Diabetes Distress: Causes, Research and Tips to Manage

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and an important time to increase public awareness about causes of mental stress.

We feel stress from many different places. Sometimes it is an event, such as a family member passing away, but more often it is just from daily stressors such as money, work and so on. And the symptoms of stress can affect not only your mind, but also your physical health.

If you live with diabetes, it can be added source of stress—and in turn, stress can make diabetes more difficult to manage. The ongoing and endless list of things you need to think about can feel overwhelming: constantly checking your blood glucose, knowing exactly what you are eating, remembering to inject insulin or take your medications—not to mention the unexpected swings in your blood glucose levels at the most inopportune times.

Stress can affect your blood glucose levels in two ways:

1. While under stress, you may not take good care of yourself. You may drink more alcohol or exercise less. You may also forget, or not have time, to check their glucose levels or plan healthy meals.
2. Stress hormones may also alter your blood glucose levels to run high.

This understandable sense of burden or defeat that may affects your life with diabetes even has a name: diabetes distress.

Diabetes distress is real and different from depression. It can even cause conflict with your loved ones and impact your relationships with your diabetes health care team. If a family member, a friend or your doctor constantly asks how you are feeling, it can cause frustration and lead to tension between you.

Researchers have developed a Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) to measure the distress that arises from the emotional and social effects of living with diabetes, day-to-day diabetes management and more. Click here to read the full study.

There are many ways to avoid and fight stress. Here are our top tips:

• Get Active – Start moving and set your mind concentrated on something else. Physical activity includes anything that gets you moving, such as walking, dancing or working in the yard. Regular physical activity is important for everyone, but it is especially important for people with diabetes. Being active can also improve mood and stress levels.
• Build a Support Network – Whether you find a support group online or find one locally in your area, speaking with others living with diabetes or going through similar situations can be helpful.  To contact your local Association office for questions about support groups, please click here.
• Set SMART Goals – Develop a vision for healthy living, wellness and personal growth, and set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART) goals. Examples could be making your own healthy lunch three days a week or taking a 30-minute walk every day.
• Cope with Your Thoughts – When you notice a bad thought, think of something that makes you happy or proud instead. Try to memorize a poem, prayer or quote, or leave a sticky note on your mirror with the quote. It may also help to call a trusted friend who is a good listener. Three members of our Diabetes Forecast Reader Panel share their experiences with diabetes distress and how they coped.

If you need help with any stress-related issues, including diabetes distress, ask a member of your diabetes care team for assistance. Sometimes stress can be so severe that you feel too overwhelmed and it interrupts your daily functioning. This is when counseling or therapy may be of help. You may learn new ways of coping, develop a new perspective or find new ways of changing your behavior.

Please remember that you are not alone. If you’d like to speak with someone about additional resources, please call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383).

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Diabetic Ketoacidosis Symptoms

Title: Diabetic Ketoacidosis Symptoms
Category: Doctor's & Expert's views on Symptoms
Created: 1/8/2008 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/28/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Type 2 Diabetes May Damage Hearing, Study Finds

Title: Type 2 Diabetes May Damage Hearing, Study Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 4/27/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/28/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Live. Work. Play: Kelly’s Diabetes Story

Working for the American Diabetes Association^® means making a difference for millions of people and working toward a future free of diabetes and all its burdens.

We all have a story to share. Some of us live with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes or prediabetes. Others have loved ones with the disease or have lost someone to the fight.

The following are personal stories from the Association’s staff about why we are so committed to the mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

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The Toughest Job I’ve Ever Loved

Kelly Rawlings
Vice President of Content & Creative Solutions
Home Office (Alexandria, Va.)

Describing life with diabetes as a “24/7 job” is a common theme in the diabetes community. What with juggling healthy eating, exercise, medication, doctor visits, health insurance costs, etc.—diabetes care sometimes seems to take as much time and concentration as what one does for a living.

Wait—I live with diabetes and it is what I do for a living!

A few years ago, when I had the career opportunity to move from editing magazines about home remodeling and do-it-yourself projects to working on a magazine about diabetes, I was excited. And anxious.

