tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192095562011-07-08T02:54:32.703+01:00Diabetes news and views from around the worldElizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.comBlogger901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-66114442616923939932010-02-24T07:22:00.013Z2010-02-24T09:34:04.079Z

My head was spinning from the webbed controversy over the type 2 diabetes drug, Avandia, which has been reported to have caused 304 deaths in the third quarter of 2009....once one of the biggest-selling drugs in the world. Driven in part by a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, sales were $3.2 billion in 2006. But a 2007 study by a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist suggesting that the drug

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-68112009945348831552010-02-22T08:46:00.006Z2010-02-22T09:09:36.882Z

Whistler Olympic Park, BC (Feb 20)On Saturday, Kris Freeman took 45th place in the Men’s 30 kilometer pursuit cross-country ski race. Freeman is the first Olympic endurance athlete with Type 1 diabetes. At the 11.25 km mark of the race, Freeman was just 6.2 seconds behind the lead. On the 4th lap of the race his blood sugar crashed and he “stopped and laid on the ground for a moment."

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-90611100981417903392010-02-09T23:36:00.005Z2010-02-09T23:47:55.770Z

Check out my piece on a fantastic blog called "A Sweet Life." Here is the link.

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-11271478145608879632010-02-08T14:00:00.021Z2010-02-08T18:00:04.855Z

Today, the BBC reported "a shocking number of children being rushed to hospital each year with potentially fatal complications of diabetes" in an article entitled "Better child-diabetes care urged." The complication at issue here is Diabetic Ketoacidosis or DKA (which develops when you have too little insulin in you blood), and it is affecting more children than any other subset of patients

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-86794059769317217412010-02-02T16:01:00.003Z2010-02-02T16:19:58.916Z

To: The JDRF Family From: Shannon Allen, International Board of DirectorsAdam Singer, International Board of Chancellors Re: JDRF Program for People with Diabetes in Haiti Date: February 2, 2010In the midst of the tragedy in Haiti is an underlying story that touches the hearts of everyone with a tie to diabetes. From our personal connections to type 1 diabetes - as a parent of a child with type

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-71889617557383991382010-01-26T03:56:00.021Z2010-01-27T08:59:33.929Z

Do you suffer from a stiff neck, or frozen shoulder? Is your upper body mobility (reaching for a glass on a top shelf, putting on a jacket, lifting a child up) compromised and causing you to yelp OUCH! Do you also have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes? Are you assuming that it could be related? Be careful, because you may be wrongly blaming diabetes as the cause. Conversely, you may be

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-23382465885600898942010-01-19T09:35:00.009Z2010-01-19T13:43:08.554Z

It has been well documented that that all human beings share six basic emotions which are characterized by similar facial expressions. We might survey our friends and family to see who knows precisely what the six are and many of us might come very close. In no particular order, they are: joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and disgust.AKA, the Big Six.What you may not know is there are other

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-60643348006155551222010-01-17T15:08:00.006Z2010-01-19T16:15:34.947Z

What if you survived a major natural disaster, but lost your home, your family? What if the city in which you lived - which happens to be one of the poorest in the world - was one scrambled mess of dead or dying under a rubble of crushed concrete and metal? It is a terrifying scenario. No food, no electricity or fresh water. Street riots, looting and utter chaos everywhere. And emergency

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-59238711982019792502010-01-12T13:57:00.007Z2010-01-12T14:34:05.399Z

Dr. Andrew Drexler is one of the most thorough, intelligent, helpful, no-nonsense, (under-recognized), candid, dedicated, (humorous) physicians I have ever met over the course of having diabetes -- that's 35 years!  I still don't think that any of these superlatives do him justice.  Why?   He saved my life.  Twice.  Then he saved another life.  And I know I am in good company as I recently found

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-10580740318144734212010-01-10T05:34:00.012Z2010-01-12T14:19:56.503Z

Is there a type 1 pandemic? Scientists are saying that there is evidence of a global increase, and Dan Hurley, who has just published Diabetes Rising, uses this as one of the fundamental rationales for writing his book. Even though there is a pandemic for Type 2 diabetes (and for those of you who haven’t realized this, maybe it’s time you stopped watching the E! Network and tuned into the news)

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-92020931859305547042010-01-07T15:49:00.011Z2010-01-12T15:24:29.022Z

After all the reports on the Johnson family tragedy, I started to wonder what kinds of support tools might be available in the future for Type 1's, and I chose to focus on the digital market.  After all, technology has proved to enhance diabetes care over the past twenty years.  There is a caveat however.   I am not looking for 1. new devises for the administration of insulin (pumps, pens) or 2

