We Need Your Vote!
dLife is thrilled to announce that we have been nominated for the “Best Health Website of 2008” People's Voice Webby Award! What's a Webby? Well, they are often referred to as the Oscars of the Internet, so we are honored by the recognition. Unlike the Oscars, however, this award is decided by popular vote from internet users just like you. Now we ask you, the dLife Community, to help us all win. Here's how to cast your vote:
- Visit http://pv.webbyawards.com
- Register to vote (we know it's a pain, but it only takes a minute)
- Once you receive your email registration confirmation, click through on the provided link
- Click on “Website vote now!”
- Go to Living and select Health
- Vote for dLife!
Voting ends April 30, so cast your vote today and ask everyone you know to vote! Thank you for being a part of the dLife Community!
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dLife CEO Responds to the NY Times
That clacking noise heard around the world yesterday was the sound of millions of people with diabetes putting their blood glucose monitors back on the shelf, relieved to know that the dogged pursuit of tight blood sugar control is no longer necessary. That is, if you read the first paragraph of Thursday’s front page New York Times article on the recently halted arm of the ACCORD study: "For decades, researchers believed that if people with diabetes lowered their blood sugar to normal levels, they would no longer be at high risk of dying from heart disease. But a major federal study …found that lowering blood sugar actually increased their risk of death." This is an exceedingly dangerous takeaway. The bigger story here is what the presentation of this news, not the news itself, tells patients about managing their diabetes appropriately.
Coverage from the Times and others implied that based on this development, you should rethink the pursuit of tight control – and that’s flat out wrong. Other long-term, large-scale studies, including the UKPDS and the DCCT, have conclusively demonstrated that tight control leads to a lower incidence of most diabetes complications. The portion of the ACCORD study the Times reported on looked at a very specific subset of people with type 2 diabetes who had pre-existing and severe cardiovascular risk factors. To extend those conclusions to a population of over 20 million Americans struggling with diabetes for the sake of a headline is a dangerous disservice to all.
Other media outlets didn’t fare much better. Take for example Wednesday’s NBC Nightly News, where Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic said “lowering blood sugar to a lower level may actually increase mortality for some patients.” That seemingly harmless sound bite, perhaps pulled out of context, provides an excuse for the millions struggling with diabetes management to pull back and rationalize that they may not need to be as diligent as they thought.
I have diabetes, and so do the millions of people dLife reaches through our TV show and website. All of us are extremely challenged by the daily, constant grind of managing our lives to maintain good control. Every day we face a physical, emotional, and psychological battle with the encroaching monster of complications – including heart and kidney disease, blindness, amputation, or death – and our only weapon is vigilant blood sugar management. Now the media’s simplistic reporting on the ACCORD study findings may result in adverse outcomes for many who are lead to believe that even this is not enough.
Let’s step back and take a dose of some common sense. If you can get your blood sugar closer to that of a non-diabetic, it must be better than being out of control with higher blood sugar. The collective and individual uphill struggle to get diabetes under control can’t pause for what is now simply an interesting and developing research story.
Howard Steinberg
CEO
dLife - For Your Diabetes Life
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The Media Blows it Again
Usually a trusted source of medical analysis, The New York Times has really blown it this morning in their analysis of yesterday's developments in the ACCORD trial. In one paragraph, health care writer Gina Kolata sets back diabetes education at least a decade by opening her NYT piece with the following sensationalized - and simplistic - analysis:- "For decades, researchers believed that if people with diabetes lowered their blood sugar to normal levels, they would no longer be at high risk of dying from heart disease. But a major federal study of more than 10,000 middle-aged and older people with Type 2 diabetes has found that lowering blood sugar actually increased their risk of death, researchers reported Wednesday."
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ACCORD Trial Makes News
Today, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a major change in the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) study - a large-scale North American trial with over 10,000 participants. One arm of the trial, which examined the impact of intensively-controlled type 2 diabetes management (i.e., an A1C goal of less than 6%) in preventing cardiovascular complications, was stopped eighteen months early. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) found that type 2 ACCORD participants at high risk for heart attack and stroke who were placed in the intensive diabetes management group had an increased risk of death compared with their peers who were placed in a less-intensive standard treatment (i.e., A1C of 7 to 7.9%) group. It's important to note that the increased risk was slight, and was specific to only a subset of patients who had two or more risk factors for heart disease outside of diabetes or who had pre-existing heart disease upon entering the study.
Read more about the ACCORD changes here.
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Is Your Health Covered in 2008?
The campaign trail is hot as the presidential candidates make their way from state to state, debate to debate, stumping for the almighty vote. The issues are the same but the plans are as varied as the many candidates that are all vying for the title of President of the United States. For people with diabetes, one of the issues of concern is health care – rising costs, research, insurance.
Who will be the one to garner your vote? Check out the dLife Election coverage for more on how the candidates stack up for PWDs. If you want to offer up your opinion, leave a comment and let your voice be heard!
