DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #24: All Type 2 Diabetes Diagnoses Are NOT Revealing the Same Things!

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…

Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Researchers using Artificial Intelligence to help identify at least two SUBTYPES of Type 2 diabetes from Constant Glucose Monitoring devices! (January 7, 2025)

My wife has used a Constant Glucose Monitor (CGM) for several years. I’ve been using it for the past week. Hers was a prescription at the time so she could keep a good bead on her blood sugars. I’m part of the “The ARIC study, which stands for ‘Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities’. It’s looking at the causes and progression of atherosclerosis, as well as variations in cardiovascular risk factors across different demographics like race, gender, and location, by following a cohort of individuals from multiple U.S. communities over time; essentially aiming to understand the factors contributing to heart disease and stroke through detailed examinations and follow-ups.” The goal is to better understand atherosclerosis – which is “a common disorder that occurs when plaque builds up in the walls of arteries, causing them to harden and thicken”. They used to just say, “Hardening of the arteries.” They want to be able to better identify and learn to effectively treat it.

NOW Stanford Medicine researchers have discovered that where diabetes “has long been lumped into two categories — Type 1, often starting in childhood; and Type 2, which occurs in adulthood and is associated with obesity. But it seems that not all Type 2 diabetics have the same problems. It seems that variations in body weight, age of onset, and other characteristics have created a greater numbers of TYPES of Type 2. Stanford Medicine has developed an artificial intelligence-based algorithm that uses data from CGM devices to identify not ONE Type 2, but FOUR. They can now discover three of the four most common Type 2 diabetes subtypes.”

This could be HUGE because over 98 million AMERICANS alone are pre-diabetic; another 40 million are actively dealing with Type 2 diabetes, and I’m one of them.

So, what? We’ve found MORE types of Type 2? Do I have to take MORE pills than I’m taking right now???

Where my Type 2 was diagnosed with a blood draw, the use of the CGM might doctors MORE DATA and give them a chance to make a BETTER DIAGNOSIS.

While at the moment people who have been identified as being Type 2 receive a treatment that is pretty much the same for everyone. But there isn’t ONLY ONE Type 2!

First is the one most Type 2’s are familiar with – “insulin resistant” – which means that my “cells don’t respond to the cues from insulin that results in a buildup of blood glucose.” Another Type 2 results in the liver not making ENOUGH insulin. A third Type 2 appears to be “the result of a defect in the production of incretin, a hormone released by the gut after eating that stimulates insulin secretion from the pancreas.” And a FOURTH Type 2 is “insulin resistance in the liver.”

How they will be differently treated may take some time to devise interventions and plans, but still, the most significant aspect of this discovery, “In addition to higher-resolution data for people with diabetes or prediabetes, using the monitor has other perks. ‘Even if a person with insulin resistance doesn’t develop diabetes, it’s still important to know,’ McLaughlin said. ‘Insulin resistance is a risk factor for a variety of other health conditions, like heart disease and fatty-liver disease.’”

“McLaughlin and Snyder plan to continue testing the algorithm with people who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and hope that the technology’s broad availability will boost access to care, even when patients aren’t able to make it to a doctor’s appointment.

“We also see this technology as valuable health care tool for people who are economically challenged or geographically isolated and can’t access a health care system,” McLaughlin said.”

Who knows, by the time my kids might begin to exhibit the symptoms of Type 2, their doctors might have a new and more effective plan of intervention?

Links: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/01/type-2-diabetes.html
Links: If you want to know ALL about the ARIC study (my dad was part of the initial study, which included his kids (one of whom was ME); and just began a secondary study following THEIR children as they enter their 50s and beyond). Here’s the link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109721047884 Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

BREAST CANCER RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #82: Lymphoedema: The 'Hidden' Cancer Side-effect No One Talks About

It’s been nearly 12 years since my wife discovered she had breast cancer. While there was a deafening silence from the men I know, I met others, and while writing this blog, I worked through numerous issues – all while watching the one I love most suffer through the (ultimately successful) painful treatments. While it’s less difficult for me now, it still seems that ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started this blog…

I last made a Breast Cancer update on July 11, 2022! My wife remains cancer-free, though there are (as with everything), still lingering issues. Lymphedema is one of those issues. Because of recent developments, I’m compelled to share this NEW result of lymphedema research…

** NOTE: The spelling is the British version, American is Lymphedema; I will be using the British spelling as that is the source for this essay!

