StemCell Therapy

A new study is the first to look at diabetes diagnosis trends in America's youth. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

The rate at which America's kids are diagnosed with diabetes is climbing and researchers don't know why.(Photo: AndreyPopov, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The rate at which America's kids are diagnosed with diabetes is climbing and researchers don't know why.

A first-ever study of new diabetes diagnoses of U.S. youth under age 20 found both Types 1 and 2 diabetes surged from 2002-2012.

The diagnosis of new cases of Type 2 diabetes, associated with obesity, increased about 5% each year from 2002 to 2012, the study said, while new cases of Type 1, the most common form for young people, went up about 2% every year.

The National Institutes of Health, which funded the study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the cause of the rise is "unclear."

"These findings lead to many more questions," explained Dr. Barbara Linder, senior advisor for childhood diabetes research at NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "The differences among racial and ethnic groups and between genders raise many questions. We need to understand why the increase in rates of diabetes development varies so greatly and is so concentrated in specific racial and ethnic groups."

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The study, published Friday in theNew England Journal of Medicine,showed higher rates of diabetes diagnoses among minorities. Type 2 diabetes, which the CDC stated makes up about 90% to 95% of diagnosed diabetes cases, rose by 8.5% in Asian Americans ages 10-19. Blacks in the same age group saw a 6.3% increase, followed by a 3.1% bump in Hispanicsand whites at fewer than a 1%increase.

Hispanics saw the biggest rate increase of Type 1 diabetes with a 4.2% increase, followed by blacks at 2.2% and whites at 1.2%

In terms of gender, girls and women 10-19 saw a 6.2% increase in Type 2 diabetes, while men and boys of the same age experienced a 3.7% increase. Across all age groups, Type 1 diabetes increased 2.2% in males and 1.4% in females.

CDC epidemiologistDr. Giuseppina Imperatore said those who developdiabetes at a young age are at risk ofdeveloping complications from the disease earlier, loweringtheir quality of life, shorteninglife expectancy and increasing health care costs.

Follow Sean Rossman on Twitter: @SeanRossman

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Diabetes is on the rise in America's kids and experts don't know why - USA TODAY

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation One Walk will kick off its annual event in Stroudsburg on Sunday, April 23 at Stroudsburg High School. Aiming to raise more than $74,000 to help fund critically needed type 1 diabetesresearch. The event, organized by JDRF Eastern PA, is expected to attract more than 500 supporters representing local businesses, families, schools, and other organizations. The event is one of more than 200 community JDRF One Walks nationwide that bring together hundreds of thousands of people each year who share JDRFs vision to create a world without type 1 diabetes.

This is a great opportunity to get family and friends together whether you have type 1 diabetes, know someone who does, or want to simply participate in an event that makes a huge impact on so many lives said Pat Delaney, Executive Director. Every walker and supporter will bring our community one step closer to turning Type One into Type None. We are grateful for the incredible support of the people of Stroudsburg,and supporters like Haltermans Toyota/Scion, who make it possible for JDRF to direct even more funding toward importanttype 1 diabetes research for the 1.25 million people with this serious disease.

JDRF encourages people of all ages driven to support the cause to participate in JDRF One Walk at Stroudsburg High School and enjoy a fun day with food catered by Momento Pizzeria & Restaurant. On-site registration begins at 1 p.m. at the high schoolstadium. The entire JDRF One Walk will be approximately 3 miles long, starting and ending inside the stadium.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults at any age. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system destroys the cells that release insulin, eventually eliminating insulin production from the body. Type 1 diabetes requires rigorous 24/7 monitoring of blood glucose levels to avoid devastating complications.Type 1 diabetes onset is sudden and unpreventable and it is unrelated to diet or lifestyle.

JDRF One Walk is the largest and most powerful peer-to-peer fundraising programfor type 1 diabetes, raising more than $68 million annually. Since 1992, the event has raised more than $1 billion dollars fortype 1 diabetes research. This funding has enabled the search to find ways of preventing, delaying or halting the progression of T1D, and ultimately curing it; and has led to, life-changing drugs, treatments and devices many of which have already moved into clinical trials and real-world testing.

We are excited to be partnering with JDRF for this event to help fund much needed type 1 diabetes research,said Tom Schoeller, Event Chair.We are proud to be a part of this community which is so committed to relieving the burden experienced by people with type 1 diabetes and their families, and we share the same desire to rid the world of this disease.

JDRF gratefully acknowledges its local corporate partners for Eastern PA Chapters Walk including Sanofi-Aventis, Haltermans Toyota/Scion, ESSA Bank & Trust, and Momento Pizzeria &Restaurant among others.

Continued here:
500 to walk for Juvenile Diabetes - Pocono Record

Lets face it. You only get one body and if you want to be around awhile and enjoy good health, its your job to learn how to take care of it. Thats why I have been so pleased to attend the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes Healthier You series of eight classes that are held at the Enloe Conference Center and taught by Enloe Medical Center health professionals.

On March 20, I attended a class on prediabetes, presented by Mary Aram, clinical dietitian with Enloe Diabetes Services. Diabetes is a major health scourge of the modern age, and it is essential that you do what you can to keep from getting it, or if you have it already, to know how to control it.

There are two types of diabetes: Type I or childhood-onset diabetes and Type II, adult-onset diabetes. We are talking here about adult-onset or type II diabetes, a metabolic disorder in which the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas that lets the bodys cells take up sugar from the blood to use as energy for body functions.

People with type II diabetes have both high insulin levels and high blood-sugar levels, and that does a great deal of damage.

Diabetes can be associated with complications in about all organ systems and causes an increased rate of atherosclerosis (plaque on the lining of artery walls), stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor circulation, peripheral nerve damage, blindness, erectile dysfunction, and dementia.

As we exercise less, eat more, and choose foods poorly, the rates of this debilitating disease are ballooning. Between 1980 and 2009 the rate tripled. Diabetes is the sixth leading official cause of death among those who are over 65, and those who have diabetes have twice the risk of dying from other causes such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. According to Rebecca L. Ferrini and Armeda F. Ferrini in Health in the Later Years, to be diagnosed with diabetes at age 60 means that you have lost 7-10 years of life.

In addition, diabetes is the most costly chronic disease, requiring 25 percent of the total Medicare budget to treat. In this time of growing aged population and threats of government cuts to Medicare, this is an important consideration.

Alarmingly, poor life style choices are causing people to develop diabetes at an earlier age. In a recent study of California health, 43 percent of 18-39 year-olds in Butte County had prediabetes, and 10 percent already had developed diabetes. Unless this trend is reversed, huge numbers of future elders will be debilitated by this disease and require even more of the health care budget.

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There is good news. This is a medical condition in which the patients lifestyle changes can positively affect the disease outcome. Losing 5-7 percent of body weight (10-14 pounds for a 200-pound person) and getting a half hour of moderate exercise five times a week can significantly prevent or delay onset of diabetes.

Aram points out that when people reach their target blood glucose levels, most of the time they mitigate their incidence of diabetes complications by 60-70 percent.

Prediabetes often does not have any symptoms, so it is essential to be aware of risk factors, to have regular blood sugar tests, and to make immediate life-style changes if the tests indicate prediabetes.

