The number of dogs with diabetes has jumped 32% since 2006. The number of cats with diabetes grew by 16%. The report linked the increased rates of diabetes to the growing number of overweight and obese pets. For example, fat cats are six times more likely to become diabetic than cats that are normal weight. Like in humans, symptoms of pets with undiagnosed diabetes include increased thirst, excessive urination and unexplained weight loss. However, there are some differences between cats and dogs.

Dogs are more likely to develop Type 1 diabetes, which means their pancreas stops making insulin. In humans, Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by a combination of genetics and environment. Cats, on the other hand, are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, which is more closely associated with diet and weight. According to the article, the animals are treated with insulin shots and special diet or exercise regiment, depending on their condition.

Researchers looked at data from 2.5 million dogs and cats seen last year.

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The report found that people age 51 to 70 with diabetes developed many age-related problems faster than those without diabetes. Those ailments include cognitive impairment, incontinence vision problems and pain.

Individuals in their 50s with diabetes were twice as likely to develop such ailments as those without diabetes. However, by the time individuals reach 80 years old, there odds of developing such problems are similar.

The article didn’t state whether the study referred to people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or both.

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In a recent article, USA Today caught up with four famous musicians living with diabetes to see what they’re up to and how they are managing their disease.

Pop star Nick Jonas, who has Type 1 diabetes, wrote a song about the disease called A Little Bit Longer. The key to managing his diabetes is staying prepared and having the right tools with him all the time. He says he has a strong support group, including friends, family and his doctor.

Singer/ songwriter Nikki Lang, who has Type 1 diabetes, donated all the sales of her song Feel Better from October to December last year to the American Diabetes Association. She managers her diabetes “instinctually,” by eating healthy, but occasionally treating herself to mint chocolate chip ice cream, her favorite dessert.

Patti Labelle, who has Type 2 diabetes, says she realized that diabetes is “not a death sentence.”  She still eats many of her favorite foods, but just eats healthier. She says that she her support group of family and friends help keep her on track.

Poison frontman and reality television star Bret Michael, a Type 1 diabetic, has survived several life-threatening health issues in the last year including appendicitis and a brain hemorrhage. However, he is back on the road touring. He claims that rock and roll has saved his life and he manages to ‘keep it together’ by hanging out with his imaginary friends, who he occasionally shoots hoops with.

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Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are characterized by the body’s inability to control blood sugar levels on its own. However, that is not due to sugar consumption, it is due to a breakdown in the body’s ability to metabolize sugar correctly.

First, it’s important to differentiate between the different kinds of diabetes.

Scientists do not know the cause of Type 1 diabetes, but it is generally believed to be caused by a combination of genetics and environment. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks cells in the pancreas. There is no cure. People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin – or produce very little insulin – and need to give several insulin injections each day in order to manage their blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate sugar levels in the blood.

Type 2 diabetes, which is much more prevalent than Type 1 diabetes, is characterized by insulin resistance. People with this form of the disease produce insulin but their body does not use it correctly. In some people, following a diet and exercise regiment is enough to put the disease into remission. However, most people with Type 2 diabetes need to take at least one type of pill, if not several pills. Again, there is no ‘cure’ to the disease.

This form is often associated with obesity, although seemingly healthy people that are thin can get the disease as well. Like Type 1, the exact cause is unknown although there is an association with obesity, which is likely why many people assume sugar consumption is the cause of the disease. That said, diet and lifestyle are both risk factors for the development of Type 2 diabetes. Poor diet and lack of exercise can increase the risk of the disease.

In the end, the link is that people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have trouble regulating their blood sugar. Although the diseases are separate, that common link has led to many misperceptions.

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“By setting priorities and identifying the most compelling research opportunities, the strategic plan will guide NIH, other federal agencies and the investigative community in efforts to improve diabetes treatments and identify ways to keep more people healthy,” said NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., in a statement.

The plan focuses on 10 areas with the most promise, with the goal of accelerating discoveries in those areas. They include understanding the relationship between Type 2 diabetes and obesity and how environmental and genetic factors play a role; the autoimmune mechanisms at work in Type 1 diabetes; prevention of complications; impact of the disease on racial and ethnic minorities as well as the elderly; development of the artificial pancreas; and the biology of beta cells.

Under the plan, NIH will emphasize clinical research in humans.

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Doctors Without Borders teams are reporting they are encountering many survivors struggling with chronic illnesses, according to a report from the BBC. “In the 20 or 30 shelters we’ve visited the main problems are elderly people with chronic illnesses,” said Japan director for Doctors Without Borders Eric Ouannes, according to a recent Reuters article. “They have run out of medication for diabetes and high blood pressure and we are trying to restart them on their medication.”

The freezing weather and a lack of supplies are leaving some at the shelters struggling with hypothermia and dehydration.  

There are an estimated eight million people with diabetes in Japan, the vast majority of them with Type 2 diabetes. However, there are 400 to 500 people with Type 1 diabetes in North-East Japan, the area hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami, according to an article on the diabetes blog A Sweet Life.

The article says that the Japan Association for Diabetes Education and Care, Japan Diabetes Society, and pharmaceutical companies are working hard to make sure patients in these areas have access to supplies, such as insulin and syringes. The Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaragi prefectures each have two to three hospitals and several pharmaceuticals companies have set up emergency hotlines.

However, whether or not all of the diabetics in those areas can get to the supplies remains unclear because of the country’s damaged infrastructure. Many fled the tsunami without their supplies. Dr Nagata, who was in the Fukushima prefecture, is quoted in the Sweet Life article as saying the shortage of medicine is in the area is “serious.”

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The television ads will be followed by print and online ad campaigns over the next several months. King, 85, a legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter, has had Type 2 diabetes since 1991. Boxersox, 25, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of six.

