10 Tips on Snacking with Diabetes

My patients always want to talk about food more than any topic relating to diabetes. But their favorite question is "what kind of snacks can I eat?" If you have diabetes, gone are the days of two graham crackers with 4 ounces of skim milk before bedtime.

If done in moderation, here are ten things you should know about how snacking affects you:

    Prevents you from overeating at the next meal.
    Keeps hunger at a minimum between meals.
    Keeps the blood sugar level steady.
    Needed especially when you exercise for an hour or more.
    Is recommended for people who have gastroparesis. They get full or bloated on a complete meal due to delayed gastric emptying.
    May be an answer to help prevent hypoglycemia during the night.
    Can be used to prevent lows when driving for a long period.
    Good when you are on insulin or sulfonylureas and are more at risk for hypoglycemia.
    Is perfect during plane travel when you may not be receiving a meal.
    Is great for type 1 children who are growing and need extra calories between meals and to help prevent hypoglycemia.

  
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Remember, snacks need to be factored into your daily calorie allotment; you are just spreading the calories throughout the day. Measuring out portion sizes is important when snacking. They should not exceed 100-200 calories and contain only one serving of a carbohydrate (15 grams per snack). Stick to no more than two snacks a day. Combine protein, mono-unsaturated fats, and complex carbohydrates for the best nutrition and satisfaction.

Here are some of my tasty and interesting choices:

    Light Brie, Baby Bel, Alpine lace Swiss, Light Jarlsberg, Mozzarella cheese sticks, Fat free cheddar, mini-Gouda - One choice in 1 ounce portions with one of the following: half a pear, half an apple, 8 grapes, 12 cherries, 1 cup of cubed cantaloupe, 1 cup of raspberries, or ¾ cup blueberries are perfect snacks. The calories are appropriate and you get calcium from the cheese for strong bones and teeth yet it is low fat, low sodium and filling. The fruit supplies fiber - insoluble and soluble - to help reduce your cholesterol as well as stabilize blood sugar, Vitamin C for healing, anti-oxidants to boost your immunity, beta carotene, potassium, and folate. The combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates is satisfying and stays with you the longest to avoid a starving sensation at the next meal.
    3 cups of air-popped popcorn - low sodium and no butter. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of fresh grated parmesan cheese for the fat content to keep you less hungry later. If you like it spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper; spices have wonderful healing properties. The popcorn has lots of fiber to keep you full and the cheese has calcium. Calcium may also reduce the risk of colon cancer and adenomas. More research is needed.
    Guacamole with low fat, low salt whole grain tortilla chips - Make the guacamole with ½ a tomato, ½ a red onion, 2 tbsps. of lemon juice, a pinch of garlic powder and chopped fresh cilantro with one avocado. Mash together and eat ¼ of a cup with 6 chips. Delicious! Avocadoes are full of mono-unsaturated fat which decreases inflammation and helps keep you satiated.
    A tablespoon of dry unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or 2 brazil nuts, 6 walnuts, almonds or 16 pistachio nuts (white and in the shell - seeds and nuts have lots of calories if not in portion size) mixed with 6 ounces of Greek plain yogurt and 1 tbsp. of fresh berries. A mini-parfait with thick and tangy yogurt which supplies probiotics and live cultures for enhanced digestion and increased immunity. The nuts have protein and monounsaturated fat and help ward off hunger as well as supplying more fiber and flavonoids. The berries have multiple beneficial qualities. Together, they are a real treat!

Enjoy snacking in moderation with the right intentions and selections. You will feel better, less hungry and it will help maintain a stable blood sugar!

