Self-monitoring Doesn't Help People Living With Type 2 Diabetes

"Seventy percent of patients reported performing self-monitoring of blood glucose at study entry, with an average of four tests per week. Predictors of blood glucose monitoring included shorter diabetes duration; attending diabetes education sessions or diabetes-related clinics; seeing medical specialists; taking insulin with or without glucose-lowering oral drugs; and self-reporting episodes of low blood sugar."

 

"Current American Diabetes Association recommendations are that self-monitoring of blood glucose should be performed three or more times per day for type 2 diabetic patients using multiple insulin injections, but that for patients using once-daily insulin, oral (glucose-lowering) agents, or diet alone, there is low-level evidence of benefit," Davis and colleagues note."

 

Self monitoring doesn't help for type 2 because studies done on the individuals is not taking more seriously.  Testing four times a week is a joke.  They should be testing at least three times a day if they are under control, and more often if they are not under control.  Diabetes may have a different number attached for each group... (type 1 and 2)  But the disease is still called diabetes, and should be treated the same for both types.  Having type 2 diabetes doesn't mean your diabetes is any less than a type 1. Not monitoring can have devastating effects on their body.

 

I can't laugh at these studies because diabetes is a serious disease, and should be taken serious regardless of the type.  But at times I wish there was a butt to kick because between the ADA and lots of doctors, you might think the patent had just a ingrown toenail vs. a infected ingrown toenail.  There is a problem, but its only Type 2, so we don't have to treat it the same as the type 1.  

 

For me the first six or so months was learning what foods affect my sugar levels the most.  learning to spot the signs that my sugar was up was also a plus.  Because this enabled me to realize that I needed to test, and note what I had at a meal.  Like for instance, for me I can't  eat carrots very well.  I limit them to like five or six slices, because anymore will send my sugar over the edge. Rice also sends me over the edge, but I found out if I rinse the rice before cooking it, and limit the portion I can handle it a lot better. Diabetes is not a no warning sign disease.  They all have warning signs that their sugar is up.  It's learning the signs your own body has that will benefits you, along with good meal management, and testing, exercise, and staying under a doctors care. 

 

I sure wish I had the means to start my own diabetes support clinic.  I would follow these guidelines for all the type 2's in my clinic. Hell with what the ADA thinks is best they to me have no clue on how to handle a type 2 patient.  Plus their studies are a joke.  The studies are set up to fail for the type 2 because they use the bare minimum of testing etc to do their studies.  They for some reason think a type 2 should be treated differently.  I would like to see a study done with my approach for the patient.  The only way to do such a study is to have them go into a controlled environment, where their testing, food, and the like are all monitored. I bet they would see a change then.  I also bet quite a few would be able to loose the diabetes drugs.  Except for those that clearly have a body system out of control.  I don't expect this approach to work for everyone, but from the other diabetics I have met, and observed this past year and a half a lot of the misconceptions about type 2's would be solved and this would flush out who really needs more drug management under a doctors care.  For you die hard's that think the ADA is G-d sorry I busted your bubble.  I wont recant on my stance for the type 2.

 

I have seen plenty of type 2's that have a clear disregard for diet, and so on.  For some it was the spouse that was causing the problem, or it was the patient that caused the problems.  Lack of caring about their diet is number one reason why some of them have the diabetic complications.  Some don't monitor what they eat, and expect their doctor to fix them.  Then they wonder why later they lost a foot, or their toes, or worse a leg.  I know several people like this that are type 2's.

 

Self-monitoring Doesn't Help People Living With Type 2 Diabetes

Stem Cell Legislation finally gets a vote in the Senate!

The American Diabetes Association supports the use of stem cell research in biomedical research, provided such use is consistent with federal guidelines relating to the bioethics for their use.  read the rest by clicking the link below...

 

Stem Cell Legislation

Scientists See Success in Trials for Diabetic Nerve Therapy

A potentially ground-breaking treatment for nerve damage caused by diabetes
has shown promising results in preclinical and early patient trials. A
University of Manchester team has discovered that injection of a novel
therapeutic that works by stimulating a person's genes may prevent nerve
damage - primarily to the hands and feet - caused by the disease.