**NOTE 2: THIS IS A VERY LONG ARTICLE! Sorry, but the subject is incredibly surprising and profoundly disturbing...

Here's your FIRST shock: “Lymphoedema is an incredibly common condition, which affects 250 million people globally. In the UK, 450,000 individuals have lymphoedema, while in the US there are as many as 10 million people suffering from the condition.”**

Twelve years later, my wife “…[still] wakes up every single morning with a reminder of [her] cancer journey, because [her] lymphoedema is staring [her] in the face – Matt Hazledine” (BTW—men can have breast cancer; as well, there are other diseases that cause lymphoedema. WE ARE NOT IMMUNE!)

The biggest question when she started her recovery was “where the HECK does lymphoedema come from???”

“The lymph system is made up of ‘lymph nodes’ and vessels that is part of the body's circulatory system. Its main job is to carry away fluids and proteins that naturally leak out of tissues. The nodes filter out dead cells and broken proteins, and returns the fluid back to the bloodstream.

This system is incredibly important in destroying germs and viruses, dumping waste, and keeping the fluids in your body balanced. It defends your body from disease by constantly circulating white blood cells allowing them to hunt out viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. If you've ever been sick, and your mom feels your neck, she’s checking to see if your lymph nodes are “swollen” – it's most likely your lymphatic system helping you fight an infection right then. When there’s a PROBLEM with your lymph system, you may be seeing the results of some really nasty diseases like heart failure, Alzheimer's Disease, IBS (aka Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome) and any number of the VAST number of cancers.

“Lymphoedema can affect anyone, and doesn't discriminate by gender, age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status," says Karen Friett, chief executive at the Lymphoedema Support Network, a non-profit in the UK.

It’s a common result for people dealing with certain cancers and the treatments for them like surgery or radiation. That’s because along with killing cancer cells, the lymph nodes are damaged or removed. It affects one in five women treated for breast cancer; 2-29% of prostate cancer treatments; and a terrifying 90% of people treated for cancer in the head or neck! Worse, lymphoedema can be a genetic condition, which people are born with; or it can be the result of traumatic injuries, obesity, or even certain infections. ANYTHING that damages the lymphatic system.

The author of the article , Matt Hazledine, who founded Lymphoedema United, developed secondary lymphoedema in 2011 after suffering a severe episode of cellulitis, a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection that can quickly escalate to sepsis. (Frighteningly, in September of 2022, I as diagnosed with cellulitis…fortunately, it was only a staph/strep infection on my lower legs, replete with weeping sores, dying skin, swelling, pus, and horrendous itching.)

Hazeldine discovered that “…some cancer survivors…wished the cancer had taken them, because they wake up every single morning with a reminder of their cancer…their lymphoedema…staring them in the face…They actually deem the lymphoedema to be more of a challenge than the cancer.”

The general view of the medical world is that “lymphoedema” isn’t a big deal, and even if it IS, there’s no treatment. They relegate it to a “disease of whiners”! However, 2024 Paris Paralympian bronze medalist Didi Okoh would NEVER be categorized as such! She suffers from primary lymphoedema. Okoh says she was repeatedly ignored by A&E doctors when she developed cellulitis twice. “I was crying in agony, trying hard not to pass out. Because I knew it wouldn't be good while I had a 41C (106F) temperature,” she said. “It was literally life or death. Twice I have been left, once for seven hours, and once for three hours, without any treatment, despite me having all the symptoms of cellulitis, and telling the doctors they needed to put me on antibiotics now, before I go into sepsis!” Each bout of cellulitis left her with irreversible tissue damage in her leg. She adds, “Every time I get an infection in that leg, it damages that leg. It resets to a bigger size, and I can't get it down to its prior size.”

