March 2007

News

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March 2007

Better Diabetes Awareness Doesn't Equal Better Habits for Some Blacks

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 30, 2007

(Health Behavior News Service) African-Americans who have family members with diabetes are more aware of the disease’s risk factors--but that awareness may not lead to a healthier lifestyle.
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Job Strain Increases Obesity Risk
ADA Diabetes E-News Now -- March 29, 2007

Being stressed out at work can make you fat, a new study suggests. The more job strain men and women reported, the more likely they were to become obese, Dr. Eric J. Brunner of the Royal Free and University College London Medical School and colleagues found. Higher stress levels were also tied to excess fat around the middle, which is particularly harmful for health.
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Sedentary Behavior Linked to High Blood Sugar

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 29, 2007

(Reuters) People who tend to be sedentary -- as indicated by the amount of time they spend watching television -- are likely to have high levels of glucose in their blood, even though they may not be diabetic.

Smokers Take More Sick Leave, Make Poorer Workers
Health Behavior News Digest -- March 29, 2007

(Bloomberg) Smokers take an additional eight days of sick leave a year and are more likely to perform poorly in the workplace compared with non-smokers, according to two new studies published today.

Doctor’s Office Nurses Help People Manage Depression, But Who Pays?

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 28, 2007

(HBNS) Nurse care managers nearly double the likelihood of significant improvement among depressed patients, according to strong evidence in a new review of studies.

Patients Say Drug Leaflets Are Hard to Read, Understand
Health Behavior News Digest -- March 28, 2007

(HBNS) Patients report that leaflets provided with prescription drugs do not meet their needs, according to a new systematic review. Instead, poor layout and complex language often hinder communication.

Dietary Patterns Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 357 March 28, 2007
Avoiding meats and fatty foods and eating lots of salads and cooked vegetables appears to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to study findings.
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Just 15 Minutes of Physical Activity Lowers Kids' Risk of Obesity and Diabetes

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 357 March 28, 2007
Even an extra 15 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous running, jumping, or kicking a ball can dramatically cut the risk of childhood obesity, according to researchers.
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Soft Drinks Associated with Diabetes, New Report

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 357 March 28, 2007
A review of published studies shows a clear and consistent relationship between drinking sugary (non-diet) soft drinks and poor nutrition, increased risk for obesity -- and increased risk for diabetes.

'Clean' Children At Greater Risk Of Diabetes

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 357 March 28, 2007
Better hygiene and clean environmental living conditions lead to a greater risk of diabetes in children, according to a new study.

Belly Fat Drives Inflammatory Processes Associated with Diabetes

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 357 March 28, 2007
Fat in the belly may promote inflammation leading to diabetes and heart disease, say researchers.

American Diabetes Alert® Day

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The American Diabetes Alert® is an annual, one-day call-to-action held on the fourth Tuesday of March for people to find out if they are at risk for diabetes. The Alert's goal is to raise the awareness that diabetes is serious, you can have diabetes and not even know it, and that taking the Risk Test is an easy way to find out if you are at risk for diabetes.

Patient Illiteracy Threatens Health Care

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 26, 2007
(USA Today) Miscommunications between patients and health care providers are increasing the chances that people who need medical care will be hurt or killed in the process, according to a report from a health care accreditation group...

Exercising With Peers Has Added Appeal

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 22, 2007
(Health Behavior News Service) It’s more enjoyable to exercise with people your own age. A new study in the April issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine has found if given a choice of exercising alone, with people younger or older or with people their same age, most adults would rather exercise with others in their own age group.

Some Doctors Balk at Inhaled Insulin
Health Behavior News Digest -- March 22, 2007

(Associated Press) Pfizer's stab at giving diabetics insulin without needles is getting more praise than prescriptions so far. Exubera, a powdered form inhaled through a special device, was introduced last year in a targeted launch to specialists, a debut analysts deemed disappointing. While doctors applaud Pfizer Inc.'s effort to find a new way to deliver insulin, some are concerned about the drug's long-term effects on the lungs, cost and insurance coverage.

Replacing Red Meat With Soy Improves Metabolic Syndrome

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 356 March 21, 2007
Soy as a replacement for red meat in a DASH eating plan had beneficial effects on features of the metabolic syndrome, soy-nut being more effective than soy-protein.
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Activity Levels Key to Childhood Obesity
Health Behavior News Digest -- March 21, 2007

(HealthDay News) Low levels of activity -- especially a lack of moderate and vigorous exercise -- play an important role in the development of childhood obesity, says a British study that compared the amount of fat in children to their levels of physical activity.

