Archive for November, 2011

Gestational Diabetes Overview with LongActingInsulin.com

November 29, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes in Pregnancy 

by South197 - Tracy

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), it is one of the most complicated condition during women’s pregnancy. Do not be panic; it is a temporary form of diabetes that is first diagnoses in a pregnant woman. It occurs in about 3 to 8 percentage of pregnant women and it will improve or disappear after birth.

Risk Factors

Any women may develop gestational diabetes, but some women are at high risks. Risk factors for GDM include:

  • If you are over 35
  • If you have high blood pressure
  • You are obese
  • You’ve had a gestational diabetes in previous pregnancy
  • You’ve previously give birth to a big baby

Causes, Diagnosis and Test

Gestational diabetes is caused when the body of a pregnant woman is not able to make enough insulin. It is the result of hormonal changes, increased sugar level and weight gain. All the pregnant women should have a glucose-screening test between 24 and 28 weeks. Women who have risk factors of GDM may have the test earlier in the pregnancy.

Most women are recommended to have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT). Another more definitive exam called glucose tolerance test (GTT) is available to find out if you may have a problem.

Symptoms

Pregnant women who suffer from GDM will have the similar symptoms of type 1 and 2 diabetes, including:

  • Frequent urination
  • Increase d hunger
  • Nauseas
  • Skin or vaginal infections
  • Vision problems
  • Weight gain or fatigue

Prevention and Treatment

Gestational diabetes cannot be prevented in some women especially who are likely to develop. But you are able to lower your risk and change of getting gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Treatment for gestational diabetes during pregnancy includes:

  • Check blood sugar levels
  • Eating healthy food
  • Monitor fetal growth
  • Regular or moderate exercise
  • Take insulin therapy if necessary

Insulin is the primary medication used to treat gestational diabetes. Insulin injection is only used in rare cases of insulin resistance. Most women who have gestational diabetes usually give birth to healthy babies.

Diabetes and Gastroparesis Linked

November 15, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes and Diet, Diabetes and Gastroparesis 
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Many people with diabetes suffer from gastroparesis, or slow stomach emptying. As a matter or fact, diabetes is the most common cause of gastroparesis. That’s because chronic high blood glucose levels can damage the vagus nerve – which controls the movement of food down through the digestive tract.

In a double whammy, gastroparesis can make diabetes worse by making blood glucose control more difficult. When food that has been delayed in the stomach finally enters the small intestine and is absorbed, blood glucose levels rise. Since gastroparesis makes stomach emptying unpredictable, a person’s blood glucose levels can be erratic and difficult to control – a diabetic’s nightmare.

How do you self-treat gastroparesis? The simplest and healthiest option is to change your eating habits. Eat six small meals a day instead of three large ones to prevent the stomach from becoming overly full. Avoid high-fat and high-fiber foods, as fat naturally slows digestion and fiber is difficult to digest. If you have gastroparesis, carbonated beverages are also not your friend. In more severe cases, a liquid or pureed diet may be required for awhile.

If a dietary adjustment isn’t providing the relief from gastroparesis you need, there is a medicinal option in the form of prescription domperidone. Doctors prescribe domperidone for gastroparesis and other digestive ailments across the world. Both generic domperidone, and its equivalent name brand Motilium, have been available in Canada for many years.

To learn more about which basic dietary guidelines for gastroparesis, and to watch a video explaining the disease and the connection between diabetes and gastroparesis on hubpages.com, >Click Here<.

Eating Too Quickly Doubles the Risk of Insulin Resistance

November 8, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes and Diet, Diabetes and Weight Management, Diabetes Control 
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Yet another reason to listen to your mother and slow down and chew your food properly – eating too quickly has been associated with a doubled risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance, or pre-diabetes. As the name suggests, pre-diabetes is the forerunner to developing type 2 diabetes. Most diabetics have type 2 diabetes – a form of diabetes where your body no longer responds properly to insulin (called insulin resistance). Type 2 diabetes used to be described as non insulin dependent diabetes.

Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar (glucose) from the blood to the body’s cells to provide them with energy. If your cells do not use insulin properly, the pancreas produces more insulin that normal to cope with the body’s demands. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up, and excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood.

A recent Japanese study followed over 170 healthy individuals for three years, monitoring their eating habits. Snacking, eating late at night, skipping meals and eating out were not associated with developing pre-diabetes. The one and only eating habit associated with the development of insulin resistance was eating too quickly. Read the full article

Medtronic Takes a Critical Step Towards Developing An Artificial Pancreas

November 3, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Living with Diabetes, Uncategorized 

MiniMed Insulin Pump

Medtronic, a world leader in diabetes management systems, including insulin pumps and continuing glucose monitoring systems, has taken a critical step towards its goal of developing an artificial pancreas. The FDA has granted them an Investigational Device Exemption to allow the company to conduct in-home clinical trials of its MiniMed closed loop insulin delivery system. Here is the press release from Medtronic:

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct 28, 2011 – In our continued commitment to develop an artificial pancreas, Medtronic, Inc. today announced FDA approval of its Investigational Device Exemption to conduct a pivotal in-home clinical trial protocol for the ASPIRE study of the MiniMed Paradigm(R) System featuring Low Glucose Suspend (LGS) automation. FDA approval of the IDE makes Medtronic’s ASPIRE study the first in-home pivotal trial of a closed loop system for Type 1 diabetes management.

“This study leads an industry-wide effort to close the diabetes treatment loop by tackling the important challenge of reducing the risk of hypoglycemia even when a person is asleep or unable to react,” said David Klonoff, Medical Director of the Diabetes Research Institute at Mills-Peninsula Health Services. “The new Low Glucose Suspend integrated system is designed to help improve patients’ ability to manage nocturnal hypoglycemia, which can be one of the most frightening aspects of living with Type 1 diabetes. Until now, we have never had a therapy designed to automatically intervene when blood glucose becomes severely low.” Read the full article