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ADA Catches Up on Low-Carb...Sort Of
The American Diabetes Association has started to acknowledge the evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet is beneficial for people living with diabetes....sort of. In the newly-released "Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes," the ADA says that: "For weight loss, either low-carbohydrate or low-fat calorie-restricted diets may be effective in the short term (up to 1 year)." This marks the first time that the ADA has acknowledged the clinical benefit of low-carbohydrate diets in any capacity, and we applaud them for taking this step in the right direction.
However, for daily diabetes management, the ADA stands firm on its former dietary recommendations, continuing to recommend a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates daily. The authors noted that "(a)lthough brain fuel needs can be met on lower-carbohydrate diets, long-term metabolic effects of very-low-carbohydrate diets are unclear, and such diets eliminate many foods that are important sources of energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and are important in dietary palatability."
Of course, any dietary strategy needs to provide some level of taste enjoyment if it has any chance of long-term adherence, but the assumption that low-carb can't be a palatable dietary option is a cop out. There is no hesitancy on the ADA's part in officially recommending low saturated fat intake, yet it could be argued that low-saturated-fat diets can eliminate many foods that are important sources of nutrients and “dietary palatability.” And energy, fiber, and vitamin and mineral requirements can certainly be met within a healthy low-carb eating plan.
Yes, you have to work at low-carb, but let's give people with diabetes some credit in wanting to put in that hard work for better blood glucose control. Nutrition principles that promote our best chance at diabetes health should be the goal of all professional healthcare organizations. Let's not settle for less.
Read more about the new ADA nutrition guidelines and how low-carb advocates are reacting.
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Pfizer Drops Exubera
Since its market release in early 2006, Exubera has faced an uphill battle winning widespread physician and consumer adaption. Now, manufacturer Pfizer has decided to pull the product from its portfolio. From Pfizer's third quarter earnings release yesterday:
"[W]e made an important decision regarding Exubera, a product for which we initially had high expectations,” said Jeff Kindler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Despite our best efforts, Exubera has failed to gain the acceptance of patients and physicians. We have therefore concluded that further investment in this product is unwarranted.”We will work with physicians to transition Exubera patients to other treatment options in the next three months. We remain committed to investing significant resources in the development of new and innovative medicines to manage diabetes, including monitoring inhalation technologies and other innovative delivery systems for insulin and other medicines.”
RELATED: Inhaled Insulin
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Do You Know the Signs?
Recently, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study to determine if a school-based prevention program could help reduce students' risks of developing unhealthy food management behaviors.
Diabetes management, with its focus on eating and nutrition, has the potential to create a preoccupation with food. Sometimes this preoccupation becomes an obsession, building momentum until food is almost viewed as dangerous. Worrying about eating the wrong foods and using terms such as “cheating” are unhealthy perspectives that can contribute to the development of an eating disorder.
The combination of an eating disorder and diabetes can be deadly. Do you know the signs? Find out more, and empower yourself with information.
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Managing Your Cardio Risk
Is focusing on controlling blood sugar levels enough? That's the question Gina Kolata of The New York Times asked yesterday in a feature story about heart disease risk in the diabetes population - and how high cholesterol and blood pressure remains seriously undertreated. It's also apparently misunderstood. In a recent ADA survey, only 18 percent of people with diabetes acknowledged that the disease put them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
The big takeaway is that while keeping blood glucose levels under control is important, and may decrease damage to small blood vessels, cholesterol reduction and blood pressure control are key to preventing cardiovascular disease. This may mean adding drugs, like statins, to an already complicated diabetes regimen, but in terms of preventing long-term heart problems, it's worth it.
Read The New York Times article.
RELATED: Take the Heart Disease Risk Quiz!
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Counterfeit Test Strips Traced to China
FDA officials have traced counterfeit test strips for OneTouch meters found in American and Canadian pharmacies last year to a Chinese distributor. The New York Times has an update on this story.
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FDA Committee Recommends Avandia Stay on Market
Yesterday, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended in a 22 to 1 vote that FDA keep the controversial type 2 diabetes drug Avandia on the market. The panel also voted 20 to 3 that the drug does raise heart disease risk, however, and backed the requirement of a "black-box" warning on Avandia labeling. An estimated one million Americans currently use Avandia to control their diabetes.
In May, the New England Journal of Medicine published a controversial metanalysis of research examining Avandia and heart disease risk, setting off a significant debate in the diabetes community and Congress, and prompting the FDA to accelerate the committee hearing process on the drug.
While the panel's decision is considered a 'recommendation' to the FDA, the agency historically has followed its advice. However, CNN reports that there is disagreement within the FDA itself over the fate of the drug, quoting Dr. Robert Meyer, head of the FDA office that reviews new diabetes drugs, as telling the panel: "It is important that the committee understand there is a fundamental disagreement within (the FDA's drugs office) on the scientific conclusions that should be drawn." GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Avandia, continues to stand by the safety record of the drug.
