MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'glucose (blood sugar)'. Tue, 04 May 2010 18:46:07 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440998&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fbeating-the-odds-with-richard-vaughn-over-half-a-century-of-diabetes.html Richard Vaughn is a bit of a legend in the diabetes online community. Known more widely as Richard157 on several diabetes forums, Richard began sharing his story of living with type 1 diabetes for over 60 years via forum posts in 2007 and has become an inspiration for many. Last week, Richard also became a [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440998 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:00:24 +0100 3440998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429381&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fnewsflash-new-sanofi-aventis-glucose-meters-brought-to-you-by-agamatrix.html Today, Sanofi-Aventis announced that it’s getting into the glucose meter manufacturing business, by partnering with a small company known for highly accurate meter technology, AgaMatrix (makers of WaveSense products, based on a patented electrochemistry formula). Reports say the new Sanofi-branded meters will be out later this year, and that this move is part of a larger [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429381 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:00:47 +0100 3429381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243965&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fsubtle-accusations.html Sometimes it’s the incessant sense of failure with diabetes that gets me down.  It’s not so much about strangers making stupid comments, or even me beating myself up for not doing a perfect job of managing my BG levels every day…  it’s more about the subtle accusations of people closer to me, those who I [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243965 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:08 +0100 3243965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193952&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F01%2F10-d-things-to-do-this-year.html Over at HealthCentral Network, the theme for 2010 is “This Year, I Get My Condition Under Control.”  For January, the bloggers are focused on “Pairs of Tens for Your Condition,” as in 10 Things You Should Know, 10 Myths Busted, etc., etc. For my part, I’m taking on “10 Things I’ll Do This Year.”  To make [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193952 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:00:47 +0100 3193952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159932&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fthe-diabetic-partner-follies-act-22-what-does-it-take-to-be-a-caregiver.html Welcome, partners and loved ones of diabetics. It’s been a while since we’ve visited this series by and for you all, where you can share your perspective on what it means to live with diabetes “from the other side.” First off, I’d like to announce that fabulous fellow D-blogger and author Wil Dubois is working on [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159932 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:00:10 +0100 3159932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108510&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fannouncing-the-2009-holiday-survival-story-winners.html Happy Mid-Holiday Season, Dear Readers.  We had a modest turnout for the DiabetesMine Holiday Survival Stories Contest this year, which wasn’t such a bad thing, as it turns out; we judges still had a hard time choosing winners. In the end, we tried to focus on situations that “typify” what we PWDs tend to go through [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108510 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:18 +0100 3108510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092872&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fwayback-wednesday-diab-entity-crisis.html As a sort of addendum to this Monday’s post, I can’t believe I wrote the following testimonial four whole years ago. Ever more confirmation that the more things change, the more they stay the same: Diab-entity Crisis Sometime in the middle of last week, as I was gazing at my blog banner and mulling over my next [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092872 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:00:59 +0100 3092872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071418&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fwayback-wednesday-oh-glorious-middle.html Special for “hump day”: I’m revisiting this post from 2007, which I’ve referred to often whenever I second-guess myself about how to talk to my kids about living with diabetes: Oh, Glorious Middle! I’ve shared this tidbit with some of you already: whenever my girls and I are having a bit of relaxed fun, laughing and taking [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071418 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:00:05 +0100 3071418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2839129&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fhow-to-be-a-good-endo-from-a-patient%25e2%2580%2599s-pov.html Scott Johnson is one of my favorite fellow diabetes bloggers. Always has been. This post will show you why.   A Guest Post by Scott K. Johnson, of Scott’s Diabetes Journal Amy’s guest post from Dr. Anne Peters last Thursday on “How to be a Good Diabetes Patient” sure ruffled some feathers.  I wanted to take [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2839129 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:25 +0100 2839129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786225&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F09%2Flife-by-the-numbers.html Browsing through the latest issue of Wired magazine (my favorite print pub!), I stumbled upon a “reader rant” that stopped me in my tracks. A guy named Edward Aboufadel from Ada, Michigan, was responding to a recent article titled Living by Numbers, about our new data-driven lifestyles. He writes: People who are really ‘living by [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786225 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:56:51 +0100 2786225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727370&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fblood-sugar-guidelines-in-the-crossfire.html Did any of you catch this excellent article in the New York Times last week: Diabetes Case Shows Pitfalls of Treatment Guidelines?  