Battling Diabetes

What do diabetics need to know about chromium?

Chromium is a trace element that assists in the normal metabolism and storage of fat, proteins and carbohydrates. It is also considered an insulin enhancer as it is involved in the production of insulin and the release of glucose on the cellular level.

Types of chromium include inorganic chromium, high-chromium yeast, chromium picolinate, and chromium polynicotinate. Chromium picolinate is most commonly recommended as it is the most easily absorbed.

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Diabetes Events:

Diabetes Australia will unveil their new website on July 13, 2008 in conjunction with the start of Australia’s National Diabetes Week. Diabetes Australia is committed to turning diabetes around through awareness, prevention, detection, management and a cure.

Check out Team Diabetes Canada: Since its inception, Team Diabetes Canada participants have raised vital funds on behalf of the Canadian Diabetes Association and the 2 million Canadians with diabetes that the Association serves. Team Diabetes participants not only increase public awareness of the disease, they inspire their communities to get active and involved. They create lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, while raising funds in support of the research, education, advocacy, and programming that the Canadian Diabetes Association delivers in communities across Canada. Team Diabetes participants are local heroes working to prevent diabetes at home and abroad. Team Diabetes programs allow you to walk or run in world-class marathon events in fascinating cities both nationally and throughout the World. More →

Being diabetic doesn’t mean boring meals or uninspiring shopping experiences. Turn a challenge into an adventure. Here’s some ideas.

Have you seen the American Diabetes Association Virtual Grocery Store yet?

Create a profile and sign in first. Then explore all there is to offer on this great site.

• Virtual Grocery Store Tour: lets you see your ordinary grocery store through the eyes of a diabetic trying to make smart choice.
• A Recipe File with recipes and a place to store your favorites. It also includes tips to modify recipes.
• Meal Planning help with exchange lists, the food pyramid and information on how to read labels.
• Express Lane, ideas and recipes on how to eat fast food that is healthy.
• Shopping list lets you import ingredients from the site’s recipes or just add your own grocery needs. It is printable to take with you to the store. More →

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an endocrine disorder affecting one in ten women in the United States. Many Type 2 Diabetics have PCOS.

What is PCOS? In normal ovaries, a single egg matures and is released each month. In PCOS the follicles that develop and release eggs do not release due to hormonal imbalances causing cysts on the ovaries.

What causes PCOS? It is not known what causes PCOS. It is also not clear whether weight gain causes PCOS or PCOS causes weight gain. Many researchers correlate excess insulin levels in PCOS patients with excess androgen production.

Per the Mayo Clinic: “Doctors don’t know the cause of polycystic ovary syndrome, but research suggests a link to excess insulin, the hormone produced in the pancreas that allows cells to use sugar (glucose), your body’s primary energy supply. By several mechanisms, excess insulin is thought to boost androgen production by your ovaries. Studies also indicate that genetic factors may play a role in PCOS.”

Symptoms: It is important to note that not all women have all symptoms. Some symptoms improve with menopause and some get worse.

• Infrequent or absent menstrual cycles
• High blood pressure
• Acne
• Obesity
• Skin tags
• Pre diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes
• Cystic ovaries
• Hirsutism (excessive body hair)
• Infertility
• Thinning of scalp hair
• Dark patches of skin on armpits, neck, inner thighs, vulva or under breasts.

Could you have PCOS? Take the quiz.

Treatment can prevent the risk factors of PCOS, including diabetes, cancer of the uterus and heart disease, and will address the symptoms of PCOS.

Per WomensHealth.gov, recent studies have found that

• More than 50 percent of women with PCOS will have diabetes or pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) before the age of 40.
• Women with PCOS have a four to seven times higher risk of heart attack than women of the same age without PCOS.
• Women with PCOS are at greater risk of having high blood pressure.
• Women with PCOS have high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

Diagnosis of PCOS is made through blood tests and ultrasound.

PCOS does not go away. Treatment modalities for PCOS involve managing symptoms and is dependent upon where a woman is in her reproductive life and her personal choices. Many medications should not be taken if a woman is trying to get pregnant.

