News on Reuters Group Plc

Traffic pollution may be linked to diabetes risk

2011-11-23T15:00:14Z

Lindsey Konkel

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who live in areas with high levels of traffic-related air pollution may face a slightly increased risk of developing diabetes, Danish researchers conclude in a new study.

They found that people living in urban areas with high levels of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant found in traffic exhaust, were four percent more likely to ...

Can a muffin help doctors diagnose diabetes?

2011-10-26T15:30:17Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Giving a "muffin test" to people at risk for diabetes might help doctors diagnose the disease and its warning signs, according to a new study.

Tests for diabetes and its precursor, impaired glucose tolerance, check how well the body uses glucose, a type of sugar.

In one common test, called an oral glucose tolerance test, a person fasts overnight and then dri...

Festival cheer rings diabetes alarm for Indians

2011-10-12T10:30:15Z

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - It's festival season in India, with the celebrations providing a perfect opportunity for family outings, late-night parties and customary feasting on sweets.

But health experts warn that the festivities, coupled with genetic predisposition and lifestyle changes broug...

Strict diabetes treatment does not improve memory

2011-09-27T16:30:33Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Strict lowering of blood sugar in older diabetics preserved some of their brain volume, but it did nothing to slow memory loss, researchers said on Tuesday.

The findings are the latest from the large U.S.-backed study to show that aggressively treating longtime diabetics to achieve near-normal blood sugar levels d...

For diabetics online, lots of networking options

2011-09-26T14:30:27Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When people with diabetes are picking a place to connect to other patients online, they have a lot of choices to make -- including whether there's a doctor available to answer questions, and who reviews the website's content, researchers reported today.

There's also the question of who funds each diabetes discussion site, and what companies are allowed to advertis...

Yoga shows some benefit for diabetes

2011-09-02T09:30:16Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Gentle yoga classes may help people with type 2 diabetes take off a small amount of weight and steady their blood sugar control, a small study suggests.

The study, of 123 middle-aged and older adults, found that those who added yoga classes to standard diabetes care shed a handful of pounds over three months. Meanwhile, their average blood sugar levels held steady...

¿Cuál es el mejor ejercicio para la salud cardíaca?

2011-07-27T10:00:18Z

NUEVA YORK (Reuters Health) - La combinación del entrenamiento con pesas y aeróbico sería la mejor receta para las personas con sobrepeso en riesgo de desarrollar diabetes o enfermedad cardíaca.

Los autores de un nuevo estudio observaron que personas que hicieron ejercicio aeróbico solamente perdieron peso y centímetros de cintura, de modo que un programa aeróbico tam...

Panel rejects AstraZeneca, Bristol diabetes pill

2011-07-19T14:00:10Z

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. advisers rejected a new type of diabetes pill from AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb over concerns about liver and can...

Drugmakers angle for advantage in treating diabetes

2011-06-29T09:00:12Z

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Obesity and longevity have helped make diabetes an epidemic in much of the world, and drugmakers are jockeying to make sure their medicines are used early and often.

Companies including Sanofi and SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Generic drug metformin is a cost-effective way to help prevent Type 2 diabetes in people at high risk of developing the chronic condition, according to a new economic analysis.

The study also found that intensive lifestyle changes -- individually tailored weight loss and exercise -- have a higher cost, but are more likel...

Bristol diabetes pill tied to certain cancers

2011-06-27T09:00:20Z

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A new type of diabetes pill being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca was effective in a two-year study but more bladder and breast ca...

Bristol, Astra report diabetes pill cancer rates

2011-06-25T12:00:07Z

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A new type of diabetes pill being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca was effective in a two-year study, but the companies said more b...

Global diabetes epidemic balloons to 350 million

2011-06-25T09:00:06Z

LONDON/SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The number of adults with diabetes worldwide has more than doubled since 1980 to 347 million, a far larger number than previously thought and one that suggests costs of treating the disease will also balloon.

In a study published in the The Lancet jo...

