Diabetes News Hound » Diabetes 101

Push to Make Pre-Diabetes Education a Plan Benefit

Chris Frankie — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:59:46 +0000

A diabetes advocacy group is lobbying Congress to include diabetes education programs as a covered benefit for people with pre-diabetes.The American Association of Diabetes Educators issued a release this week urging the Medicare as well as private insurers to recognize the need for wider dissemenation of Diabetes Self-Management Training. The training dramatically reduces health costs as well as diabetes rates, AADE said.

Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced regulations requiring insurance plans to provide free preventative care, though the rules are not yet in force, InsuranceCorner reports.

“We really view this as common sense,” said AADE President Deborah Fillman. “We are simply calling on Congress and the private sector to recognize this obvious fiscal and public health benefit.”

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Ramadan Risk for Observant Diabetics

Chris Frankie — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:57:44 +0000

Doctors in Islamic communities in Europe and the Mideast are warning diabetic Muslims against fasting or skipping their medication during Ramadan.

The monthlong holiday begins on Aug. 11, during which Muslims by tradition are not to eat or drink during daytime hours. Taking medicine in public is also frowned upon.

Though Muslims suffering from illness are exempt from fasting obligations, health professionals in the U.K. say they notice Muslim diabetes patients often cut down on their medication and miss appointments for fear of breaking the fast, according to a BBC report. UK health officials have convened training sessions with British imams to educate against dangerous fasting.

The chief executive at Dubai Hospital, meanwhile, urges type-1 sufferers to avoid fasting altogether. Sugar levels could fluctuate dangerously during a fast, said Dr. Abdul Razzaq Al Madani in a GulfNews.com interview.

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Diabetes Diagnosis on ‘Dr. Oz’

Chris Frankie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:39:21 +0000

Dr. Oz devoted half of his Wednesday show this week to diabetes, talking prevention at a Times Square glucose screening and unveiling a new 12-week “life-saving” plan for fighting the disease.

Oz calls diabetes “the epidemic of our time,” and he underscored its pervasiveness by sending one man to the ER on the spot after his screening revealed a three-week average blood sugar reading of 12.8, when less than 6 is the ideal level, according to an account at CalorieLab.com.

The 12-week plan was designed with fitness guru Bob Greene, who joined Oz on the set. The plan’s exercise component emphasizes gradual escalation in activity, effectively adding five minutes of cardio workout each week. Diet advice includes not skipping breakfast, eating more whole grains and eating beans twice a week.

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Traveling Diabetes Exhibit Hits a Vein

Chris Frankie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:30:39 +0000

Starting this weekend, science museums across the country will be hosting a sprawling, hands-on diabetes exhibit that takes the form of a giant walk-through blood vessel.

“Diabetes: A Deeper Look” debuts at the Detroit Science Center on Saturday, and over the next two years will make its way to 12 U.S. cities.

The 2,500-square-foot exhibit, designed for a general audience and those with diabetes, features a series of interactive displays. Visitors enter through a giant cell-like structure simulating how insulin functions to help deliver glucose, while inside the vessel arena, displays explain how diabetes affects people, the importance of diet and exercise, the types of medication for helping control blood sugar levels and the research into new ones.

Pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis is funding the exhibit.

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A First Date With Diabetes

Chris Frankie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:29:35 +0000

Diabetes doesn’t have to be a liability on the dating scene.

One blogger at tudiabetes.org divulges his secrets for diabetics navigating their first dates.

Remember, he says, the tools and treatments that have become second nature to you may be off-putting at first to the inexperienced. Be open, even make diabetes a conversation topic. Funny stories in particular can help break the ice.

Even if it slows things down, don’t let the date keep you from your regular treatment routine, he also counsels. When it’s time to take your medicine or eat, avoid postponements, and stick to your diet.

It also makes sense to keep a close watch on your sugars, since heightened levels can lead to irritability — a date spoiler for sure, he says.

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Six Questions Simplify Diabetes Screening

Chris Frankie — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:53:01 +0000

A new diabetes screening test poses just six questions to determine whether a doctor’s visit is in order.

The test, published in the current edition of Annals of Internal Medicine, was devised by doctors at Cornell Medical College as a quick and convenient screening that could boost diabetes awareness, according to U.S. News & World Report.

It asks about the screening subject’s age, gender, health history and lifestyle, including whether the subject is overweight, has high blood pressure or exercises regularly. Points are assigned for each answer, with the total score signaling one’s diabetes risk level and whether a trip to the doctor for a glucose blood test is advised.

The questions reflect researchers’ analysis of more than 5,000 study participants, who indicated that diabetes sufferers tended to be older and more sedentary, likelier to have high blood pressure and a family history of diabetes as well as higher body mass indexes and cholesterol.

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