New genetic links may help doctors in the early detection of celiac disease, or celiac sprue, which is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to become intolerant of gluten.

Professor David van Heel of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry led a team of international professionals that examined genetic material from 9,451 people with celiac disease. Researchers found that people with celiac disease had disturbances in how the body’s T cells react to wheat proteins, how the thymus gland eliminates these cells, and how the body responds to viral infections.

“We now understand that many of these genetic risk factors work by altering the amounts of these immune system genes that cells make,” van Heel explained in a press release. “The data also suggests that celiac disease is made up of hundreds of genetic risk factors. We can have a good guess at nearly half of the genetic risk at present.”

Gluten is found in products made from wheat, barley, and rye. When a person with celiac eats foods that contain gluten, the villi in the small intestine are damaged or destroyed and cannot absorb nutrients. Symptoms include stomach pain, vomiting or nausea, diarrhea, and unexplained weight loss.

The only way to treat celiac disease is to adopt a gluten-free diet. If left unmanaged, it can cause malnutrition, fatigue, osteoporosis, and anemia. Understanding these risks could help doctors predict and detect celiac disease before these complications arise.

This research could provide insight into other autoimmune diseases. According to van Heel, there may be reason to believe the same immune disturbances used to detect celiac disease could also potentially be used to predict type 1 diabetes.

The study appears in the February 28 edition of Nature Genetics.

A continuous glucose-monitoring device, in combination with an insulin pump, is helping people with type 1diabetes control nighttime blood sugars. The system, referred to as the “artificial pancreas,” is designed for hands-free insulin delivery and blood glucose regulation.

Seventeen children ages 5 to 18 in a hospital setting participated in the research project, each spending 33 nights using the artificial pancreas (closed-loop infusion) and 21 nights using traditional treatment (continuous infusion).

Researchers from Cambridge University have been developing the system for years, and they couldn’t be happier with the results. The system proved more effective than traditional insulin pumps at regulating glucose.

"These devices could transform the management of type 1 diabetes, but it is likely to be a gradual process," research leader Roman Hovorka of Cambridge said in a telephone interview with Reuters.

Rather than taking injections at every meal, the system checks glucose levels every 15 minutes and delivers insulin accordingly. It was especially effective in regulating nighttime hypoglycemia, maintaining normal levels 60 percent of the time, compared to 40 percent with the pump alone.

Nighttime hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose falls below normal levels. It is often the result of changes in insulin metabolism (i.e., due to exercise), and can be difficult to balance for people with type 1diabetes.

Hovorka says these studies will help people maintain good control and improve quality of life for people with type 1 diabetes by reducing the risk of hypoglycemia.

"These results suggest that closed-loop devices may be able to significantly lower the patient's risk of developing complications later in life by reducing or even overcoming the burden of hypoglycemia," Hovorka said in a news release from The Lancet.

Test your knowledge on dining out with diabetes or read the study’s abstract in The Lancet.

Worries over job security and the stigma attached to mental illness may be keeping workers from seeking professional help for mental and emotional disorders.

An online survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association reported three out of five workers expressed concern that mental health counseling would threaten professional status. More than 2,000 adults participated in the study; 1,129 were employed full- or part-time.

Although 40 percent of respondents said their employers were supportive of employee health treatment, others said their employers were less supportive of health services, more so for those concerning mental health.

Participants affected by drug addiction, alcoholism and depression were most concerned. People with diabetes and heart disease were shortly behind.

According to a report in Research Works, a publication of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health (PWMH), there is a high prevalence of these conditions in the workplace.

“The majority (about two thirds) of people with symptoms of clinical criteria for having mental and substance use disorders do not receive any treatment at all for these conditions,” wrote report author Mark Attridge, PhD. In addition to job security and professional status, confidentiality was another concern for employees.

Researchers say that employee access to quality mental health and addiction services is needed. They suggest that the workplace promote promotion and intervention, and that employers make sure employees know how to access their benefits. They also encourage employers to be supportive and to reassure workers of confidentiality.

Dr. Alan Axelson, PWMH council chairman, stresses the importance of encouraging employees to take care of their mental and physical health, and explains that it can benefit employers as well.

“Research supports the fact that when people receive needed care, they are healthier and more productive,” he said in a press release, “Employers realize the return on their healthcare investment.”

Weekends are a time to let loose after a long week at work, but weekend eating could be making your jeans a little tighter. What you eat on Saturday and Sunday could be adding up to 400 calories to your diet each week, according to a study in the Journal of Public Policy&Marketing.

The average amount of calories eaten during the weekend was about 37 calories higher than during the week, and most of those calories were from eating more at breakfast. Some people, however, ate more at all three meals, significantly increasing calorie intake.

