This blog tracks updates to the Blood Sugar 101 Web site.


Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Actual Statistics on Prevalence of Diabetes and Prediabetes in the U.S. Population

Page Changed: The Patterns in Which Diabetes Develops

Added citation to a journal article published in Diabetes Care which analyzes data from the 2006 NHANES survey give an accurate idea of what the actual incidence of diabetes and prediabetes are in the American population.

Full Accounting of Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes in the U.S. Population in 1988–1994 and 2005–2006. Catherine C. Cowie et al. Diabetes Care 32:287-294, 2009.

This study reports,
In 2005–2006, the crude prevalence of total diabetes in people aged ≥20 years was 12.9%, of which ~40% was undiagnosed. In people aged ≥20 years, the crude prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was 25.7% and of impaired glucose tolerance was 13.8%, with almost 30% having either. Over 40% of individuals had diabetes or pre-diabetes. Almost one-third of the elderly had diabetes, and three-quarters had [either] diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Though the incidence of diagnosed diabetes had increased, the increase was slightly over 2% which may be due to better diagnosis, not more diabetes.

I take the high incidence of "prediabetes" compared to the modest prevalence of full fledged diabetes--much of it occurring in the elderly--as an indication that most people with "prediabetes" are not likely to become fully diabetic, though they may experience blood sugar related hunger and weight gain.

Only those with the underlying genetic flaws that prevent beta cell mass to expand or limit insulin secretion are likely to go on to become fully diabetic.

New Evidence that Post-Challege Glucose Not Fasting Plasma Glucose Accurately Predicts Future Diabetes

Page Changed: What is a Normal Blood Sugar?

Research first published in 2008 that was based on studying a group of 2,442 subjects who were free of type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the study found that fasting glucose tests were a very poor predictor of who in this group would develop diabetes.

The researchers found that people whose one hour glucose tolerance test results were over 155 mg/dl and who had markers for metabolic syndrome--such as a concentration of fat around the belly and high blood pressure were those who were more accurately predicted to be likely to develop diabetes.

Fasting Versus Postload Plasma Glucose Concentration and the Risk for Future Type 2 Diabetes Muhammad A. Abdul-Ghani et al. Diabetes Care 32:281-286, 2009 DOI: 10.2337/dc08-1264

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Fetal Exposure to PCBs and DDE Correlate to Obesity by Age 3

Page Changed: You Did Not Eat Your Way to Diabetes

Added reference to a new study that tracked the exposure of a group of pregnant Belgian woman to several common pollutants: hexachlorobenzene, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) , dioxin-like compounds, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). It found a correlation between exposure to PCBs and DDE and obesity by age 3, especially in children of mothers who smoked.

Intrauterine Exposure to Environmental Pollutants and Body Mass Index during the First 3 Years of Life Stijn L. Verhulst et al., Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 117, Number 1, January 2009

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Added My New Nutritional Calculator to the Blood Sugar 101 Low Carb Diet Site

Page Changed: Use Our Nutritional Calculator to Break Through Stalls

This calculator computes calorie levels and nutrient breakdowns for people eating a ketogenic low carbohydrate diet. It gives suggested intake levels for maintenance and weight loss.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Tips for How to Keep On Eating Low Carb When Money Is Scarce

Page changed: What Can You Eat When You Are Cutting The Carbs?

Added link to a discussion at The Low Carb Friends Discussion Forum with some helpful ideas for how to eat a low carbohydrate diet when money is tight.

Low carb foods may seem more expensive, but if they control your appetite you might end up spending less on a few pounds of meat and cheese than you will on the cheaper starches that leave you hungry and eating more food--at the same time as they ruin your blood sugar control.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

New 24 Week Study Compares Atkins Diet to Low GI Die in People with Diabetes

Page Changed: Studies Proving the Safety and Efficacy of the Low Carb Diet

Added discussion of this study:

The effect of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-glycemic index diet on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Eric C Westman et al.Nutrition & Metabolism 2008,5:36doi:10.1186/ 1743-7075-5-36. December 2008.

where the classic Atkins diet was found to provide much better weight loss, blood sugar control, and Lipids compared to the Low GI diet after a 24 week trial.