Diabetes in the News
Introducing Google's smart contact lens project
Prototype from Google's Smart Contact Lens Project
“We’re in discussions with the FDA, but there’s still a lot more work to do to turn this technology into a system that people can use.”
from Google: "We’re now testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material. We’re testing prototypes that can generate a reading once per second.
We’re also investigating the potential for this to serve as an early warning for the wearer, so we’re exploring integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds.
It’s still early days for this technology, but we’ve completed multiple clinical research studies which are helping to refine our prototype. We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease." full story
Olympic cross-country skier Freeman masters mountains, diabetes
Freeman decided then that he was going to try to compete in 2014, even though he would be 33 at the time.
Kris Freeman was diagnosed at age 19 with Type 1 diabetes
from Sports Illustrated: "Kris Freeman was approaching the 12th kilometer of the 30 km pursuit at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics when he noticed the first sign: An uphill climb seemed strangely difficult. He had been skiing well to that point, and had moved into a top 20 position. Then his body started shaking and wobbling. Freeman knew that roughly a kilometer ahead he had a coach waiting for him with a sports drink. But before he could make it, he collapsed in the snow." full story
Is there connection between Type 1 diabetes and cleanliness?
Some researchers suspect there may be a connection between Finland’s cleanliness and the incidence of the disease there.
from Washington Post: It may come as a surprise that Finland — one of the least polluted, wealthiest countries, where average life expectancy is among the world’s highest — has the highest rate of Type 1 diabetes. Each year, there are about 58 cases diagnosed per 100,000 children; in the United States there are 24 cases per 100,000, according to the International Diabetes Federation. full story
