Diet, Exercise Top Drugs in Preventing Diabetes

Two studies find lifestyle changes are the better, cheaper option

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Preventing diabetes with diet and exercise may be not only possible, especially among nonsmokers, but also more cost-effective than medication. So say two studies appearing in the March 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. One study found diet and exercise modifications reduced the risk of developing diabetes in nonsmoking men. The second study, a computer simulation, found a diet and exercise program was cheaper than using a pill when it came to preventing the disease.

>Full Story: HealthDay News

Blood Sugar Levels Linked to Cancer Rates

In large Korean study, higher levels meant higher incidence of disease

If Americans don't do something about their growing waistlines, cancer may soon join diabetes and heart disease as illnesses on the rise because of this country's obesity epidemic. A study in the Jan. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that higher fasting blood glucose levels were associated with an increase in cancer incidence and cancer deaths.

>Full Story: HealthDay

Many Diet Studies Lack Key Data

Most don't describe participants accurately, affecting results, study finds

FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDayNews) -- Scientific studies that claim to support the effectiveness of weight-loss plans often leave out key facts that can influence the results, claims a new analysis of hundreds of diet studies. Many of the reports omit key mitigating details about the dieters themselves -- things such as medication use, health status, ethnicity and even age. "We had not expected such poor reporting quality," said study author Cheryl Gibson, a research associate professor of medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

>Full Story: HealthDay

Drug Errors Frequent in Long Term Care Facilities

NEW YORK, Feb 24, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Preventable drug injuries happen more frequently in long-term care settings than previously thought, New York researchers report. A survey of two large, long-term care facilities revealed 10 adverse drug events for every 100 patients monthly. The vast majority of the drug errors were not serious but 37 percent were serious or life threatening and four of the 815 incidents documented were fatal. The researchers said 42 percent of all the adverse drug events were preventable as were 61 percent of the serious, life-threatening and fatal adverse events.

>Full Story: MedlinePlus

FDA Public Health Advisory - Seizures in Patients Without Epilepsy Being Treated With Gabitril (tiagabine)

Feb 18, 2005 -- Today the Food and Drug Administration announced that a Bolded Warning will be added to the labeling for Gabitril (tiagabine) to warn prescribers of the risk of seizures in patients without epilepsy being treated with this drug. Gabitril has been approved since 1997 for patients 12 years of age and older as adjunctive therapy (used in addition to other medications) for partial seizures. Recently, the Agency has become aware of reports of the occurrence of seizures in more than 30 patients prescribed Gabitril for conditions other than epilepsy. Most of these uses were in patients with psychiatric illnesses. Such so-called off label prescribing is a common practice among physicians. Because of the risk of seizures, however, in addition to adding the Bolded Warning to product labeling, the sponsor has agreed to undertake an educational campaign targeted to healthcare professionals and patients in which such off label use will be discouraged.

>Fully Story: FDA Public Health Advisory

Pro-inflammatory Enzyme Linked To Diabetes; Immune System's Macrophages May Be Key To Treatment

An enzyme that initiates inflammation has been directly linked to insulin resistance and resulting type II diabetes by researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine. In addition, the team suggests that inhibition of the enzyme in the immune system’s macrophages may be a new diabetes therapy.

>Full Story: ScienceDaily

FDA Safety Official Testifies COX-2 Inhibitors Have Cardiovascular Risks Similar to Smoking at Advisory Committee Meeting

COX-2 inhibitors increase risk for cardiovascular events at about the same rate as cigarette smoking, hypertension and diabetes, FDA Office of Drug Safety Officer David Graham told an agency advisory committee on Thursday, the Washington Post reports (Kaufman, Washington Post, 2/18).

Source: MedicalNewsToday