TV and soda: small habits cause weight creep

2011-06-23T10:00:25Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Just a few bad habits -- watching TV, eating potato chips, having a sugary soda at lunch or staying up too late at night -- can add up to a steady creep of pounds over the years, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

While most studies on diet focus on changes needed to help obese people lose weight, the study by the Harva...

TV and soda: small habits cause weight creep says U.S. study

2011-06-23T07:00:49Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Just a few bad habits -- watching TV, eating potato chips, having a sugary soda at lunch or staying up too late at night -- can add up to a steady creep of pounds (kg) over the years, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

While most studies on diet focus on changes needed to help obese people lose weight, the study by the ...

TV and soda: small habits cause weight creep: U.S. study

2011-06-22T14:30:52Z

While most studies on diet focus on changes needed to help obese people lose weight, the study by the ...

Diabetes-related kidney disease on the rise

2011-06-22T12:00:13Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kidney damage from diabetes has jumped 34 percent in the last two decades, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

That means nearly s...

Rock guitarist Leslie West's lower leg amputated

2011-06-20T18:00:05Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock guitarist Leslie West, who rose to fame in the '70s power trio Mountain, has had his lower right leg amputated in a life-saving operation related to his diabetes, his wife said on Monday.

West, 65, underwent the emergency surgery after being admitted to a h...

People with diabetes at higher risk for cancer: study

2011-05-12T19:00:21Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - People with diabetes are at higher risk for certain cancers than those without the blood sugar disease, including colon and pancreatic cancer for men and breast cancer for women, according to a U.S. study.

Based on a telephone survey of nearly 400,000 adults, the study -- whose findings appear in "Diabetes Care" -- found that 16 out of every 100 diabet...

Study pushes to expand "prediabetes" label

2011-05-06T14:30:25Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having normal blood sugar levels is no guarantee against developing type 2 diabetes down the road, according to Italian researchers.

In fact, they report in the journal Diabetes Care, people at the high end of what's considered the normal blood sugar range are twice as likely to get the disease as are those in the low end.

But does that mean doctors should t...

Supervised exercise most effective for diabetics

2011-05-04T09:30:46Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Diabetics get the most benefit when they exercise more than 150 minutes per week in a supervised fitness or exercise program tailored to their needs, an analysis released on Tuesday suggests.

The findings, published in the Reuters Health) - Swallowing ginseng root extract has no effect on blood sugar regulation among people with diabetes or prediabetic symptoms, a new study concludes.

Despite prior evidence that the herb might help treat problems processing blood sugar, the researchers were unable to even detect ginseng compounds in the participants' bloodstream after they took it. They also saw no d...

Experts back surgery to combat diabetes in obese patients

2011-03-28T11:30:32Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A diabetes expert group backed the use of weight-loss surgery on Monday for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in severely obese patients.

According to a statement from the International Diabetes Federation, there is increasing evidence that the health of obese ...

Study challenges "carb counting" in diabetes

2011-03-11T16:00:04Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - How many carbs you eat might be less important for your blood sugar than your food's glycemic load, a measure that also takes into account how quickly you absorb those carbs.

That's the conclusion of a new study of healthy adults, which questions the way people with type 1 diabetes determine how much insulin they should take before meals.

In type 1 diabetes,...

Secondhand smoke linked to diabetes

2011-03-10T16:30:25Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cigarette smoke is tied to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, both for smokers and the people around them, a new study shows.

And the more secondhand smoke people are exposed to, the greater their risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the paper in Diabetes Care.

The potential risks of diabetes from being exposed to secondhand smoke weren't previously known, s...

Researchers find U.S. "diabetes belt"

2011-03-07T23:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Already dubbed America's "stroke belt," the southeastern U.S. just earned another dubious distinction as the nation's "diabetes belt," government researchers said Tuesday.

They used county-by-county data to mark those areas where people are most at risk for the blood sugar disease.

"We have known for a long time that diabetes was more common in the Southeast...

Australian app takes aim at male medical machismo

2011-02-28T02:30:04Z

MELBOURNE (Reuters Life!) - The strong, silent and possibly suffering Australian male is the target of an iPhone application that hopes to make men less shy of talking with doctors -- before medical issues become medical emergencies.