The positive preclinical results - reported in the journal "Diabetes" are
further evidence that the research could lead to a new treatment for diabetic
nerve damage or 'neuropathy'; initial-stage clinical trials on patients in
the United States have also been encouraging. Lead researcher Professor David
Tomlinson said the study has massive potential for managing the condition and
preventing thousands of foot amputations each year.
Learn more>>
http://main.diabetes.org/site/R?i=fbRIaGhwGx0N1LCfx03LQg 

An Email Hotline for Diabetes Info

From the ADA newsletter:

 

Since 1995, you have been able to reach the American Diabetes
Association's Diabetes Information Representatives was through our
hotline, 1-800-DIABETES to get answers to your questions regarding
diabetes and diabetes-related topics.  Now you can get that same high
level of service through email. With this new feature we are able to give
timely answers, in 24 hours or less. At AskADA@diabetes.org our goal is to
provide you with quick answers to the
questions that matter to you.

Send Email to Ask ADA:
AskADA@diabetes.org

 

FDA rejects green tea health claims

WASHINGTON - There is no credible scientific evidence that drinking green tea reduces the risk of heart disease, federal regulators said Tuesday in rejecting a petition that sought to allow tea labels to make that claim.

The Food and Drug Administration said it reviewed 105 articles and other publications submitted as part of the petition but could find no evidence to support claims of the beverage’s health benefits.

click here to read more at MSNBC

I have heard about articles, but I have not heard about blind studies, and just what the benefits may be.  I am weary when they say 105 articles have been reviewed but no one says just whom those articles belonged too.  This is clearly not how you evaluate a possible tea that "could" have some type of benefits.  I  feel as though the FDA has let us all down and the review was set up in a way to be sure it failed.

 

 

Enzi bill

A majority of people in the USA pay for insurance.  Their premiums are high, and so are their deductibles.  In the past you paid for your health care and you never questioned the cost because everything was laid out in black and white on paper for you to view.  Insurance for the most part was affordable. Each payment on paper looked fine.  The itemized list looked fine also. 

 

Now days everyone questions why a persons medical bill is higher than say their neighbors?  Or why certain test cost them cheaper than say what a non insured worker may of been charged?  The insurance companies say the reason is because they can state they will pay a certain amount, and as you may know a insurance company does well at paying the amount set.  But a non insured worker has no one on their side to help with the cost so the Hospitals can add extra charges along with higher amounts per day per room, and for the medical test etc.  So the non insured worker pays out the butt for the same service that a insured worker receives.  Is this right?  I don't think so.  I don't think it is fair because the non insured may be living paycheck to paycheck, and they can't afford to hire someone to keep their health cost down.  So to me  They are paying the extra because they can't afford to pay someone to haggle the price.  They are being stomped on twice.  Once by the health care system, and once just because they are poor, or they are living paycheck to paycheck.  It's like the health care system is telling the poor they don't like them, and because we still have to serve your needs then we are going to charge you extra.  And as you may already know the health care system does have to serve their needs if they recieve State or Federal money. 

 

Enter the Enzi Bill.  This bill will create a new bunch of people with insurance but their insurance will be limited.  They may have a high deductible, certain things wont be covered, and they will be getting a heftier bill than the ones that are paying for premium insurance.  They also may be tied paying extra cost as in higher prices for the same health services that a person is receiving under the premium.  Why?  Because the hospitals  can do this crap and get away with it.  They will call these people a higher liability, and then stick the higher cost on them.  This is how our so caring health system works.  They did it to the non insured and got away with it, they will do it to the ones with limited insurance too.  So everyone is saying that the ones paying the higher cost for premium insurance will have to fork over the money for the ones that have a much less than premium insurance.  No it wont.  You don't slap the hand that feeds you well. You want the premium holders to come back for service again.  The ones that are not insured or have less than premium insurance you don't care if they come back or not. So what if their bill is 33%+ higher than then premium insurance holders is.  

