Bright light at night could raise your type 2 diabetes risk, study says

From santacruzsentinel.com

ATLANTA — Being exposed to light during a certain time of day can increase a person’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. According to the science, it all comes down to how you sleep.

Published in the Lancet Regional Health — Europe earlier this month, a study helmed by Flinders University researchers in Australia discovered sleep disruption can play a significant role in diabetes development.

“We found that exposure to brighter light at night was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” senior study author and associate professor at the university’s College of Medicine and Public Health Andrew Phillips said in a news release.

“Light exposure at night can disrupt our circadian rhythms, leading to changes in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism,” he continued. “Changes in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism caused by disrupted circadian rhythms affect the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, which can ultimately lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.”

          Being exposed to light during a certain time of day can increase a person’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes                                                                                                       (Dreamstime/TNS)

Researchers analysed information from around 85,000 people and 13 million hours of light sensor data to determine being exposed to light from 12:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. increased diabetes risks in participants. The participants did not have Type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the trial, which ran for nine years.

For a near decade, in the largest known study of its kind, the scientists monitored the participants to observe who developed the disease.

“The results showed that exposure to brighter light at night is associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes, with a dose-dependent relationship between light exposure and risk,” Phillips said. “Our findings suggest that reducing your light exposure at night and maintaining a dark environment may be an easy and cheap way to prevent or delay the development of diabetes.”

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2024/07/06/bright-light-at-night-could-raise-your-diabetes-risk-study-says/amp/ 

To Prevent Diabetes and Colorectal Cancer, Americans Could Cut Down on Processed Meat, Say Researchers

From technologynetworks.com

If many Americans ate the equivalent of 10 fewer slices of bacon per week, there would be thousands fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, say researchers

America’s high rate of diabetes and colorectal cancer cases could be trimmed if more consumers cut down on their processed meat consumption – that’s the conclusion from a new simulation study published in the Lancet Planetary Health.

Reducing intake of processed meat products like bacon, salami and corned beef by a third could prevent more than 350,000 cases of diabetes in the US over 10 years, according to researchers from the University of Edinburgh.

Cutting down on meat

                                                                                              Credit: iStock

To simulate a reduction in meat consumption, the research group constructed a “microsimulation” from data taken from two versions of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, one conducted between 2015–2016 and one conducted between 2017–2018. All 8,665 survey participants had given at least two dietary recall responses (recalling all food and beverages they’d consumed in the previous 24 hours).

The researchers then multiplied the participants’ baseline risks by relative risks associated with individual processed meat consumption, sourced from a meta-analysis on type 2 diabetes, a meta-analysis on colorectal cancer and a combined analysis of six US cohort studies for cardiovascular disease.

At baseline, the researchers found that the average participant ate 29.1 grams of processed meat daily. Mean baseline daily unprocessed red meat consumption was 46.7 grams.

Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that the average intake of processed meat is 17 grams per day.

The rest of the average US participants’ diets were characterized by high daily intakes of refined grains and added sugars, and low daily intakes of whole grains and vegetables.

By extrapolating their survey findings across the US, the University of Edinburgh team estimated that a 30% reduction in processed meat intake alone could lead to 352,900 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 92,500 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, 53,300 fewer cases of colorectal cancer and 16,700 fewer all-cause deaths during a 10-year period.

In this scenario, white males and those with an annual household income between $25,000 and $55,000 were found to experience the greatest health benefits from such a meat reduction – likely due to the relatively high processed meat intake of males, on average, when compared to females in the US.

The researchers also analysed the impacts of reducing unprocessed red meat intake alone and cutting consumption of both processed meat and unprocessed red meat.

According to the microsimulation, reducing only the consumption of unprocessed red meat by 30% – the equivalent of around one less quarter-pound beef burger a week – resulted in more than 732,000 fewer diabetes cases, 291,500 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 32,200 fewer colorectal cancer cases.

This greater reduction in disease reflects the higher average intake of unprocessed red meat.

