Driving Unwise with Hypoglycemia
A study of 65 adults with diabetes
found that drivers who have trouble
gauging when their blood sugar is low
may operate a car when they should not,
according to a study published in
Diabetes Care (November 2007).
In the small study, the researchers
found that 21 of 45 adults with type 1 diabetes
had difficulty recognizing that they
had low blood sugar. Of these patients,
43% believed they were able to drive
even when they were experiencing hypoglycemia.
The study participants completed
2 sessions in a driving simulator, once
with normal blood sugar levels and once
with low sugar. Throughout the testing,
the patients were asked whether they felt
hypoglycemic and whether, in daily life,
they would drive.
The results of the tests showed that of
the patients with type 1 diabetes with
good awareness, only 1 participant felt
okay to drive when hypoglycemic, compared
with 9 of 21 with poor awareness.
Diabetics: Take a Walk to
Lower Heart Risks
A daily walk may help patients with diabetes decrease
their risk of heart disease, reported researchers in the
International Journal of Sports Medicine (October 2007).
The study, which included 102 adults with type 2 diabetes,
found that those who committed to a daily walking
regimen for 17 months had a lower risk of developing
heart disease or experiencing a stroke, compared with
patients who ceased exercising. The participants were
asked to take a 20- to 30-minute walk every day. Of the
64 patients who fulfilled the requirement, 2% had a stroke
and none developed heart disease during the study duration.
Of the 38 participants who did not complete the
exercise program, 18% developed heart disease or had a
stroke.
Death Rate Climbing for
Blacks with Diabetes
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that
black children with diabetes face a significantly higher death rate,
compared with white children. The researchers said that the trend
has been accelerating among children aged 1 to 19.
For the study, the researchers looked at death certificates from
1979 to 2004 that indicated that, between 2003 and 2004, diabetes
was the cause of death for 89 children and teens. During that time
period, the annual diabetes death rate for black children and teens
was more than 2 times that for white children. The researchers
also found that the mortality rate among blacks has been rising
since 1998, while for whites it decreased drastically from 1979 to
1994 and then leveled off from 1994 to 2004. The findings were
published in the November 16, 2007, issue of Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report.
New Series Targets Teens and Diabetes
The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) recently
introduced Tips for Teens with Diabetes, a series of tip sheets
and an online quiz specifically created for teens to help them
manage their disease and reduce the risk for complications.
The series topics include What is Diabetes?, Be Active, Make
Healthy Food Choices, Stay at a Healthy Weight, and Dealing
with the Ups and Downs of Diabetes. The NDEP also has a tip
sheet addressing the teens at risk for type 2 diabetes, called
Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Furthermore, the group
has created an interactive online quiz for teens with diabetes
based on information found in the tip sheets.
For more information about the NDEP's free resources for
children and teens, visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org, or call 888-693-NDEP (888-693-6337).
Instant Messaging Helps Treat Diabetes
Patients with diabetes may be able to manage their disease
better with an automated instant-messaging service. For 12
weeks, patients who used a Web-based short messaging service
lost weight, had better control of their blood sugar, and had
lower blood sugar before and after meals, according to Korean
researchers.
The study involved 35 patients with diabetes and 36 patients
in a control group. The patients who used the service recorded
their diet and the amount of exercise on a Web site and were
given a device to calculate blood sugar and a pedometer that
linked with their cell phone and sent data directly to their Web
data sheet. The system sent messages back to the cell phones.
After 12 weeks, the researchers found that patients who
used the service had lost an average of 1.9 kg and had a
decrease in their average glycosylated hemoglobin levels from
8.06% to 7.34%. The control group saw no change. Their findings
were published in the November 2007 issue of Diabetes
Care.
F A S T F A C T : According to data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2006, 1 in 523 people younger than age 20 has diabetes.
