Friday, October 29, 2004

RedNova - Deadly Threat of Diabetes: "EDDIE Cusack fears for the future when he looks around at the other people at his regular diabetes clinic. At 70, Eddie is pretty philosophical about developing type two diabetes, a condition which has traditionally been associated with getting older. As long as he is sensible about his diet and takes regular exercise, he should be able to control a serious illness which is potentially life- threatening."

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Coenzyme Q10:

"High Cholesterol

Levels of CoQ10 tend to be lower in people with high cholesterol compared to healthy individuals of the same age. In addition, certain cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins (such as atorvastatin, cerivastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin) appear to deplete natural levels of CoQ10 in the body. Taking CoQ10 supplements can correct the deficiency caused by statin medications without affecting the medication's positive effects on cholesterol levels.

Diabetes

CoQ10 supplements may improve heart health and blood sugar and help manage high cholesterol and high blood pressure in individuals with diabetes. (High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease are all common problems associated with diabetes). Despite some concern that CoQ10 may cause a sudden and dramatic drop in blood sugar (called hypoglycemia), two recent studies of people with diabetes given CoQ10 two times per day showed no hypoglycemic response. The safest bet if you have diabetes is to talk to your doctor or registered dietitian about the possible use of CoQ10."
Coenzyme Q10: Questions and Answers, Cancer Facts 9.16
# What is Coenzyme Q10?

Coenzyme Q10 (also known as CoQ10, Q10, vitamin Q10, ubiquinone, or ubidecarenone) is a compound that is made naturally in the body. A coenzyme is a substance needed for the proper functioning of an enzyme, a protein that speeds up the rate at which chemical reactions take place in the body. The Q and the 10 in coenzyme Q10 refer to parts of the compound’s chemical structure.
Coenzyme Q10: "Heart disease. Cancer. AIDS. As unbelievable as it might sound, each of these deadly diseases often responds to a coenzyme Q10, a little known nutrient that can make a big difference in your health.

Granted, such 'cure all' statements leave people wondering whether CoQ10 is just the latest panacea of the month. Rest assured: the benefits of this nutrient are well documented in the medical journals. It's one of the most frequently prescribed heart 'drugs' in Japan and widely used in Europe-and one company even owns the patent for the CoQ10 treatment of AIDS.

Ask your doctor about CoQ10, though, and he'll probably say he's never heard of it. Part of the problem is CoQ10's name. 'Most doctors don't know what a coenzyme is,' said Karl Folkers, Ph.D., one of the researchers who pioneered CoQ10. Most biochemists know it as ubiquinone, an equally arcane name."

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Pharmacists' Diabetes Services in Australia: "Objective: To implement and evaluate a specialized service for type 2 diabetes mellitus in the community pharmacy."
Advances in Diabetes for the Millennium: Insulin Treatment and Glucose Monitoring: "Newer insulins and easier blood glucose monitoring have greatly improved the ability to obtain excellent control of blood glucose levels with less risk of hypoglycemia. In type 1 diabetes, insulin pump therapy remains the optimal approach with the most flexibility, especially with the ultra-fast-acting analogs lispro or aspart. Otherwise, once- or twice-daily dosing with the long-acting analog glargine provides excellent basal coverage, and lispro or aspart at meals provides bolus coverage, all in the attempt to mimic physiological insulin secretion. For type 2 diabetes, although oral agents continue to be a mainstay of therapy, it is clear that many patients require insulin to attain the goal A1c of < 6.5%. Once-daily glargine is now used more commonly after 1-2 oral agents have failed, and it typically takes the place of sulfonylureas. The future will likely have better systems for continuous glucose monitoring and novel therapies to control glucose through agents that affect gut hormones."
Diabetics Exposed to Telmisartan and Enalapril
: "The first long-term study to compare an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in patients with hypertension and early-stage type 2 diabetic nephropathy has shown that the ARB telmisartan and the ACE inhibitor enalapril have comparable long-term renoprotective effects.[1] The Diabetics Exposed to Telmisartan And Enalapril (DETAIL) trial is thus the first to show that an ARB offers renoprotection that is clinically equivalent to that of an ACE inhibitor."