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-46629952496412560682010-01-06T15:53:00.012Z2010-01-21T02:29:19.300Z

There will be a lot of speculation about Casey Johnson and her death, regardless of what the Los Angeles coroner discovers. Celebrity media outlets will focus on the most tawdry or histrionic aspects of her life, with National news coverage following swiftly behind on details of the funeral and what another celebrity loss represents for us in the 21st century. No one will ever know what

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-23624889276098658352010-01-05T09:06:00.009Z2010-01-05T12:13:44.506Z

Daughter of Robert Wood Johnson, IV, great, great grandson of the cofounder of the Johnson & Johnson Health Products manufacturer, owner of the New York Jets and Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation was found dead in her Los Angeles home on the 4th January. Johnson and her father co-wrote "Managing Your Child's Diabetes" (Mastermind) in 1994. Johnson, 30, was diagnosed with

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-37506166085816267182010-01-04T11:49:00.024Z2010-01-04T15:58:46.174Z

What were the biggest d-stories of 2009? Here's a list:d-PoliticsSotomayor NominationHer opponents called her a liberal activist, but there were other issues too. After a few missteps from the media and some callous investigations from the Justice Department and the Senate over her ability to perform with Type 1 diabetes, everyone sighed with relief when the 111th U.S Supreme Court Justice was

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-85250831690266723422009-07-28T16:39:00.018+01:002009-07-28T20:02:01.804+01:00

I must admit I am perplexed by the new study findings from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) Research Group which comes on the heels of the DCCT Study. I am perplexed for two reasons.This study set out to understand the LONG-TERM effects of intensive therapy for Type1 DM over a 30 year period versus the older DCCT

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-42762746841089547042009-06-28T14:14:00.004+01:002009-06-28T14:35:08.072+01:00

In record time, Team Type 1 finished in 5 days 9 hours and 5 minutes in the eight-rider team division of the Race Across America! Way to go! Congratulations!

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-14264064291758806522009-06-22T15:45:00.009+01:002009-06-22T16:31:40.552+01:00

The race is over 3000 miles, and the cyclists move through 14 states and climb more than 100,000 feet. Teams average 350 to over 500 miles per day. The race is 24/7 until you reach the finish line. This year it began in Oceanside, CA and racers will finish in Annapolis, MD. One of the teams is an all TYPE 1 diabetes team (TTI). The New York Times wrote a story about TT1 in their "Health"

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-15233457074965209302009-05-30T03:35:00.009+01:002009-05-31T00:42:06.062+01:00

Yesterday the BBC reported:The number of under-fives in Europe with type 1 diabetes is set to double between 2005 and 2020, say experts.The BBC report is here. The original source for the BBC was The Lancet who published an early online edition (yesterday) of a multicentre prospective registration study on the increase in childhood (Type 1) diabetes.   In their summary statement the lancet

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-58280978811709393432009-05-27T08:46:00.021+01:002009-05-28T04:06:56.246+01:00

People are worried about Mrs. Sotomayor's diabetes because no one understands diabetes.There I've said it....finally.I may not live in NYC anymore, but I did for awhile even though I have been in exile for many years in Europe, now Asia.  I worked in Manhattan, was married there and my only daughter was born there, so I feel I have a few rights when it comes to making comments about our newly

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-79461487542575374452009-05-26T14:46:00.004+01:002009-05-26T16:02:50.576+01:00

Every year I go to have my eyes checked out for glaucoma and retinopathy.  Before I go, I always have a plan for dealing with what I MIGHT feel if they do detect some change for the worse.  Symptoms in Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) are rare, which is why I feel nervous.  NPDR is silently invasive, which is why it frightens people... like me.  NPDR (Non-Proliferative Diabetic

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-4279994023294064192009-05-19T16:04:00.011+01:002009-05-20T03:06:29.919+01:00

I desperately want an OmniPod. The tethering of the Medtronic insulin line has lost its appeal; I no longer fancy being perceived as the bionic woman whose wires have popped. But I live in Hong Kong, and access is a problem.  The real irony here is I AM SURE parts for the OmniPod come from China. Ahem. Here is a quote from the Insulet's Corporations Press team, dated March 16, 2009.the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-18818386905790803292009-05-15T10:06:00.004+01:002009-05-16T06:49:20.437+01:00

