Glucose molecules 'seal' diabetes memory

[kebaldwin]

Glucose molecules 'seal' diabetes memory

United Press International

06-29-07

COVENTRY, England, Jun 28, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) -- British medical scientists have discovered how the body's metabolism is "locked" into a diabetic state after only limited high glucose exposure.

University of Warwick Medical School researchers said they were aware there seems to be a point of no return in the onset of diabetes and scientists have speculated exposure to high glucose levels quickly creates a metabolic memory in which diabetes persists long after the glucose levels are corrected.

The Warwick team, led by Dr. Antonio Ceriello, has proven the damage occurs during a process called glycation, when high glucose molecules bind with proteins in the mitochondria of cells -- the parts of cells governing the production and regulation of energy. The damage persists, even if glucose levels later fall to normal.

The researchers said their finding confirms the need for very early tight control of glucose levels to avoid diabetic complication.

Papers concerning the study appear in the current issue of the journal Diabetologia and are soon to be published in the journal Diabetes Care.

URL: www.upi.com

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=5544&Section=DISEASE

[renegadiab]

The researchers said their finding confirms the need for very early tight control of glucose levels to avoid diabetic complication.


One interesting thing about many of these summaries is that they don't say what "tight control" is in terms of blood glucose levels and A1C. Could it be that they discovered it requires tighter control than the American Diabetes Association specifies???? We just can't embarrass the ADA now can we. :lol:

[kebaldwin]

The reason I find this article interesting is because of the debate amongst low carbers of - can LCing cure diabetes?

IMHO it is the best cure that we have - but does it really cure diabetes - or just suppress the problems the best?

[ceberezin]

but does it really cure diabetes - or just suppress the problems the best? The question is whether diabetes type 2 is a disease or a bunch of problems caused by insulin reistance. One is labelled diabetic when insulin resistance reaches a certain level. The fiction is that people are not diabetic until they have reached that level. Being pre-diabetic is the normal state of our species after having shifted to a carbohydrate-based diet 10,000 years ago. LCing can and does bring insulin levels down to where the diabetes sufferer no longer needs medication to control blood glucose levels.

The interesting thing about these researchers is that they see the problem as controlling blood glucose levels. Injecting insulin is merely a way of controlling blood glucose levels. As long as they see glucose levels as the problem, they will miss the point.

[LC FP]

One of the claims for Byetta is that it can stimulate the growth of pancreatic beta cells. I doubt that happens to a significant degree. The Islets where beta cells occur get infiltrated by an amyloid-like protein as diabetes progresses and probably suffer permanent damage. Since diabetics seem to relapse quickly if they come off their LC diets I doubt that LC can reverse this process, but it sure would be interesting to see a study!

[LC FP]

Being pre-diabetic is the normal state of our species
It's disheartening to be surrounded by diabetics and prediabetics all day long, advising them about their peril, and seeing no real response or sense of urgency. I guess they're all worried about bird flu.