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November is American Diabetes Month so I thought a round up of recent news and diabetes bloggers was in order.
Did you know the FDA issued a new warning for Avandia? I didn't - which means I've been living under a rock errr traveling and haven't had time to read my blog feeds or news feeds.
People with type 2 diabetes who have underlying heart disease or who are at high risk of heart attack should talk with their health care provider about the revised warning as they evaluate treatment options. FDA advises health care providers to closely monitor patients who take Avandia for cardiovascular risks.
Something else interesting in the news this week, tonsillectomy doesn't increase Type 1 risk. I wasn't aware that there was some idea that it might. Why would it?
The two procedures -- tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy - affect the function of the immune system in a way that could increase a child's risk of type 1 diabetes. Specifically, an autoimmune reaction, in which the body's immune system attacks itself, may be activated to destroy pancreatic beta-cells, which would interfere with insulin production, explain Dr. Chris R. Cardwell, of the Queen's University of Belfast, UK, and colleagues.
Ah, I see. Well good to hear that it doesn't increase risk, right?
Here's a story I really like: Diabetes coach may help diabetic teens.
Eighty-one adolescents with type 1 diabetes, aged 11 to 16 years, were randomly assigned to usual care or to six sessions with a personal diabetes trainer.
Having a personal diabetes trainer appeared to have a healthy impact on blood sugar levels, the team reports. However, the between-group difference in blood sugar favoring the personal training group was significant only in the older children, aged 14 to 16 years, at the first evaluation conducted up to 9 months after the start of the study.
I think a diabetes coach would be helpful for anyone diagnosed with diabetes and people should take advantage of such programs more often than they do. I'm always amazed by the lack of management information people with diabetes have.
Now... onto the bloggers!
Yesterday was the first World Diabetes Day and Shannon shares her diabetes story.
I have always been a healthy person. My weight is normal. I eat well and exercise. In fact, while pregnant with Riley, I visited my gym on a regular basis, and ate like a mommy-to-be should. At 28 weeks I took the glucose test every pregnant woman is supposed to take. I thought nothing of it. During my first pregnancy the results were normal. So after gagging down that sickeningly sweet glucose drink and leaving a few drops of blood at the lab, I forgot about the test altogether. Being tired all the time and relentless potty visits became a normal part of my day, and as any mother knows, these symptoms accompany most pregnancies and I brushed them off. At my next OB appointment, my life changed. The nurse informed me I had failed the first two phases of the test with my blood sugar returning to normal only after the third hour’s blood test. My heart sank. After I overcame the initial shock, I vowed to follow a precautionary but strict diet, to ensure the health of my baby, little Riley to be. I followed the diet religiously and actually lost weight in my third trimester. I gained a total of 40 lbs with Josh and only 18 with Riley. I was allowed to eat only 40-60 grams of carbohydrate with each meal and only 20 grams of carbohydrate per snack (also three per day). Give this a try. It’s seriously tough. My blood sugar normalized within one weekend of starting this nutrition plan. I had to check my blood sugar one hour after every meal throughout the rest of my pregnancy. I was a diabetic.
Alice has a good post about commercials and the reality of living with diabetes.
I saw a commercial today for some kind of blood sugar meter, and in it, all the people who have Type I diabetes were able to do whatever they wanted, without a care in the world. They had perfect fingertips and impulsive lifestyles, and they didn't have to adhere to a schedule or even ever think about diabetes.
It's a wonderful ideal, but despite the drug companies' claims, we're nowhere even close to that fantasy yet. Some people who gracefully live with diabetes may make it look easy, but it is a relentless disease, and