Type 2 Diabetes - Inflammation and Complications of Gestational Diabetes

When diabetes develops in a previously healthy woman during pregnancy it is termed gestational diabetes. It is similar to Type 2 diabetes and women who suffer gestational diabetes have a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. Researchers in the Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Puerta del Mar, in Cadiz, Spain, looked at women with a history of gestational diabetes to ascertain their levels of inflammation and risk of the metabolic syndrome and heart and blood vessel disease.

Their study, published in the medical journal Cytokine in November 2011 included:

63 women with gestational diabetes, and63 healthy pregnant women.

Women with gestational diabetes had:

a higher body mass index (BMI) before their pregnancy,higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha),higher leptin levels, andlower adiponectin levels than the healthy women.

The body mass index is a measure of height and weight and is closely related to the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. One particular study, published in 2006, associated obesity with a 16 times higher risk of Type 2 diabetes compared with normal weight individuals, and a high waist size was associated with a 20 times higher risk than that of a normal sized waist.

Heart and blood vessel disease, an important complication of Type 2 diabetes, is associated with being overweight and obesity. TNF-alpha is a protein made by the body's white blood cells to fight infections and cancer. When it is made in overly large quantities for too long it can be associated with inflammation. Diabetes is an inflammatory condition and has been associated with TNF-alpha. Several heart and blood vessel diseases are also associated with elevated levels of TNF-alpha. A study published in the Chinese Medical Journal in July of this year showed a possible link betwen TNF-alpha levels and irregular heartbeats. (Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease also associated with high TNF-alpha levels, and sometimes associated with diabetes).

Leptin is a hormone involved in fat metabolism. It is produced by fat cells and could be a signal to the brain that fat is present. Some studies suggest it has to do with pancreatic beta cells and their production of insulin. More study is needed before its complete role in the body is fully understood.

Adiponectin is a hormone that plays a role in the breakdown of fat and the regulation of blood sugar. Low levels are associated with a high risk of Type 2 diabetes. Low levels have also been found in the presence of heart and blood vessel disease.

Researchers concluded having a higher body mass index before pregnancy could be linked to the future development of Type 2 diabetes and heart and blood vessel disease. Women considering pregnancy should normalize their weight before conception for their future health and that of their children.

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Type 2 Diabetes - Blood Sugar, Inflammation and Blood Vessel Disease

Preventing heart and blood vessel disease is a major concern in anyone diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease of inflammation and is associated with inflamed and clogged blood vessels, a condition called atherosclerosis. According to the National Institute of Health, interleukin-6 (IL-6), is involved in a number of immune functions, including inflammation. Inflammation can be useful in response to infections, but chronic inflammation can be a detriment.

According to recent studies, IL-6 is associated with atherosclerosis and with poorly controlled diabetes. A study published in the Polish Journal of Cardiology in 2011, looked at the relationship between narrowed arteries and inflammatory molecules, including IL-6. Two hundred and seventy-nine participants with narrowed arteries were included in the study. In two years, high levels of IL-6 were associated with the worsening of atherosclerosis.

Researchers in the Hospital of the Virgin of Victoria in Malaga, Spain, looked at inflammation in white blood cells of volunteers with atherosclerosis and compared the levels of inflammatory molecules with blood sugar levels. Their results were published in the medical journal Acta Diabetolgia in December 2011.

The twenty-two diabetics with atherosclerosis were compared with eight non-diabetic controls.

blood cells from the diabetics were found to have more IL-6 than those from the non-diabetic volunteers. Diabetic participants with hemoglobin A1c levels of 6.5 or less had less IL-6 than those with hemoglobin A1c levels of over 6.5.when sugar was added to blood cells that had been removed from the participants, the cells were found to increase their levels of IL-6. When insulin was added, the level of IL-6 decreased.

From this the researchers concluded controlling blood sugar levels could prevent too much IL-6 from being produced.

Hemoglobin A1c is a measure of blood sugar control for approximately the previous three months. A normal level is from 4 to 6 percent. The usual goal for diabetics is a level below 7. It is a good idea to have the test performed every 3 months when it is abnormal, and many diabetics will have it performed twice a year when the results are normal. Patients who are taking supplements of vitamins C or E should mention this to their doctor, since the supplements can affect test results.

Blood sugar control is a matter of taking in the same amount of sugar and carbohydrates:

as are being burned off through activity,of keeping muscles sensitive to insulin, andkeeping up a medication regimen if needed.

Eating foods high in fiber can help to keep sugar from being absorbed too rapidly, so blood levels do not go abnormally high suddenly. Physical activity will keep the muscles sensitive to insulin, so that they will be able to take in sugar and use it for energy.

It is in your interest to discuss with your doctor or dietitian a plan for:

eating the right food types in the right amounts,taking part in the right kind and amount of physical activity, andtaking the right dose of medication at the right times.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments