Mar 31, 2024 | Business
For the first time, The Gateway Family YMCA and the Loyalty Foundation held an exhibition match between 2 new Esports program teams, The AscendancY at The Gateway Family YMCA in Elizabeth, NJ and The Circuits, at the Newark School of Data Science & Information Technology.
“We are very proud of our Esports Team and their dedication to the sport, and to their teammates,” stated Melynda A. Disla, President/CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA. “We are especially thankful to our partner The Loyalty Foundation for assisting us in making this possible.”’
The goal of the exhibition match was to provide a competitive scrimmage between the two new teams, maximizing participation among all e-athletes, encouraging teamwork and supporting communication. Events included a full-team warm up, Freestyle Matches, a Captain’s Match and culminated in a Showcase Match – the main event where each team fielded their best trio in a best of series.
“The match was a total success, participants and spectators really enjoyed themselves,” shared Rafael Cano, Director of Healthy Living, The Gateway Family YMCA – Elizabeth Branch.
The AscendancY Esports Team at The Gateway Family YMCA – Elizabeth Branch is a competitive video gaming league for individuals in grades 7-12 with a passion and commitment to weekly practice sessions and competitions. Individuals interested in trying out for the competitive team or non-competitive roles should contact Rafael Cano at 908-355-9622 or rcano@tgfymca.org.
The Gateway Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization of caring staff and volunteers dedicated to strengthening community through Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. The Gateway Family YMCA impacts the community by providing quality services for all. The Y doesn’t just strengthen bodies – it strengthens people, families and communities.
For more information about The Gateway Family YMCA, visit www.tgfymca.org or contact the Elizabeth Branch at 908-355-9622.
Mar 31, 2024 | Business
The Gateway Family YMCA will be hosting a Cancer Survivor Retreat on Thursday, April 25 11:00-3:00pm at The Gateway Family YMCA – Wellness Center Branch, 1000 Galloping Hill Road, Union, NJ. More information and registration for this free community event is available at www.tgfymca.org/events.
The YMCA Cancer Survivor Retreat incorporates in-person community building, YMCA staff support and YMCA360 Livestream participation to connect with other YMCA’s across the country. Featuring guest speakers, inspiring stories, connection and more, the retreat is being hosted as a collaborative effort through a hybrid format. Registration is required, and lunch will be provided to all participants at The Gateway Family YMCA.
The Cancer Survivor Retreat on YMCA360 is scheduled to include the following sessions:
· 11:00-12:00pm – Another Support in the Cancer Journey: Palliative Care
· 12:30-1:00pm – Empowering Cancer Survivors Through Knowledge: Clinical Trials
· 2:00-3:00pm – Taking Care of Yourself While You are Living with Cancer
For individuals who cannot attend the event at The Gateway Family YMCA in person, a virtual option is available through the digital platform YMCA360, which is included free in all Full Privilege Memberships at The Gateway Family YMCA. For individuals in the community who would like to attend the Cancer Survivor Retreat from home, information is available at www.tgfymca.org/events on requesting access for this one-day event.
“Our commitment to digital innovation and community health equity and support have combined into this Cancer Survivor Retreat,” stated Melynda A. Disla, President/CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA. “With our mission centered on equity for all, we strive to be a leading voice in the community for health and well-being, providing resources and guidance so that everyone can achieve their goals and feel supported in spirit, mind and body.”
The Gateway Family YMCA is also hosting a new session of LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA program, a community program for cancer survivors, providing support and assistance in a small community format. The current program session is held through May, on Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00-2:00pm. LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA is provided free for cancer survivors through financial assistance supported by YMCA’s Annual Support Campaign fundraising efforts.
As part of LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA, the Y engages cancer survivors through an approach that focuses on the whole person. Participants work with specially trained staff to build muscle mass and strength, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve functional ability. In addition to physical benefits, the program also focuses on the emotional well-being of survivors by providing a supportive community environment where people affected by cancer can connect during treatment and beyond.
