Ultra-Long-Acting Insulin Degludec, Two Phase 3 Studies Published

Two Phase III studies, published in The Lancet, reveal that ultra-long-acting insulin degludec considerably reduced rates of nocturnal hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetesby 25%, compared to insulin glargine.
Insulin degludec is an investigational compound developed by Novo Nordisk.
1,635 individuals with diabetes were enrolled to participate in the trials in order to examine insulin degludec, compared to insulin glargine, in a basal-bolus regimen.
In both studies, researchers adjusted patient insulin doses systematically in order to allow them to achieve a targeted fasting glucose level. Due to this, participants in both studies successfully achieved similar improvements in sugar control. This allowed the researchers to closely determine disparity in hypoglycemia rates.
Alan Garber, M.D., Professor, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA, and lead research of one of the studies, explained:

"Hypoglycemia is a major concern for both people with diabetes and their physicians and can often lead to under- and sub-optimal treatment. Of particular concern are hypoglycemic events that occur in the overnight hours during sleep when patients are unaware and therefore unable to take measures to reverse it. Newer insulins such as insulin degludec may be able to mitigate this concern."

The studies found that participant with type 2 diabetes who took insulin degludec had a considerably lower rate of overall hypoglycemic events (11.1 episodes/patient-year), compared to individuals assigned to insulin glargine (13.6). This figure was similar between both groups in individuals with type 1 diabetes.
Furthermore, results showed that insulin degludec reduced nocturnal hypoglycemia by 25% in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (4.4 vs 5.9 episodes/patient-year), compared to participants taking insulin glargine (1.4 vs. 1.8).
Mads Krogsgaard Tomsen, executive vice president and chief science officer at Novo Nordisk, said:

"We are proud that The Lancet has recognized the clinical potential of insulin degludec by publishing these two pivotal studies. Novo Nordisk is very excited about the potential of insulin degludec to lower the rates of hypoglycemia in people with diabetes using basal insulin analogues."

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Animal Model For Xenotransplantation As A Therapy For Type 1 Diabetes

Type1 diabetes is caused by autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells. Over 250,000 patients suffer from type 1 diabetes in Germany who are treated with daily insulin injections to maintain glucose metabolism. Replacement of the destroyed beta cells by transplantation of either a complete pancreas organ or isolated human beta cells is the only effective way to cure the disease. However, due to the shortage of organ donors this method can be offered to only few patients.
As an alternative approach researchers are exploring xenotransplantation, i.e. transplantation of the organ from another species. The most obvious barrier in xenotransplantation is the strong immune rejection against the transplant. A research team led by LMU's Professor Eckhard Wolf and Professor Jochen Seissler has now generated a genetically modified strain of pigs whose beta-cells restores glucose homeostasis and inhibit human-anti-pig immune reaction. So far, the efficacy of this approach has been demonstrated only in an experimental mouse model. "Whether the strategy will work in humans remains to be demonstrated," says Professor Wolf. "Nevertheless, we consider the approach as very promising and plan to test it further in other settings."
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction which ultimately leads to the destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, and usually becomes manifest during adolescence. Thereafter, insulin must be administered by regular insulin injections. Since insulin therapy cannot reproduce the complex pattern of physiologically controlled insulin secretion, patients are at risk of hypoglycemia and many patients develop severe vascular complications such as myocardial infarction or stroke.
Transplantation of a healthy pancreas or pancreatic beta cells that synthesize insulin may represent the best treatment option. Unfortunately, the availability of donor organs falls far short of requirements. Over the course of the last several years, fewer than 200 pancreas transplantations have been carried out. "Pigs represent a possible alternative source, because glucose metabolism in this species is very similar to that in human beings," Professor Seissler points out.
Pig insulin differs from its counterpart in humans at only a single amino acid, and has been used successfully in the treatment of diabetic patients for decades. However, pig cells inevitably provoke an immune reaction leading to the destruction of the transplanted tissue. One way of avoiding this difficulty is to encapsulate the foreign tissue in a biologically inert material that is permeable to insulin but not to cells of the immune system. However, the drawback of this approach is the restricted supply of oxygen and essential nutrients to the transplanted cells, thereby reducing its lifespan.
Wolf and his team chose a different route. For the first time they generated genetically modified pigs that express the protein LEA29Y specifically in beta cells. LEA29Y effectively inhibits the activation of a class of immune cells that are required to initiate a rejection reaction. The researchers then transplanted these cells into a diabetic mouse strain that has a humanized immune system. Seissler's group showed that these mice were able to restore glucose metabolism and were protected form human-anti-pig rejection. As Wolf is quick to point out, "It is not yet clear whether this will also work in humans. However, we will now attempt to validate the effects of this very promising approach using beta-cells expressing immune modulators in other transplantation models."

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TSA destroys Teen’s Insulin Pump

Savannah Barry, a 16-year-old diabetic, is criticizing the TSA after an agent incorrectly instructed her to walk through a metal detector despite the fact she was wearing an expensive insulin pump. The pump stopped working shortly after the security check.

The TSA website provides the following guidance to diabetic travelers: "If you are concerned or uncomfortable about going through the walk-through metal detector with your insulin pump, notify the Security Officer that you...would like a full-body pat-down." Barry followed those instructions last week as she tried to catch a flight out of Salt Lake City, but she was asked to walk through the body scanner anyway.

"When someone in a position of authority tells you it is -- you think that its right," Barry told ABC 4 Salt Lake City. "So, I said, 'Are you sure I can go through with the pump? It's not going to hurt the pump?' And she said, 'No, no you're fine.'"

Then the pump stopped working.

The girl's mother, Sandra Barry, quickly called the manufacturer of the pump, which couldn't guarantee that it wasn't damaged during the screening process, reports MSNBC. She was told to disconnect from the pump immediately after arriving home in Colorado, where she switched to insulin shots.

Ironically, Barry ended up having to be patted down and have ber bags searched anyway because screeners needed to inspect her insulin and packages of juice.

"When they saw her juice, they panicked and they didn’t know what to do," Sandra Barry told ABC 7 Denver. "A diabetic is going to need a source of sugar, preferably liquid. I can assure you she’s not going to blow up a 737 with an insulin pump and three Capri Sun Juice(s)."

