Blood sugar

Beware: Working for more than 55 hours a week can trigger diabetes

People who work over 55 hours every week in blue collar jobs are at a 30 percent increased risk of developing type II diabetes, according to research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Working for more than 55 hours a week can trigger diabetes

Type II diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and affects 90 to 95 percent of the 26 million Americans with the disease. Mika Kivimäki, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London, UK, and colleagues analyzed data from four published and 19 unpublished studies involving 222,120 adults from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan. For an average of 7.6 years, these individuals were followed.

The researchers found that those who worked more than 55 hours per week at low socioeconomic or manual jobs were about 30 percent more likely to develop type II diabetes, compared to those who worked no more than 40 hours per week.

Although additional research is needed to further identify the link between long working hours and the onset of type II diabetes, other possible explanations need to be explored, including disruptive schedules that interfere with sleep, relaxing, and exercising.

“The pooling of all available studies on this topic allowed us to investigate the association between working hours and diabetes risk with greater precision than has been previously possible. Although working long hours is unlikely to increase diabetes risk in everyone, health professionals should be aware that it is associated with a significantly increased risk in people doing low socioeconomic status jobs,” said Kivimäki in a statement.

Source: daily digest

New drug target for controlling high blood sugar discovered

Researchers have identified a new potential therapeutic target for controlling high blood sugar.

Researchers showed that lipid molecules called phosphatidic acids enhance glucose production in the liver. These findings suggest that inhibiting or reducing production of phosphatidic acids may do the opposite.

Senior author Dr. Anil Agarwal, Professor of Internal Medicine, said that their study establishes a role for phosphatidic acids in enhancing glucose production by the liver and identifies enzymes involved in the synthesis of phosphatidic acids as potential drug targets.

These observations were made while studying a mouse model of lipodystrophy, a rare metabolic disease in which the body is devoid of fat. Lipodystrophy patients often develop diabetes and accumulate fat in the liver because of an imbalance in the body’s ability to properly regulate lipids and glucose.

The causal gene, AGPAT2, which is involved in the synthesis of phosphatidic acid and triglycerides, was removed in the mice, resulting in rodents with generalized lipodystrophy. The research team then examined what impact this genetic manipulation had on phosphatidic acids and glucose production.

The buildup of these lipid molecules was due to an increase in the levels of two enzymes in the liver, diacylglycerol kinase and phospholipase D. Researchers also discovered a marked increase in glucose production in the livers of the lipodystrophic mice.

The lack of normal insulin signaling in these lipodystrophic mice led to unrestricted production of phosphatidic acid, Dr. Agarwal explained, contributing to development of hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar.

The study has been published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Source: Business standard

Diabetes: 5 healthy lifestyle tips that can save you

following simple healthy lifestyle habits, one can easily stay away from the fangs of the killer Diabetes

The emergence of diabetes is turning out to be debilitating day-by-day. It has become a common disease these days just like any other whacky flu or cough and cold. The disease is mainly a result of modern erratic lifestyle, lack of physical activity, obesity, stress and consumption of junk and fast foods.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80% of deaths occurring in developing countries. India has nearly 63 million diabetic patients, with the situation becoming grimmer mainly because of the sedentary lifestyle prevailing across key metros and big cities aggravating the situation. Studies show that a major chunk of Indian population suffers from Type 2 diabetes which is closely associated with obesity and consuming junk and fatty foods.

In order to put a check on diabetes in India, the Government of India has initiated a National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 100 selected districts in 21 States. This effort, however, is yet to show any major changes in the spread of the disease in the country.

But don’t worry, as by following simple healthy lifestyle habits, one can easily stay away from the fangs of the killer Diabetes.

–Be physically active: Yes, exercise is the key to say no to diabetes. It not just helps reduce weight, but also regulates blood sugar levels. Half-hour of exercise whether aerobic exercise, or activities like dancing, playing tennis, brisk walking etc. reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes by 30%. Also, while one is in office, a fifteen minute walk after each meal helps in regulating blood sugar levels thereby reducing the risk of developing the disease.

– Healthy diet: Consuming a healthy diet is a must to keep diabetes at bay. Eating foods that are rich in fibre helps to naturally balance sugar levels in the body. Avoid the habit of overeating and instead divide your meals into 5-6 including snacks, juices etc. to stay healthy. Also, don’t do emotional eating as it leads to weight gain and eventually diabetes. Junk food is a strict no-no as they are a major reason of obesity and diabetes.

–Take proper sleep: Sleeping for at least 7-8 hours in a day is a must as proper sleep will make one feel energetic, put a check on cravings for high-calorie food and hence save one from being a victim of obesity and eventually diabetes.

–Manage stress: Stress is the major reason of why people fall prey to diabetes. Stress can actually play havoc on one’s health. As a result, the stressed out person tends to resort to unhealthy food habits like eating junk food, eating after long gaps, emotional eating etc. Also one might start smoking, consuming alcohol etc. Besides that, stress hormones may alter blood glucose levels directly increasing the risk of the diabetes. So it is important to keep a check on one’s stress levels by adapting to yoga, meditation, exercising, listening music or anything that makes you happy and stress free.

–Regular check-ups: It is highly recommended for people above 45 years of age to go for blood glucose screening. But if you have known risk factors (like high blood pressure or obesity), discuss them with your doctor.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/diseases/diabetes-5-healthy-lifestyle-tips-that-can-save-you_23621.html