New Oral Drug Shows Promise
MS has long been a terrible disease that leaves people completely paralyzed. It is believed that the disease attacks the myelin, which is a protective coating around the nerves. This in turn makes it impossible for the brain to send messages to the nerves that would otherwise enable movement.
There are drugs on the market now to try to fight this horrible disease but they either have bad side effects or are given by injection.
This new drug is called Fingolimod and will be taken orally. It so far seems to curb relapses of the disease, but doctors say further and larger studies need to be done before the drug is released. It offers a lot of promise for people affected.
Most People Won’t Buy Own Insurance
Rueters says that nine out of ten people who wanted to buy their own health insurance couldn’t, either because of the cost being too high, or that the insurance company wouldn’t cover a pre-existing condition.
More and more companies are no longer offering or paying for employees health insurance because of cost, leaving people on their own. Last year there were about 16% of Americans without insurance, and it’s on the increase. A lot of these people do have jobs.
Some employers, instead of dropping the insurance coverage are opting to choose higher deductible plans. That is causing people to skip meds and doctor visits.
It’s a lose, lose situation for everyone.
South Africa’s Super bug
A virulent strain of TB (XDR TB) which is extremely drug resistant, is on the rise in South Africa. Of the 52 people killed by this third generation TB all of them also suffered from HIV within 16 days.
Doctors there are considering quarantining those with the TB as a preventative measure because of the risk to the general public.
In this matter South Africa’s laws are similar to ours in the United States. Our constitutions protect us by giving individuals the rights not to be medically treated. However, there are other laws that allow officials to forcibly remove and treat an individual if it is in the best public interest.
This has become an issue there because they had a woman who was infected with this new strain of TB that refused to remain in the hospital. They did not want her on the streets because this disease is so contagious and dangerous.
It will be interesting to see what happens with this issue while they are trying to come up with a drug to fight the TB.
New Antibiotics, On The Way!
There are some pretty nasty and resilient bugs going around that our currant antibiotics will not kill. These resistant strains have had doctors worried for a while now and without hope of fighting them.
There has been a breakthrough in the development of new antibiotics which will be able to fight the “big bugs”.
What the scientists at the University of Wisconsin have discovered will not kill the bacteria, but will block chemical signals which will disable them from communicating with one another so that they cannot continue to spread or grow.
If I understand it correctly, when threatened, the bacteria create what they call biofilms which protect them and signal other bacteria to also grow the biofilms. These new generation antibiotics will block a bacterias signal that they need to grow the biofilm, thus heading off infections.
These wonder compounds have not yet been tested on people so it may be a while before we see them on the market, but they hold vast potential so far.
Link Between Obesity And Blindness
In many developed countries, one in five people are considered obese. Doctors in England are worried that as many as one third could become obese if something isn’t done to stop it.
They put out a report saying that it is already established that heart disease and diabetes can result from obesity, but now they are also adding blindness to that list.
Obese people have increased risk of developing macular degeneration which is age-related, diabetic retinopathy which many type 2 diabetics suffer from, and cataracts in the elderly.
Obese people already suffer ten times the risk of developing diabetes. Doctors say if people would just follow a proper diet and get some regular exercise these problems could be avoided.
For more information on eating more fruits and vegetables, and the importance of diet and exercise to avoid diabetes type 2, visit http://www.fruitandveggieville.blogspot.com/ http://www.dieorbeatthis.blogspot.com/
Feel free to leave a comment, eyesight is too much a trade for a chocolate donut!
FDA Fines Red Cross
The American Red Cross of which I had proudly been a member many years ago, is being fined by the FDA $4.2 million for not complying to their laws concerning the collection of blood. This makes a total of $5.7 million since 2003, when the FDA mandated the rules and fines.
These fines are based on blood and blood product recalls that the Red Cross has made over the last two or three years, which the FDA says were preventable.
The FDA also seems to be saying that the blood and blood products have not caused any illness or problems in anyone. They further say the reason for that is, that most of the FDA’s requirements overlap what is already being done by the Red Cross.
What they are fining them for is the potential of risk. Since it’s so important that the blood supply remain pure of disease, every rule and law concerning the collection process, even if already being done to some degree, is critical and must meet FDA standards.
A Way For Everyone To Save Money
There seems to be a slow growing trend for large companies to offer in-house clinics for employees. Right now just over 20% have them and another five are planning to open them.
Doctors who run these in-house clinics are saving money by not having to pay overhead and staff or to even fill out insurance forms. They in turn pass the savings to the employee who comes and sees them. The companies save money by not having their workers ignore early symptoms and having to go see specialists when illness progresses. The employees also seem to make less visits to the ER. Companies end up saving, in one year, more than twice what they paid to set up the clinic in the first place.
Many employers are reluctant to establish clinics because it can be difficult to see future savings.
Possible Fat Buster
Scientists may have discovered that a brown seaweed called wakame, which is used to make a Japanese soup called miso, contains a carotenoid called fucoxanthin.
When they fed this to rats, the rodents seemed to be able to loose up to ten percent of their body weight, mostly from around their mid-sections.
While the researchers say that eating large amounts of the miso soup will do little to nothing for you, they hope to be able to make a pill which will be released in as much as five years.
They say this seaweed works in two different ways. The first is that it helps break down fat, and the second is that it helps to get rid of bad cholesterol.
They further say that it also was found to kill human prostate cancer cells in their experiments, and acted as a preventative for other diseases.
New Drug Approved
Duetact is the name of the new drug for diabetes. It’s a combination of two others that diabetics are already taking, pioglitazone (Actos) and glimepiride (Amaryl).
It’s due to be released sometime later this year with a doctors prescription, and will be taken once a day with meals. It comes in three different strengths with different amounts of the two drugs. Both these drugs help to lower your blood sugar, but one helps with insulin resistance and the other helps your body to produce more insulin.
As with all drugs, Duetact is not without side effects including serious liver problems and heart failure.
Most people who develope diabetes type2 can control it with proper diet and exercise. In fact the risks of serious side effects with this new drug seem to occur in those who are going to take this medication instead of insulin and proper diet.
As a type 2 diabetic myself, I can tell you that there is no substitution for proper diet and exercise. You can keep your sugar levels at normal by limiting the amount of carbs and sugar you eat. As far as exercise, even just a walk for ten to twenty minutes will take your sugar level down. Why go through the expense and the risks of drugs, if a slight modification in lifestyle will work even better for you. Go to http://www.dieorbeatthis.blogspot.com/ for more information.
Give it some serious thought and consult your doctor, I did.