All About Diabetes

A cataract is a clouding of the lens, a clear tissue located inside the eye behind the iris, the colored part of the eye. Cataracts can result from many conditions, but the most frequent cause is the natural aging process. Other causes may include eye injury, chronic eye disease, and diabetes. More than half the people over age 65 will have some degree of cataract development.

Several eyedrops are currently being marketed locally as “anti-cataract” medications. These are made by well-known pharmaceutical companies here and abroad. These companies have conducted their own clinical trials to show that their products are “effective” in stemming the development of cataracts. However, there is still no convincing medical or scientific evidence that these drops are effective in controlling cataract progression. Currently, surgery is the only medically accepted and scientifically-proven treatment for cataracts.

Many eye diseases and conditions share common symptoms. Treating yourself for a specific symptom or the wrong illness may delay proper treatment of a more serious eye disease. It is important to have your eye examined by an eye doctor in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis, get proper advice and receive the correct treatment.

Diabetic women with sexual dysfunction may find that Viagra (sildenafil), the anti-erectile dysfunction drug marketed for men, may also help them improve arousal, orgasm and sexual enjoyment and may also decrease pain during intercourse, according to results of a study.

Study investigators hypothesize that the physiologic effects of Viagra, which are beneficial in men, may also be helpful for women.Women with diabetes may experience sexual dysfunction due to vaginal dryness, discomfort, and other factors.

For the study, the investigators recruited 32 women with type 1 diabetes with sexual dysfunction, but had experienced normal sexual desire in the past. These women were given Viagra or “inactive placebo” and then the opposite treatment for eight weeks at a time. They were likewise instructed to take the medication one hour before sexual intercourse.

Results of the trial show that Viagra was associated with significantly improved arousal, orgasm and enjoyment. Only sexual desire and frequency did not change significantly. The medication was also found to help improve blood flow in the clitoris.

A drug that might prevent or reverse nerve damage caused by diabetes is now being tested in humans in the United States. Diabetic neuropathy or nerve damage causes a loss of sensation in the hands and feet. Diabetic patients with nerve damage might not always notice small injuries, which when left unnoticed may become severely infected.

The new drug, designed by researchers at Sangamo Biosciences, uses a natural protein that turns on the patient’s own gene for helping nerve growth. Test results on diabetic rats showed that repeated treatments with the drug led to increasingly improved nerve function, according to researchers as reported in the journal Diabetes.

The researchers note that the Phase 1 clinical trial that they are conducting is the first human test of an entirely new class of drug that could turn any gene on or off depending on the disease. However, they add that while patients in the Phase 1 trial tolerated the drug well, it still needs to be tested for longer time periods to prove its safety – especially since the treatment would need to be administered repeatedly.

Most recent results of the study were published in the journals Diabetes, Nature and Nature Biotechnology.

It all depends on your answers to these three basic questions as posted by the American Diabetes Association (ADA): (more…)

According to a Mayo Clinic study, 40 percent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed with diabetes, many months or even up to two years in some cases, prior to the diagnosis of cancer. The study was published in the journal Gastroenterology.

“Our previous studies have shown an association between recent diagnoses of diabetes and pancreatic cancer. We are now quite convinced that in most patients with pancreatic cancer, the diabetes is caused by the cancer and not the other way around,” said Dr. Suresh Chari, a gastroenterologist from the Mayo Clinic and lead study author. “Our next step is to identify a biomarker for pancreatic cancer-induced diabetes in order to screen patients with new-onset diabetes for early pancreatic cancer and provide surgical treatment as quickly as possible,” added Dr. Chari.

The research team reviewed the medical records of 736 pancreatic cancer patients and 1,875 healthy individuals with fasting blood glucose data in their medical records. They found that 40 percent of pancreatic cancer patients were diagnosed with diabetes, compared with only 20 percent of the healthy individuals with fasting glucose levels in the diabetic range.

Dr. Chari’s team is now working on identifying the differences between pancreatic cancer-induced diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In a previous study authored by Dr. Chari, it was found that only one in 125 patients over the age of 50 with new-onset diabetes will have pancreatic cancer. Their goal now is to cost effectively screen for pancreatic cancer using a blood test that can identify individuals with new-onset diabetes and are more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This will ensure early detection and increase the chances for successful surgical treatment.

Question: What are the benefits of taking Vitamin D? Is it true that it can prevent diabetes?

Adequate and sensible exposure to natural sunlight is the simplest best way of getting Vitamin D. Other sources would be cod liver oil, fortified milk and egg yolks. Contrary to common belief, Vitamin D is NOT actually a vitamin at all. “Vitamins” by definition, are nutrients that cannot be produced by the body, but are necessary for the proper functioning of the body’s tissues and organs. This is not true for Vitamin D since it is produced by our bodies (when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun).Technically, it cannot be considered a vitamin. (more…)

Great news for tortilla-loving diabetics and dieters! A study done in Mexico has shown that tortillas made out of blue corn have lower glycemic index and lesser starch compared to the white ones.

Blue tortillas have been found to contain 20 percent more protein, making it healthier than the white tortillas. Corn becomes blue due to the presence of anthocyanins, which are similar to the healthy compounds found in purple berries and red wine.

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates according to its effects on one’s blood glucose levels. Blue tortillas are therefore highly recommended for diabetics and dieters because of its low glycemic index that help reduce major changes in levels of insulin and blood glucose. Eating food with low glycemic index may also contribute to long-term benefits and may help prevent risks of heart disease and diabetes. It also aids in weight loss and maintenance.

According to Juscelino Tovar; one of the study authors, the lower glycemic index in blue tortillas play a crucial role in controlling and preventing metabolic syndrome and other complications that bring about heart disease, stroke and even diabetes.

Bi’ve been tortured by this,” Says Antonio Garcia, a 78-year-old retired refrigeration specialist for the air force and navy, who has been living with diabetes for more than half his life. The illness is irreversible and he is aware of that. Having diabetes means a tough lifetime adjustment of lifestyle and expenses.
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He may not be the modern-day Vincent Van Gogh, but still, he lives his life in a different plane, a world which only few could understand and get lost in. He uses abstract paintings as his way of showcasing his talent—filling an empty canvas with his sharp and accurate brushstrokes. His painting career has blossomed to full potential despite life’s hurdles—providing for his family while managing his diabetes. (more…)

Previous studies have established that diabetes is a risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). Now, recent study shows that the increasing prevalence of diabetes may threaten global efforts to control TB, reported researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston in the latest issue of PLoS (Public Library of Science) Medicine.

Drs. Christie Y. Jeon and Megan B. Murray wrote that experts have been concerned about the merging of these diseases especially in low- to middle-income countries like India and China, which have the fastest increase in diabetes and have the highest burden of TB. This association may seem biologically plausible because of studies saying that diabetes weakens the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to ward off infection.

To further investigate the relationship between diabetes and TB, Drs. Jeon and Murray searched for studies over the past four decades and found 13 studies which involved more than 1.7 million participants, including 17,698 cases of TB. Combining some of the data from the studies, the researchers calculated that having diabetes increases the risk of active TB by about a factor of three. Researchers said that this three-fold increased risk implies that diabetes may be responsible for more than 10 percent of TB cases in India and China and suggest that global efforts to control TB should include patients with diabetes.