Type 3 has also been a common term informally used to describe people that have Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes at the same time. However, in this instance, the company defines Type 3 diabetes as a type of the disease closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The brain produces insulin. The lack of insulin combined with high blood glucose levels are major factors impacting brain function negatively. It therefore increases the incidence and severity of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Allegiance specifically developed CinGx for the treatment and prevention of Type 3 Diabetes.

CinGx combines two standardized natural extracts, which act synergistically to control glucose metabolism, improve cognitive function, and simultaneously minimize the risk of developing diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer’s.

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In people with diabetes, the destruction of beta cells leads to Type 1 diabetes.  Specifically, researchers in Texas and Italy say that alpha cells in the pancreas create a toxic imbalance that impacts the integrity of beta cells. Alpha cells produce glucagon, which raises blood sugar, while beta cells produce insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels.  The researchers say that glutamate, a signaling molecule in the brain and pancreas, is produced along with glucagon.

Too much glutamate creates a toxic situation for beta cells. Previously it was generally believed that alpha cells didn’t hurt beta cells. Beta cells can also be destroyed by too much glucose, the buildup of a protein called amyloid, and free fatty acids.

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Researchers from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, tested the device, which has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, on 120 adults with diabetes that use insulin to manage their blood sugar levels. Each of the study’s participants received three different kinds of feedback for three months.

The first level of feedback was basic blood sugar monitoring information and came from a commercially available blood sugar monitor and test strips. Patients were told to test four times per day. The second and third kinds of feedback included long-term averages and measures of variability. It also estimated the patient’s hypoglycemia risk. 

Researchers found that while the additional information provided in the second and third forms of feedback showed no additional benefit in helping lower their blood sugar levels, it did help lower the risk of sever hypoglycemia. In fact, the second and third types of feedback helped drop the incidence of severe low blood sugar from two per patient each year to less than one in four patients every year.

However, the study’s authors note that patients that already had good blood sugar control saw little benefit from the second and third types of information.  

The Reuters article did not specify whether the patients in the study had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or if the group was a mixture of people with either form of the disease.

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As a person with diabetes, it is not uncommon to encounter someone without the disease offering up their ignorant opinion on how to “fix” it or why I got it. However, even more astonishing is the behavior I have encountered from some within the diabetic community. (See Tensions Rising Between Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetics: Report)

I call it sibling rivalry. Even though Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics share many of the same symptoms, we don’t always get along. Our pancreas’ don’t work correctly. We both suffer the same complications from uncontrolled blood sugar levels. And, regardless of which type we have, being diagnosed with diabetes is a life-changing event.

Many people I have encountered with Type 1 diabetes have very strong opinions about people with Type 2, without necessarily fully understanding the disease. On the surface, it sounds silly but it is true.

They naturally assume that I brought Type 2 diabetes on myself in some way. It’s true that there are links between obesity and Type 2 diabetes, but research shows there are many paths to Type 2 diabetes and the exact cause is not fully known. In the past it was thought to impact older people (it was called adult onset diabetes), but more and more young and thinner people are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

I have spoken with several people in the diabetic community and they also say they have noticed some unwarranted angst from some Type 1 diabetics toward Type 2 diabetics. I am not sure where this behavior originated from but it does exist. In fact, there is a movement afoot to rename Type 1 diabetes to remove “diabetes” from the name so that there is no longer confusion among the public about the differences between the diseases.

I’m all for better education about the diseases. That’s a good thing. However, I would think that those people with Type 1 diabetes that battle this disease every day would be more understanding about the need to avoid perpetuating stereotypes. To be clear, not everyone with Type 1 diabetes is guilty of this. More likely, it is a minority, but a vocal minority.

All I’ve wanted to do was to be around other diabetics for support and friendship – whether it be people with Type 1 or Type 2. I just want to meet new friends that can share the diabetic experience with me. In my daily life, I am not around others that can understand and support my new way of life. In my area there are no support groups for Type 2 diabetic.

So, I contacted a local Type 1 group and explained the situation. I was told by the leader of the group that I could not join because it was exclusively for Type 1’s and their families. I told him nobody gets a gold star for being a Type 1 diabetic. I understand the experiences are different, but is this a reason to turn someone away? The group leader made me think getting Type 2 diabetes was own fault and suggested I be among my own kind. My feelings were hurt.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to start my own support group. However, it is open everybody. I treasure the life lessons that anybody can bring to the group. As a Type 2 diabetic, I am trying to understand basal and bolus since these are not involved in my treatment, as well as the many differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.  

Nobody likes being discriminated against. There is no need to fracture the diabetes community. What I can learn from one person I can share with another person that might be suffering just the same.  We all need support.

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“We’ll let the courts make those decisions as to whether or not his medical circumstances alleviate those charges,” Sgt. Darrin Abbink of the Colorado Springs police department the news outlet. “It’s our responsibility to the public to ensure that those charges are in place.”

