Pain Reliever Lowers Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetics, Study Says

But side effects of aspirin-like drug warrant further study

By Serena Gordon

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- An aspirin-like drug appears to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

A study of the drug -- the prescription pain reliever salsalate -- also found it reduced inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes. But it produced unwelcome side effects that could limit its potential as a diabetes treatment.

"This trial is a test of possibly the oldest drug in Western use, and, because it's so old, there are no clinical trials on it," said study senior author Dr. Steven Shoelson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

"This trial was for a full year and showed that salsalate does lower blood glucose," said Shoelson, who is also the associate research director at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

The study, published in the July 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, included 286 people between 18 and 75 years old with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body no longer produces enough of the hormone insulin to convert carbohydrates from food into fuel for the body.

At the start of the study, the participants' average A1C levels -- a measure of blood sugar levels over several months -- were between 7 and 9.5 percent. The American Diabetes Association generally recommends a level of below 7 percent for adults.

The study volunteers were randomly assigned to 48 weeks of salsalate at a dose of 3.5 grams per day, or to an inactive placebo pill. No other changes were made to current diabetes, blood pressure or cholesterol medications during the first six months of the trial, the researchers noted.

Over 48 weeks, people taking the medication saw their A1C levels drop by 0.37 percent compared to placebo.

Shoelson said that people who have metabolic syndrome -- a group of risk factors (including type 2 diabetes) for cardiovascular disease -- often have higher than normal white blood cell counts, suggesting inflammation. In this study, people on salsalate saw a drop in their white blood cell counts, but Shoelson noted that they were "always well within the normal range."

Improvements were seen in several areas among those taking the drug, including: fasting blood sugar; uric acid, which is a chemical associated with gout; and levels of triglyceride, a type of blood fat. Levels of adiponectin -- a substance related to decreased insulin resistance -- and hematocrit, a measure of red blood cells, also improved for people taking salsalate.

Not all of the changes linked to the drug were beneficial, however. The medication appeared to cause a slight weight gain -- less than 3 pounds compared to those taking the placebo. Many type 2 diabetes medications have weight gain as a side effect, Shoelson said.

View the original article here

Sun & Fitness

I love running & exercising outdoors, especially in the heat of the day.  It was 106 in Houston this weekend and I was mowing my lawn and loved every minute of it!  (I drink lots of water and use sunblock, so no one freak out.)  My question is, if I'm sweating more, does that mean I am burning more calories?

Edited Jul 01 2013 21:59 by coach_k
Reason: Moved to Fitness forum as more appropriate

View the original article here

Staying healthy physically and emotionally - a tough few days

Hi guys, I wasn't really sure where to put this post but after some thinking I decided if anything what I am struggling with most is perhaps more an emotional health kind of thing.

Some of you might know I'm trying to adopt a healthy, normal mindset to food and exercise. I have never had an ED, but have certainly had 'disordered eating' in the past (like eating below 1200 cals 70% of the time then 'binging' on maybe 3000 or so other days, or over an hour of exercise daily to burn a splurge). My weight has never been below 105lbs or above 119lbs, I'm 5'4 female, 22 and currently 114lbs (well, last weigh in was a couple of weeks back). 

I've been trying to stick to sensible calories and exercise rather than going from one extreme to another. I've definetely got better, and I still splurge at weekends but am trying to realise that who doesn't? So long as it's not crazy binges and I still eat healthy foods, I'm healthy and active the rest of the time and I don't need to lose weight, so enjoy those treats, right? Easier said than done to keep that mindset and not to say 'need to restrict/exercise!'. My average calorie intake is just short of 2000, while calories burned averages at 220 per day.

These past few days have been hard. I had some temp work, 2 days of being up at 4am, working from 6am-6pm with at least 8 hours of that being on my feet, walking, carrying, going up and down stairs etc. This is not work I usually do. It completely exhausted me, and made me soo hungry - and so tired I didn't care atall what I ate! Must have been easily 3000 calories each day, maybe 4000. I was going to estimate and log, but honestly I don't think that would be mentally healthy. I especially binged when I came in before going to bed - I just felt the need to eat, eat, eat!

Today, I haven't been working. I slept in till 11am because I was so tired. But I have already eaten 1500 calories, and I have just felt so hungry. I still feel kind of hungry now - I am fantasising about peanut butter on toast lol. I'm definetely hydrated and eating my veggies and protein, but no exercise today because I just ache so much lol.

I am trying so hard to tell myself 'you worked hard, you probably need this food and rest, and even if the worst happens and you put on a few pounds, that's really not a huge deal'. But how can I make myself believe this?!

Sorry to ramble, guys, I could just really use some words of wisdom right now..!

View the original article here

Do Heart Patients Get Too Many Cholesterol Tests?

Unnecessary screenings contribute to rising U.S. health costs, study suggests

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Many U.S. heart patients may be getting their cholesterol levels checked unnecessarily, a new study suggests.

Statistics on more than 35,000 patients with coronary heart disease treated in a Houston-based Veterans Affairs network suggest this is an area of over-testing that's contributing to the nation's soaring medical costs, the study authors said.

