   
Heart Disease Risk And Vitamin EVitamin E has been shown recently to provide many health
benefits. In particular, one recent study indicates that Vitamin
E can benefit people with and without diabetes by decreasing the risk of heart disease. One of the many complications of Type 2 diabetes is an increased risk for developing heart disease. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas recently conducted a study to determine whether or not taking a Vitamin E supplement could reduce the risk of heart disease in people with Type 2. Participants in the study were divided into three groups. One group had Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, one group had only Type 2 diabetes, and the last group did not have diabetes or heart disease. All of the participants had blood tests done at the beginning of the study. They were then given a daily Vitamin E supplement of 1,200 IU. Blood tests were then done after the participants had taken the supplement. A third set of blood tests was conducted two months after the participants stopped taking the supplement. The results, which are published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine (October 23, 2000), indicate that all three groups benefited from the Vitamin E. Blood levels of C-reactive protein, which is an indicator of inflammation and is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, were measured. C-reactive protein levels were lowered by 30% in the group with heart disease, indicating a decreased risk for heart attack. In addition, blood levels of an inflammatory cytokine which is also linked to heart disease, called IL-6, were reduced by up to 50% in all three groups. These drops would indicate a decreased risk for heart disease. Researchers hope that the results of the study will indicate that there are ways to decrease the risk for heart disease in everyone, especially for those with Type 2 who are already at an increased risk. High dose vitamin E has long been known to have anti-inflammatory properties. Since many people with diabetes have higher levels of inflammatory proteins and cytokines, and these are believed to be a major cause of the increased risk for heart disease seen in people with diabetes, taking higher doses of vitamin E may have major benefits in reducing heart disease. However, researchers are unsure of how to determine the best dose for each individual.
Take Triglyceride Levels To HeartBypass surgery is rather risky under any circumstances, but the risk for heart attack and death after surgery is even greater when a person has high triglyceride levels. In a recent issue of Diabetes Care (volume 23, pages 1648-1653, November 2000), researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio report on their study that included 1,200 men and women with diabetes who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. The researchers found that those participants with high triglyceride levels had lower survival rates after ten years. Also, the risk for death, heart attack, or repeat bypass surgery was one-third higher in people with high triglyceride levels. The researchers also found that women were at greater risk than men, as high triglyceride levels meant a 50% higher risk of heart attack, death, or additional surgery. One reason for this increased risk may relate to the article above. Higher triglyceride levels and the free fatty acids that accompany them are associated with increased inflammation. The study indicates that treatment regimens for people with diabetes who have had bypass surgery should include methods for decreasing triglyceride levels.
Medical Budget May Indicate DiabetesAlthough most of the warning signs of diabetes are pretty well-known, a new study indicates that a person's medical bills may also be an early warning sign of an impending diagnosis of diabetes. The study was conducted by researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, and is published in the journal Diabetes Care (volume 23, pages 1654-1658, November 2000). The researchers studied medical billing records of people who'd gone to a particular HMO between 1988 and 1995. Researchers found that those who were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes had medical bills which averaged $1,205 more per year in the eight years preceding their diagnosis than those who did not have diabetes. In addition, those with Type 2 had bills up to $1,913 higher than those without disease in the three years before their diagnosis. The increased costs are likely due to the discovery of cholesterol problems and high blood pressure which may precede the diagnosis of diabetes. The study authors hope that this information will lead to an increased focus on early detection of the disease, so that further medical complications and costs can be avoided for people with diabetes.
No Insurance = No TreatmentFor the millions of Americans without health insurance, medical treatment is not a possibility, even when they have a real health condition. The Journal of the American Medical Association (October 25, 2000) recently published a study conducted by researchers at Harvard. The researchers studied data from surveys completed by 223,128 people. Ten percent of the participants had been without health insurance for at least a year. Seventy percent of these who were in poor health, and half of those who were in fair health, said that they had not gotten checkups or treatment for their health problems. Twenty-six percent of the uninsured participants who had high blood pressure or diabetes had not had a checkup in two years. Data from the Census Bureau has indicated that 15.5% of the population did not have health insurance last year. The Harvard study indicates that lack of health insurance is a health risk in itself, and one that is clearly faced by many people in America.
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