Diabetes Blog | Diabetes Type, Treatment, & Recipes

In a Message to Canadians, Health Canada, the Competition Bureau, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Diabetes Association warns Canadians about the scams floating around regarding so called miracle cures for diabetes.

Can Diabetes be Cured?

No. Today, diabetes can be managed, but there is no cure for diabetes yet. Any product that claims to be a miracle cure for diabetes is a fraud that could cheat you of time, money and most importantly, your health.

There are many scams designed to prey on consumers with diabetes who are hoping to find solutions to living with this chronic disease.

Until researchers find a cure, the only safe way to manage diabetes is to follow the treatment program designed by your health care practitioner.

Approximately two million Canadians have diabetes. Diabetes occurs when the body can’t produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that ensures your body gets the energy it needs to work. Over time, diabetes can lead to complications such as blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, limb amputations, nerve damage and erectile dysfunction. The risk of longterm complications can be reduced through effective health care, education and selfmanagement.

There are three types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, usually diagnosed in chi?dren and adolescents, occurs when the body makes little or no insulin. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin produced. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, although increasing numbers of children in highrisk populations (i.e. Aboriginal, Asian, Hispanic and African) are being diagnosed.

The third type of diabetes, known as gestational diabetes, is a temporary condition that develops during pregnancy but disappears after the baby is born. Both mother and child have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Healthy eating, weight control and physical activity are important prevention steps. Type 1 diabetes is always treated with insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is managed through physical activity and meal planning and may require medications and/or insulin to help your body make or use insulin more effectively.

What can I do about Diabetes Scams?

Be skeptical: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is! There is no pill, herb or “all natural” health product that will miraculously cure diabetes.

Here are some tips on spotting scams:

• Beware of ads that promise too much. Think twice before buying a product that claims it can do it all – stabilize blood sugar, end the need for insulin, regenerate the pancreas, reduce cholesterol, and cause easy weight loss.
• Steer clear of a product that claims to be a “scientific breakthrough”. Researchers around the world are racing to find better treatments for diabetes, so genuine scientific discoveries make frontpage news. If the first or only place you learn about a new treatment is through an advertisement on the Internet, be suspicious.
• Keep your guard up when ads mention scientific evidence. Ads that are long on technical jargon may be short on proof. The presence of a doctor in an ad is no guarantee the product works. Scam artists have been known to dress models to look like experts.
• Don’t be swayed by a questionable “success story” or so-called “patient testimonial”. Despite what the company claims, there’s no guarantee that “John Doe of Hometown, Canada” has achieved the advertised results – or is even a real person.
• A money-back guarantee is no proof that a product works. Scam artists who offer a guarantee have been known to take the money and run.

Consult your health care practitioner before trying any new treatment. A doctor, nurse, or health care professional who knows your medical condition is your best source of information.

The Roles of Health Canada, the Competition Bureau and the Public Health Agency of Canada

Health Canada

Consumers should be aware that, before a health product can be advertised or sold in Canada, the manufacturer must first provide Health Canada with evidence that the product is safe and of high quality. The product must also perform as claimed. Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eightdigit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DINHM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Under the Food and Drugs Act, no person is permitted to package, treat, process, sell or advertise any drug in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety.

Competition Bureau

The Competition Bureau is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Competition Act as well as three labelling statutes that ensure Canadians are provided with acc?rate and meaningful information to make informed purchasing decisions. Under the Competition Act, all advertisers must ensure that their claims are true and accurate prior to putting their products on the market. In particular, performance claims made for the promotion of a product must be true and must be based on adequate and proper tests, such as those undertaken by an accredited scientific facility or recognized expert.

Public Health Agency of Canada

The mission of the Public Health Agency of Canada is to promote and protect the health of Canadians through leadership, partnership, innovation and action in public health. The Agency focusses on effective efforts to prevent chronic diseases, like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, to prevent injuries and to respond to public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks. The Public Health Agency of Canada works closely with the provinces and territories to keep Canadians healthy and help reduce pressures on the health care system.

Questions & Additional Information

If you have questions or would like file a complaint relating to a diabetes product or scam, contact:

Information Centre Competition Bureau
50 Victoria Street
Gatineau QC   K1A 0C9

Toll-free: 1-800-348-5358
National Capital Region: 819-997-4282

TDD (for hearing impaired):
1-800-642-3844

Half of the US population has a gene variant that impairs glucose tolerance, putting them at risk of diabetes.
Diabetes is an increasing problem, so there is great interest in predisposing factors. Although we know that lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet can contribute to diabetes, genetic factors may also be involved. A team at Saint Louis University has now discovered a gene variant that may increase the risk of diabetes.

