High Hopes Gala
[Boston, MA,] — Grammy nominated singer Oleta Adams will be the headliner at Joslin's Third Annual High Hopes Diamond Gala. With proceeds earmarked for the Center's High Hopes Fund for Kids with Diabetes, the black tie event will be held on November 16 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. The Gala is being chaired by Ann and Chuck Lagasse. Last year's Gala raised over $700,000.

Joslin Physician Discusses Diabetes Management Program at Annual AMA Meeting
[Boston, MA] — Caring for the nation's burgeoning number of adults and children with diabetes requires a focused effort on the part of the nation's primary care doctors and other health professionals to help diabetic patients reduce the risk of long-term complications such as heart disease, blindness and limb amputations, according to James L. Rosenzweig, M.D., Director of Joslin Diabetes Center's Disease Management Program.

Discovery Opens New Avenues for Developing Insulin-producing Cells
[Boston, MA] — For the first time, researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston have isolated and cloned the third and remaining gene believed to be a key regulator of insulin production. This may enable researchers to use the trio of genes to encourage stem cells or other cells that do not normally produce insulin to do so, thereby creating a possible new way to treat diabetes.

New JumpStart Program Offers Free Care to Kids
[Boston, MA] — A new program at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston will target children with newly diagnosed type 1 and type 2 diabetes to provide a combination of free care and "care ambassadors" helping to coordinate that care to enable kids to get a "JumpStart" on a lifetime of good health with diabetes.

Questions about Glucophage® and Metformin
[Boston, MA, May] — A study published this week suggests that some physicians are inadequately informed about which patients can safely use the diabetes medication Glucophage® (metformin), and may be prescribing the medication for individuals who shouldn't be taking it because of certain other medical problems they have. If you take this medication, what should you do?

Joslin Unveils New Strategic Plan
[Boston, MA, May] — The next decade offers important opportunities that, if seized now, can vastly improve the lives of people with diabetes and the lives of those at risk for the disease. Joslin's new Strategic Plan outlines how our research, clinical, educational, and fundraising programs will expand on the Center's legacy of discovery and care in the years ahead.

New JumpStart Program Offers Free Care to Kids
[Boston, MA, May] — A new program at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston will target children with newly diagnosed type 1 and type 2 diabetes to provide a combination of free care and "care ambassadors" helping to coordinate that care to enable kids to get a "JumpStart" on a lifetime of good health with diabetes.

"Pre-diabetes" Identified as a Specific Condition
[Boston, April] — There are an estimated 16 million Americans who have "pre-diabetes" — a condition now officially identified by the federal government and  diabetes organizations as occuring when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as full-blown diabetes. How can those with "pre-diabetes" be best identified and treated to prevent diabetes?

New Islet Cell Research Has Implications for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
[Boston, April] — New Joslin research reveals that a certain molecular pathway may not be as critical to the early development of insulin-producing beta cells as once thought — but  it  may be important in determining how beta cells respond to glucose. This new insight may have important implications for scientists studying both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Joslin Diabetes Center’s Newly Funded Program to Target African Americans Hard Hit by Diabetes Epidemic
[Boston, MA] — The diabetes epidemic that is sweeping the U.S. is hitting the African American community particularly hard. For every six white Americans who develop diabetes, 10 African Americans develop the disease. And African Americans with diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes complications and experience greater disability from diabetes complications than whites. Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston is beginning a diabetes awareness campaign targeted specifically at African Americans.

Research Suggests Possible Cause of Birth Defects in Diabetic Pregnancies
[Boston, MA] — Women with diabetes who become pregnant are two to five times more likely to give birth to babies with neural tube defects, including spina bifida, than women who don't have diabetes. Women can limit their risk by keeping their diabetes under excellent control before becoming pregnant and throughout pregnancy. And researchers may be closing in on the underlying cause of this serious problem.

Unexpected Immune Pathway Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis
[Boston, MA] — Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have pinpointed a surprising set of factors contributing to joint destruction during arthritis development in mice. Their discovery, reported in the February 20 issue of Immunity, provides new insight into the mechanisms underlying pathogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis and may stimulate a search for therapeutic agents designed to target the alternative pathway.

