Finally some good news for Type 2 Diabetics, drug makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and partners Astrazeneca PLC had their latest drug Onglyza approved. Onglyza reduces blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, which affects 24 million people in the U.S.

Bristol-Myers Squibb

The drug is the first to gain approval since the agency issued new testing guidelines for diabetes treatments last year. Concerns about heightened risks of heart attack with GlaxoSmithKline’s pill Avandia created a storm of controversy around the FDA and the safety standards for popular diabetes treatments.

Many Type 2 diabetics that I have spoke with have a tough time keeping their levels down, while they still produce some insulin in most cases, it’s a guessing game of how much. The amount of insulin they are producing can change day to day and be affected by mood, emotions, weight and many other variables. Many say they avoid eating pasta, rice and other food high in carbohydrates or sugar all together. They just cannot find a way to control their sugar levels afterward so it isn’t worth it.

There is still some concern with those patients that have heart conditions even though there was no sign higher rates of heart attack, stroke and other problems. Despite such evidence, the FDA said it will require the companies to conduct a follow-up study examining those problems in high-risk patients, including the elderly and those with existing heart conditions.

Hopefully Onglyza will help many of the patients out there with type 2 diabetes that are having trouble with high levels. The drug has not been tested on patients using insulin so it will not be prescribed to those type 2 patients that are currently injecting insulin.

Further information on Onglyza can be found Here

I always find myself curious to hear other diabetics stories discussing thing’s like; where they were when they found out, what symptoms they experiencing, if they didn’t notice any of the symptoms, what finally happened that made them aware of the disease… etc. Many people don’t enjoy going to the doctors office for every little thing that is wrong unless you are a hypochondriac. Some of the symptoms; increased thirst, weight loss and feeling tired aren’t things we would freak out about after a week and then make an appointment to see a doctor. Because of this there are some pretty scary stories out there about people who were driving their car and suddenly ran off the road into a ditch after passing out or swerving into oncoming traffic.

As we all know diabetes is hereditary to if you are someone in your family is a diabetic you have an increased chance of not only getting the disease yourself but having a family member that might someday become diabetic. Hearing other peoples stories will help you notice some of the symptoms that people experience and possibly alert yourself or the other person to see a doctor before things get too bad. There was a story back in April where an 8-year-old girl died suddenly and after all her organs started to fail. Doctor’s said her sugar level was 1,700 after she was brought into the hospital( Full Story). Most people if you think about it will let those around them know when they are experiencing the smallest problems. Think about the last time you heard someone say; “my finger hurts” or “I have a headache”. Hopefully after reading this this you will be on the lookout for common symptoms (listed below) in those around you. Researchers have calculated that about 6.3 million adults — about a fourth of the people in the U.S. with diabetes — have the disease but haven’t been diagnosed.

My Personal Experience

When I was about 16-years-old I was pretty healthy, probably around 6’1″ tall and about 180 lbs – Complete chick magnet!. One day while in school I noticed focusing on the teacher from the back of the classroom was becoming difficult because one of my eyes kept getting blurry. This symptom would come and go, looking back it probably got worse after lunch or after eating something because of my sugar levels being on the rise which causes pressure change in the eyes. After a few days of blurred vision and hoping it would pass I started noticing other symptoms occurring. My mouth became bone dry so I was drinking ridiculous amount of water all the time, I had even brought a large jug of water into work for a few days because otherwise I would be making trips to the water fountain close to 6,000 time an hour…. No really I am serious!

Drinking all of that water was definitely taking it’s toll on my bladder for sure! I was experiencing “frequent urination” as well, going to the bathroom about 20 times a day or more. I remember during all of this I was hanging out with a girl that lived about 45 minutes away at the time and I can remember only staying there for a couple hours at most because of my frequent trips to the bathroom. After my 3rd trip I would usually pull the whole “man I am really tired I should get going so I can get some sleep”. Even though I just went before I left I would usually have to stop at least once on the way home as well. After about a week and a half of these symptoms I knew things were getting worse instead of better and needed to see a doctor.

After school on a Friday afternoon I had an appointment to see my doctor to discuss what has been going on. She came in the room, spoke with me for a few minutes about my symptoms, pricked my finger and then left the room for about 20 minutes. At this point I started worrying because I had no idea what was so important that she couldn’t wait until after I left unless it pertained to me. Well come to find out I was exactly right, she came in and told me I had a blood glucose level way above normal and she wanted me to go home and wait for my mother who she had just contacted at work to see if she could leave early. She asked me if I was OK to drive home and I responded with “yes of course why wouldn’t I be?” I had no idea what any of this meant or what diabetes even was at this point.

I went home and sat there for about 30 minutes waiting for my mom to arrive, I grabbed a magazine just in case I was there for a couple hours and as soon as she arrived we were on our way. I was immediately brought into a room and was informed I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I was in for a pretty big surprise, I really thought I would be in and out in a couple of hours. I was asked a million questions, had an IV hooked up, and was being fed hospital food on calorie intake of a 3 year old. About 2 days later after learning about the disease, how to count carbs and inject insulin I was finally on my way home.