The chance that you will get prediabetes increases if you

Are over age 45

Have African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander heritage.

Have a parent or siblings with diabetes.

Are overweight.

Store extra fat in the abdomen (waist over 40 inches for men, 35 inches for women).

Are physically inactive (especially when sedentary for more than a two-hour period).

Have high blood pressure or you take high blood pressure medication.

Have low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglycerides.

Are a woman who had diabetes during pregnancy.

Have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

If you are over 45, even if you have no risk factors, you should have your blood sugar tested at least every three years. If you are over 65, have any risk factors, or previous tests have shown high blood sugar, you should be tested every year.

Discuss the results of your blood sugar tests with your physician. If your fasting glucose test is over 100, you are at the cut-off for prediabetes. This does not mean you should wait until you actually have diabetes before taking steps to improve your health. It means you have to act now.

If exercise is a dirty word for you, think in terms of activity that you enjoy. Little things can make a big difference: walk the dog every day; park the car farthest from where you are going; go for a 10-minute walk after meals.

If you are really out-of-shape, choose specific, measurable realistic goals, like walk for 10 minutes three times a day. Gradually, as you become stronger, you can raise the bar.

Regular exercise will help your body use insulin better and improve blood sugar levels. It also relieves stress, reduces depression and anxiety, and improves sleep. It will reduce heart disease and improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Finally you will lose fat and gain muscle. All of this will help prevent diabetes.

When people think of diabetes, they frequently think of reducing sugar intake, but several factors of diet and meal planning affect glucose level. The type of food, the timing of meals, and combinations of protein, carbohydrates and fat all play a part in the amount and speed at which glucose gets into the blood stream.

It is important to educate yourself about the glycemic index and learn which foods will cause a low and slow, rather than fast and high, increase in blood sugar. Helpful information can be found at http://www.glycemicindex.com.

Whether you have pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes risk factors or you are simply interested in healthier living, you can sign up for a two-hour Prediabetes Education Class at the Enloe Outpatient Center, 888 Lakeside Village Commons, Bldg. C, Classroom A, Chico. Classes meet quarterly, on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. (check in at 5:30 p.m.).

The next classes will be held April 20 and July 20 so sign up now. Classes are $10. You can preregister at http://www.enloe.org (look under Healthier You, then by date under the Classes heading) or by calling the Enloe Public Relations Office.

As Aram emphasized, the purpose of these classes is to help patients become better advocates for themselves.

Two more presentations remain of the OLLI Healthier You series for this semester.

On April 17, Jeff Zelenski, manager of Enloe Outpatient Rehabilitation Services, will speak on Joint Health.

On April 24, Shawn Furst, DO, of the Enloe Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic will present information on Pain Management.

These classes, which are free and open to the public, are held at the Enloe Conference Center, 1528 The Esplanade, Chico, 2-3:30 p.m. Mondays.

Leslie Howard is a retired English teacher and certificated gerontologist. She welcomes comments and suggestions at leslie.t.howard@gmail.com.

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A senior moment: Are you doing your part to prevent getting diabetes? - Oroville Mercury Register

A team of biomedical engineering researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has created a revolutionary 3D-bioprinted patch that can help heal scarred heart tissue after a heart attack. The discovery is a major step forward in treating patients with tissue damage after a heart attack.

The research study is published today in Circulation Research, a journal published by the American Heart Association. Researchers have filed a patent on the discovery.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. killing more than 360,000 people a year. During a heart attack, a person loses blood flow to the heart muscle and that causes cells to die. Our bodies cant replace those heart muscle cells so the body forms scar tissue in that area of the heart, which puts the person at risk for compromised heart function and future heart failure.

In this study, researchers from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Alabama-Birmingham used laser-based 3D-bioprinting techniques to incorporate stem cells derived from adult human heart cells on a matrix that began to grow and beat synchronously in a dish in the lab.

Watch a video of the cells beating on the patch.

When the cell patch was placed on a mouse following a simulated heart attack, the researchers saw significant increase in functional capacity after just four weeks. Since the patch was made from cells and structural proteins native to the heart, it became part of the heart and absorbed into the body, requiring no further surgeries.

This is a significant step forward in treating the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S., said Brenda Ogle, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Minnesota. We feel that we could scale this up to repair hearts of larger animals and possibly even humans within the next several years.

Ogle said that this research is different from previous research in that the patch is modeled after a digital, three-dimensional scan of the structural proteins of native heart tissue. The digital model is made into a physical structure by 3D printing with proteins native to the heart and further integrating cardiac cell types derived from stem cells. Only with 3D printing of this type can we achieve one micron resolution needed to mimic structures of native heart tissue.

We were quite surprised by how well it worked given the complexity of the heart, Ogle said. We were encouraged to see that the cells had aligned in the scaffold and showed a continuous wave of electrical signal that moved across the patch.

Ogle said they are already beginning the next step to develop a larger patch that they would test on a pig heart, which is similar in size to a human heart.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, University of Minnesota Lillehei Heart Institute, and University of Minnesota Institute for Engineering in Medicine.

In addition to Ogle, other biomedical engineering researchers who were part of the team include Molly E. Kupfer, Jangwook P. Jung, Libang Yang, Patrick Zhang, and Brian T. Freeman from the University of Minnesota; Paul J. Campagnola, Yong Da Sie, Quyen Tran, and Visar Ajeti from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Jianyi Zhang, Ling Gao, and Vladimir G. Fast from the University of Alabama,

To read the full research paper entitled Myocardial Tissue Engineering With Cells Derived from Human Induced-Pluripotent Stem Cells and a Native-Like, High-Resolution, 3-Dimensionally Printed Scaffold, visit the Circulation Research website.

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3D-printed patch can help mend a broken heart - UMN News

Drs. Sanduk Ruit and Geoff Tabin on 60 Minutes (CBS video)

The 60 Minutes segment Out of Darkness features two eye surgeons, Dr. Sanduk Ruit and Dr. Geoff Tabin, who are giving sight to people who have been blind for years due to cataracts. CBS correspondent Bill Whitaker travels to Burma (also known as Myanmar) to see the doctors in action in the operating room. With the doctors theyve trained in Nepal to perform the simple operation, Ruit and Tabin claim to have reversed blindness in more than 4 million people.

[Left: Buy thebookSecond Suns: Two Trailblazing Doctors and Their Quest to Cure Blindness on Amazon and the publisher will donate to the Himalayan CataractProject]

Ruit and Tabin have formed the non-profit organization CureBlindness to provide more surgeries to more people in the developing world. If you donate $100 or more directly to the project, you will receive a free copy of the inspirational book Second Suns:Two Trailblazing Doctors and Their Quest to Cure Blindness, One Pair of Eyes at a Time.60 Minutes airs Sundays at 7pm on CBS.

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60 Minutes Eye Doctors Curing Blindness Giving Away Books - 2paragraphs.com

April 13, 2017 20:00 ET | Source: M3 Biotechnology

SEATTLE, April 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the first investor in M3 Biotechnology, the Alzheimers Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) helped validate the therapeutic potential of M3s drug candidate for Alzheimers disease. With a second investment of $1.4 million, the ADDF is now providing key funds to support the launch of human trials this year.

