Diabetes

A Cool New Theory Explains Why Red Wine Is So Damned Good For You

The antioxidant resveratrol, which is found in red wine and other foods like nuts and soy, is known for its ability to decrease incidence of heart disease and other illnesses, leading some to call it the “elixir of youth.” Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute now have an explanation for how it works. Resveratrol (prounounced…

Did Scientists Just Develop A Viable Cure For Type 1 Diabetes?

In what’s being called one of the most important advances to date in the field, researchers at Harvard have used stem cells to create insulin-producing beta cells in large quantities. Human transplantation trials could only be a few years away. Above: human-stem-cell derived beta cells. (Douglas Melton) By using human embryonic stem cells, a research…

This Tiny, Inexpensive Microchip Can Diagnose Diabetes Instantaneously

Stanford researchers recently published work on a small microchip they’ve developed that scans for diabetes in a fraction of the time of current tests. Additionally, their test is reusable for upwards of 15 patients, can be performed on site, and is more accurate in differentiating the biomarkers that distinguish type 1 and type 2 diabetes.…

Boiling Coca-Cola turns the soda into this gross black goopy tar

The delicious diabetes drink commonly known as soda is a true scientific wonder. We know it’s crap but we love it anyway. CrazyRussianHacker wanted to show just how much crap (and sugar) is in one bottle of Coke so he boiled out all the water in the soda to see what was leftover. The refreshing…

How Does Human Culture Influence Our Genetics?

The way our ancestors ate, cooked, explored, and interacted with others has had a profound influence on our genetic inheritance. So how will modern culture shape the genetic legacies we leave to our descendents? You shouldn’t be able to drink milk. Your ancestors couldn’t. It is only in the last 9,000 years that human adults…

An Insulin Pen Cap That Reminds Diabetics When Their Last Injection Was

As if all the side effects and health concerns related to diabetes weren’t enough, those dealing with the condition also have to maintain a frequent and carefully tracked regiment of insulin injections. Missing even one can be incredibly dangerous, which is what inspired one company to create the Timesulin. If you’ve ever put a pencap…

Biologists have discovered a rare mutation that kills off the gene responsible for Type 2 diabetes. The mutation, which reduces risk by up to two-thirds (even in obese people), destroys a gene used by pancreas cells where insulin is made. It’s a promising discovery that could result a drug that mimics the mutation’s effect.

Google Is Making Smart Contact Lenses for Better Health Monitoring

A late-breaking surprise just came out of the Google camp with the revelation that it’s going to start making smart contact lenses. As in contact lenses with integrated sensors and circuitry. Yep, it’s that time in the future. But it might not be what you’re hoping for. It isn’t the next generation of heads-up display…

You’ll Need a Doctor’s Prescription to Download This App

BlueStar is a smartphone app that helps diabetics track their glucose readings, analyzing patients’ blood glucose readings and coaching them on medical and behavioral changes they can make to minimize the disease’s impact. But good luck finding a download link on BlueStar’s site—it’s the world’s first prescription-only smartphone app. That may sound strange, but it…

A gene variant that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes in Latin Americans may have been inherited from Neanderthals. People who carry the higher risk version of the gene, named SLC16A11, are 25% more likely to have diabetes than those who do not, and 50% more likely if both parents have it. Yet another…

You Can Now Manage Diabetes With a Wearable, Artificial Pancreas

We’ve been relying on artificial insulin injections for diabetes management for over 30 years now—which is practically ancient in modern medicine terms. But now, the FDA (presumably pre-shutdown) has approved an artificial, wearable pancreas that may finally kick all those painful insulin injections to the curb. Made by Minneapolis-based medical device company Medtronic, the palm-sized…

The deadliest ailments on Earth, mapped by their affected tissues

Artist and physician Odra Noel has created an arresting map of global health, plotting microscopic views of the diseased tissues that correspond to each region’s deadliest illnesses. Click here to see in hi-res. The result is a weirdly beautiful combination of epidemiology and microscopy, simply titled “The Map of Health.” North America, plagued by its…

Paula Deen, Southern Racist, Gets Fired From Food Network

Atrocious diabetes monster Paula Deen put out another rambling apology for “the N-word” and other racially wacky actions—such as dressing her black employees as “slaves” and then treating them as slaves—and was promptly dismissed from the Food Network where she inexplicably became a TV star for serving pig slop.

Why Fat People Can’t Help Getting Even Fatter

Put down those bear claws. No, both of them! Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have found that once you’re fat, you’re probably just going to get fatter. They found that the body has invariant natural killer T-cells (iNKT) that help fight obesity and can prevent metabolic syndrome, which in some cases leads to diabetes and…

Sad Diabetics Rejoice: This Tiny Chip Measures Blood Sugar Levels Through Your Tears

It’s not the first technique for measuring blood sugar levels that avoids the finger prick blood sample route, but this tiny unobtrusive chip could be the least invasive yet. It’s able to make incredibly accurate blood glucose readings from a diabetic’s tears or sweat, and then wirelessly transmit the results for easy monitoring. While this…

Why truck driving is one of the deadliest jobs in America

What incredibly important profession combines horrible hours, bad pay, and a poor lifestyle? Truck driving. This is a job that destroys so many lives that it could soon become unsustainable. Here’s why. Top image via butlerphotography/Flickr. Lots of Work, Little Pay Truck drivers are expected to drive up to fourteen hours straight a day, receiving…

Bad news: the chemicals in your IV bag could be giving you diabetes

Ever heard of phthalates? They’re a class of chemicals used to soften plastics found in everything from household containers to medical supplies, and to stabilize colors and fragrances in cosmetics like lipstick and perfume. The most widely known phthalate is probably bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been linked to breast cancer and a whole mess of…

Cheese Could Reduce Your Diabetes Risk

If you tend to avoid cheese at all costs to keep your weight in check, you might want to think about including a little in your meals—because a new study suggests that a those who eat cheese are at reduced risk of developing diabetes. The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, considered…

This New Artificial Pancreas Could Solve Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes afflicts some 30,000 Americans every year. The disease is marked by a complete shutdown of the body’s insulin production. It requires regular blood testing and insulin injections throughout the day. It’s a burden. But a new artificial pancreas could soon change the entire process of regulating a patient’s glucose by making it…

The Miraculous NASA Breakthrough That Could Save Millions of Lives (UPDATED)

There are no hospitals in space. The closest E.R. is back on Earth, and astronauts can’t exactly jump in a cab to get there. So what happens if the sun burps out a massive blast of radiation while an astronaut is space-amblin’ by? The NASA Biocapsule—made of carbon nanotubes—will be able to “diagnose” and instantly…