Author: Staff Writers

The Role of Sleep in Diabetes Prevention: Staying up late and getting up early are normal events in many American homes. Sometimes that is by choice and sometimes stress related factors make it difficult at best to move past regular bouts of insomnia.

Lest any of you think that the more sleep the better research seems to suggest that anything less than seven hours, or more than nine, can contribute to a variety of health issues including obesity and diabetes.

This is a bit like the children’s story “Goldilocks” in which the little girl tries two extremes and settles for the middle option she refers to as “Just right.”

There is the old adage; “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” I don’t know about wealthy, but there is wisdom in managing your health account. It makes little sense to ‘spend’ your health at the expense of sleep.

Findings of the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies held recently were reported in ScienceDaily.com. The report suggests, “Results indicate that short sleep was associated with obesity, with the adjusted odds ratios for black Americans (1.78) and white Americans (1.43) showing that blacks had a 35 percent greater risk than whites of obesity associated with short sleep. The prevalence of obesity (body mass index of 30 or higher) was 52 percent for blacks and 38 percent for whites. The prevalence of short sleep (5 hours or less) was 12 percent for blacks and eight percent for whites.”

That report further states, “Individuals who sleep for less than seven hours per night may be at a greater risk for becoming obese.”

ABCNews.com suggested, “One study found that those who slept five hours or fewer per night were 24 percent more likely to develop diabetes, while those who slept nine or more hours per night were 48 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those sleeping more typical hours.”

Another study suggests that if you want to sleep well you should skip working out although this was a controversial study at best. This was a small study conducted over a short period of time. Most medical experts suggest continuing physical activity, but perhaps reduce overall stresses in other areas of your life. You may also find that certain times of the day are better for physical exercise than others.

Some individuals are also finding that eating close to bedtime is not helpful to waistline goals. By managing meals at strategic times you may find that your overall health might just improve.

It is no secret that in the modern world we try to pack in more opportunities than our parents and we involve our kids in more activities than we ever thought of participating in ourselves. We may even feel this provides our offspring an advantage, but the related stress may be damaging the health of two generations. The stress we face can result in sleepless nights and caffeine-enriched days. This cycle, while typically accepted in our culture, is often a recipe for negative health conditions including heart disease and diabetes.

You may be able to add more life to your days by declining even good offers to participate in good things if those things will interfere substantially with your sleep patterns and stress levels.

In this case wise opportunity subtraction could be a key to a healthier future. Sleep well – live better.

Are Weight Loss Meds the Next Diabetes Treatment Option: Physician representatives for the makers of drugs Qnexa, Lorcaserin and Contrave all believe that the next stage in the battle against Type 2 diabetes will be in the area of managed weight loss.

The drugs listed above are involved in investigative trials. A report in MedPageToday suggests, “All three showed improvements in risk factors besides obesity, including blood glucose, blood pressure, and Triglycerides.”

In other words the use of these drugs resulted in weight loss accompanied by a reduction in risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.

A new term has been coined that describes the condition many face in America – Diabesity. Medical science has long been aware of the link between being overweight and the development of diabetes. The premise of this approach to diabetic care is to manage a primary contributor to disease conditioning. By reducing personal weight patients may either avoid diabetes or reduce symptoms in a post diagnosis scenario.

Dr. Christen M. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D. is a vice president of clinical development for drug maker Arena Pharmaceuticals. He presented findings on Lorcaserin by saying, “We had dramatic improvements in insulin resistance and in biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. In terms of weight loss, 47.5% of patients on the drug lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with and 20.3% of those on placebo, and 22.6% lost at least 10% of their body weight compared with 7.7% of placebo patients. After two years, patients on the drug maintained a significantly greater amount of weight loss compared with those who had switched to placebo after one year.”

Researchers are especially pleased to discover the trials seem to show the drug does not pose side effects of either depression or suicidal thoughts.

Meanwhile Qnexa demonstrated hemoglobin A1c level reductions for those who have diabetes as well as those deemed prediabetic.

MedPageToday reported, “Among diabetic patients, those on the drug had a 1.6% reduction in HbA1c from baseline, compared with 1.1% for patients on placebo. The patients also experienced significant reductions in blood pressure and Triglycerides, as well as better reductions in fasting plasma glucose.

