Improve Diabetes Health With These 7 Must-Dos

By Riva Greenberg, Special to Everyday Health Medically Reviewed by Kelly Kennedy, RD A passionate diabetes patient-expert shares small but powerful changes that can help people with diabetes lead a happier, healthier life. Each year, we spend upward of a dozen hours with our healthcare providers, leaving more than 8,700 hours that we must take care of our diabetes. The decisions we make every day, such as whether to follow a healthy diet, make time to be active, adhere to our medication schedule, implement lifestyle changes to improve our lab results, and maintain a positive attitude — can have a major impact on our…
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Muscle Stem Cells could Address Circulation Problems

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Stem cells taken from muscle tissue could promote better blood flow in patients with diabetes who develop peripheral artery disease, a painful complication that can require surgery or lead to amputation. A new study in mice at the University of Illinois found that an injection of the stem cells prompted new blood vessels to grow, improving circulation in the affected tissues and function in the affected limbs. The stem cells also induced changes in gene expression in the surrounding tissues, prompting the release of factors to reduce inflammation and increase circulation. The study was published in the…
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Healing molecule discovery could reduce limb amputations

Scientists have discovered new insights into a molecule which is part of the body's tissue repair system, in a finding which could help treat non-healing wounds and injuries, such as diabetic foot body's tissue repair system, in a finding which could help treat non-healing wounds and injuries, such as diabetic foot. The number of limbs amputated because of diabetes is at an all-time high of 20 each day in England alone. Intense research around the world is being carried out to discover new treatments that could help avoid such life-changing operations and reduce medical costs for society. A study led…
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Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy In Young Adults

Long-term uncontrolled glycemic levels primary cause of complication in diabetes, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy. There is a gradual increase in incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among the U.S. youth population. Studies show that if this continues, diabetes prevalence among the youth population will triple within three decades. One of the most distressing complications of chronic diabetes is diabetic peripheral neuropathy and contributes to significant disability and diminished quality of life. It has been well-researched and documented among the adult population but not so with the adolescents and young adults in the U.S. Prevalence…
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Manufactured Stem Cells Might Boost New Diabetes Therapies

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be generated from adult cells. iPSCs have the potential to develop into any cell type in the human body. These cells hold an enormous therapeutic potential in a variety of conditions. Including but not limited to cardiac diseases, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and diabetes. A team of researchers from Lonza, developed clinical-grade iPSCs from human umbilical cord blood cells collected following a healthy birth. These cells, described in the study “cGMP-Manufactured Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Are Available for Pre-Clinical and Clinical Applications,” published in Stem Cell Reports. iPSCs are now available for…
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Acupuncture for Diabetes

For people with diabetes, the needle-based therapy known as acupuncture may offer a number of health benefits. Some research shows that acupuncture may help control diabetes by treating insulin resistance, while other studies indicate that this long-practiced form of traditional Chinese medicine may help protect against certain complications commonly linked to diabetes. Acupuncture and Insulin Resistance Insulin resistance occurs when your body fails to use insulin effectively. A hormone produced by the pancreas, insulin is responsible for helping your cells take in glucose (i.e., blood sugar) and use it for energy. In cases of insulin resistance, the cells have trouble absorbing glucose,…
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Mobile Health Apps Improve Diabetes Care

In order to improve the quality of healthcare services and boost patient health outcomes, providers have begun adopting a variety of new technologies include mobile health apps, remote monitoring tools, and telemedicine systems. Chronic disease management is a major priority of the medical field today, as diabetes, heart disease, and various other illnesses compose a large part of healthcare spending. Mobile health apps and other mHealth technologies could help assist in strengthening chronic disease management strategies. The American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) recently announced in a press release that using medical claims data and health informatics could potentially lead…
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The Four Types of Diabetic Neuropathy

Most of us associate peripheral neuropathy with diabetes. What might be a surprise is that there are three other forms of neuropathy that are also common to diabetics. Diabetic neuropathy is the result of prolonged periods of excess glucose in the blood damaging fragile nerve fibers. Hyperglycemia also damages the walls of the many blood vessels in the body, including the capillaries that provide the blood supply that supports the nervous system. Finally, high glucose levels interfere with the ability of the nerves to send signals. Taken together, this triad of damage causes first numbness, then extreme pain, in the…
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Neuropathy 10 Things You Need to Know

Life with neuropathy can be filled with unknowns – especially for those of us whose symptoms or diagnoses are relatively new. Navigating this new life with a painful condition can be (and most often is) overwhelming and frustrating. From bothersome symptoms like lack of muscle control to debilitating ones such as sharp, stabbing pains in the hands or feet, it can wreak havoc on your quality of life. Finding out as much information as possible about the condition, its causes and its treatments can go a long way in getting you onto the path to a better – and more pain…
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