Joslin Researchers Identify New Role for Protein in Blood Vessel Growth in Diabetic Eye Disease
[Boston, MA] — A recent study by researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers further evidence that a protein called protein kinase C beta (PKC ß) is involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in adults with diabetes. In a multicenter clinical trial, Joslin is testing a drug that is an inhibitor of PKC ß that may halt the damaging proliferation of blood vessels in the retinas of people with diabetes.

Valentine Gift Ideas for Loved Ones With Diabetes
[Boston] — When most people think of Valentine's Day, they think chocolate. But what should you give if your loved one is one of the sixteen million people in the U.S. with diabetes? How about chocolate meringue kisses?

Dr. Leo P. Krall Dies at 87
[Boston] — Leo P. Krall, M.D., an international leader in the field of diabetes for half a century and one of the original founders of Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, died Wednesday evening, Jan. 30, at the age of 87.

Can Weight Loss Decrease Heart Disease in Type 2 Diabetes?
[Boston] — More than 40 men and women from the Boston area have put their resolution to lose weight and exercise more to the ultimate test by enrolling in the first long-term study to look at the effects of weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes in a nationwide study conducted in the Boston area at Joslin Diabetes Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital. Named Look AHEAD: Action for Health in Diabetes, the National Institutes of Health funded study will examine how the lifestyle interventions affect heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular-related death in overweight people ages 45-75 with type 2 diabetes — the disease most affected by excess weight. An intensive lifestyle intervention program will be compared to a program involving general diabetes support and education.

Living Long and Well With Diabetes - Joslin's Award Program
[Boston] — For people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, especially early in life, the prospect of living a long and healthy life may seem unattainable or unlikely. In recognition of the unique achievement of successfully managing type 1 diabetes on a long-term basis, Joslin Diabetes Center's Award Program recognizes those special patients who reach milestones of 25 years, 50 years, and 75 years of continuously managing their insulin-dependent diabetes.

Joslin's Diabetes Deskbook - A Guide for Primary Care Providers
[December — Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston has now written the definitive book on diabetes care for primary care professionals. Joslin's Diabetes Deskbook - A Guide for Primary Care Providers is written and edited by recognized diabetes specialist, author, lecturer and Harvard Medical School faculty member Richard S. Beaser, M.D., and the staff of the renowned Joslin Diabetes Center.

Cloning Research and Diabetes
[ November, 28] — Cloning and stem cell research has become a controversial topic again this week in the wake of an announcement by Worcester-based Advance Cell Technology that they have successfully cloned a human embryo, en route to developing another possible resource of embryonic stem cells that could develop into transplantable tissues. A Joslin researcher discusses how this research may or may not help people with diabetes.

Looking for Those with "Borderline Diabetes"
[November 6] — Now that nationwide clinical research demonstrates that the risk of type 2 diabetes can be cut by more than 50 percent by changes in diet and exercise, it's more important than ever that people with "borderline diabetes" be identified — and receive the training they need to prevent the disease.

New Asian-American Site Premieres
[October 22] — Thanks to generous contributions from a number of donors, a new section of our Web site is dedicated to the special needs of Asian-Americans, who are at an increased risk of developing diabetes for a wide variety of reasons.

Stepped-up Airport Security and its Effects on Travelers with Diabetes
[October 22] — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented stepped-up security measures at the nation's airports in response to the tragic events of September 11. Some of the new security measures affect airline passengers with diabetes.

Age-old Drug Points To Potential New Treatments for Type 2 Diabetes
[Boston, MA] — The age-old drug aspirin may point to a brand new way to treat type 2 diabetes, according to scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center and the University of California in San Diego.

Why is Obesity A Growing Problem In America?
[August 10] — Over 100 million Americans are estimated to be overweight.  Since being even 10 or 20 pounds overweight can trigger type 2 diabetes, it’s no wonder scientists are concerned about Americans’ expanding waistlines.  What is the link between diabetes and obesity? What can be done to reverse the alarming trend? Joslin’s new chief of obesity research shares her views.