While current drugs for Alzheimers disease only provide symptomatic relief, M3s small molecule therapeutics have the potential to be truly disease-modifying. By re-establishing lost connections between brain cells, these therapies may halt the course of the disease. M3 is now in the process of planning a first-in-humans Phase 1a clinical trial for its lead candidate, NDX-1017, to evaluate its safety and determine optimal dosing range.

ADDFs first investment spurred others, including many private investors and Washington state-based venture groups W Fund and WRF Capital. These investments evidenced the faith in our potential, which helped us make it past the valley of death for drug development and raise nearly $14 million in additional funding, said Leen Kawas, M3s CEO.

The most noteworthy new investor in M3 is Dolby Family Ventures, which invests in technology and life sciences. The fund makes early stage investments in the most promising Alzheimer's-specific therapeutics which require funding for the critical phase of translating successful animal therapies to human clinical trials. The fund honors the late inventor, Ray Dolby, who died in 2013 and who lived with Alzheimer's disease.

The relationship with the ADDF has been vital to our progress as they have fostered a dynamic, collaborative biotech ecosystem, Kawas said. By providing early funding and connecting us with potential partners and investors, the ADDF has helped us reach the clinic.

Howard Fillit, MD, Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of the ADDF, says, We are excited by the promising therapeutic approach of Dr. Kawas and her team at M3 Biotechnology. By helping neurons survive, NDX-1017 may restore cognitive function for Alzheimers patients. The ADDF looks forward to the results from this first human trial.

Alzheimers Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, ADDF is dedicated to accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimers disease. The ADDF is a public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimers, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. Through the generosity of its donors, ADDF has awarded over $100 million to fund more than 500 Alzheimers programs in 18 countries.

M3 Biotechnology, Inc. M3 Biotechnology is a therapeutics company with a novel platform of disease-modifying regenerative small molecules, particularly relevant to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers. M3s lead asset is being advanced as a first-in-class, disease-modifying treatment with the potential to restore lost connections between brain cells, turning degeneration into regeneration. Total financing of $14M to-date is used to prepare for and conduct Phase I clinical trials.

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Funding From Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Advances M3 Biotechnology Toward Human Trials - GlobeNewswire (press release)

Drug company Eli Lilly says their much-awaited pill for rheumatoid arthritis has been rejected by the Food and Drug Administration. Its the companys second drug development setback since November.

A letter to the company from the FDA said that they needed more information about baricitinibs safety and the best doses, Lilly said Friday in a statement.

The drugmaker disagrees with FDAs conclusions but will work with the agency on a plan to eventually get baracitinib approved for U.S. patients.

In November, Lillys experimental medicine solanezumab flopped in a closely watched test in patients with mild Alzheimers diseaseafter already failing in patients with more advanced Alzheimers.

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The arthritis drug, which has the proposed brand name Olumiant and was approved for use in Europe in February, was expected to be a big seller in part because most other new rheumatoid arthritis drugs are injected, making them less appealing for patients.

We are disappointed with this action, said Christi Shaw, president of the Lilly division that developed the drug, in the companys statement, adding that the company remains confident in the drugs ability to safely treat moderate and severe rheumatoid arthritis.

About 23 million people worldwide -- three-fourths of them women -- have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder that happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks a persons own body tissues. The chronic disorder causes painful swelling and progressive destruction of joints, which can leave them deformed and, in severe cases, lead to disability. It can also damage other body parts, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.

Rheumatoid arthritis can strike at any age, but typically begins between the ages of 40 and 60, and if someone in your family has had it, your odds for the condition may be higher.

Eli Lilly & Co. and Incyte Corp., its partner in developing baracitinib, applied for FDA approval of the drug in January 2016. Normally the review process takes 10 months, but this January, FDA said it needed three additional months to review more information. Still, drug industry analysts as recently as this week were advising clients that approval of baracitinib was likely.

Despite the setback, Lilly reaffirmed its 2017 financial forecasts Friday, for earnings per share of $2.69 to $2.79, excluding one-time items, and revenue between $21.8 billion and $22.3 billion. It said Incyte, which is based in Wilimington, Delaware, was evaluating the rejections impact on its position and would update investors when it reports first-quarter results, likely in mid-May. Lilly is expected to report its quarterly results on April 25.

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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FDA rejects drugmaker's much-anticipated arthritis pill - CBS News

(Reuters Health) - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who receive pedometers may be more active and feel less fatigued even if they are not told to use the trackers to aim for a specific number of steps, a small study suggests.

All 96 study participants had rheumatoid arthritis, an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints. Researchers randomly assigned patients to get a pedometer with or without a daily step goal, or to get only educational brochures with advice on becoming more active.

After 21 weeks, all of people with pedometers were walking more on average each day: 1,441 additional steps without a step goal and 1,656 extra steps with a goal. But the patients who didnt get pedometers actually got 747 fewer steps a day on average by the end of the study.

Patients with pedometers reported statistically meaningful declines in fatigue during the study, but people who only got education did not.

We found that increasing activity just through walking decreased fatigue, said lead study author Dr. Patricia Katz of the University of California, San Francisco.

Most of us probably dont realize how inactive we are until we start measuring our daily activity, Katz said by email. Having a concrete goal, such as the number of daily steps, seems to help people become and stay active.

Every patient received the same educational brochure at the start. In the two groups that received pedometers, all of the participants were asked to keep a daily diary to record how many steps they logged.

For one group with pedometers, researchers also assessed their activity levels at the start of the study and set goals for them to increase their average daily steps by 10 percent every two weeks.

At the start of the study, participants were 54 years old on average and were typically getting about 4,891 steps a day, which researchers classified as sedentary. Very few of them were getting at least 8,000 steps a day, which the researchers say is a healthy activity level.

Beyond its small size, another limitation of the study is that researchers lacked data on how often participants wore the devices, which makes it difficult to get an accurate daily step count, the authors note in Arthritis Care and Research.

Its also possible that the pedometer groups might not have improved as much if they hadnt also been recording their steps in a daily diary, which increases their engagement with the effort to be more active, said Dr. Mitesh Patel, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia who wasnt involved in the study.

Research indicates that for most people, pedometers and wearable devices are more likely to help change health behaviors if they are combined with an engagement strategy, Patel said by email.

Generally, pedometers are most useful for people who are sedentary and unaware of their own level of inactivity, said Dr. Lucas Carr, a physiology researcher at the University of Iowa who wasnt involved in the study.

This relatively simple intervention helped a very sedentary group of rheumatoid arthritis patients increase their activity at a level that is considered clinically significant, Carr said by email. The largest health benefits are realized when an individual changes from doing nothing to doing something.

While the study included only people with rheumatoid arthritis, its possible pedometers might be useful for people with other chronic medical problems, said Dr. David Geier, an orthopedic surgeon sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina who wasnt involved in the study.

It seems reasonable to think they could help stimulate activity, Geier said by email. Physical activity would be helpful for almost everyone.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2oHjzBn Arthritis Care and Research, online April 5, 2017.

WASHINGTON The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday declined to approve a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis made by Eli Lilly and Co and partner Incyte Corp, the companies said on Friday.

