Changing up your shot site

Doctors tell us when we are first diagnosed with Diabetes that we need to change up our shot site and not to use the same one over and over. However, they never mentioned that this could happen. This is Lipohypertrophy. The male patient had developed two fatty masses as a result of decades of injecting insulin into the same two sites. It is most commonly known as “Bottom Belly” as it resembles a butt.

I know this much for sure, on top of being diabetic and having to shoot myself 3-8 times a day, I don’t need this adding to the list of crap wrong with me.

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Happy Birthday Hellocupcakeitsme.com

That’s right 2 years ago today I began Hellocupcakeitsme.com as a means to help me deal with being diabetic, and to deal with being bipolar and having other medical and mental health issue. Though I have streamed off course with my original mission and goal in mind, I have seen this blog blossom into something that I had never dreamt of.
Through the last 2 years, I have seen growth both physically and spiritually. It is amazing how something as simple as a blog which is nothing more than an electronic diary can take on a life of its own, and guide not only yourself but others. I have seen through my readership and responses on YouTube the way that my videos and posts have helped others.
I am so grateful that I have been able to help so many others along side of helping myself.

It is a journey and one that I am glad to continue down. It is my hope to take this blog to the next step and really use it to help others, as well as myself. I am asking you my readers to help me help you. I know many of you have asked for me to post more personal updates and so that is a promise that I am going to try and uphold this coming year.  Please if you have any additional questions comments or concerns please let me know and I will try my best to address them.

Thank you for a wonderful two years and heres to many more to come !!!

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Increased Risk For Diabetes When Obesity And Low Vitamin D Are Present

The combination of obesity and vitamin D deficiency may put people at even greater risk of insulin resistance than either factor alone, according to new research from the Drexel University School of Public Health recently published early online in the journal Diabetes Care. Insulin resistance is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects 25.6 million adults and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
"Vitamin D insufficiency and obesity are individual risk factors for insulin resistance and diabetes," said lead author Shaum Kabadi, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at Drexel. "Our results suggest that the combination of these two factors increases the odds of insulin resistance to an even greater degree than would have been expected based on their individual contributions."
In the study, obese individuals who had healthy levels of vitamin D had insulin resistance almost 20 times more often than the overall study population. But in obese individuals whose serum vitamin D was low, insulin resistance was much higher: about 32 times more common than the average.
Senior author Dr. Longjian Liu, an associate professor in the School of Public Health, noted, "It's not clear whether obesity itself causes a low vitamin D level or if it's the other way around."
Vitamin D is stored in adipose fat tissues, making it unavailable for the body to use; as a result, people who are overweight are already more likely to have low levels of serum vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases including stroke, depression, dementia and other conditions.
Kabadi, Liu and co-author Dr. Brian Lee, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, analyzed data on serum vitamin D levels and indicators of insulin resistance and diabetes from 5,806 respondents to a major national health survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This was the first study of the association between vitamin D and diabetes risk for obese patients using a large, nationally representative sample of adults. The survey reported data from individuals at a single point in time and was therefore unable to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship among vitamin D, obesity and insulin resistance.
Further studies could indicate whether vitamin D supplements are effective at reducing the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes in obese individuals. If so, the authors noted that it would be an inexpensive and practical prevention strategy compared to the difficulty involved in healthy weight loss.
Liu said that vitamin D supplements may be useful for people who are overweight or obese to help control diabetes, but he cautioned that too much vitamin D can cause side effects such as weakness and fatigue. In addition, vitamin D deficiency is just one of many known risk factors associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. "Therefore, to control diabetes, we need to have comprehensive prevention strategies. For example, physical activity may be the most cost-effective way to control weight and subsequently to control conditions including diabetes and heart disease," Liu said.

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How Are Alzheimer's Disease And Diabetes Linked?

An experiment has shown that diabetes is associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The finding, published online in this week's issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, is a collaboration between researchers from New Jersey's University of Medicine and Dentistry (UMDNJ) and researchers from Northwestern University, and was based on an experimental model, which shows that diabetes can potentially be used as an important new tool for investigating Alzheimer's disease and developing new drugs to combat the disease.
The study was built on evidence from previous studies at Klein's lab, which suggested a close link between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes and decided to investigate whether untreated diabetes could be a physiological model of Alzheimer neuropathology.
Frederikse remarked: "The results were striking. Because we used diabetes as an instigator of the disease, our study shows - for the first time directly - the link between Alzheimer's and diabetes."
The team discovered that in both Alzheimer's disease and diabetes the amyloid beta peptide pathology in the brain cortex and hippocampus significantly increases at the same time. High levels of amyloid beta peptides are typical in those with Alzheimer's disease. They also discovered substantial amyloid beta pathology in the retina, whereas no observable pathology was found either in the brain or retina when diabetes was not present. Frederikse continued:

"Second, our study examined the retina, which is considered an extension of the brain, and is more accessible for diagnostic exams. Our findings indicate that scientists may be able to follow the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease through retinal examination, which could provide a long sought after early-warning sign of the disease."

