her glucose monitor, answered questions on the importance of counting carbs, and offered up information and statistics on diabetes for the parents and friends in attendance.

Joslins pediatrics department encourages and allows for young patients to continue pursuing their goals and participating in normal activities as part of learning to incorporate diabetes into their everyday life, and Tierney does not let her recent diagnosis slow her down. She plays soccer, recently finished a spring production of Mulan at a local theater company and will attend coastal ecology camp and a diabetes camp this summer.

For more information, visit http://www.joslin.org.

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Sherborn's Jillian Tierney shows how she deals with diabetes - Wicked Local Tewksbury

KTNV Las Vegas

'Animal House' actor Stephen Furst dies from diabetes complications KTNV Las Vegas Stephen Furst, the actor who played the hapless, beanie-wearing frat boy Flounder in the 1978 movie "Animal House," has died at age 63, his son, Nathan Furst, told CNN on Saturday. "It was from complications from diabetes," Nathan Furst said. "Over the ... Stephen Furst has died at the age 63 after a long battle with diabetesNEWS.com.au Stephen Furst dead at 63 after Animal House actor passes away due to complications with diabetesMirror.co.uk Stephen Furst, Flounder in 'Animal House,' dies at 63Minneapolis Star Tribune all 43 news articles »

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'Animal House' actor Stephen Furst dies from diabetes complications - KTNV Las Vegas

Sometimes its good to just be one of the gang.

This is certainly true for those dealing with Type 1 diabetes. And thats why Camp Hot Shots has become a favorite get-away destination for hundreds of youngsters ages 6-12 in central Nebraska since 2001.

Founded by Mary Lanning Heathcare and presented this year in partnership with Grace United Methodist Church, the two-day camp gives youngsters dealing with the disease a chance to bond with fellow diabetics without having to address those intrusive questions so often posed by their well-meaning but unmindful peers.

DeAnn Carpenter, program coordinator for Mary Lannings diabetes program, said the camp which is funded in part through donations from area organizations combines diabetes education and a host of fun activities to create an experience many campers have come to look forward to year after year.

More than 20 area children are taking part in this years long list of camp activities, which include: Boat rides and water play at Lake Hastings and Aquacourt Water Park, YMCA play, string art, balloon artist/magician Poppin Penelope, taekwondo, and more.

Its just a time for kids who have Type 1 diabetes to come together and realize theyre not alone, Carpenter said. A lot of them are the only ones in their school system or community who have Type 1 diabetes and maybe feel a little alone, having to take care of themselves. Its a time to bond and interact with people who have the same diagnosis as them.

For many campers, the camp has become an annual tradition, a place to bond with new found friends over shared activities. In some instances, it may be the only contact they have with their fellow diabetic companions each year.

For Braden Benjamin, 12, of Friend, this year marks his seventh go-around in the camp.

I like coming to the lake and swimming and tubing with my friends, he said. I get to see other diabetics that Im not around very often. I know most of them, but there are a few new ones every now and then.

I also like going to the YMCA. They have a bunch of different activities, like tennis and racquetball. You can go to the batting cage, and theres a pool there, too.

But its the camaraderie with fellow diabetics that makes the camp experience special to himself and fellow participants, he said.

The camp allows me to talk to other diabetics that I dont get to see very often. Its just nice to be around other people who share the disease that you have and know what it feels like. I hope to make more friends at the camp this year and get better at taking care of my diabetes. If my blood sugars are good I can pretty much do anything if I treat it beforehand.

Kordell Lovitt, 13, of Chapel, is attending the camp for the fourth straight year. Like most all of his fellow campers, he considers the lake activities the high water point of the two-day outing.

Im just swimming and having fun with my friends that I dont see a lot, he said. We talk about how we take care of our diabetes and how we treat our lows and highs. It (diabetes) is kind of stressful, but sometimes I just get over it.

And camp is a big reason for that, he said.

The others tell me what I dont do right and that I can do a better job of it, he said. I check on my blood sugars often here to keep them in range.

Having to explain himself and his limitations to non-diabetics day in and day out makes coming to camp seem even more of a getaway experience each year.

When people ask me, Why do you have to do this? its kind of weird and awkward, he said. Here, I dont have to tell them anything. I just want to have fun and pay attention to my diabetes.

