Page changed: Avandia and Actos
Added link to Reuters news story reporting on Public Citizen's discovery of 12 unpublished Avandia-related deaths due to liver failure and petition to FDA to ban the drug.
Note that Avandia and Actos are related to Rezulin which was taken off the market after it was found to have killed at least 400 people via liver failure. Orginally only 63 deaths were reported and the others only came to light after doctors were made aware that the drug caused liver failure. Some people estimate that many thousands more died or were seriously sickened since the family doctors who mostly prescribed the drug were not aware of the liver damage, even though it was listed in a black box warning on the drug.
If you are taking Avandia or Actos, you should have your liver enzymes checked every couple months, though in the case of Rezulin, checking liver enzymes often did not prevent liver failure as it can happen quickly.
Despite all the warnings that have gone out about Avandia, Reuters reports that 10,000 prescriptions a day are still being filled. That's a lot of people at risk for heart attack, broken bones, blindness caused by macular edema, and of course, weight gain--all proven side effects of Avandia.
Documentation of all these side effects is available at the Avandia and Actos web page.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Updated "How to Get Yourr Blood Sugar Under Control" Page
Page changed: How To get Your Blood Sugar Under Control
Redid this page to present the updated blood sugar targets and textual editing changes previously put into the Flyer posted on our blog.
This tightens up and brings up-to-date the information found on the alt-support-diabetes.org "Newly Diagnosed" page which has not been updated in many years.
Redid this page to present the updated blood sugar targets and textual editing changes previously put into the Flyer posted on our blog.
This tightens up and brings up-to-date the information found on the alt-support-diabetes.org "Newly Diagnosed" page which has not been updated in many years.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
New Large Study: Metformin Does Not Cause Lactic Acidosis
page changed: The Truth About Oral Diabetic Drugs
Added link to new study published in Diabetes Care which provides strong evidence that metformin does not raise the risk of lactic acidosis in people who take it and that, in fact, it is safer in this regard than suflonylurea drugs (Amaryl, glipizide, glyburide, etc.)
Added link to new study published in Diabetes Care which provides strong evidence that metformin does not raise the risk of lactic acidosis in people who take it and that, in fact, it is safer in this regard than suflonylurea drugs (Amaryl, glipizide, glyburide, etc.)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Added New Comment Section
Page Added: Comment Section
This new section is a blog linked to the main site which allows visitors to post comments about the Blood Sugar 101 site.
This new section is a blog linked to the main site which allows visitors to post comments about the Blood Sugar 101 site.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Raising Low Vitamin D Levels Does Not Improve Glucose Tolerance
Page Changed: Supplements That Work
Added information about and link to study published in the journal Nutrition where glucose tolerance was studied before and after people deficient in Vitamin D were given a large infusion of the vitamin sufficent to raise their levels to normal. No change in glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity was demonstrated.
This raises the question of whether Vitamin D deficiency is a byproduct of the diabetic state rather than a cause of abnormal glucose metabolism or insulin resistance.
Added information about and link to study published in the journal Nutrition where glucose tolerance was studied before and after people deficient in Vitamin D were given a large infusion of the vitamin sufficent to raise their levels to normal. No change in glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity was demonstrated.
This raises the question of whether Vitamin D deficiency is a byproduct of the diabetic state rather than a cause of abnormal glucose metabolism or insulin resistance.
Vinegar Makes a Tiny Difference in Blood Sugars
Page Changed: Supplements that Work
Added discussion of three small studies that found trivial changes in blood sugar after ingesting it with a high carb diet.
Added discussion of three small studies that found trivial changes in blood sugar after ingesting it with a high carb diet.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Benfotiamine plus ALA normalises complication-causing pathways in type 1 diabetes
Page changed: Supplements that Work
Added citation to new study published in Diabetologia that confirmed that, as previous research had shown to be true in animal models, the combination of benfotiamine and alpha lipoic acid reverses some of the chemical pathways leading to complications in humans with Type 1 diabetes. However, this combination did not lower high blood sugars.
Added citation to new study published in Diabetologia that confirmed that, as previous research had shown to be true in animal models, the combination of benfotiamine and alpha lipoic acid reverses some of the chemical pathways leading to complications in humans with Type 1 diabetes. However, this combination did not lower high blood sugars.
Low Protein Diets Do Not Appear Beneficial to People with Diabetic Kidney Disease
Page Changed: Diabetic Kidney Damage
Added discussion and link to the full text of an editorial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition summarizing studies into whether low protein diets were effective in staving off kidney failure for people with diabetic kidney disease. Also linked to abstract of the metareview of these studies.
The meta review found that very low protein diets were not significantly effective, particularly in people with diabetes. The editorial mentions the need to investigate lower carb diets. Both suggest ACE inhibitors and ARBs are as effective as low protein diets.
Added discussion and link to the full text of an editorial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition summarizing studies into whether low protein diets were effective in staving off kidney failure for people with diabetic kidney disease. Also linked to abstract of the metareview of these studies.
The meta review found that very low protein diets were not significantly effective, particularly in people with diabetes. The editorial mentions the need to investigate lower carb diets. Both suggest ACE inhibitors and ARBs are as effective as low protein diets.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A1c in Two "normal" Populations Rises with Age
Page changed: A1c and High Post-Meal Blood Sugars Predict Heart Attack
Added citation to a study that found that in two normal populations (defined as neither having Impaired Glucose Tolerance on an oral glucose tolerance test or Impaired Fasting Glucose) the bound of the normal A1c range rose at the rate of about .01 units per year or .a total of .6% between age 40 and age 70.
Added citation to a study that found that in two normal populations (defined as neither having Impaired Glucose Tolerance on an oral glucose tolerance test or Impaired Fasting Glucose) the bound of the normal A1c range rose at the rate of about .01 units per year or .a total of .6% between age 40 and age 70.
Stimulating Insulin Secretion Produces C-peptide: a Benefit in MODY?
Page Changed: MODY
Added brief discussion about why stimulating insulin secretion may be valuable because of the recently discovered role of C-Peptide in preventing microvascular complications.
Added brief discussion about why stimulating insulin secretion may be valuable because of the recently discovered role of C-Peptide in preventing microvascular complications.
Early Intervention with Insulin Does Not Slow Type 1--Relevant to LADA?
Page changed: LADA
Added citation to Medpage today discussion of new Type 1 studies that found that intervening early with insulin did not prevent the development of Type 1 diabetes in children with serious genetic risk factors. This raises the question of whether early intervention with insulin in LADA can slow the progress of this form of adult onset autoimmune diabetes, though it does not provide any reason NOT to start insulin early.
Added citation to Medpage today discussion of new Type 1 studies that found that intervening early with insulin did not prevent the development of Type 1 diabetes in children with serious genetic risk factors. This raises the question of whether early intervention with insulin in LADA can slow the progress of this form of adult onset autoimmune diabetes, though it does not provide any reason NOT to start insulin early.
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