The Los Angeles Times (3/21, Worth) reports, “The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released figures in January showing that the number of American adults with prediabetes had jumped from 57 million in 2008 to 79 million in 2010.” At the same time, “the number with full-on diabetes grew from 23.6 million to 26 million, the vast majority of which are type 2 cases.” With changes in diet and exercise, people with prediabetes, which is marked by elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, can avoid developing type 2 diabetes. But, “without such changes, most people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.”
Elevated Levels Of Five Amino Acids Associated With Development Of Type 2 Diabetes. WebMD (3/20, Warner) reported, “Elevated levels of a group of five amino acids may predict the development of diabetes years before any noticeable symptoms occur,” according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine. After following 2,422 adults for 12 years, “researchers found that blood tests that screened for these amino acids accurately predicted risk of type 2 diabetes in otherwise healthy adults as well as in those with traditional risk factors, such as obesity.” Notably, “elevated levels of five amino acids, isoleucine, leucine, valine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine, were associated with the development of type 2 diabetes.” The UK’s Daily Mail (3/21, Derbyshire) and the UK’s Independent (3/21, O’Connor) also cover the story.
