Savvy Updates 8/5/19: D Research Centers, Best Hospitals, Natural Disasters, Tattoos, Drug for Medical Burnout

Some interesting southern California diabetes research centers …

Diabetes Research Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Diego, California. Established in 2012 by five tireless proponents of diabetes research, their mission is to connect donors with early-career scientists enabling them to perform peer-reviewed, novel research designed to prevent and cure type 1 diabetes, minimize its complications and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease. 100% of donations for research goes directly to the scientists.

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University Clinical Investigators, Inc. (d.b.a. Diabetes Research Center), Tustin, CA, has been conducting clinical trials to evaluate investigational medications specializing in diabetes and diabetes-related complications for over 20 years. An established leader in providing quality clinical research since 1996, our center has conducted more than 500 FDA-approved trials. Their staff includes Dr. Jean-Louis Selam, whom I met over 30 years ago when I was going to be patient #11 in the US for the implanted, internal insulin pump

Nation’s Top Hospitals: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, 2019-2020 rankings from U.S. News & World Report was reported on MedPageToday.com, 30 July 2019. And the 2019-2020 Best Hospital for Diabetes and Endocrinology … DRUMROLL Please …

For more rankings: Nation’s Top Hospitals

Preparing for Natural Disasters: Strategies for People with Diabetes was written by Elise Bourelly and Will Newton for diaTribe.org, 30 July 2019.

According to Dr. Carol Atkinson, the director of Insulin for Life and co-chair of the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition (DDRC), the most important thing people with diabetes can do to protect themselves from natural disasters is prepare in advance.

- Prepare a disaster kit
  - Paper copies of your prescriptions and medical records
  - Extra cash
- Learn your state’s laws governing emergency prescription refills
- Understand your rights as a person with diabetes and be prepared to identify yourself as a person with diabetes in any shelter.

Get one of these tattoos, and you get real-time updates on your health status – Scientists have developed tattoos that change color in response to changes in your body chemistry. This sounds so cool!

A team of scientists at the Technical University of Munich in Germany developed a way to tattoo the skin with a fluid that changes color as certain properties in the blood spike or decline.

This fluid is made up of different dyes that react with elements of a person’s metabolic system. The Technical University team tested three of those elements: pH levels, glucose, and albumin, which is a type of protein found in the blood. They injected the different dyes into patches of pig skin (which tattoo artists commonly practice on) and chemically adjusted concentrations of the three biomarkers. The tattoos changed colors as the concentrations of pH, glucose, and albumin shifted. To evaluate these changes, the researchers developed an app that dtected the color of the tattoo and gave a reading of what possible heath concerns it might indicate.

According to the study, published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the Technical University researchers believe that applying these color-shifting tattoos to patients whose health conditions must be monitored by measuring levels of these elements could be a low-cost way to offer them a consistent way to track their health.

The glucose-detecting ink shifted from light green to dark green as concentrations of glucose increased. High blood glucose levels could indicate diabetes, which inhibits the body’s ability to metabolize sugars, so a person with diabetes could be clued in to if they’re experiencing a dangerous spike by the color of their tattoo.

And finally, a bit of humor from GomerBlog, a satirical site about healthcare! Enjoy!

FDA Approves First Drug to Treat Medical Burnout – Idongivafumab targets and inhibits C-suite peptides, was reported by Gomer Blog Team for MedPageToday.com, 1 August 2019.

“Medical burnout is a serious condition, which affects thousands of doctors across the country. The effects of burnout have untold consequences, and could significantly shorten the careers of physicians if untreated,” said Arnold J. Palmer, MD, assistant to the regional manager for drug development at the FDA.

“This announcement marks the first time a drug has been specifically approved to treat medical burnout. Idongivafumab’s unique ability to target and inhibit C-suite peptides, as well the entire electronic health record (EHR) cascade, represents a quantum leap in burnout science,” Palmer explained in a statement.

“Clinical test subjects also noted a marked decrease in symptoms of Entitled Patient Pruritus (EPP) during the course of treatment. Some 87% of those treated stated they felt ready to type at a keyboard with their back to the patient; feeling a need to apply to law school, write a novel, or sell crafts on Etsy fell by a whopping 98%. This drug may truly revolutionize health care.”

Due to molecular instability, idongivafumab can only be administered as a continuous infusion in locales of extreme tranquility. As of press time, the only locations certified to be sufficiently tranquil were Tahiti, the Maldives, and the Deplar Farm Hotel in Iceland.