Monday, March 11, 2013

Forest Bathing, Getting Your Mind Right, And Why I’m Manly

Friday, Friday, Friday. . . and that means I’m spreading the link love.  Here are my most recent favorites:

Damn right I’m manly.  How else would I get interviewed by The Art Of Manliness?  Check it out: My Interview With ArtOfManliness.com.

What the hell is Forest Bathing?  To check out what Mark Sisson has to say about it, click here.

You know you are on the right path when you can tell stories like this. . .  Be …

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Thursday, March 7, 2013

6 Exercises for Women to Get a Killer Six Pack

abs-workout-for-women-4

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to start sculpting those killer abs. Waiting until your pedicured feet have hit the sidewalk in sandals when the weather is nice is too late, those slick and sculptured abs take time to pop out from under a layer of winter sins, so you are going to need at least 6 weeks to kick start those washboard abs. Here are 6 moves you are going to need to do …

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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Lack of Sleep Disrupts Genes

By Peter Russell
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Keith Barnard, MD

man dragging from bed in morning

March 1, 2013 -- Sleeping fewer than six hours for several nights in a row affects hundreds of genes responsible for keeping us in good health, says a new study.

Research led by the U.K.'s Surrey Sleep Research Centre found that people who were subjected to sleep deprivation for a week underwent changes at a molecular level that could affect their well-being.

Sleep disorders are common in industrialized countries, with about 10% to 20% of the U.S. and European population reporting they often don’t get a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep and disrupting the sleep-wake cycle are known to have a damaging effect on health, but the reasons behind this remain largely unexplored.

Laboratory Sleep Tests

The small study involved 14 healthy men and 12 healthy women who were allowed to sleep under laboratory conditions for 5.7 hours one week and 8.5 hours another week.

After each seven-day period, researchers collected and looked at blood samples that included RNA, or ribonucleic acid, from each person. The major type of RNA is called messenger RNA, and this plays a vital role in making proteins. These samples allowed the researchers to examine what happens to the RNA in the blood, brain, and liver.

Professor Derk-Jan Dijk and his colleagues found that volunteers who got less than six hours of sleep each night over the course of a week had changes to 711 RNA genes linked to inflammation, the ability to fight disease, and stress. These changes might have an impact on obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and brain function.

The findings appear in the journal PNAS.

Obesity and Diabetes

Professor Jim Horne from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University says people shouldn’t be alarmed by the study results. 

"The potential perils of 'sleep debt' in today’s society and the need for 'eight hours of sleep a night’ are overplayed and can cause undue concern," Horne says. "Although this important study seems to support this concern, the participants had their sleep suddenly restricted to an unusually low level, which must have been somewhat stressful." 

"We must be careful not to generalize such findings to, say, habitual six-hour sleepers who are happy with their sleep,” he says.  “Besides, sleep can adapt to some change, and should also be judged on its quality, not simply on its total amount."

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Colonoscopy Cuts Advanced Cancer Risk by 70 Percent: Study

Colonoscopy May Cut Advanced Cancer Risk by 70%


WebMD News from HealthDay

Expert says annual fecal blood test is equally

By Barbara Bronson Gray

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that getting screening colonoscopies may reduce the risk of developing advanced colon cancer.

In average-risk people, screening colonoscopies were associated with a 70 percent reduction in risk for new, late-stage colon cancer, including hard-to-detect cancers on the right side of the colon. Advanced colon cancer is the least curable form.

Although colonoscopy is widely used as a screening test for colon cancer, there is little research that proves it is effective in reducing colon cancer deaths, according to the study authors. The researchers wanted to answer a simple question: If you ended up with late-stage cancer, were you more or less likely to have had a screening colonoscopy as many as 10 years before the disease was discovered?

The study authors also wanted to show whether a colonoscopy is able to evaluate the entire colon, including the right side, which is harder to adequately cleanse before the test, more difficult to reach, and often has pre-cancerous areas that are tougher to spot and identify.