Melbourne's The Alfred hospital has launched the "myHealth...

Doubt cast on salt guidelines for diabetics

2011-02-17T10:30:21Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Australian researchers are challenging guidelines that urge diabetics to cut back on salt in their diet.

In a study that seems to turn conventional wisdom on its head, they found patients with the highest levels of sodium in their urine had the smallest risk of dying over a 10-year period.

"Such data call into question universal recommendations that all adul...

Fruit salad and blood sugar meters don't mix

2011-02-09T11:30:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Listen up, diabetics: invisible bits of fruit on your hands can mess up your finger-prick blood tests, making your blood sugar level look higher than it really is.

That's because sugars from fruit will stay on your fingers until you wash them with tap water, a new study shows.

Even alcohol swabs don't solve the problem.

The researchers say that peeling...

Could new diabetes device cut low blood sugar risk?

2011-01-21T13:30:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A handheld tool that provides diabetics with automated feedback -- from average blood sugar levels to early signs of a treatment's side effects -- may help certain patients better manage the disease, hints a new study.

Researchers from the University of Virginia,

Blood sugar meters may give inaccurate readings

2011-01-14T13:30:35Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study, portable meters used to gauge blood sugar levels in pregnant women with diabetes gave readings that differed from lab tests by up to 16 percent.

That kind of inaccuracy is concerning, researchers say, because small differences in blood sugar during pregnancy can have potentially serious consequences for the mother and baby.

But that doesn't m...

MannKind's inhaled insulin verdict delayed

2010-12-28T04:30:19Z

(Reuters) - Inhaled-insulin developer MannKind Corp said the U.S. health regulator would not be able to complete the review of Afrezza by December 29 and would require about four more weeks.

The company said it was notified of the delay by the Reuters) - More than half of Americans will have diabetes or be prediabetic by 2020 at a cost to the U.S. health care system of $3.35 trillion if current trends go on unabated, according to analysis of a new report released on Tuesday by health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc.

Diabetes and pre...

'Pre-diabetes' raises risk of heart attack, stroke

2010-09-21T16:12:16Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A set of conditions known to accompany or portend type 2 diabetes, including obesity and high blood sugar, could more than double a person's risk of developing heart disease, according to a new study.

Further, the findings suggest that these factors can even work their negative influence in the absence of full-blown diabetes.

"We are in the midst of an obesi...

Obesity surgery tied to lower diabetes risk in pregnancy

2010-09-15T16:16:07Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Severely obese women who undergo weight-loss surgery may have a decreased risk of developing diabetes during future pregnancies, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 700 women who had undergone obesity surgery, those who'd had the procedure before becoming pregnant were 77 percent less likely to develop pregnancy-related diabetes than those who'd had...

Proposed diabetes test misses most cases: study

2010-08-31T12:30:18Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new proposed diabetes test could miss millions of cases of diabetes and pre-diabetes and also over-diagnose black Americans if it was used as a screening tool, suggests a new study.

Over 23 million Americans have diabetes - about 8 percent of the population - and another 57 million are at risk for developing diabetes, according to the Reuters) - Some diabetics are at risk of developing chronic kidney disease if they have mutations of a certain gene, a long-term study in Hong Kong has found.

Kidney failure is an important cause of death for people with type 2 diabetes, and ethnic Chinese diabetics are more prone to developing chronic kidney disease than Caucasians.

The finding would...

Green leafy vegetables can cut risk of diabetes: study

2010-08-20T15:00:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Eating more green leafy vegetables can significantly cut the risk of developing diabetes, scientists said on Friday.

British researchers reviewed six earlier studies on links between diabetes and the consumption of fruits and vegetables and found eating an extra serving a day of vegetables like spinach, cabbage, and broccoli reduced adults' risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 14 percent.

...

Eye disorder common among diabetic adults

2010-08-10T13:30:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nearly 30 percent of U.S. diabetics over the age of 40 may have a diabetes-related eye disorder, with 4 percent of this population affected severely enough that their vision is threatened, suggests a new study.

