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Mental Health Disorders Linked to Diabetes Risk. Common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are strongly linked to an increased risk for obesity and diabetes -- an association that grows stronger as individuals age, new research suggests. The authors report that the excess risk for obesity in the presence of mental disorders increased with age. At age 70 years, 35% of participants who had common mental health disorders were obese compared with 27% of those without mental disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, August 2009
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Diabetes: An independent risk factor for AF. Atrial fibrillation was more likely to develop in diabetics than in nondiabetics in a new observational study, and the link was particularly strong in women. This association between diabetes and AF has been reported before, but this is the first time that diabetes has been shown to be an independent risk factor for AF. The findings have potential public-health implications, especially in women, and emphasize the need for further investigation of the mechanistic links between diabetes and AF. See This Week's Item #14.
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Over the next 40 years there could be a flood of dementia associated with Type 2 diabetes. By 2040, 24 million cases of dementia could be directly tied to Type 2 diabetes. This comes from the Study on Aging. See This Week's Item #13.
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Black and Hispanic women in their 20's tend to accumulate more fat in their midsection than their male and older counterparts, possibly putting them at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests. See This Week's Item #4 (http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8152&catid=1&Itemid=8)
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Americans Don't Realize that Diabetes Can Kill: In a recent survey conducted by the ADA, it was found that less than half of the respondents chose diabetes when asked whether diabetes, breast cancer or AIDS causes the most deaths. Diabetes kills more than breast cancer and AIDS combined. See this Week's Item #13.
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White Fish Associated with Lower Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: Specific Types of fish intake are differentially associated with the risk of diabetes. Total intake of both white fish and oily fish was associated with a lower risk of diabetes, reinforcing the public health message to consume fish regularly. Shellfish intake was associated with an increased risk of diabetes, which highlights the potential importance of seafood preparation and cooking methods. See This Week's Item #10.
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Fifty Percent Hidden Incidence of "Hypos" in Type 2's: Half (49%) of people with Type 2 diabetes (excluding those treated with insulin) experienced at least one "hypo" -- an episode of low blood glucose that can result in symptoms ranging from sweating to a loss of consciousness -- during a 2 week period. Over half (52%) of those surveyed believe mild to moderate hypos affect their quality of life and one in ten reported having to take at least one day off work in the last year as a result of a mild to moderate hypo. "Importantly, this survey has also shown us that even people who are not taking insulin are having regular hypos. The survey also revealed that more than one third reported that mild to moderate hypos affect their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks, including housework (35%), social activities (37%), sports activities (35%) and sleep (35%). Nearly half of those questioned said they worry about having a mild to moderate hypo (47%) and that their emotional well-being is affected (47%). For Type 2 diabetics, medication is often required and hypos only occur in people with Type 2 diabetes who have to take certain medications such as sulfonylureas.
Diabetes UK
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Laughter Can Lower Your Blood Sugar: Did you know that laughter can lower your blood sugar? Scientists have discovered that laughing can also help keep blood sugar levels closer to normal. In a recent published study, it was reported that laughter lowered blood sugar in both people with diabetes, and those who didn't have the disease. Nineteen people with Type 2 diabetes, and five without, were monitored for blood glucose levels while they watched a serious lecture program. Their blood glucose levels did not change. The next day they were monitored as they watched a humorous program. Every participant's blood glucose levels dropped, whether they had diabetes or not. So enjoy a good laugh as often as you can. It's one more way to help you manage your blood sugar. Diabetes Care 2008
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As the economy slumped, waistlines surged, according to the latest national obesity report card, which found that adult obesity rates increased in 23 states over the past year. At the same time, not a single state posted a decrease in obesity, and three of every ten children living in 30 states are overweight or obese. Overall, two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, the report found.
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Depression Risk Highest in Younger Type 2 Diabetes Patients: The risk of comorbid depression is particularly strong in relatively young people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a nationwide Norwegian study. In Norwegian men with Type 2 diabetes, the risk of unipolar depressive disorder peaked when they were in their 20's, with a prevalence 3.54-fold greater than in age-matched nondiabetic men.
JAMA 2008;299:2751-9
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The Numbers Are Getting Worse: The International Diabetes Federation reports that over 285 million people worldwide now live with diabetes and they predict that within 20 years that number will jump to 435 million. Diabetes is responsible for four million deaths a year and this is at a cost globally of $376 billion.