“Patients on the drug had a significant reduction in antidiabetic medication use compared with controls, as well as significant improvements in fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure, and waist circumference. ”

Dr. Louis Aronne, M.D., of Weill-Cornell and New York Presbyterian represents Qnexa and is quoted as saying these drugs could, “Halt the progression towards type 2 diabetes.”

Most researchers were optimistic that these drugs could be used in future care of diabetes.

If there is any concern associated with what appears to be good news it may be that the benefit of these drugs could lead those who already live a sedentary lifestyle to assume there is no need and little benefit to physical activity if a prescribed drug could manage to improve health while reducing the waistline.

Most health care providers still strongly encourage patients to engage in exercise. Short bursts of vigorous physical activity can help flush excess blood glucose from your body and allows your body to stabilize glucose levels. It can also result in the flushing of toxins from your body through sweat and released endorphins that can lead to a better feeling about life in general.

These advances in weight loss medications may be a catalyst to other meaningful lifestyle changes for the diabetic or those who may be heading that direction.

Reducing Diabetes Costs May Be A High Tech Business: President Obama has both ardent supporters as well as equally ardent detractors from plans he has expressed to alter health care on the United States. Republican Senator Mike Enzi from Wyoming recently said, “We see that as a slippery slope to having the government run everything.”

Protesters have been an ever-present companion to Obama’s push for reformation. The most radical of comments liken the idea of government health care to Socialism.

On the other side of the fence are individuals seeking answers to what many consider a health care crisis.

Obama has been very vocal about the need to reduce health care costs. A trial partnership is attempting to come up with a few answers before some questions are even asked.

A recent article in the Miami Herald indicates proof of the partnership; “Microsoft is teaming with the University of Miami for a study to see if software and primary care can improve the healthcare of 25 diabetics in Overtown.”

You may wonder what a computer software manufacturer might be able to offer diabetic patients. “Microsoft is donating several software platforms. Other grants are contributing computers to the patients, most of whom are on Medicaid.

“The idea is that the system can measure patients’ interactions with nurses and doctors, their weight and blood sugar levels and other matters,” according to the Miami Herald report.

The University of Miami will be using the computers and software to forge an interactive relationship with their patients. Miami mayor Manny Diaz responded in a press release, “We are always looking to new technologies to increase the reach of services to our constituents as well as improve their health outcomes, especially for our neediest residents. The Overtown Health Project is another step forward for Elevate Miami, our public/private partnership to offer affordable technology packages that ensure residents and businesses are digitally enabled.”

It is widely believed that health technology will be the next big thing in computer software. Microsoft may be working to lead the way by encouraging developers to use their platform. Jack Hersey of Microsoft said in a press release. “Considering that diabetes is one of the leading illnesses in the United States, the ability for patients to more accurately track and manage their condition can have a meaningful impact on their personal health as well as the cost containment for our customers. These types of solutions can be replicated and implemented in any hospital or clinic in the country.”

One of the primary benefits of this program is that doctors can have daily access to information about patients and can address issues as they develop and not simply on the next scheduled visit or, worse yet, in an emergency scenario.

The integration of data and timely medical analysis could have the potential of reducing health care costs because issues can be addressed much sooner and education on health issues can be accessed through the high tech connection between patient and physician. The hope is that the 24 diabetic patients participating in Overtown will provide some sense of a model that could be adapted in multiple health care scenarios.

Overtown has been described as, “A predominantly African-American neighborhood in the city of Miami located near the Miami Health District, which includes the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. The study is funded by the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Miami with support from the United Health Foundation.”

Confessions of a Pre-Diabetic: It stares at me from the deep recesses of the pit and mocks me. I am surprised by how quickly I agree that I want what’s being offered; yet I hesitate.

This isn’t the first time I had faced this foe and I’m certain it won’t be the last – an empty cookie wrapper in the bottom of a trashcan.

My son did not resist the urge and had another. I determined to stand firm.

As the years pass by it becomes clear that no one can eat like they did when they were ten and feel good afterwards. In my own circle of influence I am often involved in deep conversation about calories, carb counting and the impact processed foods have on a diet.

It seems strange. In years past there would be conversations about sports scores, cars and weekend plans. Today? It’s often about food.

Yet, as much as I agree with the notion that a better diet is worthwhile, and I know that eating wisely also makes you feel good – I still stare at the cookie wrapper with envy.

