Individuals with type 1 diabetes have a ten-times higher risk for cardiovascular events than age-matched non-diabetic populations. Researchers in the UF Department of Pediatrics are recruiting for a new, non-invasive study that will measure arterial stiffness in children. Long-term increases in the stiffness of blood vessels may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. For more information, contact csmeehan@peds.ufl.edu.
Ashby Walker, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, recently presented at a national conference for nurse educators and physicians in Tampa, Fla., to discuss a recent UF photo research project, in which children with Type 1 diabetes were prompted to take and explain five pictures that captured what diabetes meant to them. The photos and explanations provide valuable perspectives and highlight the differences in disease experiences based on gender and socioeconomic status.
Over the past decade, increased consumption of table sugar and artificial sweeteners have been linked to rising rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in the United States and throughout the world. Now, new research evidence builds on these previous findings, providing new insights into pathogenesis and innovative therapies for this important disease. Read more.
It is well known that pregnancy is a state of insulin resistance. In a new clinical trial at the University of Florida, researchers aim to identify the number of patients with NAFLD who have developed gestational diabetes during their pregnancy, and to determine whether there is a direct correlation between the two diseases. Learn more.
The Blueberry Family Health Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is excited to partner with the University of Florida Diabetes Institute and other leading diabetes organizations on a new program to prevent type 2 diabetes in children. The foundation, established by growers in the blueberry industry, will launch their first philanthropic programs in Florida in 2015. Read more.
The relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease does not appear to be causal, challenging prior observational evidence that increasing the vitamin could reduce disease risk, according to new research published in the Journal of Hepatology. The UF study also measured the potential causal relationships between vitamin D and type 2 diabetes, and found similar outcomes.
In the latest issue of On the Same Page, UF Health president David S. Guzick, M.D. Ph.D. details the events leading up to the formation of the new UF Diabetes Institute — a collaboration of dozens of researchers campuswide all focused on forging new advances in treatment for a disease that afflicts an estimated 29.1 million Americans and 1 in 10 Floridians.
Type 1 diabetes care for children aged 5 years or younger requires unique management, according to a recent position statement in Diabetes Care. Authors stress that pediatric diabetes patients need a proactive disease care plan that involves clinicians, parents/guardians and child care staff. Researchers also highlighted hurdles in pediatric diabetes care, including language barriers, health literacy and ethnic and cultural practices.
GatorCare offers multiple health insurance plans to eligible employee groups associated with the University of Florida and its affiliates. Are you a GatorCare member diagnosed with diabetes? Learn about a new program designed to help you manage your condition and your health. This program is open to GatorCare members and their covered dependents. Call (352) 733-9202 or email morgan.papworth@floridablue.com by October 1st to determine your eligibility.
A fatty liver is now the most common chronic liver condition in adult Americans and will soon be the leading cause of end-stage liver disease in patients that are obese or have type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Researchers at the University of Florida want to determine whether African-Americans accumulate fat in their livers in a similar way to Caucasians and Hispanics in order to develop novel insight for early diagnosis and treatment techniques for the condition.
