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Shands Employee Wellness Month

This March, join Shands Employees & Health Professionals in a 3-week long Wellness Event! Health professionals will offer information on a variety of health topics and services available from UF&Shands, including diabetes management, as well as information on health issues of significance to the community. This event is being sponsored by the Shands at UF Wellness Council.

Meet Chicago Bears Quarterback: Jay Cutler

Playing in the NFL is an extraordinary feat on its own. But Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler faces another challenge: playing with Type 1 diabetes. Learn about the ways he is striving to give back to young people who share his condition.

Understanding Insulin’s Role in Body and Brain

Insulin, long recognized as a primary regulator of blood glucose and a core focus of diabetes research, is now also understood to play key roles in mediating normal and abnormal brain function. In a recent edition of TheScientist Magazine, researchers discuss how this discovery may lead to future treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

CDC grant comes to UF/IFAS for diabetes prevention

A new project headed by UF/IFAS Extension, in partnership with Molina Healthcare, will offer courses for residents in Broward and Palm Beach counties to help them prevent type 2 diabetes. UF/IFAS Extension will receive nearly $1 million, over the next four years, to implement these lifestyle change classes. In each county, a lifestyle ‘coach’ and a program assistant will be hired to lead at least two 16-week NDPP courses each year. Learn more.

Research Spotlight: Martha Campbell Thompson, PhD

A new discovery may provide a clue to why people develop Type 1 diabetes. The study, led by UF researcher Dr. Martha Campbell-Thompson, links pancreas size to diabetes risk. Researchers measured the weight of organ donors' pancreases and found that people diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes or who were at risk for the disease had smaller-sized pancreases.

Organic Food for Kids: Worth the Price?

In an article published on WebMD, pediatricians argue parents may be wasting their money by buying organic foods based on the belief they are more nutritious. Dr. Janet Silverstein, a Pediatrician at the University of Florida and avid Florida Diabetes Camp supporter, gives her advice as well. The American Academy of Pediatricians provides information on milk, organic produce, and meat correlating to their research.

Research Spotlight: Patrick Rowe, PhD

Patrick Rowe, PhD, a researcher at the UF Diabetes Center of Excellence, is using groundbreaking technology to better understand the early stages of type 1 diabetes. Via a laser microdissection system, he is investigating whether islet autoantibodies, early markers of risk for type 1 diabetes, are associated with stressed/overworked insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.

Endocrine Today Magazine features Dr. Kenneth Cusi

Kenneth Cusi, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.E, chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in UF's College of Medicine, was recently featured in 'Endocrine Today' magazine to talk about the relationship between diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); his area of research expertise.

World Diabetes Day- November 14th

Fact: Diabetes caused approximately 4.6 million global deaths in 2011 alone. In addition, 183 million people (50%) with diabetes worldwide are currently undiagnosed. World Diabetes Day is held on November 14th of each year and engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy, education, and awareness.

Measuring Glycaemic Index

The International Diabetes Federation has developed a special application to raise awareness of the Glycaemic Index (GI) and the various nutritional components that make up a healthy and well-balanced diet. These interactive tools displays a variety of foods, divided by food group, with an indication of their respective GI values and whether the food causes a slow, medium or rapid rise in blood glucose levels.