Joslin President's Views on New Stem Cell Developments
[August 10] — Joslin President C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. believes President Bush's decision on stem cell research is a good first step. But Congress can do more to ensure the future of this promising area of research.

Diet, Exercise Dramatically Decrease Diabetes Risk
[August] — A major new study conducted at Joslin and 26 other sites nationwide reports that people at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes can lower their chances of getting the disease by as much as 58 percent. How? Through modest, sustained weight loss – 10 to15 pounds – and about 30 minutes of moderate exercise (such as brisk walking) each day.

We Can Delay Type 2 Diabetes—Now What?
[August] — If you have type 2 diabetes, others in your family are at risk. Here's information to share with them, and with anyone else you know who has a family history of the disease, is overweight, over 40, doesnít exercise much, and/or comes from an ethnic group at high risk for diabetes, such as African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic or Asian Americans.

Joslin Announces New Programs to Help Prevent Diabetes
[August] — In response to the new research to delay type 2 diabetes, Joslin in Boston announces several programs to help educate the public, identify people at risk, and help "pre-diabetes" patients get the education and support they need to prevent diabetes.

Stem Cell Research and Diabetes
[July] — Joslin President C. Ronald Kahn MD presents his views on the ongoing debate over federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

Insulin Injections Fail To Prevent Type 1 Diabetes; Separate Prevention Trial Tests Benefit of Oral Insulin
[June] — Low-dose insulin injections do not delay or prevent type 1 diabetes in people who have a high risk (50 percent or greater) of developing the disease within 5 years, researchers announced at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association. The finding emerged from a recently completed clinical trial that answers a question researchers have asked for years: Can insulin injections stop or slow the development of type 1 diabetes in people at high risk?

Research in Mice Suggests Possible New Diabetes Treatment
[June] —A study in mice reported in this month's Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that a two-part treatment may re-train the immune system to stop attacking islet cells, and then encourage remaining islet cells to multiply. If confirmed by other research and in human studies, this could lead to a potentially novel treatment for patients with newly diagnosed diabetes at or near the time they develop the disease.

Joslin Seeks Families To Be Part of Study Aiming to End Diabetic Kidney Disease
[June] — Joslin Diabetes Center researchers have announced the Center’s participation in a new international study organized by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) to understand how genes contribute to the development of diabetic kidney disease in more than 30 percent of people with type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes.

Joslin Beth Israel Deaconess Foot Center Webcast
[May — The multidisciplinary team at the Joslin-Beth Israel Deaconess Foot Center, consisting of experts in Vascular Surgery, Podiatry, and Lower Extremity Plastic Reconstruction, performed a vascular peripheral bypass surgery, debridement of a diabetic foot ulcer with a flap reconstruction on Thursday, May 3, 2001, which was Webcast live on the Web. The Webcast is now archived and can be viewed online.

Diabetes Stamp Dedication Ceremony
[March] —Over 400 people jammed Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston on Friday, March 16th for the first day of issue ceremony for the Diabetes Awareness Stamp from the U.S. Postal Service.

Celebrities and Events to Mark Stamp Launch
[March] — Join celebrities John Ratzenberger (Cliff of "Cheers" fame) and Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999, at a special First Day of Issue dedication ceremony for the new Diabetes Awareness stamp on March 16 at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Information on diabetes, talks on diabetic eye disease research and more will be featured during this day-long event.

Diabetes Stamp Launch at Joslin
[February] — Joslin Diabetes Center has been selected by the U.S. Postal Service as the site for the first day of issue ceremonies to be held in conjunction with its new diabetes stamp, which is being released on Friday, March 16.

New Study Seeks Genetic Link to Type 1 Diabetes
[February] — A new research study at Joslin is looking for people with type 1 diabetes between the ages of 5-40 who either have immediate relatives with type 1 diabetes or who themselves have another autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis or Addison's disease. The purpose of the study is to to see if the gene or genes that make someone more likely to develop type 1 diabetes can be identified.

Two Joslin Research Studies Among Top Advances in 2000
[January] — Two Joslin research studies have been named by leading national science and health magazines as among the top research advances of the year 2000.