A reduction in both meat types by 30% resulted in 1,073,400 fewer diabetes cases, 382,400 fewer cardiovascular disease cases and 84,400 fewer colorectal cancer cases.

Less meat, more health

Despite the caveats that come with such a data simulation, the researchers say their results help substantiate the growing health and environmental arguments for diets consisting of less meat.

“Cutting consumption of meat has been recommended by national and international organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the Climate Change Committee here in the UK and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC,” said Professor Lindsay Jaacks, personal chair of Global Health and Nutrition at the University of Edinburgh and co-author of the study.

“Our research finds that these changes in diets could also have significant health benefits in the US, and so this is a clear win-win for people and planet.” 

 

Reference: Kennedy J, Alexander P, Smith Taillie L, Jaacks LM. Estimated effects of reductions in processed meat consumption and unprocessed red meat consumption on occurrences of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and mortality in the USA: a microsimulation study. The Lanc. Plane. Heal. 2024. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00118-9

https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/to-prevent-diabetes-and-colorectal-cancer-americans-could-cut-down-on-processed-meat-say-388444 

TRICARE Tips for Managing Diabetes and Your Oral Health

From newsroom.tricare.mil

Diabetes is a common condition in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 38 million American adults currently have diabetes.

“Even though diabetes is common, many people don’t know about its connection to oral health,” said Douglas Elsesser, a program analyst with the Dental Program Section of the TRICARE Health Plan. “Uncontrolled diabetes can negatively affect your oral health in many ways.”

If you have diabetes, it’s important to keep it under control. Here are some examples of how diabetes can affect your oral health:

• Reduced saliva production. Saliva helps clean bacteria and neutralize acids that cause tooth decay. Having less saliva increases your risk for cavities.
• Rapid bacteria growth. High blood sugar levels allow bacteria in the mouth to multiply quickly. Oral bacteria causes gum disease and other infections.
• Increased plaque build-up. Plaque is a film of bacteria that sticks to teeth. Unchecked diabetes increases plaque build-up. This increases your risk for gum disease.
• Decreased ability to fight infections. People with diabetes are more prone to gingivitis and advanced gum disease. These infections can destroy gum tissue and bone, leading to tooth loss.

Poor oral health also makes diabetes harder to manage. Gum disease causes inflammation, which can spike blood sugar levels, which is a concern for people with diabetes.

To properly care for your oral health, you can adopt these practices:

• Brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily.
• Seek treatment right away if you show any signs of gum disease. Early signs of gum disease include swollen gums, gums that bleed easily, and bad breath that won’t go away.
• Coordinate treatment with your dentist and physician.
• Quit smoking and using tobacco.
• Limit the amount of sugar you eat and drink.
• Chew sugar-free gum to increase saliva flow.

https://newsroom.tricare.mil/News/TRICARE-News/Article/3826414/tricare-tips-for-managing-diabetes-and-your-oral-health 

Type 2 Diabetes Patients Can Benefit from AI-Powered Nudges: Report

From aha.org

Getting type 2 diabetes patients to go the last mile in changing behaviours has the potential to improve their blood glucose numbers significantly over time. The issue is how to do it effectively and consistently.

Personalized artificial intelligence(AI)-powered health nudges could be part of the solution, according to a recent report from telehealth provider Teladoc Health.

The report states that patient engagement tripled and A1C numbers decreased by 0.4 points, according to new data that the telehealth provider presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 84th scientific sessions.

In addition, Teladoc members with diabetes who received weekly emails with personalized next-best actions powered by predictive modelling were 50% more likely to engage with a health coach.

The study was conducted over nine months and shows a clear connection between program engagement and improved clinical outcomes, Teladoc states. The data show that patients who had been identified as at risk for uncontrolled diabetes who received personalized notifications through their mobile or cellular devices reduced their A1C levels from an average of 8.2% to 7.8%.

The findings come on the heels of an earlier study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research that demonstrated Teladoc Health’s ability to proactively identify a person at risk for uncontrolled outcomes more than a year in advance of using AI.