The team noted that their experimental model replicated spontaneous formation of amyloid beta "oligomer" assemblies in brain and retina. This may shed more light on explaining one of Alzheimer's most widely recognized symptoms.
Klein states: "This is exciting. Oligomers are the neurotoxins now regarded as causing Alzheimer's disease memory loss. What could cause them to appear and buildup in late-onset Alzheimer's disease has been a mystery, so these new findings with diabetes represent an important step."
According to earlier studies, the impact of insulin on the formation of memories is significant, given that once oligomers are attached to neurons, they evoke an elimination of insulin receptors from the surface membranes, and thus contribute to insulin resistance in the brain. This is the start of a vicious cycle, as diabetes induces oligomer accumulation, making neurons even more insulin resistant.

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Passive Smoking Tied To Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity

If you need another reason to steer clear of cigarette smoke, consider this: a new study presented at a conference this week suggests breathing in secondhand smoke is linked to higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Presented on Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, the findings show that adults exposed to secondhand smoke have higher rates of these diseases than non-smokers who are not exposed to tobacco smoke.
Co-author Dr Theodore C Friedman, chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Charles R Drew University in Los Angeles, told the press:
"More effort needs to be made to reduce exposure of individuals to secondhand smoke."
For the study, Friedman and colleagues used data from a nationally representative sample of more than 6,300 adults who took part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2001 and 2006.
As well as answering questions about smoking, the participants had also given blood samples, from which various measures were taken, including levels of cotinine, an alkaloid found in tobacco that is also a metabolic byproduct of nicotine. The researchers used this to verify passive smoking exposure.
Friedman explained that while other studies have shown a link between type 2 diabetes and secondhand or passive smoking, none of them had used a blood marker to confirm the results.
25% of the participants in Friedman's study were current smokers, which he and his colleagues classed as those participants who said "yes" when asked "Do you smoke cigarettes?" and whose cotinine levels were above 3 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
41% of the sample were classed as non-smokers. These were participants who answered "no" when asked "Do you smoke cigarettes?", and whose cotinine levels were under 0.05 ng/mL.
34% of the sample were classed as secondhand smokers. These had also answered "no" to the current smoking question, but their blood cotinine levels were above 0.05 ng/mL.
After adjusting the results to rule out any effects from age, sex, race, alcohol consumption and exercise, the researchers found that compared to non-smokers, secondhand smokers showed signs of a number of factors that can lead to type 2 diabetes, such raised insulin resistance, elevated fasting blood glucose or blood sugar, and higher hemoglobin A1c, a measure of blood sugar control over the past three months.
Secondhand smokers also had a higher rate of type 2 diabetes, which the researchers classed as having a hemoglobin A1c count above 6.5%. The rate of type 2 diabetes in the secondhand smokers was similar to that of the current smokers, said the researchers.
Levels of Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of obesity, were higher among secondhand smokers than non-smokers, and although current smokers had lower BMI, their higher hemoglobin A1c was higher.
And when they adjusted the figures to rule out the effect of BMI, Friedman and colleagues found that levels of hemoglobin A1c in secondhand smokers and current smokers were still higher than in non-smokers.

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Diabetic Teenagers More Likely To Drop Out Of High School And Face Worse Job Prospects

A study in the January issue of Health Affairs has found that students in high school with diabetes are at a higher risk of not completing their secondary education and face lower wages at work. It had already been known that living with diabetes can add a huge weight of restriction to one's life because of its countless health effects, but whether or not the disease has a significant effect on success at high school or in the workplace had not before been evaluated. The study found that high school dropout rates for people with diabetes are 6% higher than for high school students without the disease. In terms of job prospects, those who are diabetic, face a loss of more than $160,000 in wages over their working life, compared to those who aren't.
According to Jason M. Fletcher, an associate professor of public health at Yale University:

"Diabetes has a marked effect on schooling and earnings early in life, yet these are relatively unexamined implications of this disease".