This incident highlights the need for TSA agents to be better educated in order to to deal with those who need medically necessitated pat downs, according to Sandra Barry, who has filed a formal complaint.

“It’s not a one-time thing and we’re going to keep putting the pressure on them,” she told MSNBC.

Late last month it was reported that some TSA agents have been hired without completing full background checks.

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What do you do when traveling? Have you experienced this type of treatment from the under qualified workers of TSA? What would you do if they tried to do this to you?

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TSA destroys Teen’s Insulin Pump

Savannah Barry, a 16-year-old diabetic, is criticizing the TSA after an agent incorrectly instructed her to walk through a metal detector despite the fact she was wearing an expensive insulin pump. The pump stopped working shortly after the security check.

The TSA website provides the following guidance to diabetic travelers: "If you are concerned or uncomfortable about going through the walk-through metal detector with your insulin pump, notify the Security Officer that you...would like a full-body pat-down." Barry followed those instructions last week as she tried to catch a flight out of Salt Lake City, but she was asked to walk through the body scanner anyway.

"When someone in a position of authority tells you it is -- you think that its right," Barry told ABC 4 Salt Lake City. "So, I said, 'Are you sure I can go through with the pump? It's not going to hurt the pump?' And she said, 'No, no you're fine.'"

Then the pump stopped working.

The girl's mother, Sandra Barry, quickly called the manufacturer of the pump, which couldn't guarantee that it wasn't damaged during the screening process, reports MSNBC. She was told to disconnect from the pump immediately after arriving home in Colorado, where she switched to insulin shots.

Ironically, Barry ended up having to be patted down and have ber bags searched anyway because screeners needed to inspect her insulin and packages of juice.

"When they saw her juice, they panicked and they didn’t know what to do," Sandra Barry told ABC 7 Denver. "A diabetic is going to need a source of sugar, preferably liquid. I can assure you she’s not going to blow up a 737 with an insulin pump and three Capri Sun Juice(s)."

This incident highlights the need for TSA agents to be better educated in order to to deal with those who need medically necessitated pat downs, according to Sandra Barry, who has filed a formal complaint.

“It’s not a one-time thing and we’re going to keep putting the pressure on them,” she told MSNBC.

Late last month it was reported that some TSA agents have been hired without completing full background checks.

----------------------------

What do you do when traveling? Have you experienced this type of treatment from the under qualified workers of TSA? What would you do if they tried to do this to you?

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Doubts Over Long Term Impact Of Group Education For Diabetes Patients

A study published in BMJ (British Medical Journal) states that there are no long term benefits from type 2 diabetes group education programs that only take place once.
Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease which can lead to amputation, loss of vision, kidney failure and many other health problems, requires a person to be extremely vigilant in caring for themselves when it comes to medication, treatment and caring for their symptoms. The UK's Diabetes National Service Framework and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) both support and recommend education programs to diabetics, starting at the time they are diagnosed.
Former studies have shown that the Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed, or DESMOND, was successful in giving patients a positive outlook and that patients' feelings about their disease were improved. Their health also benefitted over a year, however, the study did not determine the long term effects of the program.
For this study, researchers recruited 731 of the 824 volunteers who were evaluated in the first study to determine the long term impact, over 3 years, of diabetes education programs.
The patients who were in the intervention group took 6 hour group programs, which were taught by 2 well trained healthcare professionals. The control group did not attend the structured classes, and followed routine care with their primary doctors.
The researchers collected data on the patients containing their body weight, cholesterol levels, and HbA1c (blood sugar) levels. They also looked at the patients' history of depression, quality of life, lifestyle habits, beliefs about illness, what medications they were taking and how being diagnosed with diabetes made them feel.
Lifestyle and biomedical results at 3 years were the same with the intervention group and the control group, but the patients' beliefs about illness seemed to have improved.
Another study, published today, focuses on program named "Talking Diabetes", which focuses on healthcare professionals' techniques of helping children deal with being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This particular study found that at 12 months, the program did not impact quality of life or blood glucose levels.
An accompanying editorial states that outcome of the trial is discouraging and that we should "focus again on the setting of appropriate targets by professionals who care for patients with diabetes and the patients themselves. "

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New Knowledge About Insulin Production Mapped By Stem Cell Researchers

Scientists from The Danish Stem Cell Center (DanStem) at the University of Copenhagen and Hagedorn Research Institute have gained new insight into the signaling paths that control the body's insulin production. This is important knowledge with respect to their final goal: the conversion of stem cellsinto insulin-producing beta cells that can be implanted into patients who need them. The research results have just been published in the well-respected journal PNAS.
Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells in the pancreas. If these beta cells are defective, the body develops diabetes. Insulin is vital to life and therefore today the people who cannot produce their own in sufficient quantities, or at all, receive carefully measured doses - often via several daily injections. Scientists hope that in the not-so-distant future it will be possible to treat diabetes more effectively and prevent secondary diseases such as cardiac disease, blindness and nerve and kidney complications by offering diabetes patients implants of new, well-functioning, stem-cell-based beta cells.
"In order to get stem cells to develop into insulin-producing beta cells, it is necessary to know what signaling mechanisms normally control the creation of beta cells during fetal development. This is what our new research results can contribute," explains Professor Palle Serup from DanStem.
"When we know the signaling paths, we can copy them in test tubes and thus in time convert stem cells to beta cells," says Professor Serup.
The new research results were obtained in a cooperative effort between DanStem, the Danish Hagedorn Research Institute and international partners in Japan, Germany, Korea and the USA. The scientific paper has just been published in the well-respected international journalPNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) entitled Mind bomb 1 is required for pancreatic β-cell formation.
Better control of stem cells
The signaling mechanism that controls the first steps of the development from stem cells to beta cells has long been known.
"Our research contributes knowledge about the next step in development and the signaling involved in the communication between cells - an area that has not been extensively described. This new knowledge about the ability of the so-called Notch signaling first to inhibit and then to stimulate the creation of hormone-producing cells is crucially important to being able to control stem cells better when working with them in test tubes," explains Professor Palle Serup .
This new knowledge about the characteristics of the Notch signaling mechanism will enable scientists to design new experimental ways to cultivate stem cells so that they can be more effectively converted into insulin-producing beta cells.

