“We applaud the study because Americans are already experiencing a health crisis and the problem is only going to get worse,” shares Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long  Term Care Insurance, a national trade organization that studies health and medical trends that impact the needs of older Americans.

“People incorrectly assume that everyone can purchase long term care insurance, but that is just not true,” Slome shared with consumers this week.  “Diabetes is one of the conditions that will prevent you from health qualifying with most insurance companies clearly because it is a leading reason people will need costly long-term care.”

The German study involved over 5,500 individuals with diabetes.  Scientists reported that those individuals who maintained moderate levels of physical activity had the lowest risk of death.  A second study cited by Slome found that weight training without any aerobic activity can help prevent Type 2 diabetes.  The study of 32,000 men drew the conclusion that by increasing muscle mass and improving insulin sensitivity, the study participants benefited.

Approximately 20 percent of those individuals who apply for long term care insurance are declined for health reasons according to Association study.  “The percentage of declined applicants increases for older applicants,” Slome notes.  “We advise individuals to look into their long term care planning options prior to reaching age 65 when they qualify for Medicare.”

According to the study’s group of participating men those who engaged in aerobic exercise for up to one hour weekly reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by seven percent. Between one hour and 150 minutes of aerobics reduced risk by 31 percent, and those who performed at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise reduced their risk by 52 percent.

“We need to encourage much more awareness of what it takes to live a long and healthy life,” Slome concluded, “and then how to plan for living into your 90s and beyond.”

For more information or to connect with a knowledgeable long term care insurance professional designated by the Association, call their Los Angeles national headquarters  at (818) 597-3227 or read free guides authored by Slome on reducing long term care insurance costs that can be accessed on the Association’s website.

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A new study published in the current issue of Neurology reaffirms previous research connecting the two illnesses.  According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance some 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and as many as 16 million will have the disease by mid-century. 

The study of more than 1,000 Japanese adults found that 27 percent of those with diabetes developed dementia, compared to 20 percent of people with normal blood sugar levels.  The study also revealed that pre-diabetes, reported as higher than normal blood sugar levels. also raised the risk of dementia. 

The study, conducted from 1988 to 2003, followed over 1,000 men and women, age 60 and older, who took a glucose test to find out if they were diabetic or pre-diabetic. These adults were then tracked over an average of 11 years each. In all, 232 developed dementia, either Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, all-cause dementia or another form. 

Of the 150 who had diabetes, 41 developed dementia, compared to 115 of the 559 people without diabetes. Among the 308 people with pre-diabetes, 76, or 25 percent, developed dementia. 

Diabetes affects close to 26 million children and adults in the United States, with 7 million of them undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association.   “Another 79 million have pre-diabetes,” explains Jesse Slome, a leading long term care insurance expert.  “Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, and as Americans become heavier, more are developing diabetes and thus will be at greater risk of needing costly long term care.” 

In type 2 diabetics, the more common form of the disorder, people don’t have enough of the hormone insulin to convert glucose in food into energy, or they don’t process insulin properly. 

Planning experts advise those seeking to learn more about long-term care planning and get long-term care insurance cost contact a designated expert via the Association’s Consumer Information Center at http://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/free-quote/.

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A study by researchers at UC Davis examined over 1,300 participants, with the average age of 54 years.   The individuals medical histories were followed to identify vascular disease risk factors, and elevated body mass index, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and smoking.

The researchers acquired measures of vascular disease that are linked with increased vascular damage. The scientists looked at changes in total brain volume, cognitive tests of verbal and spatial memory together with decision-making capabilities measurements.

According to the findings, people with high blood pressure had a faster decline in scores on tests of executive function or decision and planning making, in comparison to those with normal blood pressure.   The researchers noted that their findings revealed that obese participants in the study data were more prone to being in the top 25% of people with a greater decline rate in scores on tests of executive functioning abilities later in life.

The investigation discovered lost brain volume in the hippocampus brain region was faster in participants with diabetes during mid-life, than those without diabetes when they were older. Participants who smoked, lost overall brain volume faster, and were more likely to have a rapid increase in white matter hyper-intensities than non-smokers. 

