Diabetes
A
Kidney
Connection
PeoPle with kidney stones have a greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according
to a study of 94,000 people in Taiwan.
Those who’d been diagnosed with
kidney stones, tiny crystals that
form solid masses in the urinary
tract, were 1. 3 times as likely to
develop type 2 in the following five
years as those without the kidney problem. The scientists aren’t sure why the connection exists, but
it may have to do with elevated insulin levels in the blood. Prolonged dehydration, genes, or diet may
lead to kidney stones, which can cause severe pain as they block the flow of urine out of the body.
Source: The Journal of Urology, november 2011
the Brain’s Control
• the brain may be in charge of the
liver’s glucose production, a study found.
the organ sometimes pumps out too
much glucose in people with diabetes,
contributing to high blood glucose levels.
When researchers gave people without
diabetes diazoxide, a medication that
activates a part of the brain that controls
metabolism, their livers made less
glucose. the authors say this newly
discovered connection between the brain and the body’s glucose production
could pave the way for new medications that target the brain’s control of
blood glucose. (more on the liver’s role in diabetes is on page 24.)
Source: The Journal of Clinical Investigation, nov. 7, 2011
Perfect Attendance
• Keeping doctor’s appointments is
a prescription for health. A study
found that the more checkups
people with diabetes missed, the
worse their blood glucose, blood
pressure, and cholesterol levels
were. African Americans and Latinos
were found to be more likely to miss
appointments than Asian Americans
or non-Hispanic whites. that
difference may influence the health
disparities among these groups.
Source: Health Services Research,
published online Oct. 27, 2011
Some fat around internal organs is normal, but excess visceral fat is linked to
developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
viSceral fat