 

I also suspect this will create families that will have to have two medical insurance policies in order to cover their health care needs.    Because some insurance companys will charge more for certain health care coverage services, others wont cover certain ailments. 

 

U.S. Senate May Gut State Healthcare Rights Acts

 

Senate Bill Would Override State Health Coverage Rules

Enzi Health Insurance Legislation Would Jeopardize Lifesaving Coverage

Bill, S.1955, would allow health insurers to circumvent existing laws in
46 states that guarantee coverage for diabetes medications, supplies and
training

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) expressed its strong opposition to
proposed federal legislation that would enable health insurers to bypass
existing state health insurance regulations. In doing so, the "Health
Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act" (S. 1955) would
result in the loss of critical health coverage guarantees for millions of
people with diabetes. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia
require insurers to provide coverage for diabetes supplies, medication,
equipment and education, but S. 1955 would undermine those basic
protections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
Committee, chaired by bill sponsor Senator Michael Enzi, will mark up the
bill Wednesday morning. At the markup, Senator Jeff Bingaman will offer an
amendment to protect the diabetes coverage benefit in the states where it
is maintained in state law.

"These protections were enacted over the past decade with the bipartisan
support of legislatures, governors, and state insurance commissioners," L.
Hunter Limbaugh, the ADA's Chair for Advocacy, today wrote Sen. Enzi. "It
has been the Association's experience that without these protections,
state-regulated insurers often do not provide adequate diabetes coverage.
Indeed, in the four current states without mandated diabetes coverage,
insurers often do not provide these life-saving diabetes provisions."
Learn more>>
Legislation Would Jeopardize Lifesaving Coverage

Bristol-Myers Warns People with Diabetes About Tequin: FDA

Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb is warning against the use of the
antibiotic drug Tequin in diabetic patients after reports of several
fatalities, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday.

The company is adding a contraindication warning for people with diabetes
to the drug's label as well as strengthening its warning that Tequin can
cause both low and high blood glucose levels in patients, the FDA said.

The label will include warnings that patients who are older, have renal
insufficiency and take other medicine that affects glucose levels can also
be at risk, according to the agency.

"The FDA will continue monitoring Tequin's safety to ensure that its
benefits outweigh the risks to patients," the FDA said in a statement.

Bristol-Myers spokesman Eric Miller said the company's warning was
prompted by reports of "serious cases" of high or low blood glucose among
Tequin patients.
Learn more>>

Bristol-Myers Warns People with Diabetes About Tequin

warning signs

Ever sense I was diagnosed with diabetes I have noticed signs that in the past I had asked my doctor about, but he had no clue why I was having them.

 

I now know what it was about.  Because I had these symptoms for at least a few years.  I know now my diabetes was unmanaged for some time. 

 

The symptoms I had were:

 

Restless leg syndrome

 

numbness in my hands and feet

 

unexplained tiredness

 

tingling in my feet and hands

 

aching feet and swelling

 

leg cramps

 

nausea

 

headaches

 

I am not sure if my symptoms were just a oversight of my doctor?  Or that my symptoms are not the norm?   What I do know is I did see my doctor on several occasions explaining to him these symptoms, and yes blood work was done.  Perhaps he didn't run the right blood test?  I am not sure.  But till this day if my sugar gets a little high one or two of the symptoms will pop up.  The higher my sugar goes the more symptoms I have.   Which leads me to believe to a certain extent that other diabetics may also have warning signs for them to look for. 

 

I am a Type II so I am not sure if a Type I could benefit in knowing what to look for in the line of symptoms.  Or even to look out for symptoms that plague them.  What I do know is I don't think the numbers the doctor gives you for safe levels work for everyone.  My symptoms begin when my sugar is at 139.  So I believe this is my warning level my sugar is too high.  Yours may be different but it's worth a try to check into.  My doctor said my warning level is 200.  So now as you can see the vast difference in the numbers.  