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Beyond drowsy, too little sleep ups diabetes risk

More people pull the night shift. Teens text past midnight and stumble to class at dawn. Travelers pack red-eye flights.

Nodding off behind the wheel isn't the only threat from a lack of shut-eye. There's growing evidence that people who regularly sleep too little and at the wrong time suffer long-lasting consequences that a nap won't cure: An increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.

"We have a societal conspiracy for sleep deprivation," says Russell Sanna of Harvard Medical School's sleep medicine division, who attended a TEDMED conference last week where scientists called sleep loss one of health care's big challenges.

Just how unhealthy is it? Consider how sleep may play a role in the nation's diabetes epidemic.

Studies have long shown that people who sleep fewer than five hours a night have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the kind that tends to strike later in life.

Rotating shift work — three or more night shifts a month interspersed with day or evening hours — raises the risk, too, says a recent report from researchers who analyzed years of medical records from the huge Nurses' Health Study.

Diet and physical activity are big factors in Type 2 diabetes. Certainly it's harder to work out or choose an apple over a doughnut when you're tired, especially at 3 a.m. when your body's internal clock knows you should be sleeping.

But a study published last week shows sleep plays a more complex role than that. As sleep drops and normal biological rhythms are disrupted, your body physically changes in ways that can help set the stage for diabetes, reports neuroscientist Orfeu Buxton of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Buxton's team had 21 healthy volunteers spend almost six weeks living in a laboratory where their diet, physical activity, sleep and even the light was strictly controlled.

The volunteers started out well-rested. But for three of those weeks, they were allowed only about 5½ hours of sleep every 24 hours — at varying times of the day or night, to mimic a bad shift rotation or prolonged jet lag. That knocked out of whack the body's "circadian rhythm," a master biological clock that regulates such patterns as when we become sleepy and how body temperature rises and falls.

What happened was startling: Blood sugar levels increased after meals, sometimes to pre-diabetic levels, because the pancreas stopped secreting enough insulin, Buxton reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

At the same time, the volunteers' metabolic rate slowed by 8 percent. The researchers had them on a diet so they didn't gain weight — but Buxton says typically, a metabolism drop of that size could mean gaining 10 to 12 pounds over a year.

The results make sense, says Dr. Michael Thorpy, sleep center director at New York's Montefiore Medical Center and a neurology professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

"If we're going to spend a third of our day sleeping, there's got to be a good reason for it," says Thorpy, who notes that diabetes is far from the only worry.

Up to 70 million Americans are estimated to suffer from chronic problems with sleep, from insomnia to sleep apnea. Impaired sleep has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, depression, memory impairment and a weakened immune system. Still another concern: The World Health Organization has classified night shift work as a probable carcinogen, because too much light at night may hamper a hormone involved both with sleep and suppressing tumor cells.

Don't people adjust to the night shift if they're on it long enough? Buxton says rotating shifts probably are most worrisome. In his study, the volunteers' bodies went back to normal after nine nights of sufficient sleep at the right time. No one knows how long it takes before sleep deprivation and an off-kilter biological clock may cause permanent damage.

Montefiore's Thorpy says natural night owls seem to adapt better to night shifts, but that people never fully adapt if they swing back to daytime schedules on their days off. Also, about 30 percent of regular night workers have trouble sleeping during their off hours or are particularly fatigued, he says, something termed "shift work disorder."

The consumer message:

—The National Institutes of Health says adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep daily for good health.

—If you work nights, go straight to bed when you get home, Buxton advises. Avoid too much light along the way. Thorpy says wearing yellow- or orange-tinted sunglasses on the drive home can block short-wavelength "blue light" that triggers wakefulness.

—Let natural light help keep your biological sleep clock on schedule, advises Harvard's sleep-education Web site. For most people, sunlight in the morning is key. For the night shift, more bright light in the evening shifts people's internal clock, Buxton explains.

—For anyone, a sleep-inducing bedroom is one that's dark, quiet and cool. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and stressful situations near bedtime. Electronics right before bed aren't advised, either. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day also helps.

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Diabetes Linked to Phthalates

Phthalates, which are found in common plastics, cosmetics, and even some pharmaceuticals and medical devices, have been associated with the development of diabetes among seniors in Sweden, according to a study published online April 12 in Diabetes Care.

The investigators found that the 3 phthalate metabolites they studied were associated with a 25% to 30% increase in the risk for diabetes.

P. Monica Lind, PhD, associate professor of environmental medicine at the Section for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden, and colleagues analyzed records of 1016 people aged 70 years or older who were involved in a study named the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) between 2001 and 2004.

During the PIVUS study, researchers asked participants about their medical history, exercise and smoking habits, and education. In addition, during mornings after overnight fasts, the participants gave blood samples for analysis of blood fat and glucose levels. For the purposes of the study, the researchers defined diabetes as a history of diabetes or a fasting glucose value higher than 7.0 mmol/L.

Of the 1016 participants, 119 had diabetes, and 88 of them had a history of diabetes for a mean of 8.9 years. Four participants reported having diabetes for more than 20 years.

When researchers in this study analyzed the serum levels of phthalate metabolites for the participants, they found that 4 of 10 metabolites were detectable in at least 96% of the people with diabetes, and that the 4 phthalate metabolites are commonly used in personal care fragrances. The metabolites are mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and monomethyl phthalate (MMP).

After adjusting for sex, body mass index, smoking and exercise, cholesterol and triglycerides, and education, the researchers found that 3 metabolites were associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes (MEP: odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 - 1.7; P = .089; MiBP: OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.10 - 1.55; P = .003; and MMP: OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.00 - 1.46; P = .052 after multiple adjustments). They also found that MEP and MiBP were significantly related to diabetes prevalence after adjusting for sex only (OR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.00 - 1.69] and 1.25 [95% CI, 1.07 - 1.46], respectively), and that MiBP's significance remained after the multiple adjustments.