Fletcher and coauthor Michael R. Richards used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health as a means of analyzing the effects of diabetes among teenagers as they approach adulthood. The survey observed over 15,000 teenagers and provided distinctive insight into the economic effects the disease can have on them, as they get older.
They found that the disparity in the high school dropout rate for diabetics compared to non-diabetics - over 6 percentage points higher - is greater than the male-female and black-white differences, and is comparable to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder dropout rate. Interestingly, teenage diabetics with parents who also suffer from the disease, were found to be 4-6% less likely to attend college.
The societal and economic implications continue as diabetics age; in their thirties they are 10% less likely to be employed, and can expect to earn $6,000 less per year - approximately $160,000 over their lifetime. This could be largely to do with the reduced education received.
Various explanations have been offered on why some of these consequences occur. Fletcher and Richards note that diabetes could alter a persons desire to enter the workforce, given their health-related condition, and that employers could be less partial to hire a diabetic with concerns of productivity in mind. A reason why diabetics might decide to stay in lower paying jobs could be fear of losing their health insurance, being classed as "job-locked" to ensure their medical needs are met.
As a disease that affects 25 million people in the US alone - costing $200 billion a year - diabetes is rampantly becoming one of the nation's toughest diseases to battle. The effects that diabetes has on teenage students and their employment prospects could end up costing society over $10 billion during their lifetime.
The authors stressed the importance of policy makers focusing on diabetes prevention for young children and the support of in-school diabetes screening. By screening at school, the number of undiagnosed diabetic children would be reduced significantly, as well as the mitigation of the consequences it can have in their later life. Research should be made on children with diabetic parents to have a better idea on how to reduce potential educational effects on them, as the authors noted "Given the unyielding rise of diabetes and obesity among the population as a whole, the potential of diabetes to strike in one generation and then have negatives effects on the next is a cause for alarm,".

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Lower Limb Amputation Rates Associated With Diabetes Drop, US

An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that between 1996 and 2008, the number of leg and foot amputations among U.S. individuals, aged 40+ with diagnosed diabetes, decreased by 65%.
The study, entitled "Declining Rates of Hospitalization for Non-traumatic Lower-Extremity Amputation in the Diabetic Population Aged 40 years or Older: U.S., 1988-2008," is published online in the current issue of Diabetes Care.
In 1996, the age-adjusted rate of leg and foot amputations was 11.2 per 1,000 individuals with diabetes. However, in 2008 this rate fell to 3.9 per 1,000.
Non-traumatic, lower-limb amputations, refers to amputations caused by circulatory problems, rather than those caused by injuries. Circulatory problems are a prevalent adverse effect in individuals suffering with diabetes.
Furthermore, results from the study revealed that in 2008:

• Women had lower age-adjusted rates of lower-limb amputations (1.9 per 1,000) than men (6 per 1,000)
• Individuals aged 75+ had the highest rate (6.2 per 1,000) than people in other age groups
• Rates were higher among blacks (4.9 per 1,000) than whites (2.9 per 1,000)

According to the researchers, the decrease in lower-limb amputations among individuals with diabetes may partially be due to factors such as: declines in heart disease, improvements in blood sugar control, as well as foot care and diabetes management.
Nilka Ríos Burrows, M.P.H., an epidemiologist with CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation, explained:

"The significant drop in rates of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations among U.S. adults with diagnosed diabetes is certainly encouraging, but more work is needed to reduce the disparities among certain populations.
We must continue to increase awareness of the devastating health complications of diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of lower-limb amputations in the United States."

After examining data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey on non-traumatic lower-limb amputations from the National Health Interview Survey on the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes from 1988-2008, the researchers discovered that the decrease in rates was higher among individuals with diagnosed diabetes than people without the disease. Although, in 2008, the rate was still approximately 8 times higher among those with the disease than those without diabetes.
Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic, lower-limb amputations, kidney failure, and blindness among adults. In addition, the disease is the 7th leading cause of mortality in the U.S.. Diabetes also increases the risk of strokes, hypertension, and heart attacks.
CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation supports prevention and control programs in all 50 states, seven U.S. territories and island jurisdictions, and the District of Columbia.
The National Diabetes Education Program provides education to enhance treatment for individuals with the disease, promote early diagnosis and prevent or delay type 2 diabetes from developing. The program is co-sponsored by CDC and the National Institutes of Health.

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Looking at Cannabis Based Type 2 Treatment

Cannabis Potential for Blood Sugar Control?

One of the classic effects of cannabis on people is raging hunger-the "marijuana munchies." The drug has been used to good effect on people with diseases that diminish appetite, helping them to regain a healthy interest in food. So it is a bit ironic that British drug maker GW Pharmaceuticals has created a cross-bred cannabis plant whose appetite-suppressing qualities could be used to treat type 2 diabetes.

The new strain contains an appetite-suppressing compound called THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin), a cannabinoid* found in cannabis sativa-marijuana. The company sees a drug that uses THCV as potentially useful in helping type 2s and obese people control their appetites-a key to good blood sugar control.

