All About Diabetes

Recent Austrian studies concluded that gastric stimulation could yield significant improvement in glycemic control among morbidly obese type 2 diabetes patients (ODM).

Bohdjalian et al (2009) recruited 24 ODM for a multicenter open-label European feasibility trial. Each of them were treated with insulin and/ or oral hyperglycemic agents and had a body mass index between 33.3 to 49.7 kg/m2. These participants were implanted laparoscopica ly with a TANTALUS system.

The TANTALUS system provided gastric electrical stimulation which is synchronized to the refractory period of gastric electrical activity. It was applied during meals and was evaluated for safety and for improvement of body weight and glucose control in obese type two diabetics.

Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna noted 18 adverse events related to the implant procedure or the device reported in 12 subjects. Accordingly, all were short-lived and resolved with no sequelae.

It was also noted in the large majority of subjects the significant reduction of weight by 4.5 +/- 2.7 kg (p < 0.05) and HbA1c by 0.5 +/- 0.3% (p < 0.05). Moreover, a subgroup (n = 11) on stable or reduced oral medication, registered a weight reduction by 6.3 +/- 3.4 kg (p < 0.05) and HbA1c by 0.9 +/- 0.4% (p < 0.05). The group on insulin (n = 6) had no significant changes in weight and HbA1c.

In conclusion, such findings prove the effectivity of the TANTALUS system among obese type 2 diabetic subjects. “Gastric electrical stimulation can potentially improve glucose metabolism and induce weight loss in obese diabetic patients, who are not well-controlled on oral antidiabetic therapy,” the researchers explained. “Further evaluation is required to determine whether this effect is due to induced weight loss and/or to direct signal dependent mechanisms.”

Getting treatment for moderately inflamed gums around the teeth can help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels under control. Read more… »

When an individual is diabetic, the need to keep one’s blood sugar or glucose in the normal level is essential to manage the disease. Frequent monitoring of one’s blood sugar at home is a great way to keep track of it in order to guide treatment of diabetes. However, to know the overall condition of blood sugar, one test will surely help – the HbA1C test, also known as glycosylated hemoglobin test. Read more… »

Diabetes is a difficult disease to live with. Diabetics frequently have problems with their lifestyles and with the way they live, work and play for the rest of their lives. But it is significantly harder for children, specifically for teens, to deal with this life-changing disease. Recognizing this, a special technique of counseling has been developed to help Type I diabetic teens keep their sugar levels under control and their anxieties and worries at bay. Called “motivational interviewing,” this counseling technique, designed specifically for teen diabetics, was developed by researchers in the United Kingdom and featured in the journal, Diabetes Care. Read more… »

Part 2 of Aging Gracefully with Diabetes

For Dr. Fernando, there are four aspects in the treatment of elderly diabetics: medication, proper diet, exercise and stress. According to him, it is very important that patients comply with their medication and that physicians should closely monitor medication adjustments for their patients. On proper diet, he acknowledges the important role that family members play in ensuring that diabetes patients get the right nutrition everyday. He also recommends seeking the help of a dietitian or a diabetes educator for proper meal planning. Dr. Fernando likewise swears on the power of exercise or regular physical activity in diabetes management.And lastly, he gives value to removing stress in our system as it could increase blood sugar levels. Read more… »

Medical experts predict that seven out of ten Asians will be diabetic by 2030, raising the diabetes prevalence to pandemic levels. This continent houses India, China, Indonesia, and Japan – top countries with the most number of diabetics in the world. Read more… »