EndoBreak: After Menopause, Take the Stairs; Don't Try Kratom For T2D

A Wisconsin father was charged with homicide after failing to check the glucose levels of his son -- who had type 1 diabetes -- and subsequently died due to complications. (USA Today)

Following the FDA warning regarding the opioid kratom, the agency issued an updated warning after people with type 2 diabetes were experimenting with it in attempts to increase insulin sensitivity, despite lack of evidence supporting this. (Everyday Health)

According to a new CDC report, there were roughly 12 million emergency department visits among adults 45 and older with diabetes in 2015 -- increasing since 2012.

For postmenopausal women with stage 2 hypertension, climbing stairs may be what the doctor ordered. This form of exercise was found to lower blood pressure and strengthen leg muscles, particularly in women with estrogen deficiencies. (Menopause)

From 2001 to 2015, obesity-driven healthcare costs rose by a staggering 29%. These rates also differed from state to state, with Wisconsin and Kentucky allocating more than 20% of their Medicaid spending to obesity-related illness. (ScienceDaily)

Drinking a ketone-supplemented drink was found to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. "The ketone supplements do not taste very good and, in order to blind the participants, we had to make a control drink that also tasted distinctly bad. It made for interesting mornings seeing how the participants would respond to the taste of their drinks!" said coauthor Jonathan Little, PhD, of the University of British Columbia in a statement. (Journal of Physiology)

After 6 years of hormone-replacement therapy, the first-ever case of nonpuerperal induced lactation was reported in a transgender woman. (Transgender Health)

Researchers at the University of California Riverside received a $1-million award to investigate how steroid hormones cross cell membranes.

MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta announced that they are cutting their endocrinology services this spring due to lack of revenue. (Bangor Daily News)

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has a new book for patients, titled Managing Type 2 Diabetes For Dummies. In it, the organization recommends that people with diabetes create a multidisciplinary team, including a diabetes care provider, certified diabetes educator, endocrinologist, dietitian, ophthalmologist, pharmacist, dentist, exercise physiologist, podiatrist, dermatologist, nephrologist, and mental health specialist.

The ADA and the Endocrine Society (ES) applauded the $600 million funding renewal for the Special Diabetes Program: "The renewal of the Special Diabetes Program is key in continuing groundbreaking diabetes research and ensuring that the most vulnerable patients with diabetes have access to prevention and education programs," said a statement.

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