Monthly Archive for April, 2009

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Combo pill shows promise to prevent heart disease and stroke

Published on April 8, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

There may soon be an affordable and easy way to stave off heart disease and strokes. One pill, taken daily, that blends aspirin and four blood pressure and cholesterol medicines, has passed its first substantial test.

This innovative “polypill” was found to be as beneficial as all of the elements taken separately, with no increase in side effects. According to the study, a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke can be reduced by half, by consistently taking it.

The Polycap, an exploratory combo by Cadila Pharmaceuticals of Ahmedabad, India, was tested in the study. It has small doses of three blood pressure medicines (atenolol, ramipril and the “water pill” thiazide). It also has the generic version of the cholesterol-lowering statin drug Zocor and a 100 milligram baby aspirin.

In the study, there were about 2,000 people at 50 centers in India. The average age was 54 and they each person at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes or smoking. Four hundred were given the polypill. The rest were put in eight groups of 200. They were given separate components of the pill. The treatment took place over 12 weeks.

The polypill reduced systolic blood pressure (the number on top) by more than seven units and diastolic (the bottom number) was reduced by almost six, when compared with groups who received no blood pressure medications.

Bad cholesterol or LDL, decreased by 23 percent on the polypill against 28 percent in those taking the statin drug separately. Triglycerides came down by 10 percent on the combo pill versus 20 percent with the individual statin use. Good cholesterol, or HDL, was not affected by either pill. Anti-clotting effects were the same as with aspirin by itself and side effect rates were also the same for the polypill as they were for the five separate medicines.

The maker of Polycap sponsored the study. There is currently not an available price for the polypill, but generic ingredients cost around $17 a month.

A larger study is still needed to find out whether the polypill does reduce heart attacks and strokes. Also, the Food and Drug Administration will need to approve the polypill.

Too much protein and fat could increase risk for developing diabetes

Published on April 8, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

About 550,000 people suffer from diabetes and approximately 300,000 have pre-diabetes in North Carolina. People over age 65 and blacks tend to be more prone to this chronic disease. North Carolina has the 10th highest ratet of diabetes in the U.S.  The national average is 7.3 percent and it is 8.5 percent in North Carolina. The main killers of people with this disease are heart attacks and strokes. Diabetes also can cause kidney failure, blindness, depression, amputations, nerve damage and periodontal disease.

Even though diabetes has extensively increased in North Carolina and the U.S. over the last ten years, doctors are just now starting to figure out the mystery behind the intricate cycle of cellular occurrence that trigger the development of this persistent disease. Although a cure is not yet on the horizon, researchers are developing new targets for drug therapies.

Diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t make or successfully use insulin. Insulin is a hormone created in the pancreas which enables cells to convert sugars and starches for energy. People who are overweight have an increased chance of getting diabetes, because eating too much, and not exercising enough can exhaust the body’s capacity to use insulin. But important to mention is that not everyone who is heavy will develop the disease and not everyone with diabetes is overweight.

On April 7, a paper was published revealing that Duke University researchers have a new discovery that suggests that diabetes could be affected by protein and not sugary carbohydrates, which has long been thought of as the main culprit. The Duke researchers found that overweight people actually metabolize protein differently than leaner people, especially when it is part of a high-fat diet.

When too much protein and fat are eaten, the metabolic byproducts can not be totally absorbed, so they surge into the bloodstream. One of those byproducts is an enzyme that affects insulin sensitivity. A diet that is predominantly heavy in fat and protein causes the body to change to a different way of becoming insulin resistant.

Christopher Newgard, the director of the Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center at Duke and lead author of the study, said that protein is usually viewed as a good nutrient and it can be when people exercise and eat in moderation. The problem, she suggests, is the typical U.S. and Western society, where 65 percent are overweight due to a sedentary lifestyle and a diet that is too heavy in fat and protein.