The metabolites are related to either poor insulin secretion or insulin resistance, which are independent risk factors for developing diabetes. Phthalate metabolites are known to affect glucose stability in humans, the researchers write, and could be disrupting the biological pathways that contribute to glucose metabolism.

"Although our results need to be confirmed in more studies, they do support the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes," Dr. Lind said in a news release.

"However, to find out whether phthalates truly are risk factors for diabetes, further studies are needed that show similar associations. Today, besides the present study, there is only one small study of Mexican women. But experimental studies on animals and cells are also needed regarding what biological mechanisms might underlie these connections," she added.

The researchers note that their study was limited to a sample of elderly white people and may not apply to other ethnic or age groups. They also note that a possibility of reverse causation exists, and that urinary analysis of phthalates is more common than the serum measurements used in this study.

However, for seniors at normal levels of exposure to chemicals such as phthalates, this "study showed that several phthalate metabolites are related to diabetes prevalence, as well as to markers of insulin secretion and resistance," the researchers conclude.

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Higher HbA1c Levels Predict Better Outcomes in Advanced Heart Failure With Diabetes

Patients with advanced heart failure who were also diabetic had better two-year survival if their baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) levels were >7.3% in a new study [1]. Among the non-diabetic patients with heart failure, HbA_1C levels did not predict survival outcomes. The retrospective cohort study is published online March 27, 2012 in the American Journal of Cardiology.

"We're finding that in heart failure [plus diabetes], higher HbA_1C levels are associated not with worse outcomes, but with better outcomes," lead investigator Dr Tamara Horwich (University of California, Los Angeles) told heartwire . This suggests that for patients with both diseases, "the focus should not be on lowering the HbA_1Clevels to as low as possible," she said, adding that "aiming for a midrange of 7.2% to 8.2% may be very reasonable."

This "adds to a small but growing body of literature demonstrating a complex relationship between levels of glycemic control and survival in patients with advanced, established heart failure," Dr David Aguilar (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX), who was not involved with this research, told heartwire . However, because it was an observational study, residual confounding factors may be contributing to adverse outcomes.

The implications for clinical practice are that "in someone with advanced heart failure who may be having difficulties with hypoglycemia or other adverse effects of diabetic medications, less stringent glycemic control (HbA_1C <8%) may be acceptable," he said. On the other hand, "if patients are tolerating the medications without difficulties, current glycemic guidelines should continue to be followed as we await further information from prospective clinical trials."

Very Sick Heart-Failure Patients

In patients with established heart failure, the relationship between HbA_1C levels and survival is not clear, the group writes. The Candesartan in Heart Failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity (CHARM) program found that as HbA_1C levels rose, cardiovascular risk increased. However, in a study of close to 6000 older veterans with heart failure, Aguilar and colleagues reported a U-shaped relationship between HbA1C and survival: optimal survival was seen among patients with "modest" glycemic control--an HbA_1C of 7.1% to 7.8%.

Horwich and colleagues performed a retrospective analysis on data from 845 patients with advanced heart failure who had been referred to a cardiomyopathy center for heart transplant or other evaluation from 1999 to 2010. The patients had a mean age of 55 years, and 28% were women.

The team subdivided the cohort into two subgroups, 358 patients with diabetes and 487 patients without diabetes, who were then stratified into quartiles according to baseline HbA_1C levels.

The primary end points were death or urgent need for heart transplantation and all-cause mortality at two years. At two years, 181 patients had undergone urgent heart transplantation and 180 patients had died.

Among the patients with diabetes, two-year event-free survival was highest in the two highest quartiles of HbA_1C.

Patients With Diabetes: Two-Year Survival Free From Death/Urgent Heart Transplantation

Quartile
HbA_1C (%)
2-y survival (%)

1
<6.4
47.9

2
6.5–7.2
41.5

3
7.3–8.5
60.7

4
>8.6
65.3

In the subgroup of patients without diabetes, patients with HbA_1C levels of 5.7% to 6.0% had better survival, but this was not statistically significant.

Patients Without Diabetes: Two-Year Survival Free From Death/Urgent Heart Transplantation

Quartile
HbA_1c (%)
2-y survival (%)

1
<5.6
50.4

2
5.7–6.0
60.6

3
6.1–6.5
51.1

4
>6.6
49.9

In the total cohort, after adjustment for age, gender, body-mass index, and LVEF, for each unit increase in HbA_1C, patients had an 8% decreased risk of death or need for urgent transplantation. In the subgroup of patients with diabetes, for each unit increase in HbA_1C, patients had a 15% decreased risk of death or need for urgent transplantation.

Awaiting Further Trials, Individualized Treatment for Now

Low HbA_1c levels may reflect an inflammatory state or malnutrition, or some anti-diabetic therapies may be causing the adverse cardiac outcomes, Horwich speculated.

Many, large-scale, phase 3 trials are currently testing the safety and efficacy of diabetic therapies in high-risk patients, including those with heart failure--a group that has often been excluded from glycemia clinical trials--said Aguilar. "Hopefully, we will have more prospective data on the best treatment strategies in this patient population over the next several years. . . . For now, I believe that practicing clinicians should follow published guidelines, which state that target glycemic goals should be individualized."

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BMI shifts with cardiometabolic changes common in middle-school students

A study of a large, multiethnic sample found that shifts in body mass index (BMI) are common in middle-school students and are associated with changes that affect cardiometabolic risk factors.

A total of 3,993 children participating in the HEALTHY study, a multisite, school-based study designed to mitigate risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, underwent health screenings at the beginning of the sixth grade and end of the eighth grade. The average age of the students at baseline was 11.3 years; 48% were boys, 60% were Hispanic, and 50% were overweight or obese.

Over the 2.5 years of the study, the researchers noted a “striking amount” of shifting across BMI categories. Most children who were in the healthy-weight range in sixth grade remained there at the end of eighth grade, but 13% became overweight. Among those who were overweight at baseline, 36% moved to the healthy range, 51% remained overweight, and 13% became obese or severely obese. Among children who were obese at baseline, 32% improved BMI category, but 62% remained obese, and 6% became severely obese. BMI shifts were not explained by differential increases in height across categories and were not associated with school intervention programs or other variables.

