I just read this story about Avandia reported on the AP wire. If you remember, this drug caused a stir last May when The New England Journal of Medicine reported that Avandia may cause an increased risk of heart disease. Now read the below.
WASHINGTON - The widely used diabetes drug Avandia should be pulled from the market because of heart risks, a federal scientist said Monday.
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Those risks, combined with no unique short-term benefits in helping diabetics control blood-sugar levels, fail to justify keeping Avandia on the market, according to a copy of a slide presentation by Food and Drug Administration scientist Dr. David Graham.
The document was distributed at the onset of a daylong meeting of a joint panel of outside experts convened to consider whether the drug should restricted to use in select patients and branded with prominent warnings or removed altogether from sale. Previously, the FDA said information from dozens of studies of the GlaxoSmithKline PLC drug points to an increased risk of heart attack.
Glaxo officials, meanwhile, disputed that conclusion, according to copies of company presentations to be given later Monday.
The FDA isn't required to follow the advice of its advisory committees but usually does.
The FDA moved up the date of Monday's meeting following the May publication of a study by The New England Journal of Medicine that generated new concerns about Avandia's safety. The pooled analysis of 42 studies revealed a 43 percent higher risk of heart attack for those taking Avandia compared with people taking other diabetes drugs or no diabetes medication.
Glaxo, meanwhile, says its own data show no increase in heart risks with Avandia compared with other diabetes drugs, including Actos.
About 1 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes use Avandia to control blood sugar by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin. That sort of treatment has long been presumed to lessen the heart risks already associated with the disease, which is linked to obesity. News that Avandia, also called rosiglitazone, might actually increase those risks would represent a "serious limitation" of the drug's benefit, according to the FDA.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
10 Simple ways to burn extra calories
I was reading an online fitness describe 10 simple things we can do daily that would help us burn extra calories. I liked them and thought they where very user friendly for the busy person. They are:
1. Ten minute wake up tune up. He suggest doing ten minutes of continuous movement when we rise. This could be crunches, stretches, modified push ups etc.
2. Take timed walks for lunch. Next walk try to beat your times.
3. Use the steps instead of elevator. (heard this one before)
4. Seated (at your desk) ab crunches. Hold your stomach in and breath normal in 30 minute intervals.
5. Invest in a pedometer in order to work yourself up to 10,000 steps a day.
6. Take five minute exercise breaks while watching TV.
7. Focus on one exercise movement each day of the week for seven minutes.
8. Take the longest route to your destination each time you walk.
9. Double up when climbing steps.
10. Find a partner to complete the above.
Note: Do you notice how when you gain a few pounds, people seemed to go out of their way to comment about it, as if, you haven't notice it yourself. I never understood their need to make commentary. Do they think you have no feelings? or, Do they think putting you on the spot is helpful? Do they think you are unaware? Do they forget how it felt when someone remarked this way to them? I am not talking about a morbidly obese amount of weight that poses a health risk (even then use some discretion, kindness and sensitivity). I am referring to a somewhat normal weight gain we experience doing maybe middle age or when we enter a new phase in life and have to adjust to a new metabolic rate. People, I guarantee it that 99% of people who picked up a few pounds know it and are working hard to correct it as well.
My personal opinion is that these weight pointer outers are people either trying to project their own weight insecurities or they want to draw attention to how well they are doing on their diets. Peace.
1. Ten minute wake up tune up. He suggest doing ten minutes of continuous movement when we rise. This could be crunches, stretches, modified push ups etc.
2. Take timed walks for lunch. Next walk try to beat your times.
3. Use the steps instead of elevator. (heard this one before)
4. Seated (at your desk) ab crunches. Hold your stomach in and breath normal in 30 minute intervals.
5. Invest in a pedometer in order to work yourself up to 10,000 steps a day.
6. Take five minute exercise breaks while watching TV.
7. Focus on one exercise movement each day of the week for seven minutes.
8. Take the longest route to your destination each time you walk.
9. Double up when climbing steps.
10. Find a partner to complete the above.
Note: Do you notice how when you gain a few pounds, people seemed to go out of their way to comment about it, as if, you haven't notice it yourself. I never understood their need to make commentary. Do they think you have no feelings? or, Do they think putting you on the spot is helpful? Do they think you are unaware? Do they forget how it felt when someone remarked this way to them? I am not talking about a morbidly obese amount of weight that poses a health risk (even then use some discretion, kindness and sensitivity). I am referring to a somewhat normal weight gain we experience doing maybe middle age or when we enter a new phase in life and have to adjust to a new metabolic rate. People, I guarantee it that 99% of people who picked up a few pounds know it and are working hard to correct it as well.