Here in the US, “Despite playing such a vital role in our body, the lymphatic system is almost entirely overlooked in most medical education systems. A survey conducted in the US found that throughout an entire medical degree, less than 25 minutes was dedicated to the lymphatic system!”

Maybe “corporate medicine” finds it hard to admit that it is NOT entirely in control and that there remain some MYSTERY to their sometime “god-like” practice?

“Combined with a severe lack of research and funding into finding treatment solutions, it has meant that lymphoedema has been largely overlooked compared to the impact it has on millions of patients'

"We are at least 100 years behind on research [into the lymphatic system]," says Kristiana Gordon, consultant physician and associate professor at St George's University Hospital in London, which is the only teaching hospital in the UK to have a dedicated module covering the lymphatic system in its undergraduate medical degree.

"Even if the students aren't interested in lymphoedema, at least they will have heard of and seen it, and know where to send the patients," says Gordon.”

Things MUST be better here in the good-ole US of A! We MUST rank Numero Uno in best health care ON THE PLANET!!!

Maybe try #19…Sweden is #1…(“Of course they are! No one lives there!”)

SAY IT ISN’T SO!!! “Must be the Russian/Chinese are messing with the ranking!!!” [If it had been, you’d think they’d have ranked themselves higher than #29 and #27 respectively…]

Hmmm…The fact appears to be that “In the US…long-term cancer survivors with lymphoedema are left out of pocket by their condition with costs that are up to 112% higher than those without lymphoedema. The condition not only impacts their savings but their productivity.”

There seems to be a glimmer of hope for the future: “Not wanting others to experience the same difficulties they did a decade ago, both Hazledine and Rivera founded their own organizations to help support lymphoedema patients. Hazeldine wrote, “I wanted to short-cut that journey to finding the right management strategy and support for them.” Thirteen years after receiving his own diagnosis he says: “You're not alone, you can live well with lymphoedema.”

Author of this article, Katherine Wang, is a research fellow at University College London in the UK whose work focuses on developing wearable devices to alleviate the pain and swelling caused by lymphoedema while allowing patients to self-manage their condition. Her work is inspired by the experience of her uncle's condition. She went with him to an appointment where he told the doctor about his legs. After briefly examining him, the doctor said: “Oh, that's lymphoedema, there's nothing we can do about that, I can tell you that much," dismissing my uncle's pain and concerns.

She adds, “What happened to my uncle wasn't unique. Lymphoedema is an incredibly common condition, which affects 250 million people globally. In the UK, 450,000 individuals have lymphoedema, while in the US there are as many as 10 million people suffering from the condition.

Resources: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241216-lymphoedema-the-hidden-pandemic-affecting-250-million

IMAGE: https://www.mywhb.com/uploads/ecommerce/circaid-compression-reduction-kit-arm-wrap-105.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #27: Eating For Holiday Cheer WITHOUT The Sugar Rush...

I started my Breast Cancer, Alzheimer's, and Type 2 Diabetes blog thirteen years ago. While many people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I reopened my blog rather than starting a new one. I have taken pauses to write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictated; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!I’m sure you’ve got all of your “hacks” for surviving the holiday Food Onslaught! I’m aware of it this year because my wife and I had our FIRST big party – making and decorating sugar cookies, Russian teacakes, with tacos afterward…

Haven’t taken my blood sugars yet, but I’m sure they won’t be great! My stomach is rumbling as well, so it inspired me to do a bit of work for myself, and I’ll share with you:

The A-1 thing to do during the holidays is to PLAN AHEAD! Your eleven-year-old granddaughter can eat six cookies and burn it off the next day. My 67-year-old metabolism DON’T WORK THAT WAY ANYMORE!

Make fruits and veggies a BIGGER part of our holidays than usual; and I CAN make them good so OTHERS will join me in eating healthier.