On one finger-pricked hand, providing information and having conversations with readers and experts about this complex, consuming disease is a fascinating and meaningful endeavor.

On the other hand, time spent on diabetes at work would be dotted with requisite boluses, health care appointments and the inevitable glucose tablets. Would it all be too much?

Fast forward: Living with diabetes and working in diabetes is awesome. The people involved in the diabetes community make all the difference. My disease is “our” disease—we’re in this together.

There are so many people devoted to diabetes who also live with it—and that adds a richness and an underlying passion to what we do. And there are so many people working and volunteering in diabetes who don’t have it—but care very much about helping those of us burdened by it and at risk for developing it.

In my work at the Association, I’m surrounded by the people in research labs, clinics and communities who make diabetes science and care their job. I get to see the volunteers who give so much of their time—joining in our active fundraising events, serving at Diabetes Camp, providing support, participating in clinical trials, advocating about diabetes. And I get to see the donors who provide the funding that fuels innovation and excellence.

We share the vision of the American Diabetes Association: a life free of diabetes and all its burdens.

Yes, living with diabetes is work. Working in diabetes is rewarding. And even more rewarding is diving into all the ways to volunteer. For example, I Step Out, write my elected representatives, serve as the public member on the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators and spend time on Twitter participating in the diabetes online community.

Too much diabetes? Not for me, personally. But in the world? Yes. Which is why I do what I do—and am so grateful that so many others are in this fight with me.

P.S. To my nephew, Zach: awesome job on your most recent A1C.

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To learn more about nationwide employment opportunities and life at the Association, please visit diabetes.org/careers.

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Your Rights, One Voice: Kiara’s Story

Safer on Her School Bus

Kerry Harrison of Bellingham, Washington, can rest a little easier now when her daughter rides the school bus. Kiara, who is 11 years old and has type 1 diabetes, recently faced an episode of low blood glucose while riding the bus. Although she keeps glucose tabs in her backpack, on that particular day, Kiara didn’t have enough available. The bus driver pulled over and a fellow student gave Kiara a juice box to help. Kerry took this as a warning sign—it might happen again, and she needed a plan to help her daughter in case it did.

In January 2016 Kerry contacted the American Diabetes Association® for guidance.

She wanted to ask the school district to keep a supply of glucose tabs or other fast-acting sugar source on its buses for similar situations of hypoglycemia. One of the Association’s legal advocates explained that students with diabetes must be allowed to carry and access their own supplies while on school buses. But, she also said that the law does not specifically require school bus drivers to carry such supplies. So with this request, Kerry would be asking the school district to go above and beyond what the law requires.

Kerry decided to push for more than the law required.

She was looking out for the best interests of her daughter, as well as other children who have diabetes. So, after she received information and guidance from the legal advocate, Kerry contacted the school district and asked them to make glucose tabs available on their buses.

After considering her request, an assistant superintendent contacted Kerry with the answer that she wanted to hear.

• At the beginning of the school year, the school district would stock the first aid kit of each school bus with a supply of individual snack-sized Skittles. The candy would be supplied by parents.

• When a student needed fast-acting glucose for medical reasons, his or her own supplies would be the first source. But, if required, the Skittles in the first aid kit would be available as a back-up.

• During medical emergencies, the bus drivers would follow appropriate procedures to ensure the safety of all students on the bus.

Kerry sent a note to the legal advocate: “Good news. We won. Thank you for your help. If anyone else has the same issue, I am happy to share and help with the process.”

Through her advocacy Kerry proved that you can win in real life, without having to win in court. She also signed up to be a Diabetes Advocate for the Association. As an advocate, she will take action and voice support for diabetes-related legislation, programs and funding. Thank you, Kerry!

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The American Diabetes Association leads the effort to prevent and eliminate discrimination against people with diabetes at school, at work and in other parts of daily life. If you need help, call 1-800-DIABETES or visit http://ift.tt/1zCIiW2.

 Through our nationwide Safe at School program, the Association is dedicated to making sure that all children with diabetes are medically safe at school and have the same educational opportunities as their peers. Visit our Safe at School website for information and resources.

