So, it’s been more than a few years since I reported how parents were hacking into their children’s glucose monitor to create what some would love to call an artificial pancreas. But, I can guarantee you the combining a pump, glucose monitor, smartphone, and a Bluetooth computer may keep our kids safe- but an artificial pancreas, it ain’t.
Continue reading I’ll do it myself!
Sometimes you just have to share bad information. Like a few weeks ago, when I reported that data indicated the nature of the microbiome population in a mom’s gut is associated with the development of autism spectrum disorders in their children. (My goal in publicizing this data was to alert parents-to-be of the issue- and to consider fecal transplantation if that issue could be applied to them.)
Continue reading Dialysis Bonuses?
For years, I drank Diet Coke. (Actually, I switched from Diet Rite to Diet Coke the second it was available. Or, maybe before it was commercially available. But, that’s a separate story.) Not just drinking Diet Coke, but devouring it.
Continue reading Damned if you do, Worse if you don’t!
I’ve followed diabetes mostly because it usually leads to kidney failure. And, that has been one of my prime interests for nigh 55 years now. And, if we can preclude this escalation, the quality of life one can have is pretty reasonable. Given that there are some 30 million folks with diabetes, that means there are a slew of folks who can also find themselves subject to kidney failure.
Continue reading Diabetes Patients Need IT (information technology)
Most people know that extreme vitamin D deficiency causes rickets (softening of bones, so they become distorted and bowed). Plus, even a moderate lack of vitamin D will exacerbate your risk of bone fractures. Vitamin D is not just about bones, though- with a shortage of this vitamin, we leave ourselves more susceptible to infections, at risk to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and Sjoegren’s, and we even face the risk of developing certain cancers.
Continue reading Gimme some Vitamin D
I’ve written about Bob Langer (most recently here), one of the smartest guys I know. Today, I’ll talk about someone I don’t know- but is a pretty prolific medical innovator.
Continue reading Coming to your intestine- soon?
It’s Kidney Week. OK. It’s kidney 5 days… Starting today and ending on the 10th. A ‘week’ to make all of us more aware of one of our biggest killers- certainly one of our most expensive diseases- that is, often, undetected. Why is that so? Because most subjects (they are not yet patients) exhibit no symptoms, until a crisis has developed.
Continue reading Kidney Week 2013
Since I’ve been 15. Yup, while working at Arlee Cleaners, I was intimidated to switch from milk to drinking coffee. Of course, that was in New York, where “regular coffee” came equipped with a pound of sugar and a quart of milk. (OK, just two teaspoons of sugar and 25 ml of milk, in an 8 oz cup, but you get the idea.)
Continue reading Jumping Java?
Earlier this week, I talked about how the flu vaccine is useful in lowering our cardiac risk. Today, we’ll examine its relationship to diabetes.
Continue reading Flu virus and diabetes
Medical professionals have been opting to use stents over bypass surgery for a while. Not only because there are fewer risks to the patients, but because the costs (before insurance) are dramatically different. Should you not have insurance, you can expect the insertion of a stent to run you about $ 41K, but bypass surgery can run about $ 170K. Now, these are not your out-of-pocket costs, because there are negotiated rates for those covered by insurance, but you can bet that it still costs you more for bypass surgery, even with insurance.
Continue reading Bypass Surgery should not be by-passed!