I need to pay Attention to how MUCH I’m eating.

I’ve tried the “fast-and-binge” method and it doesn’t work well for me – ON THE OTHER HAND, the “ignore-what-I’m-eating-and-it-will-all-go-away” hasn’t been particularly helpful, either.

I need to make sure I DRINK WATER! In our place, with three grandchildren, six kids and their spouses – we lay on the cases of soda. I should be drinking SOME water, at least!

I SHOULD test the blood sugars regularly – the problem with it is that I only get so many test strips each cycle (that insurance pays for), so I have to stick (no pun intended) with taking it once a day. My wife’s got a constant glucose monitor, so that’s one thing she can do regularly!

If I work to spread out the KINDS of carbs I'm indulging in and MAYBE avoid eating 18 sugar cookies with frosting or two bowls of chocolate-dipped pretzels, it's safe to say I might survive the days with only mild sugar rushes. Steer toward oatmeal-raisin cookies, maybe broccoli instead of corn, and bring a lentil stew for everyone to enjoy.

When I toast in the New Year – I can work hard to control the amount. I don’t NEED a bottle of champagne when a fluted glass will do just fine!

One thing about youngsters during the holidays, they WANT to be out in the snow! I'm planning to join them this time (if we have more than a dusting) But we don't have to PLAY in it! It doesn't have to be a LONG walk, but even 10 minutes after a big meal helps. Invite EVERYONE to join you when you're staying active around the holidays.

If the holidays bring sadness with them – and they often do – I need to be aware of that and make a plan for doing something thoughtful that reminds me of happier days. The holidays are SUPPOSED to be a celebration of the things we hold dear. What can WE do or ask others to HELP US DO that will add a spark of peace to the holidays?

Finally, from THE STRAWBERRY POST: Here to Entertain, Educate & Inspire!

“Diabetes isn’t meant to stop you enjoying Christmas, but it’s good to be aware of what can happen during this time. So please be aware in the lead up to Christmas and make sure that you know what could occur and how to fix it so you can enjoy the day as much as possible.”

"Colorful holiday plate on a table: put a new emphasis on DECORATION instead of solely on FOOD."

"Some fairly easy things to try, is to ask your significant others to eat close to your usual times to keep your blood sugar steady.

"Eat a small snack at your usual mealtime if needed and have a little less when dinner is served.

"NO FOOD IS ON THE NAUGHTY LIST! Act like you want to STAY healthy, happy, and wise!

"Hosting? Introduce a tasty NEW and healthy dish.

"Plan your carb choices in advance. For example, if you're going to have sweets, cut back on other carbs like potatoes, bread, or pasta dishes, and take one cookie at a time, circulate, then go BACK for another. I RARELY need to eat a bowl of eight or nine sugar cookies!

"Don't skip meals to save up for a feast. (When you're really hungry you might overeat.)

"When you face a spread of delicious holiday food, make healthy choices easier:
First: fill half your plate with vegetables, then be reasonable with the other half!

Eat slowly. It takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to realize you're full, so set your phone to vibrate and stop.

Drink water!

LASTLY: YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ALL OF THESE AT THE SAME TIME!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!

Resources During The Holidays: https://our.today/wellness-watch-how-to-maintain-your-diet-as-a-diabetic-during-the-christmas-season/ ; https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/better-me/how-can-i-manage-my-diabetes-and-still-enjoy-the-holidays
Image: https://thestrawberrypost.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/table-with-christmas-decoration-and-food.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #23: Latest Type 2 Diabetes News and Research (November 18, 2024 through November 22, 2024)

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…

Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: What’s NEW in Type 2 Research?

Diabetes Rates Skyrocket Globally With millions left untreated (November 18)

“The total number of adults living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes in the world has surpassed 800 million - over four times the total number in 1990, according to findings from a global analysis...”

