Article by DAN VERGANO of USA Today, originally published April 29, 2013.

Triggers growth of pancreatic ‘beta’ cells

A newly discovered mouse hormone may open the door to better treatment for diabetes, researchers suggested Thursday.

The hormone, called betatrophin, triggers the growth of pancreatic “beta” cells lost or ineffective in diabetes. Insulin is produced by beta cells in the pancreas.

Diabetes afflicts more than 25 million people nationwide, according to the American Diabetes Association. It is a condition that causes high blood sugar that can lead to heart disease, kidney failure and blindness.

Stroke risk can be controlled easier than one might think. With the help of a doctor, many diseases that increase risk can be treated, while lifestyle risk factors such an unhealthy eating and smoking can be changed.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke. Blood pressure by definition is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. High blood pressure causes the heart to pump harder to move blood through the body. This can weaken blood vessels and damage major organs such as the brain. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to stroke.

Article posted on Daily Rx News on May 20, 2013

Gestational diabetes and obesity risks higher in women exposed to tobacco in utero

Smoking is a known health hazard for pregnancies. But being exposed to smoke in utero may follow a baby girl into her own pregnancy when she grows up.

A recent study looked at a group of pregnant women who had mothers who smoked while pregnant with them.

The results of this study showed these pregnant women who had mothers who smoked while pregnant had higher odds of developing gestational diabetes and obesity than women whose mother’s did not smoke while they were pregnant.

Article originally posted on Healio by Katon, WJ, published in Annals of Family Medicine,  May 20, 2013.

Previous research has revealed a link between depression and diabetes. In this study, Wayne J. Katon, MD, of the department of psychiatry at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle, and colleagues sought to examine the prospective connection between depression and risk for severe hypoglycemic episodes that led to a medical emergency or hospitalization. They conducted a longitudinal 2-year study of 4,117 patients with diabetes (aged at least 18 years), making adjustments for sociodemographic, measurements of diabetes severity, medical comorbidities unrelated to diabetes, prior hypoglycemic episodes, and health risk behaviors (smoking and physical activity).

German researchers report in a new study that chronic and sustained stress throws your hormones haywire and revs up type 2 diabetes.

An article by Sridhar Nadamuni on iTech Post reports:

Credit: National Institute of Mental Health

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prolonged stress response syndrome involving symptoms that develop in the wake of extremely stressful life events of an extraordinarily threatening or catastrophic nature. The symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts, intrusive memories, avoidance and numbing, or emotional arousal.

Have you or a family member been recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes? You may be asking yourself, What is Type 2 Diabetes? The below information is from the American Diabetes Association website. The ADA website www.Diabetes.org is a great place to start your search.

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they are at high risk. Some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos,Native Americans, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.

The Drive to Stop Diabetes Campaign will Raise Funds and Awareness for the American Diabetes Association throughout 2013

The NASCAR Nationwide Series rolled into Richmond International Speedway on April 26th for the ToyotaCare 250. The race featured Ryan Reed, a talented driver who also has type 1 diabetes, driving the American Diabetes Association #16 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. Reed’s focus was on winning the race, but his heart extends much further.

I was an avid watcher of Army Wives when it premiered. Then life got the better of me and I just couldn’t keep up.  Many of my co-workers were much more diligent than I.  So when it was mentioned to me that the topic of diabetes was worked into the latest several episodes, my interest was renewed and I made a concerted effort to tune in.