Congressional Contemplation Of Cloning
The issue of stem-cell research and embryonic cloning is far from over, and two new congressional bills will undoubtedly keep the argument heated.
Last week, President Bush urged the Senate to impose a cloning ban, which was proposed by Senators Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Mary Landrieu, D-La. However, this was countered by a bill proposed by Sen. Arlen Specter R-Pa., who outlined a compromise that would ban human cloning but allow for embryo research in the hopes of finding cures for diseases like diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.
This issue has been debated for many months. Last August, Bush limited federal funding of stem cell research to 64 existing stem cell lines, which had been taken from embryos discarded by fertility clinics. Previously, in July the House passed a ban on all human cloning, but the Senate has not acted on this. Many senators are opposed to cloning humans, but are not against the idea of cloning embryos for research into disease cures.
  
Stroke Prevention Through Exercise
Currently, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US. However, numerous reports indicate that stroke is preventable, and the easiest way is by exercising.
A recent report of a retrospective study issued by researchers from Cooper Institute in Dallas and West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas indicates exercise is a proven method of preventing stroke. They examined ten years' worth of medical information from 17,000 men between the ages of 40 and 87. The men had undergone a test of their physical fitness in which they used a treadmill until they achieved at least 85% of their maximal heart rate. Researchers had then timed how long the men could maintain this level of activity.
The researchers found that the men who were able to exercise the longest were 68% less likely to have a stroke than the men who exercised the shortest length of time. This remained true even after accounting for the participants' weight, smoking habits, alcohol intake, parents' history of heart disease, and whether they had high blood pressure or diabetes. In addition, levels of blood pressure and cholesterol declined as fitness increased. The men who were in the best physical shape were also the least likely to have diabetes, be obese, and smoke cigarettes.
This report can be found in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (volume 34, pages 592-595, April 2002).
Out-Of-Control Diabetes Care
Despite the growing numbers of people with diabetes in the US, a new study shows that the level of care for people with the disease is far from adequate.
Researchers from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia have compiled statistics based on two national surveys involving over 4,000 people with diabetes. The surveys included people between the ages of 18 and 75, and were conducted between 1988 and 1995.
Researchers found that only 30% of the participants had had an annual measurement of their HbA1c levels, which are used to determine long-term blood sugar control. Also, 18% of these participants had levels that were greater than 9.5%, which indicates very poor control. Only 40% of the participants stated that they measured their blood glucose level at least once per day. About a third of the participants said that they had poorly controlled blood pressure, and 37% said that they did not get eye exams every year. Forty-five percent stated that they didn't have annual foot exams.
The researchers, who published their findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 136, pages 565-574, April 2002), did find that those people with diabetes who used insulin were 15% more likely to have an annual eye exam and 20% more likely to have an annual foot exam than people who did not take insulin. This was true regardless of age, gender, length of time since diagnosis, and other factors.
The study authors hope that their findings will indicate the necessity of controlling diabetes, and will encourage people to manage their disease better.
Protein May Be Linked To Obesity
Many factors are involved in causing obesity, but a recent study focuses on a protein that works at the cellular level.
Previous studies have shown that the hormone leptin can cause weight loss in lab animals, but that obese humans have lost their sensitivity to this hormone and have very high levels of it in their bloodstream. A new study, conducted by researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, shows that the body may become more sensitive to leptin if the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP1B) is inhibited. PTP1B is a signaling protein that appears to be active in the "appetite center" in the brain.
The researchers bred two types of mice: one that was not able to produce leptin, resulting in obesity, and one that lacked PTP1B and was less likely than the other group to become obese when given a high-fat diet. These mice were then cross-bred, resulting in mice that lacked leptin and PTP1B. These mice weighed 12% less than the mice that lacked only leptin, even though they ate the same amount. In addition, the mice with a deficiency in PTP1B had an enhanced sensitivity to leptin, indicating that PTP1B is involved in regulating leptin.
These results have been published in the journal Developmental Cell (volume 2, pages 497-503, April 2002). Researchers hope that their study will further research into drugs that would help inhibit PTP1B in obese humans.
Exercise In A Pill?
For those who are physically unable to exercise because of a medical condition as well as those who simply don't like to exercise, a new development may help ensure muscle growth without physical activity.
Recently, researchers at Duke University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center collaborated to determine the chemical pathway used by muscle cells to build strength and endurance. They used mice that were bred to have genes that overexpressed a signaling protein called calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK). This protein acts with the protein calcineurin to start the physical changes experienced by muscle cells after intense exercise.
Researchers found that the mice with high levels of CaMK expression developed more mitochondria in their muscle cells. Mitochondria are cellular structures that provide energy by metabolizing oxygen and nutrition. Physical exericise increases the number of mitochondria in muscle cells, which make the cells able to produce more work over a longer period of time.
This study has been published in the journal Science (Volume 296, Number 5566, 12 April 2002). Researchers believe it is possible that a drug could be created to trigger the CaMK muscle-signaling pathway, and thus increase muscle development without exercise.
Doctors Urge Diversity In Drug Ads
Although many diseases affect people of all ethnic backgrounds, the pharmaceutical industry traditionally does not represent many people of color in its direct-to-consumer drug advertising.
The National Medical Association (NMA), which is the oldest and largest group of physicians of color, has recently recommended that drug companies increase diversity in order to promote patient education on many diseases. Many doctors feel that direct-to-consumer ads can help people become aware of health issues that they had previously ignored. They hope that increased awareness of diseases will lead to increased preventative measures.
Diabetes Discrimination In Concerts?
Recently, two people with diabetes were prevented from bringing their insulin supplies with them to a concert. This has sparked a controversy, and the US Justice Department is now suing the concert promoter SFX. The lawsuit states that SFX has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits the discrimination in public places against any individual on the basis of disability. The justice department hopes to prevent this discrimination against people with diabetes, who must carry certain medical supplies with them in order to maintain good health.
Information provided by The Diabetes Mall @ http://www.diabetesnet.com
Books, gram scales, and more: (800) 988-4772 or (619) 497-0900 |
