diabetes

Increase in diabetes & hypertension cases

This was highlighted by Dr Suresh Venkita - Medical Doctor and Chief Physician (Cardiology and internal medicine) at the Pacific International Hospital.

And Dr Venkita blames this on the changing lifestyle and diet of Papua New Guineans over the last few years.

He says people who were once very physically active are hardly active these days.

“The urban settings have become very different now. Supermarket and food culture has changed everyone’s body weight dramatically,” he said.

Is there a link between climate change and diabetes?

Now, researchers are looking at whether climate change might be linked to another public health concern: Type 2 diabetes.

Between 1996 and 2009, as outdoor temperatures rose across the United States, so did the prevalence of diabetes, according to a study published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care on Monday.

Fasting diet 'regenerates diabetic pancreas'

Restoring the function of the organ - which helps control blood sugar levels - reversed symptoms of diabetes in animal experiments.

The study, published in the journal Cell, says the diet reboots the body.

Experts said the findings were "potentially very exciting" as they could become a new treatment for the disease.

People are advised not to try this without medical advice.

In the experiments, mice were put on a modified form of the "fasting-mimicking diet".

Platypus venom could treat type 2 diabetes, Adelaide researchers find

The team found both the platypus and echidna produce a long-lasting form of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

GLP-1 is normally secreted in the gut of both humans and animals, stimulating the release of insulin to lower blood glucose levels.

But GLP-1 typically degrades within minutes.

Lead researcher Frank Grutzner said his team was surprised to find the hormone was produced not only in the platypus' gut, but also in its venom.

Final piece of type 1 diabetes puzzle solved

The study, published in the journal Diabetes, discovered the fifth and final critical target at which the immune system errantly takes aim.

The team at the University of Lincoln say the findings could help develop new ways to prevent and treat the disease.

Diabetes UK said the findings were "impressive".

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the beta cells that make insulin – the hormone needed to keep blood sugar levels under control.

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How to beat Diabetes

From World Health Organization - 
Every year, the World Health Organization selects a priority area of global public health concern as the theme for World Health Day, which falls on 7 April, the birthday of the Organization.

Six health conditions that raise the risk of heart disease

Seemingly unrelated diseases that affect your skin, brain, or mouth can cause changes that eventually threaten your heart.

Luckily, the reverse is also true. Steps that improve heart health, including exercising and eating a healthy diet, can also help prevent and treat many other illnesses. Here are six conditions that can place your heart in peril—and how you can reduce your risk.

1. Arthritis