Heart Bypass Beats Angioplasty for Diabetics

Generally, the less invasive a surgical procedure is, the better. But, that's not necessarily true for people with diabetes.

Recent research has found lower death rates and fewer heart attacks in people with diabetes who've undergone the open-heart procedure known as a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), compared to those who had the less-invasive coronary angioplasty with stents. Angioplasty is also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
 

Now a new study of the same group of patients reports that they also have a better quality of life after the more-invasive bypass procedure. http://bookmarkinghub.com/story.php?title=customized-fat-loss-2
 

"Recovery and early quality of life was better immediately with PCI, which is not surprising given the much less invasive nature of that procedure. But, between six months and two years, there was less [chest pain], slightly better physical performance and quality of life with CABG," said senior study author David Cohen, M.D., director of cardiovascular research at St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, in Kansas City, Mo.
 

Results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
 

Angioplasty is a common procedure to open up blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. A special balloon-tipped catheter is inserted into a blood vessel (usually in the leg), and then threaded up to the area around the heart. If a blockage is encountered, it can be opened by inflating the balloon. To keep the blood vessel open, doctors often insert a small lattice-like tube (stent) into the blood vessel, the American Heart Association explains. http://bookmarkednews.com/story.php?title=truth-about-cellulite-2
 

In coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a surgeon takes blood vessels from other parts of the body and uses these to reroute blood flow around the blocked blood vessel. While this surgery is very effective, it is more invasive than angioplasty and requires more recovery time both in and out of the hospital.
 

Several previous studies have shown that bypass surgery is generally the preferred procedure for people with diabetes. Dr. Cohen said there are a number of reasons why the more-invasive procedure is better.

"People with diabetes tend to have different anatomy and more co-morbidities [other existing health conditions]. Their blood vessels tend to be smaller; they have more peripheral vascular disease and more renal [kidney] failure, which are things known to be bad for those undergoing PCI," he pointed out.
 

A diabetes expert explained why the less-invasive treatment isn't necessarily the best option.
 

"PCI tends to fix only a little bit at a time, but people with diabetes have very diffuse disease," said Joel Zonszein, M.D., director of the clinical diabetes center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "It's usually not one single blood vessel, it's all over. And, you don't see the full obstruction, but if you look at the blood vessels, they're quite diseased, which is probably part of the inflammatory process. The disease process is different in people with diabetes, and that's why the more aggressive treatment works better."
 

Although previous studies have found that bypass surgery is often the better choice for people with diabetes, Dr. Cohen and his colleagues felt that because of the improvements in angioplasty and stents, it was time to compare the procedures again. http://v80.me/search.php?search=http://health.proconview.com/
 

The investigators recruited 1,900 people with diabetes from 18 countries to participate in the study. Most had type 2 diabetes, and all had known problems in more than one blood vessel. The average age was 63 years, and 72 percent of patients were male.
 

Study volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either bypass surgery or angioplasty as their initial treatment between 2005 and 2010.
 

Participants completed questionnaires to evaluate their levels of chest pain (angina), physical limitations and quality of life at the start of the study, one month, six months, 12 months and annually thereafter.
 

Dr. Cohen said that in previously reported results from this trial, there were lower rates of death and fewer heart attacks in the bypass surgery group. The risk of stroke was higher in this group, he noted. However, Dr. Cohen added that the overall rate of stroke was small after five years with either treatment.
 

Between six months and two years after the initial treatment, those who had a coronary artery bypass graft reported less chest pain, fewer physical limitations and better quality of life, according to the study. After two years, no significant differences existed between the two groups with regard to these patient-reported outcomes.
 

"If people with diabetes have severe coronary artery disease with symptoms, they should have a full discussion with their physician about available revascularization procedures. Guidelines give a strong preference to CABG, but treatment has to be individualized," Dr. Cohen said.
 

Zonszein agreed that coronary artery bypass graft is usually "the right procedure to do in patients with diabetes who have symptoms." He added that this study also points out the importance of trying to prevent vascular disease in the first place. Medications to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar are all important for people with diabetes, he said.

Long Naps Linked to Diabetes

A brief catnap may help boost your energy and alertness later in the day, but people who take long daily sleep siestas put themselves at higher risk for diabetes, according to new research.
http://infographicjungle.com/story.php?title=truth-about-cellulite
 

In a new study publicized by the Website, sleep specialists from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands who studied 27,000 Chinese men and women found those who napped more than hour a day were far more likely to suffer the metabolic disorder. http://bookmarkstuff.com/story.php?title=kyle-leon-scam-3

The research, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, determined that naps have different effects on the body, depending on sleep duration. The results showed longer naps were associated with an increased risk for high blood sugar and diabetes, while brief burst of shut-eye — lasting 30 minutes or less — lower blood-sugar levels.
 