Increases in BMI were associated with worsening of cardiometabolic risk factors, including blood pressure, lipids, and waist circumference, whereas decreases were associated with improvements.

The findings provide compelling evidence of the need for obesity-prevention efforts for middle-school students across all BMI categories to promote decreases in BMI for children who are overweight and obese and to prevent increases in those in the healthy range, the researchers conclude.

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Common Blood Pressure Drugs Help Prevent Diabetes Drugs promote the survival of pancreatic beta cells

A common class of oral high blood pressure drugs is associated with improved survival of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells and improved glucose homeostasis, according to a study published in the April issue ofDiabetes.

Noting that their previous studies showed high levels of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) led to β-cell death, and that TXNIP levels could be reduced in the heart by calcium channel blockers, Guanlan Xu, Ph.D., and colleagues from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, examined whether these drugs could reduce TXNIP levels in islets and in mouse models of diabetes.

The researchers found that verapamil significantly reduced the expression of TXNIP in human islets. Mice treated with verapamil had reduced TXNIP expression in islets, less β-cell death, greater endogenous insulin levels, and were protected against chemically-induced diabetes. Verapamil treatment of an obese, diabetes-prone mouse strain also resulted in greater β-cell survival, improved glucose homeostasis, and improved insulin sensitivity.

"Thus, for the first time, we have identified an oral medication that can inhibit proapoptotic β-cell TXNIP expression, enhance β-cell survival and function, and prevent and even improve overt diabetes," Xu and colleagues conclude.

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New Facebook Group

Hi there everyone, I have made a new Facebook group that I am hoping to further help the Diabetic Community by connecting through Facebook. I hope that you all swing by and check it out. http://www.facebook.com/groups/264980436921120/

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A Cure for Diabetes–Via Weight Loss Surgery?

It was announced today on ABC News that there is a cure for Type 2 Diabetes, but with an alarming solution, surgery. That is right, doctors are finding that many of their patients after having undergone the weight loss procedure are no longer diabetic. You can see the video here http://news.yahoo.com/video/health-15749655/diabetes-cure-28736401.html 

and here

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eFZNCFzvyI&rel=0]

They are saying it is possibly hormones caused by the surgery that is correcting the diabetes. I am not sure that I would want to undergo surgery to have this corrected as of yet, however maybe in the future after having given myself a true go at losing weight naturally. What are your thoughts on it?

Remember with many weight loss surgeries you not only lose the weight, however, you have to worry about sagging skin. If you were not an active person before the surgery chances are you wont be afterwards, and you will have that problem afterwards. I just seems like a band aide for another problem that most insurances wont cover because they are considered cosmetic.

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A Cure for Diabetes–Via Weight Loss Surgery?

It was announced today on ABC News that there is a cure for Type 2 Diabetes, but with an alarming solution, surgery. That is right, doctors are finding that many of their patients after having undergone the weight loss procedure are no longer diabetic. You can see the video here http://news.yahoo.com/video/health-15749655/diabetes-cure-28736401.html 

and here

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eFZNCFzvyI&rel=0]

They are saying it is possibly hormones caused by the surgery that is correcting the diabetes. I am not sure that I would want to undergo surgery to have this corrected as of yet, however maybe in the future after having given myself a true go at losing weight naturally. What are your thoughts on it?

Remember with many weight loss surgeries you not only lose the weight, however, you have to worry about sagging skin. If you were not an active person before the surgery chances are you wont be afterwards, and you will have that problem afterwards. I just seems like a band aide for another problem that most insurances wont cover because they are considered cosmetic.

Continue Reading...

Beta cell stress may trigger development of type 1 diabetes

Scientists have found that a specific type of cellular stress takes place in pancreatic betacells before the onset of type 1 diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes (T1D), pancreatic beta cells die from a misguided autoimmune attack, but how and why that happens is still unclear.

Now, the JDRF-funded scientists from the Indiana University School of Medicine believe that this stress response in the beta cell may help ignite the autoimmune attack that leads to T1D.

These findings shed an entirely new light into the mystery behind how changes in the beta cell may play a role in the earliest stages of T1D, and adds a new perspective to our understanding how T1D progresses, and how to prevent and treat the disease.

In the study, the researchers, led by Sarah Tersey, Ph.D., assistant research professor of pediatrics, and Raghavendra Mirmira, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pediatrics and medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, showed for the first time in a mouse model of T1D that beta cells become stressed early in the disease process, before the animaldevelops diabetes.

In response to the stress, beta cells activate a cell death pathway leading to the loss of beta cell mass in the animal.

In all cells, there is a vital compartment known as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where secreted proteins, like insulin, are produced and processed before being released by the cell.

Pancreatic beta cells are highly specialized for the production and secretion of insulin and therefore, the ER plays a critical role in their function, making them particularly sensitive to ER stress.

The study by Tersey and colleagues showed that an alteration of the beta cell ER stress response occurs early in the disease, and if the ER stress is not resolved properly, it can result in defects in insulin secretion, and ultimately death of the beta cell.

"The ER stress in the beta cell has been implicated in type 2 diabetes, but its role in triggering beta cell dysfunction intype 1 diabetes has not been clear until now, which is why these findings are exciting, " said Dr. Mirmira.

"Although the paper does not directly address a potential role for ER stress in the development of human T1D, what we observed in the mice is consistent with clinical observations of type 1 diabetes in people where defects in insulin secretion precede overt diabetes," he added.

Andrew Rakeman, Ph.D. Senior Scientist of Regeneration for JDRF stated, "We need to look more closely at beta cells and their role in type 1 diabetes because they may be participating in their own demise."

"This study shows that beta cell stress is occurring at the earliest stages of the disease process, raising the intriguing possibility that beta cell stress could be part of the trigger for the autoimmune process that leads to type 1 diabetes.

"This is exciting because it not only teaches us something about the early events in T1D progression, but suggests that drugs or therapeutic strategies that alleviate ER stress might be used to delay progress of the disease, either preventing insulin dependence or preserving beta cell function, improving glucose control and reducing the risk of complications," Rakeman noted.

