Diabetes News for January 16, 2000

Bipolar Individuals Have 3X More Diabetes

Diabetes occurs in people with bipolar disease three times more often than in the average population.

This is the finding of a Duke University study published in the September '99 issue of the Journal of Psychiatry. The Duke team found that 10% of the 345 hospitalized patients they studied with bipolar disease had diabetes, which is about 3 times the frequency in a demographically similar group of the general US population.

Although the patients in this study were hospitalized, lead researcher Frederick Cassidy, MD suggests that this relationship to diabetes is similar to the general population of bipolar patients.

The reason for the connection between the two diseases is unclear but several theories are suggested. There may be a genetic relationship, a causal relationship or a disturbance present in both diseases. During episodes in the bipolar disease, the release of glucocorticoids and hypercortisolemia may compete with the action of insulin. The sedentary lifestyle and weight gain associated with psychoses may increase the risk of diabetes. Some medications used in the treatment of bipolar disorders may increase glucose or have an anti-insulin effect.

As a result of the study clinicians are advised to test for diabetes in a bipolar patient and if a person with diabetes seems depressed, they should be tested for bipolar disease. If you know a child with bipolar disease visit Child and Adolescent Bipolar Site.

Glaxo Wellcome Merges With SmithKline Beecham

Two British pharmaceutical giants Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham announced a $180 billion merger to create the world's biggest pharmaceutical group.

The creation of Glaxo SmithKline, which was attempted two years ago but broke off when parties could not agree on terms, shows the pressure on industry rivals to consolidate to afford the rising costs of development and marketing. The current deal may be an equal or unequal relationship; a 60:40 combination may occur with Glaxo, larger of the two companies, being the senior partner. 

The two companies have complementary drug portfolios. Glaxo's strongest products are its top anti-migraine drug, Imitrex, and treatments for asthma and viral infections including HIV. SmithKline's top products include the antibiotic Augmentin, the antidepressant Paxil and a new diabetes drug, Avandia, which has the most potential for growth.

The merged company could save as much as $2.4 billion in costs by pooling their research and development funds. Other advantages are the merged company would have a bigger sales and marketing force.

Between 5,000 and 10,000 of 105,000 workers for the combined companies could be let go. The merger would also lead to the closure of one of the two London head offices occupied by the companies. The group would have its headquarters in Britain, but be run from SmithKline's U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia. Before the companies can merge, the Federal Trade Commission and European Union have to approve the deal.

Moderate "Good" Fat Diet Recommended 

The low-fat diet recommended for a decade by nutritionists has failed to fight rising levels of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. So now international health experts from 17 countries are advising people to get back to basics. A Mediterranean diet based on fruit, vegetables, grains, olive oil and moderate fat is the best way to maintain weight control and health say doctors and nutritionists at a London conference organized by Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, a U.S. non-profit food think tank.

The experts say restricting fat is not the issue, but eating a diet with better fats and lower in total calories is important. They recommend a diet with most of the fat from monounsaturated fats, such as found in olive oil, and low in saturated fats, such as meat and dairy products, which clog the arteries.

Most of the fats in the Mediterranean diet are from olives, fish, nuts and seeds. The diet is also rich in carbohydrates and fiber, coming from bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. The Mediterranean diet is also loaded with antioxidants such as vitamin A, C and E which fight damage from free radicals. Antioxidants are recommended to fight cancer and heart disease. 

The Mediterranean diet is featured in the book The Other Diabetes: Living And Eating Well With Type 2 Diabetes.

High Insulin Levels Linked To Blood Clots

People who have an impaired insulin response so that their insulin levels in the blood are high after an overnight fast also have difficulty dissolving blood clots, according to new research conducted by Dr. James B. Meigs of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

This research, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, may help explain part of the process that puts people with diabetes, who have impaired insulin regulation, at high risk for strokes and heart disease. In the healthy person insulin levels in the blood stream are high only after a meal, in response to food intake. A high insulin level after fasting may indicate that the person is at risk for diabetes.

