NEWS
By Joe and Teresa Graedon | August 3, 2009
Question: : I have type 2 diabetes, and I have recently started taking cinnamon capsules to help control my blood sugar. I have been extremely pleased with the results so far. The metformin I was taking was never as consistent at controlling my blood sugar as the cinnamon has been. Are there any negatives to taking cinnamon? Answer: : Although cinnamon may work more consistently for you, there is much more research supporting the beneficial effect of metformin on blood sugar. You should make sure your doctor is aware of your regimen, so you can work together to control your type 2 diabetes.
NEWS
May 11, 2009
New once-a-day medication helps control Type 2 diabetes People with Type 2 diabetes may soon get a very different treatment approach: A drug that helps control blood sugar via the brain - an idea sparked, surprisingly, by the metabolism of migrating birds. The Food and Drug Administration approved Cycloset, maker VeroScience Inc. announced last week. It's a new version of an old drug called bromocriptine, used in higher doses to treat Parkinson's disease and a few other conditions. But unlike its older parent, Cycloset is formulated to require a low, quick-acting dose taken just in the morning - no other time of day. That timing provides a bump of activity in a brain chemical that seems to reset a body clock that in turn helps control metabolism in Type 2 diabetes, said VeroScience's Anthony Cincotta, who led the drug's development.
NEWS
April 20, 2009
Epilepsy drug during pregnancy bad for IQ Toddlers of moms who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy had lower IQs than the children of women who used other anti-seizure medicines, according to a new study. The valproate children had IQ scores six to nine points lower by age 3, said the study's lead author, Dr. Kimford Meador of Emory University. The drug, also sold as Depakote, had previously been linked to birth defects. Women of childbearing age have long been advised to avoid it. In the study, researchers followed pregnant women in the U.S. and United Kingdom between 1999 and 2004.
NEWS
By Holly Selby | December 22, 2008
Candy canes, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, oh my. Holiday treats can wreak havoc on anyone's diet plan, but for the approximately 23.6 million Americans with diabetes who are trying to maintain good glucose control, the festive season can be particularly difficult to navigate. Nonetheless, this doesn't mean that diabetics can't join in the festivities, says Michelle Bravo, a dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Johns Hopkins Diabetes Center. There are steps that can be taken to help maintain good health.
NEWS
By Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon | August 21, 2008
In 2001, I had a very strong urge to chew on ice. After reading in your column that this could be a sign of anemia, I told my doctor about it. The blood work showed anemia, and I was advised to get a colonoscopy. This test showed cancer in the colon. I had surgery and received six months of chemo. The operation removed 10 inches of my colon. Testing the lymph nodes showed that the cancer had spread to three out of 15 tested. I wouldn't have mentioned the craving for ice cubes had I not read about it in your column.
NEWS
By Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon | March 27, 2008
About a month ago, my son-in-law started taking one regular Bayer aspirin each morning and one Bayer PM before going to sleep. Two weeks into this regimen, he started bleeding from the mouth while he was sleeping. He stopped taking the aspirin, and the bleeding stopped as well. Is this a possible side effect? Aspirin can thin the blood by interfering with the sticky part of blood called platelets. Some people are especially susceptible to this effect, so even a standard dose might trigger bleeding.
NEWS
By Stephanie Desmon and Jonathan Bor | February 7, 2008
Federal researchers who tried to reduce heart attacks among diabetics by driving their blood sugar to low levels found that more patients were dying instead. The finding, announced yesterday, prompted officials to halt part of a major study of diabetes and heart disease. Researchers said they don't know what caused the spike in deaths but said it can't be blamed on Avandia - a diabetes medication linked last year to an increased risk of heart attacks - even though some volunteers were taking the drug.
NEWS
By Judy Peres | June 21, 2007
Medicine has made life-saving advances in treating and preventing heart disease, the major killer of people with diabetes, yet female diabetics are dying at higher rates than three decades ago, researchers reported this week. "There's good news here; we are making progress," said Dr. Deborah Burnet, a diabetes expert at the University of Chicago. "The bad news is it appears to be limited to men." The trend has ominous public-health consequences, experts note. Diabetes is growing more common in the U.S. as the population gets older and fatter, and elderly women are the fastest-growing segment of society.
NEWS
By Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon | October 6, 2006
What can you tell me about medication used to fight alcoholism? How would I get it, and how much will it cost? I don't have much money. The prescription medications used to treat alcoholism work best in conjunction with counseling and social support. ReVia (naltrexone) has been available for some time and takes away the pleasurable feelings associated with alcohol. Sadly, the drug is quite expensive (more than $200 for a month's supply), and there is no patient assistance from the manufacturer.
NEWS
By Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon | September 15, 2006
This concern has bothered me for 21 years, and I need to know whether I can stop worrying. My son is 27 years old; when he was about 6, he had a fever, and while I was taking his temperature with an old-fashioned mercury thermometer, the bulb tip broke and he ingested the mercury. He's grown into a fine, normal young man with no obvious problems. Can I assume no damage was done and nothing will surface down the road because of this incident? Swallowing a small amount of mercury from a broken thermometer does not pose a poisoning problem.