Here I am about 10 years later and very healthy, now using an insulin pump with humalog instead of the syringes or insulin pens I have tried in the past. I have an average A1c of 5.7 and test usually about 10 times a day. I notice way too many changes in my body if my sugar levels go outside of the normal zone in either direction. Because of this I have become very anal about keeping my levels in the normal zone. I do have occasional highs and lows but they do not stay there long at all. After being diagnosed I matured pretty quickly and learned how serious this disease can be if it is not taken care of correctly. Now it’s all second nature for the most part, I don’t even think about the things I do on a daily basis. I try to exercise at least 5 days a week and continue to eat healthy throughout the day to make sure I live a long healthy life.

Below is an image which shows the risk of type 1 diabetes if another family member has it.

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms

* Frequent urination
* Excessive thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Unusual weight loss
* Increased fatigue
* Irritability
* Blurry vision

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

* Blurry vision
* Cuts or sores that are slow to heal
* Itchy skin, yeast infections
* Increased thirst
* Dry mouth
* Need to urinate often
* Leg pain

Feel free to share your story in the comment section below!

Researchers from Duke University Medical Center have analyzed data from nearly 58,000 patients included in the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database (BOLD), the largest repository of medical information on people who’ve undergone the weight-loss surgery.

Only about 10 percent had complications, according to the study, which was to be presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, in Grapevine, Texas.
One of the most common complaints found was nausea or vomiting, though researchers said they had not yet completed their analysis. Total mortality was less than 1 percent.

“This is further evidence, using the world’s largest collection of information about bariatric surgery, to support that it is a safe and valuable treatment option for patients who suffer from morbid obesity,” said lead study author Dr. Eric J. DeMaria, vice chair of the department of surgery at Duke.

There were two other studies also to be presented Wednesday found that weight-loss surgery can lead to the long-term remission of diabetes.

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University examined 177 morbidly obese patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent gastric bypass surgery, the most common weight-loss procedure, between 1993 and 2003.

Almost 90 percent of the patients experienced a return to normal blood sugar levels within the first year. And about 60 percent were still diabetes-free five to 16 years later, according to the study.

Those most likely to have their diabetes return were those who were insulin dependent at the time of the surgery, meaning their disease was more severe.

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes may soon get a very different treatment approach: A drug that helps control blood sugar via the brain — an idea sparked, surprisingly, by the metabolism of migrating birds.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Cycloset, maker VeroScience Inc announced. It’s a new version of an old drug called bromocriptine, used in higher doses to treat Parkinson’s disease and a few other conditions. But unlike its older parent, Cycloset is formulated to require a low, quick-acting dose taken just in the morning — not any other time of day.

That timing provides a increase in a brain chemical that seems to reset a body clock that in turn helps control metabolism in Type 2 diabetes said VeroScience’s Anthony Cincotta, who led the drug’s development.

Several company studies suggest that one morning dose helped lower the usual post-meal blood sugar rise at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Over six months, 35 percent of Cycloset users reached recommended average blood sugar levels, compared with 10 percent of diabetics given a dummy drug, Cincotta said.

You may be wondering where the birds come into the picture…  Years ago, Louisiana State University researchers were studying how migrating birds arrived at their destinations without being emaciated. They develop seasonal insulin resistance, the very condition that in people leads to Type 2 diabetes.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes don’t have those seasonal variations but the theory is the dopamine plays a role anyway.

The researchers discovered a biological clock — in the brain’s hypothalamus — that controlled when the metabolism change kicked in for the birds, and also in hibernating mammals. Different concentrations of certain brain chemicals, including dopamine, at different times of day dictated whether the bird metabolized like a fall bird or a summer bird, said Cincotta.

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With the swine Flu grabbing the headlines lately I thought I would post some information about how we can avoid putting ourselves at risk.

Since 1997 experts have warned us of a horrific worldwide influenza outbreak, when the first human cases of so-called H5N1 avian influenza were reported in Hong Kong.  Two years ago it was the bird-flu but that didnt ripen into a pandemic. Now we are sitting and waiting to see what will become of the latest – Swine Flu.

Decreasing Chances:

Some of the following may seem very simple but can really help decrease chances for infection.

1. Take the time to learn about the Swine Flu now, prepare yourself for all of the possibilities now.

2. Practice CDC-recommended hygiene techniques that we all should be using on a daily basis anyway:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue away after you use it.
• Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth since germs can spread this way.  Your children will learn this quickly if you teach them.
• Get in the habit of washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If you are not near water, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.  Although influenza spreads by respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing, it can be carried on other surfaces.

3. Purchase face masks now rather than if and when a pandemic begins as they will be harder to come by. They are only a few dollars each and are great to have on hand. (Masks with a rating of N95 or higher are apt to be more protective.)

4. Plan ways to minimize contact with others whether it is through business or school. Large public events, buffets, picnics are all places where we can cut back with human contact now.

Important Websites:

Confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S. are tracked by the CDC and recent swine flu news can be found at the World Health Organization.  Check travel advisories if you are contemplating travel.