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  • Diabetes Drug Could Treat Ovarian Cancer, Shows Study

    A new study has shown that a common diabetes medication may be useful in the prevention or treatment of ovarian cancer. The study, published in the journal CANCER, showed that patients with ovarian cancer who took the drug metformin tended to live longer than patients who did not.

    Metformin comes from the French Lilac plant and is used to treat type 2 diabetes. Previous studies had suggested that the drug could have anticancer properties. Researchers stated that there is a desperate need for new ovarian cancer treatments.

    The study looked at 61 patients with ovarian cancer who took metformin and 178 who did not. Of those patients who took metformin, 67% had not died from their cancer withing 5 years, while only 47% those who did not take the drug survived over the same period. When taking into account factors such as cancer severity and the patients’ body mass index, the researchers stated that patients on metformin were 3.7 times more likely to survive ovarian cancer during the trial.

    “This study opens the door for using metformin in large-scale randomized trials in ovarian cancer which can ultimately lead to metformin being one option for treatment of patients with the disease,” said Viji Shridhar, co-author of the study and a researcher at the Mayo Clinic.

    Trials are already underway in the treatment of breast cancer using metformin.

    “We think that ovarian cancer research needs to follow that example,” said Dr. Sanjeev Kumar another co-author of the study.

  • Diabetes Ignored When Cancer Hits, Says Study

    A new study shows that people with type 2 diabetes who are diagnosed with cancer ignore their diabetes in favor of cancer treatment. However, uncontrolled high blood sugar weakens their immune systems and is more likely to kill them than cancer.

    The study, published in the journal Population Health Management, also showed that diabetics who received education about diabetes management after they were diagnosed with cancer were more likely to keep their blood sugar under control. They had fewer admissions to hospitals and emergency rooms, and their health care costs were also lower.

    “People with diabetes hear cancer and they think that it is a death sentence, so who cares about diabetes at this point?” said Dr. June McKoy, a co-author of the study and the director of geriatric oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. “But if they’re not careful, it’s the diabetes that will take them out of this world, not the cancer. That’s why this education is so critical when cancer comes on board. Patients must take care of both illnesses.”

    Type 2 diabetes weakens patient’s immune system, putting them at higher risk for cancer and lowering their body’s ability to fight off cancer. For those with the disease, uncontrolled high blood sugar can cause kidney damage and blindness, or lead to foot amputation if blood vessels are damaged.

    “If you are not taking good care of your diabetes, your cancer suffers, too,” said McKoy.

    The study looked at five years worth of health records for 166,000 commercial insurance patients and 56,000 Medicare Advantage patients. Researchers found that 65.2% of patients who were educated about diabetes had their hemoglobin tested with a doctor at least twice over a period of three years. Among those who did not receive the education, only 48% had their hemoglobin tested over three years. The group of patients who received education had 416 emergency room visits over three years, while those who did not had 463 visits.

    “If you don’t have the power of education, you are flailing in the wind,” said McKoy. “You have to get this information and physicians really need to be information brokers for our patients. Having diabetes and then getting cancer can be overwhelming.”

  • Diabetes Treatment Shown to Improve Memory For Alzheimer’s Patients

    A new study shows that a drug used to treat insulin resistance in diabetics could improve cognitive performance in some people with Alzheimer’s disease.

    In the study, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, the drug rosiglitazone was used on mice that have been genetically engineered to serve as models for Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that treatment with the drug improved learning and memory in the mice, while it also normalized insulin resistance.

    The researchers believe that the drug reduced the negative influence of Alzheimer’s on a brain-signaling molecule called extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). ERK becomes hyperactive in the brains of Alsheimer’s patients when they begin to exhibit mild cognitive impairment. This leads to improper synaptic transmission between neurons. The study shows that the drug activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARy) pathway in the brain, reducing ERK activity.

    “Using this drug appears to restore the neuronal signaling required for proper cognitive function,” said Larry Denner, lead author of the study and a University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) professor. “It gives us an opportunity to test several FDA-approved drugs to normalize insulin resistance in Alzheimer’s patients and possibly also enhance memory, and it also gives us a remarkable tool to use in animal models to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie cognitive issues in Alzheimer’s.”

