DIABETES MANAGEMENT: IS A CURE POSSIBLE?

Diabetes has become an epidemic disease with over 425 million people affected worldwide that causing huge socio-economic burden to society. Diabetes affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin, a hormone that allows body to turn glucose into energy.

Stem cell therapy for Diabetes

While diabetes can be managed with medications and life style changes, at present it cannot be cured. As a result, it is a lifelong disabling disease that can severely impact the quality of life of those who are afflicted. For many of people having diabetes means living with daily insulin injections and the long-term health damage especially affecting kidney, eye, heart and blood vessel.

With recent discoveries in the field of regenerative medicine, however, researchers have begun to evaluate if a new treatment approach can work — can stem cells be used for diabetes?

Stem cells are naive cells of human body and they have the unique ability of self renewal and multi lineage differentiation potential and repair the place of damage inside the human system. The procedure of stem cell therapy is very quick, painless, simple and safe, and it is completed within only few hours. Since these stem cells come from patient’s own body, there is also no risk of rejection or side effects. For results to fully develop, it usually takes up to four months after the stem cells are injected into human organism during treatment. In the course of that time, a patient notices continuous improvements in his/her condition.

How does stem cell therapy work in Diabetes?

Stem cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic patients take advantage of two attributes these cells possess. Firstly, they have the regenerative potential to repair beta cells, and secondly they can modulate the immune system that inhibits autoimmune attack on pancreatic beta cells. The stem cells derived from the patient’s own tissues can ‘re-educate’ the immune system so that it no longer attacks the beta cells . The stem cell therapy approach promotes beta cell function, thereby reducing or eliminating the requirement for exogenous insulin.

β cell therapy for Diabetes

Islet cells are clusters of cells scattered throughout the pancreas and their function is to produce and release hormones that regulate blood sugar level in body. The majority of the islets are beta cells, which produce insulin to use glucose into energy fuel for body. Directly replacing the missing insulin-producing cells is coming up as potential approach to recover normal insulin production and cure patients. In recent years, many studies have been carried out to generate β-cells through differentiation of stem cells. Transplantation of these beta cells provides a better alternative to whole-organ transplantation.

Still cellular therapy involving mesenchymal stem cells and β cells is at nascent stage, however with the more studies in human subject, we expect their findings will pave the new door of stem cell based therapies for persons suffering with Diabetes.

Risk Factors for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Foot ulcers in diabetic patients are a result of consequential risk factors interaction. It is important to know that these ulcers don’t occur spontaneously and there are preventive methods which can directly influence the development of foot ulcers. While these foot ulcers are resulting risk factors of diabetes, this is essential to understand how and why these ulcers; which can be helpful in developing initiatives regarding ulceration prevention.

The common risk factors for ulcer formation are diabetic neuropathy, structural deformity, and peripheral arterial occlusive disease. A careful physical assessment is required which can identify patients at risk for foot ulcers and appropriately differentiate patients who already have ulcers or other Diabetic Foot complications.

Nerve damage (neuropathy) is the most common in diabetes, affecting more than 20%- 50% of people with the condition. Neuropathy may result into painful symptoms in a person’s legs, which either become typically worse at night, or may be completely painless – the person’s feet may not feel anything mostly due to numbness. A dangerous situation would be if the pain and temperature sensation; normally crucial for general protection from injury are lost due to lack of blood circulation. Thus, this may affect patient’s feet without their awareness. Although neuropathy is not only responsible for ulceration but it permits injuries to develop without being noticed.

Other risk factors contributing to the development of diabetic foot ulcers may include smoking, malnutrition, immobility, older age, deficiency in cognitive function, lack of insight, and inability to follow optimal management (such as lower extremity elevation) because of other significant co morbidities. Smoking is known to have negative effects on wound healing outcomes and essentially doubles the complication rate for any surgery or wound healing intervention as compared to nonsmokers. Metabolic syndrome is another risk factor for development of foot ulcers. It includes a combination of hypertension, abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia (hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein), and is a precursor of diabetes. Consequently, it is crucial to initiate appropriate management before a problem arises. Improper management can lead to serious and costly wound care problems.

The first step in any preventive care is patient education. There are treatments available for DFU which can help in managing the severity of foot ulcers. Moreover, despite the advances in treatment options, the outcomes for the patients with DFU’s have not improved. The successful treatment is hindered by the lack of targeted therapy that hones in on the healing processes deregulated by diabetes. In that regard, PRP can be a promising tool, being capable of bypassing the underlying abnormal healing mechanism as well as accelerating the initial healing stages such as inflammation, secretion of immune cells and proliferation of damaged cells.

With the advancing technology, the treatment implementing Platelet Rich Plasma, is gaining popularity as a biological booster to accelerate body's delayed healing mechanism and maximize cell proliferation. The use of PRP is a very efficient technique being employed since 1990's to promote healing of the soft tissues as well as wounds and is categorically attracting many doctors, due to it's incredible outcomes; that have been observed through various clinical trials The PRP is a platelet concentrate with liquid plasma portion containing various essential growth factors, important to promote cell recruitment, multiplication as well as specialization, for faster healing. 

Top 10 Tips to Control Diabetes

The following are helpful tips to help you stay in control of managing diabetes.

1. It's not about your diabetes — It's about your life

Ask yourself:

·         What do I love to do?

·         What things about diabetes keep me from doing it?

·         What are some solutions?

·         How can making an action plan help?

2. It's not just about blood sugar

Heart disease and stroke are the big killers for people with Diabetes. Here's how to lower your chances:

·         If you use tobacco, quit.