RELATED: More on Avandia
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Update from Minimed
Please find below the latest from Steven Cragle at Minimed:
"Recently, Medtronic became aware of cases where exposure to strong magnetic fields like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) resulted in damage to Medtronic Paradigm insulin infusion pumps. Medtronic has taken this situation very seriously, and we have voluntarily notified our patients, physicians and the FDA about these incidences, reinforcing the need for caution when using our insulin infusion pumps while in close proximity to strong magnetic fields like MRIs.
The FDA has agreed with our assessment of the situation, and categorized this announcement as a Class II Field Correction, requiring us only to notify patients of the potential risk MRIs pose to their insulin pumps. Patients should not be concerned or take any further action unless they believe their Paradigm insulin pump has been exposed to an MRI machine. Patients should not return their Paradigm insulin pump to Medtronic unless they believe this exposure has taken place.
Extensive testing with other magnetized devices such as airport metal detectors, electronic article surveillance equipment and cellular phones will not adversely affect pump operation."
If you have any questions or concerns, please visit www.minimed.com.
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In Need of Training
The blogosphere is a-buzz about Roosevelt Sims, the 65-year old man who was thrown off of an Amtrak train outside of Williams, AZ for appearing drunk and disorderly when in fact he was recently diagnosed with diabetes and experiencing a low blood sugar.
Thankfully, Mr. Sims was found safe and sound, but hypoglycemia being mistaken for drunkeness is in the news all-too often lately. Ask Doug Burns. Do you think that employers are providing enough training to their staff? Where is the line drawn between what is "part of the job" and simply "being a compassionate human being?"
What do you think?
RELATED: Diabetes Advocacy
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Food for Thought
Recent research reveals that "Compounds found in pumpkin could potentially replace or at least drastically reduce the daily insulin injections that so many diabetics currently have to endure." Is this a story to follow or are we just waiting for the clock to strike midnight?
Talk about it in the dLife Community Forum.
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Avandia - What You Should Know
If you are taking Avandia as part of your diabetes treatment - or are considering it - you've probably been glued to news surrounding the potential cardiovascular risks. dLife columnist Daniel Trecroci has talked to the experts and now shares his findings with the dLife community. Before you do anything, read all about it here, then talk more with your doctor.
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Team Type WON!
Congratulations to Team Type 1! They are the winners of Race Across America's Corporate Challenge category, crossing the finish line several hours ahead of the closest team/riders.
According to their race blog:
"After grueling rides through 9% inclines in West Virginia and Maryland, TT1 sailed through Pennsylvania to become the 2007 Corporate RAAM champions beating their time from last year. There were a few penalties -- otherwise they would have REALLY beat their time.So many wonderful people helped us do this - the crew, people across America - from a laundermat in Springfield, Mo. who kept their doors open late for us to finish laundry - a restaurant in Union, West Virginia who gave us food and all you bloggers.
The story of eight young men and women with Type 1 diabetes racing 3060 miles across the U.S. touched everyone who heard about it. We will post more pictures and video later -- but now SLEEP."
Find out more at Race Across America.
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Go Team Type 1!
The eight members of Team Type 1 hit the road today for the start of their 3,000+ mile Race Across America (RAAM) journey. Last year, this group of elite cyclists, all living with type 1 diabetes, won their division and raised a significant donation for diabetes research. Find out more about their incredible journey on the Team Type 1 Race Blog.
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The Story on Avandia
Earlier this week, the New England Journal of Medicine published a Cleveland Clinic metanalysis of research on the type 2 diabetes drug rosaglitizone (Avandia) and the cardiovascular risk associated with the drug. The findings prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a safety warning on Avandia. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the drug's manufacturer, has issued a rebuttal to the study, citing their own "comprehensive and rigorous program of scientific analysis."
If you're currently taking Avandia and have concerns about the recent study, talk to your doctor.
GlaxoSmithKline Strongly Defends Its Record on Avandia
PBS: Online Newshour - Study Raises Concerns About Risk of Diabetes Drugs
New York Times: Heart Attack Risk Seen in Drug for Diabetes
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Tax Time
Today is the big day. Hustling to get those taxes filed? dLife has important tips on medical deductions.
In related news, Northeasterners impacted by yesterday's storms get a 48-hour reprieve to file their federal returns. The IRS has more information.
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Doug Burns: The Kindness of Strangers
If you have diabetes and have an email account, chances are that someone in your network of friends and family has emailed you this story today. Doug Burns, reigning Mr. Universe (amateur division), was arrested and maced in a Redwood City, California movie theater after a low blood sugar episode Sunday evening. Security personnel and police report that Burns attacked an officer while in a state of confusion, while Burns (who has only scattered recollections of his hypoglycemic episode), says that witnesses have painted a different picture. The details are sure to emerge in the coming days.
Here are the facts that both parties seem to agree to: A security guard found Burns inside the theater with a ticket. He was unstable on his feet and unable to answer questions. Assuming he was intoxicated, the guard escorted him outside the theater, asked him to leave, and called police when Burns didn't.
It seems the situation could have easily been defused if security personnel, who deal with the public on a daily basis, were trained to recognize medical emergencies. Certainly someone suffering a heart attack or an asthmatic episode wouldn't have been escorted out of the building. Because the symptoms of a low can render some unable to communicate for themselves, it's even more imperative security personnel are trained to look for medical identification and ask if a person has diabetes.