Bowersox, who was rushed to the hospital during the American Idol competition, has continued to open up about her diabetes in recent months. In past interviews, Bowersox has said she used to beg for insulin because she didn’t have health insurance and couldn’t afford it.

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Diabetes Restaurant Month is a program that strives to educate people with diabetes about the importance of making more informed dietary choices when eating out.

Diners are encouraged to visit local restaurants in select cities to try featured diabetes-friendly dishes during the month designated as Diabetes Restaurant Month for that city. Earl will visit each city participating in Diabetes Restaurant Month to sample diabetes-friendly dishes with a lucky local fan and a certified diabetes educator during an educational discussion about diabetes.

Restaurants participating in Diabetes Restaurant Month have created delicious diabetes-friendly dishes with the help of a registered dietician and an endocrinologist.Restaurants in Denver, Raleigh, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Detroit, Cleveland, Phoenix, Orlando, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale/ Miami/ West Palm Beach. To check out which specific restaurants are participating, click here.

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When natural disasters hit, the threat of being cut off from society and therefore medical supplies is a frightening thought. For people with diabetes, access to medication can mean the difference between life and death.

The book Diabetes 911 by Larry A. Fox M.D and Sandra L. Weber M.D, recommends maintaining a 30 day supply of everything you will need, including medications and other items you use to manage your diabetes, such as test strips and a blood sugar monitor. Understandably, some people may not be able to afford such reserves. However, individuals should stock extra supplies whenever possible.

There are two basic different kinds of major emergency scenarios: a natural disaster and an “end of the world as we know it” scenario. The natural disaster scenario includes hurricanes, earthquakes and tornados, etc.  In this instance most people with chronic illnesses should expect a limited disconnect from their routine and supplies, and just need to weather the storm so to speak. Having an emergency kit will prove tremendously helpful.

The end of the world scenario is much more serious and involves a disruption to medication and supplies for six months or more. In this scenario, people with diabetes can face serious problems and even death. Pharmaceutical labs may be unable to produce life-sustaining insulin and supply routes that bring drugs to all areas of the country may be disrupted, causing havoc. This scenario is extremely unlikely and although the blog post talks about death, its important to remember the point of doing so is to create a distinction between the two types of disasters and what level of planning you can do to survive such disasters.

One major step people with diabetes can take is to learn the benefits of a diabetic diet. Even if you do not currently follow it in your day-to-day life, it is important to know how sugars and carbs work in your body so that if you are in such a scenario, you will understand your body. If you are forced to ration your insulin or make a bottle of insulin last longer, diet can help.

Additionally, many Type 2 diabetics have the ability to largely control their blood sugar spikes through diet and exercise. So, assuming access to certain kinds of foods, that may be one way to survive a long-term disaster.

For people with Type 1 diabetes, a break in the supply chain of insulin could be devastating. In a situation where insulin is unavailable past 90 days, the mortality rate would be significant. Many people with Type 2 diabetes would also suffer complications and even death.

Several books note that 30 days is the magic number for disaster preparedness. The assumption is that at the end of 30 days, the supply of medication and basic services should be back to normal, or at least restored in some way. Beyond 30 days, things get messy. A supply interruption of three to six months becomes critical.

In a subsequent guest column, A. Kelsey Metcalf, a Type 1 diabetic, offered up several tips for keeping an emergency bag with her. At work one day, she experienced a rapid low blood sugar reaction in the middle of an important meeting.  As a result, she created her “emergency kit”. It’s stock full of what she considers to be the minimum she needs to have on her at any given time.

She carries a medium sized zipped cosmetic-type bag with a main compartment and a shallow side zipped compartment. Below is a list of what she keeps in her magic kit to keep her happy and healthy while away from home:

* Two reservoirs and two cartridges (which is an eight-day supply for her)

* A handful of syringes in case of pump failure

* A fairly full bottle of insulin (She regularly rotates this out with her home supply)

* A folded prescription label from her Humalog bottle

* A tube of glucose tablets

* Glucometer, strips, lancets and lancet device

* A few extra pills of her required prescriptions

* An extra battery or two for her pump and glucometer

* Alcohol swabs and I.V. Prep

* I.V. 3000 tape for her pump sites and sensors

* Neosporin and bandaids for site changes

* A penny or two to open her pump’s battery compartment

* A small notebook that contains the details of her pump settings in case of lost data

* A letter of medical necessity for when she goes through security in airports

* Fold-up scissors for cutting tape

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“They’ve had to deal with these false allegations of engaging in lesbian sex,” the women’s lawyer Michael Valentine reportedly told the Daily News. “It’s been painful. Aside from losing their jobs, their reputations have been ruined.”

The ordeal began in 2009 during a school sing-and-dance assembly. The women retreated to Room 337, an empty classroom, when a janitor reportedly entered the room witnessing the two women rolling around on the floor topless. Other news reports say the women were engaged in much more explicit sexual activity and that one of them had no clothes on and the other was topless. The janitor then went to get the school’s safety officer, who alerted a vice principal. The vice principal claims to have observed Brito attempting to get herself together.

However, Brito and the other teacher, Cindy Mauro, claim the janitor misunderstood what he saw and let his imagination run wild. They say that Brito was having a diabetic episode and that Mauro helped her back to the classroom to get her some candy, test her blood sugar, and to help her. It was not clear from the news reports what type of diabetes Brito suffers from.

While in the classroom, Brito says she was so weak she had to lay down on the floor. She also says she took off her sweater to use as a pillow so that she didn’t have to rest her head directly on the floor. Mauro says she then got a chair to place under Brito’s legs to aid in her circulation.

Mary Crangle, a state arbitrator in the case against the teachers, says that it was more likely the duo were caught in the act.

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