The study of nearly 3,000 healthy men and women aged 26 to 82 found that 80% had normal insulin response to blood sugar, 15% had an impaired insulin response so that their bodies produced higher than normal levels of insulin to offset high levels of glucose (glucose intolerance) in their blood-- and 5% had previously undiagnosed diabetes. This analysis wasn't surprising, but the researchers also found that people with higher levels of insulin (hyperinsulinemia) also had difficulty dissolving blood clots. 

The theory is that clots often form in major blood vessels, but are broken down quickly by a normal process called fibrinolysis. This study links hyperinsulinemia and glucose intolerance, two pre-diabetic conditions, with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease because they affect normal fibrinolysis. People without diabetes who had high insulin levels also had high levels of PAI-1 antigen, a chemical that impairs the blood's ability to dissolve clots. 

People with high insulin levels and glucose intolerance are usually obese. These conditions modify or correct themselves when they lose weight. Exercise and weight loss which resensitize people to insulin are encouraged to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in these individuals.

SpectRx Advances Blood Glucose Monitoring

SpectRx in an important step in development of their continuous glucose monitoring system is displaying a palm-sized laser prototype for creating microscopic holes in the outer layer of skin, called micropores. Through these micropores interstitial fluid, the clear liquid under the skin, is collected in a three-day patch. Interstitial fluid contains levels of glucose similar to those found in blood, which can be read by the patch.

The palm-sized porator makes glucose monitoring more convenient than the larger laboratory device while maintaining good correlation between the system's readings and blood finger stick readings.

A Hot Tub May Lower Blood Sugars

Hot tub enthusiasts generally feel a good soak will cure whatever ails you. Research suggests their theorem extends to diabetes and high blood sugars.

In a study of eight people with Type 2 diabetes, patients were submerged in a hot tub up to their shoulders for 30 minutes six days a week for three weeks. Their mean fasting plasma glucose dropped from about 182 to 159, their mean HbA1c dropped a whole point from about 11.3 to 10.3, and their weight decreased by a mean of 1.7 kg (4 lbs.). One patient reduced his insulin by 18% after 10 days of the therapy.

Even though the numbers in the study were small, the lead researcher, Philip L. Hooper, MD, an endocrinologist at the University of Colorado health Sciences Center in Loveland, says the results suggest further studies. Dr. Hooper is not certain why the improvement occurred. He says that the hot water may simulate exercise by increasing the blood flow to muscles, thereby reducing insulin resistance.

Anyone with diabetes soaking in a hot should be cautious. They should seek help getting out of the tub because the heat can cause a temporary drop in blood pressure. Also if they have any neuropathy, the temperature should be measured with a thermometer to be between 37 and 41 degrees Centigrade. Also anyone on insulin may see a drop in blood sugar in the first hours following a soak, similar to the effect exercise may have on them.

Healthy Edible Cactus Recipes

As an antidote for the obesity and diabetes of an affluent lifesytyle that plague so many Americans, a return to the tasty, nutritious and even medicinal prickly cactus plant is may be just what your doctor ordered. Cactus with their high fiber and low glycemic index content is widely used in Mexico to control blood sugars.

Now visit Rivenrock's Cactus Recipes for great recipes and see photos and the history of these plants. Growing information and links to other cactus and health sites are included. The site provides access to the 'Cactus and Organics' newsletter.

Women Need More Zinc

Women are not getting enough zinc and the consequences may be very serious. One in four women is not getting even half the recommended daily allowance or RDA. One third of women 60 and older get less than 75%.

Why is zinc so important, especially to older women? It ensures good functioning of the immune system and maximizes the sense of taste. It may help the nervous system avoid damage which leads to memory loss and other brain-related problems.

Zinc is easiest to attain from including a little red meat in the diet a few times every week, such as 3 ounces of pot roast, beef top round, sirloin or tenderloin gives about half the zinc you need each day. Other foods which have a little bit are poultry, fish, dairy products, cereals, and beans.

This information comes from Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, January 2000 edition. Call 1-800-274-7581 to order this informative newsletter which costs only $24 per year. See also our information on Zinc Loss in diabetes (near the bottom of the slides).

Click Here to browse our secure, on-line store for a complete selection of diabetes books at 22%-50% off their cover price. You can also download our Diabetes Mall 2008 Catalog, email our Order Form, or call us at (800) 988-4772.

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