My personal opinion is that these weight pointer outers are people either trying to project their own weight insecurities or they want to draw attention to how well they are doing on their diets. Peace.
Friday, July 13, 2007
War
I just finished reading a newspaper headline story titled: Report: Al-Qaida rising anew. Needless to say the story is about how Al-Qaida has revamped itself to pre-911 strength. In particular, they have regrouped along the Pakistan-Afghan border and they appear to be gearing up for another attack on USA soil.
Is it me or has our dumb-ass president been fighting the wrong enemy and wasting valuable lives, energy and vital resources while the most dangerous enemy runs amok? Of course, that is a rhetorical question. Any one with a semblance of common sense knows that George Clueless Bush and his cronies have their eyes wide-shut!
It would be comical if the stakes were not so high. Sorry, in using such strong tone, but I am sick and tired of this incompetent buffoon continuing to take our country down the wrong road. At this stage of the game if you are not politically active, you are a willing accomplice to this Crime. If you are not registered to vote, you deserve the government we have. So, please do not follow the lead of Nero, stop fiddling around as our country burns.
In my next post, I will list and describe some political organizations you can join.
Is it me or has our dumb-ass president been fighting the wrong enemy and wasting valuable lives, energy and vital resources while the most dangerous enemy runs amok? Of course, that is a rhetorical question. Any one with a semblance of common sense knows that George Clueless Bush and his cronies have their eyes wide-shut!
It would be comical if the stakes were not so high. Sorry, in using such strong tone, but I am sick and tired of this incompetent buffoon continuing to take our country down the wrong road. At this stage of the game if you are not politically active, you are a willing accomplice to this Crime. If you are not registered to vote, you deserve the government we have. So, please do not follow the lead of Nero, stop fiddling around as our country burns.
In my next post, I will list and describe some political organizations you can join.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
SOUPS - go for it!
Every once and again the stars and moon align and smile down upon my eating habits. However, more often than not, the opposite is the case - the cosmo frowns upon what I crave. Case in point: French fries and potato chips could easily be a daily diet staple if they were not so-so wrong. On the other hand, oatmeal, a food I abosolutely loathe, is considered a healthy way to begin a day.
Good news! I love soups (I enjoy soup in heat of summer, as well as, the freeze of winter) and I just read a study by Penn State University - reported by www.about.comhealthyeating - which reports that soup is both healthy and a good diet food. Why? Because soup is a high water content food or a food high in volume and low in calories (the high content of water gives you that full feeling without consuming large amounts of calories)
Soup, salad and wheat bread are an excellent way to begin a meal. You will feel full faster and be not crave high-calorie entrees as much. Beware:(you know there is always a beware) heed the following tips taken from the before mentioned website:
Buy soup stock that is low in sodium, or make your own broth.
Clear soups have fewer calories than creamed soups.
Add lots of vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, celery, peas and onions add flavor and healthy nutrition. Tomatoes and mushrooms are good too.
If you make a noodle soup, use whole grain noodles. Because consumers are becoming aware of the importance of whole grains, it is getting easier to find whole grain pasta with better taste and texture.
Serve your soup with a salad or some warm whole grain bread. A bread-maker comes in just as handy as a crock pot.
You can make a large batch of soup and freeze some for later. Keep in mind that cream soups and noodles don't freeze as well as soup with clear broth, meat, vegetables and beans. Of course, you can make the soup without the noodles and prepare a few each time you warm up your frozen soup.
Good news! I love soups (I enjoy soup in heat of summer, as well as, the freeze of winter) and I just read a study by Penn State University - reported by www.about.comhealthyeating - which reports that soup is both healthy and a good diet food. Why? Because soup is a high water content food or a food high in volume and low in calories (the high content of water gives you that full feeling without consuming large amounts of calories)
Soup, salad and wheat bread are an excellent way to begin a meal. You will feel full faster and be not crave high-calorie entrees as much. Beware:(you know there is always a beware) heed the following tips taken from the before mentioned website:
Buy soup stock that is low in sodium, or make your own broth.