Our Kerri Morrone perhaps says it best: "We are responsible for ourselves, but this is another example of how ignorance about diabetes can put lives in dangerous situations. Sometimes we need the kindness and help of strangers."
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Spring Forward
Daylight savings time is upon us - earlier than ever this year as a result of a Congressional act. The time change happens officially early March 11th (Sunday) at 2 a.m. dLife has a handy checklist that will help you make sure your diabetes care stays on time as well. Check it out.
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Pen Pal
Good news for gadget lovers. Lilly has debuted their new HumaPen MEMOIR, the first digital insulin pen. The MEMOIR, which dispenses Humalog insulin, allows patients to record and review their last 16 insulin doses by time and amount at a push of a button With its Waterman stylings and sleek chrome detail, It's not too shabby looking, either.
The Boston Herald reports that the reusuable unit will retail for around $100, with discount coupons at launch giving early adapters a $45 deal (insulin cartridges extra).
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dLife Talks to Nancy Pelosi About Stem Cell Debate
dLifeTV recently sat down for a one-on-one interview with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to discuss the controversial issue of embryonic stem cell research and what pending legislation means for people with diabetes and other chronic diseases everywhere. Don't miss this exclusive interview at dLife.com.
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Puppy Love
A new study out of Ireland shows that the dog may truly be man's best friend. A recent research review conducted at Queen's University, Belfast, found that people with canine companions tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, suffer from fewer medical problems, and recover more quickly from serious illness.
In the Independent, Deborah Wells, author of the study, explains: "It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress. The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."
Dogs 1: Cats 0.
Have a pet that keeps you healthy? Comment below.
RELATED: Heaven Scent Paws Diabetes Service Dogs
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Joslin Leadership Passes the Torch
“I want to take the Joslin team to the next level, pushing research towards impacting cures and spreading the quality of care,” said Ranch C. Kimball, the newly-appointed president of the world-renowned Joslin Diabetes Center today.
Selected following an international search conducted over five months by a committee of distinguished representatives, Kimball earned the unanimous approval of the Joslin Diabetes Center Board of Trustees. He will assume the post effective February 1 of this year. Kimball has some big shoes to fill, replacing leading endocrinologist (and dLife medical advisory board member) Dr. C. Ronald Kahn. After 25 years in Joslin leadership roles, Dr. Kahn leaves the presidency to devote more time to his diabetes research activities.
Responsible for attracting major biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms to establish operations in the state of Massachusetts, Kimball earned the honor of the Biotech Industry Organization’s award for top state executive in the country. He also served as Governor Romey’s chief economic leader and advisor, overseeing 22 agencies, four cabinet secretaries, and more than 2,500 employees from several business sectors.
dLife asked Kimball about his goals during the course of his presidency:
“I want to drive the diversification of research funding, taking the real and exciting promise of our research and communicate those advancements to the funding community.” He added that he wants to make diabetes a less intrusive part of people’s lives, by means of technology such as insulin pumps, glucose meters, and other technological advancements while working towards a cure...The foot is on the gas pedal to go after this disease and its complications.”RELATED: Joslin press release
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Legislation to Expand Stem Cell Research - Approved!!
This update from the JDRF - "Shortly after 3 pm yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research, by a vote of 353-174, with 8 Members not voting. This represents a pickup of 18 votes from the House vote last year to override the President’s veto of H.R. 810 (legislation identical to H.R. 3). Thanks to all of the JDRF volunteers across the country who responded to our Action Alert and who contacted their Members of Congress and asked for a vote in support of the bill. All of your efforts are paying off, and we are clearly moving in the right direction by picking up votes from last year.
Click here to see how your Representative voted.
After a few hours of debate on the House floor, opponents of H.R. 3 attempted to amend the bill via a parliamentary procedure known as a “motion to recommit”; this motion would have prevented universities or research institutions that are conducting somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT, or therapeutic cloning) from receiving federal funds to conduct embryonic stem cell research. Fortunately, the motion failed by a vote of 189-238.
The Senate is expected to debate and vote on its companion bill, S. 5 in the next few weeks. We will be in contact with you soon regarding the Senate vote and instructions on how you can help reach the goal of a veto-proof margin of 67 votes."
For more on how to be involved in diabetes advocacy, visit our Advocacy page and make a difference.
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Urgent Stem Cell Action Alert
This just in from the JDRF:
As a result of all of your hard work over the past few years, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made expanding federal support for embryonic stem cell research a top priority for the new Congress. Continuing the momentum that we’ve worked so hard to build by securing another victory in the House on stem cell is extremely important. We need to generate as many different communications as possible to the House in order to pass it.
We need you to complete the following 3 steps:
1. Click here to go our Take Action page. Review the letter supplied and enter your personal story in the paragraph provided. Including your unique and personal story is the key to getting your Representative’s attention. Your letters will be faxed automatically to your Representative’s offices upon completion.
2. Once you have completed your letters, dial the toll free number below to connect to your Representative’s office. When prompted, enter your Zip Code, and you will hear a brief message reminding you what we would like you to say.
Your federal Representative is: Rep. Joseph Courtney
3. Forward this Action Alert to as many people as you can and urge them to participate in contacting their Representatives in support of H.R. 3.
For more on how to be involved in diabetes advocacy, visit our Advocacy page and make a difference.
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The Results Are In!
The results are in - and dLife has won a Diabetes OC Award for Best Non-Blog Diabetes Resource!
Howard Steinberg said it best.
"We are very honored to be recognized by those that really know what is valuable to the online diabetes community. dLife would like to thank them for voting dLife the Best Non-Blog Diabetes Resource. It's certainly an honor to be included in such an esteemed group of nominees, many of whom have also made significant contributions to dLife.com, dLifeTV, and dLife's other media channels. We'd also like to take this opportunity to commend the Diabetes O.C. for your efforts in bringing together the diverse talents and voices of the diabetes bloggers. Web is perhaps THE critical channel for patient empowerment and all of us here at dLife look forward to continuing to inform, inspire, and connect people with diabetes everywhere in 2007 and beyond. Thank you."
Thank you to everyone who voted!
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The Big Stories of 2006
With 2006 drawing quickly to a close and a year’s worth of diabetes news behind us, dLife asks, “What was the Biggest dStory of 2006?” Was it inhaled insulin? How about islet cell research? Or was it something from a local JDRF or ADA chapter? dLife’s own Viewpoints columnists, real people living with diabetes every day, share their opinions on what they thought was the Biggest dStory of 2006. See if you agree, and let's hear from you about your memorable moments of 2006.
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Diabetes in the Workplace
Today's New York Times has a thought-provoking article on the multiple legal and social issues many people with diabetes face in the workplace. Former dLifeTV guests attorney John W. Griffin Jr. and Parade magazine editor Fran Carpentier are both quoted in the story.
MORE: Diabetes in the Workplace
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Hitting a Nerve
There's some remarkable new cure-based research out of Toronto that's generating buzz in the diabetes community. This morning, a viewer emailed us to ask "Is it as significant as it sounds?"
Well, yes and no. if you're a mouse, it's huge news. To the rest of us mere mortals, it's a wait and see proposal. What is significant is that it challenges the conventional wisdom that type 1 diabetes is all about autoimmunity.
In brief - researchers found that diabetes is controlled by abnormalities in the sensory nociceptor (pain-related) nerve endings in the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. The discovery has led to new treatment strategies for diabetes, achieving reversal of the disease without severe, toxic immunosuppression.
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Ready, Set, Shop!
Pack up the turkey leftovers and put on your shopping shoes - today is Black Friday, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Whether you're giving or getting, dLife has dozens of creative holiday gift ideas to nurture physical, mental, and spiritual diabetes health.
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Kick Butt
Today is the Great American Smokeout. There's no doubt that smoking is a hard habit to break. Nicotine is arguably the most widely available, yet highly addictive and medically harmful substance in America today. An estimated 45 million adult Americans are smokers. But each year, 438,000 of these people die prematurely as a result of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
Research tells us the health stakes are higher for people with diabetes. If you smoke, you're automatically doubling your risk of developing diabetic neuropathy. You're also increasing your risk of heart problems and kidney damage. And smoking has also been linked to poorer blood sugar control and increased insulin resistance.
Despite all this, roughly 25% of people living with diabetes continue to smoke. It starts with one day of saying no to tobacco. Why not make it today?
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Healthy in the Eye of the Beholder?
One New England supermarket chain is taking extra steps to show its customers what foods are really healthy - despite what the label says. Today's New York Times explains how Maine-based Hannaford Brothers, a grocery retailer of over 150 stores, has developed a self-proclaimed "nutrition navigation system" known as Guiding Stars. The proprietary system analyzes the vitamins, minerals, fiber, cholesterol, sugar, sodium, and fat content in a 100 calorie sample of a given food product, and gives the product a star rating right on the store shelf price tag. Ratings range from zero stars (no nutritional value or not rated) to three stars (best choice). Hannaford rates 27,000 of its products, and only 23% qualified for one or more stars. Surprisingly, many brands bearing health claims acceptable by FDA standards scored zero Guiding Stars. Kudos to Hannaford for taking the initiative in demystifying supermarket shopping.
RELATED: Supermarket Shopping Tips
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Condiment Confab
Proof that there is a lobbying group for virtually everything -- the Association of Dressings and Sauces makes a statement about the upcoming National Diabetes Month.
RELATED: Sauces, Spreads, and Dressings from the dLife Recipe Box
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FTC and FDA Target Healthcare Fraud
Last week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Food and Drug Administration announced a crackdown on internet health fraud intended to "stop deceptive...advertisements and sales of products misrepresented as cures or treatments for diabetes." The web sweep resulted in the issuance of twenty-four FDA warning letters. The two agencies also launched a provocative website designed to educate consumers about the pitfalls of "too good to be true" online health elixirs.