At this one network of seven hospitals, the cost of redundant cholesterol blood tests amounted to more than $200,000 in one year, the study found.

"These results represent health care resource overuse and possibly their waste," said lead researcher Dr. Salim Virani, a cardiologist at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston.

The study, published online July 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine, zeroed in on almost 28,000 patients taking statin drugs that were keeping their cholesterol levels in check -- less than 100 milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood.

Over 11 months, repeat tests were ordered for one-third of those patients even though their medication had not been increased, the researchers found.

In all, nearly 13,000 additional tests were performed at about $16 each, bringing the total cost for this one group of hospitals to almost $204,000.

"Apart from the costs associated with these lipid panels, this also carries with it the cost for the patient's time to undergo a repeat blood test and cost for the health care provider's time to follow up on these results after redundant testing and to inform the patient about these results," said Virani.

Most of those who underwent repeat testing had a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and more frequent doctor visits, the research team found. The extra tests likely gave some of these patients a measure of comfort, the study authors noted.

The study drew mixed reactions from other experts.

Current national guidelines recommend that patients with coronary heart disease have their cholesterol checked every four to six months, said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles and a spokesman for the American Heart Association.

"This new study shows a pattern of lipid testing that is entirely consistent with current guidelines," he said. "Whether less frequent testing and monitoring would result in similar outcomes at lower cost requires more study."

Using statin therapy to achieve and maintain appropriate LDL cholesterol levels remains one of the most cost-effective therapies for preventing recurrent cardiovascular events in men and women with coronary heart disease, he said.

Dr. Joseph Drozda Jr., author of an accompanying journal editorial, said that "seemingly inexpensive tests" really add up when done in large numbers.

"These cholesterol tests were being ordered with no benefit to the patient but cost the VA more than $200,000, and this was only in seven hospitals," said Drozda, from the Center for Innovative Care at Mercy Health in Chesterfield, Mo.

Drozda thinks this is just one example of the overuse of tests. "Most physicians will tell you this is not uncommon. A lot of tests are ordered without direct benefit to the patient and result in this kind of waste," he said.

"We need to be looking for all of these sources of waste and addressing them," he added.

About one of every six adult Americans has high blood cholesterol, putting them at risk of heart disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

View the original article here

How many calories? How many meals? Help?

Hi! I'm a 19 year-old female, and I weigh 210 lbs. I'm a pescetarian, and I also live a sedentary lifestyle at the moment. I don't drink soda; the most "unhealthy" thing I drink is Crystal Light Iced Tea once every other day. I try to drink water often, but I rarely hit the 8 cup or more mark. My TDEE is 2200 cals a day, and my BMR is 1765.9. My goal weight is roughly 130~120, but I know that I will stop losing and start maintaining once I feel and look healthy.

The real questions are:

Is 1200~1400 enough to lose at least 2 lbs per week considering my weight and sedentary lifestyle? 

How often do I eat?

Thank you. :) I'm hoping one day I can hit my goal weight and love myself even more then I do now.

View the original article here

Older, Cheap Drug May Cut Suicide Risk for People With Mood Disorders

Review of data finds that lithium benefits people with depression, bipolar illnesses

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- A new review of data suggests than an old and inexpensive drug, lithium, may help lower suicide risk in people with mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder.

"The study provides further evidence that one of the most effective psychiatric medications for preventing suicide in patients with mood disorders is also one of our oldest," said one expert not connected to the research, Dr. Andrew Kolodny, chairman of psychiatry at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City.

According to background information from the researchers, people with mood disorders have a 30 times higher risk of suicide compared to the general population.

Treatment with mood-stabilizing drugs such as lithium, anticonvulsants or antipsychotics can help maintain mood within normal limits, but their role in suicide prevention has been unclear, according to background information in the review, which was published online June 27 in the journal BMJ.

The review was led by Andrea Cipriani, of the department of psychiatry at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. His team analyzed the results of 48 clinical trials involving more than 6,600 people.

The researchers found lithium to be linked with a 60 percent reduction in the risk of suicide and other causes of death compared with people who took a placebo.

They also found that lithium may reduce the risk of self-harm in people with mood disorders. "[The review] reinforces lithium as an effective agent to reduce the risk of suicide in people with mood disorders," the team said.

How the drug works to cut suicide risk remains unclear. Lithium may reduce relapses of mood disorders, but there also is "some evidence that lithium decreases aggression and possibly impulsivity, which might be another mechanism mediating the anti-suicidal effect," the researchers said.

The drug has many side effects, however, so the researchers said doctors "need to take a balanced view of the likely benefits and harm of lithium in the individual patient."

Dr. Robert Dicker, associate director of the Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Division at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., called the new study "a great reminder that lithium offers tremendous benefits in treating patients with mood disorders and suicide."

But Kolodny said the drug is not used as often as it could be. "Lithium, which is generic and not promoted by pharmaceutical companies, tends to be under-prescribed," he said. "Hopefully, this study will help change that."

View the original article here