And you thought it was hard in the West?Cash or credit is important.  Payment plans are available.  The training is a little meagre (translation may be necessary)... lots of miming, smiling and head nodding up and down or across from side to side.  I don't speak enough Cantonese, but get by.It started that way too when I lived in Rome although it was far easier to learn Italian than it will be

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-50266291809717987792009-05-13T14:10:00.016+01:002009-05-15T07:43:02.954+01:00

What is the one aspect of diabetes that can be counted on for progression? Population. Numbers.The chart I compiled above (click to enlarge) reflects both the nature of diabetes as a public concern in a handful of countries as well as representing the geographical nature of my life over the past 15 years. Today, I live in Hong Kong, but I also lived in London (as well as other European cities)

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-29701347007260179242007-05-04T13:56:00.000+01:002007-05-04T16:20:11.963+01:00

Apologies for not keeping up with my weblog. Thank you to all who have sent me emails asking what I was up to....Today's news isn't about healthcare statistics or the state of diabetes in developing countries or over-populated urban areas. I am not going to talk about research, trends, healthcare or technology. I rarely do it, but I am going to talk about me. Six months ago, I lost my mother.

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1153852900722755222006-07-25T19:41:00.000+01:002007-01-21T13:44:52.806Z

Two days ago I contacted the Global offices for Medtronic because I could not find anyone here in the UK to speak to on a Friday evening. Admittedly it wasn't that serious. the clip that attaches the insulin pump to my clothing had snapped off, but other then stuffing the pump in my under garments (ie, very uncomfortable!), I was a little concerned how I was going to manage my daily life! I had

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1152648003420650682006-07-11T20:54:00.000+01:002006-07-11T21:12:24.066+01:00

px;" src="http://www.dalequedale.com/media/blogs/ocio/syd2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> ...the brilliant, erratic catalyst for Floyd's early success, "died peacefully at home" last Friday at 60, according to his brother. The musician had been in ill health for years, battling type 2 diabetes, as well as stomach ulcers. A singer and guitarist, and originally the band's principal songwriter, Barrett

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1152223509608088362006-07-06T21:47:00.000+01:002006-10-03T17:38:56.843+01:00

I must admit, I just haven't been around lately. It sometimes takes quite a lot for me to become inspired. In truth, there is always something happening out there in the diabetes atmosphere, but often it smacks of endless chatter about the world's destiny with diabetes or how all pharma's are jumping on the diabetes bandwagon. Too obvious. Old news.I came across Douglas Melton in my Google

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1150576779847543202006-06-17T21:38:00.000+01:002006-06-27T01:59:01.760+01:00

“Beyond 'I'm a Diabetic,' Little Common Ground”, The New York Times, N.Y./RegionIs research for type 1 diabetes undercutting type 2 diabetes ? Is the current plethora of media coverage for type 2 diabetes blurring the historical boundaries between the public’s perception of type 1 and type 2. Are organizations who focus solely on raising money for type 1 research performing a disservice to each

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1146220595443994202006-04-28T11:28:00.000+01:002006-09-28T17:25:58.453+01:00

As of late, I have been working a lot. Admittedly, this blog has suffered!Another challenge I faced recently was excruciatingly bad sugars. It was horrendous and frightening. I am a “mum” and I manage a staff at work and I just felt like things were falling apart.It all started with a little problem that I have had for 5 or so years now called Diabetic Hand Syndrome. Twice a year I receive

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1144616677296072422006-04-09T21:31:00.000+01:002007-01-29T05:22:31.250Z

In keeping up with my interest in the NY City Department of Health's policy for diabetes survelliance and evaluation for diabetes patients diagnosed and seeking medical care in all the NYC Boroughs, I saw this editorial tonight and thought I would post it. (The original article I posted was on 20 December 2005.) The author of the editorial, Dr. Gerald Bernstein appears to be dedicated to the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1143500053239955922006-03-27T23:10:00.000+01:002006-03-28T08:12:04.786+01:00

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is leading a worldwide campaign by the global diabetes community to have the United Nations and its member countries recognise the global burden of diabetes by adopting a UN Resolution on diabetes. Currently, the UN Millenium Development goals are the United Nation's primary focus, and rightly so. But diabetes is a problem in developing nations, much

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1142894284492075172006-03-20T22:12:00.000Z2006-03-21T23:01:32.403Z

A friend traveling between the UK and Minneapolis (she is a pumper and a continuous glucose monitor user!) submitted this news flash to the UK pumpers group. I remember hearing about the Edmonton Protocol first in the 1990’s, and was asked by my former (and well missed) doctor in NYC to think about participating. My doctor wanted me “in,” but my husband and I decided it was too risky, and I

