Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

Diabetics develop dementia 2 years sooner than others, researchers find

Excerpt from: McKnight's (clickf or full article)

 

People with diabetes are at risk of developing dementia earlier and dying sooner, according to recently published research.

Researchers at Australia's Curtin University analyzed hospital inpatient, mental health outpatient and death records for people in western Australia who developed dementia between 1990-2005. Diabetics developed dementia an average of 2.2 years earlier than non-diabetics, the researchers found.

“Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia, but relatively little is known about the epidemiology of the association,” the researchers noted.

Those with diabetes and dementia died an average of 2.6 years earlier than non-diabetics, and those with a long history of diabetes who were diagnosed with dementia before turning 65 died almost twice as fast, the researchers said. However, as people get older, the impacts of having both diabetes and dementia become less pronounced.

The study appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Uncork this secret ingredient in red wine to fight age-related illnesses

Excerpt from: The Oakland Press (click for full article)

 

Scientists have homed in on how resveratrol -- a chemical commonly found in red wine and chocolate -- works to prevent cell aging, which could eventually lead to the development of synthetic drug treatments for obesity, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions, according to new research published in Science.

Though researchers have been looking at resveratrol for years, this new research, from Harvard Medical School, is considered a breakthrough in understanding the chemical's potential to increase the activity of a protein called SIRT1, which helps fuel the power-producing parts of cells and in turn may fight age-related illnesses like cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.

"This was the killer experiment," said David Sinclair, PhD, senior study author and genetics professor at Harvard Medical School, in a press release. "There is no rational alternative explanation other than resveratrol directly activates SIRT1 in cells. Now that we know the exact location on SIRT1 where and how resveratrol works, we can engineer even better molecules that more precisely and effectively trigger the effects of resveratrol."

Better Choices, Better Health® - Diabetes

Excerpt from: Restart Living (click for full article)

 

Living with diabetes can be challenging. You have to monitor your blood sugar, eat the right foods, exercise, take your medication, and visit your medical provider regularly.

It can feel overwhelming. But our online workshop can help.

Join other people with diabetes who are facing the same challenges as you and discover new ways to stay healthy - together.

Aging Poorly: Another Act Of Baby Boomer Rebellion

Excerpt from: NPR (click for full article)

 

Baby boomers have a reputation for being addicted to exercise and obsessed with eating well.

But that story didn't jibe with what physician Dana E. King and his colleagues see walking through the door of their family practice every day in Morgantown, W.Va.

"The perception is that the baby boomers are very active — they are, you know, climbing up mountains, and they are a very healthy bunch," says King, a professor in the department of family medicine at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. "We actually see people that are burdened with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, [and] who are taking an awful lot of medication."

Children with Epilepsy at Day Care Centers

Excerpt from: Law Offices of Matthew Stoloff (click for full article)

 

In May 2012, I wrote about toddlers and children with diabetes who face discrimination at day care centers and summer camps. In that blog post, I explained that children with diabetes are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and cannot be excluded from public and private day-care centers based on their diabetic condition. I also provided links to settlement agreements entered into between the US Department of Justice and various child care centers and day camps.

In December 2012, another day care center, Toddlers ‘N Tots, Inc., agreed to enter into a settlement agreement with the US Department of Justice, agreeing not to discriminate against children with epilepsy. Additionally, Toddlers ‘N Tots agreed to train its staff to administer Diastat (Diazepam) when a child with epilepsy has a seizure.

This is a very important settlement agreement because it outlines what happened; why the day care center violated the Americans with Disabilities Act; and what the day care center must do to remedy the situation.

0Every parent with a child with epilepsy — and every day care center — should be familiar with this settlement agreement.

Tips to Help Manage Diabetes

Excerpt from: WhatDisability.com (click for full article)

 

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential for those with diabetes. Lack of care can lead to other dangerous complications and disabilities associated with diabetes. It is important for those who have been newly diagnosed and those who have had the condition for a while to stay alert of their needs.

Here are a few tips to help:

Exercise: 30-60 minutes of physical activity lowers blood sugar for several hours. It also releases endorphins, painkillers, to help alleviate some pain associated with diabetes. It helps fight obesity.

Obesity:Try to stay fit and avoid significant weight gain. Complications from diabetes are much more severe in those who are considered to be obese. It is often necessary to increase medications to overcome it's affects.

Smoking: This bad habit leads to diabetic complications such as coronary heart disease, fatigue, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. It decreases oxygen to cells blocking pancreas beta cells from producing insulin.

Aging faster with diabetes

Excerpt from: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (click for full article)

 

Even if we’re healthy, we still lose about 10 percent of our aerobic ability each decade after about age 40 or 50. But diabetes takes an extra toll on our cardiovascular system, and makes it look older than it should. At the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Amy Heubschmann looked at data on people with diabetes:

“There’s been about 20 percent worse fitness levels in adults with diabetes as compared to adults without diabetes. That’s the case in teenagers, middle aged adults and older adults.”

However, she says moderate physical activity can raise fitness levels to close to what moderately active people without diabetes should have.

The study presented at a joint meeting of physiology organizations was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Social Media Help Diabetes Patients (And Drugmakers) Connect

Excerpt from: NPR (click for full article)

 

When Kerri Sparling was 7 years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Her family didn't know anyone with the disease, so they sent her to diabetes camp — "where every single camper had Type 1 diabetes," she says.

"That was my first sense of not only other people who had diabetes, but a true community," says Sparling.

Things are very different today. About 26 million Americans have diabetes — mostly Type 2 — and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that as many as one-third of adults could have diabetes by 2050.  

People living with diabetes have created a vibrant online community. Big drug companies are certainly taking notice — and some advocacy groups feel that the Food and Drug Administration should as well.