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More Evidence of why Type 1 Diabetes is a serious disease...

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This is a really neat little animated thing that teaches about stem cells. http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/stemcells/whatissc/

May 2009

 

April 2009

 

March 2009

 

January/February 2009

 

December 2008

Hypoglycemia with intensive insulin therapy. A systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized trials of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion versus multiple daily injections

Changing basal insulin from NPH to detemir or glargine in patients with type 1 diabetes and a history of severe hypoglycemia

Breakthrough In Understanding Development Of Type 1 Diabetes

Age-dependent basal insulin patterns in children with type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion

Cancer Drug Could Help Diabetics

No benefit for nasal insulin in preventing, delaying type 1 diabetes

New Study Finds Changes In Position Of Conventional Insulin Pumps Can Cause Fluctuations In Insulin Delivery Rates

 

November 2008

Psychological Therapy to Improve Control of Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes Type 1 Vaccine - Diamyd(R) Phase III Study Approved By Six European Countries

Study Looks At Impact Of Insulin Pump

Cardiac arrhythmia and nocturnal hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes—the ‘dead in bed’ syndrome revisited

Type 1 Diabetes May Be Based on Gene-Expression Signatures rather than Specific Variants

Relationship between beta-cell mass and diabetes onset.

Lessons learned from studies of the natural history of diabetic nephropathy in young type 1 diabetic patients.

Hypoglycemia 

October 2008

GAD Treatment and Insulin Secretion in Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes May Result From Good Genes Behaving Badly

New Zealand to trial pig cells as treatment for type 1 diabetes

 

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 May 2005

Hyperglycemia Slows Mental Functions.

Drug May Block Brain Damage From Hypoglycemia  JDRF funded research suggests that a naturally occurring byproduct of glucose, pyruvate, may protect brain cells against permanent impairment in brain function relating to memory when hypoglycemia occurs.

from February 2005

From Diabetes Care
Care of Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
A Statement of the American Diabetes Association Posted 02/02/2005
Janet Silverstein, MD; Georgeanna Klingensmith, MD; Kenneth Copeland, MD; Leslie Plotnick, MD; Francine Kaufman, MD; Lori Laffel, MD, MPH; Larry Deeb, MD; Margaret Grey, DRPH, CPNP; Barbara Anderson, PHD; Lea Ann Holzmeister, RD, CDE; Nathaniel Clark, MD, MS, RD
Introduction
Postprandial Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Complications
Is It Time to Treat?
Posted 02/02/2005 Antonio Ceriello
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that the postprandial state is a contributing factor to the development of atherosclerosis. In diabetes, the postprandial phase is characterized by a rapid and large increase in blood glucose levels, and the possibility that the postprandial "hyperglycemic spikes" may be relevant to the onset of cardiovascular complications has recently received much attention. Epidemiological studies and preliminary intervention studies have shown that postprandial hyperglycemia is a direct and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most of the cardiovascular risk factors are modified in the postprandial phase in diabetic subjects and directly affected by an acute increase of glycemia. The mechanisms through which acute hyperglycemia exerts its effects may be identified in the production of free radicals. This alarmingly suggestive body of evidence for a harmful effect of postprandial hyperglycemia on diabetes complications has been sufficient to influence guidelines from key professional scientific societies. Correcting the postprandial hyperglycemia may form part of the strategy for the prevention and management of CVDs in diabetes.

Links related to cognitive decline due to hypoglycemia:

Very Low Blood Sugar Affects Memory in Children Episodes of extremely low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), particularly at an early age, can have an impact on spatial memory performance in children with type 1 diabetes.Children who had had more than three episodes of severe hypoglycemia showed reduced performance on the longer-delayed spatial response test. This was particularly the case when severe hypoglycemic episodes began before the age of 5 years.