"Colonoscopy has the ability to identify both left- and right-sided colon cancers before they have progressed to an advanced stage," said lead study author Dr. Chyke Doubeni, associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The researchers also discovered that screening sigmoidoscopy, a less costly procedure that enables a physician to look at the part of the large intestine closest to the rectum, was linked to a significant reduction in late-stage disease in most of the large intestine, but not in the right colon.

However, the study does not show that colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is better than the much easier, far less expensive "fecal occult blood test" (FOBT), which is done at home by swiping a tiny amount of stool onto a card for three days, said Doubeni. "There is strong evidence showing the effectiveness of the [fecal occult blood test] when done annually. There is no reason, based on the knowledge we currently have, that you should switch to a colonoscopy if you're getting a FOBT every year," said Doubeni.

If simpler tests are effective, why are patients encouraged to undergo a colonoscopy? "Let me just say there are other factors beyond the evidence that are driving the use of colonoscopy in the U.S.," said Doubeni. "No other country uses colonoscopy for screening purposes as much as the United States, although Germany comes close," he noted.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that people 50 to 75 years old be screened for colon cancer in one of three ways: a home fecal occult blood test every year; a sigmoidoscopy every five years combined with a home fecal occult blood test every three years; or a colonoscopy every 10 years.

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Recharge Your Batteries with Power-Sleep

asleep-in-the-weightt-room

Whether you’re pumping iron in the gym or training for a triathlon, you know that there are no fitness gains without proper recovery.  Your resting state is where your muscles make their repairs, and if you’re male, your quality of sleep will affect how much testosterone you generate in your body.

How much sleep do you need? It’s debatable whether a full eight hours are required.  Arnold Schwarzenegger swears you only need six and that if you think you need …

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

Salmonella Risk Prompts Easter Candy Recall

chocolate eggs

March 1, 2013 -- A candy company is recalling some chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs because of possible salmonella contamination.

Zachary Confections, Inc., says its Zachary Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Eggs should be thrown out or returned to the store.

The affected candy was shipped to stores in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Look for this information on the side panel of the product packaging next to the Unit UPC bar code label:

  • Zachary Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Egg Crates in a white, 5-ounce package
  • Unit UPC code: 0 75186 15797 8
  • Code dates: D3245D; D3145E; F3145E; D3245E
  • Best Buy Date: 02/14/14

Zachary says the candy is possibly contaminated with salmonella, but it doesn't say how that might have happened. The bacteria was found during routine testing. Production is on hold until the FDA and the company finds the source.

No one has reported getting sick from the chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs. An infection caused by salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and headache.

Get more details from the FDA.

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Fiscal Standoff Could Cause Financial Pain for Health Care

What Federal Budget Cuts Could Mean to Health Care


WebMD News from HealthDay

Simple swab-based cleansing cut rates of some

By Barbara Bronson Gray

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- "Sequestration" is Washington-speak for the approximately $85 billion in annual federal spending cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011. Those cuts were originally set to take effect on Jan. 1, but were delayed in the deal to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and budget reductions.

But those cuts are set to kick in Friday, with spending reductions coming to a wide range of areas and programs, including health care, defense, education, air travel and agriculture.

Portions of health care and related programs would be somewhat unscathed -- for instance Medicaid, the government-run insurance program for poorer Americans, would be left untouched.

But experts point to three key areas that health-care consumers should be concerned about, not just in the days ahead but as Congressional Republicans and President Barack Obama continue to wrangle over the budget for the next fiscal year starting in October:

  • Hospitals: Decreases in Medicare reimbursement for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities are set to total nearly $4.5 billion, or about $1.3 million for the average facility. Such cuts are expected to result in layoffs, especially of nurses, who represent the largest percentage of employees in hospitals.
  • Physicians: Medicare payments to doctors could drop by as much as 3 percent to 4 percent, according to some estimates, totaling about $4.1 billion. The reduction in revenue could be the last straw for frustrated physicians who may stop accepting Medicare patients -- who tend to be 65 or older -- or decide to retire a little sooner than they had planned.
  • Research: Federal agencies such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are each facing funding cuts of about 5 percent, or about $2.5 billion in all. The reductions could slow FDA reviews of proposed new drugs and medical devices, for example, and curtail some services at the CDC -- such as infection control and immunization. The real impact on research projects, which are typically long-term efforts, is harder to estimate.

While the mandated budget cuts are threatening in the short run, experts said the real challenge lies down the road. For instance, the combination of an increasingly tight federal budget and the growing number of retiring baby boomers could bring the financial challenges facing Medicare -- the government-run insurance program for older Americans -- to a whole new level.

"The real issue that the public should be concerned about is, what do the president and Congress plan to do next [fiscal] year, Oct. 1? They're twiddling their thumbs right now and what we need is a functioning government," said Joseph Antos, a health policy expert with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.

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Ford to Give 100 Fiestas to Social Media Influencers

Ford Fiesta Movement

The search has begun for “Fiesta Agents” in the latest version of the Fiesta Movement. For the 2014 Ford Fiesta, they’re going all out to get user-generated content that truly exemplifies the sporty sub-compact, offering the car, gas, and insurance to 100 agents who can prove that they’d be the best agents in the world through a video submission.

This will be the third Fiesta Movement. The first two were well-received by both bloggers and the automotive industry. This one hopes to expand on that success and translate it into increased sales for the inexpensive vehicle in a highly competitive segment.

Fiesta Movement

To apply, one only needs to tell their story in a video. Ford will likely select people who are true social media influencers – those with a blog, strong Twitter and Facebook presence, or a great YouTube channel. They say that they’ll be going based upon the merits of the video but they’ll surely look at the applicants’ reach when determining who to put in the drivers’ seats of their micro-flagship.

Check out the video that is calling all “car freaks, tech geeks, music makers, picture takers, wordsmiths of the world wide web, and social media maestros whose friends list could form a small country” to join the movement. It’s “A Social Remix” for the automotive industry.

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Why NoFollow Should Only Be Used on Content You Don’t Control

NoFollow

The idea of the NoFollow attribute on links was to help prevent spam from appearing on user generated content sites, particularly Wikipedia. It was intended as a way to tell Google (and eventually all major search engines) that a link was not supposed to transfer any “link juice” to the recipient of the link. In essence, it was designed to stop SEO spammers from trying to insert their links where they didn’t belong for the sake of improved rankings.

It has become an abused attribute. This needs to stop.

Modern use of nofollow by many websites is to prevent link juice “leakage” from a website onto other websites. Many put the attribute on any link that isn’t internal. Some go so far as to put it on every link, internal or external. This is ludicrous.

There may be some merits to the idea that leaking PageRank juice to others is a detriment to the optimization of a website, but if there is, it’s minimal. I’ve seen websites that have a completely closed nofollow policy that doesn’t “leak” any juice at all that have major troubles ranking and I’ve seen sites (such as all of my sites) that rank exceptionally well while giving link value to everyone.

There are exceptions. UGC, as mentioned before, should have nofollow attributes attached to links that are not vetted. If it’s a UGC site that passes through the eyes and scrutiny of an editor, the nofollow attribute isn’t necessary. If it goes live immediate, it’s necessary.

Comments or other areas where links can be added by anyone should also be nofollow. Some use plugins like CommentLuv to encourage comments by making links followed. This is up to site owner and as long as the comments and links are vetted I have no problem with it at all. If the links in comments aren’t vetted, I don’t suggest it.

Otherwise, there should never be nofollow links on websites. If a link is good enough to post, it’s good enough to get juice. Trying to sculpt or channel your link juice is futile, ineffective, and an argument can be made that it’s actually more damaging than good.

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Tattoos Can Pose Health Hazards, Doctor Warns

Tattoos Can Pose Health Hazards, Doctor Warns


WebMD News from HealthDay

FDA says removal of inked body art is painstaking

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Tattoos have become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years, but along with that comes a rise in problems such as allergic reactions and infections, an expert says.

