Fighting The Obesity Epidemic
Obesity is one of the fastest-growing health problems in America, but according to many researchers, it is not being given the attention it needs in order to stop it.
The most recent issue of the American Journal of Hypertension (volume 15, pages 655-659, July 2002) includes an article written by doctors at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. The researchers assert that the US government, physicians, insurance companies, and the food industry are not doing enough to prevent obesity. The study authors note that obesity is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. However, the article states that physicians are reluctant to address issues of weight control and nutrition. In addition, there is inadequate health insurance coverage for patient-doctor consultations, obesity programs, and medications, making it even harder for obese people to get the help they need.
The authors also state that the obesity problem is exacerbated by the limited options for healthy meals at popular fast-food chains. They propose that a public health discussion occur to determine if the government should establish food industry regulations. Obesity is not a problem that will go away by itself, and the study authors call for immediate action to be taken to address the problem.
  
Timed-Release Insulin Being Developed
People with Type 1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin, and their life depends on insulin injection. Because this requires careful monitoring, and possibly many injections per day, researchers are trying to develop a form of insulin that is more long-lasting.
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has developed a drug that combines short- and long-lasting insulin in one medication. The combination contains human insulin crystals as well as a less soluble form of insulin. Tests in dogs with diabetes showed that one injection of the drug was able to control blood sugar levels for 24 hours.
The study results are published in the online edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology (10.1038/nbt722; July 2002). Although further studies are needed, the researchers hope that the drug will one day be an effective way to treat diabetes in humans.
Niacin Controls Cholesterol Problems
Occasionally, a drug that is well-known but has fallen out of favor is tested again and given a new life. Such appears to be the case with a niacin drug.
The drug is manufactured by Kos Pharmaceuticals Inc., and is marketed as Niaspan. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas recently studied the drug's effectiveness in treating 146 people with Type 2 diabetes who also have dyslipidemia. This is a condition in which blood lipid abnormalities cause high concentrations of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol. It can lead to heart disease.
Niacin has been used in the past for cholesterol problems in people with Type 2 but discontinued because high doses worsened blood sugar control. A new formulation of once-daily, extended-release (ER) niacin was used to see if it could be effective but overcome the problem with blood sugars
The study participants were divided into three groups. Some took a placebo, and the others took one of two different strengths (1000 or 1500 mg/d) of the drug. Results showed that the drug increased the levels of good cholesterol between 13 and 24%, depending on the strength of the dose. Triglycerides were also reduced, as were bad cholesterol levels. Because 1000 or 1500 mg/d a day of niacin is considered a low dose, the problem with blood sugar control is not seen.
These findings have been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (volume 162; pages 1568-76; July 2002). Researchers are hopeful that the drug will be a viable method for the prevention of heart disease and an alternative to statin drugs that have negative side effects for some people.
Alzheimer's And Heart Disease Linked?
Between July 20 and 25, the international Alzheimer's conference was held in Stockholm. Among the presentations included several research studies on the connection between the risk factors for heart disease and those for Alzheimer's disease.
Several studies presented at the conference focused on how high blood pressure, diabetes, excess weight, high cholesterol, and lack of exercise may play a part in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Some of these studies appear to indicate that treating high blood pressure may lead to a reduction in the risk for Alzheimer's. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Kuopio in Finland examined 1,449 people and found that high cholesterol and high blood pressure seemed to be more connected to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's than was a particular gene variation.
Another study presented at the conference was conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine, who found that people taking cholesterol drugs called statins reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's by 79%. Researchers at St. George's Medical School in London found that statins dramatically reduced the production of beta-amyloid, which can accumulate and create plaques in the brain. The plaques can kill brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with controlling the body.
The purpose of the conference is for researchers to share information about the disease, and to come closer to finding a cure.
Pregnancy-Related Complications
One potential complication related to pregnancy is that of gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that only develops during pregnancy and is usually short-lived. However, new research shows that women who develop this complication should be routinely screened for other health risks.
Researchers at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in Scotland have recently published an article in the British Medical Journal (volume 325; pages 157-160; July 20, 2002) in which they state that women who develop gestational diabetes are at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later on. Other studies have shown that pregnancy complications like preterm delivery, low-birth weight babies, and preeclampsia are linked to heart and blood vessel disease. The researchers advise doctors to keep records of pregnancy complications so that women get screened for abnormalities in blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels. The researchers are hopeful that by identifying at-risk women early, preventative measures can be taken.
Reading Problems And Type 2 Problems
Because Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease with many potential complications, having good control of it is essential. A new study shows that being able to read is necessary to maintain this control.
The study was conducted by doctors at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center, who included 408 people with Type 2 diabetes in their research. They found that 36% of the participants had inadequate health literacy, and also had diabetic retinopathy. This condition can lead to blindness. By comparison, only 19% of the participants with adequate health literacy had diabetic retinopathy. In addition, 20% of the people with inadequate health literacy had good control of their blood sugar, while 33% of the people with adequate health literacy had good control.
These results have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (volume 288; pages 475-482; Jul 24, 2002). The study highlights the importance of health education in preventing diabetes complications.
Treatment Plans Helped By Education
For many diseases, effective health maintenance is only possible with strict adherence to a treatment regimen. According to a new study, this is much more likely to occur when a person has a high level of education.
The study was conducted by RAND, which is a nonprofit research institute in Santa Monica, California. The study included 2,267 people with HIV and over 12,000 people with Type 1 diabetes. The researchers gathered statistics on how well the participants followed their treatment plans, and how much education they had attained.
The researchers found that 68% of the people who were HIV-positive used the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which is a complex drug regimen with an emphasis on timing and order when taking many pills a day. By contrast, only 54% of people who hadn't finished high school used this treatment. In addition, 57% of college graduates strictly adhered to their treatment program, while only 37% of high school dropouts did. Among the participants with diabetes, one-third of those who hadn't graduated from high school stated that they were in excellent health, compared to three-fourths of the college graduates. Also, 36% of those with the lowest education were in fair or poor health, but only 6% of those in the highest education were in fair or poor health.
The researchers have published their findings in the online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (10.1073/pnas.162086599; July 22-26, 2002). They call for further studies on how to encourage people with low education levels to stick to their treatment plans.
Information provided by The Diabetes Mall @ www.diabetesnet.com
Get books, gram scales and more at (800) 988-4772 or (619) 497-0900 |
