Managing type 1 diabetes is getting easier thanks to research by the NIDDK.

(NAPSI)—The discovery of insulin 100 years ago led to many research and clinical advances that have greatly improved strategies used to help people manage diabetes to live longer and healthier lives.

Before insulin, physicians treated people with diabetes, a disease that occurs when blood glucose—or blood sugar—is too high, by recommending changes in their diet. In 1921, scientists at the University of Toronto found that pancreatic extracts from healthy dogs reduced blood glucose levels in other animals with diabetes. By 1922, the pancreatic extract, now known as insulin, was chemically processed and used in studies to treat people with type 1 diabetes.

This discovery, which led to the development of better insulin formulations over time, also led to a series of research studies conducted or supported by the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) that have dramatically changed how people with diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes, live. For instance:

• In the 1970s, NIDDK researchers developed a more effective form of artificial human insulin using DNA technology. This artificial human insulin was purer and of higher quality than the animal-based insulin.
• In 1983, the NIDDK launched the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). This study showed that when people with type 1 diabetes use insulin to keep their blood glucose levels as close to their target range as possible, they are at significantly less risk for developing diabetes-related eye, kidney, and nerve diseases.
• Since 1994, the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications or EDIC trial has followed DCCT participants to show that keeping blood glucose levels steady over time helps people with type 1 diabetes live healthier and longer.

The discovery of insulin also led to research that has made managing diabetes easier and more effective. Such results led to the development of continuous glucose monitoring, insulin formulations that work faster or last longer throughout the day and keep blood glucose stable longer, and wearable insulin pumps.

Despite the many ways in which insulin has improved the well-being of people with type 1 diabetes, managing blood glucose levels is still a challenge. That is why the NIDDK continues to support research into insulin and other diabetes management tools and technologies. For example:

• NIDDK scientists are studying ways to make insulin more patient-friendly by developing formulations that do not need to be refrigerated and creating smaller, easier-to-use insulin pumps and blood glucose monitoring devices.
• Recent research shows artificial pancreas technology, also known as closed-loop control, can automatically monitor and regulate the delivery of insulin, which may reduce patient burden and help keep blood glucose levels in a healthy range.
• The NIH’s Rare and Atypical Diabetes Network, or RADIANT (www.atypicaldiabetesnetwork.org), helps researchers better understand unusual or unknown forms of diabetes.
• The NIDDK continues to study how type 1 diabetes occurs and how to prevent the disease. For instance, the NIDDK-supported TrialNet (www.trialnet.org) project is a collection of screening tools and research studies designed to help scientists learn how to slow or stop type 1 diabetes before or soon after patients are diagnosed.

The NIDDK remains committed to conducting diabetes research to help patients with diabetes live healthier lives and make the goal of finding a cure for type 1 diabetes more reachable.

To learn more about diabetes, including the latest research, visit the NIDDK website at www.niddk.nih.gov.

Smile: Sealants may mean kids can avoid getting cavities and their parents can avoid paying for them.

(NAPSI)—Parents can help their children practically eliminate their chance of getting cavities, often at no cost—yet they don’t. Here’s a closer look at this conundrum:

Be Smart About Sealants

Beyond daily brushing and flossing, dental sealants have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of cavities in kids—yet the clear protective coatings, which work by filling the deep grooves where bacteria can accumulate—remain largely underused.

“Children without dental sealants are three times more likely to develop cavities,” says Nadia Fugate, DMD, who serves as a Delta Dental of Washington dental consultant. “Sealants are one of the most effective ways to reduce cavities among children 5 to 15 years old.”

Dr. Fugate adds that dental sealants are safe, require no drilling, and are less expensive and easier to apply than fillings. Sealants last five to 10 years and are applied in a simple three-step process performed by the dentist or a dental hygienist:

•Teeth are cleaned with a special toothpaste

•A cleansing liquid is applied gently with a small piece of cotton and rinsed off

•The sealant is “painted” onto the tooth, requiring about a minute to form a protective shield

Sealants and Insurance

Dental sealants are completely covered by most employer-sponsored dental plans, with little or no out-of-pocket expense to parents; for those with individual and family plans, insurers such as Delta Dental offer a free online estimator which calculates any out-of-pocket cost based on the child’s specific benefits and the dentist. In addition, many schools offer a school sealant ­program—ask your school nurse if your child’s school participates.