(Reuters Health) - Spine surgeons are noticing an increase in patients with neck and upper back pain, likely related to poor posture during prolonged smartphone use, according to a recent report.

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Pedometers tied to less fatigue for rheumatoid arthritis patients ... - Reuters

By TIM TROGLEN Reporter Published: April 16, 2017 12:10 AM

HUDSON -- Paula Phillips will lead her team, "I Give Back," May 13 in the 2017 Walk to Cure Arthritis 5K walk at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

However, Phillips will not only be walking as her team's leader but as a person who has suffered through the torment of arthritis for more than a decade.

In addition, Phillips, of Hudson, will be representing all of Northeast Ohio as the local adult honoree for the annual walk. The organization also honors youth advocates and doctors regionally and locally for their work.

Phillips is being honored for her volunteer work with the foundation after her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in 1999, according to the foundation.

"I'm just there to give back," said Phillips, who also raises funds on her own and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis more than 17 years ago. "I feel I was born to give back."

The Arthritis Foundation, specifically in Northeast Ohio, raises funds to educate, advocate and provide research for those diagnosed and identified with all the forms of arthritis, according to Phillips.

"Seventeen short years ago, I reached out to the Arthritis Foundation of Northeast Ohio as directed by my rheumatologist, Dr. Rochelle Rosian, at the Cleveland Clinic," Phillips said. "Because of the Arthritis Foundation I have never been alone in my pain and suffering which I am sorry to say does occur."

And while Phillips is walking to raise funds for everyone, her heart especially goes out to the the children who suffer with arthritis.

"It really is all about the kids," Phillips said. "They suffer immeasurably."

Phillip's son, Michael, and her husband, Mike, are members of her 10-member team and will join her on the May 13 walk.

According to Phillips, arthritis is the leading form of disability in the country.

"It's a bad thing," she said.

Phillips was shocked when she received the telephone call stating she had been named adult honoree.

"I was surprised," Phillips said. "I don't like to be the focus of attention when it comes to this [arthritis]."

Phillips said she would like to see more people donate until they cannot give anymore or until it hurts, she said.

"For me, that's what I do," she said.

According to Phillips, giving back is not about her but the children suffering, the doctors working to find a cure, the researchers, therapists working to help increase patient quality of life and nurses who take care of the patients. It's also about those who are creating the medication allowing sufferers to function.

"If it wasn't for that [the medications] I would be in a wheelchair right now," she said of the medications. "When you are sick on this journey, with this, you are really sick."

While Phillips has not been able to volunteer a lot lately with various organizations, she has been active in volunteer circles for years. Phillip's volunteer list included being treasurer of the Hudson PTO, Hudson Garden Club, Laurel Lake Retirement Community and is actively involved in Arthritis Foundation of Northeast Ohio and a member of the Cleveland Walk Committee and the First Congregational Church of Hudson.

Phillips still enjoys gardening when she can but cannot spend as much time tilling and weeding as she did in the past.

"I do it all, every single day, the best that I can do," she said.

Phillips' team will be among the thousands of Northeast Ohioans raising money for the Arthritis Foundation May 13. The Cleveland Zoo walk is a 5K walk with a 1-mile option. There will be a wellness expo, music giveaways and a variety family activities.

The walk begins at 9 a.m. with registration beginning at 7 a.m.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is located at 3900 Wildlife Way in Cleveland. Event proceeds support the 1.3 million Northeastern Ohioans suffering from arthritis.

Funds support areas such as advocacy and access to care, juvenile arthritis, help and support tools and critical arthritis research conducted at local institutions throughout Northeastern Ohio.

"Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in America--affecting one in every five adults, an estimated 300,000 children and countless families," according to the foundation's webpage. "The Arthritis Foundation's Walk to Cure Arthritis is an annual event that supports our mission to conquer the disease by spreading awareness and raising money for research aimed at finding a cure."

The Cleveland Walk to Cure Arthritis attracts over 2,200 attendees including corporate, community and family teams, as well as individuals from across Northeastern Ohio whose lives have been affected by arthritis, according to the foundation.

To learn more or to find a team visit http://www.arthritis.org/get-involved/walk-to-cure-arthritis.

Email: ttroglen@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-541-9435

Twitter: @Trog_RPC

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Hudson woman Paula Phillips to be adult honoree at 2017 Walk to Cure Arthritis - Hudson Hub-Times

Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Therapy

Scientists and doctors have made tremendous advances in moving regenerative medicine into the mainstream as a treatment for many diseases and disorders. Regenerative medicine takes advantage of our natural ability to heal ourselves by using the healthy adult stem cells found throughout the body. Laboratory and clinical research has shown that it is possible to use adult stem cells to restore lost, damaged or aging cells to effectively regenerate tissue and provide some patients with an alternative to surgery. Regenerative therapies are showing promise in orthopedic medicine, wound care, nerve restoration, and a variety of cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and autoimmune conditions.

Adult stem cells were discovered over 40 years ago when researchers found that cells derived from bone marrow had the ability to form various tissues. Adult stem cells are early stage cells that, under the right conditions, are capable of developing into other types of cells and hold the potential to regenerate damaged tissue.

AUTOLOGOUS ADULT STEM CELLS (ASCS) are being used to treat many types of chronic pain and degeneration. Currently doctors are treating shoulder, knee, hip, and spine degeneration, in addition to soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament) and other bone related injuries.

The first step is to determine if you are a good candidate for an adult stem cell procedure. Your physician will want a history of your injury and a physical examination along with any x-rays, and an MRI. While stem cell therapy maybe appropriate for certain conditions, it is not applicable for every condition. However, it is has proven to be a viable option for several individuals suffering from pain. Good candidates for adult stem cell treatment usually are:

Every patient is different, the success of the stem cell therapy is dependent on the severity of your condition and your bodys response to stem cell therapy.

Overview of the Procedure

An adult stem cell procedure harnesses and amplifies the bodys natural mechanism for healing and anti-inflammation. Once you have been identified as a good candidate for the procedure, a member of our team will review the procedure with you and answer any questions that you may have. A brief overview of the procedure is below:

Once the procedure is complete, our staff will allow you to rest and will create a customized personal rehabilitation program for recovery. We will either ask you to come back for a few post-operative appointments or follow up with you by phone, email, or mail so we can track you healing progress.

Potential Applications

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are adult stem cells?

A: Adult stem cells are unspecialized or undifferentiated cells, capable of two processes: self-renewal and differentiation. They are vital to maintaining tissues in the body such as internal organs, skin, and blood.

Q: What is Regenerative Medicine?

A: Regenerative Medicine is a new and advancing scientific field focused on the repair and regeneration of damaged tissue utilizing stem cells.

Q: What is the difference between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells?

A: Adult stem cells are found in mature adult tissues including bone marrow and fat, while embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are not found in the adult human body. ESCs are obtained from donated in vitro fertilizations, which raises many ethical concerns. Because ESCs are not autologous, there is a possibility of immune rejection. Adult stem cells do not raise ethical issues nor pose any risks for immune rejection.

Q: Does Dr. Youm use embryonic stem cells in clinical procedures?