The condition, known as diabetic retinopathy, involves damage to the eye's retina and is the leading cause of new cases of ...

Pregnancy-related diabetes likely to recur: study

2010-08-03T15:46:53Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women with a history of pregnancy-related diabetes, also called gestational diabetes, have a good chance of developing the condition again, suggests a large new study.

Researchers found that the risk of having gestational diabetes during a future pregnancy increases with each previously affected one -- from 41 percent after the first to 57 percent after two pregnancies complicated...

Adults born in famine show higher pre-diabetes risk

2010-07-22T13:45:31Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Middle-aged adults born at the height of China's famine in the 1950s and 60s may have a greater risk of abnormally high blood sugar than those born just a few years earlier or later, a new study finds.

The findings, reported in the journal Diabetes, support the theory that nutrition and growth during fetal development may affect the odds of develop...

FDA warns Abbott on blood sugar monitors

2010-07-20T16:00:45Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Abbott Laboratories' diabetes care unit about manufacturing problems at its Alameda, Reuters Life!) - A former Royal Air Force pilot with diabetes is preparing to break another record by touching down in all 50 U.S. states and show that the disease is no obstacle for enthusiasts who dream of flying.

London-based Douglas Cairns sta...

Blood pressure goals for diabetics -- too tough?

2010-07-06T13:30:44Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Aggressively controlling blood pressure in diabetics with heart disease may do little to reduce their risks of dying early and may even be dangerous, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They found that using a combination of drugs to keep diabetic patients' top blood pressure readings below 130 of...

Intensive diabetes treatments give mixed results

2010-06-30T11:16:48Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Aggressive drug treatment to lower blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol in diabetics does little to prevent heart disease and strokes, but it does help prevent diabetic eye disease, nerve and kidney disease, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

The five-year, U.S. government-backed study, pr...

Eating eggs doesn't seem to up diabetes risk

2010-06-16T14:30:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An egg a day for breakfast probably won't increase your likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

In the study, researchers failed to see a significant association between eating eggs occasionally or almost daily and the development of type 2 diabetes in nearly 4,000 older men and women.

While eggs are a key source of dietary cholesterol, they also contain a...

Brown rice eaters have lower risk of diabetes: study

2010-06-14T18:15:06Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - People who eat brown rice or other whole grains seem to have a lower risk of developing diabetes than those who eat white rice, according to a U.S. study.

A team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and Reuters Health) - A new test to diagnose diabetes, recommended earlier this year by the American Diabetes Association, may not work well in black Americans, according to new research.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicin...

Those who eat brown rice may have less diabetes

2010-06-14T13:45:32Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among rice lovers, people who eat brown rice or other whole grains seem to have a lower risk of developing diabetes than those who eat white rice, Boston-based researchers said on Monday.

Among more than 197,000 US adults followed for up to 22 years, they found that eating more refined whi...

Mental decline from diabetes can start in middle age

2010-06-11T14:30:34Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diabetes can lead to a decline in memory, thinking speed, and mental flexibility in middle age, but controlling the blood sugar disorder might prevent some of these effects, new research from the Netherlands suggests.

While the mental decline may be invisible to the individual, the fact that the drop-off starts accumulating in middle ag...

Drinking alcohol can lower chance of diabetes: study

2010-08-11T12:25:17Z

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Healthy adults who drink one to two glasses of alcohol per day have a smaller chance of developing one form of diabetes than those who abstain from alcohol, according to Dutch research published on Tuesday.

The 10-year study of 35,000 adults, carried out by the Reuters) - Italian scientists have found a significant link between juvenile diabetes and a common virus that usually only causes a mild infection -- a discovery that may give clues as to what triggers the disease.

In a small study of 112 children with juvenile diabetes, Antonio Toniolo of the University of Insubria in Varese,

Combating childhood obesity may start in the womb

2010-05-14T12:30:17Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children whose mothers developed diabetes while pregnant are at increased risk of being overweight by age 11, a new study shows.

The study also found that children born to obese mothers are more likely to have a weight problem than children born to lean mothers.

"The best advice is to get lean and fit before you get pregnant," D...

