According to the FDA, the company didn’t follow quality control procedures and didn’t correct problems it identified properly, such as scratches found on FreeStyle Lite blood sugar testing strips. Furthermore, the company said it found key personnel at the company were not qualified for their posts.

The company said it has taken steps to correct the problems and is communicating its actions with the FDA.

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When compared to women without gestational diabetes during their first and second pregnancies, women who did develop the condition during their first pregnancy but not during their second pregnancy were 630 times more likely to develop gestational diabetes during their third pregnancy. 

Researchers examined data from 65,132 women in Southern California that gave birth between 1991 and 2008 for this study. This risk was even more pronounced – 25.9-fold – in the third pregnancy for women who developed gestational diabetes during both their first and second pregnancies.  The risk of the condition recurring was substantial among women of Hispanic and Asian / Pacific Island descent. Gestational diabetes was also more likely to occur in women over the age of 30 or who had longer intervals between each pregnancy.

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People with diabetes have limited ability to sweat and are therefore are at an increased risk for heat-related issues, including dehydration, according to the researchers. In a survey of 152 people in Phoenix, nearly 20% said they would not take precautions until temperatures surpassed 100 degrees. However, heat illness can happen at between 80-90 degrees. Only about half of the patients knew what the definition of the heat index (which measures temperature and humidity).

The researchers said that it is important to take precaution because insulin and oral medications may lose efficacy at higher temperatures. While most of those surveyed knew insulin was impacted by heat, only 39% knew that it impacted oral medications. Only 41% knew that it impacted glucose meters and 38% knew it impacted test strips.

Instead of take measures to protect their supplies and medication while venturing out of the house, 37% chose to leave supplies at home rather than risk taking it out into the heat. Therefore many may not be able to check their sugars during this period.

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Diabetes Health recently ran a great column about how some spouses approach their partners when it comes to diabetes. For many spouses of diabetics, finding the right balance between helping and being overbearing is a tough one to strike.

Aiding when blood sugars are low by getting a glass of juice or glucose tablets are givens. Being the wife or husband of a diabetic surely requires a certain amount of sacrifice and service, especially during low blood sugar levels. For most, simply being supportive and listening is the key, they say. Help when help is needed but try not to overdo it.

People with diabetes often keep many aspects of the disease to ourselves as not to burden the people around us. However, spouses of people with diabetes, often feel helpless because they do not know what to do except to wait. Understanding the sacrifices and struggles that the wives and husbands of diabetic partners make is important because when one partner has the disease, both have to live with it.

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Campos says he went into diabetic shock while driving, causing the terrible accident, but police say he could have done more to prevent the crash that killed 64-year old Peggy Mikkelsen, who was pulling weeds in her front yard when she was crushed by a trailer that was thrown from Campos’ work truck. Campos lost control of his truck, which hit a mound of dirt and became airborne before striking a utility poll, rolling over several times and catching on fire. Campos was also injured in the crash and airlifted to the hospital with head injuries. (See Manslaughter Charge for Man ‘Driving While Diabetic’)

Police say Campos’ blood sugar level was in the low 40s following the accident (normal range is between 80-120). Campos claims he didn’t realize his sugar was low and wasn’t noticing any of the warning signs. Some people with diabetes, especially those who have lived with the disease for a greater amount of time, can become less sensitive to the warning signs of low blood sugar, which include sweating, shaky hands and dizziness, among others.

As a safety measure, many people with diabetes will check their blood sugar before getting behind the wheel. However, that is not a guarantee they will not “go low” while driving. It is unclear if or when Campos last tested his blood sugar.  

Campos’ attorney said it is unfair to charge him with a crime because he was not as successful as other patients at controlling his diabetes. However, news reports indicated police claim that Campos “admitted to being sick with diabetes.” It is not entirely clear whether Campos was simply acknowledging that he has diabetes, which is a chronic illness, to the police or whether he was aware he was suffering from one of its side-effects or complications. Police also claim Campos ignored both his passenger’s urging to pull over as well as his own warning signs that something was off with his diabetes.

Just five minutes before the crash, Campos stopped at a store to buy beer and ice, but did not buy a candy bar or soda, which could have helped bring his blood sugar back into the normal range. Campos says he had not consumed any of the beer and police have not charged him with an alcohol-related crime.

Michael Yraceburn, the Supervising Deputy District Attorney, said it is not unusual file charges when a death is caused by negligence and reckless indifference. He says the police looked into Campos’ history and found that he was endangering others through his “willful and deliberate ignoring of his diabetes.”

The case against Campos isn’t the first time prosecutors have brought charges in case where one’s medical condition played a factor. In 2003, an elderly man was convicted of similar charges when he killed 10 people and injured 70 others with his car in Santa Monica California. He could have been sent to jail for up to 18 years but was given probation because he was seriously ill.

Campos’ next scheduled hearing is in July. It is not clear from the reports whether Campos has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

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Glucose Buddy – Diabetes Helper 3.2  - Considered the top diabetes-related application by many, it helps you store your blood sugar numbers, insulin dosages, carbohydrate intake and your daily activities. You can also check out the Glucose Buddy Forum.

Diabetes Log - This application is very basic, but allowed you to record your blood sugar readings, medicine logs and food intake.

