MayoClinic.com link from a friend

This article from MayoClinic.com was sent by Honey in Diabetes (x@y.com).

Diabetes foods: Is honey a good substitute for sugar?
Honey can be substituted for sugar in the diabetes diet.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/AN00425


For the latest health information, sign up for Housecall, Mayo Clinic's free weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up for Housecall

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL. This message was sent from an automated server that is not monitored.

MayoClinic.com link from a friend

This article from MayoClinic.com was sent by Honey in Diabetes (x@y.com).

Glycemic-index diet: A helpful tool for people with diabetes?
Although the glycemic-index diet has some potential benefits, it is very complicated.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/AN00754


For the latest health information, sign up for Housecall, Mayo Clinic's free weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up for Housecall

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL. This message was sent from an automated server that is not monitored.

MayoClinic.com link from a friend

This article from MayoClinic.com was sent by Sweet Fruits and Diabetes (x@y.com).

Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
It's a common myth that you shouldn't eat certain foods if you have diabetes.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/AN01691


For the latest health information, sign up for Housecall, Mayo Clinic's free weekly e-newsletter.
Sign up for Housecall

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL. This message was sent from an automated server that is not monitored.

Epilepsy Care

Survey suggests communication gap may exist between physicians and patients with epilepsy.

"Gaps in mutual understanding and agreement on treatment goals" may exist between physicians and patients with epilepsy.

The survey was "sponsored by" the American Epilepsy Society and "the Epilepsy Foundation, and supported by a grant from Pfizer." Investigators surveyed "402 patients with active epilepsy" via telephone in May. They "measured attitudes of people with epilepsy regarding their quality of life, and [focused] on concerns and challenges brought on by the condition."

Investigators found that "47 percent of the patients surveyed reported that their doctor discussed options with them, and the least likely subject to be discussed was surgery -- a treatment with considerable risks but with impressive benefits," said Bruce Hermann, Ph.D., chief of the Epilepsy Foundation's professional advisory board.

The survey also found that "26 percent of patients are not sure what their doctors consider as an improvement in status," while about 50 percent said that "physicians address social issues associated with the disease, such as the impact of epilepsy on quality of life."

3 Kings that Bring Pt 2u

Three drugs may be responsible for one-third of drug-related ED visits by senior citizens, study suggests.

 

Side effects from the anticoagulant warfarin, the heart drug digoxin, and insulin "are responsible for" 33 percent of emergency department (ED) "visits by senior citizens who had adverse reactions to medications," according to a study published in the Dec. 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Lead author Dr. Daniel Budnitz, a medical officer with the CDC, and colleagues, found that in 2004 and 2005, these three drugs "caused about 58,000" ED "visits a year in those 65 and older."

For the study, the researchers "looked at several surveys of" ED "visits from 2004 and 2005." According to the researchers, while there are forty-one drugs on a "list -- called the BEERS criteria -- of medications considered inappropriate for the elderly," those drugs "accounted for just 3.6 percent of a total of about 177,000 annual" drug-related visits to the ED.

The researchers noted that in some situations, "there aren't good alternatives to" to the three common drugs identified as causing the most emergency department visits, "although some doctors consider digoxin to have outlived its usefulness."

Why Flu in Winter

Researchers discover why flu spreads primarily in winter.

Researchers may have discovered why flu infection spreads mainly during winter, according to a study published in PLoS Pathogens.

Lead author Peter Palese, Ph.D., a flu researcher who is professor and chairman of the microbiology department at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and colleagues, exposed guinea pigs to the flu virus. The guineas pigs became infected with the flu, and spread the infection.

The researchers "discovered that transmission was excellent at 41 degrees," but "declined as the temperature rose until, by 86 degrees, the virus was not transmitted at all."

In addition, they found that that the "virus was transmitted best at a low humidity, 20 %, and not transmitted at all when the humidity reached 80 %.

Baclofen for Alcoholics

Study suggests baclofen may promote alcohol abstinence in alcoholics with cirrhosis.

"Baclofen promotes alcohol abstinence in alcoholics with cirrhosis of the liver," according to a study published in the Dec. 8 issue of the journal The Lancet.

In the study, researchers observed "84 alcohol-dependent patients with liver cirrhosis." Half of the patients received baclofen, while the other half received a placebo. Seventy-one percent of patients taking baclofen "achieved and maintained alcohol abstinence, compared to 29 percent...of those who took the placebo." Furthermore, those who took baclofen "abstained from alcohol for more than twice as long as those taking the placebo -- 62.8 days vs. 30.8 days."

       

D uring "'trials of anti-craving drugs, individuals with high amounts of aminotransferases, advanced liver disease, or both, are typically excluded because these agents undergo extensive liver metabolism and drug-related liver damage is possible,' the authors noted." But, most "of baclofen is eliminated in unmodified form by the kidneys. As such, the agent offers the potential for pharmacologic treatment of alcohol dependence in patients with cirrhosis."

According to the researchers, the drug "was well tolerated, and no patients had liver-related side effects." This was further demonstrated "by a decrease in aminotransferase concentrations.More "studies are needed to define the optimal duration of treatment, assess possible tolerance to the drug in a more prolonged regimen, and define the role for baclofen in clinical practice," the researchers wrote.