Facts

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.  

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 …