A: No, Dr. Youms approach to cell therapy relies only on autologous adult stem cells isolated from the patient during surgery. He does not participate in embryonic stem cell research or use embryonic stem cells in clinical applications.

Q: Are there ethical issues associated with harvesting adult stem cells?

A: No, adult stem cells do not raise ethical questions as they are harvested from the patients body.

Q: Are there cancer-causing risks associated with adult stem cell treatments?

A: No. Where embryonic stem cells have been shown to form teratomas (germ cell tumors), there is no data that suggests adult stem cells have the same potential to promote the development of tumors.

Q: Where do adult stem cells come from?

A: In adults, stem cells are present within various tissues and organ systems, the most common being bone marrow and adipose or fat tissues. Other sources include the liver, epidermis, retina, skeletal muscle, intestine, brain, placenta, umbilical cord and dental pulp.

Q: How does Dr. Youm obtain adult stem cells for use in cell treatment?

A: Dr. Youm currently has a system that uses adult stem cells from bone marrow and these stem cells are obtained through aspiration during your procedure.

Q: How are adult stem cells used in surgical procedures?

A: Adult stem cells are used to treat patients with damaged tissues due to age or deterioration. During a procedure, stem cells are isolated from the patient, concentrated and delivered back to the site of injury to assist in the healing process.

Q: Are there different types of adult stem cells?

A: Yes, there are many types of adult stem cells found in the body, which have variable differentiation potentials. The adult stem cells that aid in the repair of damages tissue are multipotent, mesenchymal stem cells. These are located in bone marrow and adipose (fat) tissue.

Q: Are the harvested adult stem cells expanded in a laboratory setting prior to delivery back to the patient?

A: No, Dr. Youm does not use in vitro expansion. The cells are harvested, processed in the operating room and delivered back to the patient at point of care.

Q: How do stem cells know what type of tissue to develop into?

A: The differentiation of stem cells is dependent on many factors, including cell signaling and micro-environmental signals. Based on these cues, stem cells are able to develop into healthy tissue needed to repair damaged tissue. For example, multipotent stem cells delivered to damaged bone will develop into bone cells to aid in tissue repair. The exact mechanism of lineage-specific differentiation is unknown at this point.

Q: Will my body reject the stem cells?

A: No, adult stem cells are autologous and non-immunogenic.

Q: Is stem cell therapy safe?

A: Yes, and ask your doctor what clinical studies have been done to show that stem cells are safe and effective.

Q: Where are stem cells currently being used?

A: Stem cells are currently being used in both laboratory and clinical settings. Laboratories are using human and animal derived stem cells to conduct in vitro studies as well as in vivo studies with small and large animals. Autologous adult stem cells are currently being used in hospitals and clinics during surgery to aid in the repair of damaged tissues.

Q: How long will the stem cells last?

A: It will depend on your injury, the area that is treated and your response to the therapy.

Q: What is the recovery like after a stem cell procedure?

A: If you have a joint injection, you typically can go back to work. It is advised to limit load bearing activities for at least 2 weeks. If you had disc injections, you should take it easy for a few days. Non-steriodal, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) should be withheld for 72 hours pre-procedure and one week after the procedure.

Q: What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic cells?

A: Autologous cells are taken from the same patient, typically at point-of-care. Allogeneic cells are taken from another patient and are often manipulated before they are given to another patient.

Q: Why use adult stem cell therapy rather than pharmaceuticals or genetic treatments?

A: Adult stem cells are from the body and generate natural proteins and therapeutic biochemicals, decrease inflammation, are anti-bacterial, and recruit other cells to heal the injured site. Pharmaceutical treatments only provide drugs with minimally effective dosages that may cause unwanted side effects. Over dosage can be dangerously toxic or even carcinogenic. Genetic therapy is still unproven and serious concerns exist about it causing cancer due to genetically manipulated cells.

Q: What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic cells?

A: Autologous cells are taken from the same patient, typically at point-of-care. Allogeneic cells are taken from another patient and are often manipulated.

Q: How much will it cost?

A: Most insurance will not cover stem cell procedures. Ask your doctor for payment options

The use of Stem cells in Hip Therapies

The use of Stem cells in Knee Therapies

The use of Stem cells in Shoulder Therapies

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Stem Cell Therapy New York City | Regenerative Medicine ...

NAVI MUMBAI: A forum group in Navi Mumbai conducted a question and answer session at Vashi to clear that there is no proof of stem cell therapy cure for autism. Around 100 parents of autistic children were part of the session held at Sunshine Autistic School in Vashi organised by the Forum for Autism group on Saturday. Guest speaker Dr Tatyana Dias, a PhD in neurobiology from the University of Edenburgh, UK, said, "All traditional therapies like occupational therapy, speech Therapy and special education are evidence-based which means they have been proved to be effective through immense research and practice. Whereas stem cell therapy is in research stage, its effectiveness is strongly doubted, even its practice is banned in many countries and if practised, it is done in labs and under strict regulations. In India at present there is no particular body or law to regulate stem cell research." Babita Raja, secretary, Forum for Autism, said, "Parents run from pillar to post for their children's treatment. We are hoping that this awareness programme would help them in deciding what they want to try."

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'No proof that stem cell therapy can cure autism' - Times of India

For years, health experts have bemoaned the rise of childhood obesity in the United States. About 17% of kids and teens in the U.S. are now considered obese, a figure that has more than tripled since the 1970s, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A report in this weeks edition of the New England Journal of Medicine lays out one of the consequences of all this excess weight: a corresponding increase in childhood cases of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when extra body fat makes it hard for cells to use insulin, a hormone that turns sugar into energy. Over time, blood sugar levels rise and cause blood vessels to become stiff, increasing the risk of life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, among others. More than 75,000 Americans die of diabetes each year, the CDC says.

Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes, because it would take years to develop. (Thats in contrast to type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, which occurs when the immune system destroys the cells that make insulin.) But these days, doctors are diagnosing type 2 in school-age kids, and occasionally even in toddlers.

After reviewing data on 10- to 19-year-olds in primarily five states (California, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington), researchers determined that 12.5 out of every 100,000 of them had a bona fide case of type 2 diabetes in 2011 and 2012. That compares with nine cases per 100,000 youth in 2002 and 2003.

After accounting for age, gender, race and ethnicity, the study authors found that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in this age group rose by an average of 4.8% per year during the study period.

The increase is detailed in this chart, which comes from the CDC. Here are five take-aways from the new data.

Although the difference between nine cases and 12.5 cases per 100,000 people might not sound like much, it means that about 1,500 more kids and teens were being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes each year at the end of the study period compared with the beginning.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes rose pretty much across the board for 10- to 19-year-olds, regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity. The two exceptions were white kids and youth in Ohio.

The burden of all these extra cases of type 2 diabetes is not being shared equally.

The racial and ethnic gap was evident in 2003, when the incidences ranged from 4.4 cases per 100,000 people for white youth to 22.6 cases per 100,000 people for Native Americans. By 2012, whites still had the lowest incidence and Native Americans still had the highest, but the gap had increased from 3.9 to 46.5 cases per 100,000 people.