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1142286287761549262006-03-13T21:32:00.000Z2007-02-05T03:32:47.933Z

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about vaccines. I thought about the flu vaccine I was given last October which did not protect me from getting the flu last week. I have thought about the threat of the Bird Flu H5n1 and the Pandemic Flu of 1918 that killed 50 million people across the globe, and how protected we will be if the Bird Flu today mutates and crosses over to the human race. I have

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1140981371745166322006-02-26T19:08:00.000Z2006-02-26T19:16:11.760Z

The Sunday Times/United Kingdom"THE number of blind people in Ireland has grown by 37% in less than a decade, with diabetes contributing to the biggest increase." "...there are now so many diabetics but there is not enough medical personnel or funding to identify everyone who requires treatment. A national screening programme is needed for early detection of the disease."Is Ireland a statistical

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1140561329023993632006-02-21T22:22:00.000Z2006-02-21T22:35:29.053Z

Today, a colleague who has pharmaceutical marketing experience in diabetes care, asked me a number of legitimate questions about diabetes. One of them was, “Is it really hard taking injections in front of people? Because many people use this as a reason for not wanting to inject.”When I was a child and teenager, it definitely had to do with shame. Not so long ago, I remember being in

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1140371451349729642006-02-19T17:26:00.000Z2006-02-19T19:15:23.106Z

London, EnglandThe article below and linked discusses the relationship between chronic illness and low-er economic status or as it is called in the article "material deprivation.""Researchers in London have identified a link between increased hospital admission rates for chronic diseases and high levels of material deprivation in the capital. The research published in this month's Journal of the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1140040995991538872006-02-15T21:19:00.000Z2006-03-13T22:31:19.216Z

United States. The Medical College of Georgia is among numerous sites chosen by the National Institutes of Health to examine the environmental risk factors that may lead to the cause of Type 1 diabetes. The primary study, called TEDDY - The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young, will investigate the environmental triggers of T1 diabetes which turn the body’s immune system on the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1139955478753410572006-02-14T22:15:00.000Z2007-04-08T00:18:53.753+01:00

10. Real truffles with filet mignon9. Red lingerie8. Chanel No. 5 (we like our numbers under 6.5)7. Pomegranate Champagne (1-2 glasses won’t hurt)6. Jewelry – rubies are nice5. Bubble Bath with diptych candles and fresh rose petals (be careful not to drop your pump in the tub)4. Full body massage with essential oils 3. Surprise trip to Paris/New York or Rome2.

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1139743701262665542006-02-12T10:56:00.000Z2006-02-13T04:01:54.916Z

The other day I had lunch with a woman who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. We both live in London, and are both from the U.S. (she from Minnesota, and me from New York City), and so, we could hardly contain ourselves in sharing information. We discussed managing diabetes in Europe, and the pros and the cons of having to deal with a major illness abroad. Then, she asked me:“Do you

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1139431738966573672006-02-08T20:29:00.000Z2006-02-10T14:05:10.216Z

(Please see new comments posted below artcle - 09/02/06)I met Hannah Lawrence at an Insulin Pumpers - UK meeting last month at a London wine bar. Hannah's Mum was there with her, and you could tell straight away that they were a wonderful mother/daughter team -- elbowing each other one minute and watching each other with a respectful eye the next. Hannah was diagnosed just before she turned 2

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1139258616753393822006-02-06T20:09:00.000Z2006-02-06T20:43:37.256Z

The question isn’t should you wear or not; the question is do you choose to?A special bracelet was made especially for me as a gift; only the charm has the medic alert insignia on it with diabetic written on the underside. It is so tiny, I have often wondered if a paramedic would even notice it given an emergency. Decidedly, it is the minimum i.d. I could possibly wear. I also carry the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1139170612348086652006-02-05T20:15:00.000Z2006-02-05T20:28:02.886Z

Because comments from old posts aren't often read, I decided to publish this comment that came in response to my Diabetes In Africa post. I was so elated that someone in Africa looked at the article, that I thought it was worthy to share and to show the power of blogging. Here it is:I read with interest the article about diabetes in Africa. I'm mother of a 4 yr. son with Type 1 diabetes. We

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138793009615954562006-02-01T11:21:00.000Z2006-02-01T12:27:48.020Z

Waiting in Line at the Diabetes Clinic (Dar es Salaam)Today, I am introducing David Beran, Project Coordinator for the International Insulin Foundation. David Beran has been the Project Coordinator of the International Insulin Foundation since its establishment in 2002. He is a Swiss national who grew up in Geneva and holds a BSc in Management with an Emphasis in Marketing. He has worked

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138629200846010652006-01-30T13:51:00.000Z2006-01-30T13:59:01.050Z

Pfizer considers country with largest diabetic population as breakthrough market for Exubera...USA will undoubtedly be first. No question.