    The new research was a joint UTMB effort by animal cognitive neuroscientists, biochemists, molecular biologists, mass spectrometrists, statisticians, and bioinformaticists.

    “We were extraordinarily lucky to have this diverse group of experts right here on our campus at UTMB that could coalesce to bring such different ways of thinking to bear on a common problem,” said Denner. “It was quite a challenge to get all of these experts communicating in a common scientific language. But now that we have this team working, we can move on to even more detailed and difficult questions.”

  • Insulin Release-Improving Vitamin D Could Prevent Clogged Arteries in Diabetics

    A new study shows that diabetics who get an adequate amount of vitamin D are less likely to have their blood vessels clog. Those who do not get enough vitamin D, however, have immune cells bind to blood vessels near the heart, trapping cholesterol and blocking blood vessels.

    “About 26 million Americans now have type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, co-author of the study and assistant professor of cell biology and physiology at the Washington University School of Medicine. “And as obesity rates rise, we expect even more people will develop diabetes. Those patients are more likely to experience heart problems due to an increase in vascular inflammation, so we have been investigating why this occurs.”

    Bernal-Mizrachi had previously found that vitamin D plays a “key” role in heart disease. The new research shows that a certain type of white blood cell is mire likely to adhere to cells in the wall of blood vessels when vitamin D levels are low.

    The study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, looked at vitamin D levels in 43 patients with type 2 diabetes and 25 others who did not have diabetes. It found that white blood cells called monocytes were more likely to transform in to macrophages and adhere to the walls of blood vessels in patients with low vitamin D. This causes cholesterol to build and blocks blood flow.

    “We took everything into account,” said Dr. Amy Riek, lead author of the study. “We looked at blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes control, body weight and race. But only vitamin D levels correlated to whether these cells stuck to the blood vessel wall.”

    Riek and Bernal-Mizrachi are now treating mice with vitamin D to see whether giving the vitamin to diabetics might reverse their risk of clogged arteries. They are also conducting clinical trials in patients.

    “In the future, we hope to generate medications, potentially even vitamin D itself, that help prevent the deposit of cholesterol in the blood vessels,” said Bernal-Mizrachi. “Previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency in these patients to increases in cardiovascular disease and in mortality. Other work has suggested that vitamin D may improve insulin release from the pancreas and insulin sensitivity. Our ultimate goal is to intervene in people with diabetes and to see whether vitamin D might decrease inflammation, reduce blood pressure and lessen the likelihood that they will develop atherosclerosis or other vascular complications.”

  • Diabetes Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency in New Study

    A new study, published this week in the journal Diabetologia, shows a correlation between the incidence of Type 1 diabetes and vitamin D3 serum levels. The study used samples from the U.S. Department of Defense Serum Repository, which stores more than 50 million serum samples for disease surveillance.

    “Previous studies proposed the existence of an association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of and Type 1 diabetes, but this is the first time that the theory has been tested in a way that provides the dose-response relationship,” said Dr. Cedric Garland, lead author of the study and professor at the University of California at San Diego’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.

    Researchers thawed 2000 serum samples, half of which were from people who later developed type 1 diabetes. By comparing serum concentrations of Vitamin D, they were able to determine the optimal serum level needed to lower an individual’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Garland estimates that 50 ng/ml of the predominantly circulating form of vitamin D is needed to cut the risk.

    “While there are a few conditions that influence vitamin D metabolism, for most people, 4000 IU per day of vitamin D3 will be needed to achieve the effective levels,” said Garland. “This beneficial effect is present at these intakes only for vitamin D3. Reliance should not be placed on different forms of vitamin D and mega doses should be avoided, as most of the benefits for prevention of disease are for doses less than 10,000 IU/day.”

    Garland cautioned that patients should consult their doctor before increading their D3 intake.

  • Diabetes Linked to Hearing Impairment in New Study

    A new study shows that patients with diabetes have a significantly higher prevalence of hearing impairment than those who do not have diabetes.

