New findings may help in efforts to develop ways to treat type 1 diabetes. An estimated 1 million to 2 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been studying immune cells thought to be responsible for type 1 diabetes.

They are using diabetic mice in their research. The scientists found dendritic cells in insulin-making structures in the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans and observed them carrying insulin and fragments of insulin-producing cells known as beta cells. This can be the initial step toward the start of a misdirected immune system attack that destroys the beta cells and prevents the production of insulin, resulting in type 1 diabetes.

“Now that we’ve isolated dendritic cells from the pancreas, we can look at why they get into the pancreas and determine which of the materials that they pick up are most critical to causing this form of diabetes. That may allow us to find ways to inhibit dendritic cell function in order to block the disorder,” study senior author Dr. Emil R. Unanue, a professor of pathology, said in a prepared statement.

People with diabetes are more prone to peritonitis, tooth decay, oral fungal infections, taste diminishment, gingivitis and delayed healing time than people without the disease, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). This is because uncontrolled blood sugar levels can cause and worsen those symptoms and conditions. According to the ADA, sugary and starchy foods contribute to high glucose levels in saliva, which can wear down tooth enamel, causing decay and cavities. 

Unfortunately, poor oral health can make your diabetes more difficult to control. Infections can cause your blood sugar to rise and require more insulin to keep it under control.

There are things you can do to have good oral health. You should see your dentist at least twice a year. Make sure your dentist knows that you have diabetes. Brush your teeth twice a day. It is recommended to use a soft nylon toothbrush and always brush the upper surface of your tongue. Floss everyday. Always look for early signs of gum disease, such as bleeding gums, redness, or swelling. If you notice any of these things call your dentist right away.

Are you having trouble sleeping? New research shows that not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can increase your risk of developing diabetes. Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine had 1,500 men and women fill out a questionaire about the number of hours they sleep each night. The participants were between the ages of 53 and 93 years old. They were all given blood tests to check their blood sugar levels and glucose tolerance, the results of which can be an early signal of diabetes.

On average, most people reported getting about 7 hours of sleep a night, with 27% reporting less than 6 hours a night and 8% reporting 5 hours or less. Almost 9% reported getting nine or more hours of sleep most nights. Overall, 21% of the participants were found to have diabetes and a further 28% had impaired glucose tolerance. But compared to people who sleep 7 to 8 hours per night, people who got 5 hours of sleep or less per night were 2.5 times as likely to develop diabetes and 1.3 times as likely to develop impaired glucose tolerance. People who slept 6 hours or less were 1.7 times as likely to develop diabetes and 1.6 times as likely to develop impaired glucose tolerance. People who slept nine hours or more were 1.8 times as likely to develop diabetes and 1.9 times as likely to develop impaired glucose tolerance.

The researchers noted that these results were based on people’s voluntary sleep habits, so they don’t apply to people with insomnia. While the reasons for this link are unclear, the researchers speculate that making sure to get adequate sleep could even help control diabetes. Getting enough sleep, the researchers conclude in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, “is a good practice for a variety of reasons, and this is one more reason.”

Many people have diabetes and they don’t even know it. By the time they find out, they’re at risk of severe complications like blindness or kidney disease. Researchers at MedStar Research Institute in Washington D.C. has been looking for ways to encourage more patients to get tested sooner. They believe many people put it off because of the process it takes to get tested. The traditional diabetes testing method includes fasting, drinking a sweet glucose solution and taking a blood test. This type of testing typically takes several hours.

The researchers have discovered a new light machine called the vera-light scout. It uses fluorescent light to non-invasively measure the effects of high glucose levels in the forearm’s connective tissue. Dr. Robert Ratner with MedStar Research says, “We’ve been able to identify those biochemical changes that may reflect diabetes without the need of sticking the patient or drawing blood or sending samples off to a certified laboratory.” The machine shines a light onto the skin’s surface and the layers of tissue immediately below. It measures how much light bounces back in very specific wavelengths.   Ratner says they “then compare the Scout measure with the overnight fasting with glucose method, and found that the Scout measure is as accurate, if not better.”

This system is still in the testing phase and not available to the public yet, although many doctors believe this system will be the future for diabetes detection!

There is a new national effort to stem the tide of diabetes in the United States. The National Diabetes Goal was unveiled May 7 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., the goal is for the 45 percent of Americans who are at risk for type 2 diabetes, to know their blood glucose level and what actions to take. They aim to achieve this by 2015.

There is over 21 million Americans that have diabetes, but it is thought that more than 6 million Americans are unaware that they have the disease. It is believed that type 2 diabetes can be prevented if people at risk are tested and take action. It is estimated by 2025, 15 percent of the population will suffer from diabetes.

“Early detection is critical in maintaining healthy vision”, said American Optometric Association (AOA), president, Kevin L. Alexander, O.D., PhD. “Recognizing the importance of diabetes prevention and early treatment for lifelong eye health, AOA fully supports the National Diabetes Goal.” The A.O.A., is one of the many health care provider groups, government officials and leaders from the business and academic communities that are supporting the National Diabetes Goal.

According to a new study published this month in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, high prescription drug co-payments are associated with lower adherence and higher total healthcare costs. The study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline. They were able to investigate the effects of varied co-payment levels on oral diabetes medication adherence, health resource utilization, and total health costs for PPG Industries employees, retirees, and dependents.

This was a 2-year retrospective study on the effects of Health Plan Co-payments on Adherence to Oral Diabetes Medication and Health Resources Utilization. In comparing medication adherence and healthcare costs for patients with diabetes, PPG Industries, a global manufacturer and provider of coatings, glass and chemical products, noted that those with lower co-payments had better adherence to oral diabetes medicines, and averaged $3116 less per year in total health care costs than those in the highest co-payment group.