Fourth-time camper Emmilly Berglund, 12, of Shelton said she felt right at home navigating the lakeside waters with friends of a feather.

I just like to come and see the other kids and talk to them about how everything is, she said. Its just enjoyable and relaxing to hang around other kids who have it (Type 1 diabetes). Im looking forward to the new activities they have this year like string art and going to the water park and learning new things.

Lee Wigert, 65, is a teacher at Hastings College and pastor of United Methodist churches in Juniata, Holstein and Kenesaw.

He, along with his wife, Diane, and son, Nate, 32, who has diabetes, have been donating their time giving boat and jet ski rides and sharing their back yard abutting Lake Hastings for the past decade.

Its just amazing the bonding experience that these children have, he said. The kids come back year after year and call you by name and you remember them. I spend about three days getting the house ready and tubes and trampoline blown up.

We make sure everybody gets on the boat. What they take away from this is that they know the adults care for them and are here to help them out.

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Diabetes camp educates, entertains - Hastings Tribune

Sally Hillerich Galla, Guest Contributor 3:13 p.m. ET June 15, 2017

Measuring blood sugar(Photo: Maya23K, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It might be old-fashioned, but as a young child growing up in Kentucky, I was taught never to reveal my age. Yet to understand my story, you have to start with a number: Im 65, and Im incredibly fortunate to be alive.

At the age of 24, my doctor gave me six months to live, along with one last hope: an emergency surgery to treat the endometriosis which was threatening my life. Thankfully, that surgery was a success.

But my medical journey was just beginning.

In the weeks after my surgery, I lost 30 pounds, and my vision was getting increasingly blurry. A trip back to my doctor confirmed a new, equally troubling and unrelated diagnosis: Type-1 diabetes. At the time, the outlook for Type-1 patients was grim.

Like every person with Type-1 Diabetes, not a day goes by that I dont spend thinking about and treating my disease. But there are some risk factors beyond our control, notably that Medicare, unlike nearly every private insurance plan, wont pay for some treatments that helpus stay healthy.

To start, it helps to understand that Type-1 Diabetes keeps your pancreas from producing insulin, so those of us living with the disease must inject the right amount of insulin ourselves, using everything from needles to traditional insulin pumps. Youve probably seen these pumps; a patch is connected by tubes to a device clipped to your belt or placed in your pocket.

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Devices like this come with significant drawbacks. They cant get wet, and patients with neuropathy and arthritis have a hard time connecting and re-connecting the tubes multiple times a day. However, they do have one major benefit: theyre covered by Medicare.

The device I use called an Omnipod isnt.

My Omnipod is a wireless pump; a small pod that can be worn nearly anywhere and is connected wirelessly to a device about the size of a cell phone, which doesnt have to be clipped to your clothing. Instead, it just has to be close by.

And this is where that bureaucratic thinking comes in. All other insulin pumps are paid for under Medicare Part B because theyre considered durable medical equipment.

But the Omnipod isnt.

Thats because the Omnipod is different. Each of the pods lasts three days. Once its supply of insulin is used up, you replace it with another. You keep the cell phone-sized transmitter, which connects wirelessly to each new pod. Yet even though it has been approved by the FDA for 12 years, Medicare still wont cover it.

Medicares non-coverage policy is in conflict with Congresss intent, which was to promote medical innovation. Back in 2003, they passed the Medicare Modernization Act, which made it clear: new technologies not covered under Part B should be covered under Part D, which covers medicines. Medicare hasnt used that authority to cover the Omnipod either. But it should.

Because Omnipod isnt covered under Medicare, the Federal government is forcing seniors like me to abandon the treatment we need.

Now Im fortunate: After paying out of pocket since I turned 65, I recently found out that my Express Scripts Medicare Advantage plan has decided to stop mirroring Medicares policy. Thanks to that decision, I will get the coverage I need. But millions of people arent as fortunate they rely on other Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans where Omnipod still isnt covered.

Every major diabetes patient and medical advocacy group agrees: There should be no reason why the Omnipod remains the only FDA-approved insulin pump not covered by Medicare. Theyve urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to cover the Omnipod. And Im urging them now, too.

Medicare should cover Omnipod, because it is a critical part of my medical plan. I shouldnt be forced to lose it just because Ive turned 65and neither should any other senior.

