Air pollution could increase diabetes risk in women

Does air pollution lead to the risk of type 2 diabetes in women? If a new study has to be believed, then yes air pollution would lead to a risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women.

A group of German researchers have pointed out that low grade inflammation could contribute to higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in women who are exposed to air pollution.

The findings are published in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). In the study, women living in highly polluted industrial areas were compared to women living in rural regions with less pollution. After analysing the result of 1,775 women who were 54 or 55 years old, it has been found out that 187 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

They have found that Nitrogen Dioxide and soot in ambient fine particulate matter was closely associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. They also say that living within 100 meters of busy roadways more than doubled the diabetes risk.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and diabetes

A new study has revealed that Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) will make it hard for type 2 diabetes patients to control their blood sugar levels.

The University of Chicago claims that the study demonstrated for the first time the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea severity and blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes.

Sixty type 2 patients in the age group of 41 and 70 were selected for knowing the relation between obstructive sleep apnea severity and blood sugar levels. These patients were monitored for their sleep-wake cycles with the help of wrist actigraphy and self reported sleep logs. They were assessed for their glucose levels by measuring the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which is a clinical marker for glycemic control in diabetics.

About 38 percent of the patients exhibited mild sleep apnea, 25 percent had moderate apnea while 13 percent had severe sleep apnea. The study found that the patients suffering from mild, moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea had their HbA1C levels increased by 49, 93 and 269 percent respectively, as opposed to those without OSA.

The findings were published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

African tea to control blood sugar

A recent study has revealed that African tea helps in controlling blood sugar levels in the body.

A team of researchers in Denmark has completed a four-month long clinical trial on 23 patients with type 2 diabetes and had said that the trial was more than satisfaction.

The patients who were given African tea, which are produced from the extract of Rauvolfia Vomitoria leaves and the fruit of Citrus aurantium, had shown considerable effect.

Researchers at the Copenhagen university, which had conducted the study says though the African Tea initially did not affect the sugar content of the blood, but had shown gradual progress. In four months, there was a significant increase in glucose tolerance, they said.
It was also seen that there was an increase in the polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients who were administered the African tea. When there is an increase of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, the cell membranes become more permeable, which results in the cells absorbing glucose better from the blood.

Fructose leads to Type 2 diab

Fructose, a sugar commonly seen in soft drinks and fruit juices, is believed to be dangerous as they contribute to obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

A study published in the Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications reveals that fructose tends to increase the appetite. The John Hopkins University’s school of medicine has said that high consumption of fructose was more dangerous than other forms of sugar as it affected the brain more severely.

While glucose, which is also a form of sugar, tends to decrease the appetite, Fructose only makes people eat more. Sugars are in general considered to stimulate the dietary behaviour, particularly the appetite.
The study says that when people consume more energy and become less active, ther is a tendency of gaining more weight and type 2 diabetes. It has been see that fructose can develop type 2 diabetes in younger people.

Pre diabetes; what’s it?

Pre diabetes is a condition in which the glucose level in the blood is higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Well, it is seen that people with pre-diabetes are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in ten years time.

It has also been stated that people with pre diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Those who are pre- diabetic can delay or prevent developing Type 2 diabetes if they lead a healthy life style, which includes weight loss and moderate physical exercise.

Diabetes; the cause of many problems

Diabetes is a life threatening disease. If not treated properly and if proper is not taken, then diabetes can lead to many complications affecting various organs.

If left untreated, diabetes mellitus may cause life-threatening complications. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the most common types of diabetes can affect the brain, heart, kidney and nerves. These types of diabetes if not treated properly can lead to hart diseases, blindness and renal failure. Diabetes can lead to the blockade of tiny blood vessels in the eye, which results in blindness.

In diabetic patients, diabetes leads to nephropathy that is the inability to filter toxins from the blood stream. Diabetes can lead to the blockade of blood vessels, which results in various cardio problems, blood pressure and stroke. People who are diabetic are more liable to heart diseases.
Well, Type 1 diabetes, which is more dangerous, can lead to diabetic coma, a state of unconsciousness.
Diabetes can cause numbness, a state where a person does not have any feelings. There are also complications related to pregnancy.

Type 2 diabetes; the most common one

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Also called Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), Type 2 diabetes is seen mostly in people who are above 40. Type 2 Diabetes is a condition, in which the cells do not respond to the insulin produced, which means that the glucose level will become higher in the blood.

Well, type 12 diabetes is not detected that easy as the symptoms are very mild. If a person has a cut and takes longer time to heal, then he could have Type 2 diabetes. Fatigue, weight loss, vision problems are other symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.

Then what are the causes of Type 2 diabetes? Hereditary is considered to be a major factor in Type 2 diabetes. It is said that one in three children in family, brothers and sisters are liable to this Type 2 diabetes. Another cause is obesity.

Diabetes: the various types

Millions of people world over are diabetic. Diabetics is a life threatening disease and if not controlled it can lead to many complications like stroke, heart ailments, kidney problems, arterial disorders, nerve damage and vision problems.

Diabetics are generally classified into two major types -- type 1 and type 2 diabetics. Then there is another one -- Gestational Diabetes – which is not that common.

The most severe form of diabetes is the type 1, a condition in which the pancreas produces no insulin. This is caused because of the damage to the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas. It is also called as juvenile diabetes.

Type 2 is the most commonly found diabetes. It is only a metabolic disorder in which the body does not produce insulin in adequate quantities. This type of diabetes seldom develops before the age of 40 years.

Then there is the Gestational Diabetes, which is almost similar to Type 2 diabetes. It occurs in pregnant women whose blood sugar level rises during that period. Well, usually the Gestational diabetes, which occurs in about 2 to 6 per cent of pregnant women, disappears after pregnancy. Well, if the gestational diabetes is nor treated it can be dangerous both for the foetus and the mother.