Type 2 diabetes is quickly becoming an epidemic as the obesity rates grow in wealthy countries such as America. Additionally, consuming type 2 diabetes drug can, at times, be considered a gamble with one's health because of the adverse reactions and side effects becoming more predominant within the pharmaceutical community.
However, researchers are continuing to work toward non-pharmaceutical alternatives to the condition. For example, a study from the Glasgow University in England found that individuals who are at an extremely high risk of developing the potentially fatal condition of type 2 diabetes can actually reduce their risk by nearly 22 percent with seven weeks of continued exercise.
The study, led by Dr. Jason Gill on behalf of the British Heart Foundation (BHF), tested 70 women for seven weeks. The women were divided into two groups of those with type 2 diabetic parent(s) and those with no predisposition to type 2 diabetes. Each group was then instructed to partake in physical activity for several days during the week. Researchers reported that those with a predisposition to type 2 diabetes, meaning one or both parents suffer from type 2 diabetes, lowered their risk by close to 25 percent with exercise.
Living With Diabetes
Although millions of Americans are diagnosed with diabetes each year, the diagnosis can be shocking and often frightening for a majority of patients. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) describes newly diagnosed diabetic patients as going through several stages of "grief" similar to the grief of losing a loved one. The ADA explained that, upon diagnosis, the following stages usually occur among diabetic patients:
* Denial - pretending the diagnosis did not occur and avoiding checking glucose levels, taking insulin shots and eating improper foods.
* Anger - becoming angry at the disease as well as being angry that the diagnosis occurred, taking it out on family and friends.
* Depression - feelings of hopelessness because of the diagnosis.
* Fear/Anxiety - fear of reacting poorly to medications or developing hypoglycemic reactions.
* Guilt - feeling that the new diagnosis may burden others.
However, because diabetes is becoming so common, the ADA recommends becoming familiar with the condition and speaking to a medical professional who can offer reassurance that the condition is manageable.
Diabetic Treatments Associated with Risks
While much of the medical world continues to make huge strides with developing treatments to fight cancers and other fatal conditions, it seems the diabetic community still suffers from undeveloped treatments, many of which are consistently being investigated for association with dangerous side effects.
For example, the drug Byetta (exenatide), which is an injectable glucose regulator used to treat non-insulin dependent patients, recently made headlines for risks related to pancreatitis. The reports, which began in October 2007, only two years after Byetta was approved for market, prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate.
Although the FDA has issued a statement that it will in fact strengthen warnings about the severity of the Byetta risks, it has not issued a recall even though six patients were hospitalized because of Byetta-induced hemorrhagic pancreatitis and necrotizing pancreatitis -- two of whom died.
Legal Consultation for Diabetic Drug Dangers
Patients who currently suffer from type 2 diabetes and who have been taking Byetta are encouraged to contact a medical professional immediately if they experience any of the following side effects:
* hives
* difficulty breathing
* swelling of face, lips, tongue or throat
* pain in the upper stomach
* pain in the back
* nausea/vomiting
* increased heart rate
Individuals may also be advised to consult a pharmaceutical attorney who can provide information on developing a Byetta lawsuit. Because the Byetta side effects can become fatal quickly, it is important to understand that legal action can be taken in which monetary compensation is often awarded to a victim.
Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Drinking coffee, especially when it is decaffeinated, will be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the Sept 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The link between coffee and diabetes risk appears to be very consistent across different ages and body weights; in addition, most research has found that the more coffee an individual drinks, the lower his or her risk for diabetes. However, it remains unclear whether it is the caffeine or any other ingredient in coffee, which may confer a protective effect.
Mark A. Pereira, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, had studied coffee intake and diabetes risk in the 28,812 postmenopausal women in Iowa over a 12-year period. At the beginning of the study, in 1986, the women answered questions about the risk factors for diabetes, including age, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption and other smoking history. They also reported how often they consumed a variety of foods and these beverages over the previous year, including regular and decaffeinated coffee.
Based on this information reported in the initial questionnaire, about half of the women (14,224) drank one to two cups of coffee per day; 2,876 drank more than six cups; 5,553 four to five cups; 3,232 less than one cup; and 2,927 none. Over the following 12 years, 1,417 of the women reported on surveys, which they had been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After adjusting the data for some of the other diabetes risk factors, women who drank more than five cups of any type of coffee per day were 21 percent less likely than those who drank no coffee to be diagnosed suffering from diabetes; those who drank more than five cups of decaffeinated coffee per day had a 32 percent reduction in risk compared with those who drank none.
Overall caffeine intake did not appear to be much related to diabetes risk, further suggesting that some other ingredient in coffee was also responsible. "Magnesium, for which coffee is a good source, can explain some of the inverse relation between coffee intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus through known helpful effects on the carbohydrate metabolism," the authors write. However, the study found no relation between Magnesium and diabetes risk. Other minerals and nutrients found in the coffee bean including compounds known as polyphenols, which have also been shown to help the body process carbohydrates and antioxidants, which might protect cells in the insulin producing pancreas can contribute to its beneficial effects and needs to be examined in future studies.
Both Katie Kelley & Adam Akelis are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Katie Kelley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Trucks, Brain Injury and Build Muscle. Visit and learn more about type 2 diabetes as well. Also, use
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