“Additionally, 445 million adults aged 30 years and older with diabetes (59%) did not receive treatment in 2022…”

They found that “…widening global inequalities in diabetes…treatment rates stagnating in many low- and middle-income countries where numbers of adults with diabetes are drastically increasing…people with diabetes tend to be younger in low-income countries and, in the absence of effective treatment, are at risk of life-long complications…like amputation, heart disease, kidney damage or vision loss - or in some cases, premature death.”

While the conclusion of the article is aimed specifically at Type 2 diabetes among a younger population in India, the recommendation CERTAINLY applies to us here in the US: “…preventing diabetes through healthy diet and exercise is essential for better health throughout the world. Our findings highlight the need to see more ambitious policies, especially in lower-income regions of the world, that restrict unhealthy foods, make healthy foods affordable and improve opportunities to exercise through measures such as subsidies for healthy foods and free healthy school meals as well as promoting safe places for walking and exercising including free entrance to public parks and fitness centers.”

Anti-Obesity Drugs Increase Food Waste In Some Users (November 22, 2024)

“Taking anti-obesity drugs has led some U.S. adults to throw away more food than they tossed before starting the medications, a new study has found.

“In a survey of people currently on treatments like Ozempic, 25% of respondents agreed they had wasted more food since taking the drugs, compared to 61% who disagreed.”

“The fact that food waste appears to decrease as patients acclimate to the medication suggests there may be a fairly simple remedy, may find themselves discarding food as their diets change, which could reduce food waste and lower their spending.”

I found this to be true when I started taking Rybelsus (I detailed what happened here: https://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2024/08/guys-gotta-talk-abouttype-2-diabetes-23.html

This site has LOTS of links to current Type 2 research, and it’s written in an easy-reading style. While I’ll be pulling articles from here from now on, check it out for yourself! I really like it! The link is below:

Links: https://www.news-medical.net/condition/Type-2-Diabetes
Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #26: Fear That “A CURE!!!” Is A Con?

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

Every one of us who has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes has seen this Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aES9XjAg09U

Every one of you who, like me, would like something MAGIC to happen if I do something simple like drinking lemon water after I get up in the morning.

And just like me, you have a healthy aversion to being conned.

But, maybe like me, I sometime wonder if the Medical Establishment IS conning me to sell Metformin; and in my case…well, it was one of the biggest shocks of my life.

My doctor suggested I start taking the solid form of Ozempic; it’s called Rybelsus. I talked about my adventures with it in this entry: Guy's Gotta Talk -- About DIABETES; breast cancer, Azheimer's: GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #23: Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Me

So, he increased it a couple times, and at this last checkup, I A1c had dropped from 7.7 to 6.8!!! I was thrilled. He upped it one more time, I suppose thinking that “more is better”. I had the prescription for 14 mg (double my most recent prescription) of Rybelsus filled. I went to pick it up, and when the pharmacist tendered it, in addition to my cheaper meds, I had to pay over $535 for the new prescription! I about fainted!

I was even more stunned, when I read on the receipt that the RETAIL price for my three-month prescription of Rybelsus was… $3420.99! (I’d add about thirty exclamation points here, but I don’t feel like wasting perfectly good ranting space!

So, it makes sense that I (who have really good health insurance) was stunned to find out what anyone who does NOT have access to good insurance would have to face. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCES THE MEDICATION. Possibly a medication that would save or extent their lives.

That explains then, the “confidence schemes” set up by people without scruples of any kind that claim to want to “help” others cheaply. Others like me, only with lesser (or even NO) insurance.

It explains the FEAR we have a claims of “amazing stuff” like an artificial pancreas, regrowing our own pancreas, diabetes-damaged cells being regenerated, I react like “I get suspicious that gobbledygook is being written to cover up a lack of facts with absurdly used terms substituted for straightforward language.” I am a suspicious kind of person when it comes to medicine: especially when young doctors – or physicians assistants (whose training, while different from mine in the INTENT, is no more than the education I got my Masters of Science in School Counseling for – both are Masters degrees. A PA cannot practice in the US WITHOUT a MD supervising them.