Omega-3 für gesündere Haut, Haare und Nägel

So viele wie ein Drittel der Menschen mit Diabetes haben ein Zustand der Haut im Zusammenhang mit ihrer Krankheit zu irgendeinem Zeitpunkt in ihrem Leben. In der Tat sind solche Probleme manchmal das erste Zeichen, dass eine Person Diabetes hat

Omega-3 könnte der Schlüssel zu einem gesünderen Haut, Haare und Nägel

Anzeichen dafür, dass Sie Omega-3-Mangel könnte trockene raue Flecken auf der Haut, trockenes Haar, weiche oder brüchige Nägel, kleine Unebenheiten auf der Rückseite der Oberarme und Beine, Ekzeme, Schuppen und trockene Augen sein. Omega-3-Mangel Symptome können von Ärzten übersehen werden, weil sie durch andere Krankheiten werden gemeinsam genutzt.

Wissenschaftler haben kürzlich einen Namen Omega-3-Mangel gegeben - es ist Modeerscheinungen oder Fatty Acid Deficiency Syndrome.

Arteriosklerose kann auch dazu führen, Hautprobleme

Atherosklerose ist die Verengung der Blutgefäße aus einer Verdickung der Gefäßwände durch Plaque-Bildung. Menschen mit Diabetes neigen dazu, Atherosklerose in jüngeren Jahren als andere Menschen zu tun bekommen. Während es betrifft oft die Blutgefäße in der Nähe des Herzens, können Arteriosklerose die Blutgefäße im ganzen Körper betreffen, einschließlich derer, die Blutversorgung der Haut.

Wenn die Blutgefäße der Haut eng werden, kommt es zu Veränderungen der Haut durch einen Mangel an Sauerstoff, wie Haarausfall, dünner und glänzende Haut besonders an den Schienbeinen, verdickt und verfärbt Zehennägel und kalte Haut. Weil Blut trägt den weißen Blutkörperchen, die Infektionen bekämpfen helfen, Beine und Füße von Atherosklerose betroffen langsamer heilen, wenn sie verletzt sind.

Omega-3 kann dazu beitragen, Atherosklerose

Die entzündungshemmende Wirkung von Omega-3-Fettsäuren können vor Arteriosklerose schützen. Mehrere Studien haben gezeigt, dass die tägliche Supplementierung mit so wenig wie 1 Gramm EPA und DHA kann deutlich verringert das Risiko der Entwicklung von Atherosklerose.  Neben der Verringerung des Risikos der Entwicklung von Atherosklerose, Omega-3-Fettsäuren, insbesondere DHA, auch das Fortschreiten der Erkrankung.

Halten Sie Ihren Diabetes unter Kontrolle ist der wichtigste Faktor bei der Verhinderung der Haut Komplikationen von Diabetes. Fügen Sie Omega-3-Fettsäuren zu Ihrem Arzt empfohlene tägliche Ernährung, Bewegung und Medikation Programm dazu beitragen, halten Sie Ihre Haut, Haare und Nägel suchen und sich gut anfühlt.

Mobiltelefone können helfen unterentwickelten Nationen zu Diabetes zu überprüfen

"Telemedizin-Programme" könnte dazu beitragen, Patienten mit geringem Einkommen auf der ganzen Welt verwalten Diabetes und anderen chronischen Erkrankungen, eine neue Studie der Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System und der University of Michigan hat enthüllt. 

"Telemedizin-Programme haben gezeigt, dass sehr hilfreich sein in einer Vielzahl von Kontexten, aber eine der wichtigsten Einschränkungen für die Bereitstellung dieser Dienste in der Dritten Welt hat der Mangel an Infrastruktur," Autor John D. Piette, ein leitender Wissenschaftler bei der VA und Professor für Innere Medizin an der UM Medical School, gesagt hat. 

Cytos Biotechnology nutzt die breite Connectivity in Lateinamerika, stehen Forscher Handys mit Low-Cost-internet-basierte Telefongespräche in die Befragung durchführen. Der Dienst verwendet eine Cloud-Computing Ansatz, so dass das Programm von einem zentralen Standort kann auf Länder mit niedrigem Einkommen in der ganzen Welt, dass eine starke technologische Infrastruktur fehlt, bereitgestellt werden. Forscher mit dem eingeschriebenen Diabetikern aus einer Klinik in einem halb-ländlichen Gebiet von Honduras, auf wöchentlicher Basis, und half ihnen, ihre Fähigkeiten Diabetes-Management und allgemeine Gesundheit zu verbessern. 