Give the gift of fairness — donate now to help people with diabetes facing discrimination, just like Kiara.

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Differential Insulitic Profiles Determine the Extent of {beta}-Cell Destruction and the Age at Onset of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from a T cell–mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells following the infiltration of leukocytes (including CD8⁺, CD4⁺, and CD20⁺ cells) into and around pancreatic islets (insulitis). Recently, we reported that two distinct patterns of insulitis occur in patients with recent-onset T1D from the U.K. and that these differ principally in the proportion of infiltrating CD20⁺ B cells (designated CD20Hi and CD20Lo, respectively). We have now extended this analysis to include patients from the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (U.S.) and Diabetes Virus Detection (DiViD) study (Norway) cohorts and confirm that the two profiles of insulitis occur more widely. Moreover, we show that patients can be directly stratified according to their insulitic profile and that those receiving a diagnosis before the age of 7 years always display the CD20Hi profile. By contrast, individuals who received a diagnosis beyond the age of 13 years are uniformly defined as CD20Lo. This implies that the two forms of insulitis are differentially aggressive and that patients with a CD20Hi profile lose their β-cells at a more rapid rate. In support of this, we also find that the proportion of residual insulin-containing islets (ICIs) increases in parallel with age at the onset of T1D. Importantly, those receiving a diagnosis in, or beyond, their teenage years retain ~40% ICIs at diagnosis, implying that a functional deficit rather than an absolute β-cell loss may be causal for disease onset in these patients. We conclude that appropriate patient stratification will be critical for correct interpretation of the outcomes of intervention therapies targeted to islet-infiltrating immune cells in T1D.

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Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Type 1 Diabetes

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are well-established in type 2 but not type 1 diabetes (T1DM). We assessed risk factors in the long-term (mean 27 years) follow-up of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) cohort with T1DM. Cox proportional hazards multivariate models assessed the association of traditional and novel risk factors, including HbA_1c, with major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (MACE) (fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI] or stroke) and any-CVD (MACE plus confirmed angina, silent MI, revascularization, or congestive heart failure). Age and mean HbA_1c were strongly associated with any-CVD and with MACE. For each percentage point increase in mean HbA_1c, the risk for any-CVD and for MACE increased by 31 and 42%, respectively. CVD and MACE were associated with seven other conventional factors, such as blood pressure, lipids, and lack of ACE inhibitor use, but not with sex. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves for the association of age and HbA_1c, taken together with any-CVD and for MACE, were 0.70 and 0.77, respectively, and for the final models, including all significant risk factors, were 0.75 and 0.82. Although many conventional CVD risk factors apply in T1DM, hyperglycemia is an important risk factor second only to age.

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Combined Insulin Deficiency and Endotoxin Exposure Stimulate Lipid Mobilization and Alter Adipose Tissue Signaling in an Experimental Model of Ketoacidosis in Subjects With Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial

Most often, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in adults results from insufficient insulin administration and acute infection. DKA is assumed to release proinflammatory cytokines and stress hormones that stimulate lipolysis and ketogenesis. We tested whether this perception of DKA can be reproduced in an experimental human model by using combined insulin deficiency and acute inflammation and tested which intracellular mediators of lipolysis are affected in adipose tissue. Nine subjects with type 1 diabetes were studied twice: 1) insulin-controlled euglycemia and 2) insulin deprivation and endotoxin administration (KET). During KET, serum tumor necrosis factor-α, cortisol, glucagon, and growth hormone levels increased, and free fatty acids and 3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and the rate of lipolysis rose markedly. Serum bicarbonate and pH decreased. Adipose tissue mRNA contents of comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) increased and G₀/G₁ switch 2 gene (G0S2) mRNA decreased robustly. Neither protein levels of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) nor phosphorylations of hormone-sensitive lipase were altered. The clinical picture of incipient DKA in adults can be reproduced by combined insulin deficiency and endotoxin-induced acute inflammation. The precipitating steps involve the release of proinflammatory cytokines and stress hormones, increased lipolysis, and decreased G0S2 and increased CGI-58 mRNA contents in adipose tissue, compatible with latent ATGL stimulation.

