High Blood Sugar Levels

A ‘bin liner’ that sits inside the gut and stops it absorbing calories from food could be a radical new treatment for diabetes.

Kids’ diabetes dilemmas (WHOI Peoria)
By Jen Christensen Thursday, October 02, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Teens Type 2 diabetes is a condition which affects the body s ability to use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin is needed to enable the body s cells to use glucose (sugar) for fuel.

The tastiest way to drop blood sugar (The Post and Courier)
It’s great on french toast. It’s lovely in apple pies, oatmeal and eggnog. And now, cinnamon may be good for your blood sugar, too. One study found that people with diabetes who ate three-eighths of a teaspoon of the spice a day had better blood sugar levels after a little more than a month.

Through his son, Allen has new cause (The Nashua Telegraph)
NEWPORT, R.I. — The other day, Ray Allen caught his son under the table eating M&M candies. Not a big deal for most 21-month-olds, but Walker Allen has diabetes. “His (blood sugar) levels went through the roof,” Allen said Wednesday after the Celtics practiced at Salve Regina University. … - By JIMMY GOLEN The Associated Press

What is type 1 or juvenile diabetes? (Wilson County News)
It is a condition caused by the body s failure to produce insulin, which helps the body turn glucose, or blood sugar, into energy. Without insulin, the glucose builds up in the blood, causing high blood sugar.

Several people suffer from high blood sugar, and it is not a disease that affects only diabetic people, this article is intended to analyze the different aspects of high blood sugar, such as; what the levels after eating are, reasons why your blood sugar is increased, symptoms of high glucose levels, range of concentration, how to test your blood sugar levels and why this is important. Finally some tips about how to control sugar levels.  Hopefully after this reading, you will get a better understanding.

Blood Sugar After Eating:

Blood sugar goes up after eating, but returns to normal range within 1 to 2 hours. Blood sugar level (also known as blood glucose level) is the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as serum glucose level.

Blood sugar levels 1 to 2 hours after eating are called postprandial. Research shows that blood sugar levels in people with diabetes can more than double after eating, even when their blood sugar before eating is normal.

Blood Sugar Increasing:

Blood sugar levels are increased in the early morning hours because of the normal release of hormones - growth hormone and corticosteroids -, a reaction called the dawn phenomenon. And blood sugar may shoot too high if the body releases sugar in response to low blood sugar levels, known as “somogyi effect”.

Blood sugar levels below 45 mg/dl are almost always associated with a serious abnormality.

Blood Sugar Symptoms:

Blood sugar levels just above the safe range may make you feel tired and thirsty. You may sweat, feel very hungry, weak and anxious, feel your heart pounding in your chest. However, If your blood sugar level stays higher than normal for weeks, your body will adjust to that level, and you may not have as many symptoms of high blood sugar, for that reason is very important that you control your glucose levels regularly.

Blood Sugar Concentration:

Blood sugar concentration, or glucose level, is tightly regulated in the human body. Normally, the blood glucose level is maintained between about 4 and 8 mmol /L (70 to 150 mg/dl).

Blood Sugar Testing:

Blood sugar tests measure how well your body processes sugar. Some blood sugar tests are used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. Blood sugar that is too low, known as  hypoglycemia, can make you feel sick as well.

Blood sugar monitoring and maintenance is particularly important for those who suffer from diabetes, this is a condition related to the release of insulin from the pancreas into the blood stream and the ability of the body to use that insulin efficiently.

Blood Sugar Control:

The way to control blood sugar is trough insulin, this one is a hormone made by the pancreas, it carries the sugar from your blood into your cells, where the sugar is used for energy. The right amount of insulin helps keep your blood sugar level balanced. Therefore, the job of insulin is to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high.

In conclusion, this article have gives you some basic information about how glucose levels work in your body. Nevertheless, it is quiet important that you visit your doctor for specialized advise.

The saying “Let your food be your medicine, your medicine your food” (Hippocrates) is as true to-day as it ever was. Blood glucose balancing meals are not boring. As with hypoglycemia and insulin resistance, foods should be as unrefined as possible, low on the Glycaemic Index of foods, thereby making less demand on insulin.