Diabetes ups risk of abnormal heart rhythm

2010-05-11T12:32:22Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with diabetes are at increased risk of a common type of abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, new research shows.

This risk gets worse the longer a person has been taking medications for diabetes, while poor blood sugar control also exacerbates risk, Dr. Sascha Dublin of the Reuters Health) - Asian and Hispanic women may have a heightened risk of developing pregnancy-related or "gestational" diabetes -- and so may women with partners of those same backgrounds, a new study finds.

Researchers found that among nearly 140,000 women in one large California health plan, Asian women had the highest rate of gestational diabetes, at ne...

Moderate drinking linked to lower diabetes risk

2010-08-11T12:25:16Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adults who have a drink or two per day may have a lower diabetes risk than teetotalers -- and the link does not appear to be explained by moderate drinkers' generally healthier lifestyle, a new study finds.

A number of studies have found an association between moderate drinking and a relatively lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, whether that reflects a benefit of alcohol ha...

Do diabetics do better after colon cancer surgery?

2010-04-14T10:45:07Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with diabetes actually fare better after colon cancer surgery than people without the condition, according to surprising new findings published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

"We were really expecting to find the opposite," Dr. Geoffrey C. Nguyen of the University of Toronto, the lead researcher ...

Nanovaccine helped mice overcome type 1 diabetes

2010-04-08T12:45:23Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental vaccine containing tiny molecules of an immune-system protein was able to reverse type 1 diabetes in mice, raising hope that it might work in people, Canadian researchers said on Thursday.

Type 1 diabetes is caused when certain white blood cells, called T cells, go haywire and begin attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

...

Soy supplements show no diabetes benefit in study

2010-04-01T10:00:32Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adding soy supplements to the diet may not improve blood sugar control in older women who are at high risk of or in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, add to the conflicting body of research on soy and diab...

Earlier diabetes screening worthwhile: study

2010-03-30T14:17:39Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It's currently recommended that people be screened for type 2 diabetes starting at age 45, particularly if they are overweight. But a new study suggests that it would be worthwhile to start type 2 diabetes screening earlier - between the ages of 30 and 45.

Sequential screening for type 2 diabetes is cost effective when started between the ages of 30 and 45 years and repeated every 3 to 5 y...

Women who breastfed show lower diabetes risk

2010-03-30T10:15:46Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Middle-aged and older women who breastfed their children may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who bottle-fed, a new study suggests.

Australian researchers found that among more than 53,000 women age 45 and older, the odds of having diabetes were similar for women with children and those who had remained childless. But among women with children, each year of breast...

Diet may alter fibroid risk in black women

2010-03-16T13:45:42Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Black women who tend to eat foods more likely to lead to higher blood sugar may have slightly greater risk for uterine fibroids, suggest study findings.

Uterine fibroids - noncancerous growths that often cause heavy menstrual bleeding and cramping during childbearing years - are 2 to 3 times more likely in black women than in other American women.

Rose Radin of Reuters Health) - Drinking coffee cuts diabetes risk, new research confirms, but you may need to enjoy your java with lunch if you want to get any benefit.

A study in nearly 70,000 women found that those who drank at least a cup of coffee with lunch were one-third less likely to develop type 2 diabetes over several years than non-coffee drinkers. This was true for decaf and caffeinated coffee, with or witho...

Gut bacteria and disease may be linked

2010-03-04T08:05:22Z

SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - Some of the hundreds of bacteria found in the digestive systems of humans may be linked to specific diseases like cancer, diabetes and obesity, an international team of scientists said in a paper on Thursday.

Researchers, led by Chinese scientist Wang Jun, said in the latest issue of Nature they found...

Nap lovers show higher diabetes rate

2010-03-01T09:45:33Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults who catch a nap on most days may have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who never take a siesta, researchers reported Monday.

In a study of nearly 20,000 Chinese adults age 50 and older, the investigators found that participants who said they usually napped on at least four to six days out of the week had a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes.

Roughly 15 perce...

Birthplace weighs heavily on immigrant weight

2010-04-16T06:59:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Where a US immigrant was born could play a significant role in how many pounds they pack on after arriving in America, according to a new study.

