Category Archives: Diabetes Complications
Difficulty Controlling Blood Sugar? Consider Diabetic Gastroparesis
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Diabetes Complications
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Diabetes Complications, Drugs for Diabetes
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Diabetes Complications, Prevention of T2 Diabetes
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Diabetes Complications, Drugs for Diabetes
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., … Continue reading
Filed under Carbohydrate, coronary heart disease, Diabetes Complications, Grains, legumes, Stroke
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Diabetes Complications, Drugs for Diabetes
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Diabetes Complications, Protein, Weight Loss
