Latest diabetes news round up

By | 23 March, 2016
The news, rounded up, yesterday

The news, rounded up, yesterday

Woof! Here’s the latest round up of diabetes-related misinformation, guff and puffery from the broadsheets, tabloids and worst recesses of the Internet.

Firstly, the Daily Mail leads with a typically scaremongering (and extremely long) headline – 1 in 3 adults are on the brink of diabetes but 90% of them don’t know they’re at risk – are YOU one of them? Given the readership of this blog, I guess we can all safely say that, yes, we are indeed one of them. Oh well.

The article talks about “pre-diabetes” and is relatively accurate (if you consider that “pre-diabetes” exists, I recall someone saying that diabetes is like being pregnant; you can’t really be pre-pregnant. You’ve either got diabetes or you haven’t).

As always, with the Daily Fail, the comments are the best bit. The lowest rated comment comes from “dkcool” who, presumable through clouds of sweetly acrid smoke, comments “Using cannabis reduces your chances of getting diabetes another good reason to toke”. Given my experience of cannabis amounts to a few puffs on a joint in Amsterdam many years ago, anyone with better experience of soft drugs is welcome to comment on its relationship to diabetes below.

Next, the Metro reports Dog saves life of sleeping boy with diabetes. Apparently, a diabetic alert dog incongruously called “Jedi” did his job and woke up his owner when his blood glucose plummeted. So that’s nice. Jedi’s a black Lab and not half as cute as Lola the Labradoodle, which belongs to soarway Shoot Up reader Lizz.

Finally, Norfolk’s Eastern Daily Press tells us about a Diabetes patient made death threats to Norwich hospital staff. Apparently,  Norwich Magistrates Court heard that Kevin Cushion – who had been previously flagged as a “problem patient” by hospital staff – made death threats against his diabetes team when he ran out of insulin. Cushion was given a 12 month restraining order and 12 week suspended prison sentence.

I know we get annoyed with the NHS from time to time, but death threats?! What an enormous bell-end who got exactly what he deserved! Woof!

2 thoughts on “Latest diabetes news round up

  1. Brian

    The increase in people at risk is partially down to lowering the criteria for a diagnosis of diabetes. T1 is easy to diagnose – no insulin or very little and dramatic symptoms; T2 is more difficult they have and need a numbers criteria, but who says the criteria is correct? Then they lower the criteria and lo and behold more people fall within the net – who would have thought it !!!

    It’s the same with heart risk- the criteria was 20% risk of a heart attack in the next 10 years and then some bright sparks decides to reduce it to 10% – again more people ‘need’ lifelong statins – who would have thought it !!! What is interesting here is that 6 of the 12 ‘experts’ on the committee had a funding relationship with pharmco.

    There is now research that shows that the criteria for blood pressure should be reduced from 140 to 120 mmHg before life long treatment to reduce should commence. A decision to reduce the guidelines awaits.

    Personally, getting a little peed off with lowering the criteria leading to over medication and then complaining that NHS hasn’t got any money – and don’t get me started on screening – google Margaret McCartney instead.

    If I was a cynic I could think we are being taken for a ride by the medical/pharmco industry for their own advantage.

    Brian

    Reply
    1. Tim

      I agree Brian – I read Margaret McCartney’s book a wee while ago and haven’t thought about the health service and the concept of screening, especially, in the same way since.

      If anyone else is interested, her book is called “The Patient Paradox: Why Sexed Up Medicine is Bad for Your Health” and you can get it for free from your local library!

      Reply

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