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Metformin Safer for Heart Than Other Common Type 2 Diabetes Drugs: Study

Title: Metformin Safer for Heart Than Other Common Type 2 Diabetes Drugs: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 4/18/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/19/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Eating Healthy with Diabetes Jewel Grocery Tours

As a dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and person with diabetes (PWD) for almost 50 years, I have found that healthy eating is a vital part of my diabetes management. It is also important to have a local grocery store to obtain the healthiest foods available and a pharmacy for medications and diabetes supplies. Over the last 30 years I have been a customer at the Jewel/Osco store in Mount Prospect, Illinois. I have always found this store has a variety of healthy food choices. It also has sugar-free items making diabetes management easier. On March 9, 2016, I covered the free, “Eating Healthy with Diabetes” grocery tour at my local Jewel. The tour was lead by the Jewel Dietitian, Samantha Wolfe and the Jewel Wellness Pharmacist, Emily Nuter. The team approach of dietitian and pharmacist was especially useful. The Jewel/Osco has a large section near the pharmacy for classes with a table for speakers and participants. We had eight participants so we could speak, ask questions, and share experiences. During our class the dietitian covered food label reading to determine carbohydrate contents in foods to allow balance with medications. The store tour took 90 minutes with the dietitian covering all [...]

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Diabetes Steals Years, Adds Disabilities

Title: Diabetes Steals Years, Adds Disabilities
Category: Health News
Created: 4/14/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/15/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Health Tip: Keep a Diabetes Diary

Title: Health Tip: Keep a Diabetes Diary
Category: Health News
Created: 4/15/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/15/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Diabetes Prevention (Type 2)

Title: Diabetes Prevention (Type 2)
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 5/17/2005 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/14/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Prediabetes Symptoms and Diagnosis

Title: Prediabetes Symptoms and Diagnosis
Category: Doctor's & Expert's views on Symptoms
Created: 1/26/2006 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/14/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Prediabetes May Damage Nerves More Than Thought

Title: Prediabetes May Damage Nerves More Than Thought
Category: Health News
Created: 4/12/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/13/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Twitter Chat For Better Sleep Month

Event Details  Add Reminder Where http://ift.tt/22sPkaw What  Twitter Chat: Twitter Chat for Better Sleep Month about the sleep essentials you need to know to have a healthier mind and body. With Amy Campbell, Terry Cralle and Lissa Coffey. #bettersleepmonth. When Wednesday, May 4, 2016: 8-9pm ET, 7-8pm CT, 6-7pm MT, 5-6pm PT Hosts DiabetesInfluencers.com (@DiabetesINFL) and CDiabetes.com (@CDiabetesinfo) Co-Hosts Amy Campbell, MS, RD, LDN, CDE Nutrition and Wellness Consultant and Writer @amypcampbell Lissa Coffey Author, Lifestyle & Relationship Expert, Media Personality, Dosha Diva. Serving up Ancient Wisdom with Modern Style! #CoffeyTalk http://ift.tt/1gWKhsh @CoffeyTalk Terry Cralle, RN Certified Clinical Sleep Educator, Sleep Health and Wellness Professional, National Speaker, Sleep Consultant, Lecturer, Spokesperson at Better Sleep Council @PowerofSleep Jasmine Wood A burst of energy who loves #sports, #sleep and anything #glutenfree! bettersleep.org @JasmineSleeps Mary Helen Working #mom who loves her kids to the moon and back. Likes to #run, talk, #sleep and drink #wine with bubbles. Stay focused and extra sparkly! bettersleep.org @MaryHelenSleeps ISPA ISPA is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the growth, profitability and stature of the mattress industry. sleepproducts.org @ISPASleep Better Sleep Council The BSC is a non-profit devoted to educating the public about the vital role#BetterSleep plays in leading a happy, healthy life. Tweet us your sleep tips! http://ift.tt/22sPm27 @BetterSleepOrg Melissa Weintraub Part time dentist and full time mom [...]

