Diabetes and the Pancreas

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Diabetes and the Pancreas

• The New Epidemic

William J. Hennen, PhD
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Latest update!!(World Health Organization
Survey)
Worldwide Diabetic Population Worldwide Diabetic Population
1997 135 million
2025 300 million (est.)

• 1 in 3 people in their 60s will get diabetes.

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Diabetes Mellitus
Number of people with diabetes is rising.

• Singapore
• Year population with diabetes
• 1975 1.5
• 1984 4.7
• 1992 8.6
• 1998 9.6

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Diabetes Mellitus
Number of people with diabetes is rising.

• Malaysia
• Year population with diabetes
• 1960 0.6
• 1982 2.1
• 1995 7.7
• 1996 8.3
• 2004 9.0

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Ethic Differences
In Malaysia and Singapore, diabetes is most common in In Malaysia and Singapore, diabetes is most common in
Indians 16
Malays 4.7
Chinese limited data
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Latest update!!

• Population of diabetics in Singapore is 300,000.
• Accounts for 1 in 10 deaths in Singapore.

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Cost

• Costs depends on how serious the disease is.
• A diabetic person spends 1,600/yr on
  unsubsidized specialist outpatient care in public
  hospital.

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Cost

• He spends 650/yr for subsidized outpatient care
  at a polyclinic.
• If his kidney fails, he will have to pay 12,400
  / year for dialysis and diabetic treatment.
• Quality of Life???

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Latest update!!

• For every two known diabetics, there is at least
  one person who is unaware he has the condition.
• Type 2 diabetes is no longer seen as a disease of
  the middle age or old age.
• 10 Year old children suffering from Type1 Type
  2 diabetes are common

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Diabetes Mellitus
The New Epidemic

• Far reaching effects
• Non-traumatic amputations (60)
• Blindness ( 53 )
• Kidney disease (40 of all new cases)
• 200-400 increased risk of cardiovascular
  disease

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Blood Glucose
Factors

• Stress
• General health
• Activity
• Consumption of food

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Diabetes Mellitus
Type I (5-10)

• Children and adolescents
• (age lt40)
• Frequent drinking, eating, urination
• Autoimmune
• Requires insulin

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Diabetes Mellitus
Type II (90-95)

• Late onset, usually age gt40
• Insulin resistance and/or decreased insulin
  production
• Requires insulin in late stages
• Possible genetic link
• Immune component

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Diabetes Mellitus
Secondary Conditions

• Vision (cataracts and glaucoma)
• Kidneys (loss of kidney function)
• Nerves (loss of sensation in hands and feet)
• Heart/Circulation (increased risk of heart attack
  and stroke, poor circulation)
• Leading cause of death among diabetics.

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Diabetes and Supplements

• Transfer Factor
• Fenugreek
• Bitter melon
• Gymnema
• Indian kino

• Korean ginseng
• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Chromium
• Vanadium

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Diabetes and Supplements
Transfer Factor - Immunity

• Reduced blood sugar in mice.
• (Biotherapy. 19969(1-3)149-57)
• Type I diabetes has a dominant autoimmune
  component. (J Clin Invest. 2004
  Feb113(3)451-63.)
• May be initiated through viral infections.
• (J Immunol. 2004 Mar 1172(5)3173-80.)
• Increased immune activation and low-grade
  inflammation in type II diabetes.
• (Diabetes Care. 2004 Mar27(3)813-23.)
• Autoimmune mechanism possible.
• (Minerva Endocrinol. 2003 Dec28(4)297-312.)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

• Stimulates ß-cell activity.
• (Am J Physiol 1999 Oct277(4 pt
  1)E617-23.Diabetes 1998 Feb47(2)206-10.)
• Synergistic with vanadium lower dose improved
  safety.
• (Indian J Exp Biol 1999 Feb37(2)193-5.Indian
  J Exp Biol 1999 Feb37(2)196-9.)
• Lowers plasma glucose.
• (East Mediterr Health J 2000 Jan6(1)83-8.Eur
  J Clin Nutr 1988 Jan42(1)51-4.)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia)

