The American Association of Diabetes Educators has spent big bucks this year ensuring its point of view gets across to our representatives in the federal government. The AADE spent $375,000 on lobbying in just the first half of 2007, according to a Senate disclosure form that has been picked up by the media. The law requires that such disclosures be made public. Members of the organization include big Pharma names like Eli Lilly, Novartis and Merck.

The AADE is, obviously, a member organization for diabetes educators, with advocacy in Washington - for professionals and patients - coming as an additional service. The government-run site Healthfinder lists more about the AADE if you're interested. Given the amount of money involved, I'm surprised how little attention this has attracted on the Web. Many news services have featured the disclosure, but only in brief. What I'd like to know is: what issues were the AADE lobbying for and against?

Scientists from all over the world will meet up in Seattle October 22-23 to attend the Warren G. Magnuson Congress for a Global Diabetes Alliance. The initiative is intended to help fight the rapid rise of type 2 diabetes worldwide. International Diabetes Federation past president Pierre Lefebvre, who will be a speaker at the conference, says the need for such an alliance to fight the T2 global epidemic "could not be more urgent."

More than one hundred diabetes experts hailing from over twenty countries will attend the congress. There's one main goal: the discussion of how to help under-served populations, such as indigenous peoples. However, the more general problems - prevention, treatment and the possibility of a cure - will also be on the table. It is also hoped that the alliance can help change public perception of type 2 diabetes as a disease associated with affluence, when in fact it is spreading faster in poor, developing countries where people frequently lack access to medical care.

Organizers say this is the first global alliance on diabetes. Speaking of organizers: who's behind this anyway? Well, it's being convened by the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI). Incoming president of the American Diabetes Association, Dr. Paul Robertson, is president and scientific director of the PNRI. Warren G. Magnuson, for whom the conference is named, was a US senator and supporter of the sciences who died from diabetes complications in 1989.

The ADA and PNRI's Dr. Robertson is optimistic the organization can effect change: "The response from top experts from around the world to develop a global, multidisciplinary, collaborative endeavor focused on clinical research on diabetes has been overwhelming."

Medical gadget manufacturer Medtronic has teamed up with LifeScan, maker of blood glucose meters. The powers-that-be at those companies say they want to introduce a fab new blood glucose meter to the US market. The meters will be developed by LifeScan for Medtronic and should be reasonably high-tech, with wireless transmission of test results to Medtronic's MiniMed Paradigm pumps or the Guardian REAL-Time continuous monitoring system. Tying it all together: Medtronic's CareLink diabetes management software. The plan is to get the meters on the market by early 2008.

The press release announcing the deal made me laugh. It stresses that, in addition to their alliance, Medtronic and LifeScan "will also educate people about the importance of insulin pump therapy and proactive diabetes management." Oh, ha ha. Translation: "buy our stuff. Please!" It's okay Medtronic and LifeScan. Just be yourselves. You exist to make money. We understand that. Just be honest about it and spare us the whole "education" angle.

A little something in the news the other day caught my eye: schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area of North Carolina have organized an informational meeting especially for families of diabetic pupils. The meeting was titled "Diabetes: Back to School Basics." Reports The Charlotte Observer, the idea is to prepare parents and children for the school-year, looking specifically at how diabetic kids should expect to deal with their condition during school hours, what parents can and cannot expect of school staff and so on.

Also included on the agenda was a chance for parents and kids to work on personalized care plans for while they're at school. The meeting is also a chance for everyone to meet the diabetes nurse who has just joined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district. The nurse is trained in diabetes management and will be available to help kids and parents with educational materials and resources.

Here's to the powers-that-be at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. You can see there is a problem with so many diabetic kids in your schools, (The Observer says around four hundred kids in that school district are diabetic), and you are tackling it head-on. What I'm not clear on is what the schools' policy is on insulin-dependent type 1 kids who need shots during school hours. This has become so problematic of late, with schools concerned about liability issues in having staff assist with supervising/administering shots. But, nevertheless, this is a sign of the times and a good one. In fact, this is so good I'm wondering...why don't all schools do this?