Clear soups have fewer calories than creamed soups.
Add lots of vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, celery, peas and onions add flavor and healthy nutrition. Tomatoes and mushrooms are good too.
If you make a noodle soup, use whole grain noodles. Because consumers are becoming aware of the importance of whole grains, it is getting easier to find whole grain pasta with better taste and texture.
Serve your soup with a salad or some warm whole grain bread. A bread-maker comes in just as handy as a crock pot.
You can make a large batch of soup and freeze some for later. Keep in mind that cream soups and noodles don't freeze as well as soup with clear broth, meat, vegetables and beans. Of course, you can make the soup without the noodles and prepare a few each time you warm up your frozen soup.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cancer Heads Up
Hey I found this article very informative. Check it out.
By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter
Mon Jul 9, 11:47 PM ET
SUNDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Compelling evidence from four studies confirms that a key change in DNA previously linked to prostate cancer also raises colon cancer risk, scientists report.
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They stress that the risk to any individual carrier of the rs6983267 variant gene -- which is located on a region of chromosome 8 called 8q24 -- are relatively slight. Overall, carriers of this variant have about a 20 percent higher risk of developing a colorectal malignancy compared to non-carriers, the researchers said.
The gene's real power comes in its prevalence.
According to scientists, the number of people who carry the variant on region 8q24 includes about half of the populations studied, researchers say.
"In other words, it is very common in the general population," said Dr. Malcolm Dunlop, of Cancer Research UK and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Dunlop, the lead investigator on one of three studies published in the July 8 online edition of Nature Genetics, told reporters at a Friday news conference that "between 4 to 9 percent of all bowel cancers" may be traced to this particular chromosomal locus.
His team honed in on the 8q24 region after comparing the genomes of almost 7,500 colon cancer patients against those of almost 7,800 unaffected controls.
Similar results were found in a U.S. study that was led by Christopher Haiman of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. His team combed through the DNA of more than 1,800 people from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds; comparing key differences in DNA against genes from more than 5,500 healthy controls.
Again, the rs6983267 variant conferred about a 22 percent increase in colorectal cancer risk, Haiman's team reported. Prior studies had already tied this variant to an increased risk for prostate cancer.
"This is the first common genetic risk factor that has been reproducibly associated with risks in multiple cancers," Haiman told reporters. "The association observed with this variant in both prostate and colorectal cancer provides very strong support for the hypothesis that there may be a common biological mechanism underlying cancer risk in this region of the genome."
The California team stressed that the level of risk to an individual conferred by the gene did not change, regardless of the person's sex, race, site of tumor, tumor stage or the presence of colon cancer risk factors such as family history, smoking or drinking.
However, rs6983267 was found more frequently in some ethnicities than in others. "The frequency of this specific genetic variation varies widely in the population -- from about 85 percent of African-Americans to as low as 30 percent of Japanese," Haiman said.
Carrying rs6983267 does not place any individual black American at an extraordinarily higher risk for colon cancer, Haiman explained. However, due to its relative high prevalence among blacks, it probably accounts for about 40 percent of all cases of colorectal cancers among this minority, he said.
Another researcher noted that genes like the one in region 8q24 are often more dangerous when they clump together in the same person.
"Although individually these markers may only contribute small amounts of risk, collectively, in certain individuals, they may actually have composite risks which are comparable to that of known, high-risk [mutations]," explained Dr. Richard Houlston, of the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton, U.K.
Comparing genomic differences among 930 people with colorectal cancer and 960 controls, his team also zeroed in on rs6983267 as boosting tumor risk. Given the genes' link to prostate cancer, "it does tend to suggest that some of these things may actually have a generic effect on more than one malignancy," Houlston said at the press conference.
A fourth study -- this time led by a consortium from Israel, Spain and the United States -- uncovered a similar connection between genetic variations on 8q24 and a rise in colon cancer risk. That research was published in the July issue of Cancer Biology and Therapy.
While intriguing, experts agreed that the finding does not have immediate implications for the detection, prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, which kills more than 51,000 Americans each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
"These are encouraging findings, but obviously we need a lot more information about the genetic implications," said Dr. Durado Brooks, the society's director of prostate and colorectal cancer. Genetic tests that might assess people's risk or help in cancer diagnosis are still years away, and, for now, the new finding "will not in any way significantly alter clinical practice," he said.