RELATED: Learn the Red Flags of Health Care Fraud
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Rollback Redux
Wal-Mart expands its $4 generic prescription program today with its announcement that it will be launching the program in fourteen additional states - covering 1,264 stores located in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Vermont. Wal-Mart debuted the program in Florida pharmacies in early October.
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Januvia: The New Kid On The Block
The DPP-IV inhibitors have arrived! Merck's Januvia (sitagliptin phosphate), the first in class of this new drug, received FDA approval yesterday. Januvia works by enhancing the body's ability to release insulin after blood sugar rises, such as after a meal. A second DPP-IV, Novartis's Galvus (vildagliptin), is expected to receive FDA approval later this year). Join the discussion about Januvia in the dLife Forum now, or post a comment below.
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Rethinking Lifestyle Change
If you have type 2 diabetes, chances are you've heard the mantra "diet and exercise" so many times that it's become background noise. You know you should do it, but how is the question. In this morning's New York Times, Gina Kolata asks "Should diabetes specialists even bother to advise patients to try helping themselves through diet and exercise first, before prescribing drugs?"
In August, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) issued a joint consensus statement that changed the way type 2 diabetes is treated right out of the starting gate. The oral drug metformin now joins diet and exercise as the front line treatment for those newly diagnosed with type 2. While acknowledging the power of even minor lifestyle changes in improving diabetes control, the authors of the consensus statement stated that " the limited long-term success of lifestyle programs to maintain glycemic goals in patients with type 2 diabetes suggests that a large majority of patients will require the addition of medications over the course of their diabetes."
Now, that question may be extended to prediabetes, as new studies confirm the preventative power of oral diabetes medications. Will the diet and exercise message be diffused even further with the promise of an easier solution? Behavior change is tough, and if you take away the motivation, it gets even tougher.
So are we being realists or defeatists in turning to medication as our first line of defense against diabetes? Will the new guidelines improve control or make diet and exercise an even lower priority? How do we harness the tremendous potential of diabetes medications while promoting healthy habits? We want to hear what you think....comment below!
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Counterfeit Test Strip Alert
The U.S. FDA has issued a nationwide warning alerting consumers to counterfeit blood glucose test strips being sold in the United States for use with various models of One Touch blood glucose monitors (LifeScan). Anyone with One Touch Basic/Profile and One Touch Ultra strips should check the packaging lot numbers. Consumers can also call LifeScan at 1-866-621-4855 for more details.
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Lilly for Life
Eli Lilly has announced the 2006 recipients of the company's annual LillyforLife Achievement Awards, which "honor the inspiring achievements of people who make lasting personal or professional contributions to the diabetes community." You may recall that dLifeTV won in the journalism category last year. This year, dLife columnist and blogger Amy Tenderich won journalism accolades for her work at diabetesmine.com.
The official press release from Eli Lilly:
Lilly Announces LillyforLife™ Achievement Award Winners
Program Honors Outstanding Personal and Professional Achievements in Diabetes
INDIANAPOLIS – Building on its longtime leadership and commitment to improving diabetes care, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) today announced five winners of the 2006 LillyforLife™ Achievement Awards. The winners include a teenage singer and actress with diabetes; a recently retired rehabilitation counselor who, though blinded by the disease, assists others with disabilities; an internationally recognized pioneer of pediatric diabetology; a devoted mother of a woman with type 1 diabetes; and a journalist with diabetes who started a successful web log (blog).
The LillyforLife Achievement Awards honor the inspiring achievements of people who make lasting personal or professional contributions to the diabetes community. Nominees were judged by a panel of diabetes care advocates in five categories: Young Champion with diabetes (age 17 and under); Adult Achiever with diabetes (age 18 and over); Professional Hero (health professional, educator, advocate); Friendly Face (caregiver, spouse, partner, friend); and Journalism.
Each winner receives a $1,500 cash prize (or an equivalent donation made in their name to the charity of their choice; the prize for the professional category is automatically donated) and an etched trophy. The winners were recognized at an awards banquet on Sept. 6 in Indianapolis.
The 2006 LillyforLife Achievement Award recipients:
In addition, Lilly also presented two special awards at this year’s recognition banquet:
“The LillyforLife Achievement Awards demonstrate Lilly’s long-standing commitment to the improvement of diabetes care and education, and provide an opportunity to recognize the good work of people in individual communities,” said Ron Hoven, Insulins Brand Director, Eli Lilly and Company. “Diabetes can be a difficult disease to manage, but with proper blood sugar control, people with diabetes can succeed and live full, active lives. The stories of these winners should serve as inspiration to us all as we strive to improve the care of people with diabetes.”
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Islet Cell Transplants: Hope or Hype?
The headline doesn’t look terrific: “A Diabetes Treatment Fails to Live Up to Early Promise.” Today’s New York Times reports on results of the International Trial of the Edmonton Protocol for Islet Transplantation, which were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although 58% of patients followed by the trial attained insulin independence after transplant, within two years 86% of islet cell transplant recipients had returned to regular insulin injections. The good news is that severe hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes were reduced in those who received transplants. The treatment also improved long-term blood sugar control.