In between were Asian American youth (with 12.2 cases per 100,000), Latinos (18.2 cases per 100,000) and African Americans (32.6 cases per 100,000).

Not only did white kids and teens start out with the lowest incidence of type 2 diabetes, they were the only demographic that didnt experience an increase in incidence over the 10 years of the study.

At the beginning of the study period, the incidence of type 2 diabetes was seven cases per 100,000 boys and 11.1 cases per 100,000 girls. By the end, the incidence increased modestly for boys (to nine cases per 100,000) but more markedly for girls (to 16.2 cases per 100,000).

After the researchers accounted for demographic factors, they calculated that the annual increase in type 2 diabetes incidence was 3.7% for boys and 6.2% for girls.

When the researchers divided the data according to age, they found very little difference between 10- to 14-year-olds and 15- to 19-year-olds.

In 2003, the older teens had a slight edge, with an incidence of 10 cases per 100,000 people compared with eight cases per 100,000 for their younger counterparts. By 2012, that edge had narrowed to 12.9 cases per 100,000 to 12.1 cases per 100,000.

The adjusted annual increase was essentially the same for both age groups 5.2% for the older kids and 5.1% for the younger ones.

The earlier the disease starts, the more potential it has to do damage.

Globally, the number of years people lived with diabetes-related disabilities rose by nearly 33% between 2005 and 2015, according to a report published last year in Lancet. In addition, the number of years of life lost to type 2 diabetes rose more than 25% in the same period.

That means that even though doctors are doing a better job of treating diabetes and its related conditions, the overall adverse effect of diabetes on public health is actually increasing, according to an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine that accompanies the new report.

karen.kaplan@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LATkarenkaplan and "like" Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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Type 2 diabetes, once considered a disease for adults, is increasingly common in tweens and teens - Los Angeles Times

Do you have Type 2 diabetes? Would you like to learn more about your disease and how to live well reducing your health risks? If so, Purdue Extension has a great program for you.

The Purdue ExtensionKnox County office in partnership with the Daviess Co. Purdue Extension Service consists of four two-hour sessions that will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on each Thursday during May with the first session scheduled on May 4 and the fourth session on May 25. Participants may also elect to have a follow-up session in June. The Dining with Diabetes program is open to those with diabetes, their family members and caretakers. The series of four sessions is $25/person or $35/couple. Pre-registration and payment is required no later than April 28. Participants are encouraged to attend all class sessions which will be held at the Knox County Extension Office, 4259 N. Purdue Road in Vincennes.

The educational programs and cooking school will help adults with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar, to feel better, and reduce their risk of health complications. Those enrolling will learn how to prepare meals that are healthy, easy to prepare and taste good. Recipes will be demonstrated, and participants will have the opportunity to taste each one. Participants will also learn up-to-date information on nutrition, meal planning, exercise and how to understand common diabetes-related medical tests. Recipe and handouts will be given to each participant.

Diabetes is a very serious and costly disease, but research has shown that those who learn to manage their blood glucose (sugar) levels eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly can lower their risks of complications and lead a healthier and more productive life.

Purdue Extension Knox County and Daviess County are currently recruiting participants for this program. If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, or know someone and are part of the support system for an individual and are interested in being a part of this program, please call Purdue Extension office at 812-882-3509. Registration and program fee may be sent to: 4259 N. Purdue Road by April 28. The $25/$35 program fee includes educational classes, program materials and food sampling. Dining with Diabetes is offered statewide and is sponsored by Purdue Extension.

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Dining with Diabetes program offered - Washington Times Herald

On the outside, you wouldn't know what this crowd has in common.

"I thought everybody had diabetes when I was a kid because I had it when I was a year and a half old," Tim Alcorn says. Tim has been managing his type 1 diabetes for 61 years.

Looking in, the group is just a small number of the millions of people affected by type 1 diabetes.

Tim's wifeBecki Alcornsays,"It's nice to know there are that many people out there that can manage and manage well and to know there's that much life left for everybody."

For 10, 25, 50 and even 75 years...and multiple insulin shots a day, patients with type 1 diabetes were recognized with a Lilly Diabetes Journey Award.

Sean Kinslerhas been managing his diabetes for 35 years. He says, "It's kind of nice to be able to say I made it this long and I'm going to continue to make it as long as I can make it."

"I'm happy to be here and I'm very proud actually to make it 61 years," Tim says.

Local award recipients join the thousands of individuals who have received the honor since the award was first established in 1975.

"It's wonderful because anybody who doesn't have diabetes doesn't realize what he or anyone with diabetes has to do just to be able to live," Becki says.

"The doctors used to joke and say 'Oh yeah you'll be in a wheel chair you'll lose a leg your eyesight and all this stuff you have to be worried about," Kinsler says. "I said 'Doctor...not me bud, just wait I'm going to prove you wrong.'"

Some say seeing others functioning so well with the same disease gives them a personal goal. Others, thankful for the insulin pumps that have helped them live so long. Most patients, lifting their hats, or insulin pumps to a virtual toast.

"I appreciate the day and I appreciate being able to be one that gets an award," Kinsler says.

This is the first time Deaconess held the celebration and staff says they plan to continue doing these awards annually.

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On the outside, you wouldn't know what this crowd has in common. - Tristatehomepage.com

Apple is reportedly working on a super secret medical project: building sensors to monitor blood sugar levels without piercing the skin.

According to CNBC, the iPhone maker has been working on this for at least five years, quietly hiring dozens of biomedical engineers and sequestering them in a nondescript Palo Alto office.

It may be intended to connect to the Apple Watch, which Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously hinted at trying to make more medically useful, even suggesting that an app developed adjacent to it might have to get approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. And Reuters reported in 2014 that Apple, Samsung, and Google were all interested in merging their respective mobile devices with glucose monitoring devices. What Apples reportedly trying to do here hasnt worked out so well for Google, whose life-sciences arm, Verily, is also located away from company headquarters in its own unassuming office building and has long been working (publicly) on a smart contact lens for blood sugar monitoring. That project hasnt been fruitful yet.

Keeping track of how blood sugar levels rise and fall throughout the day is a big job for people with type 1 diabetes, whose bodies dont produce insulina crucial hormone in blood sugar regulation. Diabetics typically test blood samples from their fingertips several times a day to measure these levels, but since the numbers can fluctuate so much in response to food, exercise, stress, and other factors, a few data points per day isnt always enough information. Thats why enthusiasm has been building for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors.

These sensors rely on a small needle that stays under the skin for days at a time to analyze interstitial fluidthe stuff that surrounds tissue cellsto measure blood sugar and wirelessly transmits the data to a receiver with a screen displaying the numbers. Dexcom, the current leader in CGM, has a sensor that works with an app for the iPhone and the Apple Watch.

According to CNBCs report, it sounds like whatever Apples working on would only differ by using light or an electrical current instead of a needle under the skin. Dexcoms technology is considered minimally invasive, while an optical or electrical sensor would be non-invasive.