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Treats Can Defeat the Object of Exercise: 14 minutes lifting weights equals one cappuccino (108 calories). 55 minutes of stretching equals a 50 gram energy bar (185 calories). 7 minutes of the stair climber at 3mph, resistance setting 12, equals one strawberry and banana smoothie (138 calories). 45 minutes running on treadmill at 7mph equals one blueberry muffin (420 calories). 16 minutes on indoor rower equals a KitKat (106 calories). 19 minutes on elliptical trainer equals a banana (105 calories). 21 minutes of aerobics equals a small pack of raisins (123 calories). 10 minutes on exercise bike equals low-fat fruit yogurt (55 calories).
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Where You Live Can Increase Risk of Diabetes: Individuals living in neighborhoods conducive to physical activity and providing access to healthy foods may have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 38% in a five-year period, according to a report. See This Week's Item #2.
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Australia Headed for Diabetes Crisis: A new report on the impact of Type 2 diabetes predicts that by the year 2050, one in seven Australians will have the disease: that is equal to 1.6 million people. The report comes from the National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling in Canberra, Australia, and is due to an aging and increasingly sedentary population. Professor Laurie Brown says the Australian government needs to take a two-pronged approach to dealing with the growing rate of the disease. "We should be tailoring health dollars into prevention, encouraging adult Australians to look after their weight," he said. "The second message is people are going to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and we have to invest more into healthcare strategies that will help control their diabetes."
National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling, Nov 2009
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Using an Antiseptic Mouth Rinse May Improve Blood Glucose Control: The results of a new clinical study demonstrate that the plaque and gingivitis germ-killing action of Listerine® Antiseptic significantly reduces the amount of germs that travel from the mouth to the bloodstream in people with mild to moderate gingivitis, which can affect diabetes and CVD. These findings are significant, as emerging science suggests that gingivitis, if left untreated and allowed to progress to advanced gum disesase, could contribute to broader health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and pneumonia. See this Week's Item #11.
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Labeling Fast Food Doesn't Create Healthier Eaters: A study found that labeling the calories on fast food offerings had no effect on the purchasing habits of low-income, minority consumers. The study found that 27.7% who saw calorie labeling in New York said the information influenced their choices. However, no change in calories purchased after the introduction of calorie labeling was found.
Health Affairs Oct. 2, 2009
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India Heading for Diabetes Explosion: From the World Diabetes Congress (International Diabetes Federation -- IDF) 20th meeting. In its annual report, the IDF said India currently has the highest number of people (50.8 million) suffering from diabetes, followed by China with 43.2 million and the US with 26.8 million. The report projected 58.7 million diabetes cases in India by 2010 -- almost 7% of its adult population. By 2030, over 8.4% of the Indian adult population will suffer from diabetes, thanks to the increasing life expectancy and urbanization, the report said.
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No Car and Easy Access to Fast-Food Restaurants Prompts Weight Gain. A published study suggests that individuals who live close to a fast-food restaurant and do not have access to a car are more likely to have excess weight than car owners residing in the same neighborhood. Analyzing data on more than 2,100 adults living in 63 neighborhoods in Los Angeles, researchers found that, on average, car owners weighed 8.5 pounds more than non-car owners. However, in areas with five or more fast-food restaurants per square mile, non-car owners weighed 2.7 pounds more than their neighbors who owned cars and 12 pounds more than residents of areas without fast-food outlets. Individuals who did not own a car and lived in areas without fast-food outlets recorded the lowest weight. The researchers attribute the weight variations to the fact that individuals who are less affluent and do not own cars are unable to travel the distance necessary to obtain healthier foods, resulting in overreliance on the lower-priced, higher-calorie foods available at fast-food outlets. Journal of Urban Health, September 2009
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Young Women More Susceptible to the Swine Flu: The study found that 29 people (17%) died -- most within the first 14 days after becoming critically sick. Twenty-one (72%) of those who died were female. As to why women are disproportionately hit, nobody knows. A "striking" proportion of severe swine flu infections are occurring among young women, according to Canadian research that shows severe H1N1 can hit previously healthy teens and young adults hard and fast in a pattern previously only ever seen with 1918 Spanish flu. The study shows that severe disease and death in the outbreak is concentrated in relatively healthy young people, aged 10 to 60. Only 30% had serious underlying health problems, such as cancer, chronic kidney failure or medication-dependent diabetes, said Dr. Anand Kumar, an intensivist with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and an associate professor of critical care and infectious disease at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
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Exercise Alone Improves Insulin Sensitivity. A moderate aerobic exercise program, without weight loss, can improve insulin sensitivity in both lean and obese sedentary adolescents, according to a new study. In this study, 29 adolescents completed the 12-week moderate aerobic exercise program. The goal of each exercise session was to get the participants' heart rate to increase to at least 70 percent of their maximum capacity. The findings show that exercise alone can increase fitness and improve insulin sensitivity, making an aerobic program like the one used in this study a potential useful tool in preventing obesity-related illnesses. JCEM, Nov 2009
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