It is interesting that an obsession with food throughout your life can become an even greater obsession when trying to avoid health complications from being overweight or being told you’re pre-diabetic.

There can be moments of fight or flight. You want to reach out and pummel your body into such perfect shape that you look like you did when you were young. On the other hand you may want to run away from the diagnosis and treat it as if it doesn’t exist. Fight – flight.

It can be dangerous to assume that diabetes is inevitable because there will be no fight in your battle – just a relentless march toward what should be avoided. There will be little resistance to returning to life as normal and waiting for the doctor to prescribe some pills to help you deal with diabetes.

For me? I slowly watch the weight come off as I determine to make better choices. I walk more, ride my bike more often, pay attention to product labels and am well acquainted with the term, “Portion control”.

Diabetes has been labeled a pandemic in some circles, yet it often gains a collective yawn from individuals who often believe if it is ignored it will go away like a common cold.

In my case I have an office job that requires very little physical exertion. What that means for me is having to find ways to work out the physical side of life at times other than work. Frankly with the stress of life in general the answer most of us choose is simply to crash when there are moments of downtime.

If I’m going to succeed in my quest I will need to become an expert at what it takes to reverse course. I will need to be intentional about my new course as a lifelong quest – not simply a fad that will fade away when the doctor says things have improved.

I envision an Olympic athlete. They pay the price to get into shape and run the race. Do they then abandon the workouts when they have finished the race? Not if they want to stay competitive. A victory may be won, but there are more ahead. This is how I like to picture my current battle.

So today I stare at an empty cookie wrapper and am able to walk away basking only in the memory of a taste. Am I a martyr? No. I choose the term “Overcomer.”

Minimizing the Instance of Gestational Diabetes: Have you ever heard of docosahexaenoic acid or DHA? If not, you’re probably not alone. If you’re pregnant, however, this supplement could reduce or even prevent gestational diabetes.

In order to test this belief researchers are beginning a trial of this supplement comprised of omega-3 fatty acids that may be able to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity in pregnant women according to principal investigator Debra Krummel, PhD of the University of Cincinnati.

A two-year study is planned to help researchers come to terms with the potential benefit of DHA in pregnant women.

Previous research indicates women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes are often highly susceptible to Type 2 diabetes later in life. If gestational diabetes could be prevented or instances reduced this could have a significant impact in potential Type 2 diabetes in women who are also mothers. As you’ll see later in this report the benefits of DHA also extend to their children.

Krummel told Physorg.com, “We have to find a way to help these women once they’re already pregnant, and that’s what this supplement is about. If this supplement can improve insulin sensitivity and markers of inflammation in pregnant women, it’s a huge clinical benefit. It’s already good for the baby but if it can have this other benefit, it’s huge.”

This diabetic research is centered in Cincinnati, Ohio and will be focusing on around 90 women who are between the ages of 18-40. Study candidates will be less than 26 weeks pregnant at the time they enter the study and are asked to make three appointments during their pregnancy related to the gathering of study findings in their case.

Participants are compensated for their time and are provided the supplements they will need as part of the study. Two control groups will be developed. One will receive DHA and the other will not. Study participants will be screened and placenta blood will also be screened following birth to gather additional facts. Findings from both groups will be compared and that data will result in recommendations to physicians or be the basis for revised studies.

Existing findings related to DHA indicate it has been helpful to babies within the womb by assisting in cognitive development following birth, retinal development and better overall vision. An existing supplement that is high in DHA is fish oil. The reason fish contain high levels of DHA is that this beneficial nutrient is found in abundance in algae.

This report did not take into account the advantages tied to a reduction in Triglycerides levels along with fewer instances of heart disease among those who regularly ingest DHA.

Gestational diabetes is often discovered in pregnant women who are also overweight. This is not exclusively true, but the trends indicate it is more common in this scenario.

When a pregnant woman who is diagnosed with gestational diabetes does not work to control her blood glucose there may be problems with their children being born overweight and with a greater likelihood that those children may develop Type 2 diabetes. The stage also seems to be set for the mother who may feel fine after the baby is born, but may have had her body conditioned for the development of Type 2 diabetes.

If the addition of DHA during pregnancy could decrease or effectively eliminate gestational diabetes this would be “huge” indeed.

