   
Can Vitamin D Decrease Diabetes?As there is still no cure for diabetes, researchers are trying to find ways of preventing the disease from developing at all. One new study shows that giving infants a supplement of vitamin D may reduce their risk of developing Type 1 diabetes later in life. The study was conducted in Finland by researchers from the Institute of Child Health in London, UK. Over 10,000 women participated in the study, all of whom gave birth in 1966. The mothers then recorded whether or not they gave their children supplements of vitamin D, and how much they gave. The researchers then monitored the children's health over 31 years. Results of the study, which has been published in the journal The Lancet (volume 358; pages 1476-1478, 1500-1503; November 3, 2001), showed that about 12% of children were given vitamin D supplements occasionally during their first year of life, 88% received vitamin D supplements on a regular basis, and less than 1% were not given vitamin D at all. By the end of the study, 81 children had been diagnosed with diabetes. The research found that infants who received at least 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily during the first year of life were nearly 80% less likely to develop type 1 diabetes over the next three decades compared with those who had lower intakes of the vitamin. Even occasional vitamin D intake was quite protective. Earlier research studies looking at multivitamin intake had suggested that mutivitamins taken regularly during childhood reduced the risk for developing Type 1 diabetes, although it was unclear what provided the protection. The researchers are not sure why or how vitamin D may decrease the risk of the development of Type 1 diabetes. It is interesting that vitamin D is the only vitamin that is not present in breast milk. It must be supplied separately to prevent rickets, which is a calcium deficiency. In this study, children who were suspected of having had rickets during the first year of life had a three-fold risk of Type 1 diabetes compared to the others.
Stem Cell Lines Still UncertainWhen President Bush made his decision last August in regards to stem cell research, he limited federal funding of such research to lines that had already been established. In addition, funding was limited to lines that were obtained with consent of the donor of the embryo, and without financial reward. To date, research has not yet begun because there is not yet a definitive list of all of the lines that are available. According to Dr. Wendy Baldwin, who is the deputy director of extramural research for the National Institute of Health (NIH), this registry of stem-cell lines will be available on the internet within a week. This will allow researchers to link with those who have the cells. At the time of the president's decision, there was believed to be 60 available stem-cell lines. However, there is now doubt as to whether all of these lines will meet the requirements for federal funding. In additon, there are still concerns about the viability of the stem-cell lines that do exist. Experts believe that while the cells in existence may be valuable for research, they may not be adequate for clinical use, as dividing the cells many times for research purposes may subject them to genetic mutations.
Arterial Buildup Even After AngioplastyWhen arteries become clogged with fatty buildup, one way of treating the problem is through angioplasty. This is a technique in which the buildup is flattened agains the walls of the vessels through an insertion of a balloon. Although this treats the problem, it may not be long-lasting. A recent study conducted by researchers at Green Lane Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand shows that angioplasty may not clear blood vessels for long, and that many people who do have re-narrowing of their arteries don't have any symptoms. This can be a dangerous situation, and may lead to coronary events like heart attacks. In the study, 2,700 people were followed for six months after undergoing angioplasty. The participants were given angiograms, which are imaging tests, six months after the procedure. The tests revealed that over six hundred of the participants experienced re-narrowing of their arteries, but 55% of these had no chest pain or other warning signs. The study authors have published their findings in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association (volume 104; November 6, 2001). They are unsure about which factors may put people at the greatest risk for having their arteries become clogged again. However, they did find that men were more likely than women to have their arteries narrow without having symptomss. Also, those with the least blockage were less likely to have symptoms. The researchers were able to determine that factors like age, smoking, heart medication use, and diabetes did not increase the risk. There is hope, though. Another recent study called Val-Prest2 using an angiotensin reductase blocker blood pressure medication, Valsartan, has shown a 50% reduction in restenosis. This will likely make ARB medications the top choice for prevention of restenosis after stent implant. ACE inhibitors, which many but not all similarities to the ARBs, have been shown to be very effective at reducing heart attacks and strokes, but not in preventing restenosis.
Lower Levels of High Blood PressureThe dangers of high blood pressure, such as heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, are widely known, but a new study casts doubt on which levels are actually too high. Recently, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine conducted a study of 6,859 men and women to determine which blood pressure levels were high enough to be considered dangerous. The researchers used data from the Framingham Heart Study, which has tracked participants from the Boston suburb for over fifty years. The researchers followed several groups of people for twelve years, excluding those who had high blood pressure or heart disease. Blood pressure measures the force of blood in the arteries. The high number, systolic, is the pressure when the heart contracts. The lower number, diastolic, is the pressure when the heart relaxes. Blood pressure is considered high when it is above 140 over 90. It is called high-normal when it is 130-139 over 85-89, and normal when it is 120-129 over 80-84. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80. In the study, 4% of the women and 8% of the men under 65 who had high-normal blood pressure had a coronary incident. In people who were between the ages of 65 and 90, 18% of women and 25% of men had coronary incidents. For those in the high-normal group, the women were three times as likely and the men were two times as likely to have a cardiovascular event than those who had optimal blood pressure. These results, which have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine http://www.nejm.org (November 2001), may encourage physicians to treat people with high-normal blood pressure levels to prevent cardiac events from happening. Current guidelines suggest diet and exercise to lower high-normal blood pressure. More research is needed to determine whether more aggressive treatment, such as medications, is necessary.
Arsenic In Water Sources To Be LimitedThe Environmental Protection Agency has recently announced that it will reinstate a regulation that puts a limit on the amount of arsenic allowed in tap water. The regulation was written while Clinton was still in office, but was suspended when Bush took office. For many years, the arsenic regulation in the US stated that there could be no more than 50 parts per billion (ppb), which is higher than in any other developed nation. However, the new regulation states that arsenic levels cannot be higher than 10 ppb. This standard must be met nationwide by 2006. The EPA is currently setting aside $20 million over the next two years for the development of more cost-effective technologies for small towns to meet the standard. Arsenic occurs in water sources with industrial run-off, and when minerals from rocks and soil dissolve. Arsenic levels have been found to be the highest in water in the West and Midwest. It has been connected to higher rates of bladder and lung cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and birth defects.
Medicare Costs To Be RevisedAccording to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the costs of Medicare are on the rise due to more beneficiaries and inflation. Part of these cost increases are passed on to the people who use Medicare, but new programs will soon be implemented to control these costs. Recently, a rule was passed that will allow hospitals to receive a 2.3% increase in Medicare payments for outpatient services starting in January. This is part of a payment system passed by Congress in 1999 to decrease the costs for beneficiaries by payhing hospitals predetermined rates for outpatient services. Payments to physicians will also increase in the year 2002. This will allow Medicare to cover the costs of annual glaucoma screenings, as well as medical nutrition therapy for those with diabetes or renal disease. |
SEARCH:
