What is Insulin Pump Therapy?

All people, with or without diabetes, need insulin for two reasons:

a background amount of insulin for normal functions of the body without food and a burst of insulin "on demand" when food is eaten. People without diabetes can trust that their pancreas will produce this insulin for them. People with diabetes need to take insulin as similar as possible to the way their pancreas would produce it if it could.

With multiple daily injection therapy, it is not always clear how much insulin is being used for background and how much is being used for food. In insulin pump therapy, the two are clearly separate. Insulin pump therapy allows you to set a basal rate, or background insulin, to be delivered continuously throughout the day and night for the normal body functions. When you eat you can then give a bolus, or delivery of insulin, "on demand".

When you exercise, you can reduce the basal rate so that your blood glucose does not drop too low. Or when you are sick or have an infection, you can increase the basal rate so that your blood glucose does not go up too high. You can also increase or decrease your meal bolus based on the foods you choose to eat.

Additionally, the pump uses only fast-acting insulin. You will not need to follow as rigid a schedule as you did before, because there is no long-acting insulin telling you when you should eat or when you will need more insulin.

Sound exciting? It is exciting... not only can your blood glucose be easier to manage, but your lifestyle can be easier too.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes affects two to four per cent of all pregnancies and involves an increased risk of developing diabetes for both mother and child.

Gestational diabetes means diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar) first found during pregnancy. In most cases, gestational diabetes is managed by diet and exercise and goes away after the baby is born.

Gestational diabetes is also called glucose intolerance of pregnancy.

Risk for Developing Gestational Diabetes

Some of the most common risks for developing gestational diabetes are:

* A family history of diabetes in parents or brothers and sisters.
*Gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
*The presence of a birth defect in a previous pregnancy.
*Obesity in the woman, BMI greater than 29.
*Older maternal age (over the age of 30).
*Previous stillbirth or spontaneous miscarriage.
*A previous delivery of a large baby (greater than 9 pounds).
*A history of pregnancy induced high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, hydramnios (extra amniotic fluid), etc.
*Women of Hispanic, First Nations, or of African-American decent.


Risk for babies born to mothers with Gestational Diabetes

*Macrosomia (large, fat baby)
*Shoulder dystocia (birth trauma)
*Neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar in the newborn)
*Prolonged newborn jaundice
*Low blood calcium
*Respiratory distress syndrome
*Develop jaundice
*Stillbirth
*Die in infancy


How Is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed?

Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy when insulin resistance usually begins. If you have had gestational diabetes before, or if your doctor is concerned about your risk of developing gestational diabetes, the test may be performed before the 13th week of pregnancy.

Cure for Gestational Diabetes

A cure for Diabetes has not been found yet.However, it can be controlled. Ways to control diabetes are: maintaining blood glucose levels, blood fat levels and weight.Controlling diabetes is very important and should be supervised by a medical doctor.When diabetes is controlled, it will help prevent serious complications such as: infections, kidney damage, eye damage, nerve damage to feet and heart disease.

Can Gestational Diabetes be Treated?

Gestational diabetes can be treated. Treatment involves taking steps to keep your blood glucose levels in a target range. Your blood glucose levels can be controlled by:

* Changing your meal plan
*Physical activity
*insulin (if needed)

Diabetes and Erectile Dysfunction

One of the most common problems related to diabetes is erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is a consistent inability to have an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse.

Men who have diabetes are three times more likely to have erectile dysfunction as men who do not have diabetes. Studies show that 35% to 75% of men with diabetes will develop some degree of erectile dysfunction.

High blood sugar, which must be managed carefully if you have diabetes, causes blood vessel and nerve damage that affects sexual responses. Damage to the blood vessels blocks the release of nitric oxide. A lack of nitric oxide causes erective dysfunction because it results in constricted blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the penis.

Having high blood pressure also increases your risk of erective dysfunction. The combination of high blood pressure and diabetes also increases the risk for blood vessel damage, further reducing blood flow.

High cholesterol is also common in people with diabetes. LDL cholesterol, can interfere with the ability of blood vessels to dilate. High cholesterol levels result in fatty deposits in artery walls. This buildup of fatty deposit can reduce blood flow to the penis.

Combat erectile dysfunction

By living a healthy lifestyle and working with your doctor, you can get your diabetes under control and treat erectile dysfunction if it becomes a problem for you. Some of the most common treatments for erectile dysfunction are: psychotherapy, drug therapy, vacuum devices, and surgery to repair damaged nerves.

TOP TEN FACTS ABOUT DIABETES

1. Diabetes is a silent epidemic and according to WHO there are 246 million people in the world living with diabetes. This is almost 6% of the world's adult population.

2. Diabetes in Asians is five times the rate of the white population

3. India is the diabetes capital of the world. It is estimated that currently there are 40 million people with diabetes in India and by 2025 this number will swell to 70 million. This would mean every fifth diabetic in the world would be an Indian.

4. Central obesity or apple shape of the body and insulin resistance is the main reason for diabetes increase in Indians

5. Diabetes causes 6 deaths every minute and one in 20 deaths in the world. Every year it is estimated that 3.2 million people in the world die due to the diabetes or its related causes.

6. Diabetes is an important 'silent killer disease' as there is usually no early symptom of the disease. The commonest early symptom is feeling thirsty

7. Almost 90 to 95% of diabetes is of type 2 or maturity onset type; that affects people in their middle age. Type 1 or juvenile diabetes affects 70,000 children under the age of 15 years every year.

8. The major cause of increase in the incidence of diabetes is a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise and diet can either reduce or delay the incidence of diabetes by over 50%.

9. Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure in the world. Besides this every year it is responsible for 5% or 5 million blindness in adults and one million limb amputations. Diabetes is also an important cause of heart disease, stroke and cataract.

10. The current cost of treating diabetes and its complications in the world is estimated as US $ 215-375 billion. The disease is growing fastest in developing countries where there are more people in the lower and middle-income group.