The Gateway Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization of caring staff and volunteers dedicated to strengthening community and stands For Youth Development, For Healthy Living and For Social Responsibility. Serving the community since 1900, The Gateway Family YMCA provides programs and services throughout Eastern Union County and Northern Middlesex County through six YMCA branches in Elizabeth, Rahway and Union, and The Dudley House Veterans Transitional Housing Program in Plainfield.
For more information on The Gateway Family YMCA, visit www.tgfymca.org. For more information on LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA or the YMCA Cancer Survivor Retreat, contact Jodi Pelano, Wellness Center Branch Executive Director at 908-349-9622 or livestrong@tgfymca.org.
Mar 31, 2024 | Business
Diabetes affects more than 1 in 10 — or more than 38 million — Americans. People with diabetes who keep their blood sugar levels in the near-normal range generally have a much lower risk of developing diabetes complications such as heart, kidney, and eye diseases. The challenge is that most people with diabetes require more than one medication to control blood sugar levels over time.
The Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness, or GRADE, Study was designed to compare four major medications approved by the FDA to treat diabetes in combination with metformin, the usual first-line drug.
Major results focusing on the relative differences in blood glucose (sugar) levels and the occurrence of cardiovascular outcomes, like heart attacks and stroke, were published in two papers in The New England Journal of Medicine in September 2022. Subsequently, 10 scientific papers published in the April issue of Diabetes Care report further important differences between the four medications commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes.
The GRADE study was conducted at 36 U.S. centers and nine subsites between 2013 and 2021, including the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, and included more than 5,000 volunteer participants with type 2 diabetes from diverse racial and ethnic groups. They participated over five years during which insulin glargine, liraglutide, glimepiride and sitagliptin were compared. The trial was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Beyond the differences in blood sugar control between the four diabetes medications shown in the previous publications, the current findings examined individual characteristics that were associated with the achievement of lower and higher average blood sugar levels over time. For example, the inability to maintain good blood sugar control was largely driven by younger age and higher blood sugar levels at baseline. Understanding these factors can help to identify people who would benefit from more aggressive diabetes management.
Another set of analyses revealed that adding liraglutide to metformin improved quality of life after the first year of treatment, but this benefit was subsequently lost. The improvement with liraglutide was related to the degree of weight loss, particularly in those who had the highest weight at baseline.
Of note, assignment to insulin therapy was well-accepted by the participants, with even better compliance than for the other medications, and there were no adverse effects of insulin therapy on the participants’ distress related to diabetes. In fact, treatment with insulin and the other injectable medication, liraglutide, lowered distress related to diabetes. These findings largely debunk the myth that patients are intolerant of insulin therapy or that once started it diminishes quality of life.
The sensitivity to insulin action and insulin secretion from the pancreas’ beta-cells are known to be important contributors to type 2 diabetes. Their respective roles were reported in separate papers. The loss of insulin secretion was critically related to the progressive worsening of blood sugar control with all four medications, with reduced insulin sensitivity contributing to the outcomes of treatment.
The two most common causes of death during the study were cardiovascular disease and cancer, with no differences among the four treatment groups.
“GRADE has previously shown which medications worked best at achieving and maintaining blood glucose targets over time. The current findings provide additional information regarding the relative benefits and risks of the medications which should help patients and their health care providers choose the best medication to treat their diabetes,” said GRADE Study Chair Dr. David M. Nathan, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center.
Drs. William Cefalu and Daniel Hsia served as Principal Investigators of GRADE, along with Dr. Frank Greenway and Celeste Waguespack as co-investigators. The entire Clinical Trials Unit at Pennington Biomedical was also instrumental in successfully completing the study.
“Diabetes and obesity are two major diseases that we study every day at Pennington Biomedical. Learning more about the medications currently being used to treat these diseases is an important step toward eliminating them completely,” said Pennington Biomedical Executive Director John Kirwan. “We thank everyone who volunteered to participate in the GRADE study and all the people at Pennington Biomedical and the other research sites across this country who worked in this important study.”
The GRADE Study was supported by a grant from NIDDK (U01DK098246). Additional support was provided by NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the American Diabetes Association. The Department of Veterans Affairs provided resources and facilities. Material support in the form of donated medications and supplies has been provided by Becton, Dickinson and Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk, Roche Diagnostics, and Sanofi. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT01794143.
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