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Diabetes Cases Quadruple Worldwide Since 1980: Report

Title: Diabetes Cases Quadruple Worldwide Since 1980: Report
Category: Health News
Created: 4/6/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/7/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Together for the Win: Our Mission, Football and Diabetes Camp

Famed football coach Vince Lombardi summed up the recipe for victory when he said “people who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”

I take these words seriously because tackling diabetes requires a team of people banded together with grit and gumption—people who stay focused on the endgame while making the most of each opportunity to gain ground right now.

Today is the American Diabetes Association’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Day, a time when Diabetes Advocates from across the country gather in Washington, D.C., to urge Congress to make diabetes a priority and invest in diabetes research and prevention. At our press conference on Capitol Hill this morning, I had the privilege of announcing a new team that is now a part of the American Diabetes Association family. Team Tackle unites the Association with 45 current and former professional football players and top draft picks—representing all 32 professional football teams—to draw attention to diabetes and prediabetes.

During the press conference, Dr. Maggie Powers, the Association’s President of Health Care and Education, and I had the opportunity to deliver the Association’s 2016 Stop Diabetes petition—with more than 79,000 signatures—and our asks for federal funding for diabetes research and programs to Senate Diabetes Caucus Co-Chairs U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Susan M. Collins.

The event also shared the important message that diabetes touches everyone in our country, featuring stories from Team Tackle members Dont’a Hightower (New England), Mike Golic (sports commentator and retired player) and Lorenzo Alexander (free agent). Association volunteers and advocates Gina Gavlak, National Advocacy Committee Chair; Michelle Foster, member of the National Advocacy Committee; Anastasia Albanese -O’Neil, a member of the Association’s Advocacy Committee; and  Aiden Dine, an 11-year-old diabetes advocate who has type 1 diabetes, were present to share their personal stories as well.

But we aren’t stopping there. Team Tackle members, Association leadership and advocates are now heading to meetings with members of Congress to discuss the importance of federal support for diabetes research and programs.

Later this afternoon, the Association and Team Tackle will also participate in panel discussions at the White House as part of an event that will examine the current state of diabetes prevention, research and treatment efforts. Team Tackle speakers will include Rashad Jennings (New York), Aaron Murray (Kansas City) and Sam Acho (Chicago). The event will be livestreamed from 2:00-4:30 p.m. EDT on the White House website at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

We’re excited about today’s kickoff for Team Tackle, but it is simply the beginning. Starting today, Team Tackle is asking you to support children with diabetes in gaining the skills and confidence they need to manage their diabetes by sending them to camp.

This isn’t your typical summer camp—these are American Diabetes Association® Diabetes Camps. They offer a safe, fun place for kids with diabetes to participate in traditional camp activities while learning healthy habits—nutrition, fitness and diabetes management skills—and creating lifelong friendships. American Diabetes Association camps welcome children with type 1 diabetes and those who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Health care professionals oversee daily diabetes care and help campers learn to live successfully with their disease. Through teachable moments, campers develop self-confidence and learn to become more independent.

You can find more information about becoming a Camp Champion by visiting http://ift.tt/1q8Us7t.

Thank you for your support. As Team Tackle’s tagline says—we’re together for the win when it comes to tackling diabetes!

Kevin L. Hagan
Chief Executive Officer
American Diabetes Association

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Cost of Insulin Rises Threefold in Just a Decade: Study

Title: Cost of Insulin Rises Threefold in Just a Decade: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 4/5/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/6/2016 12:00:00 AM

Source MedicineNet Diabetes General http://ift.tt/1PVqWXL

FDA: 2 Diabetes Drugs May Be Linked to Heart Failure Risk

Title: FDA: 2 Diabetes Drugs May Be Linked to Heart Failure Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 4/5/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/6/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Why I Am a Diabetes Advocate: Allison Holdgreve

This week, advocates from around the country will convene in Washington, D.C., for the biannual American Diabetes Association® Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. What does it mean to be a Diabetes Advocate? Let’s hear from Association volunteer Allison, who will be joining us!

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When I was 6 years old, my life changed FOREVER when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now I am 11, and FOREVER is a long time.

I still play competitive soccer and the flute, and I am a straight-A student. But it isn’t the same. FOREVER tethered to diabetes, the many pricks and sticks. FOREVER? REALLY?

