Can Diabetes Cause Prostate Problems?

Can diabetes cause prostate problems? Diabetes, especially poorly managed diabetes, could be the cause of prostate troubles. Diabetes has several effects on blood flow and can damage blood vessels and nerves that lead to other problems in the body. Diabetes can make symptoms of some prostate conditions, such as enlarged prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), worse for patients than these symptoms may be in non-diabetic patients.

Diabetes and BPH
A study published in the Journal of Urology in June 2000 shows that men who have diabetes experience worse symptoms of BPH than men without diabetes. The research looked at the records of 1,290 men with diabetes and 8,566 men without diabetes. All of the men were receiving drug treatment for BPH. Researchers compared BPH symptoms before and after drug treatment and found that men with diabetes had more symptoms and slower urine flow rate than those without diabetes. Their findings showed that men with diabetes have symptoms as severe as non-diabetic men eleven years older than them and a urine flow rate the same as non-diabetic men seven years older then them.

Can diabetes cause prostate problems such as BPH? According to other studies, the exact relationship of BPH to diabetes remains unclear because the specific pathway interfering in the development of both conditions is still poorly investigated. Research indicates that diabetes may substantially influence the risk of BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms in older men. The presence of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) has been known for decades to exist in prostatic tissue. Evidence suggests that an association between BPH and diabetes through a common pathogenic mechanism through altered male hormone activity influenced by IGF is possible. Future studies may determine the effect of insulin and the abnormalities of glucose homeostasis in the development of BPH.

Diabetes and Prostatitis
Prostatitis is a poorly understood condition affecting many men, and there are many potential causes. Diabetes could play contributing role, especially poorly managed diabetes. Hyperglycemia causes damage to blood vessels and nerves, leading to several chronic conditions that affect feet, eyes, kidneys, the heart, and potentially the prostate. Excess sugars make the body less resistant to infections, and that is why poorly managed diabetes causes frequent urinary tract infections and other infections in the body. Increased urinary tract infections can irritate the prostate area or cause bacteria to enter the prostate and lead to prostatitis.

Diabetes and Prostate Cancer
There are not many studies showing that diabetes leads to prostate cancer, but there is some evidence of a slightly reduced risk of prostate cancer in well-managed diabetic patients. Diabetes that is not well controlled can actually increase risk of a more aggressive prostate cancer, so controlling diabetes is key to prostate health.

While it is not especially clear the effect of diabetes on the prostate, what is very clear is that it is important to control blood sugar and manage diabetes well for optimum prostate health. While diabetes can make symptoms worse for certain conditions such as BPH, whether diabetes actually causes the conditions remains to be studied further. Future research may identify interventions that can prevent, diagnose, and treat these common conditions.

Can Carrots Reduce The Risk Of Diabetes?

Specialists from USA in the latest study found that beta-carotene, found in large quantities in carrots, can reduce the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes.

Thus, vegetables should be included in your diet to all those who seek to avoid the risk of the disease. Scientists advise them to limit in the diet of vitamin E, one form of which may be harmful in terms of the risk of developing diabetes. Thus, a substance known as gamma-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E contained in a large number of products, including vegetable, as it turned out in the tests, can increase the risk of developing the disease.

Scientists have traced the interaction between gene variants associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the level contained in the blood of different vitamins. Researchers have pinpointed the inverse relationship between the level of beta-carotene and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

"From Type 2 diabetes affects about 15% of the world population, and the number is growing," said Atul Butte, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Pediatrics, Stanford University. "Health authorities estimate that one third of children born in the United States since 2000, faced with the disease at some point in their lives."

Butt is the principal author of a new study published online in Human Genetics. The results will be very important in further experiments. At this stage, scientists are not completely sure whether beta-carotene and gamma-tocopherol is beneficial or harmful in themselves, or they act as "markers" of the processes occurring in the body, while the other substances that have, that are unknown, and are true factors of the disease.

Interestingly, the beta-carotene and gamma-tocopherol interact with the same gene variant that influences the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, although through different mechanisms. It is believed that the risk of diabetes is largely due to a gene variant SLC30A4, which determines the degree of insulin secretion.

Approximately 50 - 60% of the American population have 2 variants of this gene, which has been shown, carries an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In this case, beta-carotene is able to inhibit the expression of this gene, while gamma-tocopherol, on the contrary, stimulates expression.

Risk Factors For Alzheimer's Disease. Part Two

We continue to talk about risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Check Part One. 

5. Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes increases by two times risks for Alzheimer's disease development. According to latest research data, the higher sugar in blood the higher risks for development of mental debility. The reason for such regularity is still unclear.

6. Obesity
As a rule, obesity is coupled with diabetes, raised blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. All those diseases are connected with Alzheimer's disease. Besides this, one of signs of Alzheimer's disease may be reasonless weight loss that starts 6 – 10 years before symptoms appearing.

7. Head injury
According to data of a large research in which participated Veterans of World War II, the harder head injury is, the higher risks for Alzheimer's disease development. Scientists think that development of Alzheimer's disease after head injury is determined with faints that appear after several years after injury.

8. Low level of education
The lower level of education, the higher the risks for Alzheimer's disease development. Scientists consider that during learning between neurones in the brain get formed complex connections which helps to avoid loop of intelligence and resist stresses.