A small business owner, Sally Hillerich Galla is a 40-year veteran of the health insurance industry who lives in Eastern Jefferson County with her husband, Patrick.

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Expand coverage for diabetes treatment | Sally Hillerich Galla - The Courier-Journal

Heres another reason to eat your greens.

A powder containing a chemical found in broccoli sprouts is capable of lowering blood sugar levels of persons with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published Wednesday byScience Transitional Medicine.

The powder contains a highly concentrated dose of sulforaphane, according to study co-author Anders Rosengren of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Were very excited about the effects weve seen and are eager to bring the extract to patients, Rosengren toldNew Scientist.We saw a reduction of glucose of about 10 percent, which is sufficient to reduce complications in the eyes, kidneys and blood.

Rosengren and his colleagues conducted a 12-week experiment, with 97 people with type 2 diabetes taking either the sulforaphane powder or a placebo, The Scientist reported. Most of the participants continued to take metformin, a drug used to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Rosengrens team discovered that the broccoli extract was able to reduce the participants blood glucose level by 10 percent compared to those who took the placebo, The Scientist reported.

More research is needed to see if this repurposed drug can be used to treat type 2 diabetes, as it was only tested in a small number of people and only helped a subset of those who are taking it, said Elizabeth Robertson, director of research atDiabetes UK. She told New Scientist thatfor now, we recommend that people continue with the treatment prescribed by their healthcare team.

Read this article:
Study: Broccoli extract lowers blood sugar for type 2 diabetes patients - Atlanta Journal Constitution

This August, Stephanie and Michael Honig of Honig Vineyard and Winery will host a special party on their property in Rutherford to raise money for a nonprofit diabetes organization called Beyond Type 1.

The party at Honig is just one stop on an epic, 10-week adventure for Team Bike Beyond, a cycling team composed of 20 international riders living with Type 1 diabetes. As they pedal their way from New York City to San Francisco, they will spread the word about Type 1 while showing the world what it means to live Beyond Type 1.

The event, 6 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 9 at Honig Vineyard and Winery will raise money and awareness for Type 1 Diabetes.

Musician Nick Jonas, Juliet de Baubigny, Sarah Lucas and Sam Talbot founded Beyond Type 1 in 2015, and 100 percent of every dollar raised directly supports the most promising global efforts and programs working to educate, advocate and cure Type 1 diabetes.

Type 1, which affects more than 420 million people globally, is an autoimmune disease that can happen to anyone, can present at any age, and is not related to diet or lifestyle. The Honigs oldest daughter, Sophia, who recently turned 10, was diagnosed with Type 1 at the age of 5, changing the family dynamic forever.

No parent should ever be told that their child has a life-threatening, incurable disease. We will continue to do everything in our power until a cure is found, said Stephanie Honig.

Rep. Mike Thompson said, The Honigs have been tireless advocates for Sophia and the millions of other children and families living with Type 1 diabetes. Their efforts are more important than ever as federal funding for medical research comes under attack.

On the afternoon of the event, the Napa County Sheriffs Office, along with county officials, will escort and welcome the 20 bike riders into Napa County.

There are 11 restaurants hosting food stations: Brasswood, Brix Restaurant, Charlie Palmer, The Cliff Familys Bruschetteria, Crisp Kitchen and Juice, Elaine Bell Catering, Heritage Eats, Model Bakery, Mustards Grill, Oakville Grocery and Prabh Indian Kitchen.

Wine will be provided by Honig Vineyard and Winery, Beran, Dutch Henry, Jordan, Luna, St. Supery and Vineyard 29, with cocktails from Charbay. Music for the event will be provided by Groovetronix Productions. Classic Party Rentals is donating all of the party equipment, furnishing and supplies.

Sponsors of this event include Darioush, Trinchero Family Estates, Breakthrough Beverage Group, Chuck Wagner from Caymus Family Wines, David Drucker from Empire Merchants, St Helena Hospital, The Rudd Foundation, American AgCredit, Jelly Belly Candy Company, Jamie Kurtzig and Family, Nomacorc/Vinventions.

For more information, contact stephanie@honigwine.com or visit https://beyondtype1.org/event/bike-beyond-party-napa-valley-california/.

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Honig family planning diabetes fundraiser - Napa Valley Register