So, when something DOES come along that sounds FAKE, we shout FAKE and run the opposite direction.

While I am NOT a PA or an MD, I am a reasonably intelligent person who has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and who reads constantly (journals, biology summary sites, science research, and am in contact with some of my former students who ARE researchers in medical biology or are doctors themselves) in my field as it has advanced since I graduated (when I took an Immunology class in 1977, the textbook had NO MENTION OF AIDS!))

I can only state to you that when I DO report on some new advancement, I’m not getting my information from whacky sites, but from SCIENCE sites. Check the links below each article. I always link to the source of my information.

So, while I am SKEPTICAL BY NATURE, I delight when I am convinced through data that something NEW is coming out to help us with Type 2 diabetes live longer and healthier lives.

EVIDENCE THAT PEOPLE AVOID RESEARCH THAT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. So, from my own blog:

Articles on CURES for Type 2 diabetes: 5
Number of hits: 166

NEARBY Articles NOT about CURES for Type 2 diabetes: 5
Number of hits: 314

The numbers speak for themselves -- maybe we're giving up HOPE because of the TRASH out there. But not ALL of it is trash.

THERE IS HOPE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CURE FOR TYPE 2...

Image: https://www.hcd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/living-well-with-diabetes.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #22: New Treatment Eliminates Insulin for Most Insulin-Dependent Patients!

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…

Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: “Diabetes Breakthrough: New Treatment Eliminates Insulin for 86% of Patients”

OK, I read the SECOND article at the link below after I ran into the last few sentences from the SciTechDaily website report by something calling itself “United European Gastroenterology.

“Looking ahead, the researchers plan to conduct larger randomized controlled trials to further validate these findings. Dr. Busch added, ‘We are currently conducting the EMINENT-2 trial with the same inclusion and exclusion criteria and administration of semaglutide, but with either a sham procedure or ReCET. This study will also include mechanistic assessments to evaluate the underlying mechanism of ReCET.’ Reference: ‘Durable effects of duodenal ablation using electroporation combined with semaglutide to eliminate insulin therapy in patients with type-2 diabetes; the 24-month results.’” C.B.E Busch et al., 14 October 2024, UEG Week 2024.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I see phrases like “the same inclusion and exclusion criteria” and “mechanistic assessments to evaluate the underlying mechanism”…I get suspicious that the gobbledygook is being written to cover up a dearth of facts with absurdly used terms substituted for straightforward language.

I could translate the above into something more understandable, but I needed to check this whole article out.

So, I went to my “go to” reliability monitor: the Mayo Clinic. I live in the birth state of the Mayo brothers and like most Minnesotans, know how the clinic came about – and because of its immense reach, also know someone who has either worked there or who has been treated for some mysterious ailment there. That’s their reputation: if it’s a challenge, let’s go to the Mayo.

It has worked with sports heroes, rulers of nations, religious leaders, and writers: Lou Gehrig, Muhammad Ali, Former King Hussein of Jordan, George HW Bush and his wife Barbara, Billy Graham, the Dalai Lama, and Helen Keller, and Ernest Hemingway.

The article from the Mayo Clinic reports in February of 2024 on the process. “This novel procedure could potentially transform the treatment landscape for type 2 diabetes, offering a more efficient and less burdensome alternative to current pharmacotherapies for some individuals. The procedure's potential to reduce the daily burden associated with diabetes management, coupled with the significant preliminary results of the REGENT-1-US trial, positions ReCET as a promising alternative in the diabetes care arsenal.”

I’ve run on long enough. Next time, I’ll come back to a far-more detailed description of what the two trials – one in the US (REGENT-1-US) and one in Europe (Re-Cellularization via Electroporation Therapy (ReCET) with semaglutide) – discovered.