They studied a variant of a gene called FABP2 which is involved in the absorption of fat from food. In the study, participants consumed a very rich milkshake and the researchers studied how their bodies processed its fat content. Those with the variant burned more fat, which may have hindered their ability to remove sugar from the bloodstream. This kind of inefficiency in removing sugar can raise the risk of diabetes. The researchers say that half of the US population probably has the FABP2 gene variant. But it does not, in itself, cause diabetes and other genes will also be involved. The study is another step forward in understanding how genes and lifestyle factors contribute to the development of diabetes.

Source
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition January 2007

Diabetics have traditionally had to inject themselves with insulin on a daily basis to manage their illness.

Current studies show that a fear of, or reluctance to use needles makes sufferers delay treatment of diabetes for an average of four years, leading to devastating and costly complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, or even blindness.

Now, with the arrival of Exubera, manufactured by Pfizer, diabetics in the UAE will be able to use the insulin inhalation dry powder and avoid the inconvenience of regular and often painful daily injections.

Pfizer has also welcomed the timely approval of the new medication, which has been hailed as one of the biggest steps forward since the discovery of insulin in 1922 by doctors who treat diabetes.

‘Many diabetics have to make the procedure of self-administering insulin by injection a major part of their daily routine, out of necessity rather than convenience or choice. The approval of an insulin inhaler which can be administered in a matter of seconds will undoubtedly impact the lives of diabetics,’ said Dr. Ahmed Al Hakim, external affairs and policy director for Pfizer Middle East.

The registration of Exubera was approved in January 2007 after it was examined by the Ministry’s Higher Drugs Registration Committee.

The approval is a major development in the fight against diabetes in the UAE, where 19.5 per cent of the population aged between 20 and 70 are diabetic. Studies predict the number of diabetes cases in the UAE will increase to approximately 22 per cent by the year 2025.

Exubera is expected to be available for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes among adults later this year. The inhalation powder was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use at the beginning of 2006.

An estimated 300 000 Georgians, or nearly one in twelve, suffer from diabetes. Now, the government is taking measures to combat the incurable metabolic disorder.

On August 22, deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Davit Meskhishvili, joined by director of the National Diabetes Center Ramaz Kurashvili, held a press conference to announce the ministry’s new information campaign.

The Health Ministry will be publishing magazines and brochures to better inform the country about diabetes, and promote healthy lifestyles to ward off type-2 diabetes. Georgians are at risk, says Meskhishvili, because of unhealthy diets and lifestyles.

“This disease is not only widespread in Georgia, but in developed countries as well. Someone dies from diabetes every five seconds,” Meskhishvili told the Messenger.

Meskhishvili explains that the estimate of 300 000 diabetes sufferers in Georgia is a rough guess, as many afflicted Georgians don’t seek medical care.

The ministry will attack diabetes from the twin angles of prevention and treatment. Along with promoting a non-smoking, healthy lifestyle, the ministry will provide free insulin treatments to poor diabetes patients.

“For families below the poverty line which have someone sick with diabetes, the whole health care package will be free,” Meskhishvili declared.

Kurashvili, the National Diabetes Center director, told the Messenger there are a number of risk factors for diabetes.

“There are two risk factors: stable and unstable. Stable risk factors for diabetes are the color of skin. For instance, there is bigger risk in black and yellow-skinned people to get sick than for whites. If the person has a family history of diabetes, then there is also a chance that genetic predisposition will lead to getting sick. Diabetes risk also increases with the age,” Kurashvili says.

‘Instable factors,’ he adds, are unhealthy lifestyles which include tobacco, alcohol and too much food. High blood pressure, insomnia, fatigue and stress are all linked to diabetes, Kurashvili says. Educating those at risk for diabetes is crucial, he says. And he knows the condition’s effects.

“My parents are sick with diabetes. My father is 96 years old, and he has had diabetes for 15 years. My mother is 85, and has fought it for a long time as well,” Kurashvili told the Messenger, adding that with proper care, diabetes is manageable.

But to buy the necessary treatment and see doctors may cost more than many Georgians can afford, particularly pensioners. Although insulin shots will be available free, people with type-2 diabetes need saccharine, medicine and regular checks of their blood sugar level.

73-year-old Nina Obolashvili has had diabetes for five years, losing some weight and eyesight. When she was first diagnosed with diabetes, she went to the doctor for treatment, but the expense became too much for her family. She self-medicates now, and says it helps that she lives in a village, eats natural food and leads an active lifestyle.

“It’s good when you can afford doctors and regular health checks, but not everyone can, especially in the regions. My children provide me with medicine, and I get a check-up once a year,” Obolashvili told the Messenger.

Source: The Messenger

Diabetes can be a killer, causing heart and vascular problems – and now scientists think they know why.  Diabetics are likely to be deficient in thiamine (vitamin B1), and it is this that makes diabetes – both types I and II – such a serious condition.

Researchers from Warwick University have found that diabetics have a 75 per cent deficiency of thiamine in their blood plasma, a lack that has been missed by the standard blood test.

It’s not that diabetics are taking any less B1 in their diet than healthy individuals, it’s more to do with the fact that their diabetes is rapidly moving the thiamine from the blood and into the urine.