Each day I have to check my blood sugar at least 6 to 10 times. I have to measure all my food and figure out how many carbohydrates there are in what I eat. It’s a lot for a kid, or anyone, to manage.

I do have a different life than my friends, but I am NOT different than them. I have to think every hour, every minute, every second of every day about how what I am about to do will affect my glucose. My friends can go and run around or go to sleep and never think that something bad might happen. But with my diabetes, it’s something I cannot control; it’s something that could send me to the hospital in an instant.

My first thoughts about a friend’s party are not about the fun. I think, “Do I have my meter? Enough strips? Juice? Do I have enough insulin in my pump?” I wonder what kind of cake and food will be there. Will my mom be there to help me, or will I have to teach another adult about my diabetes? I cannot NOT think about these things because they keep me alive. NOT healthy, but ALIVE.

I’m an 11-year-old making sure I have the things I need to survive each and every day. I was told this was FOREVER at the age of 6. FOREVER with insulin and checking my glucose.

Five years later, and I don’t want this forever. The ups and downs, the emotions I deal with, the looks and stares of people when I prick my finger and when they ask if I have a “pager” on my hip. The stress I see in my parents when they check my glucose in the middle of the night, the doctors’ visits and all the medical bills they pay.

FOREVER just seems wrong to me.

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Just because you’re not joining Allison on the Hill doesn’t mean you can’t help. Anyone who is affected by diabetes can be an advocate and take part Capitol Hill Advocacy Day from afar.

Please sign our petition to Congress at http://ift.tt/1ToIy54. Together, we can win this battle!

The Association also asks that you join our Thunderclap and dedicate your social media status to help spread the word about our advocacy efforts. By inviting your friends and family to participate we can ignite a dialogue about the importance of preventing, treating and curing diabetes.

Source Diabetes Stops Here http://ift.tt/1qtXt2L

Weight-Loss Surgery May Help Control Type 2 Diabetes in Long Run

Title: Weight-Loss Surgery May Help Control Type 2 Diabetes in Long Run
Category: Health News
Created: 4/4/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/5/2016 12:00:00 AM

Source MedicineNet Diabetes General http://ift.tt/1MRsAit

Why I Am a Diabetes Advocate: Michelle Foster

This week, advocates from around the country will convene in Washington, D.C., for the biannual American Diabetes Association® Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. What does it mean to be a Diabetes Advocate? Let’s hear from Association volunteer Michelle, who will be joining us!

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My name is Michelle and I’m currently a (SNAP– ED) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Program Assistant and Family Nutrition Educator with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Family Nutrition Program.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes around 15 years ago.  Along with that diagnosis I also received information about the Association from the doctor who began treating me at that time. I was encouraged to get involved with local Association activities and for that I am and will always be grateful.  I have learned so much over the years both from my involvement as well as from the doctor who not only treated my diabetes but who also helped me to learn about how it affected me personally and what I needed to do to manage it effectively.

Today I manage my diabetes with an insulin pump and carbohydrate counting. I am also currently a member of the Association’s National Advocacy Committee and its Volunteer Engagement Workgroup. I was the president of the Hampton Roads (Virginia) Community Leadership Board from 2010 until 2013. I have also started a Diabetes Support Group in my local area.

The cost of diabetic complications continues to skyrocket! And like a lot of people, living with diabetes is a burden for me, as there are always prescriptions that need filling, lab tests to be done and frequent medical appointments to keep. However, the absolute worst are the constant hospitalizations due to the complications.

I am worried that I may have to take an early retirement if I cannot keep the hospitalizations to a minimum. I will continue to fight, take my medication and do whatever else is necessary to try and prevent this from happening.

Diabetes knows most of my family members by name. Its complications have already robbed me of several relatives. I am truly TIRED of missing days and weeks at a time, away from both work and my family. If I can’t work, I will not be able to continue to pay for my medications.

Please help us find a cure for this disease and put a stop to the ongoing suffering that it creates. We need funds allocated for continued research and programs.

We cannot do this alone! Together is the only way for us to make this happen. Please join us in our fight!