Learn More

For further information about dental sealants, visit Delta Dental of Washington’s blog at www.DeltaDentalWA.com/blog.

If you’re thinking of retiring early, it’s a healthy idea to plan for health care coverage beforehand.

(NAPSI)—More Americans may be looking to retire before age 65, according to several studies. However, they need to understand their financial needs, both long term and before age 65. This includes enrolling in health insurance to cover the gap before they are Medicare-eligible at age 65.

“Choosing the right health coverage may seem difficult as many people have never shopped for their own health insurance or worry that they cannot afford it,” said Mark Smith, president of HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, one of the largest independent health insurance agencies in the United States. “There is a wide range of coverage options available to meet your unique care needs and financial situation pre-retirement.”

And the time to decide what may work best for you is before you retire. So “Step One,” know your options.

Health Care Coverage Guidance and Enrollment Support

People can find support through healthcare marketplaces, insurance carriers, insurance brokers and other licensed insurance agents to help determine what plans are best for them.

For example, GetCovered, powered by HealthMarkets, is a free service that provides guidance for people who need health coverage. Working with licensed insurance agents, people can learn what they are eligible for, including government options such as Medicare/Medicaid, or find commercial health plans that best meet their individual needs. Agents can also help them enroll in many of these plans.

Questions to Ask

To find the right coverage, it’s important to know what’s available, what to ask, and what information you need to enroll. To narrow your options, know:

•When your current coverage ends.

• If you have coverage under an employer group health plan, does your company offer COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act).—Under COBRA, people maintain their current plan benefits. They pay the total cost of the insurance including their premiums plus the dollars formerly contributed by their employers. Worth noting: People who voluntarily leave their places of employment are not eligible for COBRA premium assistance – such assistance ends at the end of September 2021.

• What benefits do you need or want.

• Will you be seeking part-time employment—or do you have a part-time job lined up. If yes, are health benefits offered to part-time workers?

• What can you afford. Think about what portion of your monthly budget can be used for health coverage or other insurance. You may be eligible for additional options based on your specific financial situation.

Health Coverage Options

If coverage under COBRA or Medicare are not options—and you are not planning on working even part time, here are others to consider:

• Medicaid—Eligibility is based on income, disability, and other circumstances.

• Individual exchange/marketplace plans—These ACA plans are available through federal or state enrollment sites. Based on your income, you may be eligible for plan subsidies making one of these plans more affordable. Unemployment would be a “qualifying life event” to enroll in an ACA plan outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period.

• Short-term plans—Short-term limited insurance plans provide coverage to bridge the gap between longer-term insurance coverage. These plans have a fixed duration of a few months to several years and do not have the same coverage requirements as ACA plans.

“Health coverage decisions can be made simpler—and there are resources to help,” Smith said. “Regardless if you choose to do your own research and enrollment or engage outside services, determining what you need and can afford will help you find good health coverage that ensures you have access to care.”

Learn More

To get started with healthcare coverage and for further facts, call (877) 270-0029 or visit www.getcovered.com.

Daily walks with your family can help you all look and feel healthier and happier.

(NAPSI)—Following a challenging year, it may be difficult to get back into a healthy routine. Summer is a great time to think about what you can do to improve your health. Wherever you are on your journey to active and healthy living, there are things you can do to help you get or stay on track.

Try these tips to help manage your weight and stay active.

• Try to be active every day. Make physical activity a part of your daily routine rather than something you do occasionally. Invite a friend or family member to make it more fun and to help you stick with your goals.

• Think small. Small changes can add up to big results if you stay consistent. You don’t have to run a marathon or go on a strict eating plan to lose weight. Taking just a 10-minute walk every day or replacing your bowl of ice cream with a piece of fruit are great choices that can improve your health over time.