Forscher angeblich bemerkt Verbesserung Patienten Hämoglobin A1C, ein Maß für die Blutzuckerkontrolle, während der sechsten Woche nach ihrer Studie. "Wir wollten zeigen, dass es möglich, einen High-Tech-Programm von UM zu sehr anfällig Patienten mit Diabetes liefern in Honduras, die nur lokale Handy-Service war", sagt Piette. Die Studie sagte der Dritten Welt steht vor einer Herz-Kreislauf-Krise wegen ihrer Abhängigkeit von Fast Food, und die Zahl der Menschen mit Diabetes in der ganzen Welt erwartet wachsen 285000000 bis 439000000 bis 2030. 

Piette Studie wurde beklatscht von vielen Veteranen. "Wir glauben, die Arbeit von Dr. Piette und seine Kollegen stellt einen wichtigen und nachhaltigen innovativen Meilenstein in der globalen Gesundheitspolitik Strategien zur Vorbeugung, Diagnose und Management von nicht-übertragbarer Krankheiten. Diese Arbeit steht wirklich die Chance, die Gesundheit von Millionen verbessern Menschen in einer relativ kurzen Zeit ", UM Global Health Director Sofia D. Merajver, sagte

Why Screening Tests Are Important

 

Why Screening Tests Are Important

Getting the right screening test at the right time is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Screenings find diseases like cancer or diabetes early, before you have symptoms, and when they’re easier to treat. Which test you should have depends on your age and your risk factors. Learn more about the screenings your doctor may recommend for you.

The Sleep-Diabetes Connection

Not sleeping? Check your blood sugar levels. 

Whenever diabetes patients enter Lynn Maarouf’s office with out-of-control blood sugar levels, she immediately asks them how they are sleeping at night. All too often, the answer is the same: not well.

“Any time your blood sugar is really high, your kidneys try to get rid of it by urinating,” says Maarouf, RD, the diabetes education director of the Stark Diabetes Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “So you are probably getting up and going to bathroom all night long -- and not sleeping well.”

Diabetes and sleep problems often go hand in hand. Diabetes can cause sleep loss, and there’s evidence that not sleeping well can increase your risk of developing diabetes.

Low Sleep, High Blood Sugar

Maarouf says high blood sugar is a red flag for sleep problems among people with diabetes for another reason. “People who are tired will eat more because they want to get energy from somewhere,” she says. “That can mean consuming sugar or other foods that can spike blood sugar levels.”

“I really push people to eat properly throughout the day and get their blood sugars under control so they sleep better at night,” Maarouf says. “If you get your blood sugar under control, you will get a good night sleep and wake up feeling fabulous with lots of energy.”

The Connection Between Lack of Sleep and Diabetes

“There is some evidence that sleep deprivation could lead to pre-diabetic state,” says Mark Mahowald, MD, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Hennepin County.

According to Mahowald, the body's reaction to sleep loss can resemble insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. Insulin’s job is to help the body use glucose for energy. In insulin resistance, cells fail to use the hormone efficiently, resulting in high blood sugar.

Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells do not properly use the insulin. When insulin is not doing its job, high blood sugar levels build in the body to the point where they can harm the eyes, kidneys, nerves, or heart.

The Link Between Lack of Sleep and Weight

Some studies show that people who get less sleep tend to be heavier than those who sleep well, Mahowald says.  Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for the development of diabetes.

There is also a link between diabetes and sleep apnea, a sleep disorder marked by loud snoring and pauses in breathing while you sleep. The culprit may be excess weight, which can cause fat deposits around the upper airway that obstruct breathing. So being overweight or obese is a risk factor for sleep apnea as well as diabetes.

“If you have diabetes, are overweight, and snore, tell your doctor,” says Susan Zafarlotfi, PhD, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep and Wake Disorders at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. “You may need a sleep study.”

Sleep apnea can prevent a person from getting a good night sleep, which can worsen diabetes or perhaps increase the risk of developing diabetes. In sleep studies, you are monitored while you sleep for sleep disorders such sleep apnea.

There are many effective treatments for sleep apnea. These include lifestyle changes such as weight loss for mild cases and devices to open up blocked airways for more significant cases.

Sleep Is as Important as What You Eat

“In general, people with diabetes have to be very careful about sleep because anything that throws off their routine can make them feel a lack of energy and fatigue,” says Zafarlotfi. “The more fatigued they feel, the more their motor is running, and the more likely they are to develop insulin deficiencies.

“Proper sleep is as important as diet for people with diabetes,” she says.

Determining How Much Sleep You Need

“There is no formula for how much sleep you need,” Zafarlotfi says.  “It depends on you.”

Mahowald agrees. “On average, we need 7.5 hours per night, but your sleep requirement is genetically determined and varies,” he says. “It can be about four hours on the short end to 10 or 11 on the long end.”

Want to know if you are sleep-deprived? The answer is simple, Mahowald says: “If you use an alarm clock, you are. If you were getting adequate sleep, your brain would awaken you before the alarm goes off.”

Diabetic Diet: Main Source Of Colossal Blood Sugar Levels

Diabetics can easily get high blood sugar levels so they need to consistently monitor their diabetic diet. Monitoring everything they do becomes part of their daily lives because they need to keep their blood sugar levels steady. There are certain things diabetics can do to keep a blood sugar spike from happening to them.

One cause for diabetics getting high blood sugar levels is the fact they do not take their medications on time nor take the correct amounts. Whether it be insulin or pills, all diabetics need to take their medications on a regular basis and when they are suppose to as these medications help your body carry the sugar in your bloodstream into your cells. Without taking the medication, the sugar to builds up your system which will cause damage to your organs.

One more reason for the sugar in the blood to skyrocket is your meals. Diabetics need to unfailingly monitor their diabetic diet by making sure they watch how much they eat, what they eat, and when they eat. One way to do this is to break up your 3 big daily meals into 5 small meals. This way it is easier on your body to process the sugar and it can maintain balanced blood sugar levels.

Another area of great concern is exercise. Exercise is a great source to get and stay healthy for anyone on a diabetic diet because it helps you get into shape, loose a few pounds, and it burns off extra unwanted sugar. It burns off the sugar in your body by first going to your blood stream and using any sugar found there. This is why it is vital for diabetics to exercise.

One other way people get high blood sugar levels is when they get sick or get too stressed out. The reason for this is because when people get sick or stressed, they release a hormone that drastically increases the sugar that is in your bloodstream. This can easily be counter-acted by relaxing and making sure you drink a lot of water.

One more cause is by taking other medications with your diabetic medication. Other medications potentially create a conflict which will cancel out the effect that your diabetic medication has on your blood sugar levels. You should consult your doctor to make sure that none of your other medications will conflict with your diabetic medication.

Maintaining a normal level of blood sugar on a diabetic diet is the most important thing you can do for your health. If your blood sugar spikes once, it is not a cause for alarm as this happens from time to time. If your blood sugar spikes consistently, then there is usually a problem. If this happens, just consult your doctor so he or she can help you get your blood sugar levels back under control.

Knowing how to manage your diabetic diet will help keep you healthy and will help your blood sugar levels remain normal. You should take your diabetic medicine and make sure it does not conflict with any other medicines. You also need to eat smaller meals and exercise every day. Make sure you avoid getting sick or stressed as much as possible. By doing all these things you will be able to maintain a steady blood sugar on a daily basis.

Diabetes Prevention

What are the risks factors for developing diabetes?

