diabetes tagged posts

Too Much Insulin can be as Dangerous as Too Little

person taking an insulin shot
Millions of Americans use insulin injections to boost levels and treat diabetes, but too much insulin can be deadly too. Researchers have identified a key player in preventing “insulin shock” that might also prove an effective alternative to the hormone. Agamatrix

Researchers describe a key player in the defense mechanism that safeguards against excessive insulin in the body, which can be as harmful as too little. Just over a century has passed since the discovery of insulin, a time period during which the therapeutic powers of the hormone have broadened and refined. Insulin is an essential treatment for type 1 diabetes and often for type 2 diabetes, as well. Roughly 8.4 million Americans use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.

One hundred years of research ...

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‘Smart’ Bandages Monitor Wounds and provide Targeted Treatment

A larger version of the smart bandage rests on the back of a gloved hand
A larger version of the smart bandage.

Researchers have developed a flexible electronic bandage for use on chronic wounds, particularly in diabetic patients. The bandage monitors signs of inflammation, collecting medical data, providing medication as needed and stimulate tissue growth.

These kinds of chronic wounds are not just debilitating for the people suffering from them. They are also a drain on healthcare systems, representing a $25 billion financial burden in the United States alone each year.

A new kind of smart bandage developed at Caltech may make treatment of these wounds easier, more effective, and less expensive...

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Wear and forget: An Ultrasoft Material for On Skin Health Devices

. Leakage-resistant property.
Conceptual illustration of conventional nonporous (A) and multifunctional porous (B) EGaIn composites upon compression. Here, porous structures can provide damping effect to substantially reduce stresses induced on liquid metal conductive pathways (see details in fig. S5), therefore endowing leakage-resistant property. In addition, antimicrobial additive can offer antibacterial and antiviral property. (C) Chemical structure of the antimicrobial additive, ε-PL, modified with BEHS for uniform dispersion in solvents. (D) Schematic of the EGaIn particle made by tip sonication of bulk EGaIn. (E) 3D tomography image of porous composites before sintering, showing EGaIn particle (yellow) distributions in elastomers (pink). Scale bar, 100 μm. (F) Photographs of compr...
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Study reveals Obesity-related Trigger that can lead to Diabetes

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a defect in an enzyme called APT1 interferes with the ability to secrete insulin, contributing to the development of Type 2 diabetes in people who are overweight or obese. In this microscopic image of the surface of an insulin-secreting beta cell from a mouse with diabetes, granules containing insulin are green; granules containing a protein affected by APT1 are red; and the yellow granules are those that release excess insulin due to a defect in APT1.

Many with elevated insulin levels also have defects in an enzyme key to fatty acid processing...

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