Live-Donor Transplant May Treat Diabetes
continued...
It won't be known for some time if live-donor islet cell transplants produce better long-term outcomes. And Shapiro acknowledges that questions remain about the safety of the procedure for the donor. One fear has been that if too much of the pancreas is removed the donor could also become diabetic.
Barrett says the experience from a French research team is reassuring. For several years the researchers have been doing a similar procedure, only instead of transplanting islet cells from the pancreas they have been transplanting a portion of the pancreas itself from live donors to diabetes patients.
"The donors are not entirely normal in terms of pancreatic function, but they seem to do pretty well," he says. "The fear that they would develop diabetes isn't being borne out."
Shapiro says there are plans to do more live-donor islet cell transplants in both Japan and at his institution in Edmonton.
"We are moving forward cautiously, but I am optimistic that this could supplement or even replace cadaveric transplants," he says. "There are clearly not enough organ donors to go around, and the living donor procedure could fulfill a clear niche. But, obviously, curing diabetes in one person at the expense of creating it in another would be an unacceptable and catastrophic outcome."
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
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