The risk actually varies depending on where you live. This is in part due to the environment you live in, and in part due to the genetic makeup of your family. In the United States, the lifetime risk of developing diabetes is estimated at 33% for males and 39% for females for people born in the year 2000. It has also been calculated that for those diagnosed before the age of 40, the average life expectancy is reduced by 12 years for men, and 19 years for women.

The risk for developing diabetes increases in certain cases such as the following.

• Genetics - People with a close relative with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk.
  
• Ethnic background - For example, the actual prevalence of diabetes in the Caucasian population of the US is about 7.2% while in the African American population, it increases to about 11%. In a well known group of Native Americans, the Pima Indians, the prevalence increases to almost 35%.
  
• Birth weight - There is a relationship between birth weight and developing diabetes, and it's the opposite of what you'd intuitively think. The lower the birth weight the higher the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  
• Metabolic syndrome - People who have the metabolic syndrome are at especially high risk for developing diabetes.
  
• Obesity - Obesity is probably the most impressive risk factor. This is in part due to the fact that obesity increases the body's resistance to insulin. Studies have shown that reversal of obesity through weight reduction improves insulin sensitivity and regulation of blood sugar. However, the distribution of fat is important. The classic "pear" shape person (smaller waist than hips) has a lower risk of developing diabetes than the "apple" shape person (larger around the waist). The exact reason for this difference is unknown, but it is thought to have something to do with the metabolic activity of the fat tissue in different areas of the body.

A Diabetic's Godsend

Yes, this spice can add delicious flavor and amazing health benefits when sprinkled on your favorite dishes or on new creations. Turn an ordinary dish or drink into a healthy comfort food.

Health Benefits

Research indicates that powdered cinnamon, about a half teaspoon a day, may help prevent diabetes or reduce blood sugar in adults who have diabetes. One study found that cinnamon helped reduce levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in people with type 2 diabetes. With these potential benefits, it’s no wonder cinnamon is a hot topic in health news.

Easy Tips for Using Cinnamon

Do something good for yourself and enjoy cinnamon sprinkled on healthy dishes any time of day.

Breakfast
Have a little cinnamon with your oatmeal, granola, cereal, or yogurt in the morning.  

Snack
Place some apple slices into a small bowl and shower them with cinnamon. Add a few walnuts, and you’ve got a delicious treat with pectin fiber and healthy omega-3 fats. Or try mixing some cinnamon into applesauce; it tastes a lot like apple pie without the crust!

Coffee or Tea
You might sprinkle cinnamon on that latte or cappuccino when you are out. Why not do the same when you have coffee or tea with milk at home?

Dinner and Dessert
For the adventurous cook, a dash of cinnamon works beautifully with vegetarian spiced dishes such as curries or masalas.

For dessert, how about a baked apple with cinnamon?  Here’s the recipe from our book The Fat Resistance Diet.

Baked Apple with Cinnamon and Walnuts

Imagine walking into a kitchen filled with the rich aroma of cinnamon and apples baking in the oven. This is comfort food at its best. The sweetness of soft, warm apples is enhanced by pomegranate syrup, and the walnuts are crunchy and satisfying.

2 Apples for baking, such as Macintosh
1 Cup Unsweetened Pomegranate Juice
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
16 Walnut Halves

Core the apples and place in a baking dish. Pour the pomegranate juice over apples. This will become syrup when cooked.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake in a toaster oven or oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until apples are soft. Baste apple with syrup while cooking.

Plate the apple and top with walnuts and syrup. Serves two.

Nutrition per Serving
251 Calories                   
3 g Protein
41 g Carbohydrates        
11 g Fat

Diabetes and Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels are as serious as high blood pressure, whether you are diabetic or non-diabetic. Heart disease and stroke, both of which have been linked to high cholesterol in both men and women, are two of the leading causes of death for diabetics.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is effectively blood fat that comes in two major forms. These are High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), two very different things. HDL is usually referred to as ‘good cholesterol’, and actually serves to protect the heart from developing problems. Amongst diabetics, the function of this type of protein is often reduced. LDL is bad cholesterol, because it gathers in the blood vessels. Amongst diabetics, this is a more likely occurrence.