I was surprised to see very little blog chatter on it. It’s a fascinating summary of the recent controversy over national blood sugar guidelines, sparked primarily by the ACCORD study that scared everybody [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727370 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:00:17 +0100 2727370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588408&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fthe-future-of-cgm.html Did I say I was finished reviewing the fabulous submissions in this year’s DiabetesMine Design Challenge? Well I lied, sorry. There’s one more design that came very close to winning that I’d like to share today. Remember how we said the Grand Prize winner LifeCase/LifeApp — a design concept that converts your iPhone [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588408 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:00:10 +0100 2588408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584357&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fwayback-wednesday-standard-deviation-buzz.html Welcome to Round 2 of my new blast-from-the-past series here at DiabetesMine. Once again, I note how little things have changed in four years! This post originally appeared exactly four years ago to the day, but if I didn’t tell you that, you might not notice. That’s because using the standard deviation for evaluating glucose [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584357 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:00:14 +0100 2584357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523627&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fvacation-all-i-ever-wanted.html Q: When is a weekend away truly a Getaway? A: When your diabetes cooperates. Relaxation is good for me. I know that now because I’ve tested it empirically. Whenever I’m on vacation, especially if it’s someplace hot where I can wear scant clothing and swim in a sparkling pool, my blood sugar evens out to a point [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523627 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:00:21 +0100 2523627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473962&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fall-in-one-diabetes-devices-where-have-they-been.html Nope, these innovative designs for “all-in-one” diabetes devices (everything you need for both glucose testing and insulin injections in one package!) were NOT shown at the ADA Expo this past week.  That’s because they don’t exist yet, except in the minds of some more of our űber-creative contestants in this year’s $10,000 DiabetesMine Design Challenge. And [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473962 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:00:48 +0100 2473962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2453047&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fdiabetes-makeover-report-a-little-hand-holding-goes-a-long-way.html When Melanie Imhoff submitted her entry to the New Year, New You Diabetes Makeover Contest held here in January, she described herself as a “52-year-old type 2 diabetic that has been overweight for many years.” She was on an insulin pump, but wanted to reduce her required doses, and be healthier overall. As a grandmother, [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2453047 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:00:13 +0100 2453047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276538&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fode-to-euglycemia.html I can’t believe I’ve lived with diabetes for five years now and never knew the term for my ultimate goal: euglycemia. That’s a fancy science word for “normal blood sugar levels.” Since I’ve discovered this term, I’ve become just a tad obsessed. Did you know Google spits out 52,900 hits for it?  [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276538 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:00:40 +0100 2276538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276542&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fhappy-st-paddys-day-diabetes-the-drink.html Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Are you wearing green? Better yet, are you heading out to the bars after work to partake in a little St. Patrick’s Day celebrating?  If you’re a PWD, you might want to take a few minutes to take a look at your “diabetes plan” to make sure you’re set — assuming [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276542 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:26 +0100 2276542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222553&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fdesigner-mini-glucose-meter-coming-in-march.html Recently I wrote about an amazingly compact new glucose meter called the Glucocard, from Japanese manufacturer Arkray.  Now it seems that the company is going designer ultra-mini with a tiny new meter that will be the first-ever to feature interchangeable face plates, “so users may personalize the look of their monitoring system.”  The  GLUCOCARD® 01 [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222553 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:00:42 +0100 2222553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933211&cid=t_99557_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fthe-state-of-januvia-and-its-election-ties.html Again, Januvia is one of the most searched-for terms on this site — which is interesting, because it’s an oral drug for controlling Type 2 diabetes with which I have no personal experience.  But there’s a “perfect storm” surrounding Januvia that encapsulates many of the controversial themes running through diabetes care: Show Me the Money If you [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933211 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:06:47 +0100 1933211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1484848&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F6%2F1%2Fdo-you-have-sleep-disordered-breathing-if-so-you-may-also-be.html By Pat Salber, MD We have known about the association between snoring and obesity for a long time. But we now know that sleep-disordered breathing (SBD) -- a sleep disturbance characterized by snoring and episodes of apnea or not breathing for periods of time -- is linked, independent of obesity, to insulin resistance, abnormal glucose metabolism, and Type 2 diabetes. Sinziana Seicean, MD, MPH and colleagues published results of the Sleep Heart Health Study in the May 2008 issue of Diabetes Care. They studied 209 normal weight and 1,036 overweight/obese individuals who had a diagnosis of SDB, but did not have a diagnosis of diabetes. They found that SDB was associated with all of the manifestations of impaired glucose metabolism, including impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose to... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1484848 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:50:44 +0100 1484848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1034178&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F11%2F17%2Fdiabulimia-underdosing-on-insulin-a-dangerous-way-to-lose-we.html by Pat SalberI was pretty shocked when I first heard about diabulemia. This is a practice some teens and young women with Type 1 diabetes, are using in order to lose weight. They purposely underdose their insulin allowing their blood glucoses to skyrocket. The excess blood glucose is eliminated in the urine. “Traditional” bulimics purge excess calories by forcing themselves to vomit. Diabulimics purge excess calories by underdosing on insulin and peeing out unmetabolized glucose.Girls and young women with diabulimia will tell you they feel really crummy as their glucose levels increase and they increasingly rely on metabolizing fatty acids for energy instead of glucose. The end result of underdosing insulin is a state known as diabetic ketoacidosis, that is characterized b... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1034178 Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:59:41 +0100 1034178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=923688&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F3%2Fis-the-new-age-of-enlightenment-finally-dawning.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DHere are three headlines from today’s paper:Front page: “GOP Losing Grip On Core Business Vote”. For obvious reasons.Opinion page: “Immigration Losers” by Richard Nadler, President of Americas Majority Foundation, a Midwest public policy think tank (and I might add, a Republican organization in the mold of the Taft dynasty): “ …Republicans need to repudiate… the immoral, uneconomical goal of mass deportation”.Opinion page: “The Future of Bioenergy”, by Juan Enriquez, managing director of Excel Medical Ventures, cofounder of Synthetic Genomics, and founding director of Harvard Business School Life science Project.The first article Chronicles the takeover of the Republican party by the social conserva... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=923688 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:30:11 +0100 923688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=874915&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2Ftype-2-diabetes-treatment-made-easy.html By William H. Bestermann Jr. MDType 2 diabetes is a condition that costs Americans terribly in terms of death, disability, and health care expenditures. This chronic condition is a vicious cycle type of illness. Glucose control tends to deteriorate over time. Most of these patients also have problems with blood pressure and cholesterol. Only about a third of type 2 diabetics have their pressure, sugar, or cholesterol under control as individual risk factors. Only 7% have all three risk factors controlled simultaneously to conservative goals. This sad fact has dramatic consequences. The lifetime risk of a diabetic having a heart attack or a stroke is 80%. For each risk factor that is controlled to goal using the right medication, the risk is reduced by roughly half—so when we control ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=874915 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 04:30:02 +0100 874915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=856742&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F10%2Fscreening-for-gestational-diabetes-who-when-how.html The American Diabetes Association recently published Proceedings of the Fifth International Workshop-Conference on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. The proceedings are published in a July 2007 supplement to Diabetes Care. The experts participating in this conference have recommended the following screening strategy for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM):Risk for gestational diabetes should be ascertained at the first prenatal visit. Low risk:Member of an ethnic group with a low prevalence of GDMNo known diabetes in first degree relativesAge < 25 years oldWeight normal before pregnancyWeight normal at birthNo history of abnormal glucose metabolismNo history of poor obstetrical outcomesIf all of the following characteristics are present, low risk women are not required to have blood g... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=856742 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:26:36 +0100 856742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=836628&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F2%2Fa-check-list-for-check-ups-decade-by-decade.html by Pat SalberHere is a check list of health check-ups recommended to keep you healthy from youth to old age. I grabbed it from CNN.com. They, in turn, got it from the National Institutes of Health and the University of California, Berkeley. There may be some differences of opinion about the details of some of these recommendations from preventive health experts, but by and large, this checklist offers good guidelines that you can discuss with your primary care physician.  Future posts will explore the scientific basis of these recommendations, but for now, regard these as a a reliable source of "general advice." In your 20s: • You should have two physical exams in your 20s. During the first exam, ask to have your cholesterol checked. Other blood tests are not neede... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=836628 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 00:35:28 +0100 836628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=809592&cid=t_99557_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F20%2Fnot-all-hypos-lead-to-police-brutality%2F Filed under: Daily News, Opinion, ComplicationsWow. I'm floored. Not every diabetic experiencing hypoglycemia in a pubic place becomes a victim of police brutality. A Texas woman with diabetes was recently discovered in her car on the side of a road by a police deputy. She was incoherent, talking to herself. No, the deputy did not drag her in to the station for DUI. Constable's Deputy Russell Whitton, intelligent guy, realized something was up and used the lady's cell phone to call the most recently missed call. This put him in touch with a relative, and he was able to establish that the lady had been reported missing, is diabetic, and was about to go into shock. The deputy gave her LifeSavers to help raise her blood sugar and called for an ambulance. . In the course of blogging for TDB I'... