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Major changes could reduce diabetes death toll
The president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is urging major changes to improve the health of Americans and curb an oncoming epidemic of diabetes.
"Unless something is done to prevent it, diabetes will result in 35 million heart attacks, 13 million strokes, 6 million episodes of renal failure, 8 million instances of blindness or eye surgery, 2 million amputations and 62 million deaths, for a total of 121 million serious diabetes-related adverse events in the next 30 years," said Robert A. Rizza, the ADA's president of medicine and science. Read the full story…
Many doctors aren't treating diabetes aggressively enough
Doctors are failing to intensify treatment in people with type 2 diabetes who have high blood pressure or high blood sugar levels. Four new studies suggest that "clinical inertia" -- the failure of physicians to take action when they see abnormal findings -- is an important problem in managing diabetes effectively. Read the full story…
Female hormone may prevent type 1 diabetes
New animal research suggests that a naturally produced estrogen hormone known as estradiol might help protect against diabetes by preventing the death of pancreatic cells critical to the production of insulin.
The findings are based on work with mice and have not yet been tried in a human trial. Read the full story…
'Micro-bubbles' boost diabetes gene therapy research
In what could be an advance in the use of gene therapy against diabetes, U.S. researchers say they've smuggled insulin-producing genes into the pancreas of mice by hiding them in a tiny "bubble." By bursting the bubble with sound waves, they were able to free the insulin genes to infiltrate the pancreas, which normally produces insulin. Once there, the genes went to work protecting the organ against the ravages of diabetes. Read the full story…
Coffee could help keep diabetes away
Drinking lots of coffee cut women's risk of developing diabetes in an 11-year study. But it was the antioxidants, not caffeine, in the brew that probably did the trick. In fact, diabetes risk was reduced most in participants who preferred decaffeinated coffee, said researchers from the University of Minnesota. Read the full story… |