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138563248030917542006-01-29T19:19:00.000Z2006-01-29T20:15:43.766Z

Regarding the recent EU and FDA approvals for Exubera (insulin human [rDNA origin), Pfizer's version of Inhaled Insulin, here is my outlook:1. Does it offer coverage for "Excellent Control" By now the DCCT is a catch-word for how controlling diabetes leads to better outcomes. For any new product entering the Diabetes category this promise is mandatory/critical.Unfortunately, there is no dosage

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138474401031401242006-01-28T18:52:00.000Z2006-01-28T19:00:33.873Z

Two Statements of Note: (click link in title)1. "Exubera is the first new insulin delivery option introduced since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s."2. "Inhaled insulin is unlikely to completely replace injectable insulin. But, for many people, it may greatly improve glucose control."

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138388923136821322006-01-27T19:04:00.000Z2006-01-27T19:08:43.153Z

Pfizer's inhaled insulin receives EU approval; however, not FDA approval - although Pfizer CEO mispeaks and announces US approval... oops.

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138382030314291132006-01-27T16:59:00.000Z2006-12-22T15:34:24.970Z

Whether you have had diabetes for a year or 30 – we all experience the same peaks and valleys of managing our illness. I will now use a novel approach to describe how and why a “low” period begins… a low period can last for a day or a year (depending on the linear amount of time you have been living with diabetes). It is called the Tipping Point. (There is a book, called The Tipping Point, and

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138287550614089472006-01-26T14:44:00.000Z2006-01-26T17:22:29.733Z

After I sent an email to Marc Santora, one of the lead reporters on the New York Times Diabetes Reports, he graciously sent me one back letting me know that the New York Times would indeed be proactively following-up on the City epidemic. He also sent me this link, Gene Increases Diabetes Risk, Scientists Find. The New York Times was in fact doing their job! (I accused the NYT of having nothing

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138185798149040282006-01-25T10:42:00.000Z2006-07-11T21:51:08.403+01:00

"Keep obesity silent.Does it always make you laugh? What kills 55,000 people a year in France. It is not a fault, nor an inevitability. Even less a joke." French Campaign for ObesityThis French campaign gives a slightly different perspective than what we have seen over the past month from US and UK press machinations. Obesity, obesity, obesity...this is the new moral outrage. It is the "just

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138141796644181822006-01-24T22:19:00.000Z2006-01-24T22:49:08.073Z

By the end of the week the FDA will give Exubera the thumbs up or thumbs down for approval. Most analysts believe that the FDA will swing towards approval. See breaking news article today.There are many exciting benefits that may come with patient use of Exubera. Perhaps the greatest is its method of administration. For millions of people having to not inject insulin via syringe or infusion

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1138055569842103712006-01-23T22:13:00.000Z2006-01-23T22:48:45.146Z

To answer the question whether we are born or "made," the BBC has produced this fantistic series. It follows 25 children all born in the year 2000. In 2005, one of the children, Jamie Craven is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Watch the show on the BBC's video on demand. It is a heart-warming snapshot of both the shock of the diagnosis to the parents and the child. It also shows how life

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137789031556466952006-01-20T20:27:00.000Z2006-01-20T21:00:07.310Z

I had such an intense response from a few people regarding my post "BBC Tonight - Cure 10 Years Away," that I felt compelled to dedicate this post (albeit a quickie) to those who left a comment...The BBC story centered around doctors who are trying to perfect the transplant of insulin-producing clusters of pancreas cells (islets) into patients' livers. If the cells "take" they may enable the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137704460908203422006-01-19T20:58:00.000Z2006-01-19T21:47:13.346Z

For all writers/journalists out there with true competitive spirit, Novo Nordisk has instituted a Corporate media prize for stories written about diabetes related to awareness and education (non-scientific). The prize is aptly called “The Novo Nordisk Media Prize,” and is only awarded to lay media - aka print –not internet. Hmmm, I wonder why they are reluctant to include new media? Judging

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137623047676007692006-01-18T22:23:00.000Z2006-01-18T23:03:03.326Z

Islet Transplantation Trials (click link in title)"The trials are taking place at a new £1.2 million facility funded by the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation (DRWF) based within the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism."