One reason researchers think this may be happening is because most meals aren’t as rushed during the weekend. Apparently, extra time equals extra calories. The study also showed that people ate more during the holidays. The average increase for a holiday was 174 calories, but some at as much as 900 extra calories.

Don’t let seasonal snacking put you in a pinch. Try these tips from Diabetic Living to cut out unwanted fats and carbohydrates:

Whole Grain Cinnamon Roll. Nothing says happy holidays like a warm cinnamon roll. Use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour can cut carbs without sacrificing taste. Do the same for the sugar and butter in the icing, and one of these 4-inch rolls from home (171 calories) has about 27 carbohydrates and 6 grams of fat, compared with 36 carbs and 8 grams of fat in rolls from the store (233 calories)

Dark Chocolate. One piece of Hershey’s Bliss dark chocolate squares has 4 carbs and 2 grams of fat, compared to the 18 carbs and 10 grams of fat in a 1-inch chocolate truffle.

Kettle Corn. One cup of SmartPop! Fat Free Microwave Kettle Corn has just 4 carbohydrates and zero grams of fat. One cup of caramel corn can have as much as 36 carbs and 11 grams of fat.

Chocolate-Covered Cherries. Try making dark chocolate-covered cherries at home. Cordial cherries from the store can have as much as 10 carbohydrates and 3 grams of fat each. Dipping 12 maraschino cherries in 1 ounce of melted dark chocolate at home is a fun activity, and homemade cherries only have about 3 carbs and 1 gram of fat.

Cocoa Roasted Almonds. One ounce of almond M&M’s has 16 carbohydrates and eight grams of fat, while an ounce of Emerald Dark Chocolate Cocoa Roasted Almonds only has six carbs and 13 grams of fat.

Check out more treat substitutes and find ways to boost your metabolism at Diabetic Living.

A recent Harvard Medical School study found that mothers with diabetes are more than 50% more likely to experience postpartum depression than mothers who do not have the disease. The study, which examined more than 11,000 low-income mothers in New Jersey, revealed that one in ten mothers with diabetes experienced postpartum depression within one year of childbirth. Less than 6% of the women without diabetes experienced the same symptoms.

The women who developed postpartum depression following birth had no previous indication of depression during pregnancy. They were identified as having postpartum depression if their medical records indicated a diagnosis of depression or if they filled prescriptions for antidepressant medications. The study found that women with diabetes were about as likely to develop postpartum depression after their pregnancies as women who had experienced postpartum depression following a previous birth.

Postpartum depression is characterized by a long-lasting, extreme emotional downshift following birth. Symptoms include appetite loss, insomnia, tearfulness, and lack of connection with the newborn. Some women may fear they will harm themselves or the child. These symptoms should not be confused with the “baby blues” that many women feel after giving birth and last days or a few weeks.  

The researchers that conducted this study caution that there is no proof that diabetes causes postpartum depression, but only that the two are somehow linked.

If you think you have postpartum depression, seek medical attention.

Share your experiences with pregnancy or postpartum depression on the Healia Pregnancy Online Health Community and Support Group. To learn more about pregnancy, visit the Healia Pregnancy Health Guide. Test your pregnancy knowledge on the Healia Pregnancy Quiz.


_{Photo: KellyWoolen, Flickr, Creative Commons}

Though Sonia Sotomayor is well known for being the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic nominee, the judge will also be the first Supreme Court justice with type 1 diabetes if she is confirmed to the position. According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, but only 5 -10% of people with diabetes have type 1.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that attacks the pancreas, destroying the body’s only insulin-producing cells. Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood glucose, also known as blood sugar. In order to regulate blood sugar and in turn survive, Sotomayor (and all people with type 1 diabetes) must have insulin delivered to their bodies through an injection or an insulin pump.

Most people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed as children, and some people still refer to type 1 diabetes as “childhood-onset diabetes.” Sotomayor was diagnosed when she was just eight years old in the early 1960s, a time when diabetes was seen as a lifelong burden and debilitating disease. President Obama addressed this issue when introducing Sotomayor as his nominee for Supreme Court last week.

“When she was diagnosed… she was informed that people with diabetes can’t grow up to be police officers or private investigators like Nancy Drew. In essence, she was told she’d have to scale back her dreams,” the president said.

There is no prevention method or cure for type 1 diabetes, but people with diabetes can lead fulfilling, successful lives as long as they take insulin and manage their blood glucose levels. And though plenty of controversy surrounds Sotomayor’s court decisions and personal politics, there’s no question about her diabetes: it will not affect her ability to serve as a Supreme Court justice.