That study also showed that dedicated coaching can improve diabetes control. In the study, Teladoc evaluated how tailored email content can be used to increase one-on-one coaching in digital programs for type 2 diabetes patients. The newsletters used predictive models to suggest the next-best action (coaching, digital activities, etc.) for patients to manage their conditions based on members’ engagement with Teladoc Health’s services.

Members who received personalized next-best actions, powered by predictive modelling, in their enhanced weekly email were 50% more likely to engage in coaching services, compared with those who received the standard newsletter.

The Teladoc studies run counter to a Peterson Health Technology Institute analysis released in March that found digital diabetes management tools fail to deliver meaningful health benefits to patients while increasing spending.

https://www.aha.org/aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2024-07-02-type-2-diabetes-patients-can-benefit-ai-powered-nudges-report 

Can We Make Conversations About Diabetes Complications Less Scary?

From diatribe.org

Key takeaways

• People with diabetes revealed how conversations around diabetes-related complications made them feel in a diaTribe and dQ&A study presented at ADA.
• Participants reported that kidney and eye complications as well as amputations were the complications that caused the most fear.
• Those surveyed also stressed that these discussions could be improved if healthcare professionals implemented better communication, such as avoiding fear-based messaging.

At the 2024 ADA conference in Orlando, Florida, diaTribe and market research firm dQ&A presented a poster detailing a study that looked at the types of conversations that people with diabetes and their healthcare team are having around diabetes-related complications.

The goal was to understand what these conversations looked like in the clinic, including how they made people with diabetes feel – and how to improve them. 

In 2023, 42 people with diabetes were recruited to participate in the study. Participants were split into three groups: 21% were people with type 1, 38% were people with type 2 diabetes using insulin, and 41% were people with type 2 diabetes not using insulin.

Each of the groups took part in a five-day online discussion board where they answered survey questions with written and video responses and commented on each other’s answers.

What were the study results?

Following the study, researchers discovered that how these conversations made people with diabetes feel depended on several factors.

Three types of diabetes-related complications stood out as particularly scary for many people with diabetes: kidney complications, eye complications, and limb amputations. While much of this fear was attributed to the fear of losing independence or normalcy, these complications were also associated with extremely negative interactions with a healthcare provider.

Participants reported that healthcare teams sometimes used fear-based approaches to motivate them to change their behaviours, such as cautioning them about the potential for blindness, dialysis, and amputation if they weren’t able to improve their diabetes management. 

In addition, healthcare professionals often used language depicting “loss.” For example, they mentioned the risk of “losing eyesight” or “losing a limb,” which led to emotional distress.

Other language choices, such as “kidney failure,” made participants feel as though it was their fault or that they were a personal failure. These interactions often left participants feeling frustrated, hurt, angry, depressed, sad, and intimidated, not empowered.

Why is this study important?

The results showed that some healthcare professionals are allowing stigmatizing and fear-based language and messaging to seep into their conversations with people with diabetes. 

This is a real problem. We know that while diabetes-related complications can be very frightening, the conversations that people have with their healthcare team shouldn’t leave them feeling hopeless. diaTribe’s complications resources highlight many of the actionable steps that people with diabetes can take to lower their risk and even prevent future complications.

This research makes a case for improving interactions with healthcare teams. In response to the survey, participants shared these suggestions to improve their conversations with providers:

• Creating a collaborative and empathetic environment that gives equal weight to the lived experience of each person with diabetes.
• Prioritizing respect, education, and personalization when it comes to discussing diabetes-related complications. This means meeting people with diabetes where they are and providing as much information as possible in a compassionate and respectful way.
• Avoiding the use of fear-based imagery and messaging. 

Rather, healthcare providers should empower people with easy-to-understand and actionable steps and use language that is neutral, non-judgmental, and based on facts, actions, or biology.

Even though experts have called for a shift toward language that is person-centred, respectful, inclusive, and strength-based, there is a lack of clear guidance on how to address specific topics in diabetes care such as complications.

We hope this research begins to shine a light on this issue and encourages healthcare professionals to understand how to best talk about a topic like complications that can be confusing and frightening for many people with diabetes.

