In a rare development that all insulin dependent diabetics should be aware of, Johnson & Johnson has recalled around 384,000 cartridges for its Animus Insulin Pump.

To date, twenty-two injuries have been reported as a result of faulty insulin pump cartridges leaking at the side where the plunger is. The leaks can result in the diabetic using the cartridge receiving a lower insulin dosage than they intended.

Johnson & Johnson has posted an urgent notice on their Animus division website warning consumers to check their cartridge supply and to stop using any of the 2.0 ml cartridges in question immediately. It is also contacting insulin pump users, or as they refer to them, “insulin pumpers”, that may have purchased the faulty cartridges, and shipping them replacement cartridges. The website notice reads in part:

Please note that under-delivery of insulin can cause high blood sugar and/or diabetic ketoacidosis. These are serious conditions that can cause severe health impact, including death. Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis may include nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and excess thirst/urination. Contact your healthcare professional immediately if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

Ketoacidosis usually develops slowly over 24 hours, starting with symptoms such as fatigue, mental stupor, decreased appetite, loss of appetite, headache, and fading consciousness. Other ketoacidosis symptoms all insulin dependent diabetics should be aware of include stomach or abdominal pain, a flushed complexion, and breath that smells like fruit or nail polish remover.

The insulin cartridge recall extends to the US and France. The recall applies only to lot numbers B201575, B201576, B201581, B201582 and B201583. The insulin pump cartridges in questions were shipped between November 30th, 2010 and January 4th, 2011.

Animas has provided the following instructions for insulin pumpers diabetics with a recalled insulin cartridge who need to disconnect their infusion sets:

1) Disconnect the infusion set from your body (failure to follow these important safety instructions can lead to unintended delivery of insulin).
2) Unscrew the cartridge cap, leaving the tubing connected to the cartridge.
3) With the tubing connected to the cartridge, pull the cartridge straight out of your insulin pump.
4) Disconnect tubing from cartridge, set the cartridge aside to return to Animas.
5) Fill a new cartridge from an unaffected lot not listed above, and attach infusion set tubing.
6) While still disconnected, rewind, load the cartridge and prime.
7) Connect tubing to site once prime is complete.
8) Fill cannula only if you have inserted a new infusion set.

Animas Customer Support can also be reached by phone toll-free at 877-937-7867.

Yet another reason to listen to your mother and slow down and chew your food properly – eating too quickly has been associated with a doubled risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance, or pre-diabetes. As the name suggests, pre-diabetes is the forerunner to developing type 2 diabetes. Most diabetics have type 2 diabetes – a form of diabetes where your body no longer responds properly to insulin (called insulin resistance). Type 2 diabetes used to be described as non insulin dependent diabetes.

Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar (glucose) from the blood to the body’s cells to provide them with energy. If your cells do not use insulin properly, the pancreas produces more insulin that normal to cope with the body’s demands. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up, and excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood.

A recent Japanese study followed over 170 healthy individuals for three years, monitoring their eating habits. Snacking, eating late at night, skipping meals and eating out were not associated with developing pre-diabetes. The one and only eating habit associated with the development of insulin resistance was eating too quickly.

The researchers aren’t sure why eating faster makes an individual more likely to develop pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, but suspect that eating rapidly results in higher post-meal blood glucose levels. Some doctors also point out that eating too quickly results in an overall increase in the amount of calories taken in, and a resulting weight gain. Since it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to receive the signal that the stomach is full, those who eat quickly continue eating without realizing that their stomach is filled.

Previous research has also shown that eating quickly results in increased weight gain. Insulin resistance generally increases with increased body fat, and there is a pronounced connection between obesity and diabetes. The two are so closely connected that it gave rise to the term “diabesity”. Diabesity is currently epidemic across the developed world.

Insulin resistance has no symptoms. Pre-diabetes is sometimes called impaired glucose tolerance, and can be diagnosed with a fasting glucose test or a glucose tolerance test. The American Diabetes Association recommends that adults who are overweight and have one or more additional risk factors for diabetes should consider being tested. Additional risk factors include:

• Having a parent or sibling with diabetes
• Being physically inactive.
• Being African American, Alaska native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic or Latino, or a Pacific Islander
• Giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds or being diagnosed with gestational diabetes
• Having high blood pressure or being treated for high blood pressure
• Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels or high triglyceride levels
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome
• Having a history of cardiovascular disease

People with pre-diabetes can avoid becoming diabetic and having to take diabetes medication by losing weight, being physically active, eating a healthy diet, and, as we now know, not eating too quickly.