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137533408123013382006-01-17T21:18:00.000Z2006-01-17T21:40:59.996Z

I have begun to use “D” now to refer to my diabetes. I learned this sometime ago from all my fellow diabetes bloggers. Saying "D" or "d" (depending on how the day is going!) is so much easier. There is something ethereal and fun about it.But lately, I have been thinking about all the unseen challenges associated with diabetes. This morning, I had a low (hypoglycaemia) on the way to taking my

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137430341113546272006-01-16T16:49:00.000Z2006-01-16T19:59:45.376Z

Animas/The Sleek One - the Animas pump owner may own the Motorola Razor phone as well (However, Animas calculates carbs and tells you adequate doses/ and allows you to create a food database with favorite meals!) Could be a product for a real foodie!Disetronic/J&J's Accu-check Spirit/ The Newbie, and as Spirit is a new entry into the Pump market, this user may be a bit of a risk taker. Carb

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137336975241798492006-01-15T14:55:00.000Z2006-01-15T15:14:40.603Z

Piotr Kalinowski is 27 years old who works as a journalist/press officer in Warsaw, Poland. Piotr has had diabetes since 1990, and has been taking MDI (Multiple Daily Injections) with various insulins for the past 15 years. I met Piotr through the Pumpers group here in the United Kingdom. We exchanged personal emails and I asked him if he would write a little bit about himself and how it felt

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137144439932925722006-01-13T09:24:00.000Z2006-01-13T13:08:34.916Z

Pfizer buys out partner Sanofi-Aventis for 1.3 billion dollars for global rights to Exubera inhaled insulin treatment. This may mean:a.) Pfizer has high hopes for this becoming their blockbusterb.) Someone has received more good news recently for pending approval (other than September's news from the FDA)c.) Sanofi-Aventis sold out - why? Investor pressure? Lack of confidence? FDA delays

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137097670559888852006-01-12T19:41:00.000Z2006-01-12T20:31:12.846Z

After almost a full week of the New York Times series on the diabetes epidemic, we all need some good news.A group of researchers from the JDRF International Center for Diabetic Complications Research, led by Michael Brownlee, M.D., found that methylglyoxal (MG), a glucose derived molecule overproduced in cells damaged by hyper-glycemia, stimulates a gene (angiopoietin-2) which is key to the loss

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1137017320666773032006-01-11T21:22:00.000Z2006-01-11T22:08:40.700Z

I just had to post a few of the letters that the NYT has posted on their email forum for their series on Diabetes this week. Here are a few of what I think are the best. Not necessarily because I agree, but because it really does sum up what the media doesn't ever hear. The voice of diabetes...not a staged one-off interview in a Harlem chapel.From: kathleengriffin1 - 11:28 AM ET January 9,

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136972660429973042006-01-11T09:05:00.000Z2006-01-11T09:55:28.946Z

In today's article, the New York Times discusses how the United States Medical System is failing diabetes: "Insurers, for example, will often refuse to pay $150 for a diabetic to see a podiatrist, who can help prevent foot ailments associated with the disease. Nearly all of them, though, cover amputations, which typically cost more than $30,000.""Patients have trouble securing a reimbursement for

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136889192737305192006-01-10T10:04:00.000Z2006-01-10T10:53:08.736Z

Today, the New York Times continues its special report on diabetes and the City. The paper is now including a 3-Part video series on 1. Journalistic perspective on investigaing the disease for a year 2. Special interview with a patient and 3. Focusing on the Russ Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University and why there are only a handful of centers offering comprehensive care in the Unites

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136816565848572412006-01-09T14:21:00.000Z2006-01-10T10:50:53.220Z

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136681586014783502006-01-08T00:51:00.000Z2006-01-08T01:07:51.956Z

Kris Freeman and Adam MorrisonTwo Amazing atheletes...in the news recently. Read their stories.

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136583289319545132006-01-06T21:05:00.000Z2006-01-06T23:28:19.483Z

There are all kinds of barriers to access for managing diabetes. Some barriers may be geographic, others may be economic, while many barriers are due to the lack of information available. (And this may be frustrating for patients, providers and products in that sometimes they just cannot find each other). Finally, in some areas, it is a combination of all three. Like Mozambique and Tanzania

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136497153669222972006-01-05T21:38:00.000Z2006-01-05T21:42:36.156Z

"In addition to high blood sugar levels, the disease is characterised by a decrease in pancreatic functioning and reduced fat absorption in the intestine. The discovery may have an impact on the treatment of more usual forms of diabetes."

