Exciting study results were just released by the Journal of the American Medical Association. This study assessed cardiovascular health in older adults and sought to find an association between cardiovascular health and risk of dementia.

The results, published Tuesday, is a clear message to health care professionals and people with diabetes alike.

Focus on cardiovascular fitness for the sake of preserving cognitive health, experts said.

Cardiovascular health is commonly linked to chronic diseases of the body. However, taking care of cardio vascular health seems to have positive affects on brain health.

The study included 6,626 individuals aged 65 or older from various areas in France. Their scores of cardiovascular health were assessed using seven measures: diet, exercise, weight management, smoking status, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. The subjects were given, “a score of 0,1, or 2 for each of the categories to reflect whether their compliance with the measures were poor, intermediate, or optimal.”

Results were compelling, “6.5% of study participants had optimal measurements for at least five of the seven categories.” With each additional measure met at optimal levels, “the risk of dementia fell by about 10%.” The study also took place over 8.5 years in which 745 of the 6,626 subjects were diagnosed with dementia. 

Among the individuals with the lowest scores for cardiovascular health, risk for dementia increased “at a rate of 13.3 cases per 100 people.”  Compared to those with the highest scores for cardiovascular health had much lower rates at 7.1 cases per 100 people. These results should encourage physicians and other medical professionals to understand and teach the importance of cardiovascular health to preserve cognitive function in their patients.

For more information on cardiovascular health and cognitive function, read the official study Association of Cardiovascular health level in older age with cognitive decline and incident dementia.

A summarized version by the Los Angeles Times may be accessed at The more you do to promote your cardiovascular health, the lower your risk of dementia.

Contributed by Sofia Sepulveda

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Sharp increases in diabetes are being reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

14% of adults living in the United States now have diabetes and only 10% are aware of it. 

This translates into 1 in 7 Americans living with diabetes. The CDC believes a number of factors are responsible for the sudden increase, including an aging population and an epidemic of obesity.  95% of diabetes cases are Type 2 and are tied to lifestyle factors, where as 5% are Type 1 and typically are diagnosed early in life and do not correlate with lifestyle choices.

• Surprisingly, many more men are now living with diabetes. The study revealed that 16% of men and 12% of women have diabetes.
• Diabetes is also more common within certain groups. 20% of Hispanics, 18% Blacks and 15% Asians and 12% whites are living with type 2 Diabetes, according to data collected via the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

People who are overweight and obese are also more likely to develop diabetes, the researchers found. Only 6 percent of underweight or normal-weight adults had the disease, while 12 percent of overweight adults and 21 percent of obese adults did.

Although treatment for diabetes is available, said lead researcher Mark Eberhardt, an epidemiologist at CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The public health goal should be taking steps to prevent the disease. “Sometimes prevention is the best treatment,” he said. 

As Diabetes Educators, we can take a leadership role in our communities by creating and supporting diabetes prevention programs and by providing amazing care to people living with diabetes.

Learn more about starting a Diabetes Prevention Program on our Prevention Resource Page.

To learn more, visit the CDC Website National Center for Health Statistics Site

To learn more: 30 Million Americans Now Have Diabetes – Health Day

Source: Prevalence of total, diagnosed, and undiagnosed diabetes among adults: United States, 2013–2016.
NCHS Data Brief, no 319. Mendola ND, Chen T-C, Gu Q, Eberhardt MS, Saydah S.  Hyattsville, MD:
National Center for Health Statistics. 2018.

Sleep is possibly the most overlooked aspect of successful weight loss. While there is a well known link between obesity and sleep, the actual role sleep plays in appetite regulation and glucose metabolism is often overlooked.

A recent study conducted by Uppsala University in Sweden found evidence that, “lack of sleep encourages the body to store more fat, altering the body’s metabolism.” The study demonstrated that even a small shift in an individual’s sleep schedule may have significant effects on metabolism leading to weight gain.

“Chronic sleep loss, social jet lag, and shift work—widespread in our modern 24/7 societies—are associated with an increased risk of numerous metabolic pathologies, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes,” researchers explain in the new study. “Even minor weekly shifts in sleep timing, or as few as five consecutive nights of short sleep, have been associated with an increased risk of weight gain in healthy humans.”

In this study, fifteen volunteers were separated into two groups. One group received a normal night’s sleep and the other group had no sleep. Both groups gave samples of fat, muscle tissue, and blood. They were also asked to keep a food diary for the duration of the experiment. 

