That's Fit

Recent research shows that people who are newly diagnosed with type II diabetes can gain better control over their health if they lose weight. While that isn't terribly surprising, what is surprising is that the benefits seem to last even if the patient gains back some of the weight. Losing some excess pounds helps people with type II diabetes better control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

In the study, more than 2,000 people recently diagnosed with type II diabetes were followed for four years. 12% of those patients lost a mean of 25 pounds. Other groups either gained weight or their weight remained stable. Within 36 months almost all of the patients who had lost weight had regained it. Surprisingly, those patients continued to have better blood sugar and blood pressure control at the end of the four-year study -- even though their weight had been regained.

Obviously, this isn't an argument for losing and regaining weight. Researchers don't know how long the benefits would last after the four-year mark. The best bet for people with type II diabetes (or anyone for that matter) is to lose their excess weight and keep it off for good.

A data analysis of a government health study, conducted from 1999 to 2004. revealed that people with diabetes may be more prone to developing hearing problems.

Among people with diabetes who were part of the study (representing 8 percent of the total number of participants), 54 percent had at least mild hearing loss in their ability to hear high-frequency tones, compared with only 32 percent of those with no history of diabetes. Moreover, 21 percent of participants with diabetes had at least mild hearing loss in their ability to hear low-to-mid frequency tones, compared with nine percent of those without the disease.

Researchers posit that diabetes may damage blood vessels or nerves in the ear, although there is currently not enough evidence to prove this connection.

Colds, flues, and even stomach bugs have been known to cause absenteeism at work, but a study in The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports that obesity-related health problems also play a part.

The findings of this study are highlighted in this month's edition of Women's Health magazine, showing that as BMI (body mass index) rises, so did survey respondents'' number of sick days. Conditions associated with obesity (BMI of 30 or greater), such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea appear to have a direct effect on calling in sick to work.

According to study, per its summary in Women's Health, people with a BMI of 30 - 34.9 missed two more days per year; 35 - 39.9 missed three or more days; and 40 or more missed five or more days.

Red wine is known for its heart-healthy compounds, but a glass a day may hold promise for people with type 2 diabetes, say researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

According to the UMass scientists, blood glucose levels rise sharply in people with type 2 after they finish a meal high in carbohydrates. But, the natural antioxidants found in red wine may slow the passage of glucose through the small intestine and eventually into the bloodstream, thus prevent this spike.

The researchers also tested other popular drinks for their affect on blood sugar, finding that red wine was clearly the most successful in preventing a spike. However, though not as effective as red wine, black tea, oolong tea, green tea, and white wine had some effect.

I'm not all that thrilled to say that I share my living space with a cat. Oh, who am I kidding, I like the stupid, little thing. Still, there are plenty of points throughout the night when I second-guess my decision to have rescued it from the pound. It's usually around 3am or so, when the four-legged menace decides my fiance and I have slept enough and it wants to play. Or eat. Or do just about anything cats generally do at that hour. Closing the bedroom door isn't an option because the cat claws at the door all night, making it even more difficult to get some rest. All these sleep disturbances ... they have to be doing a number on my health. Unfortunately, they are; it seems they may actually be increasing my risk of type 2 diabetes.

I suppose I could have left out that entire cutesy, little story about my cat and just got right to the point, but I felt the need to share (wow, I'm emasculating myself more and more by the sentence, aren't I?). Anyway, it turns out that even slight disturbances while sleeping -- including barely audible sounds, such as ... oh, I don't know ... a cat scratching a bedroom door -- can have an affect on blood sugar.

Researchers from the University of Chicago found that after three nights of playing barely audible sounds as study volunteers slept, these individuals experienced a 25 percent change in their blood glucose levels.

As for what to do about an annoying cat, the researchers had no suggestions.

Last week, Diabetes Alert Day was celebrated on March 25th. According to popular diabetes website dLife.com, this awareness campaign is aimed at people becoming more aware of type 2 diabetes and taking a few minutes to assess their own diagnosis potential.

But, what about type 1 diabetes?

Wait a second ... did you even know there were two types of diabetes? If not, you're not alone, as it seems that there are many people who also lack awareness of this difference. Unlike people with type 2 diabetes, people with type 1 are usually diagnosed when they are children after their pancreatic beta cells stop producing insulin. This cessation has nothing to do with weight, diet, or even blood sugar fluctuations at its onset. It simply happens, and it does so for reasons unknown.

Many feel that the differences between type 1 and type 2 are so stark that they should not both fall under the umbrella category of "diabetes." Pointing to the fact that various types of cancer have their own respective names (as opposed to merely being labeled Cancer 1, Cancer 2, and so forth), many feel that type 1 should be renamed entirely, as doing so will help raise awareness of this much lesser known (and incurable) version of the disease.

To that end, Monday, April 14th has officially been designated Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day. Though the name of the disease remains the same, the level of awareness will surely be raised through this campaign. To help spread the word about the "Raise Your Voice: Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day" campaign, be sure to pass this information along to as many people as you can!!

When we think of diabetes, we tend to assume that it affects either those who were diagnosed with it in childhood or those who are severely overweight. But guess what? Normal weight people can have diabetes too, and even if you don't notice the symptoms--fatigue, thirst, excessive urination--doesn't mean they're not there in a milder form.

