Could Artificial Sweeteners And Diet Soda Also Lead To Diabetes?
BY BRUCE Y LEE: The study presented by Brian Hoffmann, George Ronan, and Dhanush Haspula from the Medical College of Wisconsin suggested that things may not be that sweet for artificial sweeteners. They did a combination of in vitro (which essential means inside a test tube or similar equipment) and in vivo (meaning in a live animal) experiments using rats that were specially designed to be more susceptible to developing diabetes. For the in vitro experiments, the research team placed cells from the inside lining of the rats’ small blood vessels into test tubes and exposed these cells to either sugar or a common artificial sweetener. Why the inside lining of blood vessels? Well, one of the effects of diabetes is to cause damage to small blood vessels, which then results in many of the complications of diabetes such as loss of eyesight, kidney function, and blood circulation to various parts of the body. (read more)
Diabetes: Body fat percentage, not BMI, predicts risk
BY ANA SANDOIU: Body mass index (BMI) is a traditional measurement that divides a person’s weight by their height to find out whether they have a healthy weight.
However, increasing amounts of studies have been questioning its usefulness and accuracy as an indicator of cardiometabolic health.
The distribution of fat, rather than the total amount, these studies suggest, may give us more clues about the risk of conditions such as insulin resistance, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even cancer. (read more)
Social Support of Autonomy Tied to Better Glycemic Control in Diabetes
BY HEALTHDAY NEWS: Aaron A. Lee, Ph.D., from the VA Center for Clinical Management Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., and colleagues surveyed 308 veterans with type 2 diabetes and one or more risk factors for diabetes complications to assess diabetes distress and perceived autonomy support from their main informal health supporter. Electronic medical records were used to access hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) data from 12 months before and after the survey. (read more)
Low vitamin D, higher type 2 diabetes risk
BY CATHARINE PADDOCK: The study, which is the work of researchers at the University of California (UC), San Diego School of Medicine and Seoul National University in Korea, is not the first to link higher blood levels of vitamin D to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
However, as they note in their journal paper, the authors explain that the evidence to date is “mixed” and omits blood levels of vitamin D that are “above the normal range.”
Our bodies need vitamin D to absorb calcium during digestion and to furnish calcium and phosphate through the blood to processes that make and maintain healthy bones. (read more)
Research offers new hope for healing wounds in patients with diabetes
BY NEWS-MEDICAL: One of the most frustrating and debilitating complications of diabetes is the development of wounds on the foot or lower leg. Once they form, they can persist for months, leading to painful and dangerous infections.
New research uncovers the role of a particular protein in maintaining these wounds and suggests that reversing its effects could help aid wound healing in patients with diabetes. (read more)