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=809592 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 809592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=808630&cid=t_99557_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F19%2Fsix-hours-locked-in-a-bank%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Daily NewsIn a case of stunning ineptitude, staff at an Orange County branch of Bank of America locked in an elderly diabetic woman after closing at the end of the day on Wednesday. The woman, Marian R. Prescher (73), went to the bank late Wednesday to access the contents of a storage box she keeps there. The bank shut up shop at 6 p.m., and employees apparently forgot to check the private room that she was in before leaving.Around that time - I'm not clear on whether it was before she was locked in or perhaps as a result of being locked in - Prescher's blood sugar dropped into the danger zone. Fortunately, Prescher was discovered around midnight by a cleaning crew, whose members found her in diabetic shock - "unconscious and cold to the touch," according to a ... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=808630 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 808630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806940&cid=t_99557_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F18%2Ftwo-year-olds-cell-phone-skills-save-dad%2F Filed under: Type 1, Daily News, PersonalitiesIsn't it amazing that even toddlers can operate computers and cell phones these days? Alex Merriam lives in Pleasanton, Texas. Alex is only two-years-old, but he helped save his dad's life recently. His father, William Merriam, has had type 1 diabetes since he was only four. Last Friday, William's blood sugar got dangerously low and and he fell unconscious in a chair. Alex was the only one in the house with him at the time.Alex's mom, D'anna, was worried when she kept trying to call her husband. No one answered. In the end, aware that a hypoglycemic episode could have hit William, she had her father try calling too. Eventually, Alex - all of two-years-old, mind you - got the ringing cell phone out of his dad's bag and answered it. He told his g... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806940 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 806940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780641&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F8%2F5%2Fthe-cardiometabolic-syndrome-a-complex-metabolic-web-that-re.html by Bill Besterman The underpinning for much of the death and disability from arterial vascular disease in this country is the metabolic syndrome. One of the real authorities on the metabolic syndrome is a Dr. Ralph DeFronzo.  I particularly like his description of of this collection of disorders as a “complex metabolic web.”  The patients who have this diagnosis are burdened with multiple chronic conditions: hypertension, high bad or LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, low HDL or good cholesterol, and high blood sugar ultimately resulting in type 2 diabetes. These patients routinely have vascular systems where the vessels are inflamed and the blood more likely to clot. Early in the condition the arteries are thicker and less distensible than in people witho... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780641 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:24:06 +0100 780641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=760417&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F7%2F26%2Fadvice-from-the-distant-past-drink-its-good-for-you-but-in-m.html By Dov Michaeli, MD, Ph.D Did you ever stop to think: how old is this wine? No, I don’t mean this bottle, or even this medieval winery in Bordeaux ? I mean, how long have people been imbibing? How did they stumble upon this wonderful drink? The biochemical evidence The “active ingredient” in wine (and beer, and hard liquor) is ethanol—yes, the same stuff that is supposed to power our cars in a few years. But think about it, ethanol is a foreign substance to our body. So how come we have an enzyme (alcohol dehydrogenase) that is specifically designed to metabolize it? In fact, we are not unique in this respect—most organisms (even bacteria) contain a version of this enzyme. The answer is that since very very ancient times, probably since complex aerobic organis... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=760417 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:31:17 +0100 760417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=703056&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F28%2Fwhen-it-comes-to-diabetes-drugs-what-matters-is-event-reduct.html by Bill Bestermann, MDThe medication rosiglitazone or Avandia has been the subject of a great deal of controversy in recent months and there have been a couple of entries here on this topic :  Truth and consequences:  The sad tale of Avandia, GSK, the FDA, and medical research, Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline and bullying; or, how did we get into this mess? , and Avandia, the FDA, and the assault on scienceDr. Stephen Nissen and John Buse have been the objects of personal attacks described here at TDWI. The discussion does bring up a larger issue that often becomes blurred in the complexity of caring for patients.Virtually everything that happens to a diabetic patient is vascular. Most people understand that the heart attacks, strokes and amputations are re... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=703056 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:05:48 +0100 703056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682485&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F20%2Fa-newly-discovered-cause-of-diabetes-depression.html I recently came across an article in the April 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (vol. 167, pp. 802-807; 2007) describing a newly-discovered connection between depression and diabetes type 2 in older adults. The study enrolled 4,681 non-diabetic men and women over age 65, and followed them for 10 years. The participants filled out every year a questionnaire to measure their depressive symptoms, and every 2-4 years had their blood pressure measured. After removing confounding factors that are well known to increase the incidence of diabetes, like increased body mass index, alcohol consumption, and smoking, they discovered that even a single report of high depressive symptoms is highly associated with increased risk of diabetes type 2. In fact, there was a 60% increased chance of... