GRAPE SKIN EXTRACT FOR DIABETES

The diabetes rate in the United States nearly doubled in the past 10 years. Approximately 26 million Americans are now classified as diabetic, stressing an urgent need for safe and effective complementary strategies to enhance the existing conventional treatment for diabetes.

Preliminary studies by researchers at Wayne State University have demonstrated that grape skin extract (GSE) exerts a novel inhibitory activity on hyperglycemia and could be developed and used to aid in diabetes management. Recently funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, this $2.1 million transitional study will provide insights into the novel inhibitory action of GSE on postprandial hyperglycemia and will also provide preclinical data in support of the biological effectiveness and safety of GSE and its components in potential prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. 

“It is hopeful that our research may eventually lead to the successful development of a safe, targeted nutritional intervention to support diabetes prevention and treatment,” said Kequan Zhou, Ph.D., assistant professor of food and nutrition science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and lead investigator on the grant. “Our study will provide important pre-clinical data regarding the anti-diabetic mechanisms, biological efficacy and safety of GSE that should facilitate eventual translation into future clinical studies to assess GSE and its components as a safe, low-cost and evidence-based nutritional intervention for diabetes.”

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. With type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. In addition, some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and the elderly.

“Type 2 diabetes is one of the major chronic diseases of modern societies," said Gloria Heppner, Ph.D., associate vice president for research at Wayne State University. "It threatens the health of a variety of populations, with growing numbers of young people being diagnosed with the disease every day. Dr. Zhou’s study offers great hope for a potential treatment that is natural and without harmful side effects for the many people inflicted with type 2 diabetes.”

Diabetes A Neuropathy Epidemic

Today's post from lillypad.lilly.com (see link below) looks at the massive health problem in the western world that is diabetes and by definition, the increase in neuropathy patients as a result. It should be pointed out here that whatever other diseases or conditions you may have, you could still be prone to diabetes and therefore neuropathy as a result, or a worsening of the neuropathy you already have from another cause. Furthermore, anything from 30 to 70% of people with diabetes will go on to develop neuropathy. There are many things you can do to reduce the risk of diabetes and most of them have to do with lifestyle choices. You don't want diabetes and you certainly don't want neuropathy as a result, so making changes seems to be a no-brainer.

Diabetes: A Skyrocketing Epidemic  
by Amy O'Connor 07/17/14

In an article published on Forbes, our Chairman, President, and CEO Dr. John Lechleiter highlighted the real story of life-saving medical advances for people with diabetes, pointing out that “an advance that appears incremental or limited may in fact make a big difference.” A study from the New England Journal of Medicine that demonstrates the impact of medical advances provides additional support for these words of hope for the future of our fight against diabetes.

Despite these discoveries, the diabetes epidemic continues to grow. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report showing that the number of people in the United States with diabetes has increased from 26 million in 2010 to more than 29 million people. Diabetes takes a heavy toll on patients and communities across the country, with an estimated $245 billion in total medical costs and lost work and wages in 2012.

The need for action to effectively treat and prevent this chronic disease grows increasingly more pressing as the diabetes epidemic shows signs of continuing to snowball in the future. Today, 86 million American adults have prediabetes and an estimated 15 to 30 percent will develop Type 2 diabetes within five years. Projections show that by 2050 diabetes could affect one in three U.S. adults.

As these numbers continue to skyrocket, the U.S. needs nationwide investment at all public, private, and government levels to tackle this epidemic. This costly disease can be combatted with new medical advances that simultaneously improve the lives of diabetes patients and reduce the economic costs:

Our history links us closely to the fight against diabetes and addressing this continuously vexing problem continues to be a top priority for us. From encouraging Americans to find out their diabetes risk to advocating for legislators to take steps toward improving health policy, we remain committed to fighting diabetes. Together, we can work to prevent and cure this debilitating disease that affects so many millions of Americans.

https://lillypad.lilly.com/entry.php?e=4751

If You Have Diabetes You May Have Neuropathy Too

Today's post from irishhealth.com (see link below) talks about the fact that many diabetics may be unaware that they also have neuropathic problems, partly because their symptoms are not yet painful enough for them to report to their doctors. As neuropathy is one of the commonest side effects of diabetes, one would assume that doctors are on the look out for symptoms in their diabetic patients but this is clearly not always the case. Both patients and doctors need to be better aware of the possibility of neuropathic problems and test for them (or at least ask the right questions) soon after a diagnosis of diabetes. In the same way, people with neuropathy should maybe ask their doctors if they are also susceptible to diabetes. The two conditions appear so frequently together, testing should really be a matter of course.

Diabetes-many have undiagnosed neuropathy
[Posted: Wed 11/06/2014 by Deborah Condon www.irishhealth.com]

Almost half of patients with diabetes who attended a diabetes care centre in Dublin recently were found to have neuropathy (nerve damage) in their feet.

Neuropathy is a potential complication of poorly controlled diabetes. If it occurs in the feet, it can impair sensation, movement and function.

If left untreated, it can lead to much more serious problems with the feet, including foot ulcers and amputation. However, early intervention and treatment can prevent more serious problems from occurring.

According to Diabetes Ireland, 47% of patients who attended its Diabetes Ireland Care Centre in Santry during the first three months of 2014 had neuropathy, however many of these were unaware they were affected.

"Every person with diabetes should have an annual foot assessment which should include, as a minimum, removal of the shoes and socks and a test for feeling (sensation) in each foot using a monofilament.

"Many of the patients I see say they had never seen a monofilament so I would ask GPs in the locality to encourage their diabetes patients to have an annual foot assessment and refer or ask them to make an appointment with a podiatrist," commented Theresa Kidd-Foley, a senior podiatrist at the centre.

She insisted that by doing this, people with diabetes could ‘significantly' improve their chances of avoiding foot-related complications, such as ulcers.

Figures from the HSE show that in 2013, more than 1,550 people with diabetes were hospitalised for foot ulcer treatment, spending an average of three weeks in hospital. Furthermore, 371 lower limb amputations were carried out on people with diabetes last year and according to Diabetes Ireland, this figure is particualrly shocking given that research has shown that 80% of diabetes-related amputations are preventable.

"I never really appreciated the need to look after my feet until I had a problem. I went to the Diabetes Ireland Care Centre and as well as having my problem sorted, I was educated on how to look after my feet properly each day and how to check my feet for signs of damage," said diabetes patient, George Casey, of Drumcondra in Dublin.

The Diabetes Ireland Care Centre is a not-for-profit initiative of Diabetes Ireland, which aims to reduce the number of people developing diabetes-related eye and feet complications as a result of poor management of the condition. It also provides information and support to people.

"People with diabetes must actively self-manage their condition and seek out the necessary supports they require to help them stay healthy," Ms Kidd-Foley said.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=23731