Back in a February '07 post, I described an initiative by New York drug store chain Duane Reade. The chain had announced it was opening a free diabetes center. The idea was to drum up business by meeting customer demand for diabetes-related advice and services. At the time, I thought it was an interesting story - perhaps the sign of a new trend on the rise. And definitely a sign of the commercial clout wielded by diabetics.

A few months down the road and it looks like the concept has really taken off. A Duane Reade press release has announced that the center will be expanding its services to keep pace with demand. Yep. The Duane Reade Diabetes Resource Center will now be offering space in its support groups to anyone from the NY metro area, not just to those who had already enrolled in their education classes. Although registration is required, those educational and support group sessions are all totally free. Partial funding for the center comes from Novo Nordisk.

If you live in the NY area and are interested, call 1-866-913-8486 or email brodink@duanereade.com.

This headline on the website Diabetes Health got my attention: "The Federal Government Hugely Out-of-Pocket for Diabetes Care." Here are the key numbers: In 2005, the federal government spent almost eighty billion dollars on diabetes care, writes Linda von Wartburg, reporting on a study commissioned by drug giant Novo Nordisk as part of its "Changing Diabetes" campaign. In fact, one in every eight healthcare dollars - or twelve percent of the budget - was spent on diabetes. Need some more perspective? Well, according to the Novo study, this amounts to more than the entire budget of the Department of Education. Phew.

Yes, diabetes care is costing a lot of money. But the ballooning cost of diabetes treatment is only part of the problem. Of equal concern is the amount spent on care versus the amount allocated for prevention and education. Paltry, is the word you might use. Of the 79.7 billion spent, only 3.9 billion went to prevention or education. Considering Type 2 diabetes cases are ballooning in the US - some say it constitutes an epidemic - the feds might want to consider tweaking the budget a bit, don't you agree? That's what the study's authors are recommending. They say more money is desperately needed for prevention and public education. Click here to read more on Novo's Federal Spending Report.

As a parent, sending your child with diabetes to overnight camp may seem a pipedream. You endlessly are assisting, reminding and checking up on them to help keep their disease under control. How could your child ever head autonomously away to camp? One answer is the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) diabetes camps for kids.

The ADA is the largest provider of diabetes camps for kids in the world. Safety is their number one priority, as kids with diabetes are guided by well-trained staff, usually adult counselors with diabetes working within a climate that understands the daily regimens. Kids are surrounded by kids just like them, diabetes is the norm. Diabetes education within an experiential framework is an integral part of camp philosophy. Kids come back learning how to better manage their disease at a pace relevant to their ability and age.

Summer Solstice is a week away! Check out the ADA website on diabetes camp -- there's a camp locator tool and mucho information and advice.

Like a student driver -- the function of proinsulin (c-peptide) is as critically important as driver's education. The research was done, but because the information highway was just picking up speed (at the time back in '88) dissemination of such research was difficult, at best. Never fear - I found a good study to start things rolling.

Proinsulin (c-peptide) is made along with insulin in a 1 to 1 ratio from the beta cells. After a dose of proinsulin was administered - it took 5 to 10 minutes longer to lower a patient's blood sugar in comparison to insulin, alone. The rise of blood sugar following the lowest point was much slower, as well. In lay terms this means that insulin, coupled with proinsulin (c-peptide), results in a more controlled reaction. Kind of like the teenager with his permit to drive and Dad riding shotgun. The permit gives the kid the right to drive the car, but Dad is telling the kid when to accelerate and when to slow down. Insulin and proinsulin are quite similar in nature except we're talking about a life threatening hormone without the parental guidance.

The antilipolytic effect of proinsulin (tapping fat cells for energy and ANTI means this is stopped) was significantly stronger in comparison to insulin alone. Human proinsulin has a stronger effect on prevention of fat burning for energy in the absence of insulin (ketoacidosis). This seems logical because if you metabolize the glucose in your blood for energy - you will have little (if any) residual glucose to store as fat. Type 2 diabetics have a plethora of c-peptide in their body upon diagnosis but their blood sugar is also high. Looks like insulin and proinsulin reduces the risk of ketoacidosis and regulates fat metabolism.

