There are some diseases other than type 2 diabetes that affect how much insulin you can make, or can actually stop it from working properly. Any of the following diseases can put you at an increased risk of this happening:

1. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas and could be brought on by:

• the result of gallstones. Structure and function of the pancreas is returned to normal following the acute attack
• long-term alcohol use and is characterized by permanent abnormalities of pancreatic function

2. Cystic Fibrosis is a hereditary condition that:

• causes body secretions to be excessively thick
• affects cells in the pancreas

3. Hemochromatosis. A disorder of iron metabolism with:

• excessive deposits of iron in the body tissues
• cirrhosis of the liver
• decreased carbohydrate tolerance
• a build up of iron that gradually damages the insulin producing cells

4. Cushing’s Syndrome is a group of serious symptoms caused by over-activity of your adrenal glands which then produce an excess of steroid hormones causing:

• cortisol to stimulate the liver to put out more sugar
• the uptake of glucose by the muscle cells to be blocked

5. Acromegaly in which your adrenal glands overproduce the growth-stimulating hormone:

• the hormones prevent insulin from working properly and this makes your blood sugar level rise
• insulin-sensitivity is reduced and the pancreas is forced to work harder to produce more

6. Hyperthyroidism caused by excessive activity of the thyroid gland:

• is also known as thyrotoxicosis
• causes the liver and other organs to produce large amounts of glucose
• is also a disease of autoimmunity which may play a part in glucose tolerance

Type 2 diabetes develops as a result of many factors and it is not always possible to know exactly why. Having a genetic inheritance is beyond your control, being overweight or inactive may be the result of your lifestyle. No matter what the cause, your diabetes will not go away. There is much you can do to live with it successfully.

One in ten diabetics will require a lower extremity amputation as a result of diabetes complications during their lifetime. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 71,000 nontraumatic lower-limb amputations were performed in individuals with diabetes in 2004. Some common risk factors associated with lower extremity amputations include peripheral neuropathy, large and small blood vessel disease and foot ulceration.

An ulceration (ulcer) is a break in the skin. Ulcers can develop as a result of an injury or a blister, rubbing from shoes on a prominent bone, from dry cracking skin at the heel or foot fungus between the toes. A small area of irritation can go unnoticed and develop into an open sore in diabetics with peripheral neuropathy (loss of sensation).

Ulcers which go unnoticed can become infected and this increases the risk of amputation. Diabetics with poor circulation as a result of microvascular (small blood vessel) or macrovascular (large blood vessel) disease will have difficulty healing the ulcer and difficulty healing an infection.

University of Sydney researchers reported results from the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study The Lancet’s Diabetes Special Issue. The study, funded by Solvay Pharmaceuticals, evaluated fenofibrate and the risk of cardiovascular death and amputation in type 2 diabetics.

The study included 9,795 diabetics ages 50 to 75 who were given either 200 mg of fenofibrate daily or a placebo. The clinicians followed the patients for five years and were blinded to the treatment allocation (fenofibrate or placebo). After five years, they found no difference between the two groups in the rate of cardiovascular death, but they did find that diabetics taking fenofibrate had a 36% lower risk of minor amputations.

Minor amputation was defined as an amputation occurring below the ankle. Previous studies have found that fenofibrate reduces the risk of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetics. As a cholesterol lowering medication known to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fenofibrate has been shown to reduce overall cardiovascular events.

Microvascular complications in diabetics include ulcerations, infections and possibly even peripheral neuropathy, all of which can lead to amputation. Macrovascular disease is more often associated with below knee amputations. Fenofibrate may be a treatment option for type 2 diabetics with the potential for microvascular disease and minor amputation risk.

Rajamani K et al. Effect of fenofibrate on amputation events in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (FIELD study): a prespecified analysis of a randomized controlled trial. The Lancet, Volume 373, Issue 9677, Pages 1780 - 1788, 23 May 2009.

Normal glucose levels are a luxury for those who are not affected by diabetes in all forms. Hopefully your are someone lucky enough to have your blood sugar under control. If you or someone you know is having problems in this area, read on.

What is glucose? Glucose is a form of sugar that travels through the human blood stream. It usually enters your body in the form of foods high in carbohydrates. You can regulate glucose levels through the body’s use of insulin and glucagon hormones which are produced by the pancreas. The problem arises if the pancreas is unable to generate the proper amount of glucose to keep your body in check.

Normal glucose levels register between 70 and 145 mg. The level in someone’s body will change during the day and is affected by many factors including what time of day it is as well as what your most recent meal was (or was not). There is danger associated with levels either below or above the range. If your level is below 70, you most likely have a condition called hypoglycemia or more commonly called low blood sugar. Other symptoms of hypoglycemia include lack of energy, focus and irritability. You can even lose consciousness if your glucose is too low.

If your blood sugar is over 150 mg, then you are considered to be hyperglycemic, also more commonly known as having high blood sugar. If you have persistent high sugar, then you are at risk for diabetes which can result in serious organ damage to your eyes, kidneys and other organs. If you do not have normal glucose levels, you should take all necessary steps to reverse the condition.

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