Helping Kids with Diabetes and Their Families
[January] — Joslin Diabetes Center and its affiliates offer a number of innovative programs to help youngsters with diabetes and their families better manage the disease.

Diabetes is Growing and People are Developing the Disease Earlier
[December] — Over the past few weeks, there has been extensive media coverage about the rising prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. Diabetes has been the cover story of Newsweek magazine, and the focus of multiple newspaper articles, and national as well as local news broadcasts. What is this news really about? What are the implications of these findings to the community of people interested in diabetes and to Joslin?

Is There A New Subtype of Type 1 Diabetes?
[November] — Type 1 diabetes is believed to be autoimmune in nature. Scientists and clinicians have long noted that some patients who develop type 1 diabetes seem to develop the disease very rapidly, suggesting that a different process might be involved in some instances. In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a team of Japanese scientists describe a novel subtype of type 1 diabetes in a population of 56 Japanese patients which develops rapidly and has no diabetes-related antibodies present at the time of diagnosis.

What Changes in the Immune System Trigger Type 1 Diabetes?
[November] — What triggers the immune system to attack its own insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, throwing off track the body’s system for controlling blood sugar levels and obtaining energy from food? Why does type 1 diabetes often develop in young children, while in others it may take decades to appear? These are some of the questions being explored by Christophe O. Benoist, M.D., Ph.D., and Diane J. Mathis, Ph.D., who head the Section on Immunology and Immunogenetics at Joslin in Boston.

Joslin-Beth Israel Deaconess Foot Center Keeps Patients on their Feet
[November] — Sixty thousand amputations are performed on people with diabetes in the U.S. each year, due to circulatory problems, infections and neuropathy caused by the disease. But thanks in part to the staff at the Joslin-Beth Israel Deaconess Foot Center, this number is decreasing. The center handles 13,000 patient visits annually, providing one-stop access to vascular surgeons, podiatrists, diabetologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists and infectious disease specialists who use the latest research and treatment options to keep patients on their feet.

"What to Know — Head to Toe" — Diabetes Month Tips from the American Diabetes Association
[November] — The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is conducting an awareness campaign entitled, "What to Know–Head to Toe." Call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) for a packet of information that includes a free monofilament to help you check your feet for loss of feeling.

During November's Diabetes Awareness Month Joslin Diabetes Center Calls on All Americans to Observe "Get Movin' Mondays" and "Lower Your Fat Fridays"
[November - Boston, MA] — Summer is over, the days are shorter, it gets dark earlier, and we all just feel the need to eat more comfort (i.e. fatty) foods and sit in front of the TV for the next six dark months. According to the staff at Joslin, this is the quickest way to develop adult onset or type 2 diabetes. And if you have diabetes already, a sedentary wintertime lifestyle can make blood sugars hard to control.

Longtime Joslin Patient Wins Gold in Sydney
[October 2000] Longtime Joslin patient Pam Fernandes of Needham, MA has won a gold medal and set a world record at the Paralympics Games in Sydney, Australia. In the finals of the Mixed Tandem 1km Time Trial, Fernandes and cycling teammate Al Whaley of Houston TX, won gold in a world record time of 1:08.997.

Helping Kids With Diabetes Enjoy Halloween
[October] Many people think that children with diabetes don't enjoy Halloween because they cannot have any candy or treats. The truth is that children with diabetes can actively participate and enjoy Halloween — and any holiday — by planning ahead so that they can fit some treats into their diabetes management plans, and find other ways of celebrating the holiday as well.

Diabetes is Growing and People are Developing the Disease Earlier
[October] Over the past few weeks, there has been extensive media coverage about the rising prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. Diabetes has been the cover story of Newsweek magazine, and the focus of multiple newspaper articles, and national as well as local news broadcasts. What is this news really about? What are its implications? Joslin president C. Ronald Kahn M.D. offers his perspective.

