However, VCP is known to be life threatening with cases of choking also being identified. VCP also has various other symptoms such as hoarseness, vocal fatigue; mild to very severe lowering of vocal volume, shortness of breath, pain present in the throat when speaking, food or liquids travelling down the trachea (also known as aspiration), and resultant coughing that is recurrent.

Dr. Manal Ahmed Bukhari, who is a Phonosurgeon Consultant at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, stated how while there are many causes of VCP such as the vocal cord nerve being compressed from intubation, neck trauma, tumors or even surgical injury to the vocal cord, the link between diabetes and VCP have become a really significant concern. Dr. Bukhari further stated that Saudi Arabia has 26% of the population affected by diabetes while diabetic neuropathy (DNP) affects 50% of those diabetic patients. He added, “DNP may affect the cranial nerves, the vagus or even the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which can lead to unilateral or bilateral vocal cord paralysis.”

In order to stave off VCP, the main focus should be the proper management of diabetes through a healthy diet and a proper exercise regime. Doctors suggest a diet that consists of mainly fruits, vegetables and legumes along with the absence of processed foods and sugar is ideal for diabetics.

While it has also been widely accepted that an exercise regime that is cardiovascular in nature should be considered and practiced consistently, Dr. Bukhari also believes that examinations such as the pre-operative endoscopic examination may detect any paralysis or paresis.

The identification of this regulating gene could help drugs target the gene specifically when treating such illnesses. According to Tim Spector of King’s College London, the chief author of the study, this new research can be considered as a major study and the first of its kind, which shows how minute changes in one master gene can lead to metabolic effects in various other genes.

A gene known as KLF14, that is linked to Type 2 diabetes and cholesterol, has already been identified by scientists. However, it is only now that they have found out the exact role it plays. Spector and his team analyzed over 20,000 gene samples from fat, taken from 800 female twins. A link between KLF14 and other genes in fat tissue have been identified highlighting the fact that KLF14 plays the role of a “master switch” in controlling these genes. These findings were compared against 600 fat samples from volunteers in Iceland.

In a report, the researchers stated that KLF14 is linked to metabolic traits such as cholesterol, obesity, body mass index, glucose levels, and insulin. Mark McCarthy from Britain’s Oxford University, who was also one of the researchers on the study, stated that KLF14 acts as a controller when it comes to “processes that connect changes in the behavior of subcutaneous fat to disturbances in muscle and liver that contribute to diabetes and other conditions”.

As McCarthy went onto say, the main focus now should be how this research can help improve the treatment of such metabolism-related conditions.

Dr. Elisabetta Poluzzi of the University of Bologna in Italy, the study’s author, believes that when compared to other diabetic drugs, Actos poses a “disproportionate risk”. Since it is not known for sure whether bladder cancer is caused by Actos per se, Poluzzi suggests that more research needs to be done to ascertain whether this is the case for sure.

However, the FDA conducted a safety review of Actos subsequent to getting results from a long-term study by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd., the drug’s manufacturer. This study highlighted the risk of bladder cancer was high in patients who used Actos for a long period. GlaxoSmithKline’s Avandia is in the same class as Actos; the former has been linked to heart disease risk. Despite the results, the FDA recommends that Actos should only be avoided at the instruction of a doctor.

While it is not clear as to how Actos may increase the risk of bladder cancer, the way the drug operates may hold the key to an explanation. Actos functions by activating specific receptors on cells; this process may encourage some cells to become cancerous.

According to the National Cancer Institute, bladder cancer is the 6^th most common type of cancer in America. In 2010 alone, there were 70,000 new cases that were diagnosed, while there were in excess of 15,000 deaths. Poluzzi and her fellow researchers state, “Until the final data of the FDA investigation are available, physicians should pay careful attention to this possible risk.”

The diets included reductions in fat or carbs for a total of 8 weeks. Barbara Gower, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at UAB and lead author of the study stated that “At eight weeks, the group on the lower fat diet had significantly higher insulin secretion and better glucose tolerance and tended to have higher insulin sensitivity.”