This has been tried, unsuccessfully, in the past. Most notable, perhaps, was the commercial failure of a device called the GlucoWatch, which was approved by the FDA in 2001. It was worn just like a regular wristwatch and sent electrical currents through a patients skin to test blood sugar levels every 20 minutes, displaying the numbers on its face so that checking a blood sugar was as easy as checking the time. It was described in FDA documents (PDF) as a device that provides frequent, automatic, non-invasive glucose measurements. The glucose sample is obtained directly through intact skin. It may have met the definition of non-invasive, and it may have been accurate, but it was also painful.

It generated an electrical current, and for many people it caused a burn, according to Henry Anhalt, an endocrinologist who had patients that tried the device. Anhalt, now the chief medical officer at a diabetes research network called the T1D Exchange, says that although the GlucoWatch provided accurate results, people felt this burning sensation which I believe led to the demise of the product. Collectively in the community we were all discussing that this was why patients stopped using it.

Since the early 2000s, companies like Dexcom, Abbott, and Medtronic have successfully brought minimally invasive CGM devices to market, though Dexcom ran in the red for years, Abbott shut down its diabetes division in 2011, and Medtronics sensors were hampered by quality control problems for several years. Today, Dexcom is profitable and several hundred thousand people in the US use either its CGM or Medtronics. Some people with diabetes consider them must-haves, but not all. And its not clear that a sensor made by Apple, despite being non-invasive and from a trusted consumer brand, would be a must have, either.

These devices havent crossed the return on investment yet for a lot of people, Aaron Kowalski, one of the research leads at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, recently told Quartz. Glucose sensors will become bigger game-changers once theyre hooked up to automated insulin delivery, or closed-loop, systems, like the soon-to-launch Medtronic insulin pump, which has an integrated CGM that triggers the pump to suspend insulin delivery when low blood sugar is detected. Future devices are supposed to be capable of even more, and the true holy grail for many diabetics, short of a biological cure, is a fully-closed loop system that doesnt require them to even look at or think about their blood sugar numbershopefully because a computer is constantly making its own decisions based on those numbers.

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Apple (APPL) has a secret glucose monitoring device project to help ... - Quartz

Most of us know that eating fresh fruit and vegetables is good for our health. However, people diagnosed with diabetes may avoid fruit due to its high sugar content. New research investigates the health benefits of fresh fruit consumption among people with diabetes.

Diabetes affects more than 420 million people worldwide and more than 29 million people in the United States alone.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes caused more than 1.5 million deaths in 2012. In the U.S., diabetes is a leading cause of death, accounting for almost 80,000 yearly deaths, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Fresh fruit and vegetables are healthful for most of us, but people with diabetes may abstain from eating fresh fruit because of its high sugar content.

This is why a team of researchers - led by Huaidong Du of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom - decided to investigate the health effects of consuming fresh fruit in patients both with and without diabetes.

The authors were also motivated by the fact that, to their knowledge, no studies have so far investigated the long-term effects of fresh fruit consumption on the rate of diabetes or on the risk of diabetes-induced cardiovascular events.

The research was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

The researchers examined the effects of fruit consumption on almost 500,000 people enrolled in the China Kadoorie Biobank national study. Participants were aged between 30 and 79 and lived in 10 different areas across China.

The participants were clinically followed for approximately 7 years.

During this follow-up period, 9,504 cases of diabetes were identified in participants who did not have diabetes at the beginning of the study.

Using Cox regression models, researchers analyzed the correlations with consumption of fresh fruit while also adjusting for age, sex, location, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), and family history of diabetes.

In total, 18.8 percent of the participants said that they consumed fresh fruit every day, and 6.4 percent said that they never or rarely consumed them. Those who had been previously diagnosed with diabetes were three times as likely to not consume fruit than those without diabetes or with screen-detected diabetes.

The team found that people who did not have diabetes at the beginning of the study and consumed fresh fruit in high amounts had a significantly lower risk of diabetes. Additionally, those who had diabetes at the beginning of the study and consumed high amounts of fruit had a significantly lower risk of dying from any cause, as well as a lower risk of developing cardiovascular complications.

More specifically, in comparison with the other study participants, those who consumed fresh fruit daily had a 12 percent lower relative risk of developing diabetes.

Study participants who had diabetes at baseline but consumed fresh fruit more than three times per week had a 17 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality and up to a 28 percent lower risk of developing both major and minor cardiovascular complications.

"Major" cardiovascular complications refer to events that affect large blood vessels (ischemic heart disease and stroke, for instance), while "minor" refers to those affecting small blood vessels (such as kidney diseases, eye disease, and neuropathy).

In absolute terms, this means that daily fruit-consumers had a 0.2 percent decrease in their absolute risk of developing diabetes over a 5-year period, and people diagnosed with diabetes had a 1.9 percent absolute reduction in the risk of mortality from all causes.

Du and team explain the significance of these findings:

"These findings suggest that a higher intake of fresh fruit is potentially beneficial for primary and secondary prevention of diabetes. For individuals who have already developed diabetes, restricted consumption of fresh fruit, which is common in many parts of the world [...] should not be encouraged."

The study was purely observational, so no conclusions were drawn regarding causality.

Learn how legumes may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

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Fresh fruit may prevent diabetes and related complications - Medical News Today

April 14, 2017 Before stem cells (green) give rise to eggs and sperm, they make DND1, a molecule that helps prevent the cells from being eliminated. Credit: Rockefeller University

The first days of an embryo's development are a busy time for the molecules that regulate gene expression. A vast number of specific genes need to be turned on and off at precisely the right time for cells to end up in the proper place and in the appropriate quantity.

Researchers at the Rockefeller University have untangled how a molecule called DND1 enables the proper formation of eggs and spermessential parts of any species that reproduces sexually. Published in Nature, the findings suggest that a pool of stem cells, which will ultimately give rise to eggs and sperm, can only survive if DND1 is around. The protein prevents a host of factors related to cell death and inflammation from killing these stem cells off.

"We already knew that mutations in the DND1 gene can cause a substantial loss of germline stem cells and male sterilityand now we know why," says Thomas Tuschl, head of the Laboratory of RNA Molecular Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Tuschl led the study with Markus Hafner, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Tuschl lab who is now at the National Institutes of Health, and research associate Masashi Yamaji.

For a gene to be expressed, it must be copied from DNA to so-called messenger RNA (mRNA), which brings it outside of the nucleus. The mRNA then recruits the necessary building blocks to make a protein. There are many places along a gene's journey to becoming a protein where regulators can step in to either ramp up or tone down the resulting level of protein in a cell. DND1 is one of these regulators, and scientists used to think its function is to increase the stability of mRNA.

However, Tuschl and colleagues found that it does just the opposite: DND1 binds to sites made up of a specific code on mRNA, and attracts a complex responsible for destabilizing the targeted mRNAs, thereby halting further protein production. That code can be repeated throughout an mRNA sequence, and the researchers found that more repeats of this code meant more of a chance that the mRNA would be eliminated.

The researchers also identified all of the mRNAs that DND1 targets, which included genes related to inflammation, differentiation, and cell deathgenes whose activity is supposed to be turned off at this point in development. When a cell shuts down these genes, it stops producing their mRNAs. However, mRNAs that were copied earlier may still be floating around, ready to build a protein.

