Pathway to Stop Diabetes to provide funding for innovative diabetes researchers.With nearly 26 million adults and children in the U.S. living with diabetes, and another 79 million living with prediabetes, diabetes is a physical and financial burden for the health of the nation. To accelerate the research needed to discover solutions and ultimately cure this deadly epidemic, the American Diabetes Association is launching a bold new program, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, an effort to inspire and support a new generation of diabetes researchers. Individuals supported through this program will focus on innovative ideas and transformational approaches that lead to discoveries in diabetes prevention and treatment, and ultimately change the face of diabetes. To learn more, visit diabetes.org/pathway.
 Wisconsin Department of Health Services Do you want to learn the latest facts about diabetes in Wisconsin? The Wisconsin Diabetes Surveillance Report 2012, just released by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, is here for you! The report includes the most up-to-date statistics and data on numerous diabetes-related topics in Wisconsin, including: - Estimated diabetes and pre-diabetes prevalence
- Economic costs of diabetes
- Sociodemographics
- Risk factors
- Current status of and trends in diabetes care
- Diabetes mortality
Check out the report below and for more information visit the Department of Health Services website.
 | widiabetesreport.pdf | | File Size: | 3224 kb | | File Type: | pdf |
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 Janet Rich-Edwards, PhD (L), and Tamarra James-Todd, PhD (R) Chemicals in Popular Consumer Products Associated with Increased Risk of Diabetes in WomenAccording to a recent American Diabetes Association-funded study, chemicals commonly found in beauty and hygiene products may increase the risk of diabetes in women. Phthalates are a class of industrial chemicals often used in the manufacturing of consumer products, especially cosmetics, perfumes, nail polishes, soaps and even food packaging and toys. More than 75% of people in the U.S. have detectable amounts of phthalate metabolites in the body. Women, however, have significantly higher levels than men, which may be owed to increased exposure through greater use of personal care products.
The study's lead investigator, Tamarra James-Todd, PhD, and her mentor, Janet Rich-Edwards, PhD, from Brigham and Women's Hospital suggest that exposure to phthalates may be partially to blame for the growing prevalence of diabetes in women. Phthalates are known to be endocrine disrupting chemicals, which can interfere with hormones in the body related to metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
The research team analyzed urine samples from 2,350 women between the ages of 20 and 80, collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey over an eight-year period. They found that women with the highest concentrations of mono-benzyl and mono-isobutyl phthalates were almost twice as likely to have diabetes compared to women with the lowest levels. Those with elevated levels of mono-n-butyl and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalates showed a 70% increased odds of diabetes, and those with high levels of mono-(3-carboxylpropyl) phthalate were at 60% greater odds.
The researchers also evaluated women without diabetes to determine whether phthalates altered precursors of diabetes, such as blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. Among women without diabetes, those with high concentrations of mono-isobutyl and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate had elevated fasting blood-sugar levels and were more insulin resistant in comparison to women with lower levels of these phthalates.
Published online in the July 13, 2012 edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, the study is the first to examine the association between phthalates and diabetes in a large, representative sample of women living in the U.S. These findings suggest the need to further examine the role phthalates and other endocrine disrupting chemicals as potential risk factors for diabetes. If future studies find a causal link between phthalates and diabetes, reducing exposure to these chemicals could prevent or delay the onset of diabetes in women at high risk or with prediabetes. "Individuals with diabetes could benefit from this research indirectly through learning about those exposures that could further increase the risk of diabetes among family members who may already be at an increased risk," Dr. Rich-Edwards expanded.
While the study accounted for sociodemographic, dietary, behavioral and anthropometric factors, women self-reported their diabetes status and researchers caution against reading too much into the study due to the possibility of reverse causation. "This is an important first step in exploring the connection between phthalates and diabetes," said Dr. James-Todd. "We know that in addition to being present in personal care products, phthalates also exist in certain types of medical devices and medication that are used to treat diabetes. So overall, more research is needed."
While the commercial use of phthalates is declining due to concerns of their potentially negative impact on health, including cancer and male sterility, avoiding overexposure can be difficult, since companies are not required to label whether a product contains phthalates. However, most products containing "fragrance" on their ingredients list contain phthalates, as well as many food items packaged and stored in plastics. It is possible that avoiding or reducing the use of these items could decrease phthalate exposure, but this remains unclear. In their future work, Drs. Rich-Edwards and James-Todd plan to further explore whether avoiding phthalates through lifestyle interventions will help reduce the risk of developing diabetes.(James-Todd T, Stahlhut R, Meeker JD, Powell S-G, Hauser R, Huang T, et al. 2012. Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Diabetes among Women in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008. Environ Health Perspect: http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104717)
 Mild cognitive decline is a natural and inevitable part of growing older. Unfortunately, for people with diabetes, the disease can accelerate this process. Diabetes can hamper blood circulation and weaken the small vessels in the brain, causing tissue damage and affecting mental functions needed for day-to-day tasks -- including those essential to healthy diabetes management. This can prompt a vicious cycle of reduced cognitive function and worsening blood-sugar control, and potentially lead to the development of serious conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer's or stroke.
Elderly people are at high-risk to entering this cycle, as they are especially sensitive to the effects of high blood-sugar levels on the brain. While the impact of diabetes on brain function is complex and poorly understood, Vera Novak, MD, PhD, from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has made novel clinical breakthroughs in this field of medicine through two American Diabetes Association-supported research projects. She has established strong links between diabetes, inflammation and blood flow within the brain. Furthermore, she has confirmed the correlation between the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes, brain atrophy and cognitive decline in aging adults.
In a recent study published in the November 2011 issue of Diabetes Care, Dr. Novak identified a critical mechanism and two key molecules in the brain that are triggered by long-term elevation of blood-sugar levels and insulin resistance. This induces an inflammatory response, and the brain soon loses its ability to circulate blood in areas responsible for important thought processes. "Once chronic inflammation sets in, blood vessels constrict, blood flow is reduced and brain tissue is damaged," the researcher explained. "At the age of 65, the average person's brain shrinks about one percent a year, but in a patient with diabetes, brain volume can be lowered by as much as 15 percent."
Dr. Novak observed significant deterioration in regions vital to problem-solving, decision-making and memory in her patients with type 2 diabetes. They were also more likely to be depressed than people without diabetes, and they exhibited greater motor function decline, walked slower and had a higher risk of falls attributable to balance difficulties.
Dr. Novak's work may contribute to new strategies to prevent or treat functional and cognitive decline in people with diabetes. She advises doctors and their patients to take early steps to carefully control blood sugar and maintain blood vessel health, well before the signs of brain injury begin to surface.
(Novak V, Zhao P, Manor B, Sejdic E, Alsop D, Abduljalil A, Roberson PK, Munshi M, Novak P. Adhesion molecules, altered vasoreactivity, and brain atrophy in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011 Nov;34(11):2438-41. Epub 2011 Sep 16.)
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