DIF.org | Diabetes Newsletters: January 2007

A Newsletter of the Diabetes Institutes Foundation

January 2007

Greetings from the Foundation

Dear DIF Friends,

As the new year begins, we all make resolutions to eat less, exercise more, lose weight, get organized - and the list goes on! All of us have good intentions of keeping these promises but somehow - often by the end of January - we are defeated by our lack of progress and revert back to our old ways. For those with diabetes, the health resolutions are especially important and life-supporting. It is not an option to forget about managing blood sugars, controlling diet and increasing exercise.

In this month’s news, you will read about Bryan Bradish, a veteran of many clinical trials, Dr. Vinik’s leading role in an international diabetic neuropathy symposium and the latest news about trans fats. Also, we highlight a few of our generous donors and their gifts as 2006 came to a close.

We hope you are inspired to make some healthy changes - just try one at a time! It takes 60 - 90 days before a new behavior turns into a habit, so be patient and determined. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2007!

Michelle B. Charters
Executive Director

FOUNDATION NEWS

Our Annual Campaign continues to bring in a steady stream of donations. We are so grateful to our loyal and generous supporters. Your help keeps us on the steady road towards a cure for diabetes.

Pictured (from left): Gary Pittenger, PhD, Leon Paul Georges, MD, Bob Williams, Cosmopolitans, Bob Winters, Cosmopolitans and Tom Jones, Cosmopolitans.

We were very pleased to be the recipients of some unexpected generosity last month. Two enthusiastic supporters of the Institutes, Pam Polari (an SDI patient) and her friend Phillip Hakey dropped by with the proceeds from a going away party held in Phillip’s honor. In this case, fundraising was as simple as putting out a donation jar.

Also in December, representatives from Cosmopolitan International, whose generous efforts not only helped bring SDI into existence but have been an invaluable source of support throughout the Institutes’ history, presented the foundation with $69,658.00, the last installment of a $644,706.60 commitment.

Lastly, many thanks to Ron Zoby, whose downtown restaurant Santa promotion at 456 Fish, Bodega and Byrd & Baldwin yielded $5,000 more for medical research.

Search the Web, Make a Donation

How’s this for a great idea - visit GoodSearch, select "Diabetes Institutes Foundation", and then every time you search the internet, you’ll be making a contribution - without spending a dime. 50% of all ad revenue generated from the site goes to the charity of the user's choice. Because the donations are paid for through advertisers, it doesn't cost the users or the organizations a penny.

Profile: Bryan Bradish - Seeking Answers, Finding Community

Clinical trial participant Bryan Bradish likes to know how things work. He’s an engineer by trade but a lifelong collector of data who likes gathering knowledge. Thanks to having learned the best ways to manage his diabetes, he has also become an avid traveler, even venturing as far as India.

Diagnosed as Type 1 at age 13, this engineer with the City of Portsmouth describes himself as "as brittle as they come." His wife, a nurse, first told him about the Institutes, and he has been coming here ever since. For over a decade, he’s participated in investigations designed to test the safety and efficacy of experimental products, including not just medications but devices as well.

"The body deteriorates faster with diabetes," he says. "But I feel some of the medicine I have received from the Diabetes Institute has slowed that rate of decline. In my view the Diabetes Institutes give me an opportunity to improve my health; but more importantly, coming here allows me interact with a group of people dedicated to the science of improving the health of people with diabetes. Plus, I have always find it enlightening to have discussions with Dr. Vinik and the technicians."

Bryan knows the risks of not paying attention to his blood sugar - accidentally plummeting levels have led to some frightening incidents, such as nearly driving off the road or finding himself incomprehensible and incapacitated when conducting a meeting. In past jobs he’s also faced discrimination when superiors have discovered he’s diabetic and found it necessary to be less than open about it. "People can be reticent about revealing their diabetes because of the fear that surrounds it," Bradish maintains. Which is why the Institutes’ environment of 100% diabetes, is a haven as well as an invaluable resource.