What is unique about this study is that weight loss was not taken into account. Rather the focus was on diet quality and not diet quantity. The participants involved in the study were fed the same amount of food necessary to retain their body weight.

The researchers considered small fluctuations in body weight during the analyses. The results indicated that reducing the daily consumption of fat to approximately 27% could help minimize their risk of diabetes over the long term. These findings were more relevant when it came to African-Americans.

African Americans who were on the diet that was low in fat indicated a large difference in insulin secretion when compared to those who were on low carbs. The participants in the study were on a low-fat diet that consisted of 27% fat and 55% carbs whereas; the participants on the low-carb diets were on 39% fat and 43% carbs. The results of this study are certainly significant, as per Gower, since there are certain groups who are at a higher risk of developing diabetes such as Native Americans, African-Americans, Latinos and the elderly.

The main focus is to provide a “mobile mini corn mill” to rural areas in the interior of the country. As Salazar states, “…there is a big demand for it because many Filipinos are now diabetics. And this is the perfect food for diabetics.”

The mobile corn mill costs a mere P100,000, which is much lower in price when compared to the high-capacity mills that are present in the market. While white corn will be promoted aggressively for daily nutrition and also livelihood in the rural uplands, this variety of corn will prove to be a health benefit amongst the residents in Metro Manila and even the other urban areas, which is known to have an alarming incidence of diabetes.

What is alarming is that while diabetes is on the rise so, too, is hypertension. According to a recent National Nutrition and Health Survey, 7.7 million Filipinos or 17.2 percent of the adult population suffer from hypertension. There is on 12 percent who are controlled as per the Philippine Heart Association. What this means is that there are approximately 6.8 million people who are in danger of developing fatal complications.

Since both diabetes and hypertension are inextricably linked, Health Secretary Enrique Ona reiterates that a healthy lifestyle should be considered, which takes into account physical activity and a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables along with foods that are low in the glycemic index, like white corn.

According to the latest Spanish study on diabetes, which was published in the scientific journal ‘Diabetes Care’ indicated that a Mediterranean style diet that includes olive oil helps to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The risk of reducing diabetes is almost 50 percent when compared to a diet that is low in fat. At present, Type 2 diabetes is widely regarded as the most prevalent and the most preventable type of diabetes.

The Spanish study consisted of 418 candidates who were not afflicted by diabetes. Each candidate was arbitrarily given a Mediterranean diet with 1 liter of olive oil per week, a low fat diet or a Mediterranean diet with 30 grams of nuts per day.

It was only after 4 years that 17.9 percent of the candidates on the low fat diet developed diabetes; a mere 10 percent of the candidates following the Mediterranean diet with olive oil developed diabetes. Additionally, the two groups that were on the Mediterranean diet when compared with the low fat group illustrated that the incidence of diabetes reduced by 52 percent.

The results of this study were independent of body weight changes and physical activity while the diets were also devoid of calorie restriction. Scores of previous studies that have been conducted, have shown that the Mediterranean diet that is rich in olive oil has been a firm favorite of many doctors. The various components of the Mediterranean diet, chiefly olive oil, prevent Type 2 diabetes by improving insulin levels, blood lipid levels, and also blood sugar levels.

Women who had a BMI ?25 and a blood sugar level of 100 to 140 mg/dL boosted the risk of gestational diabetes by almost five times when compared with women who did not have abnormal measurements for both criteria. Monique M. Hedderson, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland, and co-authors stated in their findings that “In a multivariate model, pregravid hyperglycemia was a stronger predictor of subsequent gestational diabetes than overweight/obesity.”

It has been suggest that while the levels of glucose can certainly be considered a risk factor; obesity levels are certainly a factor that has more risk when it comes to developing gestational diabetes. This has been shown through the aforementioned case-control study.

Only 9% of those suffering from gestational diabetes suffered from pregravid mild hyperglycemia and there were 44% who were afflicted by obesity, while there were 4% who suffered from both conditions. When it comes to the risk factors, there are many for gestational diabetes, such as obesity, older maternal age, nonwhite race/ethnicity, family history of diabetes, and giving birth to a previous macrosomic infant.