High Blood Sugar, As Well As Low, Slows the Mind

Int J Clin Pract Suppl. 2002 Jul(129):20-6. Related Articles, Links The effects of glucose fluctuation on cognitive function and QOL: the functional costs of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia among adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.Cox D, Gonder-Frederick L, McCall A, Kovatchev B, Clarke W.University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA. Publication Types: * Review * Review, Tutorial PMID: 12166601 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Jul-Aug;9(4):455-61. Acute hyperglycaemia impairs cognitive function in children with IDDM. Davis EA, Soong SA, Byrne GC, Jones TW.Department of Diabetes/Endocrinology, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia.Publication Types: * Clinical Trial * Randomized Controlled Trial PMID: 8910814 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Diabetes Care. 1999 Aug;22(8):1318-24. Comment in: * Diabetes Care. 1999 Aug;22(8):1239-41.Conventional versus intensive diabetes therapy in children with type 1 diabetes: effects on memory and motor speed. Hershey T, Bhargava N, Sadler M, White NH, Craft S. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. tammy@npg.wustl.edu
 

Physiol Behav. 1998 Jul;64(5):653-60. Related Articles, Links 
Effect of acute hypoglycemia on visual information processing in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Ewing FM, Deary IJ, McCrimmon RJ, Strachan MW, Frier BM.
Department of Diabetes, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Publication Types: * Clinical Trial PMID: 9817577 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Publication Types: * Clinical Trial * Randomized Controlled Trial PMID: 10480777 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Neurocognitive functioning in children with type-1 diabetes with and without episodes of severe hypoglycaemia  Dev Med Child Neurol. 2003 Apr;45(4):262-8.

Severe hypoglycemia and long-term spatial memory in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a retrospective study
J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2003 Jul;9(5):740-50

Hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes: current issues and controversies
Pediatr Diabetes. 2003 Sep;4(3):143-50

From the ADA position statement on hypoglycemia
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/26/6/1902 Hypoglycemia is a fact of life for people with type 1 diabetes. Those attempting to improve or maintain glycemic control suffer untold numbers of episodes of asymptomatic hypoglycemia; plasma glucose levels may be less than 50–60 mg/dl (2.8–3.3 mmol/l) 10% of the time (5,9,10). They suffer an average of two episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia per week—thousands of such episodes over a lifetime of diabetes—and an episode of severe, at least temporarily disabling, hypoglycemia approximately once a year (2,11,12). An estimated 2–4% of deaths of people with type 1 diabetes have been attributed to hypoglycemia (5,13). 

Relevant links related to frequent and nighttime testing:

Nocturnal hypoglycemia detected with the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes
J Pediatr. 2002 Nov;141(5):625-30
 

Decreased consciousness of hypoglycaemia and the incidence of severe hypoglycaemia in children and adolescents with diabetes type 1
Endokrynol Diabetol Chor Przemiany Materii Wieku Rozw. 2002;8(2):77-82
 

The Impact of Severe Hypoglycemia and Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia on Relatives of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
Diabetes Care 26:1106-1109, 2003

Hypoglycemia unawareness and counterregulatory response failure

  • Hypoglycemia Unawareness: Your patients with diabetes won't always know when their blood sugar is low.  Counterregulatory response failure refers to the loss of normal hormonal responses to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia unawareness refers to a patient’s inability to perceive or recognize the usual warning symptoms of hypoglycemia. 1,2 For example, a person taking insulin who has hypoglycemia unawareness may have blood glucose levels as low as 40 mg/dL[2.2mmol] while feeling normal. In some cases, the glucose level may fall so low that it causes changes in mood and behavior. A patient in this state may behave irrationally or irritably, refusing to accept juice or glucose tablets, for example. 3 As glucose levels continue to fall, further cognitive and neurologic dysfunction results; sometimes, drowsiness and lethargy may lead to the inability to eat or drink. If blood glucose drops so low that seizure or coma results, intravenous glucose or an intramuscular glucagon injection is necessary for recovery.
  • The best defense against hypoglycemia is to recognize it: is caffeine useful? Watson J, Kerr D. Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Castle Lane East, Bournemouth BH7 7DW, United Kingdom.  Caffeine may increase an individual's sensitivity to hypoglycemia through the combined effects of reducing substrate delivery to the brain via constriction of the cerebral arteries, whilst simultaneously increasing brain glucose metabolism and augmenting catecholamine production

