This pair of smart contact lens may diagnose diabetes, glaucoma

From indiatimes.com

SEOUL: Scientists have developed a new smart contact lens with built-in wireless sensors that may help diagnose diabetes, glaucoma and other health conditions.

Since blood sugar can be measured with tears, many attempts have been made to monitor diabetes with contact lenses. However, their biggest drawback has been poor wearability.

Now, researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have solved these issues by developing a sensor based on transparent and flexible materials.

"This study can be used to diagnose diseases (diabetes and glaucoma) by implementing two types of transparent electronic sensors in the production of smart contact lens sensors," said Jang-Ung Park, Professor at UNIST. 

The new smart contact lens sensors use electrodes made of highly stretchable and transparent graphene sheets and metal nanowires.

The new smart contact lens sensors use electrodes made of highly stretchable and transparent graphene sheets and metal nanowires.

Using this sensor, patients with diabetes and glaucoma may one day be able to self-monitor blood glucose levels and intraocular pressure (IOP), researchers said.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases which result in damage to the optic nerve and vision loss. 

Through the embedded wireless antenna in the contact lens sensor, patients can also transmit their health information, which allows real-time monitoring of their health conditions.

Since the system uses wireless antenna to read sensor information, no separate power source, like battery is required for the smart contact lens sensors.

Intraocular pressure measurement can be achieved using the dielectric layers. 

The dielectric layer is an electrically non-conductive layer, characterised by polarity that divides both positive and negative charges.

The thickness of this layer changes from thinning as the IOP increases, to thickening as the IOP decreases.

The IOP sensor, embedded in the contact lenses senses this and transmits the information to the wireless antenna. 

The smart lenses with built-in pressure-sensing and glucose-monitoring sensors could detect blood glucose and IOP despite the deformation of the contact lenses.

The sensor characteristics were also maintained even when exposed to various substances in human tears.

"It was observed that the live rabbit did not show any abnormal behaviour when wearing the contact lens sensor," said Joohee Kim, the first author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/this-pair-of-smart-contact-lens-may-diagnose-diabetes-glaucoma/articleshow/58544777.cms

Diabetes can't stop you from climbing Everest

From cnn.com

Oren Liebermann is CNN's Jerusalem correspondent and author of "The Insulin Express: One Backpack, Five Continents, and the Diabetes Diagnosis That Changed Everything."

I made the most important decision of my life because of diabetes.

While volunteering in Nepal, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 31. It was Valentine's Day 2014, and my wife and I were in the middle of a backpacking trip around the globe. We had just finished a hiking trip in the Himalayas that almost killed me.

Oren Liebermann and his wife, Cassandra Kramer, at Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal.

I had been losing weight and had to run to the bathroom constantly. And I had never in my life been so thirsty. I dismissed the symptoms as consequences of the dry weather, until I stepped on a scale and saw how much weight I'd lost: about 40 pounds.

A trip to a local doctor gave me the diagnosis that would change my life and land me in two hospitals in Nepal before I was cleared to fly home. I spent a month learning about diabetes and understanding the ins and outs of a chronic autoimmune disease. Then it was time to make my decision.

My wife, Cassandra Kramer, and I resolved to get back on the road and finish what we had started. I knew that if I accepted limitations so early in my life with diabetes, I would always accept limitations, and that was a dangerous state of mind.

We caught a flight to Bangkok and made our way through Southeast Asia, South America and Iceland before coming home.

Diabetes is a disease with which the body no longer produces enough insulin to regulate blood sugar. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin altogether, requiring daily injections of artificial insulin and constant blood sugar monitoring. In type 2 diabetes, the body's insulin isn't used effectively, which is sometimes the consequence of being overweight. Type 2 diabetes can require some combination of lifestyle change, medication and insulin injections.

Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the United States, with 1.4 million Americans diagnosed every year. Nationwide, 29 million Americans have diabetes -- nearly 10% of the population. Worldwide, 415 million people have it. That number is expected to reach 642 million by 2040.

Yet the cause of diabetes is unknown. Although some cases of type 2 may be a result of obesity, that answer does not apply to everyone, and there are no such clues for type 1.

A stigma

Diabetes still has a stigma attached to it, largely because of a lack of education and awareness. But people are constantly defying it by showing that there is no reason to accept limitations or boundaries when living with diabetes.

It may require more planning, but it's not a reason to say "no" to any experience.

Will Cross was diagnosed at the age of 9 in 1976, when diabetes care was nowhere near what it is today. He became the first person with type 1 diabetes to summit Everest when he scaled the highest peak in the world in 2006. He has also climbed the Seven Summits -- the highest peak on each continent -- and traveled to the North and South Poles.