Researchers find common link between diabetes, obesity and infertility
[September] Research published in this week's issue of the journal Nature shows that insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), a protein inside of cells that is essential for normal response to insulin, might also promote fertility and fight against obesity. The study shows that female mice lacking the IRS-2 gene rarely become pregnant, consume more food, and become fat.

Scientists link role of insulin receptors in brain to type 2 diabetes, appetite control, obesity and infertility
[September] A new study led by scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center and a German university links the insulin signaling system in the brain not only to the onset of type 2 (adult onset) diabetes, but also to appetite control, obesity and even infertility. Using genetically-altered laboratory mice, the researchers found that the mice in which insulin action was blocked gained weight at a considerably higher rate than their counterparts, developed resistance to insulin action in other tissues of the body, and exhibited a 50 percent decrease in fertility.

New Theories of Type 2 Diabetes Emerging
[August 2000] New research published in the July 26 issue of Molecular Cell suggests that insulin action in the liver is both important in the development of type 2 diabetes and normal liver growth and function. This research, coupled with other studies that have come out in the past several years, is resulting in an evolving, more complex picture of what may cause type 2 diabetes in humans and the importance of insulin for normal tissue function.

Joslin Part of Ten Site, Worldwide Clinical Trial of Islet Transplants Using Edmonton Protocol
[July] The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Center for Islet Cell Transplantation at Harvard Medical School — of which Joslin Diabetes Center is a key member — has been named one of ten sites in the world which will participate in a multi-center study of the Edmonton Protocol for islet transplantation that will begin this Fall.

New Source of Insulin-Producing Cells Developed
[July] Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston have discovered a way in the laboratory to encourage cells that do not normally produce insulin to evolve into insulin-producing cells, thereby creating a potential new source of insulin-producing cells for people with diabetes.

New Islet Transplant Research Report Generates Enthusiasm
[June] A new islet cell transplantation technique, developed by Dr. James Shapiro and colleagues at the University of Alberta, has garnered international headlines in recent days after it was announced that all 8 patients they treated remain free from the need for daily insulin injections for up to 14 months following treatment.

More Proof that Small Daily Insulin Injections Can Delay or Prevent Type 1 Diabetes
[June] New research shows that small daily doses of injected insulin given to individuals likely to develop type 1 diabetes may prevent the disease for as long as eight years, according to researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

Study Shows Fiber's Great Benefits in Type 2 Diabetes
[May] — An article in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine suggests that people with type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes can lower their blood sugars significantly by increasing the amount of fiber in their diet beyond the levels currently recommended by the American Diabetes Association. But the question remains: how can clinicians get patients to eat more fiber?

Diabetes Cost Reduction Signed Into Law
[May] The Diabetes Cost Reduction Act, which is legislation to mandate insurance coverage for preventative care for people with diabetes, has now been signed into law by Governor Paul Cellucci.

Patients with Diabetes Who Have Heart Attacks Fare Better If They Have Had Bypass Surgery
[April] — A study in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine suggests that patients with diabetes who suffer a heart attack are more likely to survive the heart attack if earlier heart disease has been treated using cardiac bypass surgery rather than angioplasty.

Do You Have Diabetes and Not Know It?
[March] — Nearly three years after guidelines for diabetes diagnosis were changed by the American Diabetes Association, many people who may have diabetes — and the physicians who treat them — remain unclear as to how diabetes should be diagnosed.

Study Shows Beta-Blockers Can Increase Patients’ Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
[March] — A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the use of beta-blockers, a commonly prescribed medication for high blood pressure (hypertension), can increase patients’ risk of type 2 diabetes.

Rezulin Withdrawn from the Market
[March 22] — Warner Lambert has agreed to withdraw the type 2 drug Rezulin from the market at the request of the federal Food and Drug Administration. Patients using Rezulin are urged to contact their physicians to discuss stopping the drug immediately and to obtain information about switching to alternative treatments.

