National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone, which helps maintain healthy levels of calcium in the body. Calcium is one of the building blocks of the body's function and is an essential mineral to support cardiovascular, skeletal, and nervous system function. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/enRGjKAg

Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to hypothyroidism, which affects your thyroid and immune system. The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland is the body's energy command center, affecting vital organs and function. When a person is diagnosed with Hashimoto's, the immune system makes antibodies which attack and enlarge the thyroid gland, limiting its proper function. Learn more about Hashimoto's disease this Thyroid Awareness Month: https://lnkd.in/ehH2GmG9

An NIH-funded clinical trial led by NIDDK found that, among people with kidney disease being treated with dialysis, a form of psychological therapy known as pain coping skills training (PCST) reduced how much pain got in the way of their daily activities, also known as pain interference. The PCST also helped alleviate other effects of pain, such as depression, anxiety, and decreased quality of life. The results suggest PCST may be an appealing alternative or complement to pain medications. Its high acceptability, tolerability, and safety also support more research on developing non-pharmacologic, non-invasive pain management strategies for people with dialysis-dependent kidney failure – who commonly experience chronic pain but have limited treatment options. The study was funded by the NIH HEAL Initiative, an NIH-wide effort that seeks to speed scientific solutions to the overdose epidemic, including opioid and stimulant use disorders, and the crisis of chronic pain. https://lnkd.in/esRgBR8W

Ring in the new year with resolutions you can manage. Here are some approachable tips for healthy weight management: ⭐ Try to replace refined or white bread with whole-wheat bread and refined pasta with whole-wheat pasta. ⭐ Find ways to build short bursts of physical activity into your day. ⭐ Try cutting back on solid-fat foods. Use olive oil instead of butter in cooking. ⭐ Meet a friend for a walk, instead of a meal.

There's no "right" number of daily or weekly bowel movements, but if they're infrequent, you may be constipated. Symptoms include: - Fewer than three bowel movements a week - Difficulty passing stools - Lumpy or hard stools - A feeling of being blocked

Ready to boost your health through physical activity? Aim for 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. That's 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. If you're just getting started, take it slow and aim for an hour per week. What's your go-to activity: dancing, walking the dog, gardening, or something else? Let us know in the comments!

What is NIDDK's STEP-UP program and why is the research experience unique? Nathalie Fuentes, a past participant, shares her experience. 🔬 🧫👩🏽🔬 Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 program. Visit niddk.gov and click "Research & Funding," then "Research Programs & Contacts," & "Diversity."

NIDDK researchers analyzing data from the U.S. Renal Data System found that opioid prescription rates among people in the U.S. treated with dialysis or who had a kidney transplant dropped steadily. The findings, published in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology, stated that short-term and chronic opioid prescriptions were associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Read more in the latest Director's Update. #DKupdate

The busy holiday season can be overwhelming. And people with diabetes already face many stressors in and outside of their daily care routine. Managing stress is critical to avoid further complications. Dr. Krystal M. Lewis of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) shares resources to help your patients cope with diabetes stress on the Diabetes Discoveries & Practice Blog: https://lnkd.in/ebrhAUiM #NIDDK #Diabetes #StressManagement #MentalHealth #DDPblog

Out now: The latest "Diabetes in America" article summarizes diabetes-related kidney disease and its treatment, including the recent changes to the equation for estimating glomerular filtration rate. Read it now: https://lnkd.in/gUvvzGdA This article is authored by: Meda Pavkov - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alain K. Koyama, ScD, Petter Bjornstad, M.D., and Robert Nelson, MD, PhD.