In 2010, GW introduced a cannabis-based drug to treat the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Already, the company has found 60 cannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant. A company spokesman says that only 12 to 15 of them have been explored in any depth.

*Cannabinoids are the active ingredients in cannabis sativa that create the plant's physical and mental effects when it is ingested or smoked.

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Marijuana Controls Diabetes

Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy
A compound found in marijuana won’t make you high but it may help keep your eyes healthy if you’re a diabetic, researchers say.
Early studies indicate cannabidiol works as a consummate multi-tasker to protect the eye from growing a plethora of leaky blood vessels, the hallmark of diabetic retinopathy, says Dr. Gregory I. Liou, molecular biologist at the Medical College of Georgia.

“We are studying the role of cannabinoid receptors in our body and trying to modulate them so we can defend against diabetic retinopathy,” Dr. Liou says. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults and affects nearly 16 million Americans.

High glucose levels resulting from unmanaged diabetes set in motion a cascade ultimately causing the oxygen-deprived retina to grow more blood vessels. Ironically, the leaky surplus of vessels can ultimately destroy vision.
Dr. Liou, who recently received a $300,000 grant from the American Diabetes Association, wants to intervene earlier in the process, as healthy relationships inside the retina first start to go bad.

Cannabinoid receptors are found throughout the body and endogenous cannabinoids are produced to act on them. “Their function is very different from organ to organ but in the central nervous system, cannabinoid receptors are responsible for the neutralization process that should occur after a nerve impulse is finished,” says Dr. Liou.

Nerves come together at a point of communication called a synapse. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that excites these nerves to action at their point of communication. “There are also inhibitory neurotransmitters such as GABA,” Dr. Liou says. Endogenous cannabinoids help balance the excitation and inhibition, at least until oxygen gets scarce.

In the face of inadequate oxygen, or ischemia – another hallmark of diabetes – nerve endings start producing even more glutamate, setting in motion an unhealthy chain of events. Pumps that keep the right substances inside or outside of cells start to malfunction. Excess nitric oxide and superoxides are produced, which are toxic to the cells. Another irony is the heightened activity increases the retina’s need for oxygen. “We are talking about nerve cell death,” Dr. Liou says. “In the retina, if a lot of our nerve cells die, our vision is directly affected.”

And that’s not all that goes wrong in the nerve-packed retina. Nearby microglial cells, which can function as cell-eating scavengers in the body, sense something is going wrong with the nerve cells, become activated and start an inflammatory process that can be fatal to nerve cells.
Interestingly, the body starts producing more endogenous cannabinoids to stop glutamate release, then produces an enzyme to destroy the cannabinoids to keep them from continuing to accumulate. The same thing happens in the brain after a stroke.

That’s why cannabidiol, an antioxidant, may help save the retina. Test-tube studies by others, as well as Dr. Liou’s pilot studies in diabetic animal models show cannabidiol works to interrupt essentially all these destructive points of action.
“What we believe cannabidiol does is go in here as an antioxidant to neutralize the toxic superoxides. Number two, it inhibits the self-destructive system and allows the self-produced endogenous cannabinoids to stay there longer by inhibiting the enzyme that destroys them.” Cannabidiol also helps keep microglial cells from turning on nerve cells by inhibiting cannabinoid receptors on microglial cells that are at least partially responsible for their ability to destroy the cells.

“Cannabinoids are trying to ease the situation on both sides. They help save the neuron and, at the same time, make sure the microglial cells don’t become activated. How good do you want a drug to be?” Dr. Liou says.
“We are very pleased,” he says of studies in which cannabidiol is injected into diabetic rats and mice. He hopes the compound in marijuana may one day be given along with insulin to stop the early changes that set the stage for damaged or destroyed vision.

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Does Psoriasis Increase Type 2 Diabetes Risk?

Two to four percent of adults suffer from psoriasis, a common chronic inflammatory disease, in which the irritated skin becomes red and flaky with silver-white scales. A new UK study, published Online First in JAMA's Archives of Dermatology, has now revealed that psoriasis could be a potential risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Rahat S. Azfar, M.D. from Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania, and his team obtained data from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) to evaluate the risk of T2DM in 108,132 people with psoriasis, compared with 430,716 participants without psoriasis, aged between 18 to 90 years.
The researchers state:

"The adjusted attributable risk of developing T2DM among 1,000 patients with psoriasis per year is 0.9 extra cases overall, 0.7 cases in those with mild psoriasis, and 3.0 cases in those with severe psoriasis."

The population-based study also wanted to determine whether those with diabetes and psoriasis were more likely to be prescribed diabetic treatments in comparison with those who had DM but no psoriasis.
They declare: "We observed no difference in use of oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin among patients with mild psoriasis; however, patients with severe psoriasis were more likely to be prescribed oral hypoglycemic agents and had a trend toward being more likely to be prescribed insulin."