    The study, to be published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), comes in the wake of several other studies that investigated the relationship between diabetes and hearing impairment, but provided inconsistent findings. The research was prompted by the statistic that the number of people with impaired hearing more than doubled from 1995 to 2004.

    “The association of hearing impairment with diabetes is controversial, but it is believed that over time, high blood glucose levels can damage vessels in the stria vascularis and nerves diminishing the ability to hear,” said Chika Horikawa, lead author of the study and a dietitian at Niigata University. “In our study we found that persons with diabetes had more than two times higher prevalence of hearing impairment than those without diabetes.”

    The meta-analysis study looked at 13 past cross-sectional studies that included a total of 20,194 patients. Researchers assessed hearing impairment by pure-tone audiometry. The results showed that the strength of the association between diabetes and hearing impairment was not influenced by age, gender, or noisy environments.

    “Our results propose that diabetic patients be screened for hearing impairment from earlier age compared with non-diabetics, from the viewpoint of prevention of several health problems such as depression and dementia caused by hearing impairment,” said Horikawa.

  • Diabetes Targeted by New “Hormone Hybrids”

    An team of scientists may have achieved a major milestone in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The researchers engineered a method to deliver hormones to specific tissues in the body, while keeping them away from others.

    The team, led by Dr. Matthias Tschöp, from the Technical University of Munich and the Helmholtz Center, and Richard DiMarchi, a chemist at Indiana University, was able to engineer natural gut peptides to carry small steroids known to act at the cell nucleus. Their hope was to deliver the steroid only inside cells.

    The researchers started with a gut hormone that is known to act on pancreas and brain cells to improve insulin secretion, blood glucose, and body weight. They engineered the hormone to reversibly bind estrogen, which is known to provide metabolic benefits at the same target cells. The results show that the team was able to “multiply” the metabolic benefits to mice, without the side effects that large doses of estrogen normally have on reproductive organs, such as an increased cancer risk. Likewise, there was no evident impact on the growth of estrogen-sensitive tumors.

    The effect on pancreas and brain tissue in the mice were evident, however. This suggests the researchers have succeeded in the targeted delivery of steroids to specific cells. With more development, the technique could be used to more accurately treat diabetes and metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and obesity). A study based on the results of the team’s experiments has been published in the journal Nature Medicine.

    “Our novel GLP-1/estrogen molecules seem to outperform more traditional therapeutics in mouse models of obesity and type 2 diabetes” said Brian Finan, lead author of the study and researcher at the Helmholtz Center. “What we are even more excited about is the opportunity to use targeted steroid hormone for other diseases, where side effects had prevented therapeutic use in the past.”

    (Image courtesy the Technical University of Munich)

  • Diabetes Treatment Could Start Earlier Thanks to Newly Discovered Protein Risk Factor

    Researchers at Sweden’s Lund University have identified a “promising candidate” for a test that will indicate an early risk for type 2 diabetes.

    “We have shown that individuals who have above-average levels of a protein called SFRP4 in the blood are five times more likely to develop diabetes in the next few years than those with below-average levels,” said Anders Rosengren, a researcher at the Lund University Diabetes Centre (LUDC).

    According to researchers, SFRP$ plays a role in inflammatory processes in the body, but this is the first time it has been linked to the risk of type 2 diabetes. It is also the first time inflammation in beta cells and diabetes have been linked.

    “The theory has been that low-grade chronic inflammation weakens the beta cells so that they are no longer able to secrete sufficient insulin,” said Taman Mahdi, lead author of the study. “There are no doubt multiple reasons for the weakness, but the SFRP4 protein is one of them.

    The LUDC studies measured the level of SFRP4 in the blood of non-diabetic patients yearly for three years. 37% of patients who had higher than average SFRP4 levels developed diabetes during the study. Of those who had a lower than average level, 9% developed diabetes. The studies also showed that cells from diabetics have “significantly” higher levels of SFRP4. The protein marker risk factor was demonstrated to work independently from other risk factors, such as obesity and age.

    “This makes it a strong risk marker that is present several years before diagnosis. We have also identified the mechanism for how SFRP4 impairs the secretion of insulin,” said Rosengren. “The marker therefore reflects not only an increased risk, but also an ongoing disease process.