Make sure you have at least five servings of vegetables per day, plus 2-3 of fresh fruit. Divide your dinner plate into four quarters: two of those should be filled with non-starchy vegetables; one with high quality protein such as fish, chicken, lean meat, eggs, beans and other pulses; and the fourth with a carbohydrate such as rice, quinoa, pasta, potato with its skin. Where possible, eat whole grains in the form of wholemeal bread and brown rice.

Have a range of healthy snacks to hand - particularly nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, oat cakes or rice cakes with hummus or peanut butter. Pre-prepared vegetable sticks and a low-fat dip are great.

If you can learn to love the chocolate which contains 70% cocoa solids, researchers have shown that the proanthocyanidins it contains might be beneficial in preventing high blood glucose levels, amongst many other health benefits. I would, however, suspect that moderation is the keyword here! It would also appear from reports that the sweetening agents Stevia and Xylitol may actually help to keep blood glucose levels down, although in the long term it would be preferable to try and reduce your “sweet tooth” by gradually cutting down on sweet flavors.

Cut down on fats too, but not the good, Omega 3 variety obtained from oily fish such as salmon, sardines, pilchards and tuna. If you’re vegetarian, these can be obtained from flax seeds (linseeds) and pumpkin seeds. Olive oil, which is a monounsaturated oil, also helps to protect against diabetes and prediabetes.

Go easy on coffee and alcohol, which push up blood glucose levels. Teas - and particularly green tea - are healthier choices. And of course have plenty of water throughout the day. If you have fruit juice, dilute 50/50 with water and just have one small glass.

So, the answer to combating hypoglycemia and insulin resistance and in balancing blood glucose seems to be to base your diet on foods which demand the least insulin and to take pleasure in your food. Try not to think of its preparation as a chore - more of a health-enhancing activity. Buy the best you can and look for new recipes which are quick and easy to prepare. Find a form of exercise which you can enjoy and look forward to, and take a long, hard look at your stress levels and what you might do to lower them.

To learn more about blood sugar levels, how this can affect you and how you can prevent the negative effects on your life visit Liz’s website which concentrates on hypoglycemia. Liz has also written a book entitled “But I Haven’t Got Time to Cook! Health Eating In A Hurry” http://symptoms-of-hypoglycemia.weebly.com/ Her website http://www.sugarbalance.co.nz deals in various aspects of sugar imbalance.

 Eli Lilly and Company has announced changes to the labeling of Zyprexa and Symbyax, two brand-name atypical antipsychotics produced and sold by the company. Eli Lilly has updated the labeling to include more warning information on potentially harmful weight gain and blood sugar elevation that may result from taking the medications.

According to Eli Lilly, the label changes came about because of conversations with the FDA, as well as new analyses of the data from large clinical trials conducted by the company and others. The company will be sending a “Dear Healthcare Practitioner” letter to doctors about the new labeling, as well as informing consumer advocacy and professional associations.

Zyprexa is the brand name for olanzapine, while Symbyax is a mix of olanzapine and fluoxetine. Zyprexa is approved for use in treatment of schizophrenia and the mixed and manic portions of bipolar disorder, while Symbyax is approved for the treatment of bipolar depression.

Neither product is approved for patients with dementia, and they may increase the risk of death if used on elderly dementia patients. Nevertheless, in the past the company has marketed Zyprexa for treatment of dementia and for manic bipolar episodes.

One of the labeling changes focuses on unnatural weight gain from olanzapine. According to the company, the drug has been shown to lead to “significant and sometimes very high elevations in triglyceride levels.”

The other major change is a stronger emphasis on the drug’s effect on blood glucose levels. According to the company, atypical antipsychotics in general may lead to an increase in blood sugar levels, while olanzapine has an even greater effect than other such drugs. In some cases, patients treated with such medications have suffered complications including ketoacidosis, coma and even death.

In January, Eli Lilly settled 18,000 lawsuits from patients who alleged that using Zyprexa caused them to develop diabetes or other diseases. The company agreed to pay $500 million, bringing its total Zyprexa-related settlement costs to $1.2 billion.