What is total cholesterol?

Total cholesterol is a figure gleaned by testing the levels of both HDL and LDL cholesterol within a diabetic patient’s body.

I am a diabetic, when should I be tested for cholesterol?

Healthcare officials advise that total cholesterol and a specific HDL cholesterol test should be performed as often as once every year. It is very difficult to measure LDL cholesterol, but amongst most patients the other two tests will give an accurate diagnosis.

I may have high cholesterol as a consequence of diabetes, what can I do?

If your cholesterol levels are found to be too high, the first step should be to cut down on the amount of fat that you eat. This can mean a simple adjustment to your diet, and a dietitian should be able to offer advice on this. For some people, tablets are also suitable, but healthy eating is the primary way to lower cholesterol.

Do I need tablets for my high cholesterol?

Whether you need to combine a healthier diet with tablets for your cholesterol depends on how serious the problem is, and your medical history. For instance, a history of heart attacks, angina, strokes and circulatory problems are more likely to necessitate tablets.

My doctor wants to give me cholesterol tablets and Aspirins, why is this?

Cholesterol tablets are often accompanied by Aspirins in order to thin the blood.

If your GP thinks it is suitable he may prescribe you Aspirin for this purpose.

Where can I learn more?

Please use the Diabetes.co.uk community forum to learn more about cholesterol from other diabetics, and please use Diabetes.co.uk to learn more about diabetes and exercise, diabetes and heart disease and diabetes and diet.

Diabetes and lung cancer not linked

diabetic neuropathy, but at the other end of the scale they can influence some forms of cancer. According to a new study in the UK, lung cancer does not number amongst the forms affected by diabetes.

An expert at Grimsdyke House in Barnet, together with a team of colleagues, has investigated the hypothesis that lung cancer rates are increased amongst diabetics. They worked under the assumption that lung cancer and diabetes shared risk factors, and the rate of lung cancer could be different amongst the diabetic population. The timing is opportune, because inhaled insulin formulas are extremely close to release in the UK, and the risks of lung cancer must be better understood.

The research team used UK information from a general practice database involving just under 70,000 patients with diabetes. The information was compared with information from 267,000 non-diabetic individuals.

Once the figures had been adjusted, the team actually found that diabetics had a reduced risk of lung cancer by 2 per cent. The team pointed out that this could be down to shorter life expectancy.

Blood Glucose Meters

• Meters are vital to keeping track of day-to-day blood glucose levels.
• They're accurate, but improper use or faulty materials can cause incorrect readings.
• Many options are available, so consider your needs before buying.

Blood glucose meters are small computerized machines that "read" your blood glucose. In all types of meters, your blood glucose level shows up as a number on a screen (like that on your pocket calculator). Be sure your doctor or nurse educator shows you the correct way to use your meter. With all the advances in blood glucose meters, use of a meter is better than visual checking.

How accurate are they?

Experts testing meters in the lab setting found them accurate and precise. That's the good news. The bad: meter mistakes most often come from the person doing the blood checks. For good results you need to do each step correctly. Here are some other things that can cause your meter to give a poor reading:

• Dirty meter
• Meter or strip that's not at room temperature
• Outdated test strip
• Meter not calibrated (set up for) the current box of test strips
• Blood drop that is too small

Ask your health care team to check your skills at least once a year. Error can creep in over time.

How do I choose a meter?