    “If we can point to an increased risk of diabetes in a middle-aged individual of normal weight using a simple blood test, up to ten years before the disease develops, this could provide strong motivation to them to improve their lifestyle to reduce the risk. In the long term, our findings could also lead to new methods of treating type 2 diabetes by developing ways of blocking the protein SFRP4 in the insulin-producing beta cells and reducing inflammation, thereby protecting the cells.”

  • Heart Disease Patients With Diabetes Fare Better With Bypass Surgery, Shows Study

    A new study today revealed that adult patients with diabetes and multi-vessel coronary heart disease who had cardiac bypass surgery fared better in overall heart-related outcomes than those who had a non-surgical procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). PCI involves the insertion of drug-eluting stents into the arteries of patients.

    The study found that those who received coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery had only an 18.7% combined rate of strokes, heart attacks, and deaths, while those who received PCI had a combined rate of 26.6%. Although the rate of stroke was higher for the CABG group (5.2%) than the PCI group (2.4%), 16.3% of people in the PCI group died of any cause, compared to only 10.9% of the CABG patients.

    “These study results confirm that bypass surgery is a better overall treatment option for individuals with diabetes and multi-vessel coronary disease and may assist physicians’ efforts to prevent cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and deaths in this high-risk group,” said Dr. Gary Gibbons, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

    The study, called Future Revascularization Evaluation in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Optimal Management of Multivessel Disease (FREEDOM), was presented this week at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It compared the effectiveness of PCI to that of CABG surgery. Researchers looked at 1,900 adults enrolled in the program at 140 international centers from 2005 to 2010. Each participant had diabetes and coronary heart disease that involved the narrowing of multiple blood vessels, but not the left main coronary artery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned either CABG or PCI, then had their health monitored for five years.

    “The advantages of CABG over PCI were striking in this trial and could change treatment recommendations for thousands of individuals with diabetes and heart disease,” said Dr. Valentin Fuster, principal investigator on the study and cardiologist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

  • Diabetes, Heart Disease Risks Rise For Those Who Sit

    A new study revealed this week that sitting for long periods of time can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and death.

    The study, led by the Diabetes Research Group at the University of Leicester, looked at 18 different studies that included a total of 794,577 patients. It found that those who sit for prolonged periods double their risk of diabetes, heart disease, and death. This association was independent of the amount of physical activity people performed, suggeting that even health people may be at risk from sitting for long periods.

    “The average adult spends 50-70% of their time sitting, so the findings of this study have far reaching implications,” said Dr. Emma Wilmot, lead author of the study and a research fellow at the Leicester Diabetes Centre. “By simply limiting the time that we spend sitting, we may be able to reduce our risk of diabetes, heart disease and death.

    “Our study also showed that the most consistent associations were between sitting and diabetes. This is an important message because people with risk factors for diabetes, such as the obese, those of South Asian ethnic origin, or those with a family history of diabetes, may be able to help reduce their future risk of diabetes by limiting the time spent sitting. ”

    Stuart Biddle, professor of physical activity and health at Loughborough University and co-investigator on the study, suggests that people can break up long periods at the computer by placing their laptop on the top of a filing cabinet. He also suggests having standing meetings, walking during lunch breaks, and finding something to do rather than sit and watch TV.

  • Diabetes Treatment Drug Shows Encouraging Results in Trials

    At the 48th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) this week in Berlin, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lilly announced data from three analyses for linagliptin, a new type 2 diabetes treatment.

    The studies found that linagliptin lowered hemoglobin A1C in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes and renal disease. A1C provides an index of blood glucose control for the previous two to three months in people with diabetes. The companies stated that a fourth study found that adding linagliptin to basal insulin improved blood glucose control without an extra risk for hypoglycemia or weight gain, when compared to a placebo.

    Linagliptin is marketed in the U.S. as Tradjenta. It is a once-daily treatment that has been shown to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

    “We are committed to developing and providing therapeutic solutions, such as linagliptin, for adult patients with type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Christophe Arbet-Engels, vice president for the metabolic-clinical development and medical affairs division at Boehringer Ingelheim. “We look forward to continuing our ongoing clinical trial program to assess how linagliptin may address the various needs of these patients.”