Still, the assembled experts agreed that clinical application remains the ultimate goal of their research efforts.
Ideally, Dunlop said, tests might someday be developed to spot genes like rs6983267, "such that you could tailor interventions such as more intensive [patient] surveillance and even prevention," he said. "This is big step forward, but there is more to come."
More information
Find out more about colorectal cancer at the American Cancer Society.
By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter
Mon Jul 9, 11:47 PM ET
SUNDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Compelling evidence from four studies confirms that a key change in DNA previously linked to prostate cancer also raises colon cancer risk, scientists report.
ADVERTISEMENT
They stress that the risk to any individual carrier of the rs6983267 variant gene -- which is located on a region of chromosome 8 called 8q24 -- are relatively slight. Overall, carriers of this variant have about a 20 percent higher risk of developing a colorectal malignancy compared to non-carriers, the researchers said.
The gene's real power comes in its prevalence.
According to scientists, the number of people who carry the variant on region 8q24 includes about half of the populations studied, researchers say.
"In other words, it is very common in the general population," said Dr. Malcolm Dunlop, of Cancer Research UK and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Dunlop, the lead investigator on one of three studies published in the July 8 online edition of Nature Genetics, told reporters at a Friday news conference that "between 4 to 9 percent of all bowel cancers" may be traced to this particular chromosomal locus.
His team honed in on the 8q24 region after comparing the genomes of almost 7,500 colon cancer patients against those of almost 7,800 unaffected controls.
Similar results were found in a U.S. study that was led by Christopher Haiman of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. His team combed through the DNA of more than 1,800 people from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds; comparing key differences in DNA against genes from more than 5,500 healthy controls.
Again, the rs6983267 variant conferred about a 22 percent increase in colorectal cancer risk, Haiman's team reported. Prior studies had already tied this variant to an increased risk for prostate cancer.
"This is the first common genetic risk factor that has been reproducibly associated with risks in multiple cancers," Haiman told reporters. "The association observed with this variant in both prostate and colorectal cancer provides very strong support for the hypothesis that there may be a common biological mechanism underlying cancer risk in this region of the genome."
The California team stressed that the level of risk to an individual conferred by the gene did not change, regardless of the person's sex, race, site of tumor, tumor stage or the presence of colon cancer risk factors such as family history, smoking or drinking.
However, rs6983267 was found more frequently in some ethnicities than in others. "The frequency of this specific genetic variation varies widely in the population -- from about 85 percent of African-Americans to as low as 30 percent of Japanese," Haiman said.
Carrying rs6983267 does not place any individual black American at an extraordinarily higher risk for colon cancer, Haiman explained. However, due to its relative high prevalence among blacks, it probably accounts for about 40 percent of all cases of colorectal cancers among this minority, he said.
Another researcher noted that genes like the one in region 8q24 are often more dangerous when they clump together in the same person.
"Although individually these markers may only contribute small amounts of risk, collectively, in certain individuals, they may actually have composite risks which are comparable to that of known, high-risk [mutations]," explained Dr. Richard Houlston, of the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton, U.K.
Comparing genomic differences among 930 people with colorectal cancer and 960 controls, his team also zeroed in on rs6983267 as boosting tumor risk. Given the genes' link to prostate cancer, "it does tend to suggest that some of these things may actually have a generic effect on more than one malignancy," Houlston said at the press conference.
A fourth study -- this time led by a consortium from Israel, Spain and the United States -- uncovered a similar connection between genetic variations on 8q24 and a rise in colon cancer risk. That research was published in the July issue of Cancer Biology and Therapy.
While intriguing, experts agreed that the finding does not have immediate implications for the detection, prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, which kills more than 51,000 Americans each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
"These are encouraging findings, but obviously we need a lot more information about the genetic implications," said Dr. Durado Brooks, the society's director of prostate and colorectal cancer. Genetic tests that might assess people's risk or help in cancer diagnosis are still years away, and, for now, the new finding "will not in any way significantly alter clinical practice," he said.
Still, the assembled experts agreed that clinical application remains the ultimate goal of their research efforts.
Ideally, Dunlop said, tests might someday be developed to spot genes like rs6983267, "such that you could tailor interventions such as more intensive [patient] surveillance and even prevention," he said. "This is big step forward, but there is more to come."
More information
Find out more about colorectal cancer at the American Cancer Society.
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