What's more, birthplace may alter how heavily body weight influences an immigrant's risk of developing diabetes.

"There was a clear link between being overweight and having diabetes for certain migrant groups, but not for others," Reuters) - Diabetes and its complications -- such as strokes and heart disease -- will place an enormous financial burden on poorer countries in years to come, researchers warned in a report published Tuesday.

"Diabetes is moving from being a disease of developed countries to a disease in developing countries like India and Chi...

Diabetes helps explain obesity-birth defect link

2010-04-16T07:02:31Z

&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While some research has suggested that obese women have an increased risk of having a baby with a birth defect, a new study shows that diabetes may at least partly account for the link.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Studies on whether obesity raises the odds of birth anomalies such as spina bifida, cleft palate and heart defects hav...

Excess weight raises pregnancy risks: study

2010-04-16T07:08:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Being overweight or obese increases a woman's chances of having an extra-big baby, even after the effects of pregnancy-related, or "gestational," diabetes are taken into account, new research shows.

Excess weight in and of itself also sharply increased a woman's risk of pre-eclampsia, a potentially deadly pregnancy complication, Dr. Boyd ...

Less sleep for kids may mean higher blood sugar

2010-04-16T07:43:57Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young children may be more apt to have high blood sugar, a precursor to diabetes, if they average 8 hours or less of sleep a night, report Chinese and American researchers.

This risk may be even greater among obese youngsters, Dr. Zhijie Yu, at the Chinese Aca...

Many antipsychotic users not getting needed tests

2010-04-16T07:55:07Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who take newer drugs for schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions are supposed to have their blood sugar and cholesterol levels checked regularly but many don't, according to a study released today.

These so-called "second-generation" antipsychotic drugs, which include olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Reuters Health) - White, middle-aged women working in British civil service jobs may want to keep an eye on their blood sugar. Those reporting high levels of job strain and little work-related social support appear to be at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Such clerical and support jobs usually involve high demands but limited control over job tasks and schedules, stu...

Nerve stimulation ineffective for low back pain

2010-09-01T12:16:49Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with chronic low back pain who seek relief with transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation or TENS are wasting their time and money, according to a report published today.

However, the technique can be effective in relieving diabetic nerve pain, also called diabetic neuropathy, the report concludes. About 60 percent of people with diabetes will develop diabetic neuropathy.

Acco...

A burger or fried chicken with a side of diabetes?

2010-04-16T08:03:18Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Avoiding "fast food" burgers and fried chicken may cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes -- the kind closely linked to obesity, new research hints.

Regularly eating "super sized" portions of high calorie fast foods is widely viewed as a contributing factor to the growing number of Americans with bulging waistlines.

Moreover, "it is well established that becoming overweight or o...

Low blood sugar may impair diabetics' driving

2010-04-16T08:08:20Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Bouts of low blood sugar can lead to unsafe driving among people with diabetes, new research shows.

In 452 adult drivers with diabetes, 52 percent reported at least one driving mishap when their blood sugar was low, Dr. Daniel J. Cox, at University of Virginia Hea...

Treating depression helps with blood sugar control

2010-04-16T08:20:46Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Treating depression may help people with diabetes get their blood sugar under control.

In a study of low-income minorities with poorly controlled diabetes, researchers found that antidepressant therapy was associated with improved long-term blood sugar control and reduced blood pressure.

Rates of depression in people with diabetes are double those in the general population, and even ...

Coffee, tea, even decaf lowers diabetes risk: study

2010-04-16T08:24:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who drink the most coffee and tea, even decaffeinated versions, can dramatically lower their risk of diabetes, researchers reported on Monday.

Their study does not answer why this might be but strengthens the findings of earlier studies showing the beverages may prevent type-2 diabetes.

"Every additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7 percent reduction in t...

More evidence coffee, tea could prevent diabetes

2010-04-16T08:24:17Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Coffee, tea, or decaf-no matter what your choice, drinking any of these beverages may reduce your risk of diabetes, according to a new analysis of 18 studies including hundreds of thousands of people.

A 2005 research review concluded that people who drank the most coffee were one-third less likely to develop diabetes than those who drank the least, Reuters Health) - Among people with diabetes, those who develop foot ulcers seem to die earlier than those without the complication, a new study finds.

Over time, diabetes can damage the blood vessels and nerves, especially if a person's blood sugar is poorly controlled. Poor circulation and nerve damage in the feet makes people vulnerable to sustaining cuts or other injuries that go unnoticed and progress ...

Breastfeeding may curb heart, diabetes risk factors

2010-04-16T08:34:24Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mothers who breastfeed seem to have a lower long-term risk of developing a collection of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease than women who bottle-feed, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 700 women followed for 20 years, those who had breastfed were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease that incl...

Diabetes can be delayed with diet, exercise

2010-04-16T09:34:11Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - People on the brink of developing diabetes who get a lot of support and encouragement to diet and exercise can turn things around and avoid the disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

"Millions of people could delay diabetes for years and possibly prevent the disease altogether if they lost a modest amount of weight through diet and increased phys...

Diabetes drug helps obese adults loss weight

2010-04-16T09:40:49Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults may shed more weight with the diabetes drug liraglutide than with the weight-loss drug orlistat (Xenical, Alli), suggests a study in The Lancet this week.

The finding that liraglutide was superior to orlistat was "unexpected," Dr. ...

Shellfish may raise diabetes risk: study

2010-04-16T09:43:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating white and oily fish regularly may provide protection against type 2 diabetes, but eating shellfish may have the opposite effect, a study from the UK hints.

The study team noted about 25 percent less risk type 2 diabetes among men and women who reported eating one or more, as opposed to fewer, servings of white or oily fish ...

Combo pill an option for diabetes-related nerve pain

2010-04-16T09:44:14Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A single pill containing the pain relievers tramadol and acetaminophen is as effective as the drug gabapentin for treating diabetes-related nerve pain, according to study findings presented Tuesday at the 20th World Diabetes Congress in Montreal.

Gabapentin is an anti-seizure drug frequently prescribed for epilepsy. The drug is also used to t...

Chinese herbs show promise for diabetes prevention

2010-04-16T09:50:49Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A number of traditional Chinese herbs may help control blood sugar levels in people at high risk of diabetes, a new research review suggests.

The review, which examined 16 clinical trials of 15 different herbal formulations, found that the herbs generally helped lower blood sugar levels in people with "pre-diabetes" -- those with impaired blood-sugar control that can progress to full-blown...

Sidewalks, parks, farm markets cut diabetes risk

2010-06-26T05:31:48Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - People who live in neighborhoods with safe sidewalks, ample parks, good public transportation and ready access to fresh fruits and vegetables are 38 percent less likely to develop diabetes than others, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

They said unlike a lot of other factors that influence diabetes, creating a healthy neighborhood is one thing policymak...

"Healthy" neighborhoods cut type 2 diabetes risk

2010-04-16T09:52:25Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you are what you eat, you may also be a product of where you live: Living in a neighborhood where it's pleasant and easy to walk and fresh fruits and vegetables are close at hand can slash a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research shows.

In fact, the risk of diabetes associated with living in such a "healthy" 'hood was 38% lower than for people who lived in the unhealt...

"Good" dietary fats trim body fat in diabetic women

2010-04-16T09:54:30Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating certain kinds of fats may actually help obese women with diabetes trim some body fat, a small study suggests.

The study, of 35 older women with type 2 diabetes, found that supplements containing two types of fats -- conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or safflower oil -- led to healthy changes in body composition over four months.

With CLA, the women saw a dip in body mass index (B...

Antioxidants may raise diabetes risk: study

2010-04-16T09:57:30Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Instead of protecting against diabetes, antioxidants -- compounds in foods and supplements that prevent cell damage -- may actually increase the chances of getting diabetes, at least in the early stages, Australian researchers reported on Tuesday.

"In the case of early type 2 diabetes ... our studies suggest that antioxidants would be bad for you," Ton...