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Fructose In Moderation Could Be Beneficial For Diabetics

A new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital suggests that fructose may not be as bad for us as previously thought and that it may even provide some benefit.
"Over the last decade, there have been connections made between fructose intake and rates of obesity," said Dr. John Sievenpiper, a senior author of the study. "However, this research suggests that the problem is likely one of overconsumption, not fructose."
The study reviewed 18 trials with 209 participants who had Type 1 and 2 diabetes and found fructose significantly improved their blood sugar control. The improvement was equivalent to what can be achieved with an oral anti-diabetic drug.
Even more promising, Dr. Sievenpiper said, is that the researchers saw benefit even without adverse effects on body weight, blood pressure, uric acid (gout) or cholesterol.
Fructose, which is naturally found in fruit, vegetables and honey, is a simple sugar that together with glucose forms sucrose, the basis of table sugar. It is also found in high-fructose corn syrup, the most common sweetener in commercially prepared foods.
In all the trials they reviewed, participants were fed diets where fructose was incorporated or sprinkled on to test foods such as cereals or coffee. The diets with fructose had the same amount of calories as the ones without.
"Attention needs to go back where it belongs, which is on the concept of moderation," said Adrian Cozma, the lead author of the paper and a research assistant with Dr. Sievenpiper.
"We're seeing that there may be benefit if fructose wasn't being consumed in such large amounts," Cozma said. "All negative attention on fructose-related harm draws further away from the issue of eating too many calories."

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Overall Post-Meal Blood Sugar Levels Reduced By Snacking On Raisins

New research debuted at the American Diabetes Association's 72nd Annual Scientific Session suggests eating raisins three times a day may significantly lower postprandial (post-meal) glucose levels when compared to common alternative snacks of equal caloric value. The study was conducted at the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Center (L-MARC) by lead researcher, Harold Bays, MD, medical director and president of L-MARC.

The study was conducted among 46 men and women who had not previously been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, but who had mild elevations in glucose levels. Participants were randomly assigned to snack on raisins or pre-packaged commercial snacks that did not contain raisins or other fruits or vegetables, three times a day for 12 weeks. Findings included:

• Compared to control snacks, raisins significantly decreased mean post-meal glucose levels by 16 percent

• Compared to baseline within group paired analysis, raisins significantly reduced mean hemoglobin A1c by 0.12 percent

• Consumption of the control snacks in the study did not significantly reduce mean post-meal glucose or hemoglobin A1c

"Compared to the snacking control group, the group consuming raisins had a significant statistical reduction in their after-liquid meal blood sugar levels among study participants who had mean baseline fasting glucose levels between 90 and 100 mg/dl.," said Dr. Bays. "This favorable glucose effect of raisins was further supported by the statistically significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c (a standard test for overall blood sugar control in diabetes mellitus) in the within group comparison to baseline. The within group comparisons from baseline with snacks did not demonstrate a reduction in hemoglobin A1c."

The study was funded by the California Raisin Marketing Board through a grant to the L-MARC Research Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

"Raisins have a relatively low glycemic index and contain fiber and antioxidants, all factors which contribute to blood sugar control," said James Painter, Ph.D., R.D., and nutrition research advisor for the California Raisin Marketing Board. "Decreasing blood sugar and maintaining normal hemoglobin A1c levels is important because it can prevent long-term damage to the heart and circulatory system."

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My First AA Meeting

 

Yes I attended an AA Meeting with a friend. It was out of love and support.

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Gene May Link Diabetes and Alzheimer's

 

In recent years it became clear that people with diabetes face an ominous prospect -- a far greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Now researchers at The City College of New York (CCNY) have shed light on one reason why. Biology Professor Chris Li and her colleagues have discovered that a single gene forms a common link between the two diseases.

They found that the gene, known to be present in many Alzheimer's disease cases, affects the insulin pathway. Disruption of this pathway is a hallmark of diabetes. The finding could point to a therapeutic target for both diseases. The researchers report their finding in the June 2012 issue of the journal Genetics.

"People with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of dementia. The insulin pathways are involved in many metabolic processes, including helping to keep the nervous system healthy," said Professor Li, explaining why the link is not far-fetched.

Although the cause of Alzheimer's is still unclear, one criterion for diagnosis of the disease after death is the presence of sticky plaques of amyloid protein in decimated portions of patients' brains.

Mutations in the human "amyloid precursor protein" (APP) gene, or in genes that process APP, show up in cases of Alzheimer's that run in families. In the study, Professor Li and her colleagues scrutinized a protein called APL-1, made by a gene in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans ) that happens to be a perfect stand-in for the human Alzheimer's disease gene.

