A study by doctors at McMaster University in Hamilton evaluated 172 obese children using two tests: the fasting blood glucose and the more intensive glucose stress test, a two-hour procedure that involves two separate analyses: one after fasting, and another after consuming a sugary drink. The longer test found that 25 per cent of the children met the criteria for prediabetes, while the shorter test diagnosed only eight per cent of the kids.
Prediabetes usually causes no obvious symptoms, but early detection is needed to make lifestyle changes – a better diet, regular exercise and moderate weight loss – that can help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
Members of Team Diabetes Canada want to do more than just raise money for diabetes research. They hope to also inspire active lifestyles by strapping on sneakers and running or walking five- and 10-kilometre races, and half and full marathons across Canada and around the world. Money raised through pledges for these initiatives supports education, advocacy and research efforts by the Canadian Diabetes Association.
You don’t have to be a seasoned runner to join – 70 per cent of Team Diabetes Canada marathoners are first-timers. New members can get help getting started and staying active from training groups nationwide. That’s not the only bonus: once you commit to a fund-raising goal, your race registration, accommodation and airfare are paid for by the organization.
To register, track pledges or donate to friends and family, visit the Team Diabetes Canada website at www.teamdiabetes.ca.
People with either diabetes or depression are at a greater risk of developing the other condition, according to a study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
The researchers tracked 6,814 subjects for three years. Those with symptoms of depression were 42 per cent more likely to develop diabetes, and that risk rose with depression severity. Subjects being treated for diabetes were 54 per cent more likely to suffer from depression than those without diabetes.
Researchers suspect that depression may lead to behaviours that trigger diabetes, such as overeating, smoking and inactivity.
As for the reverse link, the stress of treating diabetes is thought to play a role in the development of depression.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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• What's that you're eating?
• 10 ideas for cold-weather exercise
