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Women’s life expectancy declined significantly in 180 U.S. counties, mostly in the deep South and Appalachia, between 1983 and 1999, according to a study being released Tuesday.

Researchers blamed the decrease in women’s life expectancy on high blood pressure as well as chronic diseases related to smoking and obesity, such as lung cancer and diabetes.

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I think most of us have heard the story of the 11 year old Wisconsin girl who died as a result of Type 1 Diabetes complications. Her parents declined doctor or hospital care, preferring to use their faith in the power of prayer and healing. The girl, Madeline Neumann had been sick, according to relatives for some time. She had been taken out of regular schools to be home schooled and had not seen a doctor since the age of 3.

One in four women experience physical, sexual, or emotional violence and abuse in their lifetime. And now, according to a recent survey by the CDC, intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with poor health, chronic disease, injury and disability.

Over 40,000 women nationwide were surveyed, and the results are astonishing. Women who suffered from intimate partner violence reported a higher prevalence of these chronic health conditions:
Diabetes
Arthritis
Asthma
Stroke
High blood cholesterol
Heart disease

TUESDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- Despite appearances to the contrary, more than half of normal-weight Americans have a high percentage of body fat. And, like their overweight contemporaries, this makes them susceptible to heart disease, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, a new study says.

Men whose body fat is greater than 20 percent and women whose body fat is greater than 30 percent are suffering from "normal weight obesity," the study authors said, even though their weight may be normal for their size.

(HealthDay News) -- A common cold, flu or infection that is an inconvenience to many people can cause much more serious health problems in diabetics.

When you're sick, your body is under stress and releases hormones that can affect your blood sugar. So it's important to know how to take care of yourself.

Here are suggestions for diabetics on dealing with an illness, courtesy of the American Diabetes Association:

* Closely monitor and regulate your blood sugar, which can fluctuate more than usual while you're sick.

THURSDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- Chronically high blood glucose levels disable the molecular switch that normally turns off sugar production in the liver in response to increasing insulin levels, a California study finds.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A small U.S. study found that obese Hispanic children and adolescents with normal blood sugar levels had elevated markers for blood vessel inflammation that may put them at risk for both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center studied 38 Hispanic youngsters, aged 10 to 18. Of those, 17 were lean and 21 were obese but had normal blood sugar levels, which means they had not yet developed diabetes.

Terrorism is less of a global threat than obesity, diabetes and smoking-relating diseases, and governments need to devote more money and attention to these kinds of preventable lifestyle diseases, according to experts attending an international conference in Sydney, Australia.

FRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The current standard test for measuring blood sugar control in people with diabetes gives inaccurate results for people on kidney hemodialysis, a U.S. study finds.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have found a way to convert human embryonic stem (ES) cells into cells that release insulin in response to glucose and ease a diabetes-like condition in mice, a new study says.

Further research and development of this technique could lead to a renewable source of cells for treatment of people with diabetes, according to Emmanuel Baetge, of Novocell Inc., in San Diego, and colleagues, who published their work online in the current issue of Nature Biotechnology.