States Push Online Fitness Programs

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 19, 2007
(Associated Press) … With obesity worsening across the nation, a growing number of states like Indiana are launching online initiatives to combat residents' expanding waistlines.

Americans Not Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 16, 2007
(USA Today) Despite mom's good advice, most of us aren't eating our fruits and vegetables, at least not enough of them, according to a large government study released Thursday.

Obese More Likely to Be Kept in the Hospital After Stroke

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 14, 2007
(HealthDay News) Obese people are much less likely than lean patients to be discharged directly home from a hospital after being treated for ischemic stroke (reduced or blocked blood flow to the brain), a U.S. study finds.

Health Care Spending in the U.S. Will Double in 10 Years

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 355 March 14, 2007
Diabetes will be a primary contributor to the amount of money people spend on health care in the United States, which is likely to double over the next 10 years - from $2.1 trillion to $4 trillion - according to a new report published in an online edition of Health Affairs.
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New Study Shows That Low Carb Diets Are Healthier Then Critics Contended

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 355 March 14, 2007
Premenopausal women who were assigned to follow the Atkins diet for one year lost more weight and improved their glucose, lipids and blood pressure, when compared to women who were assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish and LEARN diets, according to a study in the March 7 issue of JAMA.
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Strong Evidence Links Soft Drink Consumption to, Diabetes

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 355 March 14, 2007
Those who consumed one or more soft drinks per day were twice as likely as those who consumed less than one per month to develop diabetes.
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Walking: It's Good for Everything

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 12, 2007
(Los Angeles Times) A simple, brisk stroll has more benefits than you might think, and it's an easier sell than the high-velocity programs of the '70s.

Diabetes: A Growing Problem in Newly-Rich Asia

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 12, 2007
(Reuters) … a newly-affluent Asian middle class is splurging after centuries of deprivation, shaking off a diet traditionally high in vegetables and rice and low in meat and opting instead for food loaded with saturated fat.

Physically Fit May Produce Less of Harmful, Stress-Related Chemicals

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 8, 2007
(USA Today) People who are physically fit may be protected from damaging artery inflammation that flares up during times of mental stress, a pioneering study reports today.

The research is believed to be the first to examine how aerobic fitness affects the release of chemicals linked to damaging inflammation in adults who are stressed.

Strong Evidence Links Soft Drink Consumption to Obesity, Diabetes

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 7, 2007
(Health Behavior News Service) The case against swigging soda just got stronger. A review of 88 studies finds strong evidence to reduce population consumption of soft drinks, while the American Beverage Association says the U.S. obesity problem can’t be linked to any one food product or beverage.

Diabetes-Related Eye Disorder Signals Stroke Risk

Diabetes In Control Newsletter Issue 354 March 7, 2007
Damage to the retina that sometimes comes with diabetes is associated with an increased risk of having a stroke, researchers report.
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Obesity Surgery Triples Among U.S. Teens

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 6, 2007
(Associated Press) The number of U.S. children having obesity surgery has tripled in recent years, surging at a pace that could mean more than 1,000 such operations this year, new research suggests. While the procedure is still far more common in adults, it appears to be slightly less risky in teens, according to an analysis of data on 12- to 19-year-olds who had obesity surgery from 1996 through 2003.

Childhood Obesity Triggers Early Puberty

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 5, 2007
(Reuters) Childhood obesity in the United States appears to be causing girls to reach puberty at an earlier age, for reasons that are not clear, a study said on Monday.

Canada Diabetes Epidemic Predicts Worse for World

Health Behavior News Digest -- March 2, 2007
(Reuters) Rates of diabetes in Canada's most populous province have already zoomed past what was predicted for 2030, which suggests the global epidemic will be far worse than feared, researchers reported on Thursday.

Panel Agrees on Whom to Test, How to Treat Pre-Diabetes
ADA Diabetes E-News Now -- March 1, 2007

People who have pre-diabetes should undergo intensive lifestyle interventions, and possibly drug therapy, to reduce their risk of developing diabetes, as well as their long-term risk for developing diabetic complications, according to a consensus statement being published in the March issue of Diabetes Care.

Last update: 4/2/07