• Look for creative ways to be healthier. There are many ways to form healthy habits. Walk around a school track or a local park, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or try a hobby that keeps you moving, like gardening or dancing. Look for snacks low in added sugar and salt, like frozen or fresh fruit, hummus, and crunchy veggies.

• Reduce your “screen time.” We may not realize how much time we spend sitting still watching television, playing online games, or being on social media. Try turning off devices and take a walk, try a new sport with your loved ones, or create a playlist of favorite songs and have a dance contest.

• Be mindful of your eating habits. Keeping a food and beverage diary will make you more aware of what you eat and drink, which can help you make healthier choices. Many apps and online tools are available to help you track your meals.

Health is a lifelong pursuit and is more achievable when you turn healthy behaviors into habits. To do that, remember to:

• Be patient. Most people at some point in their lives try to become more active or lose weight. It’s not easy, but it is doable! If you stick to your plan, you can reach your goals.

• Be prepared for setbacks. It’s normal to have slip-ups on your health journey. Don’t feel bad or punish yourself. Instead, remember that creating new habits takes time.

• Celebrate successes. Losing weight and becoming more physically active are big achievements. Be proud of yourself for wanting to become healthier and for doing what you can each day to make that happen.

If you are not sure where to start, visit the NIDDK’s Body Weight Planner tool at www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp to set some calorie and activity goals. Also talk with your health care professional about appropriate goals based on your unique health and lifestyle.

To learn more about weight management and healthy living, visit the NIDDK website at www.niddk.nih.gov.

Treating “Untreatable” Cancers: Functional Profiling Comes of Age

An oncologist has developed a way to determine what drugs work best for each individual with cancer.

(NAPSI)—Over 1.8 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year according to the American Cancer Society. If you or someone you care about is diagnosed with cancer you may be relieved to know there are techniques available that can improve your likelihood of response and survival by using your cancer cells to select the most effective drugs before you receive them.

What Can Help

The process is called functional profiling, which analyzes living cancer cells from a patient to find out the drugs, combinations and sequences that are the most effective and least toxic for each individual. It’s particularly helpful in treating cancers that have been considered “untreatable,” such as pancreatic cancers, advanced lung and recurrent breast cancers.

Why It Works

Cancers arise from cells that have learned certain tricks to enhance their survival. In so doing they outlive their normal counterparts. These transformed cells interact directly with their micro-environment. Cancer cells “talk” to each other and to all the surrounding immune cells, blood vessels and structural elements using chemical signals such as growth fac- tors and metabolic byproducts. Blood vessels, immune cells and connective tissues all participate and promote the cancer process.

Each human cancer reflects all of its genes, both mutated and normal, acting together to create what we recognize as a malignant tumor. But gene changes are only the starting point and not the final product of cancer development. The practice of just analyzing genes is incapable of capturing the complexity of human tumor biology. Only Functional analyses can interrogate each patient’s tumor in real time to provide insights that can inform drug selection and treatment decisions.

Because each cancer patient is unique and very different from one person to the next, drugs that work for one person may not for another, even with exactly the same diagnosis. Standard trial-and-error approaches cannot meet each patient’s needs.

Who Developed the Idea

The pioneer behind this is Los Angeles-based oncologist Dr. Robert Nagourney, author of Outliving Cancer and known as the father of precision cancer medicine. His testing of cancer cells against potential drugs offers patients the opportunity to take charge of their cancers and the treatments most likely to work.

Dr. Nagourney recognized the short comings of modern trial and error cancer medicine and decided to do something about it. Over the past two decades he has amassed data on over 10,000 patients, providing individualized therapies that have been shown to double response rates and improve survival. While major centers continue to offer gene profiles that examine DNA mutations hoping to find a “magic bullet,” those result have been extremely disappointing with a minority of patient’s revealing actionable findings.

Get Help

The Nagourney Institute receives samples from all over the world. If you think functional profiling would be good for you, you can arrange to have your sample collected and shipped overnight to the laboratory. The Institute will even assist you with a specimen transportation kit and specific handling instructions.

Learn More

For additional facts and to arrange for tests, visit https://www.nagourneycancerinstitute.com.