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Most of us usually think in terms of diabetes as a “human” disease.  While it is true that diabetes is more prevalent in humans than in animals and diabetes treatment is geared toward humans, there are animals that develop diabetes as well.

Diabetes in animals is not new.  Pets can develop diabetes for many reasons including diet, age and genetics.  When a pet develops diabetes many of the symptoms can be the same as the symptoms that humans display.

They can be lethargic, gain or lose weight, be extremely thirsty and have to urinate frequently.  There is treatment available for pets with diabetes, including insulin injections.

One of the main reasons that pets can develop diabetes is through diet.  It is important to check labels of pet food to make sure that they are healthy and not full of fillers or empty calories, carbs and sugars.  To save money, many producers of pet food use as little healthy food as possible and put flavor additives and starches into the food to make up for the lack of nutrition.

This is not to say that all pet foods are not nutritious.  Many have whole grains combined with meat and meat products in them, as well as vegetables.  Some feature beef, vegetables and rice, for instance, and are balanced and healthy.  It is the foods that don’t feature the whole food, but only include substitutes that can do damage, in a very similar way that snack foods and empty carbs can do damage to humans.

Another culprit in pet diabetes can be table scraps.  It is sometimes hard to resist giving your beagle, Alfred, the leftovers or even a smidge of your food.  It is important, however, that you do not allow Alfred to have a ton of mashed potatoes or bread or dessert.  They will do to Alfred what they would do to you.  If you are going to give your pet scraps, make sure they are wholesome meat and veggies, make sure they are balanced out with a meal of their own pet food, and never, ever give dogs chocolate because it could kill them.  They cannot digest it properly and it could lead to their death.

Your pet can live a long and healthy life and may or may not develop diabetes.  The risk of diabetes decreases if your pet stays on a healthy diet and stays active.  With all the pet products available today, it is easy to proper food and other essential supplies.  If you are unsure about what is healthy for your pet or unsure as to whether your pet may be developing diabetes, ask your vet and check with your local pet store.  A little research will go a long way toward keeping your pet healthy.

Doctors in Belfast, Ireland have recently found startling information regarding babies delivered by Caesarean section and their possibility of developing diabetes.

The team of doctors studied 20 published studies from 16 countries around the world involving approximately 10,000 children.  They compared these study results to a test group of over 1 million children. 

The team concluded that there was a 20% increase for children born by Caesarean section to develop diabetes than children who were not born by Caesarean section. 

The study took into consideration factors such as birth weight, whether the mother had gestational diabetes, whether the child was breast fed or not, and other factors that might have any influence in the development of type 1 or juvenile diabetes. 

The doctors that performed the studies are baffled as to what the medical and biological reasons are for this link.  There was a definite 20% increase, however, there has been no definite cause uncovered.  Doctors at the Belfast School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Scientists have stated that the link could be due to the fact that children born by Caesarian are originally exposed to bacteria in the hospital environment, rather than maternal bacteria, and their immune systems could be compromised.

Because type 1 or juvenile diabetes is linked to immune system, genetics and childhood infection, there could be a possible link to the hospital bacteria, however, the researchers and doctors who have performed the studies state that no actual link has been found at this time.  They have also stated that reasons for this are not understood at this time.

Though the study is interesting and may be significant, doctors who performed the study feel that it is important to remember that there are no definite answers at this time and people should not read too much into it until more research can be done.

Until that point, however, it may be a factor to consider when deciding how to deliver your baby.

There are many questions regarding Type 1 diabetes, and there has been steadfast research regarding this type of diabetes, which usually attacks children.  Diabetes is insidious and can be debilitating and is of extreme concern because of its lifelong effects on children because they carry it into adulthood along with its symptoms, side-effects and complications.

Stanford School of Medicine researchers now feel that they have isolated the triggers of type 1 diabetes.  Scientists have known that the disease is triggered by an autoimmune attack on the pancreas, however, up until now, they have not been able to isolate the exact trigger. 

Stanford School of Medicine researchers studied mice and found that the immune signal interferon-alpha begins a domino effect that begins an imbalance in the sugar metabolism, creating a dependence upon insulin injections for life.

Researchers were surprise at the results, since interferon-alpha normally helps the body fight viruses.  In fact, a synthetic form of interferon is given by injection to fight various forms of cancer and also hepatitis C. 

So far, there is no prevention or cure for type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, which is usually diagnosed in children or young adults.  Type 1 diabetes is marked by the absence of insulin, which then affects the storage and burning of sugar in the body.

It is impossible to predict who gets diabetes or at what age.  As a result, it is hard to study the disease, except in laboratory animals.  Since type 1 diabetes is lifelong, there are long term consequences that it brings with it including possible high blood pressure, heart disease, possible blindness, amputation, kidney failure and more.

Finding the trigger is a tremendous leap forward in the fight of type 1 diabetes.  The fact that scientists have isolated the very start of the disease will bring answers to many questions.  If researchers keep asking the questions, the answers may very well become evident, and perhaps there will be a way to control or eliminate the disease altogether. 

