My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just over 5 years ago. He was only a baby; unable to communicate with me about how he felt or what he was going through. He has recently turned 7, and today, underwent a procedure to remove 4 baby teeth. They had been causing discomfort for a long time, until one night he revealed that he was "tired of having toothache." After extensive x-rays, it was discovered that years of Diabetes-related mouth ulcers, absesses,infections and antibiotics had left four of his teeth decayed at the back, and then the nerves were affected, which was causing the pain. As a result of random, unpredictable and life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks all his life,doctors were worried about removing them under general anaesthetic, (which is general protocol in Australia,) even for an adult tooth extraction. It was therefore decided that it would be much safer if my son could have them removed in the dentist's chair, along with local anaesthetic (14 needles in his gums) and nitrous oxide ( laughing gas.) The dentist was confident, but still concerned that he would panic and not allow her to remove the teeth safely, or that his blood sugar would drop and he would require a glucagon injection. Thankfully-he was fantastic and reacted to the gas very well. He was very relaxed and felt no pain.His blood sugar rose to 18mmol/L through stress and anxiety, however it was better than a hypo, especially in a dental chair. I was able to monitor his blood sugar throughout the procedure with a glucometer. Bless..he doesn't remember a thing. He has four little gaps in his mouth tonight, and as a result of only eating soft foods, has already endured a 1.5mmol/L hypo attack this afternoon. He was lucid enough to drink juice through a straw, but it was still frightening enough to leave me feeling very weary this evening. It concerns me that despite excellent oral hygiene for all of his life, this procedure had to occur to ensure his adult teeth could come through without any problems. The worst possible scenario is that he could have developed an absess,that was not visible, thus developing an infection that could have potentially lead to fatal blood poisoning. At 7 years of age, and officially making it through his first diabetic complication, I can't help but wonder what will be next...it's just my way. However, I am so thankful that he is well tonight and he was able to experience the latest dental technology that made this procedure as comfortable and painless as possible. I have learnt NEVER to take my eye off Diabetes and all its little tricks and masquerades. Hopefully I can protect him from having to undergo anything like this for some time! Join discussion...

Gene tests may be no better for predicting diabetes risk than having a doctor ask some old-fashioned questions about weight, smoking status and family history, according to two studies published on Wednesday. Both studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at more than 16 genes linked to type 2 diabetes and found that the information they provided was no better than traditional risk factors, including blood sugar levels. Join discussion...

Could you have diabetes and not know it?. Take this test to see if you are at risk for having or developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If you are a member of one of these ethnic groups, you need to pay special attention to this test. Manage your diabetes risk! Join discussion...

In a study of more than 11,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes, the investigators found that over a decade, those diagnosed with depression consistently had a higher average hemoglobin A1C level -- a standard measure of long-term blood sugar control. Join discussion...

Two common cancer drugs have been shown to both prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes in a mouse model of the disease, according to research conducted at the University of California, San Francisco. The drugs – imatinib (marketed as Gleevec) and sunitinib (marketed as Sutent) – were found to put type 1 diabetes into remission in 80 percent of the test mice and work permanently in 80 percent of those that go into remission. Join discussion...

A new study, released Tuesday exclusively to The Associated Press, puts the total at $218 billion last year - the first comprehensive estimate of the financial toll diabetes takes, according to Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk A/S, which paid for the study. That figure includes direct medical care costs, from insulin and pills for controlling patients' blood sugar to amputations and hospitalizations, plus indirect costs such as lost productivity, disability and early retirement. Join discussion...

In 2008, our aim is to encourage a total of 500 monuments and iconic buildings to light up to mark World Diabetes Day. Information on how you can get a building to light up is available in our Lighting Guide. Join discussion...

Download the full issue in PDF. Articles in this issue: Meeting very special needs. Bringing youth diabetes to light. The DAWN Youth initiative - setting priorities for action. How is diabetes perceived?. The results of the DAWN Youth survey. The DAWN verdict on diabetes support in schools: could do better DAWN Youth in Europe - international principles, national actions. Peer support and positive results in Germany - repeating success at my Camp D. Addressing shortcomings in diabetes care and school support in Spain. Driving research and action for long-term improvements in Denmark. From research to response in Italy - working alongside the Ministry of Health. Improving quality of life and solving problems at school in the Netherlands. New perspectives, new solutions - improving care for children in Brazil. Identifying recent advances and remaining challenges in paediatric diabetes care in Japan. Addressing the daily problems of children and adolescents in South Africa. Advocacy, training and tools to improve psychosocial support for children with diabetes. Promoting opportunities, fighting against isolation in India. Join discussion...

The application processes to the national regulatory agencies and ethics committees have proceeded according to plan, and the company has now received agency approvals for a European Phase III study of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Finland, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Join discussion...

SmartInsulin that could sense high glucose levels and automatically dispense insulin on demand. Join discussion...