Researchers from the Mayo Clinic investigated why people with diabetes have more frequent hospitalizations and readmissions than people without the disease. They found that regardless of the initial reason for the hospitalization, 11% of patients with diabetes were readmitted within thirty days, often due to high or low blood sugar, and young people were most at risk […]
The University of Pennsylvania study shows diabetes can affect the oral microbiome, potentially causing inflammation, periodontitis and bone loss. The researchers stress the importance of oral hygiene and glycemic control to help counteract these potential effects. Read more
When people think of the complications diabetes can cause, often eye problems, heart damage and diabetic neuropathy are the first things that come to mind. But diabetes is also strongly associated with hearing loss. Diabetes can alter metabolic activity in the inner ear making it sensitive to changes. When blood sugar rises, nerve breakdown in the inner ear […]
Type 1 diabetes used to be called “juvenile diabetes” and is often associated with children, while type 2 is more commonly associated with those middle-aged or older. But children with type 1 grow to be adults, and now type 2 is growing more common among the young. What are the differences and similarities in how type 1 […]
When gifted Irish cyclist Stephen Clancy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, he thought it might mean the end of his racing career. In the hospital, a diabetes consultant told him extreme levels of exercise could complicate his diabetes management and make it more difficult to control the condition. But then he found Team Novo […]
When it comes to increased risk of osteoporosis, not all diabetes drugs are the same. A new study looks at the connections between diabetes and osteoporosis, and suggests certain types of drugs should be avoided to reduce risk of bone loss. Read more
Intestinal bypass surgery is used as a treatment for obesity, but also has the effect of improving or even curing diabetes. Surgeon Francesco Rubino is exploring why the surgery is so effective. It’s not because of weight loss, because the surgery has its effect on diabetes even before the patient loses weight. So what is the mechanism? […]
Risk of pancreatic cancer rises dramatically among patients newly diagnosed with diabetes. Researcher Richard Frank is leading a study to examine the connection, in the hope of detecting pancreatic cancer earlier, when chances of a cure are higher. Read on
The diabetes drug metformin is reputed to have many beneficial effects. Researcher Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, believes it may be able to help us extend our years of healthy, illness-free life. Read more.
A new “smart” insulin patch may make blood glucose monitoring more accurate and less painful. The patch, worn on the skin, would automatically deliver insulin as needed. It’s under development at The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University. Read more
Amin Zayani has had type 1 diabetes for 11 years and relies on daily insulin injections. A couple of years ago he had a bad experience when his insulin suddenly seemed to stop working. He discovered that the cause was that, unknown to him, his insulin had frozen in the refrigerator, ruining its potency. To keep […]
A new report says diabetes has increased globally by 40% in just the last 2 years. The Middle East and Africa were particularly hard-hit, and the disease is increasing rapidly in lower and middle-income countries. The disease is estimated to cost around $827 billion annually. Read more
The A1C test is a standard way of diagnosing diabetes, by assessing the average levels of glucose attached to red blood cells. However, various genetic factors can affect the accuracy of the test’s results. Now, a new study in patients with type 1 shows that the tests are likely to overestimate the glucose levels of […]
A new study has discovered that beta cells have numerous vitamin A receptors. Tests show that partially blocking these vitamin A receptors affects insulin production, and completely blocking them can cause cell death. This suggests a vitamin A deficiency could be a factor in type 1 diabetes. Read more
Gleevec, a drug used to treat leukemia, may also slow the progression of type 1 diabetes. In a new study, the drug appeared to boost insulin production in the study participants’ bodies. While this study was conducted in adults, the researchers’ goal is to obtain FDA approval to test children, as the greatest potential for […]
Canagliflozin (marketed under the brand name Invokana) is one of a newer class of diabetes drugs, the SGLT-2 Inhibitors, that have received much attention in the last few years. Now a new study shows that patients taking canagliflozin have a significantly reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes when compared to placebo. Since most patients […]
Researchers have examined the apparent link between type 1 and asthma many times, but results have been inconclusive. Now a new study from Finland offers tantalizing new findings, but the complexity of the relationship between the two conditions has only deepened. In the study, children with a previous diagnosis of type 1 had a lower […]
An old and inexpensive vaccine may offer a cure for type 1 diabetes. BCG, a tuberculosis vaccine used worldwide, “Can reset the immune system to a normal state. It can get you back to normal levels of blood sugar,” according to Dr. Denise L. Faustman, who has launched a 5-year clinical trial to study BCG’s effect […]
Treating diabetes may not be quite as simple as eating your vegetables, but a compound found in broccoli called sulforaphane shows promise in helping patients with type 2, according to a new study. The researchers, who in part were looking for an alternative to metformin for those patients with reduced kidney function, found that giving study […]
Measures of blood sugar, as well as of heart health, worsen when sleep apnea is not treated, researchers have found. Sleep apnea has long been associated with these health issues, but cause and effect have not been established. This study found patients’ blood sugar and heart markers worsened when they did not use their CPAP […]