Frontiers in Diabetes Management

Change is usually not thought of as simple, but it does make a difference; especially if you are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or heart disease. Lifestyle changes have been proven over and over again to be one of the best ways to prevent prediabetes from developing into full-blown Type 2 diabetes. Although lifestyle changes can be the hardest part of weight loss, no matter your background, you likely need to make some lifestyle changes. Usually, everyone could benefit from a few tweaks.

The back of the eye, or retina, has nerve tissue that enables us to see. In Type 2 diabetes high blood sugar levels cause damage to nerve tissue, as well as the blood vessels feeding the tissue. Such damage can thin the retina, which can lead to loss of vision. Until recently diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness has been thought of as primarily a disease of the blood vessels in the back of the eye, or retina. Treatment has been aimed at coagulating weak blood vessels and removing blood from the inside of the eye. New studies have found nerve damage in the eyes takes place before changes are seen in the blood vessels. Finding nerve damage and treating it early could be a boon to people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in danger of losing their sight.

Type 2 diabetes affects the whole body because it affects the heart and blood vessels, and blood travels through almost every living tissue. Why do some individuals develop particular complications, while others do not? Having specific genes makes people susceptible to certain conditions. As these genes are found and matched with complications to which they can contribute, it will someday become possible to predict which complications patients and their physicians need to watch out for and prevent.

If you are someone who likes going on a lower carbohydrate diet plan to control your blood sugar levels better and see faster rates of weight loss, you might be interested in considering a diet plan called the targeted ketogenic diet. If you are not familiar with the ketogenic diet plan, this is a very low carbohydrate diet that contains just 5% of the total calories coming from carbohydrates. The remaining calories come from protein at 30% and dietary fat at 65%. Altogether these put you into a state called ketosis, where your body is running off an alternative fuel source.

We often hear if we choose to exercise and eat properly, our pancreas will thank us by functioning better and reduce our chances of developing Type 2 diabetes. Many of you watching your health will have heard of a list of produce referred to as the “dirty dozen.” What is this list and how do the contents impact your life and your body? The dirty dozen is a term used to describe certain fruits and vegetables, maybe even some of your favorites, impacted negatively by pesticides. The produce listed as the “dirty dozen” are thought to be more heavily contaminated by pesticides than other produce and, as such, it is wise for you to steer clear of them if you are hoping to maintain good health.

Investigators at the University Hospital in Tours and several other research institutions in France have determined telemedicine is useful in dealing with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Their work was reported on in August 2018 in the Telemedicine Journal and E-Health. The investigators combined 42 trials of the technique and analyzed them as if they were one large study with 6,170 participants. A total of 34 studies used devices for telemonitoring blood sugar levels while the other 8 used teleconsultation. The participants using telemedicine experienced a more significant reduction in their HbA1c levels than those who were treated with the usual care,