Is this progress towards a cure? Or just another dangled carrot for the millions of people living with diabetes? What do you think?
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Wal-Mart Throws Down the Gauntlet
Wal-Mart is garnering some good press for yesterday's announcement of a pilot program to drop the price on nearly 300 generic drugs to $4 per prescription. The program, which starts in select Tampa, FL area stores and will expand statewide early next year, covers a number of diabetes and blood pressure meds, and will be extended to both the insured and uninsured.
If successful, Wal-Mart plans on rolling out the price drop nationwide. Other large retail chains will surely be forced to follow suit; Target quickly announced their pharmacies would match Wal-Mart prices in the Tampa area.
MORE: Kaiser Health Foundation
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Avandia as a Type 2 Prevention Tool?
A drug that can slash the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by over sixty percent? That's the hot story out of Copenhagen, where the European Association for the Study of Diabetes held its annual meeting last week, and it could be the biggest news in diabetes prevention since the DPP trial findings were announced in 2002. But is rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia) the magic bullet for a global health crisis, or an expensive band-aid that gives us yet another reason not to invest in the healthy lifestyle changes that are known to slash type 2 diabetes risk by up to 70 percent?
The DREAM (Diabetes REduction Assessment with ramipril and rosiglitazone Medication) trial followed 5,269 people with pre-diabetes over three years to determine their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Those who took Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate) reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 62 percent, compared to those who took a placebo. All study subjects were also counseled on healthy eating and exercise.
The DREAM results have been met with skepticism and caution by some in the diabetes community, who cite heart risks, expense, and lack of long-term data on Avandia as factors that may preclude the drug from widespread use as a preventative. And there is also some concern that media attention to the study could send the wrong message - that a pill is a substitute for healthy lifestyle changes. What we do know for certain is that diet and exercise remain the most effective tool we have for type 2 diabetes prevention. And while the Avandia results are impressive, they don't address the underlying problems of how to motivate behavioral and social changes to combat the inactivity and poor nutrition that are fueling the type 2 diabetes crisis.
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New ADA Food Guidelines
The new American Diabetes Association clinical guidelines for dietary control and prevention of diabetes are out, and the debate is on. What's your take? Talk about it in the dLife Community Forum.
RELATED: Diabetes Food and Nutrition
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Byetta Back
Good news for Byetta users. The manufacturing capacity issues that threatened a Byetta shortage earlier this year have apparently been addressed, and Symlin is reporting that there is now an adequate supply of the drug available for physicians to begin prescribing it again.
RELATED: More on Byetta
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Air Travel and Insulin
On Thursday, August 10th, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security raised the national security level to High (Orange) for all U.S. commercial flights. In addition, new travel restrictions have been put in place – including a ban of all liquids, gels, lotions, and creams of any kind in carry-on luggage. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), all necessary medications, including insulin, are exempt from this ban. Prescription medications should be labeled as such, and the name on the label must match the name on the passenger ticket.
To ensure a smooth passage through airport security, keep insulin vials and pens in their original packaging and let security personnel know you have diabetes and are carrying insulin and testing supplies. Give yourself adequate time to get through security (as of this evening the TSA is suggesting three hours in advance of your flight) and call your airline before traveling to check on any additional restrictions that may be imposed at the carrier level.
RELATED: Travel and Diabetes
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Obesity Immunizations?
Keeping weight off once you've lost it is a challenge for many. Now, scientists at Scripps Research Institute have successfully tested an anti-obesity vaccine that helps stop the weight loss yo-yo effect in animals.
The vaccine targets ghrelin, an endocrine hormone produced in the stomach. Ghrelin production goes up when body weight goes down, and high levels of ghrelin slow down fat metabolism, encourage eating, and promote fat retention, changes which normally make it difficult to lose weight and keep it off. In the Scripps study, the adult rats given the vaccine ate normally yet gained less weight and body fat.
RELATED: Weight Management and Diabetes
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Jockeying for Control
Nikita Beriman is a rising star on the Australian horse racing circuit. As one of the country's leading apprentice jockeys, she has a total of 57 wins under her belt already this season. Nikita has dreamed of becoming a jockey since she was growing up as a young girl on a Victoria stud farm. Almost as long as she's lived with her type 1 diabetes.
But like many other 20-year-old girls, and almost every jockey, Nikita worries about her weight. Because excess weight can slow down a horse, racing commissions around the world have strict guidelines on what a jockey can weigh. Being even a half kilogram above the weight range can lead to fines and potentially suspension. Add diabetes to the mix and you see the overwhelming pressure this young female jockey faces.
On Sunday, Nikita was charged with her tenth weight offense in twelve months. She was 1.5 kg (or just over three pounds) above her registered weight. According to Australian news outlet The Age, Beriman "explained to stewards that her diet proved to be unreliable as her sugar levels appeared to rise, even though she had very little to eat. "I was 52½ on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and I've only had a sandwich before the races today, and I'm a kilo-and-a-half over that. It's so hard to regulate.""