"What we found was that mutations in the worm-equivalent of the APP gene slowed their development, which suggested that some metabolic pathway was disrupted," said Professor Li. "We began to examine how the worm-equivalent of APP modulated different metabolic pathways and found that the APP equivalent inhibited the insulin pathway."

This suggested that the human version of the gene likely plays a role in both Alzheimer's disease and diabetes.

They also found that additional mutations in the insulin pathway reversed the defects of the APP mutation. This helped explain how these genes are functionally linked.

The APL-1 is so important, they found, that "when you knock out the worm-equivalent of APP, the animals die," Li explained. "This tells us that the APP family of proteins is essential in worms, as they are essential in mammals," like us.

Professor Li and her colleagues hope that this new insight will help focus research in ways that might lead to new therapies in the treatment of both Alzheimer's disease and diabetes.

"This is an important discovery, especially as it comes on the heels of the U.S. government's new commitment to treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease by 2025," said Dr. Mark Johnston, editor-in-chief of "Genetics." "We know there's a link between Alzheimer's and diabetes, but until now, it was somewhat of a mystery. This finding could open new doors for treating and preventing both diseases."

The research has identified one link in the chain, an Alzheimer's disease-related protein to the insulin pathway. This may provide insights into why type II diabetes patients are at higher risk for Alzheimer's. However, the protein fragments into many parts, each of which may attach to and signal neurons and other cells along the way. "The big question," said Professor Li, "Is how the amyloid precursor protein and its cleavage products intersect with the insulin pathway."

Each intersection offers a possible target for drugs and other treatment. Professor Li plans to continue down the pathway, mapping its crossroads as she goes.

Professor Li conducted the research with then CUNY Graduate Center -- City College graduate student, Collin Y. Ewald, and research assistant, Daniel A. Raps.

The research was funded by grants from the Alzheimer's Association, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and a NIH Research Centers in Minority Institutions grant to The City College of New York.

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Peaches, Plums, Nectarines Give Obesity, Diabetes Slim Chance

Peaches, plums and nectarines have bioactive compounds that can potentially fight-off obesity-related diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new studies by Texas AgriLife Research.

The study, which will be presented at the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia next August, showed that the compounds in stone fruits could be a weapon against "metabolic syndrome," in which obesity and inflammation lead to serious health issues, according to Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, AgriLife Research food scientist.

"In recent years obesity has become a major concern in society due to the health problems associated to it," said Cisneros-Zevallos, who also is an associate professor at Texas A&M University. "In the U.S., statistics show that around 30 percent of the population is overweight or obese, and these cases are increasing every year in alarming numbers."

While he acknowledged that lifestyle, genetic predisposition and diet play a major role in one's tendency toward obesity, "the major concern about obesity is the associated disease known as metabolic syndrome.

"Our studies have shown that stone fruits -- peaches, plums and nectarines -- have bioactive compounds that can potentially fight the syndrome," Cisneros-Zevallos said. "Our work indicates that phenolic compounds present in these fruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties in different cell lines and may also reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol LDL which is associated to cardiovascular disease."

What is unique to these fruits, he said, is that their mixture of the bioactive compounds work simultaneously within the different components of the disease.

"Our work shows that the four major phenolic groups -- anthocyanins, clorogenic acids, quercetin derivatives and catechins -- work on different cells -- fat cells, macrophages and vascular endothelial cells," he explained. "They modulate different expressions of genes and proteins depending on the type of compound.

"However, at the same time, all of them are working simultaneously in different fronts against the components of the disease, including obesity, inflammation, diabetes and cardiovascular disease," he explained.

Cisneros-Zevallos said this is believed to be the first time that "bioactive compounds of a fruit have been shown to potentially work in different fronts against a disease."

"Each of these stone fruits contain similar phenolic groups but in differing proportions so all of them are a good source of health promoting compounds and may complement each other," he said, adding that his team plans to continue studying the role of each type of compound on the molecular mechanisms and confirm the work with mice studies.

The studies on the health benefits of stone fruit are funded by the California Tree Fruit Agreement, The California Plum Board, the California Grape and Tree Fruit League and the Texas Department of Agriculture. The Cisneros-Zevallos lab team in this study included Freddy Ibanez, Paula Castillo, Paula Simons and Dr. Congmei Cao.

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Diabetics now living for longer

New research from the United States has highlighted that people who have developed diabetes are now living longer than ever before.

The study, by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health, which was based on data from 250,000 adults from 1997 to 2006 and reported in the journal Diabetes Care, found that diabetics are living a lot longer and that patient deaths had been reduced by 23 per cent. This was explained by improved medical therapies, especially for high blood pressure and cholesterol, and people smoking less and taking more exercise. Deaths from heart disease and stroke were also reported to be down by a huge 40 per cent.