Low thiamine levels can cause problems in endothelial cells, which line the body’s entire circulatory system, and which can lead to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, or chronic inflammation of the artery walls.

Source: Diabetologia, 2007

Men, eat your whole grains. Especially if you’re middle-aged or older, and you want to decrease your risk of getting Type II diabetes.

Increasing your intake of whole grains will help, says a study in the issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Eating whole grains might even help compensate for other risks. Obesity increases the risk of Type II diabetes, but men in the study who were obese but physically active and who also had a high intake of whole grains had a 52 percent lower risk of diabetes than did inactive obese men who did not eat many whole grains.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 17 million Americans have diabetes, and 5.9 million are as yet undiagnosed. Most have Type II diabetes, in which the body does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells ignore the insulin.

Researchers speculate the high fiber content of the bran fraction of whole grains slows down gastric emptying, and thus slows down the release of glucose into the bloodstream. That, in turn, reduces the insulin response after meals and the risk of developing diabetes.

Whole grain foods also have more magnesium than refined grain foods, and that has been shown to improve the response of insulin, too.

“The insulin level in the blood tends to be more stable,” Fung says, “and it doesn’t peak as high, and that might have something to do with reducing the risk.”

As good as whole grains are, most Americans don’t eat nearly enough. Recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000 suggest that several of the recommended six to 11 servings of grain per day be whole grains.

“About half of all grains [eaten] should be whole grains,” Fung says. Depending on a person’s size and caloric needs, that means at least three servings a day of whole grains, she says.

The new study provides reinforcement for what nutrition and diabetes experts have known for some time, says a certified diabetes educator at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

“This is something we’ve known all along is a good thing,” says Karen Chalmers, director of nutrition at the center.

In addition to cutting your diabetes risk, whole grains fill you up and may make it easier to lose weight. “We stress fiber as a way to lose weight,” she says.

To boost whole grain intake, Fung suggests reading labels on food products and looking for ingredients such as “whole wheat,” or buying food products such as oatmeal, brown rice or whole grain pastas.

Source: paktribune.com

People with diabetes are far more likely to suffer from sexual problems and the anxiety and frustration that come as part of the territory. But you don’t have to suffer in silence.

Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra (vardenafil) are 3 major FDA approved medications that treats ED but there is no cure for this yet.

“I first noticed my erection problems about two years ago,” says Paul, 38, who has had Type 2 Diabetes for five years and needs to use insulin five times a day. “My partner and I have always enjoyed a loving and active sex life. At first I questioned our relationship. Did I still find her attractive? Had the relationship changed in some way? Through sheer process of elimination, I came to realise the problem was mechanical.”

Paul is one of half of all men with diabetes who experience erection problems or Erectile Dysfunction (ED) at some stage in their lives. ED is a common complication of diabetes and is caused by damage to the nerves in the penis – with your risk increasing as you get older. And unfortunately, ED often triggers anxiety and confusion, which makes matters even worse.

“In the past, I have never had any problems getting an erection. So it came as quite a surprise,” says Paul. “Luckily, my partner and I talk freely about everything and we were able to discuss the problem without too many inhibitions. I reassured her it was nothing to do with her and that I thought it was linked to my diabetes.”

He was right. Men with diabetes are three times more likely to experience ED, and unlike men who don’t have diabetes, over 80 per cent of cases are caused by physical rather than psychological factors.

Twenty five per cent of all women with diabetes and about 50 per cent of men will experience some kind of sexual problems or loss of sexual desire as a result of their condition, and like men, women with diabetes report significantly more problems with sexual dysfunction than women without diabetes.

Paul was lucky to be part of such an open and understanding relationship, as many couples shy away from talking about the problem due to embarrassment, frustration or feelings of guilt, especially if the cause is not understood. Research has shown that 30 per cent of men with diabetes don’t know that ED is a common complication, while almost half do know, but believe that ED is inevitable with age and that there is nothing they can do to prevent or treat it. Plus, a recent international study for the British Journal of Urology revealed that five per cent of men with erectile dysfunction also have undiagnosed diabetes – over 750,000 people in the UK currently have diabetes but don’t yet know it.

But for men with ED, there is no reason to suffer in silence, as effective treatment is readily available.

“I have a light-hearted relationship with my diabetes team so I didn’t have a problem speaking to them about it. The next time I was due for a doctor’s appointment, I told my GP about the erectile problems,” says Paul. “She was very helpful and gave me a list of the drugs available and I opted for Cialis.”

It didn’t take long for Paul to get used to the tablets. “I take one about half an hour before I think we might have sex,” he says. “More than 50 per cent of the time I can do without the tablets, but it’s good to know they are there as a back up. One tablet lasts for about 36 hours. I haven’t suffered any side effects and although it slightly takes the spontaneity away, our sex life is as active and healthy as ever.”

Source: Keep the Doctor Away, UK