This article from The Daily Mail talks about Diabetes in depth and even looks at the blood sugar levels of a handful of average adults. The results are surprising -- some seemingly healthy adults have blood sugar levels that should be investigated.

Does this mean that if you're tired, you have diabetes? No, but it does mean that you should be careful -- don't ignore your symptoms, and let your doctor know if something seems off.

Which ethnic group is at the greatest risk for developing diabetes? If you answered Native American Indians, you are correct.

Over the past fifteen years, the number of cases of diabetes in American Indian and Alaskan Native teens aged 15 to 19 has risen by 128 percent. On top of that, the disease increased by 77 percent in American Indians and Alaskan Natives who were younger than fifteen during the same time frames. As for adults -- the current rate of diabetes in this population is at 60 percent. Feel free to read that again. That's a rise by 128 percent in 15 to 19-year-olds, 77 percent in kids under 15, and a current rate of 60 percent of adults living with diabetes. In a word: Staggering. In two words: Freakin' Staggering. In seventeen words: So freakin' staggering that I had to make sure that the data was correct -- and it was.

For more information on the explosive growth of diabetes in the Native American population, follow this link: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/americanindian/

Just like I know you have, I too have heard the buzz surrounding chromium and its supposed ability to help manage type 2 diabetes. I've come across evidence that supports this claim, just as I've found research that debunks the chromium benefit in one fell swoop. So, I decided to dig a little deeper -- staring with how chromium is supposed to work.

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes occurs when your body stops using insulin effectively. Insulin itself is used by the body for transporting glucose into cells, where it's then used for energy. When insulin regulation breaks down, glucose gets backed-up in the blood, thus starving the body of energy. Chromium reportedly assists in making this transportation easier by making cells respond better to insulin.

Something sweet? Yeah, that would be nice. But chocolate is a bit too much, save for maybe dark chocolate. Sugar-laden treats like Nerds and Gummy Worms, though delicious, will throw blood sugars into a tailspin, subsequently leading to weight gain. Okay, what about sugar substitutes, like Equal or Splenda? Always a viable option, but many people don't like the idea of using chemical substitutes. So, where does that leave us? And how do we satisfy that sweets craving?

The answer: Cinnamon.

The positive effect that cinnamon appears to have on blood sugars has been a topic of discussion on blogs, forums and medical medical magazines for quite some time now. All reports of using cinnamon have been good thus far, but the evidence supporting its actual benefits for people with diabetes has been somewhat scarce. However, in a study out of the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center, researchers found that cinnamon seems to make insulin more efficient at taking glucose out of blood and converting it to fuel for your body.

Scientists are looking to a specific gene called TXNIP as a possible means of preventing the onset of type 2 and prediabetes. What's known at this point is that in patients who express high levels TXNIP (which is oftentimes the case with those that have type 2 or prediabetes), these elevated levels can inhibit glucose uptake in fat and muscle cells.

More or less, the researchers believe that TXNIP acts as a glucose/insulin sensitive switch, and this function becomes compromised early in the development of diabetes. But, there is still a great deal more investigation into the role of TXNIP to be done before scientists know its exact rule in glucose homeostasis.

Nevertheless, the research thus far points to some connection between TXNIP and the onset of type 2 and prediabetes, and interventions designed to modulate its activity may help prevent the development of the disease in the future.

The babies of women who had diabetes during pregnancy -- be it gestational or type 1 or type 2 -- may have less of an ability to form early memories than children of non-diabetic women, say scientists from the University of California Davis. This could be due to the effect that fluctuating glucose levels have on iron levels in mothers, therefore also leading to an iron deficiency in the fetus -- which can reduce the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.

When oxygen and iron deficiencies occur prenatally, the development of memory may be altered. This belief is supported by studies held by the researchers from UC Davis, wherein it was shown that babies of diabetic mothers could recall two fewer objects (out of a series of nine objects in three levels of difficulty) than those babies of non-diabetic mothers. This applied for the older group of babies, as well as with infants of 12 months.

3 - That's the Magic Number. Three Stooges. Three Amigos. Three Little Pigs. Three Blind Mice. Three Musketeers.

Three Weeks.

That's as long as it takes to start reducing risks to your health with a lifestyle change. In a study of 31 overweight or obese men, half overcame their type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol after following a healthy diet and getting 45 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise one day a week for 3 weeks. And if you don't have 45 to 60 minutes to spare in one session, you could always break that time up into two or three shorter sessions and spread them out across the week.

Many times, people jump into a new diet and/or fitness regimen like they have Jack Lalane himself cheering them on from the sidelines. They increase their intake of dietary fiber, steer clear of sweets, and begin exercising with gusto. But, something happens after about a week or so. People will sometimes look at themselves in the mirror, or jump on the scale, only to find that nothings really happened to their body as of yet (other than soreness. Hooray for that??). Soon the whole "why bother" mentality kicks-in, and before long, these same people give up on their healthy lifestyles entirely. The worst part is that had they stuck it out for another couple of weeks, the results would have begun to take shape.

Three Weeks. Say it with me, folks: Three Weeks. If you can stick it out for three weeks, you have pretty much made it through the most difficult times. From that point forward, your body will be adjusted to your new, healthy lifestyle and will begin responding accordingly.