Poor medication adherence can be attributed to several factors. The effects of high prescription drug co-payments have been studied extensively since they have often been used by employers and insurers in an attempt to contain spiraling drug costs for chronic diseases, such as diabetes, and to prevent individuals from seeking unnecessary medical care. Increasing co-payments has been shown to decrease use of medications for chronic conditions. Until recently, few studies have investigated the relationship between co-payment level, adherence, and use of subsequent health resources.

Teens with Type 1 Diabetes prefer use Insulin pumps as part of treating the disease but an FDA study shows the device has been linked to injuries and a few deaths. Although, the FDA is not saying the teens with juvenile diabetes should not be provided the insulin pump.  Insulin pumps can help make life more manageable. Parents need to be keeping a close eye on their children’s devices and understand that the machine is not infallible.Problems observed in the study were not taking care of the pump or dropping them. Also it is believed that there is simply a lack of education because teen weren’t sure on the correct use. 

With the proper care the pumps can be a part of normal teen life for diabetes patients. Up to 100,000 teens may already be using the machine that costs about $6,000 with supplies running at $250 a month.

Insulin pumps are used for Type 1 diabetes. Between 5 and 10 percent of all diabetic cases are Type 1 which is also known as juvenile diabetes. The pumps are small, the size of a cell phone, and worn on a belt or carried in a pocket. Through a plastic tube that is inserted under the skin insulin is carried into the body. The user tells the machine how much insulin to give prior to each meal based on the estimated carbs they are eating. There are also devices designed to give a constant low level flow of insulin.

Even with the pump patients must check sugar levels, because one of the problems that has been observed is a blocked tube that can quickly cause an episode of high blood sugar. “In a matter of a few hours, all the insulin in the body disappears,” said Dr. John Buse, the American Diabetes Association’s president for medicine and science. “Metabolically, the child starts to spiral out of control.

Although there are some problems with the insulin pump it has quickly become a vital part of diabetic treatment for teens.  Teens need to be aware of these risks.

Arthritis causes joint pain and more than half of  adult diabetics in the United States have it.  Arthritis pain may prevent diabetics to exercise they way they should in order to stay healthy, a study reported.The study was done by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention it found that almost 30 percent of people with both conditions were inactive, compared with 21 percent with diabetes alone and 17 percent with arthritis alone. Only 11 percent of adults with neither condition were inactive.

Only 46 million adults in the United States have arthritis and 21 million have diabetes, according to the CDC. Exercise helps control blood sugar, blood pressure and body weight, which are especially important in people with diabetes, the CDC said. Regular activity reduces the risk of heart disease and nerve damage in diabetics and strengthens arthritic joints.

“These findings suggest more needs to be done to help people with diabetes and arthritis get physically active to improve their health,” Chad Helmick, a CDC epidemiologist and co-author of the study, said in a statement. “Regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can help alleviate the pain and disability that often accompany arthritis.”

People with arthritis should consider exercises that don’t stress their joints, including swimming, walking and bicycling, the CDC said.

An international study has confirmed that a pregnant women with even slightly higher than normal blood sugar levels are at increased risk for a range of pregnancy and delivery-related complications. This study will appear in the May 8 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The large study examined the risks associated with having elevated blood sugar during pregnancy that is not high enough to be considered gestational diabetes. More than 25,000 pregnant women from nine countries took part in the study.

It was founded in the study that even a small rise in blood sugar above what is considered normal was associated with an increase in adverse outcomes. These included high birth weight, C-section delivery, and preeclampsia, a complication that can lead to premature birth and can be deadly if not treated.

One of the researchers said, “This lays to rest many of the criticisms about gestational diabetes treatment. The critics have said that it isn’t elevated glucose that leads to negative outcomes, it is obesity or maternal age or some other risk factor. But we were able to control for these risk factors, and glucose was still a major determinant of outcomes.”

The researchers have concluded that elevated blood sugar has a direct negative impact on pregnancy and delivery.

If you have type 2 diabetes and are feeling a little down, this new research may give you reason to cheer up. Posted in the journal, Diabetes Care, a research showed that depression, whether mild or severe, can raise the risk of dying in people with type 2 diabetes . It was found that people who have the combination of type 2 diabetes and minor depression have a 67% greater risk of dying. Although, people with both diabetes and major depression have a 130% greater chance of dying, compared to those who have type 2 diabetes alone.

The researchers was done at the University of Washington were they followed 4,154 people who had type 2 diabetes for three years after they filled out a questionnaire screening for depression. In order for a person to be considered depressed, the symptoms had to include depressed mood or loss of pleasure.

It was found that participants with depression were more likely to have two or more complications related to diabetes, to have another medical condition, to smoke, to be obese, and to have been treated with insulin. They were also less likely to be physically active.

During the three years of follow-up, 382 participants died from all causes. A greater proportion of participants with depression died compared to those who weren’t depressed; nearly 14% of those with minor depression and 12% of those with major depression died, while slightly more than 8% of non-depressed participants died.

While the study doesn’t pinpoint the reason the combination of depression and type 2 diabetes appears to be more deadly than diabetes alone, the researchers say the cause could be biological or behavioral. They also said, that changes in brain chemistry and the nervous system which accompany depression could also worsen diabetes outcomes.

Other known symptoms of depression include changes in sleeping and eating habits, lack of energy and changes in activity levels. If you are feeling any of the symptoms of depression or have questions about it, talk to your doctor right away!