Over five percent of American adults over age 65 have one or more cognitive disorders according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance  <a href> http://www.aaltci.org </a>.  “These studies continue to point out the importance of healthy lifestyles because millions of Americans will now live into their 80s and 90s,” explains Jesse Slome, AALTCI’s director.

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Half of Americans aged 65 and older have prediabetes, and nearly 27 percent have diabetes.   Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.  Diabetes costs $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical expenses.

In addition, an estimated 79 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.   Prediabetes raises a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance .

Diabetes affects 8.3 percent of Americans of all ages, and 11.3 percent of adults aged 20 and older, according to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet for 2011. About 27 percent of those with diabetes—7 million Americans—do not know they have the disease. 

Prediabetes affects 35 percent of adults aged 20 and older.  In 2008, CDC estimated that 23.6 million Americans, or 7.8 percent of the population, had diabetes and another 57 million adults had prediabetes. The 2011 estimates have increased for several reasons:

 More people are developing diabetes.  Many people are living longer with diabetes, which raises the total number of those with the disease. Better management of the disease is improving cardiovascular disease risk factors and reducing complications such as kidney failure and amputations.

 Hemoglobin A1c is now used as a diagnostic test, and was therefore incorporated into calculations of national prevalence for the first time. The test, also called glycated hemoglobin, measures levels of blood glucose (sugar) over a period of two to three months. Because of this change, estimates of populations with diabetes and prediabetes in the 2011 fact sheet are not directly comparable to estimates in previous fact sheets.

In a study published last year, CDC projected that as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue. Type 2 diabetes, in which the body gradually loses its ability to use and produce insulin, accounts for 90 percent to 95 percent of diabetes cases. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history, having diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes), a sedentary lifestyle, and race/ethnicity. Groups at higher risk for the disease are African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and some Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Half of Americans aged 65 and older have prediabetes, and nearly 27 percent have diabetes.   Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.  Diabetes costs $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical expenses.

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According to the researchers, the compound, trans-palmitoleic (TP) acid, is a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter. It is not produced by the body and so only comes from the diet.  Diabetes is an increasingly common condition that can result in disability for older individuals according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

A report in the Annals of Internal Medicine explains that TP acid may underlie epidemiological evidence in recent years that diets rich in dairy foods are linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic abnormalities. Health experts generally advise reducing full-fat dairy products, but TP acid is found in dairy fat.

The researchers examined nearly 4,000 participants and followed them for 20 years in an observational study to evaluate risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in older adults. Metabolic risk factors such as blood glucose and insulin levels, and also levels of circulating blood fatty acids, including trans-palmitoleic acid, were measured using stored blood samples in 1992, and participants were followed for development of type 2 diabetes.

At baseline, higher circulating levels of TP acid were associated with healthier levels of blood cholesterol, inflammatory markers, insulin levels, and insulin sensitivity, after adjustment for other risk factors.

During follow-up exams, individuals with higher circulating levels of trans-palmitoleic acid had a much lower risk of developing diabetes, with about a 60% lower risk among participants in the highest quintile (fifth) of TP acid levels, compared to individuals in the lowest quintile.

Support for the study was provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health and the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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The medical scientists found that action by the enzyme histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) could be targets for potential treatment options in obesity-related diseases.

Researchers were really interested in the tie between increased HDAC9 levels in fat tissue of mice and the caloric overload.  Fat tissues from these obese mice showed dysfunction, with increased expression of pro-inflammatory agents and decreased expression of hormones responsible for maintaining whole body lipid and glucose stability.

HDAC9 level in fat cells is the underlying molecular culprit for dysfunctional fat tissue during obesity.

The researchers are currently examining HDAC9 knockout mice subjected to chronic high-fat feeding and think that HDAC9 gene removal will protect mice from obesity-linked adipose tissue dysfunction and associated metabolic disorders.

The team is pursuing studies to understand how diet regulates HDAC9 levels in fat tissue and how HDAC9 up-regulation can be prevented during diet-induced obesity through pharmacological means.  Their findings may help lead researchers to targeted therapies that may prevent the development of obesity-related disorders in humans reports the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance which tracks scientific research impacting the long-term health of Americans.

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