Joslin Director C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. Gives Testimony on Need for Increased Diabetes Research Funding
[October] — Joslin Diabetes Center Director C. Ronald Kahn M.D. presented testimony before a Senate Subcommittee on the need for greatly increased funding for diabetes research. His testimony calls for five-year step up in the research budget for diabetes from the current level of $443 million to $827 million in the year 2000, rising to $1.6 billion by the year 2004. Dr. Kahn was the chairman of a Congressionally established committee to review and make recommendations on how federal dollars for diabetes research can be spent most effectively to help reverse the diabetes epidemic. His testimony reflects the recommendations of the Congressionally established Diabetes Research Working Group which he chaired.

Walking Just As Good As Other Exercise in Preventing Diabetes
[October] — A study of more than 70,000 middle aged women by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health shows that both moderately intense activities such as walking and vigorous activities such as running can substantially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers, publishing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that the amount of energy expended is more important than the type of exercise.

Researchers Seek Volunteers for Study on Genetic Link to Diabetic Kidney Complications
[September] — Do you have type 1 (juvenile-onset) diabetes and kidney disease? Do you also have a brother or sister with type 1 diabetes who does not have kidney problems? If so, you may be able to help scientists at Joslin in Boston discover genetic factors that make some people with diabetes more susceptible to kidney disease.

Medicare to Cover Insulin Pumps for Some
[September] — The agency overseeing Medicare announced in September that it will cover the costs for insulin infusion pumps for those recipients who have type 1 diabetes.

Heart Association Ranks Diabetes with High Blood Pressure and Smoking as Heart Disease Risk
[September] — Recognizing that the increase in diabetes nationwide as the population ages may lead to a sizable increase in heart disease, the American Heart Association for the first time has called diabetes a major modifiable risk factor for heart disease. Health officials hope the listing of diabetes will focus attention of patients and physicians on preventing or aggressively treating diabetes and its complications.

Investigational Diabetes Drug Lowers Mealtime Glucose Spikes, Improves Glycemic Control, Researchers Report
[September] — Clinical data presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting have shown the benefits of nateglinide, an investigational drug for the treatment of type 2 (adult onset) diabetes, in controlling mealtime glucose spikes and reducing glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

Joslin Study Shows Vitamin E Helps Reduce Artery Damage in Diabetic Eye and Kidney Disease
[August 1999] — A clinical study by researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston shows high dose vitamin E supplements to be effective in improving blood flow in the retina of the eye and the kidneys in patients with type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes. If further studies confirm these findings, published in the August issue of Diabetes Care, this research may ultimately prove beneficial to the estimated 16 million people in the U.S. and millions more worldwide who have diabetes.

Should Patients with Diabetes Drink Alcohol to Lower Heart Disease Risk?
[July] — A research article in the July 21 Issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that light to moderate alcohol consumption by people with type 2 diabetes is associated with a reduced risk of death due to coronary heart disease. While this study doesn't give people with diabetes a license to drink freely, clinicians at Joslin Diabetes Center suggest that the study re-affirms and expands on most health care providers' view that patients with diabetes can consume small to moderate amounts of alcohol without risk to their health. In fact, the study results now suggest that in some cases, there may be some benefit to moderate alcohol consumption.

Progress Reported on Non-invasive Glucose Monitoring Systems
[June] — The government has approved MiniMed Inc.'s "continuous glucose monitoring system" for doctors to use occasionally to help adjust patients' treatment — but the product will not replace finger prick blood tests that patients perform regularly to monitor their blood sugars. Positive results for clinical trials studying another non-invasive product, the GlucoWatch, were reported this summer at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Diego. This product still must go through the government approval process, however.

Eggs Still Aren't What They're Cracked Up to Be If You Have Diabetes
[April] — Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that if you don't have diabetes, having an egg or two a day may not be as harmful to your health as once thought. Unfortunately, if you have diabetes, eggs are still something you need to limit in your diet if you want to lower your risk of heart disease, the research shows.

Diabetes Mortality Rapidly on the Rise: Leading Experts Recommend $827 Million for Diabetes Research
[March] — Since 1980 the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 30 percent, while it has fallen for other common diseases such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. Following over a year of research and deliberations, a Congressionally-established working group of diabetes experts examining the state of diabetes has called for a $385 million increase in federal research funding for diabetes research in an effort to curb this and other disturbing diabetes-related trends. The working group is headed by Joslin's C. Ronald Kahn, M.D.

