How diabetes drugs may increase
risk of heart failure
If you are on drugs for diabetes, you are at a greater
risk of suffering from heart failure says a new study.
The study conducted at American College of Cardiology
examined clinical trials of more than 95,000 patients and found that for every
one kilogram of weight gain attributed to a sugar-lowering diabetes medication
or strategy, there was an associated seven per cent increased risk of heart
failure directly linked to that medication or strategy.
Dr. Jacob Udell, the study’s principal investigator, and
cardiologist at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network (UHN)
and Women’s College Hospital (WCH), said that patients randomized to new or
more intensive blood sugar-lowering drugs or strategies to manage diabetes
showed an overall 14 per cent increased risk for heart failure and this
increased risk was directly associated with the type of diabetes therapy that
was chosen, with some drugs more likely to cause heart failure than others,
compared with placebo or standard care.
Dr. Barry Rubin, Medical Director, Peter Munk Cardiac
Centre, University Health Network (UHN), asserted that the results of this
study could prove to be the catalyst for how diabetes patients at risk for
heart disease were managed moving forward and as the number one global killer,
and the second leading cause of death in Canada, the growing burden of heart disease
was in many respects impacting patients, families and the health-care system in
ways that were unsustainable.
Heart failure is a common occurrence for patients with
type 2 diabetes and has a major impact on one’s life expectancy and quality of
life as well as representing a major driver of healthcare costs.
The study is published in the current issue of The
Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
30.03.2015
Now, get a reminder on your phone
to have your TB medication
TB or tuberculosis is an infectious disease which can
easily spread from one person to the other. India had the highest number of TB
cases in 2010 which makes it important that the treatment process be as
stringent as possible. In order to make this possible, Apollo Hospitals and the
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease have come together to
bring about a few changes in the process.
They have started a TB intervention programme that will
help patients and the authority as well. TB patients often stop taking drugs
once they start feeling better but this is one of the worst mistakes as this
can lead to complex drug resistant TB. Therefore it is vital that
they continue the full course of medicine. The software they have introduced will
send reminders in the form of SMS, voice calls to remind them about taking
their medicine. It will even provide counselling to such patients.
The software will also help upload the patient’s case
information to the Central Govt’s website ‘Nikshay’ which will keep track of
their progress and how well they are following the treatment process.
Sarabjit Chadha, the Project Director of
the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease told the
media that as of now there isn’t any automatic mechanism that can notify TB
cases to government authorities or any system that can follow up cases. But
this software will address both these issues.
After a trial run at Apollo Hospitals, they want to see
the response and later spread it to all private healthcare providers so that
better and more effective TB treatment can be delivered across the country.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
30.03.2015
Worry is a misuse of the imagination
Dan Zadra
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