Type 1 diabetes; glycosilation; LIPITOR as the MOST potent antioxidant

[Guest guest]

Gandhi,

Thanks for your thoughts.

> Calorie restriction working by lowering insulin and

> glucose levels and increasing insulin sensitivity. But

> this happens in an organism that *has* beta langerhans

> cells!

Exactly. I was hoping someone would tell me that blood glucose and

circulating insulin levels had been ruled out as the

primary " mechanism " through which calorie restriction worked its

magic. Apparently not. So that makes it questionable if I will

receive the full longevity and health benefits which normally reward

the discipline of calorie restriction.

> 2nd: Your cholestol will go low if you do not have a

> bigger problem in a CR diet and insulin is token at

> right dosages and in the right time.

> Perhaps the cholesterol is high because

> an inbalance in your organism caused by

> gluconeogenesis and cetoacidoses that happens in

> an diabetic organism, that is, your organism are

> converting aminoacids of your muscles

> in glucose in order to get

> more fuel available to the remaining cells

> and there is a misregulation of

> cholesterol syntesis. This is only an hipotesis

I've never heard of high cholesterol *caused* by diabetes; but that's

an interesting hypothesis. I think this may be a separate genetic

problem, as my mother and most of my siblings have high cholesterol.

As a diabetic, though, the cholesterol problem is especially

important to get under control, so I thought I'd mention it.

Obviously, my body is producing the cholesterol since, as a vegan,

I'm eating zero. However, for my body to make cholesterol it must

start with something. Do you know the biochemical pathway for

cholesterol formation? If it starts with dietary fat, then it seems

likely that going on a very low fat diet would drop my cholesterol by

depriving my system of the basic stock from which it must start. I

guess I'll find out as, beginning today, I am going to undertake a

little experiment -- also a first step to calorie restriction, I

suppose? -- of lowering my dietary fat to a minimum. In a few weeks

I'll go in for a new blood test and we'll see if it has much effect.

> of what is happening of course. There are others

> to be considered. Please consult your phisician.

> I believe that such inbalance in cholesterol

> can be correct with

> the right dosage of insulin (consult your phisician)

I don't think so. Any physicians -- at least in the U.S. -- are

notoriously unhelpful and uneducated regarding dietary issues and

improving diabetes control.

On a slightly different thread, my brother in law does biochemistry

research at Stanford and has been researching the cholesterol

lowering " statins " for use in auto-immune diseases. He says that

*lipitor*, specifically, is probably " the most powerful antioxidant "

in existence, and thus might be useful even for a variety of

conditions -- including anti-aging. I thought you CR folks might

find that interesting, as the oxidation theory of aging is

compelling. Unfortunately, lipitor is among the most expensive of

the statins and that probably will not be what I am prescribed.

> and a good low cal regimen. Note that are bombs in

> the market now, that can be put insulin in the right dose

> into the organism and

> work 24 hours a day so you can safely apply CR. But

> start CR *slowly* because you in an more advanced

> age.

Thanks for the warning. I'll go slow -- very low fat but all I want

to eat will be how I'll start out; based on prior experience, I'd

expect that to drop my weight at least 10%. If by " bombs " you mean

insulin pumps then, no, there isn't any pump with a built-in glucose

sensor to provide feedback. The pumps are currently all dumb and,

so, there IS a danger of low blood sugar episodes.

So . . . that leaves me where I was afraid I might be left. I

probably cannot achieve anything close to the lower blood sugars a

non-diabetic would have under calorie restriction.

However, it still makes sense that if I eat less I will need fewer

insulin injections and that (1) should make stabilzing my sugar at a

lower level more achieveable and (2) lower my circulating levels of

insulin. So, I will begin " phase one " , at least, and switch to a

very low fat diet beginning today.

Beyond that, I will pursue getting an insulin pump -- but I really

think I need to see if I can push my way to the front of the line for

an islet cell transplant. If I get that, I'll have to take anti-

rejection drugs for the rest of my life . . . hopefully their

downside would be less than the downside of continued, impossible to

control diabetes.

If I can't get my blood sugars low enough, <u>what can anyone tell me

about drugs which block protein glycocilation?</u>

A quick google finds

http://www.imbiomed.com.mx/Patol/Ptv43n2/english/Zpt62-

02.htmlBackground:

<i>Diabetic patients have premature aging due to protein

glycosilation as well as the risk of developing atherosclerosis

secondary to disorders in the metabolism of lipids and proteins.

These alterations is due mainly to glycemic control.

Objective: Simultaneous evaluation of carbohydrate and lipid

metabolism in order to characterize protein glycosilation and

atherogenesis.

Design: Prospective, clinical and experimental research on a cohort

of 100 consecutive, external, ambulatory, well controlled, diabetic

patients that attended the laboratory for glycemic control from 1st

of December 93 to 30th of Apr 94. Based on the clinical data

obtianed, four groups were integrated:

1. Positive family history 2. Type II diabetes under diet 3. Type II

diabetes under medication 4. Juvenile diabetes

In all cases clinical data were consigned and blood levels of

glucose, glycohemoglobin, fructosamine, cholesterol, HDL, LDL,

LDL/HDL and tryglicerides were determined.

Results: Protein glycosilation was more evident in juvenile diabetic

patients while hyperlipidemia was more obvious in type II diabetics.

As previously expected glucose had a better correlation with HbA1 (R

= 0.99) than fructosamine (R = 0.69). In opposition, lipids had a

negative correlation with fructosamine (R = -0.885) and HbA1 (R = -

0.705).

Conclusion: In the modern management of diabetic patients apart from

basal glucose surveillance, it is indispensible to survey and control

protein glycosilation as well as all the atherogenic risk factors

among which the blood lipid plays a central role.</i>

That's easy for THEM to say.

My head it kind of tripping this evening as I consider my mortality,

what I fear is going to be my end if I don't get better control, and

whether I have the strength of will to follow calorie restriction and

give up all those fat foods forever. One step at a time, I guess.

At least I've got uncommon motivation staring me in the face; I spoke

with a diabetic friend last week and found out he's now blind and on

kidney dialysis.