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Aspirin Enhances Platelet Isoprostanes in Type 2 Diabetes Effect mitigates aspirin-mediated platelet thromboxane A2 inhibition

For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who are treated with aspirin, isoprostanes are overproduced, which is linked with enhanced platelet recruitment, according to a study published online March 16 in Diabetes.

Noting that aspirin has a modest influence on cardiovascular events in T2DM, Roberto Cangemi, M.D., Ph.D., from the Sapienza University of Rome, and colleagues investigated the effect of aspirin on platelet isoprostanes in patients with T2DM. Fifty aspirin-treated and 50 untreated T2DM patients were compared with 100 patients without diabetes, matched for age, gender, atherosclerosis risk factors, and aspirin treatment. In 36 aspirin-free patients, with and without diabetes, a seven-day treatment with aspirin was performed.

The researchers found that in patients with diabetes versus those without, and in aspirin-treated versus untreated diabetes patients, higher platelet recruitment, platelet isoprostane, and activation of the catalytic subunit of reduced NAD phosphate oxidase (NOX2) were seen. In all aspirin-treated patients, platelet thromboxane (Tx) A₂ was inhibited. In those with and without diabetes, aspirin inhibited platelet TxA₂ similarly in the interventional study. A parallel increase was seen in platelet recruitment, isoprostane levels, and NOX2 activation in patients with diabetes, whereas no change was seen in those without diabetes.

"We provide evidence that, in T2DM patients, low-dose aspirin enhances platelet isoprostanes as a consequence of NOX2-generated reactive oxidant species upregulation," the authors write. "This effect mitigates the antiplatelet effect of aspirin and may account for its lower clinical efficacy in T2DM compared with other atherosclerotic settings."

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Glycemic Control Improved In Vivo By Allosteric Insulin Receptor-Activating Antibody

XOMA Corporation (Nasdaq: XOMA) announced that its study of XMetA, the company's fully-human allosteric monoclonal antibody to the insulin receptor, is available online and will be published in the May issue of the American Diabetes Association's journal Diabetes. XMetA is the first antibody specific for the insulin receptor shown to correct hyperglycemia in a mouse model ofdiabetes. Results of a study conducted by XOMA and confirmed by investigators at the University of California, San Francisco, demonstrate that XMetA has the potential to be a novel, long-acting agent for the control of blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes.
The study by Bhaskar, et al. demonstrated that XMetA markedly reduced elevated fasting blood glucose levels and normalized glucose tolerance in mice experimentally rendered diabetic. After six weeks of treatment, there was a statistically significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c levels in animals treated with XMetA compared to controls (p < 0.05). In addition, elevated non-HDL cholesterol levels were improved relative to control mice (p < 0.05).Hypoglycemia and weight gain were not observed during this study, nor was proliferation of cell growth.
"In the treatment of diabetes, novel and improved therapeutic modalities for patients with impaired insulin secretory function are needed," said Ira D. Goldfine, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Medicine and the Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Goldfine is currently a XOMA Distinguished Scientific Fellow. "XMetA has shown potential to deliver a long-acting, glucose-regulating effect without generating hypoglycemia. The characteristics of this molecule may result in an opportunity to leverage this potential therapeutic option earlier in the treatment of diabetes."
"Through insights into the regulation of signaling pathways gained using XOMA's ModulX™ technology, we have discovered three distinct classes of allosteric antibodies that act differentially on the insulin receptor. XMetA, an antibody from one such class, selectively activates pathways leading to glucose lowering while avoiding pathways leading to cellular proliferation. We believe this profile is unique and offers a new approach to treatment of diabetes," said Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, XOMA.
Conventional monoclonal antibodies bind at the ligand-receptor binding site to provide either complete activation or inhibition akin to an on/off switch. However, many receptors also have sites, termed allosteric sites, which function as a dimmer switch to modulate the ligand-receptor interaction. XOMA's XMet antibodies bind to these allosteric sites, offering expanded potential for the targeted treatment of diabetes.
XOMA has developed proprietary methods for identifying allosteric modulating monoclonal antibodies using its ModulX™ technology platform and is focusing its research efforts towards the discovery of these types of antibodies. Its first allosteric antibody, gevokizumab, is an allosteric inhibitor of the ligand interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), currently in clinical development. XOMA is pursuing development partnerships to maximize the value of XMetA and other antibodies from its technology platforms.

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Prepping and being Diabetic–by Prepperdays.com

Being Diabetic and a Prepper, I know the risks and concerns that are going to effect me if SHTF (s**t hits the fan). I started stockpiling my needles, lancets, testers, and supplies about 2 years ago. I have been working on becoming a full time prepper since 2000 when the Y2K bug was suppose to take things down. Seeing the mass panic something as simple as a computers clock reaching 00 caused throughout the world, I realized how fragile our society was especially now days where everything is dependent on computers and the internet.

So when I became Diabetic back in 2007 I knew that I was going to need to keep a stock pile on hand so that I would have stuff to fall back on. However, the one thing that I don’t have enough of is Insulin. This is a problem since I am an insulin dependent Diabetic. What I do have a stock pile of is Cinnamon, and gel caps. You see, cinnamon has a natural glucose lowering agent in it that makes it a prefect emergency supplement. I am a person who is very homeopathic in nature, I rather try herbs and tinctures before reaching for something at a pharmacy or going to the doctors. I have studied herbology since I was a young teenager. So I always have some selection of herbs and plants laying around or dried up in bottles some where in my house.

So what should a Diabetic consider stockpiling? Well here is a small list:

1. a glucose meter
2. lancets (these can be great for other things besides diabetic use)
3. testing strips (even if they are outdated, they will still give you a within range reading)
4. needles (another thing that is useful to others who are not diabetic)
5. alcohol pads (great to have a surplus of)
6. cinnamon capsules or cinnamon powder
7. diabetic supportive footwear
8. good lotion
9. peroxide
10. oral diabetic medication like Metformin or Glucophage
11. Injectable medication like insulin
12. Gauze and Bandages

Mind you this is not a complete list but one that will ensure you are taken care of in terms of your Diabetes. The other thing you may want to store is sugar alternatives like Splenda, Sweet n Low, Agave Syrup.
Trust me when it comes to prepping, nothing is a stupid or silly choice to stock pile, just make sure you have everything you will need.