However, although the rate of reduction, which is the same for men and women, is good news it does mean that because people are living longer and an increasing amount of people are being diagnosed with diabetes, the total number of diabetics is expected to continue to go up. In the US, the number of those diagnosed has more than tripled since 1980, and there are now thought to be 25.8 million people with diabetes in the country.

Ann Albright, from the CDC, pointed out "Taking care of your heart through healthy lifestyle choices is making a difference, but Americans continue to die from a disease that can be prevented."

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Sex and Insulin Pumps

 

Insulin pump users often ask what to do with their pump during sex

A common question for people starting off on an insulin pump, or considering going onto a pump, is what should I do with my pump during sex?

We take a look at some of the options available and show you how other people with diabetes deal with their insulin pumps for sex.

Taking off the insulin pump

You can take your insulin pump off before having sex. This is one of the more popular options.

Diabetes UK recommends not spending longer than an hour disconnected from your pump.

When disconnected, you may find your blood glucose levels start to rise. If convenient, a blood test before and after sex will show you whether or how much your blood sugar has risen whilst disconnected.

Here’s what members of a Diabetes Forum say about taking their pumps off for sex:

"Take it off, have fun and put it back on when you're ready, as long as it’s not 3 hours later?! Just give a bit more a bolus when you reconnect, it works for me, but then everyone is different."

"I'm male. I take my pump off when I have sex. It's never been an issue. Given the exercise you need less insulin anyways"

"Depending on what your comfortable with I tend to unclip mine before and then just reclip it back on, think everyone finds their own way which you will yourself with time."

Leaving the pump on

Another option is to leave your pump on. You’ll need to take a bit of care so as not to accidentally tug sharply on any of the tubing.

If you leave your pump on, you’ll need to treat sex as a form of exercise and beware of going hypo.

You may wish to adjust your insulin delivery or have some carbohydrate before starting to prevent your blood glucose from dipping too low.

Here’s what the Forum members say about leaving their insulin pumps on during sex:

"I haven't had to disconnect yet and frankly, I've hardly noticed I'm attached!! It's caused a couple of giggles as we've had to quickly shove the pump out of the way and then the tube got tangled but as soon as it did we were both aware, had a giggle and carried on! I honestly wouldn't worry about it too much, give it a go and have fun practicing"

"Luckily my boyfriend is very understanding, and doesn’t find it a problem. Sometimes I stay attached with it in my bra, other times it gets unattached and thrown on the bed to be found later! If you don’t let it be an issue, then it shouldn’t be."

Letting the moment dictate

Sometimes you may not want to adopt a different approach at different times:

"Sometimes I take it off if things are moving slowly enough if you know what I mean but if it is mad, spontaneous sex that you don't have time to think about, then I have left it on. Yeah it sometimes gets in the way but we have a laugh about it then chuck it out the way. If I do take it off, even without insulin for short while, I tend to go hypo after sex anyway!"

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Sex Drive and Libido

 

Diabetes can cause loss of sex drive in men and women. Loss of sex drive and libido can affect people of all ages and both genders. Loss of libido tends to become more likely the older we get and this has been found to be more pronounced in women.

Complications of diabetes, including depression and nerve damage, can also have an impact on libido.

Which factors affect libido?

The NHS lists the following factors which can play a role towards a lower sex drive:

• If your relationship is having problems
• If you have certain diabetic complications
• Low sex hormone levels
• If you are approaching the menopause
• Stress
• Exhaustion
• Depression
• Over consumption of alcohol
• An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• If you are on certain medications

Relationship issues

The NHS notes relationship issues as one of the most common factors in a loss of sex drive.

Talking about your feelings with your partner can be beneficial. You can also get help by talking with Relate, a charity that offers relationship counselling - contact Relate on 0300 100 1234

Your GP can also be able to refer you to speak with a psychosexual therapist.

Diabetic complications

The presence of certain diabetic complications, such as nerve damage (neuropathy) or circulation difficulties, can lead to difficulties in arousal, which can also affect libido.

Achieving good control of blood sugar levels is generally recommended for men and women.

• Read more on female sexual dysfunction
• Read more on male sexual dysfunction

Low sex hormone levels

Low testosterone levels in men and women can lead to a lower sex drive. Women produce testosterone albeit in much smaller quantities than males.

If you have low testosterone levels, your GP may be able to prescribe treatments to help.

Approaching the menopause

Women approaching the menopause will typically experience a reduction of oestrogen in their blood which can lead to a loss of libido.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help but does have side effects. You can discuss with your GP whether hormone replacement is appropriate

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Type 2 Diabetes and Harmful Medication

 

Reading the fine print is an easy step to skip when you are prescribed a new medication, but you risk taking something that may be more harmful than helpful.

