hypOglycemic/hypERglycemic...
Ah, among other aspects you touch on one of the weak points in the linked
hypotheses about the pancreatic effects of the CURRENT version of the
glycemic index. In the first place, the glycemic index as it exists is a
really lousy way of predicting what will happen in the body. It needs to
better reflect what happens in normal situations, not fasting situations.
Also, the stacked hypotheses about insulinoma onset in ferrets in
relation to diet is based first off on cat diabetes work. I do not know
if the cat work has been re- studied, nor how tight it is, but the human
work linking glycemic index, diet, and diabetes onset (not symptoms but
cause) has recently taken some powerful hits in human studies (and I
have put links to or quotes from some in past recent FMLs). Might there
still be something in the hypothesis? Sure; things are mostly is shades
of gray until enough is known, after all. The current state of hard
information and the tools both just plain stink, though, so it is
important to always remember that and to know what is hypothesized from
what has been proven. A lot more could be known with better tools and
hard studies.
Ferrets usually wind up with insulinoma and the extra insulin with that
when it is untreated drops blood sugar (HYPOglycemic, similar to when
a diabetic has not balanced the taken insulin with enough food), but
they can also get diabetes in which the blood sugar is too high without
treatment (HYPERglycemic), and the symptoms are similar enough that it
is essential for the blood sugar to be tested before steroids are
given. About every two years on the FHL we hear of a ferret given
Prednisone/Prednisolone without testing first and those ferrets can
take damage as a result. There was one again just recently.
Ferrets also sometimes get rebound diabetes after pancreatic surgery to
remove the beta cell tumors (insulinomae) which produce too much insulin
resulting in insulinoma; luckily, rebound diabetes is usually (though
not always) temporary.
There is also a postulated (but decently supported by known facts)
connection between some adrenal cases and some diabetes cases in ferrets
and the known parts of that are why Lupron is so effective for some
ferrets with diabetes.
Additionally, a lot of new info on the pancreas has been coming out
recently such as the estradiol receptors, and melatonin's effect
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG16917
For those who don't know: HYPO means low, and HYPER means high. The
Glycemic Index refers to the effect on blood sugar in a fasting state,
but does not take into account that individuals are not usually fasted
when they eat, the effects of different cooking methods, the foods or
other food components (like fiber which can be very important to some
results) eaten at the same time, etc., hence hard study comments like
those I quoted yesterday from a new study in the British Journal of
Nutrition.
I hope that helps.
-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my
private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love
them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5206]
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