 

This is just my point of view.  Plus what I have observed on my own.  Your mileage may differ.  But I would like for you to prove me wrong.  :)

 

 

Accu-Chek Blood Sugar Meters Recalled

Meters With Certain Serial Numbers May Have Electronic Malfunction. 

Jan. 20, 2006 --The FDA and Roche Diagnostics have announced a voluntary worldwide recall of specific Accu-Chek Aviva meters, which are used by people with diabetes to measure blood sugar levels.

The recall is due to the potential for the meters to have an electronic malfunction, which can cause incorrect readings or make the meter shut down and become unusable. Click for more below...

Accu-Chek Blood Sugar Meters Recalled

FDA Approves Inhalable Insulin

WASHINGTON -- The first inhalable version of insulin won federal approval Friday, giving millions of adult diabetics an alternative to some of the injections they now endure.

The Food and Drug Administration said the Pfizer Inc. insulin, to be marketed as "Exubera," is the first new way of delivering insulin since the discovery of the hormone in the 1920s.  ...

 

This is so cool!  I sure hope this drug doesn't try to kill all of us!  If it doesn't it will be the best thing to happen sense apple pie!  With todays new drugs though you just never know what will happen till you take it. 

FDA Approves Inhalable Insulin

New York Adopts Code to Monitor People with Diabetes

NEW YORK - Hoping to save hundreds of lives, New York adopted a health code regulation Wednesday that will make it the first American city to keep track of people with diabetes in much the same way it does with patients infected with HIV or tuberculosis.

The city will occasionally use its database to prod diabetics to take better care of themselves.

The policy breaks new ground because it involves the collection of information about people who have a disease that is neither contagious nor caused by an environmental toxin. It has also raised privacy concerns in some quarters.

Amazing!

N.Y. Adopts New Code

Many Docs Reluctant to Prescribe Insulin

Case in point my doctor.  I have to about starve at times to get my numbers down.  It's not so much as me eating the wrong foods because I don't eat the wrong foods.  My diet is very healthy.  I barely eat anything with sugar in it.  Most of the times its a mistake on my part not knowing what the ingredients are in the food.  One or two bites and I am done.  But my doctor claims diet alone is key to control.  I asked about meds he said no.  I told him I am having to go for hours without eating.  He said "Keep up the good work"  I haven't been back to see him in three months now.  I am so upset.  Unfortunately he is the only doctor in my town. 

 

Many Docs Reluctant to Prescribe Insulin

 

 

 

New Diabetes Drug Poses Major Risks, Panel Says

Review Finds FDA Overlooked Data on Life-Threatening Cardiovascular Effects of Pargluva...

It looks as though one of the drug company's is suffering from a major blow. They have a promising drug but the side effects are, or could kill the type II patient. It seems as though they want to stop a major catastrophe before it could happen. But its a shame that the diabetic could loose a promising drug due to side effects. You can't complain though about the thought of this drug being pulled. It's better for the drug to be pulled than have a major out break of Cardiovascular problems among the diabetic community. So for once they are putting saftey first instead of potential money they could earn. The FDA should of asked for additinal time to Bristol-Myers to do a study on just the cardiovascular problem issue though.

I believe the FDA is falling short when it comes to safety on the drugs they approve. They better watch it because if they keep messing up like this they may find all their jobs replaced with competent workers. Seems like there is a lot of screwups. I admit you can't blame this all on the FDA the drug companies have to take some of the responsibility too. But I just think the FDA is too quick to approve a drug. There must be a certain criteria for them to follow though, and the drug company's must follow it, and maybe even a probation period for the drug, with doctors watching their patient closely. Plus they must stop doctors forcing these new drugs on their patients. It should be volunteer effort. I shouldn't have to go to my doctor fighting to get a older drug that is as good and cheaper. I have had this problem for some time now. I have been refused to change a prescription, take what was offered or nothing at all.

New Diabetes Drug Poses Major Risk

CDC say that diabetes has risen by over 14 percent in the last two years.