"I never aspired to be a baseball or football player," Cross told Beyond Type 1, an organization dedicated to living with type 1 diabetes. "I just wanted to climb; diabetes didn't hinder that desire."

One person who did want to play football was Jay Cutler. The former quarterback for the Chicago Bears was 24 when he was diagnosed, making him one of a small but growing number of people with type 1 diabetes diagnosed after puberty. (Type 1 diabetes was traditionally called juvenile diabetes, but that term is becoming outmoded as the number of adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes increases, though researchers don't fully understand why.) Cutler went on to play nine more seasons in the NFL, and he has become one of the best-known athletes with diabetes but certainly not the only one.

Perhaps the most famous celebrity with diabetes was Mary Tyler Moore, who used her fame to advocate for people with diabetes. Moore served as the international chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Her death in January sent shockwaves through diabetes community, which had lost one of its biggest influencers.

And if you're looking for a celebrity to pick up where Moore left off, singer Nick Jonas has carried the mantle so far, founding Beyond Type 1 and being candid about dealing with diabetes.

"It is very easy to want to hide what diabetes means for us in the workplace, but that just does a disservice to us, to other people with diabetes and to our co-workers," adventure athlete Erin Spineto said.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in college, Spineto has completed a 100-mile standup paddling trip and sailed the Florida Keys solo, all the while proving that anything is possible, despite the disease. "The more real information and firsthand experience people get with this disease, the less stigma will be attached to it."

Making diabetes work for you

I was able to use my diabetes diagnosis, in a way, to improve my health. Though I have a chronic disease that requires constant blood sugar checks and insulin injections each day, I also have the most powerful of reasons to eat healthy, exercise and take better care of myself: a functional life.

Failure to stay healthy and keep my blood sugars in check can lead to the severe complications of diabetes: nerve damage, eye damage, cardiovascular disease and much more. Regular exercise and healthy eating help regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

Diabetes was the catalyst for that change, even if it means I am now walking around with a medical time bomb waiting for me to make a mistake.

Perhaps the most frustrating part about diabetes is the lack of definitive answers. Questions such as "how did I get it?" or "will there ever be a cure?" must remain open-ended for now. Although there are procedures that show promise for reducing or eliminating the need for insulin and an artificial pancreas (a device that manages blood sugar automatically) is on the horizon, a true cure for diabetes remains elusive. The same is true for understanding the cause.

Yet it is a manageable disease. With experience, discipline and a support network, diabetes should never be a reason to say "no." It's just a matter of figuring out what preparations you need to make to be able to say "yes."

Since finishing our backpacking trip, my wife and I have continued to travel when we can. Hiking Kilimanjaro is high on our priority list, and I want to return to the Himalayas to hike once again, this time knowing how to treat my diabetes.

For me, it is an extension of the most important decision I have ever made: the decision to live life without limits.

Maybe I'll even climb Everest.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/05/health/diabetes-liebermann/

Simple Tricks for Living Well with Diabetes—from People Who Have It

From rd.com

Accepting a diabetes diagnosis can be difficult, especially when you must change previous habits and adapt your lifestyle. But there's good news: millions of people live full, happy, active and healthy lives, even with diabetes, and they've shared their best advice for doing the same.

Stay active and track your reactions
When David Weingard was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 36, he faced with some tough adjustments. From taking his new medication to monitoring his blood sugar, he fought to stay active and fit, eventually founding his diabetes coaching company, Fit4D. For Weingard, exercising had to remain a part of his life and he encourages other diabetics to do the same.

"Exercise is critical to long-term physical and mental health. Mentally, we need positive energy (and endorphins) to combat the 24/7 strain of the condition. Physically, we need to help our bodies stay strong and avoid the long-term effects and complications of diabetes," he says.

But to figure out how much you can withstand and what works for your body, he also notes that keeping track your reactions will help create a plan that works uniquely for you. "Detailed record keeping is a key factor in realizing the benefits of exercise and minimizing blood sugar swings—especially highs and lows. You can reference these records to repeat workouts and your body should yield similar results most of the time," he says.