More than one-third of Americans aged 18 to 25 report getting a tattoo, according to the Pew Research Center. But if you're thinking about getting "inked," there are some things to consider before you head to the tattoo parlor.

"Since tattoos are not regulated in any way, there are many unknowns that could pose potential problems for consumers in terms of the inks and tools used," Dr. Michi Shinohara, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Washington in Seattle, said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release.

"It is especially important for consumers to be aware of the potential risks, report any problem that develops to the tattoo artist and see a board-certified dermatologist for proper diagnosis and treatment," Shinohara added.

Tattooing inks have changed a great deal over the years and many modern tattoo inks contain organic azo dyes with plastic-based pigments that are also used industrially in printing, textiles and car paint. Many unknowns exist about how these new tattoo inks interact with the skin and within the body.

Allergic reaction to the tattoo pigments is one of the most common problems associated with tattooing. Infections also can pose a serious threat to health. Along with localized bacterial infections, there have been reports of people being infected with syphilis and hepatitis B and C due to non-sterile tattooing practices, Shinohara said.

Skin cancer is another potential risk associated with tattoos because they can make it hard to detect cancer-related changes in moles. If you get a tattoo, make sure it's not placed over an existing mole.

A tattoo can also cause a reaction that creates a bump that resembles a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Because it is hard to distinguish from skin cancer, the bump could lead to potentially unnecessary and expensive skin cancer treatment, including surgery, Shinohara said.

She offered the following advice for people who want to get a tattoo:

  • Go to a professional tattoo parlor and to a tattoo artist who is licensed according to state requirements. Insist on seeing tattoo equipment in sterile packaging.
  • Tell the tattoo artist if you have a reaction. If a problem lasts more than one to two weeks, see a dermatologist.
  • People with a chronic skin condition such as psoriasis, eczema or a tendency toward keloid scarring should check with a dermatologist before getting a tattoo.
  • Do not get a tattoo over a mole. Doing so will make it more difficult to diagnose a problem if the mole changes in the future.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about tattoos and permanent makeup.

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Why NoFollow Should Only Be Used on Content You Don’t Control

NoFollow

The idea of the NoFollow attribute on links was to help prevent spam from appearing on user generated content sites, particularly Wikipedia. It was intended as a way to tell Google (and eventually all major search engines) that a link was not supposed to transfer any “link juice” to the recipient of the link. In essence, it was designed to stop SEO spammers from trying to insert their links where they didn’t belong for the sake of improved rankings.

It has become an abused attribute. This needs to stop.

Modern use of nofollow by many websites is to prevent link juice “leakage” from a website onto other websites. Many put the attribute on any link that isn’t internal. Some go so far as to put it on every link, internal or external. This is ludicrous.

There may be some merits to the idea that leaking PageRank juice to others is a detriment to the optimization of a website, but if there is, it’s minimal. I’ve seen websites that have a completely closed nofollow policy that doesn’t “leak” any juice at all that have major troubles ranking and I’ve seen sites (such as all of my sites) that rank exceptionally well while giving link value to everyone.

There are exceptions. UGC, as mentioned before, should have nofollow attributes attached to links that are not vetted. If it’s a UGC site that passes through the eyes and scrutiny of an editor, the nofollow attribute isn’t necessary. If it goes live immediate, it’s necessary.

Comments or other areas where links can be added by anyone should also be nofollow. Some use plugins like CommentLuv to encourage comments by making links followed. This is up to site owner and as long as the comments and links are vetted I have no problem with it at all. If the links in comments aren’t vetted, I don’t suggest it.

Otherwise, there should never be nofollow links on websites. If a link is good enough to post, it’s good enough to get juice. Trying to sculpt or channel your link juice is futile, ineffective, and an argument can be made that it’s actually more damaging than good.

Enhanced by Zemanta

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Friday, March 1, 2013

Shared Genes May Link ADHD, Autism and Depression

Shared Genes May Link ADHD, Autism, and Depression


WebMD News from HealthDay

Largest study of its kind also found ties to

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may all share common genetic risk factors, a new study says.