    One of the analyses pooled data from seven phase three trials covering 1,331 patients. It showed that patients who used linagliptin alone or with other glucose-lowering therapies had a reduction in A1C of 0.62% at 24 weeks in elderly patients (those over 65 years old).

    Another post-hoc analysis showed that elderly patients treated with linagliptin showed a “significant reduction” in urinary albumin-to-creatine ratio, which measures glomerular integrity for patients with diabetic nephropathy (kidney damage).

    The third study looked at non-elderly patients treated with linagliptin and found a 0.53% reduction in A1C after 52 weeks.

  • Diabetes: Americans Aren’t Taking Care of Themselves

    Diabetes, whether you’re ready to admit it or not, is a serious problem in this country. At present, there are reportedly over 23 million individuals currently living with the disease in the United States alone, compared to the 366 million who are affected worldwide. By 2030, it’s expected that 29 million Americans will be combating some form of diabetes, and unless something is done on an individual level, these numbers will continue to grow.

    In a new international survey, it was revealed that 82 percent of Americans are aware that being overweight could lead to diabetes down the road. Of those surveyed, 58 percent had a body mass index of over 25, which tosses them directly into the overweight or obese category. Strangely, those who qualified as obese — 29 percent of respondents had a body mass index of at least 30 — 51 percent thought they were in relatively good health. Here’s where things get interesting: 74% of surveyed Americans felt that obesity, diet, and poor physical activity were among the nation’s most alarming health issues. If that’s the case, why aren’t these individuals taking steps to improve their lives?

    Dr. Peter Goldbach, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dialog, believes there’s a disconnect between knowing what the risks are and actually taking steps to make a change. “Given their knowledge, people now need to realize that even small steps can make a big difference when it comes to eating better, exercising more regularly, or shedding a few pounds,” he explained. “At Health Dialog we understand the importance of wellness programs that fit easily into people’s lives and are more like fun than like a chore. It’s not about checking a box. It’s about integrating new behaviors little by little into everyday life.”

    Although countries such as Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia understood that obesity could lead to diabetes, those surveyed in China, India, Egypt, Spain, and Hong Kong were less likely to make the connection.

  • Diabetes: Weight-Loss Surgery May Not Reverse Disease

    Diabetes can be shed like so many unwanted pounds thanks to the advent of weight-loss surgery. However, according to a recent study, these procedures may not a permanent solution to their problem. In about one-fifth of the individuals who elected to have the surgery, diabetes returned within about three to five years. This, of course, is definitely bad news for those folks who endured the many side effects in hopes that the procedure would give them a new lease on life.

    In order to determine just how frequently the disease returns, researchers poured over the medical records of nearly 72 obese patients who were living with Type 2 diabetes at the time of their gastric bypass surgery. The results are a tad alarming.

    Following the procedure, 66 patients soon said goodbye to their diabetes. Unfortunately, 14 of these individuals saw the disease return within five years time. However, those who did not experience another round of diabetes contributed their good luck to losing more weight following the procedure. These folks also kept a lower average weight than their counterparts.

    The study also found that people who had diabetes for an extended period of time before embarking down the path of weight-loss surgery were more likely to see the disease return than those who had it for a much shorter period. As such, the sooner obese individuals address their weight and diabetes problems with weight-loss surgery, the higher the chance that they won’t see the disease return years later.

    “Providers and patients need to be aware of this information, to have a better idea of the expected outcome and be able to make an informed decision about pursuing gastric bypass surgery,” lead author Dr. Yessica Ramos explained.

    The study was recently presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Houston, Texas. Until the these findings have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, they should be considered as preliminary.

  • Diabetes May Lead to Decline in Memory, Thinking Ability

    Diabetes already causes a number of health concerns, including heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, and foot problems. Adding to these woes is a recent study which claims that those living with diabetes and poor blood sugar may find themselves at risk for declining memory and thinking ability. Medical professionals feel this theory holds particularly true with older people.