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682485 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:59:50 +0100 682485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=650709&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F5%2F31%2Fthe-charges-against-mr-universe-are-dropped.html Good news!  The SF Chronicle reports that charges against Mr. Universe related to a hypoglycemic episode have been dropped. According to the story, "prosecutors initially insisted Burns needed to provide more medical evidence that he was a Type I diabetic suffering from insulin shock at the time. "  Come on!  A history of Type 1 diabetes, taking insulin, and ER documentation of a glucose of 29...I'd say that pretty much cinches the diagnosis.  I hope the end result of this fiasco is that the San Mateo police get  a lesson from the local American Diabetes Association Leadership Council on manifestations of low blood sugar.  How about it guys? Pat Salber, MD (Source: The Doctor Weighs In) The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=650709 Thu, 31 May 2007 20:23:58 +0100 650709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644728&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F5%2F30%2Fmr-universe-needs-your-help.html Mr. Universe, Doug Burns got arrested and has to go to trial. Why? Because he was acting drunk and, supposedly, resisted arrest. Why? Because his blood sugar was 29! Why? Because he is a Type 1 diabetic and he was experiencing a “low” related to a mismatch between his insulin dose and his insulin need.  This happens sometimes.Low blood sugar can have many different manifestations. Sometimes people pass out. Some people just get jittery and nervous. And, it is not uncommon for people to become confused and seem like they are drunk when their blood sugar gets too low. That is what happened to Doug. Unfortunately, Doug’s low occurred in a public place – a movie house – and police thought they had a public drunk on their hands. They arrested him and... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644728 Wed, 30 May 2007 15:04:02 +0100 644728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=594856&cid=t_99557_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F07%2Ff%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Diet, ResearchA few years back, Dr. Atkins invaded our small towns and villages like a diet-touting Godzilla, crushing bakeries with his bare hands and replacing them with strip malls full of steak houses and vats of butter. The carb craze was on, thanks in large part to the late Dr. Atkins, and it has taken until just recently for carbs to creep back out from their respective hiding places. Long known by people with diabetes -- but not as well known by the general public -- is that certain carb sources result in different degrees of fluctuation in blood glucose levels. While a whole thing of Laffy Taffy may send your blood sugar soaring, a small serving of whole wheat pasta is much more manageable. This is the whole Good Carb vs. Bad Carb point we have all rea... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=594856 Mon, 07 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 594856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=590856&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F5%2F4%2Fgot-diabetes-then-buy-this-book.html Living with diabetes can be tough. There is so much stuff to learn and so many things to do. It can be hard to keep track of everything. And, it can seem overwhelming, particularly around the time you are first diagnosed. That’s why I am recommending if you have diabetes or if you know someone who has diabetes, get your hands on a great little book, "Know your Numbers, Outlive your Diabetes.” It is written by Richard Jackson, MD, a doc at the world famous Joslin Diabetes Center and Amy Tenderich, a professional journalist who also happens to have diabetes (check out her website: www.DiabetesMine.com). Five Numbers to KnowThis book points out that there are five essential tests everyone with diabetes should have:Hemoglobin A1c (often just called A1c). This is a measure of t... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=590856 Sat, 05 May 2007 00:41:23 +0100 590856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=499194&cid=t_99557_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F24%2Fcaffeine-impairs-sugar-metabolism%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, Research, ProductsCaffeine intake makes insulin more resistant to changes in blood sugar levels, Canadian researchers report. The researchers evaluated sugar metabolism in 23 men before and after a three-month exercise program. Before and during the exercise program, the men were given caffeine or a placebo. The subjects included 8 sedentary lean men, 7 obese men with type 2 diabetes, and 8 obese men without diabetes. Before the exercise program, caffeine reduced insulin sensitivity by 33% in the lean and obese men and 37% in the obese men with diabetes compared to placebo. After the exercise program, insulin sensitivity fell 23% after caffeine intake in the lean men, 26% in the obese men, and 36% in the obese diabetic men. Comparison of the two stud... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=499194 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 499194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=489230&cid=t_99557_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F3%2F21%2Fwhat-is-the-best-drug-to-prevent-the-onset-of-type-2-diabetes.html We know that diet and exercise can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in people with impaired glucose tolerance. We also know that healthy lifestyle measures are more effective than even the most effective drugs. That being said, we also know that in the real world with Mickey Ds and Starbucks on every corner, long work hours, longer hours in front of the computer, and way too few hours exercising our body parts, that medications will be a part of the treatment armamentarium utilized to prevent type 2 diabetes. So the question before us today is which drug should be used. An editorial in the March 20, 2007 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine takes a stab at answering that question.David Nathan, MD from the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Unit and Michael Berkwits, MD, Deputy... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=489230 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 01:33:27 +0100 489230