When it comes to type 2 diabetes, there are several classes of drugs that your doctor can choose from. They include sulfonylureas, meglitinides, biguanides (metformin) and thiazolidinediones (Actos).

Every medicine should be approached with caution. You’ll want to watch for these serious side effects:

Weight Gain

Gaining 2 to 12 pounds when you begin many type 2 diabetes mediations is normal. However, if you gain more weight than this or continue to gain weight after taking the medicine for some time, you may be retaining water. Water retention is dangerous, because it is often an indicator of heart problems.

Hypoglycemia

Sulfonylureas and meglitinides stimulate the release of insulin, which can cause your blood sugar to drop too much. Hypoglycemia needs to be dealt with right away. It can be detected by increased heartbeat; sweating; paleness; anxiety; numbness in fingers, toes and lips; sleepiness; confusion; headache and slurred speech.

Bladder Cancer

Actos, which is the world’s best-selling diabetes drug, has been linked to higher rates of bladder cancer. Watch for these signs of Actos bladder cancer: blood in the urine, frequent need to urinate and pain while urinating. Talk to your doctor right away if you notice any of these symptoms.

Actos bladder cancer Lawsuits are in the thousands, patients have sued the maker of Actos after developing complications.

Lactic Acidosis

Metformin carries the Food and Drug Administration’s black-box warning because it can lead to lactic acidosis in rare cases. This life-threatening condition occurs when oxygen levels in the body drop and lactic acid builds up in the bloodstream faster than it can be removed.

Lactic acidosis can be detected by checking electrolyte levels. Also watch for nausea, vomiting, lethargy abdominal pain, anxiety and an irregular heart rate.

No matter which medication you and your doctor choose, it’s important to be fully informed about the risks that come with it. Talk to your doctor about any concerns or questions you have.

Alanna Ritchie is a writer for Drugwatch.com. An English major, she is an accomplished technical and creative writer.

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Maxonidine, A Second-Generation Drug Used For Hypertension Aids Heart Function Independent Of Blood Pressure

Heart failure is the most common cause of death throughout the world, typically the result of chronic high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. As a result, research efforts have focused on an array of approaches aimed at preventing and treating high blood pressure. Recently, Japanese researchers examined the utility of an anti-hypertensive drug, moxonidine, which acts on the imidazoline receptors in the cardiovascular center of the brainstem. They found, using an animal model, that the drug can improve heart function and survival independent of its effect on blood pressure. They also found the drug had a favorable effect on oxidative stress, which is related to insulin resistance, the underlying abnormality in diabetes, which is common in people with heart failure.
An abstract presentation about the findings was offered at the meeting Experimental Biology 2012, being held April 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center. The study was conducted by Yoshitaka Hirooka, Nobuhiro Honda, Ryuichi Matsukawa, Koji Itou and Kenji Sunagawa, all of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences in Fukuoka, Japan. It is entitled, "Central sympathoinibition improves left ventricular function during the transition from hypertrophy to heart failure in Dahl salt-sensitive rats." The abstract is sponsored by the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), one of six scientific societies sponsoring the conference which last year attracted some 14,000 attendees.
Heart failure is a chronic disease that takes many forms and a variety of medications are used to treat it. Drugs such as ACE inhibitors and beta blockers target the causes of systolic heart failure. Clonidine, a first-generation central sympathoinhibitory drug, targets brain receptors that reduce cardiac output and lower blood pressure. Moxonidine, a second-generation drug, targets diastolic heart failure and function by reducing the effect of the central nervous system (CNS) receptors to decrease sympathetic activation and thus reduce blood pressure. In the study, salt-sensitive, hypertensive rats either received Moxonidine or were assigned to the control group. Researchers later found that the animals who received the drug had a marked inhibition of the sympathetic activity (an area of the brain) compared to those that did not. The findings suggest that inhibition of the central sympathetic outflow is important in the mechanism of hypertension. According to Dr. Hirooka, "The findings are important because they suggest that moxonidine may be useful in targeting the central receptors in the brain that are known to occur in patients with hypertension."
Next Steps
The study is the latest in a series conducted by the research team whose focus is on neural control of circulation in hypertension and heart failure. Looking ahead, they will work to identify the precise mechanisms involved in the beneficial effect of moxonidine, Dr. Hirooka said. They will also study other ways to see if the compound is a possible therapeutic tool for hypertensiveheart disease to prevent heart failure. As the drug had beneficial effects on insulin resistance, they would like to further investigate the issue, he added.
Maxonidine is available in select countries in Europe and Asia. It is not currently available in the United States.

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