These recommendations continue to build on the work addressing diabetes stigma such as the Pledge to End Diabetes Stigma, and diaTribe’s dStigmatize program.

https://diatribe.org/understanding-diabetes/can-we-make-conversations-about-diabetes-complications-less-scary 

Three early signs of Type 2 diabetes you should be on the look out for

From msn.com

There is a chance that you could have Type 2 diabetes without being aware of it, so looking out for these three early signs could be your best bet.

The reason behind this is that some of the symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell, so you may not associate them with being sick. 

Here are three symptoms that you should keep an eye out for if you're in any way concerned you may be at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The Health Service Executive in Ireland has listed a number of symptoms that you could show signs of Type 2 diabetes.

• feeling thirsty all the time - drinking excessive amounts of liquids or unable to quench your thirst
• peeing more than usual, particularly at night
• feeling tired, lack of energy, sleeping more than usual

They also said to be wary of losing weight without trying to, which is in fact a sign of a number of other sicknesses, so that in particular is a concerning sign.

There are also a number of people who may be most at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, including people over the age of 45, obese people, or those with a family member who has diabetes.

This list includes:

• are physically inactive - for example, if you take less than 30 minutes of physical activity most days
• have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides
• have a history of heart disease
• have a medical condition that requires long-term steroid use

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/three-early-signs-of-type-2-diabetes-you-should-be-on-the-look-out-for/ar-BB1hKaui?item=flights%3Aprg-tipsubsc-v1a&ocid=windirect

These diets could reduce CVD risk for adults with type 1 diabetes

From healio.com

• The Mediterranean and DASH diets emphasize plant-based foods, lean protein and healthy fat intake.
• The diets were associated with changes in blood markers of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

CHICAGO — For adults with type 1 diabetes, the Mediterranean and DASH diets could help reduce the risk for CVD, according to research presented at NUTRITION.

Both diets emphasize plant-based foods, lean proteins, healthy fats and low intake of sugars and processed foods, Arpita Basu, PhD, RD, an associate professor in the department of kinesiology and nutrition sciences at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and colleagues reported.

“Type 1 diabetes increases the risk of developing CVD, which raises the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes and other serious health complications,” Basu said in a press release. “We wanted to find out how people’s regular eating habits affected blood inflammatory markers that predict CVD risk in adults with type 1 diabetes.”

The researchers conducted a 6-year study including 1,255 adults — 692 without diabetes and 563 with type 1 diabetes. They used a food frequency questionnaire to calculate nutrient intake over the study period and assess how well the participants adhered to the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and the alternative healthy eating index (AHEI), which are commonly used in CVD management.

For adults with type 1 diabetes, the Mediterranean and DASH diets could help reduce the risk for CVD, according to research presented at NUTRITION. Image: Adobe Stock

They additionally analyzed blood markers that they said clinicians often use to determine inflammation and CVD risk: C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, homocysteine (Hcy) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1).

“Both DASH and Mediterranean diets revealed protective associations, which means these dietary patterns can make a difference when consumed regularly,” Basu said. “Our findings are more practical than those from clinical studies of these diets because those usually manipulate dietary behaviour in a way that may not be sustainable in daily life.”

The researchers found that adults with type 1 diabetes typically consume a high-fat diet, which they said was mostly a result of reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing animal protein foods that are high in cholesterol and saturated fats.

After adjustment for age, BMI, sex, physical activity, BP and more, those who adhered most closely to the Mediterranean and DASH diets had lower PAI-1 and Hcy levels, but the AHEI diet showed no connections.

“There is an urgent need to address dietary quality in adults with type 1 diabetes,” Basu said. “In a clinical setting, assessing dietary intakes using the DASH and Mediterranean dietary checklists could be an effective way to identify gaps and improve intakes. Specific foods that are part of these dietary patterns, such as olives and nuts in the Mediterranean diet, could be added to the diet even if the entire diet cannot be altered.”

https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20240630/these-diets-could-reduce-cvd-risk-for-adults-with-type-1-diabetes