Monthly Archives: April 2008

An international blood pressure study comparing two single-pill drug combinations has yielded results so significant that the study has been stopped early - and the researchers say their findings might alter the way high blood pressure is treated worldwide.

Scientists have discovered a novel signaling pathway between three organs - the gut, the brain, and the liver - which lowers blood sugar when activated.

Men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a long-term study published in the April 9, 2008 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Scientists have identified six new genes which play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, and among the group is the second gene known to also play a role in prostate cancer.

Scientists have discovered a new technique for turning embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue in what could prove a significant breakthrough in the quest to find new treatments for diabetes.

Young children who lead inactive lifestyles are five-to-six times more likely to be at serious risk of heart disease, with that degree of danger emerging as early as their teenage years.

Aggressively lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels below current targets in adults with type 2 diabetes may help to prevent - and possibly reverse - hardening of the arteries.

Tart cherries - frequently sold dried, frozen or in juice - may have more than just good taste and bright red color going for them, according to new research .

Finding gives one more piece in the puzzle about the role of cholesterol in Parkinson's disease.

The anti-obesity medication rimonabant showed mixed results in slowing progression of coronary artery disease in patients with abdominal obesity and pre-existing coronary disease, according to a new study in the April 2 issue of JAMA.

Food scientists have found that certain antioxidants found in red wine and tea may help regulate the blood sugar of people with type 2 diabetes by inhibiting the action of alpha-glucosidase that controls the absorption of glucose from the small intestine, and protect the body from complications such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

A comparison of two types of medications to treat type 2 diabetes finds that pioglitazone is more effective at lowering the rate of progression of plaque build-up in the coronary arteries than glimepiride, according to a study in the April 2 issue of JAMA.

New research monitoring the effects of Islet cell transplantation resulted in near-normal metabolic control and decreased hypoglycemia.