In this largest study of its kind, researchers spotted gene variations governing brain function that may raise the risk for these often devastating mental woes. In the future, these gene variants might become key targets for prevention or treatment, the scientists said.

"This study, for the first time, shows that there are specific genetic variants that influence a range of childhood and adult-onset psychiatric disorders that we think of as clinically different," said lead researcher Dr. Jordan Smoller, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

"We also found that there was significant overlap in the genetic components of several disorders, especially schizophrenia with bipolar disorder and depression, and to a lesser extent autism with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder," he said.

The researchers don't yet understand exactly how these variants are involved in the disorders, he noted. "This is the first clue that specific genes and pathways may cause a broader susceptibility to a number of disorders. Now the important work will be to figure out how this actually happens," said Smoller, who is also associate vice chair of the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Alessandro Serretti, from the Psychiatry Institute at the University of Bologna in Italy, wrote an accompanying journal editorial on the study. He believes that "we are now able to understand what are the pathways to [these] psychiatric disorders."

There are potential clinical applications, both in the classification of disorders, predicting who's most at risk, and perhaps new and better drug therapies, Serretti said. However, there's no immediate clinical application for these findings, he added.

The report was published Feb. 28 in the online edition of The Lancet.

To look for common genetic markers, called nucleotide polymorphisms, that might be risk factors for the five disorders, the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium scanned the genes of more than 33,000 people suffering from these disorders and nearly 28,000 people without such issues. This is the largest study of the genetics of psychiatric illness yet conducted, the researchers said.

Smoller's group found four gene areas that all overlapped with the five disorders, two of which regulate calcium balance in the brain.

These overlapping gene variants appear to increase the risk for bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia in adults, the researchers said.

Further analysis found that genes governing calcium channel activity in the brain might also be important in the development of all five disorders, autism and ADHD included.

Smoller noted these genetic risk factors may only account for a very small part of the risk driving these disorders, and just how big a share they account for isn't yet known.

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Interview With Scott Sonnon, Creator Of TacFit Commando

OK, I’ve been talking about TacFit quite a bit lately.  Being former military, the program resonates with me on a level that it might not for others upon first glance.  But I assure you, whether you are fresh off the couch or already “high speed low drag”, TacFit has something for you.  And I know this because I got on the phone with the creator of the program, Scott Sonnon, and grilled him for over 40 minutes.

To listen to …

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12 Ways to Lose Belly Fat

 lose belly fat fast

The amount of fat that we carry around our middles has been slowly increasing over the years as national body shapes have changed from hourglass to apple-like. Belly fat is not exactly attractive so it’s not surprising that so many people are tempted to try weird and wonderful methods to try and lose it. Here are some genuine tips that will help you lose that muffin top and gain a slimmer silhouette.

1. Say no to sit-ups

Isn’t that what …

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Countries With More Sugar in Food Supply Have More Diabetes

More Sugar in Food Supply = More Diabetes


WebMD News from HealthDay

Global study strengthens tie between sweeteners

By Serena Gordon

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- It's a common belief that type 2 diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar. While it's not nearly that simple, a new study bolsters the connection between the disorder and sugar consumption.

The study found that even when researchers factored obesity out, an association still remained between the amount of sugar in the food supply and a country's rate of diabetes.

"The old mantra that 'a calorie is a calorie' is probably naive," said study lead author Dr. Sanjay Basu, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University. "Some calories may be more metabolically harmful than others, and sugar calories appear to have remarkably potent properties that make us concerned about their long-term metabolic effects. This study also suggests that obesity alone may not be the only issue in [the development of] diabetes."

Results of the study are published Feb. 27 in the journal PLoS One.

The prevalence of diabetes in the world has more than doubled over the last 30 years, according to study background information. That means nearly one in 10 adults in the world has diabetes, and most of those have type 2 diabetes. (The less-common type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that's not related to food intake.)