     

The Effects of Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia Slows Mental Functions in People with Diabetes

(Alexandria, VA) – A temporary rise in blood glucose (sugar) levels in people with both types of diabetes can interfere with their ability to think quickly and solve problems, according to a study in the January issue of Diabetes Care.
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System (UVHS) found that people who had both type 1 and type 2 diabetes performed poorly on math and verbal tests when they became hyperglycemic, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include high blood glucose, high levels of sugar in the urine, frequent urination, and increased thirst. Roughly 55 percent of the people in the study showed signs of cognitive slowing or increased errors while hyperglycemic, suggesting that the consequences of hyperglycemia vary among individuals. However, among those whose cognitive performance deteriorated when blood glucose levels rose, the negative effects consistently appeared once levels reached or exceeded a threshold of 15 mmol/l or 270 mg/dl.
Because hypoglycemia (when blood glucose levels are too low) can cause dizziness and an inability to focus, many people consume large amounts of carbohydrates to avoid this state prior to school exams and other cognitive-sensitive tasks. But this study suggests that carbohydrate-loading could be counterproductive, the researchers conclude, because hyperglycemia often occurs after overeating.
“The best way to minimize any negative effects on cognitive functioning is to keep blood glucose levels tightly controlled,” said lead researcher Dr. Daniel J. Cox, of the Center for Behavioral Medicine Research at UVHS. “People who have diabetes should pay careful attention to the warning signs of hyperglycemia so that they can quickly take action to treat it.”
Treatment for hyperglycemia can include increasing insulin or reducing food intake.
To reach lead researcher Dr. Daniel J. Cox, send email to: djc4f@virginia.edu.
Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association, is the leading peer-reviewed journal of clinical research into the nation’s fifth leading cause of death by disease. Diabetes also is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, as well as the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure and non-traumatic amputations. For more information about diabetes, call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). 

High Blood Sugar, As Well As Low, Slows the Mind
on Tuesday, December 28 @ 13:41:30 EST
Virginia researchers say a temporary rise in blood sugar levels in people with diabetes can inhibit their ability to think quickly and solve problems.
Dr. Daniel J. Cox stated that, “most people with diabetes are aware of problems when their blood sugar levels drop too far.” However, patients also often report not feeling well when their blood glucose levels are high.” But lacking "a clear theory as to why that happens, patient complaints were typically being ignored," he said.
While laboratory studies have shown that mental performance declines when blood glucose is artificially raised, "this is not a realistic environment," the researcher added.
Cox, at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, and his colleagues therefore conducted a field study with 196 subjects with type 1 diabetes and 34 with type 2 diabetes.
The team instructed the participants to complete tests assessing verbal and mathematical skills using hand-held computers immediately before routine self-monitoring of blood glucose, three to four times daily. Approximately half the subjects made more errors and had slower responses when blood glucose exceeded a certain point, the researchers reported.
Cox pointed out that to avoid a drop in performance associated with low blood glucose, people often load up on carbohydrates before "cognitively sensitive procedures," such as exams. "But they in fact could be doing themselves a significant disservice," he said, and would perform better by avoiding both high and low extremes of blood glucose levels.
Roughly 55 percent of the people in the study showed signs of cognitive slowing or increased errors while hyperglycemic, suggesting that the consequences of hyperglycemia vary among individuals. However, among those whose cognitive performance deteriorated when 
blood sugar levels rose, the negative effects consistently appeared once levels reached or exceeded a certain threshold.
Diabetes Care, January 2005.
 