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Just because you’re not joining Michelle on the Hill doesn’t mean you can’t help. Anyone who is affected by diabetes can be an advocate and take part Capitol Hill Advocacy Day from afar.

Please sign our petition to Congress at http://ift.tt/1ToIy54. Together, we can win this battle!

The Association also asks that you join our Thunderclap and dedicate your social media status to help spread the word about our advocacy efforts. By inviting your friends and family to participate we can ignite a dialogue about the importance of preventing, treating and curing diabetes.

Source Diabetes Stops Here http://ift.tt/1Tz2ceU

Diabetes Meds Vary in Safety and Effectiveness, Study Shows

Title: Diabetes Meds Vary in Safety and Effectiveness, Study Shows
Category: Health News
Created: 3/31/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/1/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Type 1 Diabetes Linked to Epilepsy Risk, Study Suggests

Title: Type 1 Diabetes Linked to Epilepsy Risk, Study Suggests
Category: Health News
Created: 3/31/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/1/2016 12:00:00 AM

Source MedicineNet Diabetes General http://ift.tt/21Y7uk5

Why I Am a Diabetes Advocate: Chuck Malloy

This week, advocates from around the country will convene in Washington, D.C., for the biannual American Diabetes Association® Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. What does it mean to be a Diabetes Advocate? Let’s hear from Association volunteer Chuck Malloy, who will be joining us from Idaho.

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Call it the grace of God, or dumb luck. Either way, I will take it.

When a person’s health starts to go downhill in his or her 50s, it often serves as a prelude to an early death. My health was on a free-fall during my early 50s—and there was no question that my life was in peril.

During my time as an editorial writer with the Idaho Statesman from 1999 to 2003, I remember frequently going to work with the feeling that my head was in a fog. It wasn’t anything that anyone noticed, and I attributed my situation to heavy stress and long work hours.

As it turned out, this “silent killer” also called type 2 diabetes was taking its cruel toll. In retrospect, it was amazing that I could write anything that made sense, let along thought-provoking editorials for a capital city newspaper. Meanwhile, the effects of diabetes were eating at me in other ways. I noticed my eyesight was deteriorating over time and, finally, in December 2003, I had to leave the paper because I couldn’t see well enough to read letters on my desk.

Blindness was only the beginning of my complications. The “fog” that I was feeling in my head probably was the result of diabetes clogging my heart. Within a year of leaving the Statesman, a cardiologist told me I was a prime candidate for keeling over at any moment. Shortly after that, I had a five-way bypass surgery that essentially reconstructed my heart.

But this is not a story of gloom and doom. It’s one of personal triumph and beating the odds—with a lot of help from a lot of smart, and compassionate, medical professionals. Of course, they could not have had success without the technical advances in heart surgery procedures and diabetes care. I owe my life to agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Health, which have been game-changers for millions of Americans battling this horrific disease.

I am now 65 years old and feeling better than I have in decades. My eyesight has recovered completely, with the help of a lot of procedures, and my heart is strong and healthy. My cardiologist told me recently, “The best thing I can do for you is stay out of your way.” My golf game is almost where it was 30 years ago. If you assume that bogey is the “new” par, as I do, then I’m breaking par on a regular basis.

More importantly, my diabetes is under good control. A 7.4 A1C isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot better than the 9.5 readings I had been getting. Doctors are no longer seeing black helicopters when they read my medical chart.

The moral of this story is that diabetes is not a death sentence. It can be managed, and I am living proof that many of the horrible effects can be reversed.

I am blessed and it is a privilege for me to tell my congressional delegation, and other members of Congress, that continued funding for diabetes research and prevention is money well spent.

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Just because you’re not joining Chuck on the Hill doesn’t mean you can’t help. Anyone who is affected by diabetes can be an advocate and take part Capitol Hill Advocacy Day from afar.

Please sign our petition to Congress at http://ift.tt/1ToIy54. Together, we can win this battle!

The Association also asks that you join our Thunderclap and dedicate your social media status to help spread the word about our advocacy efforts. By inviting your friends and family to participate we can ignite a dialogue about the importance of preventing, treating and curing diabetes.

Source Diabetes Stops Here http://ift.tt/1VYZyQa