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Monthly Archives: October 2006

Widely Prescribed Diabetes Drug Causes More Harm Than Good

A new systematic review calls into the question the health benefits versus risks of pioglitazone (Actos), an oral medicine widely prescribed for diabetes throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

Joslin Diabetes Center Partners with Acadie-Bathurst Health Authority in Canada

Joslin Diabetes Center, the global leader in diabetes research, care and education, has announced its partnership with Acadie-Bathurst Health Authority (ABHA) in New Brunswick, Canada.

When You Get Diabetes (Middle v. Old Age) Matters

Seniors who have diabetes face a very different set of health problems if they are diagnosed during middle age than if they are able to ward off the disease until their golden years, according to a new study.

New Tool Can Help Predict Diabetes Complications

A noninvasive tool that measures the skin's autofluorescence could help doctors determine whether people with diabetes are beginning to develop serious complications, according to a study.

FTC and FDA Act Against Internet Vendors of Fraudulent Diabetes Cures and Treatments

The FTC and the FDA, working with government agencies in Mexico and Canada, have launched a drive to stop deceptive Internet advertisements and sales of products misrepresented as cures or treatments for diabetes.

Study: Racial Disparities High in Medicare Plans

Numerous studies show the African-Americans receive worse quality of care relative to white Americans across a broad array of medical conditions. A new study shows that such disparities in care cannot simply be attributed to low-performing health plans.

Study: Diabetes Gene Carries Similar Risk to Obesity

Carrying two copies of a common variant of a particular gene doubles your chances of developing diabetes and puts you in a similar risk category to being clinically obese, according to a collaborative study.

High Glucose Before Surgery Raises Risk of Dangerous Complications

Patients who have high blood sugar before undergoing surgery run an increased risk of developing blood clots, deep vein thrombosis and even pulmonary embolism after surgery.

Physician Resistance Hinders Diabetics Use of Cutting Edge Technology

Diabetic patients who use newer technologies such as insulin pumps and blood glucose monitoring devices are better able to manage their disease and adhere to treatment regimens, yet researchers have found that the newer methods are not being widely used because physicians may be reluctant to prescribe them, and even patients who are using them may not be deriving their full benefits.

Study Confirms: Caffeinated Coffee Helps Prevent Diabetes

People who drink coffee, including those who used to drink it but quit, are less likely to get type 2 diabetes than those who never drank it, according to a study.

Alert: FDA Updates its Nationwide Alert on Counterfeit Blood Glucose Test Strips

Subsequent announcement provides two additional lot numbers that are included in the distribution of counterfeit products, along with descriptions of how to identify them.

Study: Two-fold Higher Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease in Older People with Diabetes

A new study published in the international open-access medical journal PLoS Medicine, finds that older people with diabetes are much more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than their non-diabetic peers.

Structure of Enzyme Offers Treatment Clues for Diabetes, Alzheimer’s

Researchers have deciphered the three-dimensional structure of insulin-degrading enzyme, a promising target for new drugs because it breaks down not only insulin but also the amyloid-beta protein.

Study: Statins Reduce Risk of Stroke in Heart Patients

Statins can significantly reduce the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or all-cause death in patients with severe carotid arterial disease not revascularized, according to a new study.

New, Minimally-Invasive Surgery for the Morbidly Obese

Three new studies demonstrated that transoral endoscopic surgical techniques, entering the abdomen through oral cavities such as the nose and mouth, can be successful in human patients.

Latest Weight-Loss Pill Offers Modest Results, Blocks

A new drug billed as a magic bullet for obesity does help people lose weight, although not that much weight, and also helps lower cardiac risk factors, according to a review of studies.