Bant - Like the apps listed above Bant allows users to store their blood sugar readings. However, the app syncs up with one’s Google Health account and Bant Book, if you have one. This allows you to create charts and trends that you can share with others – doctors, family members, etc. It also allows users to post right to Twitter.

Diabetic Meal Planner Lite – Glycemic Index – The application allows people with diabetes to better plan and track their meals and food consumption. It calculates the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) for meals as well as the overall intake during the day. The app provides analysis of one’s intake of carbohydrates, calories, proteins and fats. There free version is limited to just 38 food items, while you can purchase the full version, which has 975 food items, for $13.99.

Glucose Mate Free
This application, which has received high ratings on iTunes, allows users to log glucose data easily. It allows one to enter blood sugar numbers, what time you tested your sugar and how close to mealtime that measurement was taken. It also allows one to chart the data to help the user and their doctor make the best dosing decisions. It also allows users to e-mail the data.

Type2Friendly - This application is designed help people with diabetes find restaurants that have menu items that are “diabetic friendly.” This application achieves this by providing nutritional values of menu items of numerous restaurants so that the user can then decide which chain restaurant meets their specific dietary needs. The makers hope to branch out to more local restaurants in the future. Users can search by city, state and zip code or simply by their current GPS location. It does not, however, provide a rating system for the restaurants listed. (see A New Way to Find Diabetic-Friendly Dining)

To read Diabetes Health’s full list of 10 click here.

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The event, the brainchild of non-profit organizations Diabetes Sisters and Taking Care of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), was started to help women living with the disease feel less alone and provide them with educational resources. The conference included gender-specific session topics and the chance to get to know others with the disease. Doctors, psychologists, fitness experts and diabetes educators also attended the conference.

Johnson, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 15 years ago at the age of 19, said at the conference that while she would love to be rid of the disease, she “wouldn’t trade it for the world because of the perspective it gives me.” Johnson, who co-hosts of the program, dLife: For Your Diabetes Life!, says the disease has also been a source of motivation for her and pushed her even harder to prove she could win the Miss America crown.

Like many, Johnson started out keeping her illness a secret until her blood sugar dropped so low during a competition in 1997 that she slipped into a coma-like state. From there, she had to convince pageant officials to allow her to remain in the competition. When she returned, she didn’t hide her diabetes or her insulin pump any longer. And two years later, she won the Miss America pageant. Since that time she has been a vocal diabetes advocate, lobbying Congress and getting involved with diabetes-related health insurance legislation. Check out the full blog posting here.

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Researchers examined data from 140,000 women in one of California’s health plans. It found that Asian women had the highest rate of gestational diabetes at about 7%, followed by Native American women at 5.6%, Latin women at 5% and black women at between 3% and 4%.

When looking at the date the researchers found that when the baby’s father was Asian, the risk of developing gestational diabetes was 41% higher than if the father was white. For Hispanic fathers, the risk was 29% higher compared to white fathers.

Gestational diabetes is estimated to impact between 3% and 8% of all pregnancies. For most, the condition is temporary and disappears after the birth of the child. However, women that experience this condition are at an elevated risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

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The Deseret News reports that a $15.8 million grant went to HealthInsight of Salt Lake City, a company that uses electronic health records to help medical providers track the diabetes management of patients. Tthe grants will help alert patients when they are due for blood tests or eye exams. It will also make sure all doctors are aware of their condition.

The goal is to help these diabetic patients get regular care and stay on top of their disease in order prevent complications and reduce hospitalizations. Complications such as heart attack, bstroke, kidney damage, blindness and amputations are not only devastating physically to patients, they can be very expensive. The goal with the program is to achieve better care while reducing overall medical costs by enhancing the use of electronic records in medical care.

As part of the same initiative, a $16.1 million grant was awarded to the Western New York region. A report from the Buffalo News says this grant will impact as many as 60,000 people with diabetes. The report also said the amped-up use of electronic records will help improve the treatment patients receive at the emergency room and cut back on wasteful duplication of paperwork.

The White House says the initiative will create about 1,100 jobs in the short-term and tens of thousands of jobs down the road.

Below is a list of the ’Beacon Communities’ and the amounts they were awarded from the initiative.

Tulsa, Oklahoma – $12 million

Stoneville, Mississippi $14.7 million

Brewer, Maine – $12.7 million

Danville, Pennsylvania – $16.1 million

Salt Lake City, Utah – $15.8 million

Indianapolis, Indiana – $16 million

Spokane, Washington – $15.7 million

New Orleans, Louisiana – $13.5 million

Rochester, Minnesota - $12.3 million

Providence, Rhode Island – $15.9 million

Grand Junction, Colorado – $11. 9 million

Concord, North Carolina – $15.9 million

San Diego, California – $15.3 million

Hilo, Hawaii – $16.1 million

Buffalo, New York – $16.1 million

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Sanofi-Aventis, makers of Lantus, an analog insulin, and Apidra,  is looking to become a “healthcare” company, not just a drugmaker. The move takes the group into the world of medical devices and is part of a strategy by Chief Executive Chris Viehbacher to diversify Sanofi, reducing its traditional reliance on branded prescription drugs.

The company expects to co-develop a glucose monitoring system with AgaMatrix and begin selling the monitor in the second half of this year. AgaMatrix already makes a line of blood glucose monitoring products.

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