Diabetes in the News

Scientists Find New Genetic Explanation For Type 2 Diabetes
An international team of scientists has found four points on the human gene map that together account for 70 per cent of the genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes.

The study is published this week online in the journal Nature.

The research team comes from Imperial College London, McGill University, Canada, the Pasteur Institute of France and other institutions.

[...] a new technology called “high density micro-arrays” allows researchers to profile genetic maps in a detailed and precise way. They can investigate the different ways that individual points on the human gene map are expressed in different people. Source

Novo Nordisk Launches National ‘Divabetic - Makeover Your Diabetes’ Campaign
Six-City Tour Kicks Off in New York, Feb 22, Seeking to Empower Women Affected by Diabetes

Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, today announced plans to host community outreach events that take diabetes education out of the clinical setting and into a fun and supportive environment. In collaboration with DIVABETIC, a diabetes outreach organization, the program, Divabetic - Makeover Your Diabetes, brings together nationally-known beauty and fashion experts and diabetes educators to encourage women to improve how they or their loved ones live with diabetes. Women living with, at risk of, or affected by diabetes, and their friends and family are invited to attend these free motivational events.

Divabetic - Makeover Your Diabetes kicks off at New York City’s Gotham Hall located at 1356 Broadway (at 36th Street) on February 22, and will make stops in New Orleans, Dallas, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Washington, DC throughout the year. In 2006, the tour visited Atlanta and Philadelphia. To learn more or register, the public may visit ChangingDiabetes-us.com and log on to Divabetic - Makeover Your Diabetes or call 1-800-634-8888.  Source

Candy Maker Tackles Diabetes by Going Sugarless
CHICAGO — BestSweet, the maker of Baskin-Robbins Smooth and Creamy Hard Candies, tries to boost awareness about diabetes by launching its “Unwrap the Cure” promotion through April 1.

About two million bags of Baskin Robbins candies, sweetened by Splenda, will hit retail during February with a game code for a sweepstakes. Consumers enter that code on UnwrapTheCure.com for a chance to win a 7-night vacation for two at a spa resort in Mexico.

Other prizes include elliptical trainers and $50 gift certificates. The Web site also offers information about diabetes, risk factors, how to live with the disease and tips on living a healthier lifestyle. The Charlotte, N.C., company also will submit a donation to Boston’s Joslin Diabetes Center to fund diabetes research, care and education.

“We hope to remind everyone that diabetes continues to present a serious threat to the lives of millions of Americans, and that it’s certainly not going to disappear on its own,” said Harry Overly, vp-marketing for BestSweet, which also makes the Original Gummi Watch and Lites Sugar-Free Hard Candies. Source

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Resources:
dLife; About Diabetes.com; American Diabetes Association 

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