Build a support system

Though Rachel Zucker is only 24 years old, she's been managing her type 1 diabetes diagnosis since she was four years old, making her quite the expert. She described diabetes as a full-time job: She had to accept that there are no days off, no breaks or vacations. That's why she recommends having supportive friends and family around you who will move with your highs and lows—they're essential to keeping a good attitude and mindset. Instead of hiding your diagnosis, Zucker says wear it with pride. "I tell anybody and everybody close to me that I'm diabetic. Making sure people around you know you're diabetic can be life-saving in an emergency situation. In college, I made sure everybody around me knew I had type 1 diabetes, so when I went out to a party or to a sorority fundraising event, there was always someone looking out for me. Some people are afraid or embarrassed to tell others about their medical condition; I would highly encourage them not to be. Nobody has to do this alone," she says.

Don't be overwhelmed

Now 67, Carol Gee wasn't diagnosed with type 2 diabetes until her late 50s. Although her new life was scary at first, she says that leaning into the unknown helped her manage her new lifestyle and adjust her habits, ensuring that she lived vibrantly throughout middle age. "Diabetes is scary, but with knowledge comes power. Take the medications the way you are supposed to and it will get easier. I was afraid of needles, so I considered it a great victory when I injected myself without passing out. Know that you 'can' survive and thrive with diabetes. You just have to say it—and more importantly—believe it."

Don't let it define you

Author and diabetes advocate, Quinn Nystrom first watched her younger brother get diagnosed with type 1 diagnosis. Then, two years later, she got the news herself at the age of 13. While that day was one of the worst of her life, she says, it's taught her many life lessons and led her to help others. Even though living with diabetes is a 24/7 job, she encourages those who are newly diagnosed to not let it define them. Instead, she says, allow it to refine you. "We are not just a broken down pancreas. We're more than a label that a doctor gives us, society tells us, and even sometimes what we tell ourselves. Seek to understand how the diagnosis of diabetes has brought light into your life. Find the positives," she says.

Set attainable goals

Right before he started college, Joshua D. Miller, MD, couldn't stop losing weight and was thirsty all the time. These symptoms led to a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and would serve as the turning point in his life, leading him to become an endocrinologist and diabetologist and the medical director of Diabetes Care at Stony Brook Medicine. One way that he manages his condition (and helps his patients) is by focusing on small, achievable goals. "When it comes to diabetes, it is very difficult to reach all of your goals at once. From blood sugar monitoring, attention to a healthy lifestyle, medication management and physician visits, overcoming the disease's challenges can seem daunting. Pick one or two small goals with your physician to help you move in the right direction. You will be surprised at how much success you can truly achieve," he shares.

Manage your entire health

Though it can be difficult to focus on anything but your blood sugar, Mella Barnes has found that keeping all parts of her health top of mind helps keep her more satisfied and balanced. She discovered her type 1 diabetes at the age of eight, and has been managing the illness ever since. She says that focusing on each day has been helpful. She also discovered that staying in touch with her emotions is crucial. "Take care of your mental and emotional health. This impacts your diabetes more than you think! Stress causes a lot of issues as well as a lack of sleep. If you're depressed or anxious about your diabetes, find a therapist or free support group. Do something that makes you happy every day," she says.

Find support among other people with diabetes

Fred Winchar discovered he was a type 2 diabetic six years ago and has worked hard to manage his diagnosis. A successful businessman who knows the importance of good advice, he quickly realized that he needed to talk to someone who had been through the struggle. "When I first was diagnosed, I told a friend who was a type 1 diabetic, and he helped me learn how to test and monitor my sugars. He was one of the most energetic and happy people I have ever met. He was delighted to help another person on the same journey. Not only did I learn but I was able to bond in a special way with someone who knew what I was going through," he says.

http://www.rd.com/health/conditions/living-well-with-diabetes/

Recipe: Leek and potato salad

From diabetes.org.uk

Serves 6

Prep 10 minutes + 15 minutes to cool

Cook 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 600g baby new potatoes
• 1 large leek, cleaned and finely sliced
• 200g 0% fat Greek yogurt
• 10g chives (and a sprinkle to garnish)
• 25g parsley (and a sprinkle to garnish)
• 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
• good pinch white pepper

Method

1. Boil the potatoes whole for 15-20 minutes until just cooked. Refresh in cool water and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, place the leeks into a bowl with the yogurt, chives and parsley, mustard and pepper. Mix together well to ensure all the leeks are coated. Set aside in the fridge.
3. When the potatoes are cool, cut in half and toss in the yogurt dressing and sprinkle with more herbs.

Chef's tips

• Spice it up with a teaspoon of curry paste and a tablespoon of sultanas.
• Try using coriander, instead of parsley, or add fresh mint leaves and a handful of peas.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Recipes/Low-fat-leek-and-potato-salad/

Diabetes nurse organisation releases insulin safety leaflet

From diabetestimes.co.uk

A leading diabetes specialist nurse organisation has published an insulin safety leaflet. 
TREND-UK has released a patient booklet entitled Keeping Safe with Insulin Therapy because “insulin management and prescribing errors are very common and can lead to patient harm”.
The booklet provides information on dosage, technique and devices. There are over 30 different insulin available in the UK so those who use it are being warned to always check they have the right one for them.