Newly released statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) illustrate that diabetes has risen by over 14 percent in
the last two years.  The CDC estimates that 20.8 million Americans - 7
percent of the U.S. population  have diabetes, up from 18.2 million in
2003.  Nearly a third of these Americans are undiagnosed. According to the American Diabetes Association (the Association), the new numbers highlight the growing diabetes epidemic in the United States and reinforce the need for increased research and prevention. The CDC's report also demonstrates the need for all Americans with diabetes to have access to affordable and adequate health care.

"This study confirms what we already know: diabetes is one of this
country's most prolific and deadly diseases," said Robert A. Rizza, MD,
President of the American Diabetes Association. "Diabetes touches all of
us in some way, which is why we must continue to work together to find a
cure for diabetes and to improve the lives of the nearly 21 million
Americans affected by diabetes."
Learn more>>
CDC say that diabetes has risen by over 14 percent in the last two years.

Children With Diabetes Sue School Districts

I told you this would happen!

12-OCT-2005

Children With Diabetes Sue School Districts, State For Assistance; Denial of Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Administration During the School Day Challenged

Unprecedented Class Action Civil Rights Complaint Filed In Federal Court

(OCTOBER 11, 2005, Oakland, CA) ? Four elementary school-age students, along with the American Diabetes Association, filed an unprecedented civil rights complaint today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking class action relief against the California Superintendent of Public Schools, the California Department of Education, members of the California Board of Education, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, the Fremont Unified School District, and their Superintendents and Boards of Trustees. The suit asks the Court to compel public school officials to comply with federal law by providing the assistance that California students with diabetes require to manage their diabetes during the school day.

The complaint alleges that the state and the local districts violate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable federal regulations in their failure to ensure the health and safety of public school students with diabetes in Kindergarten through 12th Grade by providing insulin administration, blood glucose monitoring, proper care in emergency situations, and other appropriate diabetes care...

Read the rest at this link:

Children With Diabetes Sue School Districts

bird flu pandemic

While people try to make sense of the  bird flu pandemic that may happen in years to come. A few others are trying to figure out whom is most at risk for such a outbreak.  Most of the public is more worried about whom this flu may affect in their family's.  Plus just how many could really die if this flu were to mutate and enter the human chain.

 

I would be more concerned with the elderly, and children.  Third world countries are at high risk also.  But so are the people that are all ready fighting a battle against a disease they already have.  This includes diabetics.  I am sure those that don't have their diabetes in control, or don't even know they have diabetes will be at a higher risk. 

 

Yes those that are more inclined to be in crowds will be at a higher risk than your person that lives by them selves, and doesn't get out that much.  Precautions taken everytime they leave their home, and return home will be a must for everyone.  I just can't imagine how a person that doesn't keep up with the times expects to survive this. 

 

Then of course their are people who don't believe this will even happen unless man is involved in its demise. 

 

It will truly be survival for the fittest, but also for the smartest.

 

Hopefully this wont happen.  I can't imagine living in a town with over half of its occupants gone.  Neither can I imagine loosing loved ones.   Plan now just incase.    

prescriptions

Have you taken a list to your diabetes doctor showing him what prescriptions you are taking?  If not then you should.  There is a list of drugs that will cause your diabetes to have highs and lows.  Be sure that your doctor has a list of prescriptions that you take at all times.  Plus remind the druggist that you are diabetic and you need to know if the new prescription will affect it in any way.  This is especially true if you are under the care of several doctors. 

Busy again!

Spoiling another new granddaughter! 

 

Name: Trinity Rosantina

Born: September 18, 2005 at 11:12am

weight: 8 pounds 2 ounces

length: 20 and one half inches long

 

 

Inhaled insulin may mean end for diabetic injections

This is so cool.  But I worry that they may be putting something on the market that none of them know what the long term effects will be.  At the same time though.  It a nice step forward for diabetics. 

 

Inhaled insulin may mean end for diabetic injections