• Improved glucose utilization in humans lowering
  fasting and meal-time levels.
• (J Ethnopharmacol 1986 Sep17(3)277-82.Bangla
  desh Med Res Counc Bull 1999 Apr25(1)11-3.)
• May have insulin-like or insulin-stimulating
  action.
• (Int J Biochem 198921(2)149-55.J
  Ethnopharmacol 1985 Jul13(3)313-21.)
• May help repair damaged ß cells.
• (J Ethnopharmacol 2000 Nov73(1-2)71-9.
  Diabetes Res Clin Pract 1998 Jun40(3)145-51.)
• Lowers synthesis of glucose.
• (Biochem J 1993 May 15292(pt1)267-70.)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre)

• Lowered plasma glucose in both type I and type II
  diabetics.
• (J Ethnopharmacol 1990 Oct30(3)295-300. J
  Ethnopharmacol 1990 Oct30(3)281-94.)
• Increased insulin release.
• (J Endocrinol 1999 Nov163(2)207-12.)
• Decreased glucose absorption.
• (J Vet Med Sci 1997 Apr59(4)245-51.)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Indian Kino (Pterocarpus marsupium)

• Insulin-like properties
• (Acta Diabetol Lat 1989 Oct-Dec26(4)291-300.)
• Lowers plasma glucose.
• (J Ethnopharmacol 2002 Jan79(1)95-100. J Nat
  Prod 1983 Mar-Apr46(2)232-4.)
• Able to reverse experimentally-induced diabetes
  in animals.
• (J Nat Prod 1983 Mar-Apr46(2)232-4.)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng)

• Benefits in both short-term and long-term plasma
  glucose control in humans. (Diabetes Care 1995
  Oct18(10)1373-1375)
• Possibly due to increased insulin sensitivity
  and/or secretion.
• Other research suggests effects on glucose
  receptors and enzymes.
• (J Pharmacobiodyn 1981 Jun4(6)410-417 Biol
  Pharm Bull 1996 Sep19(9)1238-1240)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Alpha Lipoic Acid

• May increase insulin sensitivity.
• (Diabetes Care 1999 Feb22(2)280-7.)
• May prevent or reduce the symptoms of nerve
  damage.
• (Diabetes Care 2003 Mar26(3)770-6.Bull Exp
  Biol Med 2000 Oct130(10)986-90.)
• Improves peripheral nerve conduction
• Antioxidant properties.

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Diabetes and Supplements
Chromium

• Improves diabetic glucose levels w/o affecting
  individuals with normal or low blood sugar.
• Increases insulin receptor numbers and insulin
  binding at the receptor.
• (J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Feb18(1)6-12.J Am
  Coll Nutr. 1998 Dec17(6)548-55.)
• 1-2 months of dosing may be necessary
• Lowers serum insulin and
• glycosylated hemoglobin levels.
• (J Fam Pract. 1998 Jan46(1)83-6.)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Vanadium

• Inhibits the glucose from leaving cells.
• (Mol Cell Biochem 2002 Feb231(1-2)23-35.Meta
  bolism 2000 Mar49(3)400-10.)
• Targets muscle cells.
• (Physiol Behav 1993 Aug54(2)407-9.Mol Cell
  Biochem 1992 Feb 12109(2)157-62.)
• May also lower insulin requirements in type I
  diabetics, based on rodent research.
• (Mol Cell Biochem. 2000 Mar206(1-2)177-82.)

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Diabetes and Supplements
Key Points

• Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases.
• A major contributor to illness and death
  worldwide.
• Many supplements can aid the diabetic condition.
• Increasing insulin secretion and/or sensitivity
• Modifying the absorption of sugar
• Altering the cellular movement of glucose.

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