    The information comes from a study which followed approximately 3,000 elderly individuals without dementia for ten years. Of these people, 23 percent were living with diabetes at the time, though 159 eventually developed the disease during this period. At the beginning of the study, those with diabetes scored lowered on thinking skill tests than those who didn’t have the disease. The real problem arose during the follow-up exam, which indicated a significant decline in memory with those living with poor blood sugar.

    According to researchers, more studies will be need to be done in order to determine if early diagnosis and detection can help prevent or reduce the risk of decreased mental capacity stemming from diabetes. Furthermore, scientists are curious to know if controlling good blood sugar can help fight these effects early on.

    It’s worth noting, however, that while researchers have found a connection between diabetes and memory problems, a direct cause-and-effect relationship was not determined. The study was published in its entirety in the journal “Archives of Neurology”.

  • Israel Invents Weed Without The Stoner Effect

    Israeli scientists have cultivated a Marijuana plant that doesn’t get people high when they smoke it. No, it is not some form of inhumane torture, it’s an effort to deliver the medicinal soothing effects of marijuana to patients struggling with various diseases, while not exposing them to the disorienting high often associated with smoking the substance.

    While some may believe the high was the therapeutic effect many patients were after, Tzahi Klein, the man in charge of development at the firm who created it, claims that cannabidiol (CBD), a component of marijuana, helps treat diabetics, and also those diagnosed with various psychological disorders.

    Tzahi Klein, head of development at Tikkun Olam comments on the new strain of marijuana:

    “It has the same scent, shape and taste as the original plant — it’s all the same — but the numbing sensation that users are accustomed to has disappeared,”

    According to Maariv Daily, a publication from Israel, the plant is also incapable of producing the hunger sensation which typically accompanies the high. This means cancer patients who suffer from loss of appetite due to chemotherapy treatments won’t find the plant to be of any therapeutic value.

    Regardless, Israel has strict laws on marijuana use and outlaw it for anything but the most essential medical purposes. To date, it has only been approved in about 6,000 cases.

    Similar studies took place last year, where scientists were able to harness the anesthetic effects of marijuana without subjecting the patients to the psychotropic sensations typically caused by smoking the substance. The idea was to create a line of therapeutic remedies that would produce virtually zero side effects.

    The new strain of marijuana was thought to be an excellent treatment for those suffering from the withdrawal effects that accompany alcoholism and for those who find themselves sensitive to taking aspirin or ibuprofen.

    There are a lot of scientists who believe in the utility of marijuana in the medical world. The challenge has always been getting legislators to ease the laws to allow for it to be taken advantage of in clinical settings. Perhaps removing the disorienting effects responsible for the current stigma surrounding the plant could be a key step toward gaining wider therapeutic and government acceptance.

    (Lead image courtesy of staplenews.com)

  • Diabetes: American Teens Currently at High Risk

    Diabetes in American teenagers is at all time high, according to recent studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1999, nearly 9% of kids either had diabetes or pre-diabetes, though that number has jumped to an astronomical 23% in 2008. Interestingly, the percentage of obesity in children between the ages of 12 and 19 has essentially remained the same.

    Ashleigh May, an epidemiologist with the CDC, says that education and screening are important elements in preventing this problem from getting worse. “Pediatricians and other healthcare providers who work with adolescents need to be aware of, and follow through with, screening guidelines and recommendations for obesity and also other cardiovascular risk factors, and suggest appropriate behavioral interventions,” she explained.

    The June issue of Pediatrics presents findings of a biannual survey that involved 3,383 adolescents from across the nation. After interviewing each one and performing physical examinations, researchers found that body mass index directly relates to the child’s chance of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Nearly 49% of overweight children were at risk for developing problems, while 61% of those classified as obese could find themselves in dire straits if changes weren’t applied to their lifestyles. Kids with normal weight, meanwhile, had a 37% risk.

    Although cardiovascular disease is rare in children, factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol levels can ultimately lead to complications down the road.

    The silver lining is that risks for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol, are relatively the same as they were a decade ago.

