One disorder I see fairly frequently in the hospital is diabetic gastroparesis. It’s a condition in which the stomach doesn’t empty its contents as quickly into the small intestine (duodenum) as it should. The nerves that tell the stomach muscles to contract aren’t working properly. It’s a type of neuropathy. With gastroparesis, food absorption—including carbohydrates—is slower than [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘Diabetes Complications’
June 9, 2010
Metformin Raises Risk of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
A recent study out of the Netherlands shows that type 2 diabetics taking insulin and metformin are at risk of clinically significant vitamin B12 deficiency. B12 deficiency may cause anemia, nerve damage (neuropathy), and dementia, among other problems. Metformin is the cornerstone of drug therapy for type 2 diabetes. One reason is that it’s associated [...]
April 24, 2010
Whole Grains Reduce Heart Attacks and Strokes
Whole grain consumption is associated with a 21% reduction in cardiovascular disease when compared to minimal whole grain intake, according to a 2008 review article in Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Disease. Coronary heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the developed world. Stroke is No. 3. The term “cardiovascular disease” lumps together heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, and generalized [...]
March 15, 2010
Review: Gestational Diabetes
Ever heard of gestational diabetes? It’s when a when a woman develops diabetes during pregnancy. It usually goes away soon after the baby is born. All pregnancies are characterized by some degree of insulin resistance and high insulin levels: they are necessary for the baby. Nevertheless, healthy pregnant women run blood sugars 20% lower than [...]
January 30, 2010
How Well Should Diabetes Be Controlled?
Researchers in the U.K. suggest that a hemoglobin A1c of 7.5% may be optimal in terms of longevity for type 2 diabetics treated with drugs, according to a study published recently in The Lancet. Hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) is a blood test widely used as a gauge of blood sugar control, reflecting average blood sugars over [...]
January 18, 2010
Grains and Legumes: Any Effect on Heart Disease and Stroke?
Several scientific studies published in the first five years of this century suggest that whole grain consumption protects agains coronary heart disease and possibly other types of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke. Note that researchers in this field, especially outside the U.S., use the term “cereal” to mean “a grass such as wheat, oats, or corn, the [...]
August 22, 2009
Estimate Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke
The American Diabetes Association has just unveiled an online calculator that estimates your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or stroke over the next 30 years. It’s at My Health Advisor. Anyone can use it. You use the calculator anonymously, although I assume they will capture the IP address of your computer. You don’t [...]
August 7, 2009
Metformin May Reduce Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Diabetics
Reuters reported recently that people with type 2 diabetes using metformin had a 60% lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared with diabetics who never used metformin. People taking insulin and drugs that stimulate insulin secretion, such as sulfonylureas and glinides, also seem to be at higher risk of pancreas cancer. Lead researcher for the [...]
June 30, 2009
Are High-Protein Weight-Loss Diets Safe and Effective?
According to researchers at Tufts University, high-protein weight-loss diets may be effective and safe except for people prone to kidney stones, chronic kidney disease, and people with diabetes. Long-term effects on bone health – osteoporosis, specifically – might be a problem. High-protein weight-loss diets have been popular for a while. “Protein Power” by Drs. Michael [...]