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136496948873930542006-01-05T21:33:00.000Z2006-01-05T21:36:36.376Z

From now on, I will always post important diabetes news and save commentary for my own posts.

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136483655125580022006-01-05T17:50:00.000Z2006-01-05T21:29:25.876Z

Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating or DAFNE is a Nationally funded programme for people with T1 diabetes. The DAFNE slogan "Like what you Eat/Eat what you Like" reflects the heart of the programme which is teaching people how to adjust insulin to food (rather than the other way around):"Participants acquire the skills and confidence to adjust insulin to suit their lifestyle rather than being told

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136381438817975252006-01-04T13:00:00.000Z2006-01-04T13:39:06.186Z

One of the primary reasons there is such a great abundance of weblogs on living with diabetes is how it affects a person’s Quality of Life (QoL). This is also a term used frequently in scientific research and in studies which assess clinical outcomes in chronic disease. Diabetes is at the forefront; many researchers are trying to figure out the relationship between a diabetic’s QoL, their

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136326700591753972006-01-03T21:29:00.000Z2006-01-03T22:38:39.483Z

Today, people with diabetes can make all types of decisions about the products they use. I remember when one type of insulin made my arms all red and pimply and, at 16 years, I begged my doctor to change it - he did. I have used EVERY type of glucometer on the market, and now I am back with an old favorite. Is it the convenience factor that keeps me on the look-out for the next best thing?

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136226266694558322006-01-02T18:21:00.000Z2006-01-02T19:05:07.446Z

I rarely write personal accounts on my blog, but I will today.Christmas 2005 was uneventful, and yet (aside from my gregarious and absolutely yummy 5 year old daughter’s wide-eyed grins and antics!) -- difficult. I spent Christmas with a Type 2 relative who stayed here in London as a guest in our home for the holiday.It was difficult because I could see how diabetes is killing him. I read the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1136050572722390962005-12-31T17:24:00.000Z2005-12-31T17:36:12.733Z

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1135440593215707372005-12-24T15:47:00.000Z2005-12-24T16:42:37.423Z

Today, response from noted academics in the field of medical research to South Korea's top human cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk who had apologised and resigned when it was found that he had fabricated results in his stem-cell research. Here is the original story from the BBC reported on 20 May 2005, which Hwang has since retracted.On 15 December, it was found that at least nine of 11 stem cell

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1135284595500264622005-12-22T20:47:00.000Z2005-12-22T21:36:39.040Z

Let's all find ways to work harder at finding and funding the cure for diabetes in 2006!

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1135097972927211682005-12-20T16:53:00.000Z2005-12-20T22:24:53.636Z

NYC Department of Health requires clinical laboratories to report A1C (levels of blood sugar for diabetes) test results. Who has been leading the sugar police in New York City (all boroughs)? It is Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene since January 2002.(NYC DoH is one of the world's oldest and largest public health agencies, the

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1135003752509323622005-12-19T14:39:00.000Z2005-12-19T22:20:24.026Z

I remember the day I finally got an appointment to see an endocrinologist at Guys Hospital here in London. I had recently moved from Rome and left behind a wonderful doctor, Professor Geremia B. Bolli of the University of Perugia, Italy. I wasn't going to accept second rate in London and so, I waited 9 months to be assigned to a doctor at Guys.What is interesting is I knew that there had been a

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134937293524536412005-12-18T20:09:00.000Z2005-12-18T20:44:59.853Z

This seems to be a reasonable question. I used the internet to better understand how the world sees diabetes. I used three very simple values:1. Googled “diabetes looks like….”2. Googled “I see diabetes…” or “ seeing diabetes”3. Googled (in images) “people with diabetes”This is what I found…First “What does/do diabetes/diabetics look like”, was picked up on a teen Australian chat-room for young

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134743973690165742005-12-16T14:37:00.000Z2005-12-16T16:47:37.810Z

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had already owned over 8% of Animas, and is said to have been in discussion with Animas for months due to their desire to further define their niche in the diabetes market, and more specifically gear up to compete with future market developments such as Medtronic's Guardian® RT Continuous Glucose Monitoring System as well as the high-tech implant future that doctors and

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134658782622379222005-12-15T14:58:00.000Z2005-12-15T19:55:33.263Z

Is aspartame safe? For British Liberal Democrat MP Roger Williams the answer is NO, as he has called for a ban on the artificial sweetener aspartame which is used in over 6000 food, drink and other medicinal products. Aspartame makes these products taste better without the added calories from sugar! This includes diet sodas, low sugar fruit drinks, sugar-free gums, reduced fat foods, children’s