There are many meters to choose from. Some meters are made for those with poor eyesight. Others come with memory so you can store your results in the meter itself. The American Diabetes Association does not endorse any products or recommend one meter over another. If you plan to buy a meter, here are some questions to think about:

• What meter does your doctor or diabetes educator suggest? They may have meters that they use often and know best.
• What will it cost? Some insurance companies will only pay for a certain meter. Call your insurance company before you purchase a meter and ask how to get a meter and supplies. If your insurance company does not pay for blood glucose checking supplies, rebates are often available toward the purchase of your meter. You still have to consider the cost of the matching strips and lancets. Shop around.
• How easy is the meter to use? Methods vary. Some have fewer steps than others.
• How simple is the meter to maintain? Is it easy to clean? How is the meter calibrated (set correctly for the batch of strips you are using)?

Women and Diabetes

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Today, almost 21 million children and adults in the US have diabetes -- including 9.7 million women -- and almost one third of them do not know it. Diabetes can be especially hard on women. The burden of diabetes on women is unique, because the disease can affect both mothers and their unborn children. Diabetes can cause difficulties during pregnancy such as a miscarriage or a baby born with birth defects. Women with diabetes are also more likely to have a heart attack, and at a younger age, than women without diabetes.

Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States, and it has no cure. For women who do not currently have diabetes, pregnancy brings the risk of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but disappears when a pregnancy is over. Women who have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby weighting more than 9 pounds are at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

The prevalence of diabetes is at least 2-4 times higher among African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, and Asian/Pacific Islander women than among white women. The risk for diabetes also increases with age. Because of the increasing lifespan of women and the rapid growth of minority populations, the number of women in the United States at high risk for diabetes and its complications is increasing.

ADA's Women and Diabetes Workgroup

Because of the significant impact diabetes has on women, the American Diabetes Association created the Women and Diabetes Workgroup. Its mission is to represent, involve, and affect all women in our efforts to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of people affected by this disease. This will be accomplished through gender and culturally tailored strategies to direct the Association's activities and through targeted research, information, and advocacy efforts.

Read an overview (PDF) of how ADA is currently working to improve the lives of women with, and at risk for, diabetes.

NZ researchers to implant pig cells in diabetics

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A New Zealand biotech company began a trial Thursday of an experimental treatment for diabetes in which cells from newborn pigs will be implanted into eight human volunteers.

Living Cell Technologies hopes the cells may be able to delay the effects of Type 1 diabetes, including blindness, premature coronary illness and limb amputation resulting from poor blood circulation.

Prof. Bob Elliott, medical director of the company, acknowledged that, even in the best-case scenario, the treatment would not eliminate all symptoms.

Some scientists have warned that implanting pig cells has risks. Others say it is too soon to begin testing on humans because no animal trials were conducted.

One risk is that viruses that exist in animals but not in humans could jump species, potentially causing new illnesses and possible new pandemics. Scientists say there are more than 100 pig viruses that could potentially transfer to humans.

Elliott said Thursday that the possibility of a pig endogenous retrovirus - the virus thought to be most contagious for humans - infecting humans is largely "theoretical."

"There is no evidence of a risk" of a pig retrovirus infection, he said.

He said the piglets being used, recovered from 150 years of isolation on islands south of New Zealand, carried no known agent that could infect humans and are held in a fully closed, sterile environment.

Prof. Martin Wilkinson, past chairman of the New Zealand Bioethics Council, said pig islet cells pose "a very small risk" that "is low enough to be managed in human recipients."

"There is no conclusion that it (transplanting animal cells in humans) should be banned just because of the possibility of risk," Wilkinson, who is not involved in the trials, told reporters Thursday.

Elliott has run two previous trials, the first with six patients in New Zealand in 1995-1996. The other, in Russia with 10 patients, began in July 2007. He said he has seen increased insulin production in some subjects, while others rejected the pig cells or the implanted cells stopped producing insulin after a year.

A scientific paper on the trial is to be produced by the end of 2009, he said.

In Type 1 diabetes, the body mistakenly attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, the hormone crucial to converting blood sugar to energy. It is different from the far more common Type 2 diabetes that is usually linked to obesity, in which the body produces insulin but gradually loses the ability to use it properly.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.