Pharmacological treatments may include:

• Metformin for managing glucose and insulin resistance
• Spirolactone for acne and hair growth
• Propecia for hair loss
• Low dose oral contraceptives to regulate menstrual cycles
• Clomid for infertility issues

Ovarian drilling may be an option to stimulate ovulation. This is a surgical procedure involving a small laproscopic abdominal incision. A surgeon uses electrical or laser energy to burn holes in enlarged follicles on the surface of the ovaries.

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According to the American Diabetes Association, gestational diabetes affects 4% to 8% of all pregnant women, and about 135, 000 women in the United States each year. Gestational diabetes only occurs during pregnancy and glucose levels typically return to normal after pregnancy. The risk for the mother includes preeclampsia during pregnancy, while the developing fetus may be born jaundiced and hypoglycemic. There is also an associated risk that gestational diabetics and their babies will develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime.

The symptoms of gestational diabetes often go undetected as increased urination may be associated with pregnancy. Increased thirst is also a silent symptom. Women should be routinely tested in their 24th to 28th week of pregnancy with a glucose tolerance test. This should be done earlier if there is a history of gestational diabetes.

While any woman can have gestational diabetes there are known risk factors per the Mayo Clinic:

• Age. Women older than age 25 are at higher risk.
• Family or personal history. Your chance of developing gestational diabetes increases if a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, has type 2 diabetes, or you had gestational diabetes in a prior pregnancy.
• Weight. Being overweight before pregnancy makes it more likely that you’ll develop gestational diabetes, though weight during your pregnancy doesn’t cause gestational diabetes.
• Race. While it is unknown why, you’re at increased risk if you’re black, Hispanic or American Indian.
• Previous complicated pregnancy. If you’ve had an unexplained stillbirth or a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds, you should be monitored more closely for gestational diabetes the next time you become pregnant.

For more information o see the Mayo Clinic site.

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Diabetics and alcohol consumption.

Most sources agree that if your diabetes is well regulated an alcoholic beverage can be scheduled into your meal plan on occasion. Always consult your physician first to be sure your medication is compatible with alcohol. If you have neuropathies such as a compromised liver it is important to discuss alcohol consumption with your doctor as alcohol is metabolized mainly by the liver.

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Diabetes Events:

American Diabetes Association, TOUR de CURE.

Tour de Cure is a series of fund-raising cycling events held in 40 states nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association. Check out Tour de Cure to find an event in your state.

This and That Diabetes Info:

I Decided to Fight DIABETES

“Join the American Diabetes Association’s I Decide To Fight Diabetes campaign. It allows you to become a champion for the cause through personal actions and helps raise awareness of diabetes. It’s also a daily reminder that making healthier choices really does matter.

Show your support by wearing the signature “I Decide” charm or customized merchandise. Your purchase will help raise much needed funds to help prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of people affected by the disease.

Be a champion in the fight. Spread the word and rally your friends and co-workers to do the same.”

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The Diabetes Prevention Program, DPP.

The Diabetes Prevention Program was a randomized clinical trial that involved 27 diabetes centers across the United States. Additionally it included over 3000 people who were 25 years of age or older at high risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes. High risk individuals were determined due to obesity, family history for Type 2 Diabetes and elevated glucose levels. Half the participants were Caucasian and half were minorities.

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When you are a diabetic sick days mean much more than calling in sick to work and crawling under the covers.

Planning is the most important part of your sick day regime. More →

For the techno geeks and wizards out there, here’s what is going on in high-tech gadgets for diabetes care.

• Friday Diabetes News mentioned the glucose monitoring car of the future introduced by Medtronics. The M Concept car is a Lincoln sedan that uses wireless technology to monitor a patient’s blood glucose level through the car’s dashboard. Using BlueTooth technology the system alerts the driver of blood glucose problems with audio and visual signals. Medtronics plans to also launch a vehicle system which will dial for medical assistance if the driver does not respond to alerts or when abnormal glucose levels are generated.

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