Don’t let diabetes win
BY KANIZA GARARI: Traditionally, the treatment of diabetes remained at prescribing anti-diabetic drugs to patients along with managing their blood pressure and cholesterol. However, things have come a long way with a multidisciplinary approach and team work involving diabetes educators, dieticians, psychologists, diabetic nurses and super-specialists (endocrinologists).
Earlier, it was acceptable for patients to travel long distances and wait for hours on end to be able to see the doctor for only a couple of minutes. However, that aspect of health care delivery has now shifted towards patient-friendly services where one expects to see the doctor at convenient times and the patient is also supported by a team of medics along with a host of facilities like telemedicine and home care teams. (read more)
Undiagnosed diabetes in US adults declines to 11%
BY MARLENE BUSKO: Just over 10% of adults in the United States who have diabetes are not aware of it, new research suggests.
This lower rate of one in 10 is “in stark contrast to previously published national estimates and statements in current clinical practice guidelines, which suggest that one-quarter to one-third of diabetes cases are undiagnosed,” say Elizabeth Selvin MD, from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues, in their paper published online October 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (read more)
How to get a better night’s sleep when you have diabetes
BY VANESSA CACERES: There could be many reasons why you’re not getting a good night’s sleep if you have diabetes.
You may experience low blood sugar that causes headaches. Or you may have high blood sugar that leaves you thirsty, and then you have to wake up and use the bathroom throughout the night, says Dr. Daniel J. Donovan, director of clinical research for the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
You also could have one of the many sleep problems that are more common in people with diabetes, including obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. (read more)
The 3 best diabetes stocks to buy in 2018
BY HONOR WHITEMAN: Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body loses its ability to properly metabolize sugar. Without treatment, people with diabetes end up with too much sugar flowing through their bloodstream, which can lead to a wide range of health problems.
More than 30 million Americans already have diabetes, and another 84 million are at risk of developing the disease. Given these massive numbers, perhaps it isn’t shocking to learn that diabetes costs the U.S. healthcare system more than $245 billion annually. (read more)
STUDY: Dolphins susceptible to both diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease
BY JUDY CORDOVA: Research conducted by a team of scientists in the UK and the US recently uncovered that Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 diabetes may tend to develop in animals such as dolphins that share certain physiological traits with humans. The key finding is that Alzheimer’s is the outcome of the post-reproductive lifespan, rather than aging.
The researchers opined that because of alterations in how the hormone insulin works in dolphin species that live long after reproductive capability, among the consequences is a taxed circulatory system that may eventually lead to Type 2 diabetes. Similarly, it points out that the longer we humans live, the less receptive we become to insulin. (read more)