Insulin requirements differ from person to person, so the booklets recommends people always carry their insulin passport or insulin safe card with them at all times.

Detailed advice on how to inject to avoid lipohypertrophy or ‘lipos’ has also been issued. People who need insulin are being reminded to inject at a 90 degree angle in either the upper outer thighs, upper outer buttocks and abdomen.

A spokesperson for TREND-UK said: “Insulin treatment improves the quality of life in many people and saves the lives of others. It is used to lower blood glucose levels. However, insulin management and prescribing errors are very common and can lead to patient harm.

“This booklet can help patients to get the most out of their insulin treatment and keep them safe.”

TREND-UK provides lots of helpful resources for patients and nurses. To gain access users must create an account and log in.

http://diabetestimes.co.uk/diabetes-nurse-organisation-release-insulin-safety-leaflet/

11 Everyday Habits That Are Absolutely Ruining Your Diabetes Control

From rd.com

Living with diabetes is a daily challenge, but tweaking these behaviours improves control over your blood sugar. Say goodbye to the behaviours derailing your quality of life, and wave hello to these tips to take charge of your diabetes.

Portion sizes

Surprise: We eat more than we should—even when we're focusing on healthy foods. (Yeah, you already knew that one.) For people controlling diabetes, portion sizes of carbohydrate foods determine how much medication they need or how their blood glucose responds. Try this rule of thumb for the carb portion of your plate—it should take up about a quarter of the typical, nine-inch dinner plate. Optimal servings of peas, potatoes, or whole wheat pasta is one cup per meal. Compare that to a usual Mexican restaurant plate, where high-carb foods cover the entire plate: rice, beans, tortillas, chips. Too much carbohydrate sabotages glucose control for diabetics.

Beverages

Why drink your calories? Drinks high in sugar and calories add up quicker than anything else. That giant fountain soda easily boasts over 500 calories, all from sugar, skyrocketing your glucose out of control. Sports drinks, fruit juices, smoothies, energy-boost drinks, sweet teas, and fancy coffee drinks contain significant amounts of simple carbohydrate (re: sugar). Even the healthy seeming stuff: Consider that 12 ounces of orange juice has 45 grams of carbohydrate—about the same as 12-ounce can of soda. Sure, the juice includes healthy vitamins, but the glucose load is the same as a cola. For those controlling diabetes, skip these sugary beverages and opt for water to rehydrate. Your blood glucose will thank you!

Skipping meals

Timing your meals throughout the day is key for controlling diabetes. Skipping a meal puts you at risk for hypoglycemia because your medications won't have carbohydrates to work with. Worse, we commonly overeat at the next meal when we miss one. Eating breakfast within 90 minutes of waking is ideal. Optimally, three meals per day, spaced 4-5 hours apart, will keep your blood glucose steady and constant. If your sleep pattern includes more than 10 hours of shut-eye, eat a snack with 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate before retiring.

Highly processed carbs

While all carbohydrates affect blood glucose, some carbs (the complex kind) are the best choices. Why? Complex carbs such as whole grains, vegetables, and beans contain fibre—long molecular chains of carbohydrate that take longer to digest (or, in some cases are indigestible). Slowing down digestion will help prevent sharp spikes in blood glucose—something all of us should try to avoid, but especially people with diabetes. Simple carbs like those in refined flours and sugars are small, easily digested molecules. As the preferred quick energy for cells, these can cause rapid peaks and valleys in your blood sugar. For that reason, choose whole wheat pasta, beans, peas, sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats, fresh fruits and veggies.

Not enough veggies

Yeah, Mom was right: "Eat your vegetables!" Non-starchy vegetables like lettuce, broccoli, onions, peppers, spinach, and tomatoes are rich in vitamins (A, C and folate, especially), minerals (potassium, magnesium, phosphorous) and fibre! Yet, their carb content is fairly low. This makes them the optimal food group to load up on and enjoy. Make fajitas with bell peppers and onions, stir-fry broccoli, or mix up a cucumber-tomato chopped salads; these are delicious foundations for meals with a low-carb load. Try filling half of your plate with low-starch veggies.

Tricking out healthy foods

Oatmeal, smoothies, coffee, salads and sandwiches—straightforward healthy stuff, right? Sabotaging these seemingly good-for-you choices is easy when they're mixed with simple carbs. For example, adding fruit juice to smoothies pumps up the simple carb load in a hurry. Honey or syrup, and handfuls dried fruits easily triple the carb load of oatmeal. Jacking up your coffee with squirts of syrup, whole milk, whipped cream, and even crushed cookies turn it into a carb bomb! When counting carbohydrates for optimal glucose control, be sure to include all ingredients for accuracy.

Your snack is like a meal

Snacking can be good: You can take the edge off between meals and help steady blood sugar. But when your snacks drift upward to the size of a meal, weight gain and hyperglycemia is in the offing. The calories and carbohydrates of a snack should come in at less than a third of a healthy meal. Your general rule of thumb for diabetic snacks is to aim for 15 to 30 grams of total carbohydrate plus a protein source. Some examples: hummus and veggies, peanut butter and apple slices, almonds and dried cranberries.

Eating out too often

Fast food, drive-throughs, pizza delivery, chain restaurants: So tempting for a busy weeknight or when the cook isn't in the mood to slice and dice. Unfortunately, many favourite eats are loaded with more carbohydrate than a person with diabetes can handle. Searching the Internet for menus with nutritional analysis can help you choose the best meals for controlling carb intake. Aim for 45-60 grams of total carbohydrate per meal, or check with your registered dietitian for your individual carb goals. Other eating out tips include avoiding the bread basket or endless chip refills. If portions are too large, take half home for lunch tomorrow. Choose grilled, baked or broiled meats, rather than fried. Remember, when you cook at home, you have control over the ingredients, methods, and portion sizes.

Too much screen-time

When your face is glued to a screen, you're in suspended animation. Television, laptops, e-readers, phones, tablets and desktop computers suck time and rob your body of its need to be active. Exercise lowers blood glucose and provides health benefits to the heart, lungs, muscles and mind. The American Diabetes Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise for 5 days of the week, for a total of 150 minutes per week. Walking, biking, swimming, or aerobic activity are all options. Additionally, instead of sitting all day staring at a screen, the ADA suggests you break up your screen time at least once every hour. Stretch or do chair exercises at your work desk. Take a walk around the office at lunch. Park farther away from work. Wash your own car. Do your own housecleaning. Walk the dog. So many possibilities!

Avoiding all carbs

Extreme low-carb food plans aren't the answer. With so much attention given to very low-carb diets (think less than 50 grams per day), people with diabetes could go too low. Your body needs carbohydrate for energy, which is why nutritional advice recommends getting a minimum of 150 grams. Remember that your heart, other organs, muscles, and lungs all run on blood sugar. In fact, the brain uses glucose as a preferred fuel source. Also, switching to a very-low carb diet increases the risk of hypoglycemia—low blood sugar—especially if medications are a part of your care. Aim for a goal of moderate carbohydrate intake—not too low, not too high.

Medication mishaps

According to dietitian and certified diabetes educator Tamara Lutz, taking the wrong dosage of medications at the wrong time or skipping medications will wreak havoc on your blood glucose control. Both highs and lows occur with medication mistakes. Taking oral medications or insulin right after eating can result in hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) because the medication starts working long after the food raises your blood glucose. On the flip side, taking the medications too long before a meal may lead to low blood sugar. Lutz warns, "Skipping your medications completely causes high blood sugar as the body lacks adequate medication to work on your meal." Follow your prescription instructions carefully.

http://www.rd.com/health/conditions/controlling-diabetes/

Fruit May Have Benefits for Diabetes

From nytimes.com

A large study has found that eating fresh fruit may reduce the risk for developing diabetes, and the risk for its complications.

Fresh fruit has well-known health benefits. But some experts, and some people with diabetes, question whether its high sugar content could pose risks.

The study, in PLoS Medicine, tracked diet and health in 512,891 Chinese men and women ages 30 to 79 for an average of seven years, controlling for smoking, alcohol intake, blood pressure and other factors.

Among those without diabetes at the start, eating fresh fruit daily was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of developing the disease compared with those who ate none. The more frequently they ate fruit, the lower their risk.

In people who were already diabetic, those who ate fruit three times a week had a 17 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a lower risk for diabetic complications like heart and kidney disease, than those who didn’t eat fruit.

The study was observational and the reason for the effect remains unclear. But the lead author, Dr. Huaidong Du, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, said “the sugar in fruit is not the same as the sugar in manufactured foods and may be metabolized differently. And there are other nutrients in fruit that may benefit in other ways.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/well/eat/fruit-may-have-benefits-for-diabetes.html?_r=0