Make Changes While Your Young To Avoid Type 2 Diabetes: The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute funded a 20-year study on the affects of aerobic fitness on diabetes potential. The findings indicate ‘fitness for life’ is a worthy mantra.

ScienceDaily.com recently reported, “Most healthy 25 year olds don’t stay up at night worrying whether they are going to develop diabetes in middle age. The disease is not on their radar, and middle age is a lifetime away.”

The July release of the full details of the study (Diabetes Care) strongly indicates that a view toward a healthy lifestyle in your teens and twenties may be essential in creating a body environment that resists diabetes later in life.

One of the primary reasons this is believed to be true is that we all tend to slow down as we age. If you begin with an already sedentary lifestyle is becomes almost impossible to encourage yourself to work out more as you age. The natural tendency is to actually do less. This in turn accelerates the conditions needed for the development of diabetes.

Mercedes Carnethon, lead author and assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School was quoted in the report as saying, “These young adults are setting the stage for chronic disease in middle age by not being physically active and fit. People who have low fitness in their late teens and 20’s tend to stay the same later in life or even get worse. Not many climb out of that category.”

The report indicates this is the first long-term study of its kind because most previous studies, observed for much shorter periods of time, relied on self-reporting by participants. In this long-term case results were taken by subjecting participants to a treadmill test and allowing researchers to report actual results over nearly two decades.

The greatest predictor of diabetes in the study seems to be Body Mass Index (BMI). This is the total amount of body fat an individual has. The more body fat – the greater the potential for Type 2 diabetes.

Carnethon confirms, “The overwhelming importance of a high BMI to the development of diabetes was somewhat unexpected and leads us to think that activity levels need to be adequate not only to raise aerobic fitness, but also to maintain a healthy body weight. If two people have a similar level of fitness, the person with the higher BMI is more likely to develop diabetes.”

This report suggests that diabetes prevention may need to begin when young adults still believe they are invincible. Developing and maintaining a healthy weight and exercise program may be critical to the success of diabetes avoidance. The ScienceDaily.com report suggests, “Young adults (18 to 30 years old) with low aerobic fitness levels –as measured by a treadmill test — are two to three times more likely to develop diabetes in 20 years than those who are fit.”

A further breakdown of the report suggests, “Young women and young African Americans are less aerobically fit than men and white adults in the same age group, placing a larger number of these population subgroups at risk for diabetes.”

This study started in 1984 and was finished in 2001. More than 3,000 individuals participated and several issues were scrutinized prior to the development of publicly released findings.

The bare bones of the study suggest an early acceptance and enjoyment of physical activity may be necessary to combat the chronic disease of diabetes later in life.

Struggling With Diabetes in a Depressed Economy: More than 25,000 diabetic patients are being tracked in a Greater Cleveland study in Ohio. This is a rather large undertaking on a local level to track diabetes and accompanying managed care.

The report, started in 2007, suggests that patients are doing a better job overall when it comes to personally managing their blood glucose.

Dr. Randall Cebul, director of Better Health Greater Cleveland (BHGC) told Cleveland.com his collective is, “Still crunching numbers, but preliminary estimates are around $200 million a year in largely preventable local hospital costs.” This equals around $8,000 per diabetic patient per year on preventable costs.

The goal of BHGC is to help patients manage their care in an effort to minimize costs while improving overall health. That being said, the economy has not done much to allow this dream to come true. Ohio has been hit in the same way any other state has been. BHGC indicates there is a 19% unemployment rate among the diabetic patients they track and this is causing patients to forego self-management in favor of meeting other expenses.

Cebul indicated, “People either scrimp on care — they don’t go to visits because they can’t make [payments] — or they scrimp on medicines and supplies. They won’t be checking their sugar, that’s all there is to it.”

To prove the point Cleveland.com visited with Vivian Scott, a 47 year-old diabetic who said, “Testing strips run anywhere from $50 to $150 a month. Those are not covered, they are out of pocket. Most of the time I don’t do my sugar because I can’t afford it. The electric bill or food on the table is more important.”

Scott isn’t alone. Many diabetic couples are sharing pills hoping it will provide the help they need.

Subsidized care programs are in place to help when they can, but as the instance of diabetes increases it becomes more difficult to bear the burden of care.