For years it has been stated that there is no truly effective treatment for type 1 or juvenile diabetes, nor is there a cure.  Children and young people with the disease have simply had to depend on insulin injections from the time that they are diagnosed, and have had to depend on the injections for their entire lives. 

There is good news regarding the treatment and cure of type 1 diabetes that has just come to light.  Scientists that have been working with rodents that have diabetes and are terminally ill because of it, have found that when they injected the rodents with Leptin, the rodents returned to full health.

This is an astonishing discovery because it strongly suggests that insulin is not the only substance that can combat diabetes.  This discovery could help control diabetes for longer periods of time.  Leptin could also not only eliminate liver damage, but could suppress hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis and weight loss. 

The research resulted in other stunning achievements.  Rodents that were in a diabetic coma and very near death were also treated with the leptin gene.  Their reaction to the Leptin was that they immediately started to produce massive amounts of leptin.  This counteracted the effects of diabetes, the rodents came out of the coma and their health came back to better than it had been before they were diagnosed with diabetes.    Rodents that were not treated with the leptin gene died within two to three days. 

Roger Unger, M.D., professor of internal medicine at Southwestern Medical Center in Utah, who directed the study, states that the next logical step in the research process should be to begin clinical trials within one year.  He notes that it is too soon to herald leptin as a cure for diabetes or a replacement for insulin, however, the study is significant in that it shows that it could work with insulin or eventually become a substitute for or replacement for insulin in the fight to control and overcome diabetes.

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It is usually wonderful news when new prescription medications become available to the public to fight some of the most serious diseases.  When we hear about heart problems, high blood pressure, cancer, HIV, strokes or diabetes, the release of each new medication is a ray of hope for individuals who are suffering from and trying to overcome serious health issues.

As most of us know, however, there is often a plus side and a minus side when new medications are released.  Sometimes difficulties arise during various medical trials and medications don’t end up getting released to the public.  With other medications, there are no major problems and the release – and ultimate use of the medication – goes along smoothly and helps many people.

There can also be another result with new medications.  Sometimes, a medication comes out and after it has been released, problems begin to occur.  This is the case regarding Amylin and Eli Lilly who are co-creators of a new drug for diabetes called Byetta.

Byetta has been taken by over 1 million people for treatment of their diabetes.  Recently, however, there has been a development that has caused Amylin, Eli Lilly and the FDA a tremendous amount of concern. 

During the past two weeks several people who were taking Byetta developed acute pancreatitis and subsequently died.  Some of these individuals had other health issues, however, their symptoms were similar to the individuals who did not have their same health issues – except for diabetes – and developed the same symptoms as the others that developed pancreatitis and died.

It is important to note that individuals with diabetes develop pancreatitis about 3 times as much as individuals without diabetes.  Pancreatitis is a very painful swelling of the pancreas which can lead to internal bleeding and death.

Though there is not a clear and definite connection between Byetta and death from pancreatitis, there is still cause for concern and the issue is being studied and researched in depth.  The companies and the FDA are working hard to continue to keep physicians and consumers up to date with further developments.

Every couple of years we hear about a new glucose meter that is easier to use, less painful, uses less blood, and has other remarkable features.

I remember an old family friend with diabetes who had to test her blood sugar levels several times per day starting over 30 years ago and how difficult it was for her.  I always thought it was amazing that she was able to use a rather barbaric version of a lancet to poke her already red and sore fingers so she could check the levels of sugar in her blood and try to stay healthy.  I knew it was hard for her, but there were no other choices if she wanted to control the disease and ultimately stay alive.

When we fast forward through time, there have been improvements in those lancets and meters.  Many of the newer ones can be used on the arm rather than the fingers and boast much smaller amounts of blood being needed to perform the test.  They are easier to use and less painful.

There is now a new glucose meter that was approved by the FDA within the past few days, and it is touted as the “smallest glucose meter in the world.”  The True2go meter and the TRUEresult meter, both produced by the Home Diagnostics, take about 4 seconds to give an accurate reading and only use about a half a microliter of blood. 

Though other meters that are currently on the market may come close, the True2go meter and TRUEresult meter will be the smallest available and will use the smallest amount of blood. 

It may seem like a moot point – what’s an extra tiny drop of blood?  I can tell you that if my friend were still here, she would be celebrating the fact that she might possibly be able to go to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow without her fingers in so much pain.

Avandia is a medication that has been widely used in the control and treatment of diabetes.  It has often been used in combination with insulin or another diabetes medication called metformin.  It can, however, be used on its own to treat diabetes if insulin and/or metformin are not being used.

One of the problems that are caused by Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, its generic name, is that even when not combined with the other medications, it can be fatal in individuals with heart conditions, and at the very least, it can make their conditions much worse. Any individuals with heart issues including angina or Acute Coronary Syndrome should not take Avandia or Avandamet, especially if they are taking nitrates of any kind.

The data from research about the medication and its complications is not complete, and the changes at this time are new revelations that should be heeded by patients immediately.