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134601994321018512005-12-14T23:08:00.000Z2005-12-14T23:22:54.343Z

Following up on yesterday’s post regarding the noncompliant pregnant woman, I thought it would be of some use to talk about the issue of patient motivation. So, as we digest the idea that Alzheimers is Diabetes Type 3, let’s ponder something else as well.I found a pretty typical (has been performed pretty regularly over the past 20 years) study that was administered at the University Hospital of

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134499079343431902005-12-13T18:35:00.000Z2005-12-14T10:28:59.970Z

Red State Moron is obviously an Obstetrician. Read this post from 10th December....(click on title above to see link)I have sympathy about Red State Moron's ethical dilemma about the "non-compliant" diabetic woman who is 24 months pregnant. I think the concerns are valid. But I am also sympathetic to the woman with diabetes. Where is her Physician (GP), Diabetologist or Endocrinologist? Why

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134461083728626212005-12-13T07:46:00.000Z2005-12-13T08:16:12.506Z

Diabetes 24/7 has been linked to two other very cool websites, Check them out -- you may just stumble across the information or idea you are looking for!Diabetes OC: A website that brings all the Diabetes Online Community together... Vote for your favorite diabetes blog here!Next, ChronicBabe lists a range of sites on their Canival of Compassion: A fantastic range of websites from ladies who

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134403599608578242005-12-12T16:05:00.000Z2005-12-12T21:34:27.226Z

Micro-encapsulated Islets of Langerhans-the cells that produce insulinAnother newsday, another story discussing the problem of diabetes undiagnosed.One of the BBC's major health stories today discussed a recent study where they actually tested 500 people and found 13 that were undiagnosed with diabetes. Statistically this means that there are approximately 1 million + in the UK with diabetes that

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134220941690856062005-12-10T13:17:00.000Z2005-12-10T15:01:39.853Z

Why should we care? I will give you a few statistics to consider:The current population of China is 1,306,313,812. The population of the United States as of today is 297,846,405. Western Europe is around 457,030,418.There are 14.8 diagnosed persons in the United States, and NIDDK estimates that about 6.2 are undiagnosed. There are roughly 33 million people with diabetes in Europe (combined EU

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134154521390965572005-12-09T18:51:00.000Z2005-12-09T21:38:29.366Z

Today seemed to be a rather slow news day up to this point (1 PM in New York: 6 PM here in London) so rather then link a piece of International news -- I thought it may be interesting to talk about the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom, and the UK perspective on pump therapy. At first glance, this may seem to be all about Type 1, and in some ways it is. However, the ADA (

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134051358016641392005-12-08T14:15:00.000Z2005-12-08T19:02:17.346Z

India: Pre-Clinical Trial for Administering Oral Insulin CompletedTransgene Biotek, one of the first biotech research companies in India, announced yesterday the development of an oral insulin to be administered via drops. Now that the company has completed pre-clinical trials, they will initiate steps to move into the next stage of Clinical Trials - Stage 1 in Europe and India.I find this

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1134049381270991362005-12-08T13:34:00.000Z2005-12-08T19:01:02.380Z

After reading the latest post on Diabetes Mine, and then experiencing the ChronicBabe website, it occured to me...why not Diabetes Divas?I wrote to Jenni the creator of ChronicBabe and told her that I have often felt like a chronic babe! Full of zest for life, wanting to participate in any and every avenue of life that appealed to me without limitations! Inside, I knew that I might be slightly

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1133992259385031872005-12-07T21:33:00.000Z2005-12-07T22:54:31.410Z

A New WebsiteAs a resident of London, England, I was shocked and delighted to see that one of the most emotive websites regarding diabetes has been launched from the United Kingdom. The "diabetes-stories" website has former study participants/patients talk about their lives with diabetes from diagnosis to present-time, and has arranged the stories chronologically so we can see just how far we

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19209556.post-1133964094032804692005-12-07T14:00:00.000Z2005-12-07T14:02:22.450Z

Diabetes 24/7 will reflect the notion that somewhere in the world – every hour of everyday – there is something newsworthy about diabetes: a new healthcare programme, a lasting transplant, a new drug, a successful study …as well as failures and provoking stories like this one!The range of topics will cover:Doctor and patient news and viewsDiabetes Reports and statistics, such as world diabetes

Elizabeth Snouffernoreply@blogger.com1