App uses smartphone camera, flashlight to detect diabetes
BY AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY: Type 2 diabetes is among the strongest risk factors for heart disease, yet up to 1 in 3 people living with diabetes don’t know they have it and go untreated. But soon there may be an app for that. New research being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session shows a popular smartphone application that measures heart rate using the phone’s built-in camera may help detect diabetes and encourage further testing by a health care provider. (read more)
Statins linked to higher diabetes risk
BY WILEY: Individuals who take cholesterol-lowering statins may be at higher risk for developing high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
The analysis examined information from 9,535 individuals older than 45 years of age who were free from diabetes at the start of the population-based Rotterdam Study and were followed up to 15 years. (read more)
Gaining a little weight after quitting tobacco is offset by the benefits for people with diabetes
BY AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION: Two new studies point to yet more reasons to kick the tobacco habit. In one, researchers found quitting smoking is worth it for people with diabetes despite worries about potential weight gain. In the other, scientists discovered smoking might have a much greater impact on the cognitive function than originally thought. Both studies were presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2019, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in population-based cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians, held in Houston this week. (read more)
Back, neck pain increased in diabetes; key culprits unclear
BY NANCY A. MELVILLE: People with diabetes have a significantly greater likelihood of experiencing low back, neck, or spinal pain compared to those without diabetes, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.
However, data on whether there is a causal relationship between diabetes itself and musculoskeletal pain or whether the cause involves one of the common risk factors for diabetes, such as obesity, are lacking, say the researchers. (read more)
Resistance training may help prevent type 2 diabetes
BY WILEY: A new study published in Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews points to the benefits of exercise, especially resistance training (RT), for preventing type 2 diabetes.
In the randomized controlled trial, 172 people who were 55 to 75 years old and had prediabetes were assigned to a control group, an aerobic training (AT) group, an RT group, or an AT plus RT group. Supervised exercise programmes were completed for 60 minutes per day, three non-consecutive days per week for 24 months. (read more)