For more tips and survival tricks come visit my website www.prepperdays.com

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Smartphone diabetes device launched

A new device launched in the UK will enable diabetics to manage their condition with a smartphone.

The £48 hi-tech glucose monitor, being rolled out at Boots stores, attaches to the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. It allows sufferers to check their blood sugar levels at any time using their phone or MP3 player.

The device, iBGStar, comes with a free Diabetes Manager App that makes it possible to store, track and analyze medical data.

Accurate monitoring of blood glucose is essential to the management of diabetes, which affects 2.9 million people in the UK. It is especially important for people with type-1 diabetes, an auto-immune disease that can lead to dangerous rises in blood sugar level.

High blood sugar can lead to serious complications including damage to the heart, kidneys, nerves and eyes.

Traditional blood glucose monitors (BGMs) are palm-sized devices that test tiny drops of blood obtained by pricking the skin.

iBGStar works the same way but is just one inch long and plugs straight into an iPhone or iPod touch. Software carries out the analysis and flashes the results onto the screen. It also allows users to follow changing trends and variations, and factors in information such as carbohydrate intake, insulin injections and exercise.

TV presenter Dominic Littlewood, who is helping to promote the device and was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes as a teenager, said: "I lead a hectic lifestyle and so keeping an eye on my blood glucose levels is challenging. iBGStar gives me the reassurance of knowing that I can get accurate blood glucose results using my iPhone, which I carry around anyway."

Sarah Johnson, from the type-1 diabetes research charity JDRF, said: "Good blood glucose control is vital to reducing the long-term effects of diabetes, but it can be difficult and demanding to achieve. As such, we welcome all developments in technology that can help people with type-1 and type-2 diabetes take control of their condition."

Dr Andrew Hockey, medical director for diabetes at the pharmaceutical company Sanofi, which produces the iBGStar, said the device was a "huge step forward". "It harnesses the power of the latest technology to empower people with diabetes to manage their condition on a day-to-day basis," he added.

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Preventing Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in both men and women. It is also the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. About 57,000 Americans die from this disease each year, and 145,000 new cases are diagnosed. Only lung cancer leads colorectal cancer in cancer deaths.

All Americans should take steps to reduce their risk of colorectal cancer and be screened for it regularly, but people with Type 2 diabetes have even more reason to educate themselves about this deadly disease. That’s because they are at greater risk of developing it than the rest of the population. This article offers some suggestions for lowering your risk as well as guidelines for screening for early detection.

What is colorectal cancer?
Colorectal cancer is a cancer, or tumor, that forms in the colon (the large intestine) and/or rectum (the last 8 to 10 inches of the colon). The colon is where water and nutrients are reabsorbed into the bloodstream as the last stage of digestion. At this point only waste remains. The waste is then eliminated through the rectum and anus.

Symptoms of colorectal cancer can include a change in bowel habits, blood in the stool, lower abdominal pain or cramping, fatigue, and vomiting. In the early stages, however, there are no symptoms. The early stages are also the time when it is easiest to cure. That’s why regular screening is so important. However, because so many Americans do not get screened according to the schedule recommended by the American Cancer Society, only about 39% of cases of colorectal cancer are found in the early stages.

Most cases of colorectal cancer develop from precancerous polyps, or adenomas. Polyps are growths in the colon that occur frequently in people over 50. Although most polyps are benign, or noncancerous, they can become malignant, or cancerous. While only 5% to 10% of all polyps become cancerous, all polyps should be surgically removed to test for cancer.

Risk factors
Some of the risk factors for colorectal cancer are modifiable, and some are not. Age is one that is not: 93% of people who develop colorectal cancer are over age 50. The average age at diagnosis is mid-60s.

Having a family history of colorectal cancer or a personal history of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or a previous history of colorectal cancer is also a risk factor for colorectal cancer.

A rare, hereditary form of colorectal cancer is called hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer, or HNPCC. Only 2% of all colorectal cancers fall into this category. The average age at diagnosis for this colorectal cancer is 44.

Another rare, inherited condition that raises the risk for colorectal cancer is familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), in which hundreds of polyps form in the colon or rectum. When FAP is left untreated, colon cancer usually occurs by age 40. Only 1% of all colon cancers occur from FAP.

People with Type 2 diabetes have a 30% to 40% increased risk of colorectal cancer. While this connection is still being studied, there is evidence that hyperinsulinemia, or high levels of circulating insulin, increases the risk of colon cancer. It is thought that high insulin levels can damage the mucosa, or lining of the colon. Hyperinsulinemia is often associated with insulin resistance, in which the body’s cells are resistant to the action of insulin, so more insulin is needed to allow glucose into the cells. Insulin resistance is one of the major causes of high blood glucose levels in Type 2 diabetes.

Recent research studies have also suggested that people with Type 2 diabetes who have been on insulin therapy for more than one year have an increased incidence of colorectal cancer. However, more research needs to be done to clarify this issue. In the meantime, people who currently take insulin should not stop taking it. But they should follow the screening guidelines for early detection of colorectal cancer. It is estimated that with early detection and removal of polyps, risk for this disease can be decreased by 70%.

Obesity also raises the risk of colorectal cancer. In fact, it is estimated that 3.2% of all new cases of cancer in the United States have an association with obesity. Obesity and overweight are also responsible for 14% of cancer deaths in men and 20% in women. The National Institutes of Health defines overweight as a body-mass index (BMI) of 25.0 to 29.9, and obesity as a BMI greater than 30. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches, then divide that result by your height in inches again. Multiply that result by 703. In other words, weight ÷ height ÷ height × 703.

It has been estimated that 70% of the cases of colorectal cancer in Western countries could be prevented through changes in lifestyle. While many lifestyle factors are mentioned in this article, the best path to successful prevention of colorectal cancer includes all of these factors. However, incorporating even a single lifestyle change is beneficial.

The influence of diet
Many studies have examined the connection between diet and the risk and incidence of colorectal cancer. While there are still many unknowns, it’s clear that following a nutritious diet high in fruits andvegetables and low in red and processed meats and saturated fat is likely to be beneficial.