On the need for psycho-social support:

Quality of life in school-aged children with type 1 diabetes on intensive treatment and their parents
Whittemore R, Urban AD, Tamborlane WV, Grey M
 

Research Archives 

May 2005

April 2005

Blood Glucose Monitoring From Forearm Inaccurate During Hypoglycemia  

Human blood cells coaxed to produce insulin  

Memory Remains Intact in Type 1 Diabetics

The eMosquito  

HbA1c Levels Linked to Erectile Function in Diabetic Men

Fructose Normalizes Defective Hypoglycemia Response in Type 1 Diabetes 

March 2005

Single-Donor, Marginal-Dose Islet Transplantation in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes 

February 2005

from January 2005

Twice-Daily Insulin Yields Suboptimal Metabolic Control in Diabetic Preschoolers  By Megan Rauscher 
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 27 - In preschool children with type 1 diabetes, twice-daily insulin injections fail to provide adequate glycemic control, with frequent and prolonged episodes of either hypo- or hyperglycemia, the results of a new study indicate. 
The study also suggests that use of a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) reveals daily glucose trends missed by self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and is well tolerated by patients and their families. 
Dr. George S. Jeha, from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, and colleagues used the Medtronic MiniMed CGMS to evaluate the degree of metabolic control in 10 children younger than age 6 with type 1 diabetes that was considered "well controlled" based on SMBG and HbA1c. All of the children underwent two 72-hour periods of CGMS monitoring separated by 1 month. All of the children were on lispro insulin. 
Dr. Jeha noted in comments to Reuters Health that "most of children spent a significant amount of time (6% of a 24-hour period) with hypoglycemia. Each child on average had at least one hypoglycemia episode per day lasting close to 1 hour." These hypoglycemic episodes occurred mainly over night when the children were asleep and therefore went undetected.
Equally concerning, Dr. Jeha said, is that when those children are not hypoglycemic they were typically running high glucose values. "Almost 50% of a 24-hour period is spent with values greater than 200 mg/dL with the normal range being 80-120 mg/dL" he said, with postprandial hyperglycemia an almost universal finding.
"The third important finding is that all of these kids have an acceptable HbA1c for age and are considered well controlled," Dr. Jeha emphasized.
This study shows that HbA1c "is not a very reliable predictor of good control and only reflects the average of extreme high and extreme low glucose values thus giving a false reassurance that the patient is doing well when in fact he or she is not," Dr. Jeha said.
He believes that the management of young children with type 1 diabetes needs to change to improve the control of their disease. He said that his team has just completed a study showing that insulin pump therapy significantly improves metabolic control and lifestyle in diabetic children.
The team's current study results are published in the December issue of Diabetes Care.
Diabetes Care 2004;27:2881-2886.

Mortality Boosted in Insulin-Using Diabetics With Heart Failure NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 30 - Patients with advanced heart failure (HF) and insulin-treated diabetes have about a fourfold greater risk of dying compared with non-diabetic HF and non-insulin treated diabetic HF patients, researchers report in the January issue of the American Heart Journals.
"The magnitude of the effect was pretty surprising," investigator Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow from the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center in Los Angeles said in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.
Previous studies have shown that diabetes is associated with a moderate increase in mortality risk in HF patients. "But none of these prior studies have really looked at the way the diabetic patients had been treated with regard to insulin and oral medications, so this really is a new and dramatic finding," Dr. Fonarow added.
Among a cohort of 554 patients with advanced systolic HF, 132 (23.8%) had diabetes. Forty-three (32.6%)were on insulin therapy and 89 (67.4%) were non-insulin treated diabetics.
One-year survival rates were 89.7% for non-diabetic patients and 85.8% for non-insulin-treated diabetic patients compared with 62.1% for insulin-treated diabetic patients (p<0.00001).
On multivariate analysis, insulin therapy was an independent predictor of mortality and "highly statistically significantly so," Dr. Fonarow said. The hazard ratio was 4.30. Non-insulin treated diabetes was not an independent predictor of death (hazard ratio, 0.95).
"There may be residual confounders," he continued, "so we can't be sure that it is the insulin itself leading to this dramatic increase in mortality risk, but certainly there is an urgent need for further investigation to see whether we should try to avoid insulin in these patients."
"In the near term," Dr. Fonarow concluded, "clinicians need to recognize that heart failure patients with diabetes who are treated with insulin are at particularly high risk for mortality and deserve increased attention."
Am Heart J 2005.

 
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Last modified:
June 02, 2009