What seems troubling to many experts is the economy may impact diabetes on more than one front. Certainly what you’ve already read is a microcosm of diabetes management in cities across the US, but the second impact is the stress coping with finances often has on individuals who do not currently have diabetes. This stress may result in future instances of diabetes among the general public.

We see an immediate impact due to the fact that individuals who have diabetes are struggling with how to pay for their care, but we are also seeing individuals eating foods that are highly process while the individual lingers over their own personal finances. These conditions may be contributing factors to onset diabetes.

Medical experts indicate that it is only when diabetes is tightly controlled that long-term expenses associated with diabetes care can be minimized. If individuals cannot test due to financial restraints they are less likely to avoid medical conditions that may require hospitalization and other medical intervention in the future.

From a practical standpoint it is easy to see how individuals look at medical expenses of a hundred dollars or more as being unreasonable when they are trying to simply pay for the other necessities of life. Groups like Better Health Greater Cleveland and others become instrumental in helping provide education and subsidized care to diabetic patients.

This may be a difficult time for diabetics to cope with the management of their disease, but there are organizations extending hope, and some diabetics who are struggling with their finances are finding help.

Environmental Factor May Be Key to Diabetes Development: A study funded by the National Institutes of Health indicates a specific type of food processing may hold the key to the development of many diseases including Type 2 diabetes.

ScienceDaily.com reports that researchers at Rhode Island Hospital have concluded that there is a, “Substantial link between increased levels of nitrates in our environment and food with increased deaths from diseases, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes mellitus and Parkinson’s.”

Dr. Suzanne de la Monte was the lead researcher on this study and says, “We have become a ‘nitrosamine generation.’ In essence, we have moved to a diet that is rich in amines and nitrates, which lead to increased nitrosamine production. We receive increased exposure through the abundant use of nitrate-containing fertilizers for agriculture. Not only do we consume them in processed foods, but they get into our food supply by leeching from the soil and contaminating water supplies used for crop irrigation, food processing and drinking.”

Cured meats such as bacon, hot dogs and some lunchmeats are often rich in nitrates. Because of crop growth techniques even green beans, carrots and spinach may contain high levels of nitrates. Bottled water may be a safe alternative to a water supply if nitrate levels in the water supply are deemed to be high due to fertilizer and pesticide use.

ScienceDaily.com explains, “Nitrosamines are formed by a chemical reaction between nitrites or other proteins. Sodium nitrite is deliberately added to meat and fish to prevent toxin production; it is also used to preserve, color and flavor meats. Ground beef, cured meats and bacon in particular contain abundant amounts of amines due to their high protein content. Because of the significant levels of added nitrates and nitrites, nitrosamines are nearly always detectable in these foods. Nitrosamines are also easily generated under strong acid conditions, such as in the stomach, or at high temperatures associated with frying or flame broiling. Reducing sodium nitrite content reduces nitrosamine formation in foods.”

If you think it strange that diseases like Parkinson’s Alzheimer’s and diabetes seem so prevalent today it may be because they are. In 1950 many of these diseases were either not widespread or non-existent. The rapid growth of these and other diseases seems to have a cause that falls outside the realm of genetics causation.

Dr. Suzanne de la Monte indicates, “Because of the similar trending in nearly all age groups within each disease category, this indicates that these overall trends are not due to an aging population. This relatively short time interval for such dramatic increases in death rates associated with these diseases is more consistent with exposure-related causes rather than genetic changes. Moreover, the strikingly higher and climbing mortality rates in older age brackets suggest that aging and/or longer durations of exposure have greater impacts on progression and severity of these diseases.”

One fact that may have been overlooked by many was published in ScienceDaily.com and is part of a larger report in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease,  “The findings indicate that while nitrogen-containing fertilizer consumption increased by 230 percent between 1955 and 2005, its usage doubled between 1960 and 1980, which just precedes the insulin-resistant epidemics the researchers found. They also found that sales from the fast food chain and the meat processing company increased more than 8-fold from 1970 to 2005, and grain consumption increased 5-fold.”

De la Monte concluded, “If this hypothesis is correct, potential solutions include eliminating the use of nitrites and nitrates in food processing, preservation and agriculture; taking steps to prevent the formation of nitrosamines and employing safe and effective measures to detoxify food and water before human consumption.”

As the President’s advisor on Homeland
Security, I am passing along the following message from
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Arne
Duncan, Secretary of Education, who are leading the efforts
to prepare our Nation for the coming flu season.

Fellow Americans,

This spring we were confronted with an outbreak of a troubling
flu virus called 2009-H1N1. As the fall flu season approaches,
it is critical that we reinvigorate our preparedness efforts
across the country in order to mitigate the effects of this
virus on our communities.

Today, we are holding an H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit
in conjunction with the White House to discuss our Nation’s
preparedness. We are working together to monitor the spread
of 2009-H1N1 and to prepare to initiate a voluntary fall
vaccination program against the 2009-H1N1 flu virus, assuming
we have a safe vaccine and do not see changes in the virus
that would render the vaccine ineffective.

But the most critical steps to mitigating the effects of
2009-H1N1 won’t take place in Washington — they will take
place in your homes, schools and community businesses.

Taking precautions for this fall’s flu season is a responsibility
we all share.

Visit Flu.gov to make sure you are ready and learn how you
can help promote public awareness.

We are making every effort to have a safe and effective
vaccine available for distribution as soon as possible,
but our current estimate is that it won’t be ready before
mid-October. This makes individual prevention even more
critical. Wash your hands regularly. Take the necessary
precautions to stay healthy and if you do get sick, stay
home from work or school.

We are doing everything possible to prepare for the fall
flu season and encourage all Americans to do the same —
this is a shared responsibility and now is the time to prepare.

Please visit Flu.gov to learn what steps you can take to
prepare and do your part to mitigate the effects of H1N1.

Take Care,

Kathleen, Janet and Arne

The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

Glucose Control: It’s all a Game: Everything in life is based on a system of priorities. If your priority is to get a good nights rest then you go to bed earlier than you would if your priority is to watch the late show on television. If your priority is to lose weight then you will stay away from certain foods and try to get more exercise.

If you’re a kid with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes your priorities may center around gaming, but not so much on managing the care of your diabetes. A young person is more likely to know where their hand-held gaming system is than they would if asked about their glucose meter.

Paul Wessel is a parent of Luke – one of those kids who never seemed to be able to keep track of their glucose meter. Wessel worked with the team at Bayer to develop Didget. The glucose testing company will be using the Contour meter in connection with this gaming plug in. This blood glucose meter plugs into a Nintendo Game Boy or DS lite.

The system will first be made available in the UK and should be unveiled in the US soon. The reason Bayer is excited about Didget is that testing and personal glucose management is tied to opening new levels and tools within the games that are linked to the Contour meter. The results are fused to the game itself and players/blood testers can access new areas of “Knock ‘Em Downs World’s Fair video game and Mini Game Arcade.” The Bayer UK website indicates there are two separate levels of play that allow the game potential to grow with the DS user’s vigilance in taking glucose readings and managing their blood sugar.

The Bayer Didget official website offers a list of advances based on individual skill and glucose control.

BASIC MODE (L1)

• Simple testing right from the start. Just insert the test strip and test.
• Fast 5-second test time.
• Small 0.6 ?L blood sample.
• 480 test result memory.
• Large, easy-to-read display.
• Ready to test out of the box.
• No Coding™ technology.
• Auto detection of control solution.
• 14-day average.
• 7-day HI/LO Summary.

ADVANCED MODE (L2)

• The same easy testing as Basic Mode plus advanced, customizable features.
• Advanced Mode supports the need for personalized treatment goals for children.
• Easy personalization of HI/LO blood glucose target range setting.
• HI/LO test result summary shows tests above and below your child’s glucose target level.
• Pre- and post-meal marker helps children quickly identify tests taken before and after eating.
• Selectable post-meal reminder can help children remember to test after meals at a time that works for their routine.
• 7-, 14- and 30-day averages.

While critics may be quick to point out that the Bayer Didget system is not compatible with the Nintendo DSi they fail to understand that many of those kids who enjoy gaming will likely retain their DS Lite or DS unit.

It is also possible that Bayer may develop new technology to allow for the adaptation of the Didget device to work with the new Nintendo technology.

This device really is an ‘outside the box’ idea that will likely appeal to young males who have diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2). It rewards positive control in a way that makes sense to boys who still live at home. Girls may enjoy it too, but the device may prove especially helpful in getting younger males to take their condition at least as seriously as the latest game cartridge.