Bisphenol A (BPA) can leach into foods and drinks from the plastic lining in cans. It is also found in some microwave containers and baby bottles. Researchers measured urine BPA levels of 1455 Americans aged 18 to 74. Those with the highest BPA levels were 2.9 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and 2.4 times more likely to become diabetic, than those with the lowest levels. It is unknown whether BPA is a cause of these diseases, say the authors, but we can reduce our exposure by storing and microwaving foods and drinks in glass rather than plastic containers.

For the first time, scientists have linked higher concentrations of the chemical bisphenol A in human urine with diagnoses of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Bisphenol A is widely used in epoxy resins lining food and beverage containers and in hard plastic baby bottles and drinking water bottles. Evidence of adverse health effects in animals exposed to low doses of the chemical has generated concern over low-level chronic exposures in humans.

A new study published in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the hormone-like chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, used in food containers and other household products may cause heart disease and diabetes at real-life levels.

The study found people with the highest level of the chemical ran nearly three times higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people with the lowest concentration. Their risk of Type 2 diabetes — the most common type — was 2.4 times as great.

Losing weight through diet and exercise lowers diabetes risk in men and women, but men may have to work harder for the same benefit, new research suggests.

In a study of more than 1,100 adults at risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers found that those who went on an “intensive” regimen of calorie-cutting and exercise lowered their risk of developing diabetes over the next year.

There are 23.6 million adults and children in the United States who have diabetes; 1.6 million new adult cases were diagnosed in 2007. More than 10 percent of people age 20 or older have diabetes, while more than 20 percent of people age 60 and older have the disease.

Early diagnosis and excellent blood sugar control is key in preventing the complications that can occur. Unfortunately, more than 5 million people with diabetes are undiagnosed. Signs and symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent urination, unusual hunger, weight loss, fatigue, irritability, frequent infections, blurred vision, cuts or bruises that are slow to heal and numbness/tingling in the hands and/or feet. Signs and symptoms may come and go.

To celebrate the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month and to recognize those in the
Hispanic/Latino population who have, or are at risk for, diabetes, the
American Diabetes Association is hosting Feria de Salud, Por Tu Familia on
Saturday, September 13 at St. Mary’s Park in the South Bronx from 11:00
a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Actor Tony Plana, who currently stars as Ignacio Suarez,
the widowed father in the ABC series “Ugly Betty” will be on hand to
support ADA’s outreach

Ensuring that patients’ blood sugar levels were closely regulated also led to them being 15 per cent less likely to have a heart attack.

More than two million people in Britain currently suffer from Type 2 diabetes, the most common kind, and experts estimate that that number could increase to four million by 2025, because of lifestyle issues such as obesity.

Diabetes occurs when the body loses the ability to control its blood sugar levels.

Two new drugs to treat type 2 diabetes fared well in their clinical trials, new research shows.

The drugs are alogliptin and saxagliptin. They’re in a class of drugs called DPP-IV inhibitors, which block an enzyme called DPP-IV to keep insulin-boosting proteins in the blood longer.

The FDA approved the first DPP-IV inhibitor, Januvia, in 2006.

Devices that constantly monitor blood sugar levels of people with diabetes help them control their glucose better than the old-fashioned method of pricking their fingers throughout the day, researchers reported on Monday.

Tests of all three brands of continuous glucose monitoring devices showed that people with type 1 diabetes who used them consistently could keep their blood sugar levels within the desired range, the researchers found. Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and DexCom Inc all make the devices.

In a single generation’s time, type 2 diabetes has become so prevalent in children it’s no longer known by its traditional label of “adult-onset” diabetes.
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With the link between diabetes and obesity firmly established, worries about weight gain and finding time to exercise that used to solely nag at adults are now a concern for kids and their parents.