Why did they decide to manufacture human synthetic insulin without it again? A personal experience pumping piggy proinsulin for 2 days now and I've seen definite control in my blood sugar fluctuations - less than 20 mg/dL in any testing window. It feels like the newly introduced highly purified porcine proinsulin came with a built-in continuous glucose monitor (i.e., C-peptide). More to come...

As a diabetic with the esteemed honor of pouring my heart and soul out for an audience as well-informed as you - I feel it is OUR job to inform our doctor's of the important discoveries being made in diabetes. The discovery I am most concerned with these days is raising awareness of C-peptide.

When I learned that all forms of synthetic human insulin these days DO NOT have C-peptide (like natural human insulin does) I asked my doctor what C-peptide does. My doctor explained, "C-peptide is nothing more than a biomarker to tell us [doctors] how much insulin your body is naturally producing."

When Chrissie in Belgium asked her doctor he told her that [C-peptide] has absolutely no importance. Uh oh...

Doctor's are convinced that C-peptide is useless for type 1 diabetics. Give the next paragraph consideration and you and your doctor might have a new perspective on the importance of C-peptide.

In a healthy, nondiabetic individual -- islets produce insulin. Insulin is made of 51 amino acids in 2 chains, with a tail of something called C-peptide (connecting peptide). Insulin grabs sugar from the blood and transports it into the cells where it becomes energy. It gets into and out of the cells through cellular pathways that are monitored by a delicate balance of sodium (Na) and potassium (K). This balance is regulated by C-peptide. The movement of insulin and glucose through these cellular membranes without C-peptide is dangerous and causes diabetic complications that develop in small vessesls of the eyes, kidneys and nerves.

Tight control of diabetes results in complications over time. If you find 500 mg of protein in a 24 hour urine collection - it's a complication (nephropathy). If your nerve conduction velocity reaction time is measured at 5.0 seconds - it's a complication (neuropathy). You take your insulin -- these complications should not occur, right? The reason for diabetic complications may not be your insulin at all. It may be the thing that your insulin is lacking.

So here's a little community service we ALL can do to enlighten our doctor's. Ask your doctor about C-peptide. Chances are you will get the same answer Chrissie in Belgium and I did. When this happens - smile, and politely hand your doctor a printout of this blog.

After all, if the Creator put receptors in our cellular membranes - He must've done it for a reason. The path to enlightenment is paved with gold.

A brilliant doctor, a motivational mission, and the biggest names of the industry -- success is the only option. Taking Control Of Your Diabetes is a diabetic conference designed to educate and motivate people about diabetes.

Through informative expos, packed with field experts, enlightening workshops and crowds swarming with curiosity -- taking a more proactive role in your diabetes is as easy as showing up. A few hours at a TCOYD expo will cover a lot of territory. Whether you're interested in the latest developments in research, new medications, fresh ideas on diet and exercise, or legal and insurance guidance-- you're bound to find somebody who has an answer. TCOYD health fairs give you the chance to personally engage major manufacturers, doctors, entrepreneurs and innovators looking to help diabetics live a healthier life. Ask your questions. Try their products. They are there to help you. Tell them what you think. Tell them what you need.

Medical advances in diabetes care continue to out-pace improvements in patient care. Share something new with your doctor next visit. TCOYD delivers the information to the people who need it most. The mission of TCOYD is motivating, educating, and empowering diabetics and their loved ones. The success of this mission is defined by what you make of it.

When friends and comedians Bill Kirchenbauer and Brad Slaight realized they shared diabetes in common, they decided to use their talents to bring some laughter and levity to a serious disease. Soon after, Captain Glucose and Meter Boy were born. Self-described as a cross between Batman & Robin and The Incredibles, their mission is to "educate, enlighten, and entertain people with diabetes of all ages."

They especially like to talk to people just diagnosed. Brad Slaight (aka Meter Boy) notes, "When someone is first diagnosed they have pre-conceived ideas about diabetes. These add to the confuison, along with a barrage of information and lifestyle changes they have to make. We think there is a need for something that presents that information in a more palatable and fun way."