People in the study whose eating patterns most closely adhered to the principles of the Mediterranean diet and the low glycemic load diet were 20% less likely to develop diabetes than people who least closely followed the two diets, Carlo La Vecchia, MD, of the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research in Milan, and colleagues, wrote online in the journal Diabetologia.
underwriting
PAD Incidence Rising Sharply Worldwide
More than a quarter of a billion people in the world have peripheral artery disease (PAD), with poorer countries disproportionately affected, the first global analysis of the disease found.
The global prevalence of PAD increased by 24% from 2000 to 2010, from 164 million to 202 million, according to Gerald Fowkes, BSc, MBChB, from the Centre for Population Health Sciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and colleagues.
Walking to Work Cuts Obesity, Diabetes Risk
Active modes of traveling to work, such as walking or biking, were associated with a lower likelihood of obesity and diabetes, U.K. researchers found.
Compared with using driving a car or taking a taxi, walking to work was associated with a 20% reduced risk of being obese and a 40% reduced risk of diabetes, according to Anthony Laverty, MSc, of the Imperial College London, and colleagues. Those who cycled to work had a 37% lower risk of obesity and a 50% lower risk of diabetes.
via Walking to Work Cuts Obesity, Diabetes Risk.
One of the downsides of working from home. So I suppose having my office down the hall from my bedroom increases my risk of obesity and diabetes.
Great. Pass the chocolate please.
More Chocolate Please – Cocoa May Boost Brain Function in Seniors
Older people who had impaired neurovascular coupling at baseline and drank two cups of cocoa a day for a month had significant improvement in cognitive function and blood flow in the brain.
via Cocoa May Boost Brain Function in Seniors.
Now I don’t feel so bad about eating a bunch of dark chocolate covered walnuts on Saturday evening.
Acetaminophen: Drug Safety Communication – Association with Risk of Serious Skin Reactions
FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients that acetaminophen has been associated with a risk of rare but serious skin reactions. Acetaminophen is a common active ingredient to treat pain and reduce fever; it is included in many prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) products. These skin reactions, known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), can be fatal.
via Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products > Acetaminophen: Drug Safety Communication – Association
Yikes!
Standardizing ABI Measurements & Interpretations | Physician’s Weekly
When the ankle-brachial index (ABI) emerged in 1950, it was initially proposed for use as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). Since then, studies have shown that the ABI is an indicator of atherosclerosis at other vascular sites, making it a useful prognostic marker for cardiovascular events and functional impairment, even in the absence of symptoms of PAD.
via Standardizing ABI Measurements & Interpretations | Physician’s Weekly.
Patients Average C+ on Drug Compliance – amednews.com
The two diseases with the highest avoidable noncompliance costs are hypercholesterolemia $44 billion and diabetes $24.6 billion, the study found.
via Patients average only C+ on drug compliance – amednews.com.
Race Has Role in Vitamin D Link to Heart Risk
A 10-ng/mL decrease in 25(OH)D levels was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease events in whites (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.06-1.49) and those with Chinese ancestry (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.07-2.61), according to Ian de Boer, MD, of the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues.
But a similar relationship was not seen among blacks (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.73-1.20) and Hispanics (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.77-1.33), the investigators reported in the July 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
via Race Has Role in Vitamin D Link to Heart Risk.
A couple of years ago I asked my primary care physician to check my Vitamin D level. We were both surprised to discover the fact I was Vitamin D deficient. Since then I’ve been on daily Vitamin D supplementation of 5000iu.
Simple blood test. Just do it.
The researchers advised caution in interpreting the results in the Chinese and Hispanic participants because of the low sample sizes.
I’m still going to take my supplement.
Afib Linked to Silent Stroke
MRI indicated silent cerebral ischemia lesions in 89% patients with paroxysmal Afib and 92% with persistent Afib compared with 46% of controls, which wasn’t significantly different between the two types of Afib but was for both versus controls (P<0.01).
The number of these lesions averaged 41 in persistent Afib, 33 in paroxysmal Afib, and 12 in controls, which was significantly different for all three groups.
The high prevalence of these lesions in the control group compared with what has been reported in the general population may have reflected the moderate to high cardiovascular risk among these patients referred for cardiovascular prevention or treatment, the researchers suggested.
The lesions can have either ischemic and embolic origins, but the peculiar “spotted” distribution of “small sharply demarcated lesions, often in cluster, with bilateral distribution, prevalently in the frontal lobe” seen in 50% and 67% of the paroxysmal and persistent Afib patients, respectively, strongly supported an embolic mechanism, they noted.
via Afib Linked to Silent Stroke.
If these findings are replicated in future studies, the question for underwriters is should any Afib risk be Standard mortality?
Olmesartan Medoxomil – Watch for These Side Effects
FDA is warning that the blood pressure drug Olmesartan Medoxomil marketed as Benicar, Benicar HCT, Azor, Tribenzor, and generics can cause intestinal problems known as sprue-like enteropathy. Symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy include severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss. FDA has approved changes to the labels of these drugs to include this concern. Sprue-like enteropathy has not been detected with ARB drugs other than olmesartan
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