To be continued.

Five Reasons You Need To Eat More Fiber

Fiber is an essential nutrient which prevents many diseases and helps to lose weight. If you still have doubts about its benefits, check 5 reasons why you should eat it.

1. Healthy heart
Fiber helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol level. According to latest studies made by American researchers, in adults whose diet was rich with fiber the risks for cardiovascular disease development was significantly reduced.

2. Slim figure
Experts claim that people who ate 14g of fiber daily during 4 months lost 2kg of weight.

3. Low risks for diabetes type 2
Fiber found in wholegrain products reduces risks for diabetes development by 35%. Soluble fiber slows down digestion and thus normalizes glucose level in blood.

4. Regular intestinal habits
Fiber softens intestinal habits and reduces the risks for retention of feces. Experts say fiber reduces the risks for diverticulitis development.

5. Longevity
Researchers say that daily norm of 26g of fiber for women and 29g of fiber for men do reduce the risks for early death by 35%. The only condition here is that human body should get this fiber from wholegrain products.

One Minute of Exercise a Day Could Prevent Diabetes

Medical experts claim that just one minute of exercise a day helps to prevent development of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes develops when glucose level in blood becomes dangerously high due to depression of insulin function. Frequently the cause of this disease is sedentary lifestyle and therefore experts recommend exercises to prevent diabetes.

A recent study showed that just one minute of exercise a day would be enough to reduce significantly risks for diabetes development. Volunteers twice a day in the course of three days intensively exercised on a bike for 20 seconds, and as a result in six weeks the function of insulin was improved by 28%.

Our muscles do accumulate sugar in form of glycogen which we use when make exercises. In order to supplement lost reserves, muscles take sugar from blood. In passive people muscles are not used to that and therefore reduces sensibility to insulin and increases blood sugar level which leads to type 2 diabetes development.

Scientists from Great Britain say that there is no more rapid and effective way to make muscles use glycogen, than intensive exercises. In 20 seconds of exercises human body uses the same amount of glycogen as it uses during an hour of mid-intensive exercises.

3 Hours of Exercises Weekly Prolong Life

How to save heart and blood vessels from serious problems? It's all in your hands, say American researchers. Only three hours of physical activity each week may significantly reduce risks of cardio-vascular diseases development.

Latest study of Harvard School of Public Health shows that three hours of intense exercises daily help to reduce risks of heart attacks development by 22%.

Researchers found that in 38% cases the reduction of disease development was the result of healthy influence of physical activity on rate of “good” cholesterol in the blood or high-density lipoprotein.

In the study participated 1239 males who presented information about intensity of their weekly physical activity. The researchers analyzed cholesterol level in their blood and insulin sensitivity rate.

As expected, in males who had heart attack in past, the rate of “bad” cholesterol was higher than of “good” cholesterol. Moreover, those males more frequently suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. Specialists say that physical activity helps to lower greatly heart attacks risks and other serious cardio-vascular diseases.

Sexual Health In Older Age

Peak of sexual activity in males occurs from 16 to 20 years of age. In females it occurs other than in males, their sexual activity gradually increases till 55 – 60 years of age and then it lowers a little. Lowering of male sexual function to a certain degree is associated with lowering of testosterone in the blood by almost 50% at the ages 25 – 75, that is absolutely normal part of aging process, but this not means that this process is irreversible and there is no chance to restore sexual function.

Main difference in potency of a young male and older one is merely in the fact that at a young age potency causes arousal and at older age vise versa – arousal causes potency.

Do not think that potency decrease at older age is an inevitable process because there are many causes of its lowering, for example past diseases, some medications, stress, etc. Regular sexual life (including masturbation) helps to maintain sexual activity at older age.

Studies show that males at older age have sex from 1 to 6 times a week. Normal changes in males at older age:
- penis elasticity reduction and lowering of penis size during erection
- increases time of achieving erection
- feeling of ejaculation coming is subsided
- penis relaxes rapidly after orgasm and as a result more time for new erection is needed

The Impact Of Past Diseases On Sexual Function
Remember that none of diseases may cause total loss of sexual function. Cardio-vascular diseases and past heart attacks make males refuse from sex, for they fear new heart attacks. You should know that that is wrong believe. However, it is necessary to consult a doctor about sexual life.

Diabetes
In case diabetes is not diagnosed and treated, it may lead to impotence development.

Arthritis
This disease may lead to restrictions in sexual activity because of joint pains. Various exercises, heat baths, sufficient sleep will help to maintain body in good form. Pains usually occur in morning and evening time. All that is about mild forms of arthritis because severe forms of arthritis cause so intense pains in joints that it is impossible to make sex.

Prostate gland removal
Today operations on prostate gland removal are performed with retaining nerve-endings running to the penis. As a result this operation rarely leads to impotence. Normally, are possible temporal post-operation changes with further sexual function restoring.

Medications
Antidepressants, tranquilizers, drugs lowering high blood pressure may lead to impotence. Some medications may cause ejaculation deficiency in men and loss of sexual desire in women. But theses processes are reversible after you stop taking particular medication.

Alcohol
Reduces potency in males and may cause full its loss, and in females leads to the inability to feel orgasms.