·         Keep your blood pressure at or below 129/79.

·         Consider taking a stain drug.

·         Ask your doctor about ACE-inhibitors.

·         Talk to your doctor about whether a daily aspirin is right for you.

·         Make healthy lifestyle choices.

3. Stress makes everything worse

Stress can get in the way of taking care of yourself and managing your diabetes.

·         Find out what's causing stress in your life.

·         Learn ways to reduce or cope with daily stressors.

·         Schedule something fun for yourself on a regular basis.

4. Exercise makes everything better

Exercise is good for everybody. It gives you more energy, reduces stress, helps you relax, and makes it easier to fall asleep.

·         Work towards doing at least 30 minutes every day.

·         Make it fun, not a chore.

·         Try a pedometer.

5. Don't diet — Make healthier food choices

Find a healthier way of eating that you can stick with for life.

·         Instead of thinking about food as either "good" or "bad," think about which foods support good health.

·         Eat a variety of foods to make sure you're getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

·         Talk to your dietitian to find a meal plan that works for you.

6. Be smart and use your "flashlight"

Your blood sugar monitor helps you see in the dark, like a flashlight. Test your blood sugar to get information you can use, for example:

·         When you first wake up in the morning.

·         Before or after meals.

·         Before, during, and after exercising.

·         Whenever you feel "odd."

7. Get regular checkups

Keeping regular appointments with your doctor and getting tests and screenings on time, helps you be an active partner with your health care team.

·         Know what questions to ask.

·         Write them down ahead of time.

·         Let your doctor know at the beginning of each visit what specific things you want to talk about.

8. Make sure you're not depressed

It's often hard for people to know when they're depressed. Here are some common signs:

·         Feeling down, blue, hopeless, sad, or irritable

·         Not enjoying activities that used to be enjoyable

·         Feeling as though you're letting other people down

·         Trouble concentrating

·         Tired all the time, no energy

·         No interest in food

·         Overeating

·         Trouble falling asleep

·         Feeling like life isn't worth living

9. Write down your care plan

Work with your doctor to design a diabetes care plan that's right for you. Be sure to include:

·         What drugs you're taking and why you're taking them.

·         Your daily targets for the numbers you can control.

·         The goals you want to achieve.

·         Who you should call and when.

10. Join a group

Groups work magic!

·         A problem shared is a problem solved.

·         You'll be amazed at how much you have to offer others.

·         Check out the Living Well With Diabetes workshops.

Go “Sugary” With Your Diabetes Using Stem Cell Treatment

Laughter is the best medicine unless you are a diabetic; in that sense insulin can be the best option!

Same as with many PWD’s (People with Diabetes), you must be getting irritated and cranky when people make fun of you! But the fact is that like dealing with the bugs under the bed, accepting and laughing over your diabetes is the better option than hiding it under the cover.

Diabetes is a serious, inverterate ailment affecting routine pattern of your lifestyle and thus leading to various life threatening complications such as heart attack, kidney failure, blindness and the list goes on. In medical terminology it is named by the Greek and Roman doctors as “ Diabetes Mellitus”, where Diabetes means passing through in Greek and Mellitus is a Latin word for sweet or honeyed. Factual meaning of the two words is that the urine of the people with diabetes contains sugar and it passes through the body very quickly.

Many ignorant people, who have not been preyed for this mighty, chronic disease so far; can take it synonymous with too much of sugar. Although the coverted fact is that the sugar is not the only element responsible for the condition, but is associated with the obesity, age and also important metabolical abnormality due to faulty gene inherited from the family. Being not just a single disease, but an umbrella under which several forms exist; Diabetes commonly comprises of two regular forms Type 1 Diabetes and Type II Diabetes. Though the leading cause is still unknown, it affects the way our body utilizes food.  In general our body needs glucose in the form of energy for performing day to day activities. For that matter, the healthy body turns carbohydrates obtained from food into glucose; which is transported to cells through the blood stream. Once inside the cells it waits for the pancreas to do the job.

Stem Cell Treatment for Diabetes

The pancreas is a small organ behind the stomach containing the glands called the “Islets of Langerhans”. These glands contain a special kind of cells known as “Beta Cells” responsible for producing a hormone known as Insulin. The main function of the Insulin is to allow glucose to be utilized by the cells. Without Insulin it is just impossible for cells to employ glucose for the normal functioning of the body; if something goes wrong with this generalized metabolic processes the onset of Diabetes occurs.  The disease is characterized by too little or no production of insulin as in case of Type 1 Diabetes or in other sense insulin being unable to metabolize glucose as in case of Type 2 Diabetes, either way since the glucose cannot get into the body’s cells; it builds up in the blood and eventually passes out by the urine.

Unlike the customary supportive treatment options such as medications or insulin shots, today people with diabetes have better chances of survival and improving life. With the progressive development, exploitation of Stemcells Treatment for Diabetes can be a smarter choice.They are like a fresh debutante with the desire to explore to be any type of cells of the body. If treated in a right direction, any recipes can be made with them. In that direction, the research has always shown great  promises, with the important advancement being in vitro development of insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas from stem cells.  Further to achievements and progress with the autologous use of stem cells from your own body has taken care of the key issues like safety concerns, teratoma formation, transplantation and autoimmune responses etc.

Thus, with all the controversies surrounding, stem cell treatment fordiabetes ; have shown a highway of the enormous potential in improving health and quality of life with the additional benefit of living without medicinal and dietary obligations.