"The findings may have important implications for people who regularly nap," said Eliane Lucassen, a Leiden researcher. "Taking a so-called power nap may be useful for certain individuals, but naps should not be too long." http://bookmarkingscrapbook.com/story.php?title=fat-loss-factor-4
 

Past studies have shown a short afternoon sleep can boost cognitive function, but a lengthy sleep session during the day can lead to chronic insomnia and other problems.

The new study examined the sleep habits of 27,000 Chinese retirees, most of whom regularly took afternoon naps. Researchers divided them into four groups based on their nap duration, ranging from zero minutes to more than 60 minutes. The results showed that those who reported napping for more than an hour each day had a higher risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes compared to those who never nap.
 

Researchers noted previous studies have suggested diabetes may be caused by getting too little, or too much, nighttime sleep. As a result, people who take longer naps may sleep less at night, boosting their diabetes risk, Lucassen said. It's also possible napping may disturb the body's internal clock that regulates the 24-hour cycle and affect release of insulin

No More Needles: Measuring Blood Sugar With Light

Diabetics who must now draw small amounts of blood to measure their glucose levels may soon be able to kiss the needles goodbye. German researchers have developed a new blood-sugar monitor that uses light, applied to the top of the skin, to determine glucose levels. http://joolerz.com/story.php?title=kyle-leon-scam-2

The development, reported in the current edition of the journal Review of Scientific Instruments, involves the use of infrared laser light and can measure levels of blood sugar in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes as effectively as home electronic devices that read glucose concentrations in a tiny drop of blood drawn through a needle stick. http://jobxu.com/story.php?title=fat-loss-factor-5
 

"This opens the fantastic possibility that diabetes patients might be able to measure their glucose level without pricking and without test strips," said lead researcher, Werner Mäntele, of Frankfurt's Institut für Biophysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität. http://internetnet.info/story.php?title=customized-fat-loss
 

"Our goal is to devise an easier, more reliable and in the long-run, cheaper way to monitor blood glucose."

 

The new device uses "photoacoustic spectroscopy" (PAS) to measure glucose by its mid-infrared absorption of light. A painless pulse of laser light applied externally to the skin is absorbed by glucose molecules and creates a measurable sound signature that Mäntele's team refers to as "the sweet melody of glucose."
 

This signal enables researchers to detect glucose in skin fluids in seconds, he said.
 

The researchers expect to develop a small shoebox-sized device within three years, followed by a portable glucometer several years afterward.

Sugary Drinks a Factor in Endometrial Cancer?

The most common type of endometrial cancer occurred almost 80% more often in postmenopausal women who regularly consumed sugar-sweetened drinks as compared with women who consumed none, a large cohort study showed. http://redrez.com/story.php?title=fat-loss-factor-review

The prevalence of estrogen-dependent endometrial cancer increased steadily and significantly with self-reported weekly servings of sugar-sweetened drinks, boosting the hazard by 78% among women who consumed four or more servings a week.

The risk of the less common nonhormonal endometrial cancer was not significantly affected by consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, Maki Inoue-Choi, PhD, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis, and co-authors concluded in an article published online in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. http://vpside.com/story.php?title=kyle-leon-scam

"We found that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with higher risk of [estrogen-dependent) type I endometrial cancer, regardless of body mass index, physical activity, a history of diabetes, and cigarette smoking," the authors concluded. "Similarly higher risk of type I endometrial cancer was observed in relation to higher intake of sugars. The risk of [estrogen-independent] type II endometrial cancer was not associated with intake levels of sugar-sweetened beverages and sugars."

Consumption of sugar-containing drinks has risen in parallel to the prevalence of obesity in the U. S., offering one potential explanation for sugar's association with endometrial cancer, which occurs disproportionately in obese women. http://manabitv.com/story.php?title=fat-loss-factor-2

In developed nations, obesity is associated with at least half of type I endometrial cancers. Epidemiologic studies have linked higher intake of sugar-sweetened drinks to higher risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Collectively, available evidence provides biologic plausibility for sugar-sweetened drink consumption as a contributing factor in endometrial cancer, the authors noted in their introduction.

The only previous study of sugar-sweetened drinks and endometrial cancer found no association. However, the study lacked data on specific levels of drink consumption. Additionally, endometrial cancer had not been classified into two distinct histologic subtypes at the time of the previous study.

To address limitations in the literature, Inoue-Maki -- currently a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute -- and colleagues analyzed data from the Iowa Women's Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study involving women 55 to 69. At enrollment, each participant completed a detailed questionnaire about demographics, lifestyle factors, medical history, and dietary intake. http://motorut.com/story.php?title=customized-fat-loss

The food intake portion of the questionnaire included usual intake frequency for 127 food and drink items over the past 12 months. Possible responses ranged from "never or less than once per month" to "six or more per day."

The questionnaire included four items pertaining to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, including carbonated and noncarbonated drinks, fruit punch, lemonade, and noncarbonated fruit drinks. Participants completed 13 items related to consumption of "sweets and baked goods."

The final analysis included 23,039 women who had a mean age of 61.6 at enrollment. During follow-up from 1986 to 2010, 592 women had diagnoses of invasive endometrial cancer, consisting of 506 type 1 (endometroid) cancers and 89 type II (nonendometroid) cancers.

Factors associated with endometrial cancer were older age, higher BMI, higher waist-hip ratio, history of diabetes, early menarche, delayed menopause, any estrogen therapy. Smoking and increasing number of live births were associated with lower risk.

In an unadjusted analysis, increasing intake of sugar-sweetened drinks (excluding fruit juices) had a dose-dependent association with type I endometrial cancer (P=0.001). Women in the highest quintile of sugared beverage consumption had a 72% higher risk of type I endometrial cancer compared with women in the lowest quintile.

After adjustment for BMI, the resulting relative risk for comparison of the highest and lowest quintiles of consumption increased to 78% (95% CI 1.32-2.40, P=0.0005).

A separate analysis of fruit juice consumption yielded relative risks that were 38% and 48% higher in the unadjusted and adjusted models (95% CI 1.09-2.00, P=0.02 after adjustment).

Consumption of sugar-free drinks had no association with endometrial cancer risk, nor did consumption of sweets and baked goods. Analysis of different types of sugar showed a trend toward increased risk of endometrial cancer with increasing intake of sucrose and glucose.

The finding that sugar-sweetened drinks might contribute to the most common type of endometrial cancer is not particularly surprising, given the cancer's association with obesity, said Ronald Alvarez, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Sugar in beverages might also affect insulin and insulin growth factor, which could play a role in type I endometrial cancers.

The lack of association between sugary foods and endometrial cancer is puzzling, he added.

"This is somewhat contradictory," Alvarez told MedPage Today in an email. "Is it the amount of sugar or the type of sugar that may differ between drinks and foods? I would say we need more information about that before we can explain this."

Worcester has most applicants hoping to open medical marijuana dispensaries

Worcester trumps Boston for the most popular place in Massachusetts to open a medical marijuana dispensary, according to a list released Friday by state regulators of the 100 applicants vying for a license.

Nine of the nonprofit companies chose Worcester, while six selected Boston. Framingham and Lowell tied for third-most desirable, with five applicants apiece. http://ircommand2.com/story.php?title=customized-fat-loss

Northampton attracted three applicants, but Cambridge, with a similarly liberal populace, attracted just one applicant. http://guiamarti.com/story.php?title=kyle-leon-scam-2

A maximum of 35 permits will be awarded in this cycle — the first after voters approved a ballot initiative last fall that legalized use of marijuana for medical treatment. State officials are aiming to select the winners by the end of January.
Related

Graphic: Location of companies bidding for dispensaries

Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, said she was not surprised Boston came in second, given how expensive it is to open a business in the city.

“We are glad there are applicants that have moved forward in Boston because we support the idea that we should have a dispensary in the city,” she said. “We are going to have a lot of patients who need this service, and we want to make sure it is well run.” http://birminghamatmipim.com/story.php?title=fat-loss-factor-2

The commission on Thursday approved rules that authorize the city to conduct three surprise compliance checks on dispensaries each year, and require dispensaries to offer home delivery.

“We are a big city, and we want to make sure we have as few people as possible who will have a hardship accessing the product,” Ferrer said. http://blofx.com/story.php?title=truth-about-cellulite

Making home delivery a mandatory service will also cut down on the number of people who apply for a hardship permit — citing lack of transportation — to grow marijuana in their home, Ferrer said.

The city’s rules also require Boston dispensaries to post the commission’s phone number for customers to call if they have complaints, and mandate at least one annual community meeting to address any resident concerns.

In Framingham, Town Manager Bob Halpin was surprised just five organizations filed final-round applications for dispensary permits.

In September, after state regulators whittled the list of statewide applicants to 159, at least 14 prospective owners notified the city that they were interested in Framingham, Halpin said.

Since then, the state tightened rules and required each of the companies to prove it has $500,000 in cash in the bank for start-up costs, a move that apparently knocked many prospective applicants out of the running.

Framingham residents twice in the past year have signaled their acceptance of dispensaries. In April, Town Meeting rejected an attempt to place a temporary moratorium on dispensaries, and in October it voted not to adopt a zoning rule that would restrict dispensaries and their cultivation centers to a strip along Route 9.

“The Town Meeting members that considered the bylaw and moratorium feel that the voters in the initial [statewide] referendum have spoken and we should not obstruct the will of the voters,” Halpin said. “The town’s attitude is, we are neither encouraging or discouraging it.”

He said most of the applicants who met with Framingham officials agreed that a location along Route 9, near exit ramps for the Massachusetts Turnpike, would be good sites.

Framingham officials opted not to issue letters of support or opposition for any of the applicants, one of the many factors state regulators said they will consider when paring the list of 100 applicants to the final 35.

It is not immediately clear why Worcester attracted so many applicants, although the city is centrally located and the City Council recently granted preliminary approval to zoning rules that would govern siting of the dispensaries.

The city’s mayor and economic development officials were unavailable for comment.

Eighth Princeton student diagnosed with meningitis

(Reuters) - An eighth Princeton University student has been diagnosed with meningitis, a potentially fatal infection that causes swelling of the brain and spinal cord, a university spokesman said on Friday.

Health officials will conduct tests to determine whether the latest case is related to the previous seven that have been identified since March. Officials at the New Jersey school could not provide the current health status of the student. http://softsblog.com/story.php?title=fat-loss-factor-review-2

The latest case comes shortly after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed the university to use an imported vaccine to help control the disease's spread. http://dofollow.web.id/story.php?title=kyle-leon-scam

The past cases at the Ivy League school were caused by the meningococcal bacteria known as serogroup B. State law requires all Princeton students living in dormitories to receive a meningitis vaccine that protects against most strains but not the serogroup B variety, Princeton spokesman Martin Mbugua said in an email.

The outbreak of serogroup B meningitis is rare but not the first of its kind in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://poskan.com/story.php?title=fat-loss-factor-5

Bexsero, made by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG, will be provided to all undergraduate students, graduate students who live in university housing on or off campus, and students and faculty with certain illnesses, such as sickle cell disease, Princeton officials said earlier this week.

The FDA has allowed the use of the vaccine at Princeton under an Investigational New Drug application. The federal CDC considers the drug to be safe. http://socialbookmarksclub.com/story.php?title=truth-about-cellulite

"Everyone involved is working hard to organize a potential serogroup B meningococcal disease vaccine campaign as quickly as possible that fits into Princeton University's academic calendar," said CDC spokeswoman Sharon Hoskins.

The Princeton inoculation campaign is set to be voluntary for students and is expected to begin in early December, with another event in February, according to the school's website.

Federal and New Jersey state health officials have not advised visitors or students to avoid the campus, Mbugua said.

Meningitis is a serious disease that is spread through coughing and exchanges of saliva, and people living in dormitories or other crowded living quarters are especially at risk.

The most severe cases can result in death, hearing loss, brain damage, kidney disease or amputation of limbs.

Symptoms include fever, headaches and stiff neck.

Obama signs bill for HIV organ donation

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law Thursday a bill that allows scientists to carry out research into organ donations from one person with HIV to another.

In a statement, Obama said he signed the legislation, called the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, or HOPE Act, to offer the opportunity for HIV-positive person to receive organ donations .http://bmarkers.com/story.php?title=customized-fat-loss

For decades HIV organ transplants have been illegal in the United States and it was even illegal to study whether they could be safe and effective, the U.S. president said, calling the ban "outdated."http://menurut.com/story.php?title=truth-about-cellulite-2

"The potential for successful organ transplants between people living with HIV has become more of a possibility," Obama said. "The HOPE Act lifts the research ban, and, in time, it could lead to life-saving organ donations for people living with HIV while ensuring the safety of the organ transplant process and strengthening the national supply of organs for all who need them."http://menurut.com/story.php?title=truth-about-cellulite-2

Obama also said the HOPE Act, which received bipartisan approval in both houses of Congress earlier this year, "marks an important step in the right direction" because improving care for people living with HIV is critical to fighting the epidemic.