Diabetes
Latest articles on Diabetes
Little or no evidence has been published proving that the most popular commercial weight loss programs work at all, especially in the long run.
"Exercise is a key component in raising HDL cholesterol," notes Dierdre Faust, MD. "In order to raise the HDL cholesterol, exercise needs to be regular and vigorous."
"Sometimes it's a struggle for patients and their physicians to keep up with constantly changing dietary guidelines," says Joan Neuner, MD, MPH. "Patients are understandably confused. But I try to tell them that nothing dramatic has really changed."
"The good news is that we can usually treat diabetic retinopathy with lasers and other treatments," says Dr. Kimberly Stepien. "We can potentially help prevent the retinopathy from progressing or actually cause it to regress."
Researchers found that captopril, given after patients receive irradiation to prepare for bone marrow transplants, showed a favorable trend for better kidney function and long-term survival.
A lipid profile provides information about the amounts four types of fats in the blood. The ideal range for each person depends on individual risk factors, including conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
Medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea are all substantially improved by surgical weight loss, says Dr. James Wallace. "The effects of the surgery are remarkable, and quite profound in all areas."
For 50,000 diabetics each year, the disease can lead to amputation of a toe, foot, or leg. Fortunately, notes Joseph A. Sizensky, MD, preventive techniques can help reduce the need for this traumatic option.
The medical profession continues to improve the process of kidney transplantation, resulting in a high rate of success and providing hundreds of thousands with new hope, says Mark Adams, MD, MS. Yet there are a limited number of kidneys available.
Cataract surgery has become simply a day surgery procedure, according to Dr. Bhavna Sheth. "We most often use just a topical or local anesthetic, and are usually done in less than 20 minutes," she notes.
A combination of inactive lifestyles and a fat-drenched diet have produced a virtual epidemic of childhood obesity among American children, warns Ramin Alemzadeh, MD, FAAP, Professor of Pediatrics.
"Fluctuating levels of glucose harm the cells that line the capillaries of the eye. Over time, these vessels close off or become incompetent in playing their proper role in clear vision," says Dr. Dennis Han. The result? Diabetic retinopathy.
Replacing insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas can now be done in two ways, through a whole pancreas transplant or through a less invasive and less costly process of injecting just the islet cells.
"You can be a 'successful ager' and still have chronic conditions like hypertension and osteoporosis that can be well tolerated with good management," says Dr. Edith Burns.
Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of interrelated conditions that can severely damage health, is dramatically on the rise. Ahmed H. Kissebah, MD, PhD, one of the world's leading researchers on the topic, discusses its impact.
Dr. Richard Roman, an expert in the field of kidney disease, is the Director of MCW's Kidney Disease Center. "I didn't think that it was possible to reverse kidney disease," he says, "but with newly emerging technologies I strongly believe that there is new hope."
A Medical College of Wisconsin research team, collaborating with colleagues in Finland to study Type 1 diabetes, is producing a complex set of genetic maps that could tell us a great deal about the disease.
Two minutes of soap and hot water removed about 97% of the bacteria while microwaving or throwing the sponges in the dishwasher got much closer to total disinfection.
More than 20 million Americans have moderate kidney disease. Another 20 million are at risk. “If these patients are not diagnosed and treated,” says Dr. Walter Piering, “they will ultimately develop kidney failure.”
Because of their delicate chemistry, nerve cells that sense touch in the feet are susceptible to many types of damage. Dr. Julie Mitchell describes some of the factors that might cause numbness.
|