  • Fighting Diabetes Via Text Messaging

    One of the best uses of technology isn’t when some pressed-pants goon comes out and dazzles the technorati with another gadget that they’ve convinced themselves that they need. It’s when someone (or a group of someones) manage to find an innovative use of this technology to actually improve the quality of people’s lives in a meaningful way. D.C. Charter Health Plan, the oldest Medicaid managed care organization in Washington, D.C., falls into the latter category with their contribution: a text messaging program that alerts people with diabetes with advice on managing their disease.

    The program, which is initially being offered to 50 of Chartered’s members, sends people brief tips about living with diabetes as part of a case management program that also includes face-to-face support. Research shows that people who actively participate in their care can more effectively manage a chronic disease like diabetes. In many cases, however, people with diabetes find it difficult to understand and manage the disease (honestly, that could also be said about the bulk of medical literature in general). The texting program, though, hopes to counter that wall of confusion by empowering patients with more easily understood information.

    “Mobile health is the wave of the future for improved management of chronic disease,” said Richard Katz, M.D., director of the division of cardiology at the George Washington University Hospital, which previously partnered with Chartered Health Plan on a similar program. “It can be extremely popular with diabetes patients and result in reduced emergency room visits and hospitalizations.”

    The program is the culmination of Chartered’s effort to actively engage its diabetes-stricken members with regular telephone calls and mailings in addition to face-to-face time. By adding a text messaging element, Chartered is adopting to one of the most oft-used forms of communication these days in hopes enabling members to play a more active role in the management of their disease.

    The texting program will send messages to members that encourages them to avoid unnecessary emergency room visits and instead, to schedule annual appointments with their primary care providers as well as get annual eye and foot exams. It also helps people take their diabetes medicine appropriately and make lifestyle changes to better support their health.

    The program will be evaluated later this year with an eye toward potential expansion.

    Do you think communication tools like Chartered’s text messaging program can be effective in helping to promote better health? Would you use something like this? Why or why not? Share your thoughts below.

  • Daniel Von Bargen Of Seinfeld Attempts Suicide

    You might know him as Mr. Kruger, George’s boss on the hit TV show Seinfeld. Monday morning Daniel Von Bargen attempted suicide with a gunshot to the temple. After the attempt, he called 911 for help. He sounds unbelievably clam as he speaks to the 911 operator:

    “I’ve shot myself in the head … and I need help.”

    “I was supposed to go to the hospital today, but I didn’t want to….so I shot myself.”

    “I just shit in my pants.”

    “I can’t open my eyes….I shot in my temple.”

    “I was going to go there [the hospital], they were going to amputate at least a few toes.”

    “The one leg has already been amputated and they were working on the other. I have no children and no wife and I’m retired…and I fucked it up.”

    Apparently he was scheduled for surgery monday afternoon to have some toes amputated due to complications with his diabetes. His sisters were supposed to pick him up and take him to the hospital. He is 61 years old.

    Only minutes into the brief 911 conversation police burst into the house and told Bargen not to move and to keep his hands up. Authorities asked if there were any other guns in the apartment, then the call was ended. He is currently in critical condition in a nearby Cincinnati hospital.

    TMZ has provided this video of the 911 phone call:

    video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

    Twitter reaction to incident:

  • New SmartPill Broadcasts to iPhone

    New SmartPill Broadcasts to iPhone

    According to a new article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, drug companies have been studying a pill containing a biodegradable chip that can transmit information to a user’s iPhone.

    Proteus Biomedical has developed a biodegradable digital device that transmits medical data to iPhones, or similar handheld devices, as soon as the patient swallows it. Swiss drugmaker Novartis has partnered up with Proteus, seeing the link between smartpills and smartphones as having potential in providing drugmakers with data on how their products are working.

    Proteus’ product has three components: a powered sensor called the ingestible event marker (IEM), glued to a pill; a nonmedicated skin patch sensor that works like a drug delivery patch; and a smartphone app that collects and transmits data. After being swallowed, the IEM can transmit information on the type of drug, dosage times, and heart and respiratory rates to the skin patch, which likewise sends it to the smartphone.

    One obvious benefit of the new smartpill is the potential for diabetes patients to monitor blood glucose more easily, and pharmaceutical companies hope to be able to glean more information about a how the body responds to new medications, than is presently available from traditional clinical trials.