Dr.Dreams A Health,Medical & Wellness Blog » Diabetes

A.M. Vitals: Social Media Helped Fuel Protests Against Komen

Martin Neumann — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:08:32 +0000

Social Media and Funding Brouhaha: Social media helped galvanize supporters of Planned Parenthood last week after Susan G. Komen for the Cure said it would cut off funding for the women’s health nonprofit — and then reversed its stance, the WSJ reports . According to social-media monitor NetBase Solutions, Komen-related chatter rose 80% from last Monday to Tuesday, when the story broke, with 66% of online conversations against the breast-cancer advocacy group. The Toll of Child Abuse: Research published in Pediatrics finds that more children under one year of age are admitted to hospitals for child abuse than for reasons related to sudden infant death syndrome, Time’s Healthland blog reports . Researchers found the death rate from child abuse was 6% in 2006, with 300 deaths of 4,569 hospitalizations. Under Observation: Medicare beneficiaries not officially admitted to the hospital but who spend time there under “observation care” may be surprised that they owe for hospital co-pays and any subsequent nursing-home care , the WSJ reports . The number of observation hours — considered outpatient care by Medicare — rose to 36 million in 2009 from 23 million in 2006, including a rising number of visits lasting longer than 48 hours, the paper says. Public-Health Debate: What’s a better way to convey public-health messages about diet, smoking and other lifestyle choices — stark, if harrowing, ads about the consequences of obesity, diabetes and lung cancer, or more positive, empowering messages? As the New York Times reports , there’s a debate about whether some of New York City’s ad campaigns will make an impact, with critics saying the harsher messages won’t resonate with the people who need to hear them most. NYC’s health department says the campaigns reflect the true consequences of diseases. Image: iStockphoto

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A.M. Vitals: Social Media Helped Fuel Protests Against Komen

Diabetes Linked To Body Receptors, Says Recent Genetic Study

Dr Dreams — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:38:31 +0000

A study which got published in the Journal Nature Genetics discovered a novel confirmation for association between the type 2 diabetes and the body clock hormone melatonin. The study shows that the individuals, who hold exceptional hereditary mutations in the receptor for body clock hormone melatonin, have elevated danger of type 2 diabetes. These conclusions Related posts: Poor Diabetes Control in Kids, Linked To Asthma Diabetes among kids have been long linked to a higher… Lifestyle Factors, Linked To Diabetes A group of researchers from the National Heart, Lung and… A brief note on Diabetes Mellitus The most common form of diabetes is known as Diabetes…

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Diabetes Linked To Body Receptors, Says Recent Genetic Study

FDA (Finally) Gives Amylin’s Bydureon a Thumbs-Up

Dr Dreams — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:19:11 +0000

Bydureon, the once-weekly injection for treating patients with type 2 diabetes, has finally won the FDA’s okay. As Dow Jones Newswires reports , it’s been a long, bumpy road to approval for the drug’s developer, Amylin Pharmaceuticals. (Alkermes is behind the extended-release technology used to deliver the drug, a longer-acting version of Amylin’s twice-daily Byetta.) Amylin started working on the drug in 1999 and first applied for FDA approval — with its then-partner Lilly — a decade later. But the agency in 2010 said it needed more information “about the drug’s prescribing label and the companies’ risk-management plan to ensure the drug’s benefits outweigh its risks,” DJN reports. Later that year, the FDA said the info the companies provided wasn’t enough to approve it, asking for a new study looking at what high doses of the drug might do to heart rhythms. That study showed no problems. As the FDA was weighing the drug, Amylin and Lilly terminated their partnership . The prescribing label for Bydureon will carry a warning about certain thyroid tumors seen in rats who were exposed to the drug, DJN says.

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FDA (Finally) Gives Amylin’s Bydureon a Thumbs-Up

Heavy Metal Toxicity

Sean Duffy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:59:49 +0000

Heavy metal exposure has become an increasingly relevant topic in the modern age. The air we breathe, the food we eat and even the homes we live in are potential contributors to unsafe levels of toxic minerals including cadmium, lead and mercury. Although this is undeniably true, there’s no sense worrying ourselves sick about it. Related posts: Garlic Breath Remedies

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Heavy Metal Toxicity

Vitamin C and Diabetes

Sean Duffy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:19:44 +0000

The pressing issue of type 2 diabetes recently took on an unexpected spokesman: Paula Deen. Ever since the highly publicized announcement of her illness and related drug endorsement, a hailstorm of negative and positive reactions has made its way to all forms of media. Instead of adding yet another voice to the chorus, I’ve decided Related posts: Arthritis, Diabetes and Vitamin D Tomatoes and Diabetes Minerals for Diabetes Yoga for Diabetes Diabetes Protection

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Vitamin C and Diabetes

A.M. Vitals: FDA Wants More Data on Diabetes Drug from Bristol-Myers, AstraZeneca

