empowereddoctor.com - endocrinology

Healthy Feet Incompatible With Fat

2008-10-21

Obesity can lead to foot amputations, warns a podiatry organization in Australia. This is "particularly [true of] those patients who have diabetes, because they can lose feeling in their feet and sustain injuries, which can get infected and sometimes require amputation," said Brenden Brown, vice president of the Australasian Podiatry Council. And, he said, most people are completely unaware of the feet-fat connection.

"Electric" Foot Bandage May Help Diabetics

2008-09-19

A patented bandage with tiny batteries that run micro-currents through a wound to kill bacteria may hold promise for healing the stubborn foot ulcers that plague so many diabetics. "This electrical activity kills bacteria, keeps the wound clean and, in the studies we've had so far, has shown that this stimulates the wounds to heal," said Jeffry Skiba, president and CEO of Vomaris Innovations, based in Chandler, Ariz.

How Obesity Abets Type 2 Diabetes

2008-09-08

Human fat can be healthy or sick - healthy in lean people and sick in obese. And a new research effort shows sick fat cells can produce proteins that contribute to type 2 diabetes. The study, performed by researchers at Temple University, discovered that fat cells in obese people bear a great deal of stress in a cellular component called the endoplasmic reticulum, which is the cells' protein factory. The stress, says lead researcher Dr. Guenther Boden, apparently produces proteins connected with insulin resistance, a major contributor to obesity-related diabetes. In particular, 19 proteins were more abundant in obese people's fat cells than lean people's, including three that were related to a specific endoplasmic reticulum stress-related response.

Obesity Not Always Indicative of Cardiovascular Risk

2008-08-29

Obese people do not always carry an increased risk of heart disease, while some individuals of normal weight do. Two studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, revealed that how fat was distributed, like fat around the abdomen, was a consistent risk factor for heart disease. People who have their abdominal cavity lined with fat appear to be more likely to develop insulin resistance and have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Environmental Toxins and Early Puberty in Girls

2008-08-08

Over the years, scientists have speculated about the negative effects of environmental toxins for years, wondering what emerging implications would be. New data published in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that certain environmental toxins may disrupt the normal growth and hormonal development of some girls. Such toxins, like mycoestrogens found naturally in the environment, have properties similar to the female reproductive hormone estrogen, and are structurally similar to anabolic growth agents used in animal breeding.

Cell Phones Linked to Insomnia and Headaches

2008-04-16

Talking on your cell phone before going to bed could interfere with getting a good night's sleep, a recent study suggests. Carried out by Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Wayne State University in the US, the study suggests radiation from the handset can cause insomnia, headaches, and confusion. Scientists studied 35 men and 36 women between the ages of 18 and 45 who were exposed to radiation equivalent to that received when using a mobile phone. Others were placed in the same conditions, but given only false exposure. Those exposed to radiation took longer to enter the first of the deeper stages of sleep, and spent less time in the deepest one.

Understanding Stress

2008-01-25

For many, stress is just a normal part of a busy work schedule. Even though stress is becoming routine, it is self destructive in numerous ways. Studies reveal that stress causes deterioration in everything from your heart to your gums, and can make you more susceptible to everything from a common cold to cancer. One of the main culprits in the stress-illness connection is the hormone cortisol - though it plays a necessary role in helping us cope with acute or short-term threats. When an animal perceives danger, the body triggers a chain reaction of signals to release various hormones, like epinephrine (adrenaline), nor-epinephrine, and cortisol, from the adrenal glands. These hormones boost heart rate, increase respiration and increase the availability of glucose in the blood, thus enabling the "fight or flight" response. Because this response requires a great deal of energy, cortisol tells other taxing physical processes like digestion, reproduction, physical growth, and the immune system - to slow down or shut down altogether.

Smoking Associated With Risk of Diabetes

2007-12-14

A recent study from the University of Lausanne looked at 25 studies involving over 1 million patients and found that smokers had a 44% increased risk of type 2 diabetes compared with non-smokers. Researchers believe smoking may be one of the last pieces of the diabetes risk puzzle that could help identify who is at the greatest risk. The study found that for individuals who smoked at least 20 cigarettes a day, the increased risk of developing diabetes rose to 61%. For lighter smokers, the risk was 29% higher than a non-smoker and the risk of developing diabetes is 23% higher in former smokers.

More Than Half of Diabetics Endanger Themselves by Wearing The Wrong Shoe Size

2007-11-15

According to research in the November issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice, more than six out of ten people with diabetes are walking around in the wrong sized shoe, which could potentially cause serious foot problems. An ulceration of the foot can have serious implications for patients, such as impaired quality of life, increased amputation risk, and elevated death rates. The World Health Organization has stated that the number of people suffering from diabetes could double to 366 million by 2030 and 80 percent of diabetic foot amputations could be prevented. Researchers studied a hundred patients, aged 24 to 89, who volunteered to participate in a shoe-size study carried out at a general diabetic clinic. Patients who were attending foot specialist clinics and those who had problems standing or were wearing special footwear were excluded from the study. The results showed that 63 percent of patients were wearing the wrong sized shoes. Approximately 45 percent were wearing the wrong width fitting, and the majority had shoes that were too narrow.

Research Suggests Ways to Slow Alzheimer's

2007-06-19

A new study released at the International Conference on Prevention of Dementia on June 11th suggests that treating other health factors - like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can help slow the onset and severity of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. This research further links heart and brain health. Cardiovascular problems like heart attacks or stroke may also increase the onset of dementia. Taking positive actions, like treating high blood pressure, exercising, and changing diet can all help reduce dementia.