NiceDiabetes: November 2012

Monday 19 November 2012

IDF releases new diabetes facts this World Diabetes Day

Just in case you are feeling alone, its far from it..

Monday 12 November 2012

Thanks to JDRP - A leap forward in the quest to develop an artificial pancreas

JDRF-funded Australian research is breaking new ground with the Artificial Pancreas Project at Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

Associate Professor Jenny Gunton from the Garvan Institute and Dr Nigel Greenwood, an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Queensland, received an Innovation Grant from JDRF a year ago to carry out initial tests on prototype artificial pancreas software.

The JDRF-funded project used two virtual patients, generated by a simulator created by Dr Greenwood, an Artificial Intelligence expert. These virtual patients’ meal data and insulin data were obtained from actual patients with diabetes. After data analysis, the software calculated suggested insulin dosages, which were given to the simulated patients. Blood glucose readings were analysed after insulin delivery, over 55 simulated days.

The results of the testing period showed that the patients achieved blood glucose levels within the target range of 4.4.-7.8 mmol/L over 90% of the time. The average person with diabetes would be outside that range over 60% of the time. This is a remarkable result, and one that demonstrates the promise of an Artificial Pancreas.

“The ultimate aim for a ‘mechanical cure’ for type 1 diabetes would be to have a closed loop system – where you have an insulin pump which knows how much insulin to give at the right time,” said Associate Professor Gunton.

JDRF’s Head of Research Development Dr Dorota Pawlak says: “Combining diabetes expertise with mathematical innovation, this project draws on resources more commonly found in the military or robotics industries, and applies them to the next big diabetes breakthrough, an artificial pancreas. This approach to modelling possible human outcomes could expedite some of the lengthy and expensive steps of research that would usually be required.”

The next step for this project is human clinical trials.

For more information, please see the press release on the Garvan Institute website.

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via jdrf.org.au

Its news like this about a diabetes cure that keeps a smile on your face

Friday 9 November 2012

My favourite re-blog - An open letter to the Media re: Diabetes

It’s November 9th, and that means it’s D-Blog day. Today, the entire Diabetes Online Community is encouraged to write a post of similar topic on their personal blogs. And today, we’re encouraged to share them with media outlets far and wide. Want to include yours? Write your post and link it here: http://diabetestalkfest.com/blog/?p=507

Our topic today:

Choose a form of Media Outlet to write an open letter to, such as NY Times, CNN, Local/National Newspapers, TV and why it is so important for them to let the world know that diabetes is more than just being overweight and having too much sugar. It is about reporting stories about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Let them know what kind of things you would like them to write about. If there are specific articles or reports they got wrong, let them know about it! Let’s get it right!

My letter is going to all of the local TV stations here in my city, and it goes like this:

Dear News Director,

We’re in the middle of a very important month for me, and others like me. November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Next Wednesday, November 14 is World Diabetes Day.

I’ve been living with Type 1 diabetes for nearly 22 years, from the time I was 28 years old. I’d like to take the opportunity during this important month to talk about how your organization covers diabetes over the course of the entire year. Over the years, I’ve seen stories about diabetes reported many times, and some of those times, I’ve become concerned about how diabetes is covered, or how issues related to diabetes are covered. I’m very concerned about how this affects the way people with and without diabetes view each other. So if I may, let me dispel a few diabetes myths.

Diabetes is all the same. Actually, there are many types of diabetes. The most common are Type 2, where the body has trouble using the insulin it produces. About 90% of new diagnoses are Type 2. There’s Type 1, which is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. But there’s also Type 1.5, or Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (or LADA), which researchers are still discovering more about, and Gestational Diabetes, where women have high blood glucose levels only during their pregnancy. It’s discovered in about 4 percent of all pregnant women.

It’s important to note the differences in diabetes, because while we all have the same serious, chronic condition, the way we approach and treat the different forms of diabetes can vary widely.

Diabetes is preventable. Let me say it clearly: People don’t get diabetes from too much sugar, or by being overweight. I developed Type 1 diabetes because my body’s immune system attacked my pancreas and killed the insulin-producing cells there. I was in great shape, at an optimal weight, active all the time, and otherwise, very healthy. In addition, many Type 2s are diagnosed without being overweight and while maintaining healthy diets.

Diabetes can be cured. Actually, it can’t. We can help mitigate the effects of diabetes through diet, exercise, and overall blood glucose management, but we can’t cure diabetes through or drugs, or meditation, or blueberry yogurt, or anything. Anyone who says different is woefully under-informed.

People with diabetes cannot eat sugar. In fact, we

via happy-medium.net

Thanks to Happy-Medium.net, what a great article and I completely agree

Thursday 8 November 2012

Thanks again to Ginger Vieira - Three Most Important Blood Sugar Readings

via diabetesdaily.com

I think my favourite is the first thing in the morning, whats yours?

Sunday 4 November 2012

“If each person helps another person, the world will change”

Dear TuDiabetes Friends

I come to you for help! I believe, it is crucial that our community comes together and take ownership of the wonderful opportunity of doing something really BIG: As you might know, We have less than 14 days to reach our 20000 Big Blue Test entries in order to raise $100,000 for people with diabetes in need. BECAUSE OF THE NOV. 14th DEADLINE, we need to act fast!
I also want to present to you the video we did for the Big Blue Test grantee in Haiti. Please take few minutes to watch the work we could help make possible if we reach our goal.

2012 BiG Blue Test diabetes grantee: FHADIMAC, Haiti

I am so proud of this video. I wish you could been in Haiti with us to realize first hand how important it is that we are able to raise the funds to help nonprofits like FHADIMAC. The video the best next thing I can give you as a good reason to step up! It shows among other things, the power of coming together in helping ourselves and helping others: the element behind our program, and how we can help people empower themselves and others... I believe it is a strong statement to why it is important we do whatever its in our power to reach our goal so we can raise the $100000 Roche has committed for these charities.

I come to you to ask YOU to PLEASE STAND UP and DO THE BIG BLUE TEST! In fact, IF HALF THE COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER ON THIS, WE RUN NO RISK OF MISSING OUR GOAL!

What to Do?

1. DO THE BIG BLUE TEST: Do it once or take the chanllenge and do it everyday. It will make a difference. Each test equals a live saving donation of $5 to these charities: http://www.bigbluetest.org/faq/.

2. SPREAD THE WORD | Enlist your Friends/Family/Community: Write a blog-article, contact your local newspaper, send an email to all your contacts, use Intagram. Twitter, facebook to engage other people. (#bigbluetest). Take a Big Blue Test challenge and exercise for 14 days in a row with your family or by yourself and record it using the app or the #bigbluetest
3. ORGANIZE A LOCAL BIG BLUE TEST EVENT: Read this short post with easy instructions, no headaches entering data, I promise… “The idea of you sitting at the computer and logging 100 Big Blue Tests on the Big Blue Test website, however, is less than wonderful (even with the ease of the new Big Blue Test iPhone app now available in the iTunes app store). There are a couple different ways for you to get us batches of results. Pick which way works best for you” READ MORE:

Please DO take ownership, if we come together on this, we WILL do something big! Help yourself and help others, we are not alone in this, I know we can count on our community to make the donation to these year Big Blue Test grantees possible, while we help ourselves learning the benefit of geting active

Thank you, we are counting on YOU,
Andreina D.