_ Racial Disparities in Type 2 Diabetes By article Two surprising risk factors – diminished lung function and low serum potassium levels - appear to have nearly the same impact as obesity in explaining why African-Americans are disproportionately prone to developing type 2 diabetes, according to research done at Duke University Medicine and published in the February 2014 print edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The finding points to potential new avenues for developing treatments.
_ A New Way to Zap Hot Flashes By Jane Farrell article A newly developed program can help women fight obesity and reduce health risks in just five visits, according to a new study. The finding was published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The pilot program, called WAIPointes (WAI stands for "who am I"), is also reimbursed by insurance. The authors of the article said WAIPointes, which lasts six months, helped women stay engaged with their goals of reducing menopausal symptoms and maintaining healthy lifestyle changes.
_ New Features on MyDiabetes.com By article Registration is free on the site called MyDiabetes.com, an online community for patients, friends, families, and healthcare professionals. In addition to sharing personal stories and getting access the latest information on the disease, members can use a diabetes management dashboard to keep track of important personal information such as blood sugar levels, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and medications. Now, for 2014, the site has added new features:
_ Special Focus Issue on Sepsis By article A special issue on sepsis has been released by the publisher of the journal Virulence, Landes Bioscience based in Austin, Texas. The articles were written by world-class investigators and provide new insights into both the pathogen-related factors and the host defense mechanisms that lead to septic shock and contribute either to its resolution or fatal outcome.
Metabolic Syndrome: Patients Not Sticking with Diet By article Adherence to dietary recommendations is weak among people suffering from metabolic syndrome or having increased risk for metabolic syndrome, according to the Nordic SYSDIET study led by the University of Eastern Finland. In most cases, patients are still consuming too much salt and saturated fat and too little dietary fiber and unsaturated fat. Not only that, but many of the patients don't have a sufficient intake of vitamin D. The study was published in the journal Food & Nutrition Research.
_ Dr. Marie's Hemorrhoid Advice By Sondra Forsyth article One of our favorite experts, Marie (Dr. Marie) Savard, M.D., confides that back when she gave birth for the first time, she ended up with a huge hemorrhoid that made having a bowel movement exquisitely painful. "I was so preoccupied with my sore bottom that I could barely enjoy my new baby," says Dr. Marie. She adds, though, that this incident inspired her to teach her patients how to prevent and treat hemorrhoids, also called "piles." Here is what you need to know about this nuisance ailment that strikes an estimated 90 percent of us at least once.