Racing stewards were lenient with Beriman, bypassing a suspension with a $500 fine and a directive to work with a sports nutritionist. But she won't be allowed to return to racing until she has medical certification to prove her weight is back on track.
Not a New Problem
The pressure to drop pounds for racing has led to starvation diets, laxatives, sweat boxes, purging, and other dangerous practices by jockeys. Eating disorders are rampant. The subject of jockey weight has long been controversial in the racing world; the guidelines are controlled on a state-to-state basis and in recent years there has been legislation proposed to relax long-held standards. In 2005, the California Horse Racing Board approved a proposal to up the weight scales for jockeys and establish a minimum body fat content of 5% for men and 10% for women in an effort "to promote better health and to help prevent the cycle of self-abuse caused by jockeys engaging in unsafe weight-reduction practices." Traditionally, such efforts have met with resistance from horse and track owners, who see any move that may slow a racehorse as a potential financial hit to horseracing as a whole.
Interesting Horsey Fact Of The Day
George Woolf, the renown jockey who rode Seabiscuit to fame in the late 1930s, had type 1 diabetes - a fact he kept hidden from all but his closest friends in the competitive world of horse racing. Those that knew him reported Woolf would frequently and suddenly nod off to sleep, a sign of chronic high blood sugars. It's likely that Woolf was persistently running high -- insulin was new and dosing adjustments and testing were in their infancy at that time. But given what we know about the life of a jockey and Woolf's own public struggles with weight, it's also quite possible that he had discovered the weight loss potential of running chronically high blood sugars by cutting back on insulin - a phenomenon known as "diabulimia" today.
RELATED: Diabetes and Eating Disorders
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Shark Tales
Gary Hall, Jr., and his sister Bebe put their swimming skills to the test last week when the two encountered a black tip reef shark while spearfishing in the Florida Keys. Nineteen stitches later, Bebe recounts the tale at Gary's Race Club site. The ten-time Olympic medalist will be featured on this week's episode of dLifeTV (Sunday, July 30, 7PM ET/4PM PT).
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Stem Cell Setback
As anticipated, President Bush has vetoed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. The bill now goes back to Congress where lawmakers will vote to either sustain or override the veto. Contact your Senators and Representatives and let them know how you feel about this critical legislation.
UPDATE: The veto override fell 51 votes short in the House. You can still make a difference in the future of diabetes cure research. When you visit the polls this November, find out where your lawmakers stand on the stem cell issue.
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Step Forward for Stem Cell Research?
The U.S. Senate passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810) yesterday by a vote of 63 to 37.
President Bush has stated that he will veto the bill today. "He doesn't want human life destroyed" said White House Press Secretary Tony Snow in a press briefing yesterday. When a reporter pointed out that H.R. 810 would only allow research on donated embryos that would otherwise be destroyed and discarded by in vitro fertilization clinics, Snow responded that "the President is not going to get on the slippery slope of taking something that is living and making it dead for the purpose of research."
The administration also makes the argument that "President Bush's Stem Cell Policy is Working." You can find that piece in their "Setting the Record Straight" section....right above an analysis of the the President's stellar record of environmental policy decisions in "addressing climate change" (i.e., "global warming").
Let the President know what you think about the future of stem cell research by calling the White House Comment Line at (202) 456-1111. A cure may depend on it.
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Actos and Alzheimer's
New research at the University of Virginia Health System and Case Western Reserve University shows that the type 2 diabetes drug pioglitazone (Actos) may hold promise in treating Alzheimer’s Disease. According to Dr. David Geldmacher, one of the study authors, “We believe that the drug may reduce the body’s inflammatory reaction to one of the toxic components that builds up in Alzheimer’s, called amyloid plaque,” said Dr. David Geldmacher, an associate professor of neurology at UVa.
A 2005 study out of Brown University found that insulin levels drop and insulin resistance increases significantly in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's. As a result, researchers postulated that Alzheimer's may actually be a "type 3 diabetes."
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Stem Cell Research
Today is your last opportunity to contact your Senators and express your support of H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. The JDRF makes getting in touch with your lawmakers easy - just register and they will fax a letter on your behalf to your Senators (customization optional). The bill would allow in vitro fertilization clinics to donate embryos that would otherwise be discarded for the purpose of federally-funded stem cell research. A federal executive order issued by President Bush in 2001 currently bans the use of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on cell lines derived after September 9, 2001.
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Disetronic Pumpers Take Note
Disetronic Medical Systems Inc. has announced a voluntary nationwide recall of D-TRONplus Power Packs, that power the D-TRONplus Insulin Pump. Due to a design defect, the power packs could shut down the D-TRONplus Insulin Pump without any warning. The company is redesigning the power packs and is urging pump users to change out their power packs every two weeks until the situation is rectified. Power packs will be supplied free of charge via overnight UPS to all Disetronic D-TRONplus pumpers. Contact Disetronic at 1-800-688-4578 for more details.