"We think that DND1 helps to sharpen the transition from one developmental stage to the next by targeting mRNAs that should have already been turned off, and clearing them from the cell," says Yamaji. "By halting the production of proteins that otherwise promote cell death, DND1 allows germline stem cells to grow and be maintained in proper numbers."

Explore further: Protein production in differentiating stem cells is more complex than previously thought

More information: Masashi Yamaji et al. DND1 maintains germline stem cells via recruitment of the CCR4NOT complex to target mRNAs, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature21690

Journal reference: Nature

Provided by: Rockefeller University

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Shooting the messenger: how one protein allows germ cells to develop - Phys.Org

Harvard Gazette

Harvard scientists find evidence that ALS and SMA could be treated with a common drug Harvard Gazette Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers have identified a compound that helps protect the cells destroyed by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the most frequent fatal genetic disease in children under 2 years of age. SMA is a neurodegenerative ...

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Harvard scientists find evidence that ALS and SMA could be treated with a common drug - Harvard Gazette

April 14, 2017 A team of biomedical engineering researchers has created a revolutionary 3-D-bioprinted patch that can help heal scarred heart tissue after a heart attack. Two of the researchers involved are biomedical engineering Associate Professor Brenda Ogle (right) and Ph.D. student Molly Kupfer (left). Credit: Patrick O'Leary, University of Minnesota

A team of biomedical engineering researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has created a revolutionary 3D-bioprinted patch that can help heal scarred heart tissue after a heart attack. The discovery is a major step forward in treating patients with tissue damage after a heart attack.

The research study is published today in Circulation Research, a journal published by the American Heart Association. Researchers have filed a patent on the discovery.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. killing more than 360,000 people a year. During a heart attack, a person loses blood flow to the heart muscle and that causes cells to die. Our bodies can't replace those heart muscle cells so the body forms scar tissue in that area of the heart, which puts the person at risk for compromised heart function and future heart failure.

In this study, researchers from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Alabama-Birmingham used laser-based 3D-bioprinting techniques to incorporate stem cells derived from adult human heart cells on a matrix that began to grow and beat synchronously in a dish in the lab.

When the cell patch was placed on a mouse following a simulated heart attack, the researchers saw significant increase in functional capacity after just four weeks. Since the patch was made from cells and structural proteins native to the heart, it became part of the heart and absorbed into the body, requiring no further surgeries.

"This is a significant step forward in treating the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S.," said Brenda Ogle, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Minnesota. "We feel that we could scale this up to repair hearts of larger animals and possibly even humans within the next several years."

Ogle said that this research is different from previous research in that the patch is modeled after a digital, three-dimensional scan of the structural proteins of native heart tissue. The digital model is made into a physical structure by 3D printing with proteins native to the heart and further integrating cardiac cell types derived from stem cells. Only with 3D printing of this type can we achieve one micron resolution needed to mimic structures of native heart tissue.

"We were quite surprised by how well it worked given the complexity of the heart," Ogle said. "We were encouraged to see that the cells had aligned in the scaffold and showed a continuous wave of electrical signal that moved across the patch."

Ogle said they are already beginning the next step to develop a larger patch that they would test on a pig heart, which is similar in size to a human heart.

Explore further: Tissue engineering advance reduces heart failure in model of heart attack

More information: Ling Gao et al, Myocardial Tissue Engineering With Cells Derived From Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and a Native-Like, High-Resolution, 3-Dimensionally Printed ScaffoldNovelty and Significance, Circulation Research (2017). DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.310277

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3-D-printed patch can help mend a 'broken' heart - Medical Xpress

As we baby boomers confront various health issues as we age, its good to keep abreast of medical advances that may offer us hope or, in some cases, maybe just a dose of amusement.

Interestingly, some of these developments were the stuff of science fiction when we were growing up. Take a look:

Silly Putty can help track blood pressure

When we boomers were kids, one of the coolest things you could do with Silly Putty was press it on comics and transfer the image. Now researchers have discovered this polymer can measure blood pressure, pulse and respiration rate. The scientists added grapheneconsidered the thinnest and strongest material to existto Silly Putty, then measured if electrical current would pass through it. They found G-putty was 250 times more sensitive than a typical metal-based sensor and, when placed on a subjects chest, was able to measure how much blood was pushing on artery walls. Who knew?

Speed bumps can help diagnose appendicitis

Apparently, how much pain patients experience when theyre driven over a speed bump is a highly reliable clinical indicator of acute appendicitis. According to a study published in the medical journal BMJ, Asking about speed bumps may contribute to clinical assessment and could be useful in telephone assessment of patients. So if you feel increased abdominal pain when going over a speed bump, maybe you should keep driving straight to the hospitalbecause delayed surgery for acute appendicitis can lead to severe infection, even death. Not funny.

Surgeons want to transplant a human head

A Russian tech geek, a Chinese surgeon and an Italian neurosurgeon walk into an operating roomsounds like the opening line of a joke, right? Well, according to an article in the Washington Post, these three folks want to be involved in the first human head transplant (the Russian is volunteering his head because hes got a fatal genetic disorder). The neurosurgeon says the transplant could happen as early as this year (probably in China since its unlikely to get US or EU approval) and has a 90 percent plus chance of success. It would require 80 surgeons (none named Frankenstein) and cost tens of millions of dollars. Im still wrapping my head around this one

Robot to care for the elderly at home

Remember Rosie, the household robot from The Jetsons? Well, researchers at Rice University and IBM are working on an in-home assistant for elders who wish to age in place named MERAthe Multi-purpose Eldercare Robot Assistant. MERA will monitor an individuals heart rate and respiration, and can detect if someone falls, automatically calling a caregiver or 911. People using the device can also ask it health-related questionslike what are the signs of a stroke or heart attackand MERA shares these messages with caregivers or providers. The device is powered by Watson, IBMs artificial intelligence and analytical softwareand Jeopardy champion. Wonder if MERA plays any games

Part-human, part-pig creature grown in lab

Remember The Island of Doctor Moreau, or Jeff Goldblum in The Fly? Well,according to STAT, a national medical newsletter from Boston Globe Media, scientists recently announced they produced a human-pig chimeraa hybrid created by fusing a sperm and egg from different species. The researchers injected pig embryos with human stem cells, and the chimeras began to grow organs containing human cells. These creatures werent allowed to develop past the fetal stage, but the experiment suggests hybrids might someday be used to grow organs for transplant, easing a dire shortage. Hmmethical considerations aside, what human-animal combos would you like to see?

Got stomach acid? It might be the battery of the future

Also according to STAT, biomedical engineers at Brigham and Womens Hospital believe your churning stomach acid could power ingestible medical devices like long-acting drug-delivery capsules or sensors that can detect blood or toxins. The acid allows electrons to move between two metals, producing a small amount of current, like a battery. In an animal study, an ingestible thermometer was able to poweritself for about six days while transmitting measurements every 12 seconds. Better lay off the antacids, huh?

When you think about it, it is pretty amazing what the human mind has brought to life, inspiring this haiku:

Medicine is like science fiction: its the art of the possible.

What do you think? Are there other medical advances that wereor still seemlike science fiction to you? If you could have a head transplant, whose would you want? Conversely, who would you donate your head to? Please share

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6 unusual medical advances baby boomers might appreciate - Bangor Daily News