Human trials will begin soon for a wristwatch-size device which is surgically implanted into the abdominal cavity and releases a precise amount of insulin into the bloodstream. Supplies are topped up via a short tube which passes through the skin.
The implant contains a reservoir surrounded by a special gel which slowly releases the hormone insulin as blood sugar levels rise. As levels drop, the gel solidifies, ensuring the right amount of insulin is released.
Inventor Joan Taylor said: “It works like a healthy pancreas should, regulating blood sugar by releasing just enough insulin into your bloodstream. You don’t need to fill it up every day, so avoid painful daily injections.
“We are extremely close to embarking on clinical trials. Could the procedure to fit it be available on the NHS? Definitely – hopefully within a decade.”
Our sixth ‘Diva Of Christmas’ is the legendary ladies man, Rock Star Bret Michaels. Bret Michaels was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 6 years old, but that hasn’t stopped him from living a outrageously fabulous life.
Bret Michaels first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the ‘glam more fear less’ band Poison who have sold over 30 million records worldwide. He was the winning contestant on NBC’s reality show Celebrity Apprentice 3 (raising $390,000 for the American Diabetes Association) and proved to the world that diabetes can’t stop you from trumping the competition.
Keeping blood sugar levels in check while touring with his band isn’t easy, Michaels said. He carries “a large supply of food” with him on the road and checks his blood sugar eight times a day. Bret Michaels says, “ you can have all the doctors, but unless you can self-motivate, no one can make you exercise or take your [insulin] shot at the right time or use your pump right. Find that one thing [that motivates you]. Like making sure I’m around to watch my daughters grow up.”
Bret Michaels’ life, attitude and interests to infuse our Hot Topics, Sexy Little Numbers and Diabetes Numerology Game puzzle segments. Joining Mr. Divabetic for this one hour whirlwind of wellness are: Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDE, Rohit Moghe, PharmD, MSPH, CDE, Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE and the author of ‘My Sweet Life: Successful Men With Diabetes”, Mama Rose Marie and Tony Cervati, the founder of the Type1Rider Organization. Plus, we’re offering a special Yonanas prize giveaway.
“Divabetic” Paula Deen has been making big changes in her diet, and it’s paying off.
Paula Deen, the Southern chef known for her love of butter and the deep fryer, was much maligned
for promoting a high-fat diet when she revealed her type 2 diabetes diagnosis in January. She had kept her condition under wraps for three years.
Since sharing her diabetes diagnosis, she tells People magazine, she’s lost 30 pounds, dropping from a size 18 to a size 10.
“I feel a thousand times better,” Deen, 65, tells People, adding that she gives herself an injection every day to control her blood-sugar levels. “I have more energy, I sleep better. The weight loss has made my health issues better.”
Paula Deen tells People she is thinking differently about food these days.
“I do think differently,” about food, Deen tells People. She said she eats more green salads and veggies. And as for carbs? “Just a spoonful,” she allows. And dessert is sugar-free ice cream topped with berries, the magazine reports.
Fried food is mostly off the menu.
For someone with type 2 diabetes, changing your diet and losing weight are “the major modifiers” of the disease, says endocrinologist Dr. Osama Hamdy, medical director of the obesity clinical program at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Those two things can sometimes be even more effective than medications, he said.
The body needs glucose, or sugar, to work properly, Hamdy says. Insulin is the “key” that opens the door to the body’s organs and tissues to allow the glucose in.
In type 2 diabetes, the body cannot metabolize sugar correctly, because either the pancreas is not making enough insulin or the body is resisting its own insulin. With the glucose locked out, too much sugar builds up in the bloodstream, causing type 2 diabetes.
A major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is weight gain because it makes the body not responsive to its own insulin, Hamdy says. But shedding pounds can reverse the course of the disease, he said.
“Weight loss is the key to improving diabetes management and the weight loss can also lead to reversing the course of diabetes from continuous progression to regression, and occasionally, weight loss can lead to remission,” Hamdy says.
Remission, which can be long- or short-term, means a patient has normal blood sugar levels and doesn’t require medication, he said, adding that there is no “cure” for diabetes. “If you gain the weight back, then it will be a problem,” Hamdy said, “and diabetes will reappear again.”
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic stops by the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party to learn healthy ways to enjoy the barbecue from everyday people.
Mr. Divabetic hosts Diva TalkRadio, a dynamic free online and mobile podcast channel featuring health care professionals, beauty, image/style and fitness experts, entertainment industry leaders and VIPs: women and men living with, at risk of and affected by diabetes.
Divabetic inspiration, Luther Vandross, sold more than 25 million albums and won eight Grammy awards, thanks to his rich voice and romantic music. Seven years after his death, music lovers around the world are remembering their favorite love songs by Luther Vandross, so snuggle up with someone you love and enjoy these classics.
Vandross’s first solo single took the R&B world by storm in 1981, hitting No. 1 on the soul singles chart. “Never Too Much” is a classic example of his catchy songwriting and smooth voice.
The next time Vandross made it to the No.1 spot was in 1986, with the equally bouncy – and equally romantic –”Stop to Love.”
In 1989, “Here and Now”not only gained Vandross his fifth No. 1 – it won him his first Grammy Award, for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Luther Vandross may be gone, but his songs will keep setting romantic moods for years to come.
The information presented on this blog is for informational purposes only, and not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional or for professional medical advice related to diabetes or any other medical condition. Please contact your physician or medical professional with any questions or concerns about your medical condition.
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