Links: https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/digestive-diseases/news/researchers-study-novel-endoscopic-therapy-for-type-2-diabetes/mqc-20563134#:~:text=ReCET%20is%20nonthermal%20procedure%20that,delivers%20PEF%20to%20the%20duodenum. https://scitechdaily.com/diabetes-breakthrough-new-treatment-eliminates-insulin-for-86-of-patients/
Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #25: Know What LEAD Stands For? [Neither Did I: Life Expectancy Estimator for Older Adults with Diabetes]

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

Did you know that there are medical standards of care that doctors can refer to when they’re working with seniors with Type 2 diabetes?

Neither did I.

Also, while the document was JUST revised in December of 2023, there’s an entire section that applies to seniors. One of the early sections had an interesting statement, and I’ll go through the part that applies to me and wife a bit later.

I was startled to find this: “The recommendations and text of Section 5 were adjusted to place focus on guiding the behavior of health care professionals rather than people with diabetes, thus aligning with the purpose of the Standards of Care as guidance for health care professionals.” (13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024)

One of the reasons for greater involvement and expected reliance on a person’s health care professional is something I’m SURE all of you are familiar with (if not with the fancy-pants name), “polypharmacy”. Never heard of it ‘til I read this document: “noun: polypharmacy; the simultaneous use of multiple drugs to treat a single ailment or condition; the simultaneous use of multiple drugs by a single patient, for one or more conditions.” I see it as “make sure you put the right pills in the right box so you can take them at the right time!”

I can see that – even though when I was trying to help my mother self-manage the numerous pills she had to take, the freakin’ condition didn’t have a NAME!) Of COURSE I need the advice of my doctor (who isn’t actually a DOCTOR per se, but a Physicians Assistant) to know when to take what I need to take and HOW to take it! Now the American Diabetes Association has made an official recommendation.

Another thing I’ll be talking to my PA about is this: “Notably, the Life Expectancy Estimator for Older Adults with Diabetes (LEAD) tool was developed and validated among older adults with diabetes, and a high-risk score was strongly associated with having a life expectancy of less-than five years.”

The heck is THIS????

Here’s what I found out: “A tool based on data from the electronic health record (EHR) may help clinicians estimate life expectancy in older adults with diabetes, a recent study found. The tool uses gender, body mass index, serum creatinine level, dementia, metastatic cancer, peripheral vascular disease, albuminuria, home oxygen use, wheelchair use, current smoking, and the interaction between age and heart failure to generate a risk score.”


They noted, “The authors noted that their tool…was not validated in patients younger than age 65 years and was less accurate over longer periods (among other limitations.) They also cautioned that the tool's results should be considered in a broader context along with other factors that influence individualized care, such as patient preferences.”

So…why would I get this test if it offers such limited amount of information? (The “conspiracy theorist in me would say, “So insurance companies can deny MORE seniors health care coverage…”) But, I’m CERTAIN that’s not what it would be used for! It’s a tool to…what?

I suppose looking at ALL of those things, would give a doctor or other caregiver different things to both watch for and begin to work on. For example: body mass index – if I knew my BMI was too high, I could certainly start to work to lose weight. Nothing STUPID, but certainly change the fact that I eat a package of OREO Cookie DoubleStufs before bed once a week! I could stop smoking (if I did, but I didn’t, so let’s just go back to eating Oreos); I could get screened for Alzheimer’s (which I do twice a year); I could make sure I exercise regularly to keep my heart strong (I ride about 12-15 miles a week during the summer; and stationary bike 2-5 hours a week in the winter in addition to walking a couple of miles every other day.)

I could have my PA give me the LEAD: Life Expectancy Estimator for Older Adults with Diabetes (LEAD)…which I will when I go in for my shots in a week or so…I’ll report then!

Source: https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/47/Supplement_1/S244/153944/13-Older-Adults-Standards-of-Care-in-Diabetes-2024; https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/47/Supplement_1/S5/153943/Summary-of-Revisions-Standards-of-Care-in-Diabetes; 13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024 | Diabetes Care | American Diabetes Association (diabetesjournals.org) Image: https://www.hcd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/living-well-with-diabetes.jpg