Sean Duffy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:39:11 +0000

Seeking More Data: The FDA wants more information about an experimental diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca before considering it for approval, Dow Jones Newswires reports . The companies said the agency wants more clinical data in order to better assess the risks and benefits of dapagliflozin, which is a new type of therapy for diabetes, and that they remain committed to the drug. An FDA advisory panel voted against approving the drug in July, raising safety questions. Gauging the Abortion Rate: The global abortion rate didn’t budge between 2003 and 2008 after previously falling since 1995, the Associated Press reports . In 2008 there were about 28 abortions per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44, the AP says. The report, published in the Lancet, also estimated that the percentage of abortions that were unsafe rose to 49% in 2008 from 44% in 1995. Influencing Brain Aging: New research published in Nature suggests that 24% of the changes seen in a person’s intelligence over time can be chalked up to genetic influence, the WSJ reports . That suggests that environment still plays a greater role in how the brain ages, though the study didn’t pinpoint specific environmental factors or genes that might be responsible. Good Gossip is Good For You?: Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that gossip “lowered gossipers’ stress, prevented exploitation and promoted more generous behavior,” reports Time’s Healthland blog . However, the study only examined “altruistic” gossip about which players were cheating in an experimental game, not spreading irrelevant or untrue rumors, Healthland says. Image: iStockphoto

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A.M. Vitals: FDA Wants More Data on Diabetes Drug from Bristol-Myers, AstraZeneca

Fried Foods Aren’t the Only Thing to Blame For Type 2 Diabetes

Dr Joe — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:27:25 +0000

I keep a stash of Paula Deen ‘s recipes on hand for when I am in the mood for some Southern fare, but I couldn’t eat such a decadent diet all the time. And Paula agrees. She told Al Roker on Today , ” I have always encouraged moderation . I share with you all these yummy, fattening recipes, but I tell people, in moderation . . . it’s entertainment. People have to be responsible. Like I told Oprah, ‘Honey, I’m your cook, not your doctor.’ You have to be responsible for yourself.” Although it’s easy to assume a high-fat, high-calorie, butter-laden diet is to blame, the truth is, experts aren’t exactly sure what causes type 2 diabetes. Age, weight, and activity level are huge factors in a person’s risk, but the most important factor is genetics. The good news is that prevention is in your hands. While foods deep-fried in oil and coated in butter may not specifically cause diabetes, devouring foods like that often can contribute to weight gain, which increases your risk for developing this condition. The best thing you can do is to maintain a healthy weight and to exercise regularly, especially if diabetes runs in your family. Source: Getty , Flickr User delgaudm , and Flickr User star5112 Are you worried about developing type 2 diabetes? Yes, I’m worried about type 2 diabetes. No, I’m not worried one bit.

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Fried Foods Aren’t the Only Thing to Blame For Type 2 Diabetes

A.M. Vitals: Gut Linked to Non-Digestive Ailments

Sean Duffy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:50:05 +0000

Gut Brain: The health of the gut is tied to more than digestion, with links to processes and conditions including bone formation, learning and memory, Parkinson’s disease and, in lab rats, depression and anxiety, the WSJ reports . Researchers call the enteric nervous system the “gut brain” and note that about 95% of the neurotransmitter serotonin is produced by neurons in the gut. Speaking Out: The rumors are true: Celebrity chief Paula Deen, known for her high-fat, caloric recipes, says she has type 2 diabetes, USA Today reports . Deen was diagnosed three years ago, she tells the paper, and is now a paid spokeswoman for Novo Nordisk, which makes diabetes medications. Competing Weight-Loss Approaches: Research published in the Archives of Surgery finds that morbidly obese patients lose weight more quickly and sustain the loss over a longer period of time with gastric bypass surgery than with gastric banding, the WSJ reports . Gastric-bypass patients had a higher rate of complications right after surgery but over the long run, gastric-banding patients had more complications and follow-up surgeries, according to the 442-patient study. Drug Disclosure: The Obama administration will require drug companies with any products covered by Medicare or Medicaid to reveal what they pay non-employee physicians for research and various services, the New York Times reports . The information will be publicly accessible online, the paper says. The proposal is open to public comment until Feb. 17. Image: iStockphoto

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A.M. Vitals: Gut Linked to Non-Digestive Ailments

Vitamin D Heart Controversy

Sean Duffy — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:07:57 +0000

A recent publication in the American Journal of Cardiology called into question the safety of high dose Vitamin D supplementation. In the paper, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine investigated a proposed link between Vitamin D levels and an inflammatory protein (CRP) which is considered a risk factor for heart disease. Their conclusions Related posts: Vitamin K and Heart Disease Calcium Heart Controversy Vitamin D Headlines Arthritis, Diabetes and Vitamin D Vitamin D and Chronic Pain

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Vitamin D Heart Controversy

Medical Research Demonstrates the Link Between Depression and Diabetes

Sean Duffy — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:49:06 +0000

As per a new study which was done by the medical researchers of Perelman School of Medicine which is at University of Pennsylvania, they have concluded that the diabetes type 2 patients, who receive treatment for both the diabetes and the depression are likely to improve their blood sugar count, the level of the depression Related posts: The link between depression and abdominal obesity was confirmed The epidemic of obesity is widespread throughout the world; this… Research finds Exercise during free time can reduce depression risk People suffering from behavioral disorders like depression and anxiety, can… Depression and heart disease could be fatal According to French and British experts the combination of heart…

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Medical Research Demonstrates the Link Between Depression and Diabetes