Scientists One Step Closer to Understanding the Cause of Type 2 Diabetes
[February, 3 1999] — A new study led by scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center sheds light on the role of insulin receptors in insulin production and provides new insights and a novel hypothesis for a unified cause of type 2 (adult onset) diabetes.

Hormone Linked with Obesity
[December 15] —Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston have identified a hormone in mice which, when absent, causes animals to eat less, burn more energy and weigh less compared to animals with the hormone.

FDA Approves Laser Product to Use in Place of Lancets for Diabetes Testing
[December 8] — The Federal Food and Drug Administration this week approved for home use a battery-operated laser device that can be used in place of lancets to obtain a blood sample for doing home blood sugar monitoring.

Work on Oral and Inhaled Insulin Progresses
[November] — Announcements from companies in the US and Canada indicate that progress is being made to develop oral or inhaled insulins as alternatives to injected insulins for people with diabetes. Clinical trials still must be completed and analyzed before the FDA can review these products, however.

Improved Glucose Control Improves Work Productivity and Emotional Well Being, Study Shows
[November] — A study published in the November 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that patients with type 2 diabetes who decreased their blood sugar levels through a combination of diet and medication enjoyed immediate benefits in terms of an improved quality of life and increased employment productivity.

Early Results of Clinical Trial Data in Diabetic Eye Study Are Promising, Joslin Researchers Report
[October] — A compound being evaluated as a possible oral treatment for diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in adults with diabetes, was found to be safe under study conditions and to normalize some characteristics in the eyes of people with diabetes that are associated with eye complications, according to researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center.

Being Overweight May Be More in the Genes Than Previously Thought
[October] — Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston have found one more clue that obesity may be a genetically-determined disorder. Their study, published in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, has identified a new human gene mutation associated with obesity.

UK Study Shows Tight Control Benefits Type 2 Patients
[September] — A new study called the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study has demonstrated conclusively that closely managing patients with type 2 diabetes to keep their blood sugars as near to normal as possible will decrease their risk of complications such as eye and kidney disease by as much as 25 percent.

Flu Shots Can Be Life Preserver for People with Diabetes
[August] — People with diabetes are more likely to die with the flu than those without diabetes, yet more than half of those with diabetes do not get a flu shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Makers of Rezulin Issue Additional Use Guidelines
[July] — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that patients taking the type 2 diabetes drug Rezulin (troglitazone) should be monitored even more frequently for signs of injury to the liver. This announcement came amid calls from a consumer group to remove the drug from the market.

LifeScan Recalls Some SureStep Meters
[July] — The Food and Drug Administration and LifeScan is asking all patients who use SureStep Consumer Meters made before August, 1997 to call for important information about how to get a free replacement meter. The meters being recalled may give an "ER1" (Error 1) message if a patient's blood sugar is very high and a patient's failure to recognize a seriously high blood sugar level could cause serious health consequences.

Medicare Begins Covering Glucose Test Supplies
[July] — Beginning July 1, Medicare began covering blood glucose test strips, lancets and meters — whether you use insulin to control your diabetes or not.

What's Up With Islet Transplants?
[Jan. 30] — News reports periodically offer the promise that islet transplantation will one day make it possible for people with diabetes to stop taking insulin injections all together. What's up on this frontier?

Additional Reports of Liver Damage and Rezulin Lead to Further Revisions in Use Guidelines
[Dec. 4] — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced that patients taking the diabetes drug Rezulin (troglitazone) should be monitored even more frequently for signs of injury to the liver.

Reports of Liver Damage and Rezulin Lead to Revised Use Guidelines
[Nov. 24 — Recent reports of severe liver damage in two individuals taking the new type 2 diabetes medication troglitazone (Rezulin) mean that physicians will need to test liver functions of patients on the drug at regular intervals.

Study Suggests Chromium Helps Control Diabetes
[Nov. 24] — The November issue of the journal Diabetes reports that large doses of the trace element chromium may help patients with type 2 diabetes significantly lower their blood sugar and cholesterol levels.