Glaxo Smith Kline, the manufacturers of Avandia strongly suggests seeing your doctor about the issue right away.  They should not stop taking the medication until discussing it with their doctor because there can be complications from eliminating the medication suddenly.

Diabetes is a complex disease that affects many organs in the body, and we are in a time of tremendous growth, research and discovery regarding diagnosis, treatment and control of the disease.  Even very promising treatment and medications can create unexpected complications.  These complications, however, do not negate the good that they do.

Though Avandia and Avandamet have been found to create complications in a specific group of people, there are many other people with diabetes that may receive huge benefits from them.  Call your doctor right away to find out where you fit in and what you should do.

Numerous studies have taken stock of some of the biggest offenders when it comes to developing diabetes and/or making it worse in some individuals.  One such study has uncovered some major culprits: Juice drinks and sodas.  This is especially true in Black women.

The national study, performed by Harvard University and called the Black Women’s Health Study, which followed the diets of 44,000 women from 1995 to 2001, found that even women who had otherwise healthy diets and lifestyles, had a much higher incidence of diabetes due to drinking sodas or juice drinks like fruit punch or Kool-Aid.  

Many of the women were surprised that the juice drinks were just as bad a sodas, because they thought they were being healthier by not drinking soda.  Women in the study were really trying to do the right thing by switching from soda to fruit drinks still ended up with diabetes.  Even the woman who managed the study, lead author Julie Palmer, was under the misconception about changing from sodas to fruit drinks, and has since found that she has pre-diabetes.

The statistics are staggering.  One in every four Black women age 55 and above have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  The American Diabetes Association states that most of these women experience the complications that accompany diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease, blindness, amputation and kidney failure. 

In the fight to control diabetes, accurate information is essential.  In addition, determining which information is accurate and which information is based on misconceptions and misperceptions can help individuals with diabetes stay healthier and live longer, more comfortable lives.

Studies such as this one provide information that can help people make some simple changes – such as not drinking sodas or fruity drinks, but changing to some of the much improved diet drinks available today.

When people think about diabetes, insulin and control of sweets, we usually think about sugar.  There is, however, an insidious sweet that many people don’t think about high fructose corn syrup and diabetes.

One of the reasons that high fructose corn syrup is not noticed as much as sugar because it is not always presented in the ingredients portion of a label in a straightforward manner.  In fact it is downright disguised.  Since people with diabetes need to control carbohydrates and sugar, knowing that high fructose corn syrup is an ingredient is essential, because high fructose corn syrup is basically a disguise for sugar.  This being true, trying to hide the fact that high fructose corn syrup is in a product can be dangerous for individuals with diabetes.

This is not an uncommon situation.  Since 1970, the amount of high fructose corn syrup used has risen by 1000%.  In fact, it is being used as a sweetener in 40% of all products.  It is a combination of fructose and glucose which is an essential point for diabetics.

Glucose is a sugar transported through the bloodstream.  When someone with diabetes measures their “blood sugar” they are measuring glucose levels.  Fructose is a type of sugar found in fruits and honey.  Together, they create high fructose corn syrup.

Consuming glucose is not truly healthy to a person with diabetes.  Fructose in the diet is not harmful by itself, but it can be if consumed too much or if it is not known what amounts you are consuming.  Since fructose is found in fruit, which is a healthy part of diet for diabetes in moderation, it is also important to find the balance and keep an eye on the amount of fruit you are eating and the hidden fructose in products you consume.

If you have diabetes look carefully at the role high fructose corn syrup in your diet.  Research the ways that companies try to conceal and disguise it.  Check with your physician and local or national diabetes organizations or your local hospital to get information on a healthy diabetes diet.

There have been studies over the past few decades showing an increasing idea that the presence of too much arsenic in drinking water could be linked to type 2 diabetes. 

According to government studies, the amount of arsenic that is acceptable and not harmful to the individuals that drink it is 10 micrograms per liter or less.  At least 13 million people drink water with much more arsenic in it than that amount. 

To make matters worse, there are new studies that have determined that even very low levels of arsenic – much lower than 10 micrograms per liter – have a strong link to diabetes.  The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland studied nearly 800 adults including testing their urine for levels of arsenic.  The original study was conducted in 2003 and 2004.  The study showed that 7.7 percent of the participants who had diabetes had a 26% higher incidence of arsenic in their urine samples.

In addition, 20% of the participants who had a higher percentage of arsenic in their urine had a 3.6 times higher risk of diabetes than the 20% with the lowest levels of arsenic.  Since arsenic has no odor, color or taste, it is easy to drink water with high – or low – levels of it without ever knowing.

It has been determined that even low levels of arsenic can have an effect on genetics.  Some of these factors interfere with sensitivity to insulin and could also create other issues such as cell damage due to complications involving oxygen, as well as inflammation and cell death.  These factors are also factors in diabetes.

This study is just the tip of the iceberg.  Now that it has been discovered that even low levels of arsenic in water are this invasive and this harmful, it is necessary to re-think prior research and look at the issue more closely to keep more people from getting diabetes from simply quenching their thirst.