Saturday, May 19, 2012
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Medical News about Diabetes: drugs, drug companies, causes and effects, learn more about diabetes...
Diabetes in the Elderly
Diabetes in the elderly will be the epidemic in this Century. Current data suggests that about 20% of patients over the age of 65 will develop diabetes at some point in their life. At least half the patients are unaware that they have the disease yet these patients are still susceptible to the complications of the illness. Recently, the diagnostic criteria for diabetes have been changed which means that we are going to detect even more cases of diabetes in older individuals. It is now recommended that every person over age 45 should have a fasting blood sugar test once every three years to screen for diabetes. A fasting blood sugar test should be performed yearly in people who are at high risk which includes patients with hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, a history of gestational diabetes, or a strong family history of diabetes.
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For the first time, an individual user of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) antipsychotic drug Risperdal is suing the pharmaceutical giant for allegedly committing fraud and lying about the safety of the drug. According to reports, Fletch Trammell, lawyer for the individual filing the suit, told a New Jersey jury that J&J knew as early as 1999 that Risperdal caused diabetes, but lied about it to the public in order to protect billions of dollars in sales.
The findings, reported in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, do not prove that diabetes directly contributes to colon cancer in some people. The results come from observational studies in which people with diabetes were found to have a higher risk of colon cancer than those without diabetes. In most of the studies, the researchers adjusted for at least some factors that might explain the link - like older age, obesity and smoking - and the diabetes-cancer connection remained. However, there could still be other explanations. "I think we can make the statement that diabetes is consistently associated with colorectal cancer," Dr Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved the study, told Reuters Health in an email. "The cause-and-effect aspect is a bit difficult to consider since diabetes is such a complex disease," said Giovannucci, who studies the underlying causes of colon cancer. He said it seems likely that some aspect of diabetes contributes to colon cancer, but it's not certain what.
The main function of the pancreas is to produce various enzymes which aid in the digestive process as well as to convert sugar to energy. The pancreas secrete enzyme and hormones, including insulin that is needed for the digestion and absorption of food.
The first step toward heart health is becoming aware of your own personal risk for heart disease. Some risks, such as smoking cigarettes, are obvious: everyone knows whether or not you smoke. But other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol, generally don't have obvious signs or symptoms. So you'll need to gather some information to create your personal "heart profile."
People with diabetes are prone to having foot problems, often because of two complications of diabetes: nerve damage (neuropathy) and poor circulation. Neuropathy causes loss of feeling in your feet, taking away your ability to feel pain and discomfort, so you may not detect an injury or irritation. Poor circulation in your feet reduces your ability to heal, making it hard for even a tiny cut to resist infection.
WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new diabetes pill from Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly for patients who can't control their blood sugar with older medicines.
Giving a "muffin test" to people at risk for diabetes might help doctors diagnose the disease and its warning signs, according to a new study. Tests for diabetes and its precursor, impaired glucose tolerance, check how well the body uses glucose, a type of sugar. In one common test, called an oral glucose tolerance test, a person fasts overnight and then drinks a sugary solution while doctors monitor how the body reacts and how much sugar sticks around in the blood.
According to new research, a baby born to a mother with gestational diabetes mellitus, diabetes that is brought about by pregnancy, and who is poor appears to be at far greater risk for eventually developing childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - 14 times greater than children exposed to neither.
Many people who have chronic kidney disease don't know it, because the early signs can be very subtle. It can take many years to go from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to kidney failure. Some people with CKD live out their lives without ever reaching kidney failure.
New York (MedscapeWire) May 23 - AIDS drugs that dramatically prolong the lives of many HIV-infected people also quickly block the body's ability to store glucose, scientists have found.
Drug Company Merck aims to give people with type 2 diabetes two treatments for the price of one. The new therapy, called Juvisync, was just approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It's not a radical new treatment, but instead a helpful combination of two familiar standbys: Juvisync unites the active ingredients in blood sugar-lowering Januvia and cholesterol-lowering Zocor in a single tablet.
Being sick is no fun for anyone, but it takes a special toll if you have diabetes because it can throw off your
blood glucose and put you at risk for significant short-term complications. The best way to deal with sick
days is to plan for them before you're laid up. Speak with your primary-care physician, endocrinologist, and
dietitian to work out the details of a strategy you can quickly put into action the next time a cold, the flu, or
something else strikes.
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