Views From the Field of Diabetes Management. Gary Scheiner MS, CDE. Parking If you take insulin or diabetes pills, be careful hypoglycemia may result. …
Winter, 1999
Control Solutions
News and Views From the Field of Diabetes Management
Gary Scheiner MS, CDE
Parking Notice
The neighbors have asked that we keep the driveway clear All patients are
asked to kindly park in the street If no space is available on Upland
Rd, please use Old Lancaster or Edgehill Rd
Zamboni Heaven
The Youth Activities Committee of the American Diabetes Association will be
holding a FREE thats right, free Family Skating Party on Monday,
December 30th from 6-9 pm at Warwick Twin Rinks in Warwick, PA The rink
has graciously donated skate rentals and use of the ice to the ADA for the
evening Reservations are required - call the ADA office at 610-828-5003
New Product Focus:
B-D Short Needles
Becton Dickinson recently introduced Short Needles now isnt that a
creative name?, syringes whose needles are about 35 shorter than those on
traditional insulin syringes They are available in 30, 50 and 100 unit
sizes
Clinical trials showed no differences in blood sugar control among lean
individuals who
switched from the old syringes to the short needles But
as you can imagine, the pain factor was reduced dramatically, and the
chances of accidentally giving insulin into muscle are minimized as well
Injecting into muscle rather than fat changes the absorption of the
insulin, causing a quick low blood sugar followed by hyperglycemia several
hours later
On the downside, overweight and obese individuals you know who you are
did showed a worsening in blood sugar control after switching to the short
needles This is because insulin given with short needles takes longer to
reach the bloodstream in people with a great deal of body fat, and
ultimately is slower and less effective at lowering blood sugar levels
Research Update
Researchers at Penn have discovered that the Thymus gland located in the
base of the neck offers special protection against immune responses They
have been successful at placing islet cells insulin-producing cells in
the thymus of small animals, and are now moving up to larger mammals
Research Participants Wanted
The Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston is studying a rare form of diabetes
called MODY maturity onset diabetes of youth They are looking for
people
with an extensive family history of diabetes and who were treated
with pills or diet but not insulin before age 35 Participation involves
a blood test, urine sample, glucose tolerance test and questionnaire
Participants will be paid If interested, call 1-800-250-7345
Raise Three Grand, Lie ErRun In The Sand
Thats the theme for the VICTORY RUN, an event sponsored by the JDF
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation chapter in Philadelphia All who
participate in the 5k/10k run or walk will receive a free 4-day, 3-night
vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico - including airfare, meals, participation
in the run itself held at the Naval Base in Puerto Rico and
accommodations at the luxurious El San Juan Resort, a 4-star hotel/casino
A minimum of 3000 in donations must be raised per participant, but dont
be intimidated The JDF fund raising team has helped people ages 8 to 80
raise much more than that And best of all, yours truly Gary Scheiner is
serving as the VICTORY RUN chairperson and coach
The VICTORY RUN is open to a limited number of people, so call today for a
start-up packet Its for a great cause, and I guarantee a great time for
everyone who joins us Contact Betsy in the JDF office,
610-664-9255
A Chromium Connection?
Chomium is a mineral found in the diet Among its many functions, chromium
is involved in the insulin-induced movement of glucose into cells While
the exact role of chromium is unclear, it is likely that chromium is either
involved in the binding of insulin to its receptor on the cell surface
ie helping the key find its way into the door, or with the chain of
reactions that take place after insulin has attached to the receptor ie
welcoming the glucose in once the cell door is open
For years, there has been a great deal of debate over the use of chromium
supplements in the treatment of diabetes In several cases, people with
Type-II diabetes have seen improvements in their blood sugar control while
using a supplement called chromium picolonate However, many people have
seen no improvement whatsoever
Researchers believe that chormium supplements will only help those who are
deficient in chromium to begin with Now, heres the fun part There is
no way to accurately measure the amount of chromium in the body But this
much is known:
1 Most people on calorie-restricted diets are not receiving adequate
amounts of chromium from food
sources
2 Studies have shown that the benefits of chromium are dose-dependent:
1000 micrograms 1 milligram produces better results than 200
micrograms
3 There is currently no evidence showing harmful effects toxicity from
large doses of chromium But then again, you never know what mega-doses
can do
Given these facts, it makes sense for people with Type-II diabetes
especially those who are overweight to try a modest chromium supplement
500-1000 micrograms, or at least add chromium-rich foods such as broccoli
and mushrooms to their diet Be sure to monitor your blood sugar
frequently to see if chromium makes a difference If you take insulin or
diabetes pills, be careful - hypoglycemia may result
Foods rich in chromium include mushrooms, broccoli and wheat germ Organ
meats liver, kidney, brain and processed meats contain large amounts of
chromium, but they also tend to be chock full of saturated fat and
cholesterol
Pumpin Around
Sorry, Dave Control Solutions picked this up before you could get to it
From the home office in Merion, PA:
TOP-10 BENEFITS OF WEARING AN INSULIN PUMP
drum roll, please
10 Able to sleep late on weekends
9 Good blood sugar
readings when you first get up
8 No more wacky, unpredictable peaks from NPH, Lente and Ultralente
insulins
7 You choose when you want to eat
6 Ability to manage blood sugars effectively during any kind of sport -
even spelunking
5 Can get out of boring meetings by setting off pumps beeper
4 Makes a cool conversation topic at parties the chicks really dig
cool scientific stuff
3 Allows for fasting on religious holidays
2 Can give insulin at restaurants without looking like a junkie
1 Temporary basal rate permits hours of uninterrupted heavy breathing
Interested in meeting other pump wearers?
Send me your name, address and phone number A possible get-together is in
the works
Q: What do you call a studio filled with insulin pump wearers?
A: The Pump Room sorry bout that
To All My Patients and Colleagues:
Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season
Thumbs Up
Congratulations to the following IDS patients:
- Melissa Bernett, for lowering her Hemoglobin A1c from 88 to 78
- Maggi Boyer, for lowering her Hemoglobin A1c from 103 to 8
- Bill King, for completing the Philadelphia Marathon
- Mickey Konowal, for becoming 42 stonger
- Sid Leabman, for
losing 10 lbs of pure body fat
- Allyson Legnini, for being the top fund raiser in the JDF Walk for
the Cure
- Dick Martin, for completing the MS 150 City-to-Shore Bike Ride
- Sonia Seifert, for winning a national dance competition
- Dave Thomas, for losing 10 lbs after going on the pump
And to all my patients who worked hard to improve their diabetes control,
keep vital organs and bodily parts in good working order, and live life to
the fullest: Keep up the great work
—————————————————
Control Solutions is published quarterly by Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE -
Integrated Diabetes Services Call for information or assistance with the
following:
Day-to-Day Blood Sugar Management
Carbohydrate Counting FLEXIBLE Dietary Plans
Diabetes Control During Sports Exercise
Insulin Pump Jet Injection Therapy
Tests Tips for Preventing Complications
Travel, Dining Out Sick-Day Management
Family Education/Training
212 Upland Rd, Merion, PA 19066
Phone/Fax: 610-667-1957
1996, Gary Scheiner MS, CDE
Source:idf.org