Want to voice your opinions about Sotomayor or type 1 diabetes? Visit the Healia Diabetes Type 1 Online Health Community and Support Group. Think you know everything about the disease? Test your knowledge on the Healia Diabetes Quiz.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning not to share insulin pens due to the risk of blood borne infections. Insulin pens are pen-shaped injector devices that contain a disposable needle and a source of insulin that are approved only for single-patient use.

FDA officials want to remind both doctors and patients that insulin pens and the cartridges they contain should not be used to administer medication to more than one patient. While the devices typically contain enough insulin for a patient to self-administer several doses before the reservoir or cartridge is empty, the pens should only be reused by the same patient. Sharing the pens raises the risk of transmitting blood borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.

The FDA said they had received reports of two unnamed hospitals using the same insulin pen to administer medication to more than 2,000 patients. While the hospitals reportedly replaced the needles, they continued to reuse the same insulin cartridge. The FDA wants to stress that this is an unsafe practice, the pens are designed for safe use by only one patient. Even if the needles are changed between each patient the risk of disease transmission may still exists.

Want to learn more about insulin administration for diabetes? Join the Healia Support Community for Diabetes Type I or the Healia Support Community for Diabetes Type 2.

_{Photo: RogueSun Media, Flickr, Creative Commons}

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently launched a new online nutrition tool called MyFoodAdvisor. This online tool helps people better understand food choices by suggesting healthy alternatives and analyzing the foods a person eats. MyFoodAdvisor was created to provide food information to people with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, as well as those trying to lose weight. 

When health care providers tell patients to watch their carbs, eat more fiber or to avoid saturated fats, most people don’t know where to start. MyFoodAdvisor takes the guesswork out of that. This tool appeals to so many looking for nutrition information: people with diabetes because of the consistent portions of carbohydrates and proteins; people with or at risk for heart disease because of the option to search by fiber, sodium and saturated fats; and people with kidney disease because potassium and phosphorous information is included, which is not listed on standard nutrition labels (Ann Albright, PhD, RD, President, Health Care&Education, American Diabetes Association). 

The ADA and Healia are working together through Healia’s online diabetes communities. Two prominent diabetes experts from the ADA, Dr. Sue Kirkman and Stephanie Dunbar, are now available to answer your questions about diabetes free of charge.

diabetes MyFoodAdvisor American Diabetes Association

We are delighted to announce that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Healia are working together to improve access to high quality and personalized diabetes information through our online health community Healia Communities. The ADA is the nation’s premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information, and advocacy.

Through this new collaboration, members of Healia Communities will now be able to ask questions of two prominent diabetes experts from the ADA, Dr. Sue Kirkman and Stephanie Dunbar. The ADA will also have a presence on Healia’s diabetes-related communities and have opportunities to communicate directly with Healia Communities members.

Through this exciting relationship with the ADA, we hope that Healia Communities will become an essential resource for information and support for people with diabetes or those taking care of someone with diabetes.

Healia Communities is a free online health community that enables people to get personal support for their health decisions from peers and experienced health professionals. Healia Communities helps you make better health decisions by allowing you to:

• Share your health knowledge, experiences, and favorite resources.
• Connect with people like yourself who’ve experienced your situation.
• Ask questions of the community, your peers, and health professionals

About the New Diabetes Experts on Healia Communities, Dr. Kirkman and Ms. Dunbar:

Sue Kirkman, MD is the Vice President of Clinical Affairs for the American Diabetes Association. Dr. Kirkman has primary responsibility for the work of ADA’s Clinical Affairs area, including oversight of the Professional Practice Committee and its clinical practice recommendations and consensus statements, which provide guidance and direction to health care professionals around the world.

Stephanie Dunbar, MPH, RD is the Director of Nutrition and Clinical Affairs at the American Diabetes Association. Stephanie has been with the ADA since August of 2001 and is currently responsible for managing nutrition-related activities and projects for the Association as well as assisting with development of ADA Clinical Practice Recommendations.

Join the Healia / American Diabetes Association Diabetes Community.

View the press release about the Healia / American Diabetes Association collaboration.

American Diabetes Association diabetes online health community

Jay Cutler, a quarterback for the Denver Broncos football team, has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic disease where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Patients with Type 1 diabetes require regular insulin injections.

Diabetes Type 2, also called adult-onset diabetes, is a chronic disease where the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells do not react normally to insulin, affecting the way the body metabolizes sugar (glucose). It is much more common than Type 1 diabetes. About 21 million Americans have some form of diabetes.

Other professional athletes who have competed with diabetes include Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke, Charlotte Bobcats forward Adam Morrison, golfers Scott Verplank, Michelle McGann and Kelli Kuehne, and Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr.

Do you have a question about Diabetes? Visit Healia Communities and Ask an Expert your question. For online support, you can also join the Type 1 Diabetes Community.  

Type 1 Diabetes Jay Cutler Denver Broncos