Meat. A large study published in 2005 showed that a diet high in processed and red meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. It additionally found that a high consumption of poultry and fish was associated with a lower risk.

Processed meats include bacon, bologna, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meat, salami, sausages, and other beef and pork products preserved by salting, smoking, or adding nitrites or nitrates. Red meat includes beef, pork, lamb, liver (including chicken livers), and veal. In the study, a high intake of red meat was defined as 3 or more ounces a day for men and 2 or more ounces a day for women.

The study did not determine the mechanism by which red or processed meat increases colorectal cancer risk. But the take-home message is clear: By decreasing the amount of processed and red meat in the diet and eating more fish and poultry, many cases of colorectal cancer could be prevented.

Other studies have shown that grilling meat — including red meats, chicken, and fish — at high temperatures can produce cancer-causing, or carcinogenic, compounds, among them chemicals known as heterocyclic amines. The longer and hotter the cooking method, the more compounds are formed. These compounds have been linked to colon cancer as well as to breast and prostate cancer.

Fruits and vegetables. Many studies have shown that a high intake of fruits and vegetables not only protects against colorectal cancer but also against many other types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients. The allium vegetables — onion, garlic, scallions and leeks — have a strong protective effect against colorectal cancer. Green vegetables, carrots, and cruciferous vegetables also have a protective effect. Cruciferous vegetables, which include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, contain a chemical called sulfora
phane, which protects against many kinds of cancer. Chlorophyll in green vegetables binds to cancer-causing chemicals — including the heterocyclic amines that are formed when foods are grilled — and forms a large molecule that is excreted from the body in feces rather than being absorbed.

However, there are many different types of nutrients in vegetables that are protective, so it is probably not one single nutrient but the combination of nutrients working together that has protective effects.

Calcium. At least two studies have found that consuming at least 1200 milligrams of calcium per day — either in the form of supplements or supplements and food — for several years reduces the risk of developing colorectal adenomas. Calcium binds bile and fatty acids in the colon, which decreases exposure to carcinogenic chemicals. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are good sources of calcium, but full-fat varieties are also high in saturated fat. When consuming dairy products, choose low-fat cheese, skim or 1% milk, and low-fat or nonfat yogurt.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and some nuts and seeds decrease the inflammation associated with the initial stages of colon and other cancers.

Folate and alcohol. Folate, also called folic acid, is a B vitamin and is combined with vitamins B6 and B12 for healthy cell development. A diet low in folate can lead to precancerous cells. Since there is a rapid turnover of cells in the colon, and therefore a greater need for folate in these cells, a low folate intake is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Folate is found in dark-green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, citrus fruits and juices, and dried beans and peas. Since 1996, the Food and Drug Administration has required that folic acid be added to enriched breads, cereals, flours, pasta, rice, corn meals, and other grains.

Alcohol interferes with folate metabolism, so heavy drinkers have an increased need for folate. In fact, people who have a diet low in folate and high in alcohol have an increased risk of colorectal adenomas. People who are heavy beer and liquor drinkers have been shown to have an increased risk of colorectal cancer, while those who drink wine have a decreased risk. It is recommended that beer and liquor be limited to no more than one drink a day. Getting enough folate can also help to prevent polyps from reoccurring.

Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is synthesized in the skin by sunlight and is found in some foods. There is some evidence that high blood levels of vitamin D have a protective effect against colorectal cancer. Good food sources of vitamin D include salmon, sardines, mackerel, and other fatty fish. Milk has been fortified with vitamin D since the 1930’s to prevent rickets.

Normally, exposure to sunlight provides the body with all of its vitamin D needs. However, in the northern parts of the United States, sun exposure in the winter months does not supply enough skin synthesis of vitamin D. Cloudy days, use of sunscreen, and shade also decrease skin synthesis. Perhaps not surprisingly, there is a higher incidence of colorectal cancer in the North than the South. Older people also do not synthesize vitamin D in the skin as effectively as younger people.

Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium during the digestive process, so taking a multivitamin containing vitamin D is recommended for adults over 50, people who live in northern latitudes, and people who get limited sun exposure for any reason.

Fiber. The link between dietary fiber intake and colorectal cancer is controversial. While many studies have been done on the effects of fiber consumption on colorectal cancer, the findings have been inconsistent.

It has been suggested that the inconsistency comes from the type or source of fiber being studied. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both types of fiber come from plant foods. Fruits and vegetables, which contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, appear to have the most benefit, while wheat fiber, which is primarily insoluble, and psyllium, which is about 70% soluble and 30% insoluble, do not seem to provide protection against colorectal cancer.

While researchers continue to seek out answers to this question, there are still plenty of good reasons to eat whole grains and at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Other lifestyle influences
Stopping smoking and performing regular physical activity are beneficial for many reasons, including lowering your risk of colorectal cancer.

Cigarette smoking. Smokers have a 30% to 40% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared with nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking increases the likelihood both of developing adenomas and of their becoming cancerous.

Physical activity. Having a sedentary lifestyle has also been implicated as a risk factor for colorectal disease. Studies have shown a 50% decrease in risk of colon cancer among people who walk briskly three to four hours a week. People who are even more physically active may be able to decrease their risk of colon cancer by 70%. Increasing one’s level of physical activity can also prove beneficial in preventing many other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and in controlling Type 2 diabetes.

Aspirin. Regular aspirin use has been shown to help prevent colorectal cancer, but taking aspirin for the sole purpose of preventing cancer is not recommended at this time. The side effects of aspirin, such as bleeding in the stomach, outweigh the benefits.

Energy balance. Cancer researchers use the term “energy balance” to describe the interaction of diet, physical activity, and genetics, the effect of this interaction on growth and body weight over a person’s lifetime, and the ways in which these factors may influence cancer risk. The National Cancer Institute is currently supporting research into the complex issue of energy balance, or energetics, and its effect on cancer outcomes.

One step at a time
The best path to successful prevention of colorectal cancer incorporates all of the diet and lifestyle recommendations mentioned in this article. However, making even a single lifestyle change is beneficial. Most important, people with diabetes should follow the American Cancer Society’s screening guidelines for colorectal cancer to detect the disease early if it develops.

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