Researchers examined the records of 199 women who had gestational diabetes and 381 age-matched women who did not. The study was conducted on women during the period between 1984 and 1996. Out of the 22,356 women who took part in the health maintenance program, 4,084 of them delivered babies during 2004. The candidates were of a mean age of 28 at the checkup, whereas they were 35 at delivery. African Americans accounted for 34%, Whites for 20% of the gestational diabetes cases. Asians on the other hand accounted for 30.2%, and Hispanics for 11.6%. The ethnic breakdown in the control group was 40% white, 36% African American, 12% Asian, and 10% Hispanic.

Pramlintide has been approved as an associated treatment in diabetics who use insulin therapy and could not achieve the right glucose levels despite using insulin therapy that is optimal.

Aaron Kowalski PhD, Assistant Vice President of Treatment Therapies, JDRF stated that “Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that requires blood sugar testing and insulin administration multiple times a day in order to keep blood glucose levels in check.” The analysis of this combination therapy has been called “exciting”, simply because if it is found to be successful, then it may potentially assist patients in achieving stricter glucose control minus the increase in treatment complexity.

According to Matthew Riddle PhD, professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Clinical Nutrition, Oregon Health & Science University, those who are afflicted with Type 1 diabetes are not capable of producing amylin or insulin. The prospect of insulin replacement and even basal/bolus therapy would mean that the management of blood glucose levels can be challenging. Pramlintide can, however, stabilize blood sugar levels so that these levels are within the normal range.

At present, those who utilize Pramlintide must administer their insulin therapy separately, via an insulin pump or injections. A therapy that is co-formulated is used to harness the advantages of both hormones. It may better emulate the pancreas’ physiology and simplify those decisions that deal with dosing. Finally, according to Riddle, this may decrease the issues associated with daily treatment for diabetics who’re finding it difficult to manage diabetes, and improve their chances of achieving their treatment goals.

The HealthPartners Diabetes Wizard, which builds on strong results that helped patients achieve control of their diabetes, will modify and personalize a treatment plan for every single patient based on medical evidence, including medications that are recommended for better blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

According to Beth Averbeck, MD, Associate Medical Director for primary care of HealthPartners Medical Group, an estimated one-third of Medicare costs come from diabetes or diabetes-related complications, including heart disease and stroke, so there’s no question that new tools are needed to better manage the disease.

The Wizard is a tool that takes into consideration more details from patients compared to what was previously presented in terms of tracking the medical records of the diabetics. These included information on kidney function, patient age, smoking status, current medications, and history of congestive heart failure. Additionally, the Wizard can also indicate if there have been gaps in care, such as the requirement for a screening test for kidney disease.

The Diabetes Wizard was primarily developed by the HealthPartners Research Foundation in conjunction with the HealthPartners Medical Group. This tool was researched from October 2006 to May 2007 where 2,500 patients with Type 2 diabetes, 40 primary care physicians, and 11 clinics were part of the study.

For the research study, Hertz-Picciotto along with her colleagues assessed 1,001 children. Out of this number, there were 508 who were afflicted with autism or ASD. There were 178 that indicated developmental delays, while 315 were developing children. All of these children were part of the current CHARGE study (CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment). Researchers sought data on Type 2 diabetes and obesity before any pregnancy. Another marker to be considered was high blood pressure, which was sought by conducting interviews with the mothers and also scouring through medical records.

After certain factors were adjusted, such as  mother’s education, the study’s researchers proved that mothers of autistic children were 60% likelier to possess one of the three conditions.

It was the mothers of those children whose development were delayed, who were 150% likelier to suffer from obesity before pregnancy, develop diabetes, or possess high blood pressure.

Hertz-Picciotto believes that this is evidence to the fact that there is a metabolic disruption and an inflammatory pathway connecting the conditions. This link was explored due to recent statistics highlighting an increase in obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes along with a rise in autism on a parallel level.