The most significant difference was in gene activity referred to as DNA methylation. This activity, “was linked to cells increasing their tendency to absorb lipids, boosting the body’s ability to store fats.” The participants who received no sleep also had a decreased ability to build or at least maintain muscle mass. Their bodies also experienced an increased state of inflammation and a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. 

To learn more: “Losing sleep can lead to more extra pounds”  ZME Science

South L.A. has been burdened with limited access to fresh and healthy foods for years. Hank’s Mini Market, a locally owned store originally opened in 1997, has decided  to introduce more wholesome and healthy foods to the area. The small corner store has partnered with Sweetgreen and California FreshWorks Fund to provide the community with  produce that is both fresh and affordable.

South Los Angeles, famous for the 1992 LA Riots, is often referred to as a food desert. The American Nutrition Association defines this as “a place where residents lack access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy whole foods. Food deserts generally occur in low-income areas where fast food is easier to find than an affordable grocery store.”

The hope for this grocery store’s transformation, is to allow the community to have access the healthy foods which will greatly impact their quality of life and reduce risk of diet-related diseases. The store is also providing a space for local art in hopes that it will help to build a sense of community.

The owner of the corner store states, “we should be able to shop locally, we should have nice spaces, we are deserving.” She is hoping that the transformation of her family-owned store will encourage others to demand more from their community and encourage change.

To read more about this topic, visit “Re-opened convenience store brings healthy options to South L.A.

Many popularized western diets promote a low-carb/high-protein diet for weight loss, however, recent studies show that a low-carb diet can actually increase your mortality risk. The study suggests that a low-carb diet can be just as detrimental to your long-term health as a high-carb diet. 

Multiple studies with over 400k participants, “suggest a U-shaped relationship between life expectancy and overall carbohydrate intake, in which lifespan is greatest among people with 50%-55% carbohydrate intake, a level that might be considered moderate in North America and Europe but low in other regions, such as Asia,” study authors wrote.

Despite many popularized diets such as the paleo or keto diet, substituting carbohydrates with animal-based protein actually increased mortality risks, study finds. When carbohydrates were replaced with plant-based protein (nuts, vegetables, whole-grain bread), mortality risks decreased. According the to the study, the popularity of the “low-carb” diet is mainly due to the short-term weight loss vs. long term health outcomes. 

We should still pay attention to what type of carbohydrates we are consuming, but skipping them all together for a long-term weight loss solution may not be the answer. Rather, according to this study, if you are looking to replace carbohydrates or cut back, choose plant protein over animal-based proteins to decrease your mortality risk and improve your outcomes!

To learn more – “Higher Mortality Risk Seen with Low Carb Diet” by MEDPAGE TODAY

“Insulin’s High Cost Leads To Lethal Rationing” – NPR

Such a tragic story of a young man’s life cut short because he couldn’t afford his insulin. Sign the ADA Petition to make insulin affordable.

We can make a difference starting today! 

Make Insulin Affordable – what you can do today

The Insulin Wars ( How insurance companies farm out their dirty work to doctors and patients) – The New York Times 

Providers often share nutrition recommendations with patients. In spite of best intentions, sometimes these recommendations may not match latest standards or reflect evidence based studies . A survey by the Nutrition and Lifestyle Working Group of the American College of Cardiology sought to understand just how much nutrition education physicians were actually receiving during medical school and throughout their careers.

The results of this survey concluded that while nearly 70% of physicians believed that nutrition education is vital in healing process, only 57% engaged in direct discussion with their patients. Almost 25% of physicians, “recall receiving no nutrition education in medical school” and 35% said their knowledge of nutrition, “often came from a single lecture.” In residency, a shocking 73% received no nutrition education whatsoever. With nutrition being a vital aspect of the healing process, it is hard to ensure you are receiving a complete treatment plan when physicians may not have the proper education to support their recommendations.  

For Diabetes Educators, this provides a wonderful opportunity to coach our referring providers on the latest nutrition guidelines. This can be accomplished by sending brief nutrition updates to providers, inviting guest speakers who have expertise on the latest nutrition guidelines and other strategies. Since we work in interdisciplinary teams, maintaining professional respect is an important aspect for long term collaboration and growth.

With the rise of CVD, Type 2 Diabetes, and other health conditions an intervention is required. “Improving education of physicians through more comprehensive nutrition training in medical schools and advanced postgraduate training is an essential step that can facilitate improvement.”

To learn more about the lack of nutrition education in our healthcare system, visit The Deficit of Nutrition Education of Physicians.