Unhealthy glucose levels in diabetics can severely inhibit defenses against bacterial and fungal infections, new research shows.
The study carried out at the UK’s University of Warwick finds that the raised glucose can create a sugar coating that serves to impair the body’s attempts to fight off such infections, according to a summary at dLife.com.
Specialized receptors that recognize molecules associated with bacteria (more…)
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a device that monitors glucose using light pulses rather than finger pricks.
Under development for 15 years, the laptop-sized device relies on Raman spectroscopy, a technology capable of analyzing chemical compounds on the basis of their molecular vibration, according to a report in CNET News. Near-infrared light is flashed into the skin, penetrating about a half (more…)
People with type 1 diabetes must keep a careful eye on their blood glucose levels: Too much sugar can damage organs, while too little deprives the body of necessary fuel. Most patients must prick their fingers several times a day to draw blood for testing.
To minimize that pain and inconvenience, researchers at MIT’s Spectroscopy Laboratory are working on a noninvasive way to measure blood glucose levels using light. (more…)
Researchers in the UK have developed an implantable sensor that measures blood glucose levels continuously and transmits the information wirelessly. The sensor, however, has so far only been tested in pigs.
The small, round device is being touted as having the potential to overhaul the way people with diabetes control their condition. The sealed unit has a pair of sensors and the researchers claim it could be implanted (more…)
Aggressive control of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in patients with diabetes and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is not associated with lower mortality, according to research published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston suggested that clinicians avoid aggressive glucose management and instead focus on the recommended HbA1c level of under 7 percent (more…)