Internet Program Launched To Prevent Blindness In Diabetic Patients

April 3rd, 2005 Since most patients with diabetes die from some vascular complication, Medical College of Georgia researchers set out to determine the effects of simvastatin on endothelial cell dysfunction, an early pivotal event in atherogenesis and a major cause of the microvascular complications in diabetics. The researchers found that in addition to lowering cholesterol levels, simvastatin also appeared to prevent or reverse vascular injury by vasoprotective means.

May 7th, 2005 Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX) Announces Positive Interim Results From Phase 2 Clinical Study For KRX-101 (Sulodexide Gelcaps) For Treatment Of Diabetic Nephropathy. Around 40% of diabetic patients progress to diabetic nephropathy.

March 13th, 2005 Diabetic foot care experts presenting at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Annual Scientific Conference said that foot and ankle surgeons are pioneering an approach to relieve pressure on nerves in diabetic feet that cause loos of sensation and foot ulcers. "The new surgical approach is to release the tarsal tunnel to decompress the nerve and allow it to regain circulation and regenerate," said DiNucci.

April 7th, 2005 for those afflicted with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN), Missouri Southern Healthcare has a new therapy program that has shown great strides in returning circulation to feet, lowering the pain and frequency of falls that most people with diabetes suffer. The therapy must be given in 40-minute increments three times a week for 10 to 20 weeks.

July 16th, 2005 A multicenter international study chaired by a Joslin Diabetes Center investigator and reported in the July issue of the American Diabetes Association’s journal Diabetes brings hopeful news to the 18 million people in the United States -- and millions more worldwide -- with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Initial results of the Phase III clinical trial demonstrated that 32 milligrams per day of ruboxistaurin (RBX) was well tolerated and may reduce the risk of moderate vision loss, especially in patients with diabetic macular edema.

August 9th, 2005 Study conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton suggests that tea might prevent diabetes and its associated complications, including diabetic cataracts. Researchers led by Joe Vinson fed green and black tea to diabetic rats for three months and then monitored the chemical composition of the rats' blood and eye lenses.

April 11th, 2009 What can not be cured must be endured. And diabetes perfectly fits in to this category.

September 27th, 2005 Pfizer Inc. said U.S. regulators (FDA) have approved its cholesterol lowering drug Lipitor. Lipitor is used to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack in diabetic patients.

September 13th, 2005 University of Utah researchers have determined tingling in the feet (neuropathy) could be an early warning indicator for impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. 67 patients underwent nerve conduction studies as well as a series of other neuropathy testing.

April 13th, 2005 OPTOMETRY researchers at Aston University’s new £10 million Academy of Life Sciences are currently undertaking ground-breaking research into the vision problems caused by diabetics – one of the leading causes of blindness and vision loss in the UK. So far, the study has been very successful with a large number of diabetic volunteers stepping forward to take part in the study, but the researchers still require some more Type 1 diabetics (insulin dependent patients usually diagnosed under the age of 30) in order to obtain reliable results.

April 20th, 2005 Report from the 4th World Congress on Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications, organised by the World Health Organization and others.

October 7th, 2005 I have moved the coverage of all Health related news to a separate blog - Consanesco. Here is the summary of important news from this week: Cervical Cancer Preventable with Vaccination Repeat Angioplasty Increases Heart Attack Risk NSAID Lowers Oral Cancer Risk in Smokers; Increases Heart Disease Risk Why Babies of Diabetic Women with are 2-5 Times more Likely to Develop Birth Defects And How to Prevent it

April 4th, 2005 NASH, a liver disease that resembles alcoholic liver disease but occurs in patients who drink little or no alcohol. NASH occurs most often in adults over the age of 40 who are overweight or have diabetes, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), or hyperlipidemia (excess concentrations of fatty materials in the blood).

August 11th, 2005 Researchers have identified excessive gambling as a side effect of a treatment for Parkinson's disease. Some patients who are prescribed medication known as dopamine agonists developed the problem within three months of starting treatment, even though they had previously gambled only occasionally or never at all.

July 7th, 2005 Speedel announced today the start of its Phase III study for SPP301, its once-a-day oral endothelin A receptor antagonist (ERA) in the indication of diabetic nephropathy (diabetic kidney disease). The ASCEND(1) study has begun with the first patient visit as per the schedule outlined by Speedel in March 2005 when the company reported successful completion of the Phase II clinical trials.