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

: "There are many new orally administered agents to treat type 2 diabetes. Sulfonylureas and meglitinides stimulate insulin secretion. Metformin has been joined by thiazolidinediones to reduce insulin resistance. Disaccharidase inhibitors slow glucose uptake after a meal. Beta-3 agonists and agents that augment glucagon-like peptide activity are promising new agents in the effort to not only control glucose levels but also restrain weight gain. The future treatment of diabetes will require multiple drugs working in concert to normalize blood glucose."
Red Meat Increases Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Older Women: "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sept 09 - Middle age and elderly women with high levels of red meat in their diet appear to have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the September issue of Diabetes Care"

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Low Glycemic Index Diet Helpful in Men With Type 2 Diabetes
August 2, 2004 — A low glycemic index (LGI) diet improves glycemic control, some lipid profiles, and fibrinolysis in men with type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the August issue of Diabetes Care

Monday, August 02, 2004

Twenty Percent of Patients With Asymptomatic Diabetes Have...
July 30, 2004 — Twenty percent of patients with asymptomatic diabetes have silent myocardial ischemia, according to the results of the Detection of Silent Myocardial Ischemia in Asymptomatic Diabetic Subjects (DIAD) study published in the August issue of Diabetes Care. These findings support the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines recommending routine screening.

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

The Struggle for Mastery in Insulin Action:
ype 2 diabetes arises from a combination of impaired insulin action and defective pancreatic β-cell function. Classically, the two abnormalities have been viewed as distinct yet mutually detrimental processes. The combination of impaired insulin-dependent glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle and impaired β-cell function causes an increase of hepatic glucose production, leading to a constellation of tissue abnormalities that has been referred to as the diabetes "ruling triumvirate." Targeted mutagenesis in mice has led to a critical reappraisal of the integrated physiology of insulin action

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

Dual Blockade of Renin-Angiotensin System Renoprotective...: "Aug. 1, 2003 � Dual blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is renoprotective in type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a double-blind, randomized trial published in the August issue of Diabetes Care. Adding an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) to treatment with maximal recommended doses of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor provided superior short-term renoprotection independent of systemic blood pressure changes."
Adding Thiazolidinedione to Metformin Plus Insulin Improves...: "July 1, 2004 � Adding thiazolidinedione to metformin (MET) plus insulin (INS) improved glycemic control and reduced INS dose without increasing weight gain, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the July issue of Diabetes Care. The editorialist suggests that treating to target is all that matters, regardless of what combination of medications is used. Cost and lifestyle should be considered in choosing optimal triple therapy."

Friday, July 02, 2004

News - Metformin Shows Promise for Diabetes Prevention, but Further Studies Needed
Metformin may help prevent type 2 diabetes in individuals at high risk of developing the disease, but new studies must evaluate its long-term safety, efficacy, cost-effectiveness, according to Donald L. Sullivan, PhD, RPh, and Aleda M. Hess, Pharm D, both of Ohio Northern University, Ada, United States.
News - Rosiglitazone Could Have Antiinflammatory Effects: "Thiazolidinedione rosiglitazone, a selective agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma has demonstrated antiinflammatory effects, according to a new American study.

Troglitazone, a thiazolidinedione agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR�) and a partial agonist of PPAR�, was previously shown to have a significant antiinflammatory activity in a trial of diabetic obese patients and nondiabetic obese subjects, writes P. Mohanty, MD, and colleagues, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, State University of New York, New York."
Webcast/CME - Evolution of Type 2 Diabetes: The Time for Insulin is Now
This multi-media webcast reviews the goals of type 2 diabetes management, the benefits of intensive therapy, guidelines for measurement of glycaemic control, and practical strategies for helping achieve and maintain glycaemic control via intensive therapy methodologies