"Being part of this community has allowed me to be better informed as to what is reasonable management of the my disease," he maintains. "The nice thing is that the individuals I’ve been exposed to here, it’s like a family environment."

MEDICAL NEWS

S. African Conference Garners More Kudos for the Institutes

The Institutes is now recognized as a world authority on neuropathy. This year’s International Diabetes Federation conference was a testament to our status as the hub in a wheel of international collaboration. The 7th International Symposium on Diabetic Neuropathy was held in Cape Town, South Africa the last week of November. Chaired by Dr. Vinik, the event, a veritable "world conference" of neuropathy experts, was an unqualified success.

Of particular note was a session led by Dr. Vinik entitled "Of Mice and Men," which posited the question of why success in neuropathy trials with animal models did not translate to humans. It emphasized the importance of doing translational research in humans since most animal models were not good surrogates for the human condition. Dr. Vinik was also invited to be plenary lecturer at the main conference, which drew over 30,000 participants from around the globe. Topics included Translating Pathogenesis into Therapy, Diabetic Neuropathic Pain, Diabetic Foot and Future Therapies. The Institutes can be proud of achievement of global recognition for their efforts in this area of endeavor.

NUTRITION TOPICS

NYC Sets the Trend In the US By Banning Trans Fat From the Big Apple

Gone in a New York minute. In December 2006, the New York City Board of Health unanimously voted to ban trans fat from its 24,000 city restaurants. Some European countries have already instituted such bans against trans fat.

The restaurants have until July 1, 2007 to make the change to fats (such as oils, margarine, and shortening) with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, and until July 1, 2008 to remove trans fat from all other foods. Health organizations supporting these changes include the American College of Cardiology, American Diabetes Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The American Heart Association offered only lukewarm support of the ban and recommended instead a more gradual implementation of these changes and enough time for the required transition. NYC Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden, states, "We know that trans fats increase the chance of heart attack, stroke, and death, and they don’t have to be there." The National Restaurant Association did not support the ban and said that this indicates a lack of understanding of the restaurant industry.

Trans fats are formed from partially hydrogenating (adding hydrogen atoms which changes the molecular configuration) liquid vegetable oils. This process is used by the food industry to yield the soft fats needed to make shaped foods such as chips, crackers, cookies, and similar morsels. These partially hydrogenated fats are more stable at room temperature, cost less, and have more flavor. Soybean oil is one vegetable oil that needs to be partially hydrogenated in order to have the above desirable characteristics.

Trans fats are unhealthy for you because they can raise your bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower your good cholesterol (HDL), thus increasing your risk for heart disease. Large studies have reported the relationship of trans fat to the risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Foods having large amounts of trans fats include french fries (4.7-6.0 grams), fruit turnovers (7.0 grams), and some fast food meals (10.0 grams). The American Heart Association recommends an intake of no more than 2 grams a day. The Food and Drug Administration states that food labels can indicate 0 grams of trans fat if the food has an actual content of 0.5 grams or less. The average individual consumes about 5-8 grams of trans fat a day.

Saturated fats are hardly better, although they reportedly only raise LDL. Saturated fats are found in animal fats (meat, poultry, fish, and milk fat) and even some vegetable fats (coconut and palm oil).

Preferred fats include monounsaturated fats (olive, canola, and peanut oils) and polyunsaturated fats (corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, walnut, and soy oils), and omega-3 fatty acids (deep coldwater fish such as salmon, tuna; and flaxseed, walnuts).

Recommendations to limit both trans and saturated fats include:
1. Eat on average no more than about 6 oz daily of lean meat, poultry, and fish; choose low fat or non- fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.
2. Limit added fats such as margarine, butter, salad dressings, etc
3. Use small amounts of olive oil on foods rather than margarines, etc..
4. If you do use a tub spread, the Take Control and Benecol brands are specifically recommended by the American Diabetes Association due to their proven cholesterol lowering effect, but use no more than 1-2 tablespoons daily.
5. Limit your intake of fried foods, snacks, sweets and other foods that indicate "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils" on the food label.