Vision loss in diabetics becoming less common

2010-04-16T09:57:41Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in more-recent decades may be less likely to suffer vision loss than their predecessors.

In a study of nearly 1,000 Wisconsin residents with type 1 diabetes, researchers found that visual impairment was less common among those diagnosed in the 1970s compared with those diagnosed in earlier deca...

Treating mild gestational diabetes found worthwhile

2010-04-16T10:03:27Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Treating even mild forms of gestational diabetes helps cut the number of Cesarean sections and other serious problems that can occur when women carry larger-than-average babies, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Although women are routinely treated for this kind of temporary diabetes, some doctors have wondered whether the benefits of treating slight...

Poor math skills may worsen diabetes control

2010-04-16T10:08:09Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study suggests that diabetic adults' ability to work with numbers may affect their management of the disease -- and that, in turn, may help explain racial differences in diabetes control.

A number of studies have found that compared with their white counterparts, African Americans with diabetes tend to have poorer blood sugar control -- as well as higher rates of diabetes complicatio...

Obese kids with big bellies at greatest heart risk

2010-04-16T10:10:13Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Big bellies in obese kids mean greater heart disease risks, just as they do for heavy grown-ups, new research shows.

Obese children with waists bigger than 90 percent of their peers had lower "good" HDL cholesterol, higher harmful triglyceride levels, and greater insulin resistance -- a risk factor for type 2 diabetes -- compared to obese kids with smaller waists, researchers found.

...

Diabetes drugs alone seen not easing key heart risk

2010-06-11T21:26:20Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drugs used to control diabetes do not reduce signs of inflammation that are linked with heart disease, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday in a study that reinforces the need for diet and exercise.

Both heart disease and diabetes are inflammatory diseases, and researchers had assumed that controlling diabetes would have an effect.

"At the time we in...

Goal setting helps cut type 2 diabetes risk

2010-04-16T10:50:26Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adults may be able to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes as they age simply by setting diet and exercise goals and sticking to those goals, study findings hint.

Older men and women who self-monitored their behavior and set healthier diet and physical activity goals not only lost weight and body mass over a year, but maintained their losses after 3 years, researchers report in ...

Childhood cancer treatment may raise diabetes risk

2010-06-26T05:32:07Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cancer survivors who got radiation treatments as children have nearly twice the risk of developing diabetes as adults, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

They said children who were treated with total body radiation or abdominal radiation to fight off cancer appear to have higher diabetes risks la...

Allergy drugs may fight diabetes, obesity

2010-04-16T11:09:08Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Over-the-counter allergy and asthma drugs helped obese, diabetic mice lose weight and control their blood sugar, researchers reported on Monday.

Three other studies strongly linked obesity and type-2 diabetes to a dysfunctional immune system, and researchers said these findings could lead to better drugs or perhaps even vaccines to treat the effects of both conditions.

Rates of obesity and...

Diabetes itself doesn't up risk of depression

2010-04-16T11:20:32Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although people with diabetes have a higher risk of being diagnosed with depression than other people, a large new study has found that much of that increase can be accounted for by their more frequent contacts with the medical system, rather than the diabetes itself.

"Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that having a diagnosed chronic condition increases the frequency of a depr...

Keeping blood sugar in check good for the heart

2010-04-16T11:29:05Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study highlights the importance of good long-term control of blood sugar in people with diabetes.

The study found that poor long-term blood sugar control in diabetics is associated with a substantial increase in the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease -- the type of heart disease characterized by restricted blood flow to the arteries of the heart.

However, with reasonably...

British dogs trained to sniff out diabetes

2010-04-16T11:41:50Z

AYLESBURY, England (Reuters) - Dogs are being trained in Britain as potential life-savers to warn diabetic owners when their blood sugar levels fall to dangerously low levels.

Man's best friend already has been shown capable of sniffing out certain cancer cells, and dogs have long been put to work in the hunt...

Wikileaks Berkeley

2010-12-14T22:31:11Z

Beverly Dove holds a sign as she speaks during a city council meeting in Berkeley, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010. The council in this famously liberal city is considering a resolution Tuesday night bestowing hero status on Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier at the center of the