Archive for the 'General' Category
From HealthInsite.gov.au
The three major types of diabetes are:
Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes)
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan.
Type 2 diabetes (previously known as non-insulin dependent diabetes)
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development. Symptoms may not show for many years and, by the time they appear, significant problems may have developed. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by dietary changes, exercise and/or tablets. Insulin injections may later be required.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)
GDM, or carbohydrate intolerance, is first diagnosed during pregnancy through an oral glucose tolerance test. Between 5.5 and 8.8% of pregnant women develop GDM in Australia. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life. Self-care and dietary changes are essential in treatment.
March 10 2010 | General | No Comments »
Diabetic Recall Program is a pilot project spearheaded by Vancouver Island Health Authority in the West Coast General Hospital ’s microbiology lab. The lab may be closing but the really terrific work being done in the laboratory are still positively things taking place at the facility. Pam Ganske.Ganske, the director of laboratory medicine for the Vancouver Island said that the concerned outcry over the lab closure will overshadow the really positive news in diabetes management. The numbers swell to nearly 500 and the program originally enrolled 249 patients in November. Among First Nations people, Port Alberni and the West Coast have a high rate of diabetes. With cure in mind, the Diabetic Recall Program helps them to manage their disease. Patients undergo an HbA1 test under the program. It is being funded bu PRIISME-GlaxoSmithKline.
December 10 2009 | General | No Comments »
Diabetes is commonly recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability. In fact, it ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in 2002. It is associated with long-term complications that have an effect on every part of the body. Diabetes often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Likewise, unrestrained diabetes can complicate pregnancy, and birth defects can occur to babies. Currently, the US has allotted a budget for diabetes patients. Indirect costs includes disability payments, time lost from work, and premature death while direct medical costs for diabetes are care, hospitalizations, and treatment supplies.
October 18 2009 | General | No Comments »
Sight is one of the areas of our senses that can be greatly affected by diabetes when the nerves of the eye tend to wear out easily. With this in mind, ophthalmologists are being asked to join the battle for diabetes so more emphasis on the disease and sight are taken upon with utmost urgency. In the US alone, 6.3 million people have undiagnosed diabetes, maybe more who die without having proper diagnosis and records of such a disease. continue reading »
April 13 2009 | General and Information | No Comments »
In the US, there is and estimated 6.3 million people who are living each and every day without even knowing they had diabetes and that undiagnosed number accounts for $18 Billion dollar in health care expenses each and every year. This is the danger of diabetes which if left unmanaged, tends to get out of hand, late discovery is a sure way to get it beyond control and can even lead to death. The situation is critical enough for the government and private pharmaceutical groups to start investing money into the diagnostics industry where cheap and fast diagnostic tools can be developed for the general public. Most of these unknown’s are discovered after unscheduled visits such as in cases of emergency or through annual blood-work needed by companies. Late discovery is assured chances of having late stages where the liver is totally unable to cope with the needs for insulin often leading to death. continue reading »
March 13 2009 | Care and General and Information and Research | No Comments »
Many people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, an often debilitating disease that results from swelling of the joints making movement painful and slow. A drug used to treat the said disease hydroxychloroquinine, has been found to have a desirable side effect on the prevention of diabetes, another disease that affects millions the world over. Initially designed to treat malaria, the drug was then found to have use with arthritis and many other auto immune diseases. In patients who use the said drug, more than 50% drop in development of diabetes has been noted making this another avenue to follow as a cure for diabetes.
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January 30 2009 | General and Information and Research | No Comments »
image source: www.topnews.in
Here are some ways to help your child stay healthy:
Parents can help their kids stay a healthy weight by limiting video games and television time to an hour or two a day. Creating opportunities to have fun without electronic diversions can be a family undertaking. Dancing to music or working with art supplies are all ways to fire a child’s imagination. Turning off the TV can help kids become more plugged in to the world around them. Let kids earn their TV time. For every minute they play outside, they can watch one minute of television. Thirty minutes of outdoor play will buy them a favorite half-hour television show later that day. Encouraging sports that the whole family can participate in can go a long way toward encouraging kids to be active. Some kids feel self-conscious when they are overweight and don’t want to participate in team sports. They might feel that they won’t be able to keep up, or that they’ll let the team down.
August 09 2008 | Camp and Care and Exercise and Fun Run and General and Information and Open Letter and Research and Tips | No Comments »
People with diabetes must be responsible for their day-to-day care. Daily care includes keeping the blood glucose levels normal, not too high or low. It is said that when blood glucose levels drop too low, hypoglycemia arises and the person becomes nervous, shaky or confused with his surroundings. At the same time, when glucose is too low, one would experience fainting. If glucose is too high, he will be able to experience hyperglycemia and will become ill. With these present conditions, it is advisable to seek for a professional help or a health provider to be able to manage diabetes well.
April 30 2008 | General | No Comments »
Eating healthy and nutritional foods at the same time combined with daily exercise, and taking insulin are the key medications for type 1 diabetes. The quantity of insulin must be considered with any food intake and daily activities. Blood glucose levels must be precisely monitored by way of frequent blood glucose checking. People with diabetes also maintain an eye on blood glucose levels a number of times a year with a laboratory examination called the A1C. Administering diabetes is in excess of remaining blood glucose levels under control. While treated with diabetes, it is necessary to look at the blood pressure and cholesterol levels all the time.
April 25 2008 | General | No Comments »
Diabetes is not infectious or a communicable disease. People do not catch these sickenss from one another. On the other hand, there are certain aspects which can add to the risk of developing diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes hits in the same way among males and females but is more common in whites than in non-whites. This too can be seen in children except that it occurs at any age. Type 2 diabetes is vulnerable in older people, particularly in people who are heavy or obese. On an average, non-Hispanic African Americans are 1.8 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of the similar age.
April 21 2008 | General | No Comments »
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