The man was seen driving his black Cadillac Escalade erratically around 10:00 a.m. that day, narrowly missing several cars. He was travelling at about 45 mph and would speed up to 65 mph and then fall back down to 40 mph, police said. A police officer riding on a motorcycle pulled up next to the driver and motioned for him to pull over. The officer says he appeared to understand, but failed to pull over.

Police tried to end the chase with ‘stop sticks.’ However, the driver continued to flee with a flat tire, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 80 mph. The police then bumped the side of the vehicle, stopping it. Sgt. Abbink said that drivers with extremely low blood sugars slur their speech, have trouble with balance and motor skills and sometimes are unaware of what they are doing. He compared it to a blackout episode. “This was not an intoxicated driver,” Sgt. Abbink told the news outlet. “This wasn’t someone that was fleeing from us.”

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There he was presented with a Humanitarian Award from non-profit organization Developing Options, which helps improve the lives of young kids with diabetes.

“We just raised A LOT of $ (money) for diabetes tonight,” Ludacris posted on Twitter after the concert. “That (sic) everyone who came out tonight at Nokia Live in L.A. to support a very worthy cause.”

The three-day event included appearances by stars such as R&B singer Ray J, actor Ving Rhames, Tommy “Tiny” Lister and DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles as well as the Indianapolis Colts’ Dwight Freeney.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a recent article about a sixth grader with diabetes named Jack McLaughlin, who is locked in a battle with his school over his exercise routine, which he says is necessary to keep his blood sugar under control. Specifically, the Chester County, Pa. boy says that in order to stay alert and healthy he needs to attend a physical education class every day and wants to maintain a routine. The problem is that students have physical education classes just two days a week and music and reading-skills classes the other days of the week. 

Jack’s parents would like the school to allow him to skip music and reading class and attend gym class five days a week. The school said no, claiming that Jack’s health would not be imperiled without the exemption. Instead they suggested he join the school’s intramural sports or walking club to get the exercise he needs. They also said he is allowed to leave class five minutes early to take a longer route to the next class to get extra exercise.

Jack’s mom, Cathy, says the school’s suggestions are unacceptable because they will not allow him to get intensive exercise on a regular daily schedule. So, currently, the issue remains unresolved.

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Specifically, the “cures” in question are bariatric surgery (including gastric bypass) for Type 2 diabetes and Islet transplantation for Type 1 diabetes. Islet transplantation is still experimental and only being performed on people with the most severe form of diabetes. With that surgery, patients are given new islets to replace the ones mistakenly destroyed by the body’s immune system. Islets produce insulin, which is the hormone needed to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. While the success rate with these surgeries is improving, many that undergo the procedures are “cured” only temporarily (months to years). With bariatric surgery, patients are often required to have adjustments made over an extended period of time.

A group of endocrinologists is recommending that people that undergo these procedures to “cure” diabetes should say instead that their diabetes is “in remission.” The reason is because of the nature of diabetes. With diseases like cancer, either you have it or you don’t. Diabetes, however, is measured by the level of sugar in your blood. If it is tightly controlled over a long period of time it should be said to be in remission, they say.

They established guidelines to describe when the disease is in remission. The term ‘partial remission’ should be used to describe when blood sugar levels remain within a certain range for a period of at least a year without the use of drugs or ongoing medical treatment. ‘Complete remission’ is the term to describe when a patient achieves consistent non-diabetic glycemic levels for a full year without drugs or ongoing medical treatment or procedures. Finally, the term ‘prolonged remission’ should be used to describe remission lasting at least five years.

The reason why ‘remission’ is preferable to ‘cure’ is because patients undergoing these types of surgery are at risk for having their diabetes relapse.

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There are currently many new exciting developments currently underway. Amy Tenderich who runs the diabetes blog Diabetes Mine recently ran an update on six new technologies and medicines presented at the Diabetes Technology Society meeting in San Francisco that are currently under development and may or may not eventually hit the market.

To read her review, check out the most recent update at Diabetes Mine.

Here’s a brief overview of what’s brewing:

* Biocon Limited, a top Indian bio tech company, has been developing an insulin tablet that has shown to have a positive effect on both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. However, the company is currently looking at the pill’s long-term safety impact.

* Norwegian company LifeCare AS is working on SENCELL, a tiny continuous glucose monitor that is implanted under the skin in the wrist without surgery.

* C8 Medisensors, a San Jose, Ca.-based company is working on a continuous glucose monitor that uses optical technology to measure sugar levels.

* IntelliDx, a Santa Barbara, Ca-based company is working on OPTIMUS, an intravenous line that measures blood sugar levels in real time. The device is designed for use in hospitals.

* University of Toronto researchers developed an experimental Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery Device, which is a step towards creating an artificial pancreas.

* Israel’s OrSense developed a ring that goes on your finger and measures blood sugar levels. The company, which has gained approval for use in Europe, claims the device is as accurate as ‘invasive’ technologies.

Many of these items still need to be tested for safety and long-term accuracy.

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