Although the development of type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity and sedentary lifestyles, not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, according to the American Diabetes Association. A genetic susceptibility to the disease is also believed to play a role.

Previous research has suggested that obesity isn't the only driver in the development of type 2 disease, and some studies have pinpointed excessive sugar intake, particularly sugars added to processed foods.

To get an idea of whether sugar plays an independent role in type 2 diabetes, Basu and his colleagues reviewed data from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization on the availability of foods in 175 countries. They also obtained data on the prevalence of diabetes in adults from the International Diabetes Federation.

Using statistical methods to tease out certain factors, such as obesity, the researchers found that the availability of sugar in the diet was linked to diabetes. For every additional 150 calories of sugar -- about the amount in a 12-ounce can of sweetened soda -- that were available per person daily, the prevalence of diabetes rose 1 percent in the population.

And, this rise was independent of obesity, physical activity and other factors that might contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, the investigators found.

But, when the researchers looked at 150 additional calories per person a day from other sources, they found only a 0.1 percent rise in the rate of diabetes.

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8 Ways to kick start a healthy lifestyle

couchpotato

Get off your mother’s couch!! Summer is almost here and if you are like the most of us we’d like to be able to hit the beach and show off our beach bods.  If you are looking for ways to get the ball rolling  here are 8 ways to get yourself motivated and in the healthy lifestyle zone.

1. Set Realistic Goals

Telling yourself you are going to be gracing the cover of that fitness mag in 6 weeks after …

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8 Body Weight Exercises

side-plank-exercise

Body Weight exercises are some of the most powerful and rewarding fitness moves on the planet and the best part is they are completely free of charge as you don’t need any equipment; you can do it in the comfort of your very own home. Here are the top 8 body weight exercises you will need for a full body toning regime.

1. Push Ups

These are great and within a few weeks you will begin to see a difference …

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Artificial Pancreas Worked Overnight on Kids With Type 1 Diabetes

Artificial Pancreas Beats Insulin Pump in Test


WebMD News from HealthDay

Rotavirus infection causes severe

By Serena Gordon

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The artificial pancreas -- a treatment that's been called the closest thing to a possible cure for type 1 diabetes -- may be another step closer to becoming a reality.

Israeli researchers just released the findings from an overnight trial of their artificial pancreas system at three different camps for youngsters with type 1 diabetes. The artificial pancreas system was able to maintain better blood sugar levels, and helped prevent dangerous overnight drops in blood sugar levels, compared to an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor, according to the study.

"There is hope for better control without the fear of [low blood sugar levels], and therefore improvement in quality of life is coming soon," said study author Dr. Moshe Phillip.

Philip is director of the Institute for Endocrinology and Diabetes at the National Center for Childhood Diabetes at the Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, in Tel Aviv. The findings appear in the Feb. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system turns against healthy cells. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks beta cells in the pancreas, effectively destroying the body's ability to produce the hormone insulin. Insulin helps metabolize carbohydrates from food and fuels the body's cells.

Insulin can't be replaced with a pill. It must be injected with a shot or delivered by a pump that uses a tiny catheter inserted under the skin. This catheter must be changed every few days. The problem with both techniques is that people have to estimate how much insulin they'll need based on the foods they eat and how much activity they'll be doing.

Too much insulin can result in low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), which makes a person with diabetes feel awful, and if left untreated, can cause a person to pass out. Low blood sugar levels can even lead to death. Too little insulin leads to high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), which over time can cause serious complications, such as heart disease and kidney and eye problems.

An artificial pancreas could potentially solve those problems by taking over the decision-making process and applying sophisticated computer algorithms to decide how much insulin is needed at any given moment.

But developing such a device isn't easy. It has to be able to continuously detect patients' blood sugar levels and know whether the levels are trending up or down. There also has to be a piece of the device that holds and delivers insulin. Right now, most artificial pancreas devices, including the one tested in this study, use already-available insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Such monitors measure blood sugar levels every few minutes with a sensor that's inserted under the skin, and send the results to a transmitter.

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