Month: March 2011

Surgery to help people lose weight is a good treatment for some people with diabetes. That’s the view of an expert group, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The group issued its endorsement March 28. The new guidelines cover procedures known as bariatric surgery. They make the stomach smaller so people eat less. This surgery can return blood sugar levels to normal for some diabetics, the IDF said. Some also can reduce or avoid the need for medicine. The new guidelines say surgery is OK when someone with diabetes has a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35. Someone with this BMI is very obese. Diabetics who are less obese also could qualify for surgery. People in this group should have a BMI of 30 to 35. They also should have tried and failed to control diabetes with medicine, diet and exercise. The IDF guidelines are similar to those issued last month by the U.S.

There are positive and negative effects when children and adolescents use social media websites, says a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Websites such as Facebook and Twitter can help kids connect with friends, share ideas and find health information. But they also can expose children to dangers, such as cyberbullying and sexting, and increase the risk for depression. The AAP says parents need to get more involved. Pediatricians can help by encouraging parents to become more familiar with social networking sites and technologies, talk to their children about the risks, and supervise children’s online behavior. The Associated Press wrote about the report March 28.

Another type of drug-resistant bacteria is spreading in California, officials say. This “super bug” is carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). The infection spreads from person to person. It resists almost all antibiotics. The Los Angeles County health department released a report on the illness March 24. It said 356 cases were reported from June to December 2010. About 42% were in hospitals that provide long-term care. About 6% were in nursing homes and the rest in general hospitals. Symptoms vary but often resemble pneumonia. The infection can be deadly. But the health department did not find out how many people died or recovered. That may be the topic for a future study. An official said this may be the first time a health department has required reporting of such cases. The New York Times News Service wrote about the report.

The drug pioglitazone may reduce the chance of diabetes in people at high risk of developing it, new research finds. The new study included 602 adults. All of them had been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Their blood sugar was higher than normal, but not as high as in people with diabetes. This condition often leads to diabetes. But diet and exercise can help to prevent it. So can taking the diabetes drug metformin. Half of those in the study were randomly assigned to take a different diabetes drug, pioglitazone (Actos). The others took a placebo (fake pills). Researchers kept track of them for about 2 ½ years. In that time, 2.1% of the group that took the real drug developed diabetes, compared with 7.6% who took the placebo. Nearly half of those taking pioglitazone went back to normal blood sugar levels. This happened for only 28% of those taking the placebo.

Children are being diagnosed with hearing loss earlier since laws required all newborns to be tested. But hearing problems in many kids are still found long after birth, a study finds. The study used data on 391 children in Illinois who received cochlear implants in Illinois. These devices help people to hear. Researchers divided the kids into two groups. They looked separately at those who got the implants before and after newborn hearing tests were required by law. Hearing loss was found earlier in children born after the tests were required. They also got their cochlear implants sooner. But about 1 out of 3 children who received the implants had passed the tests as newborns. They were diagnosed with hearing loss later in childhood. Researchers don’t know why. The journal Archives of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery published the study.

Most people who are prescribed two specific types of blood pressure drugs don’t need that combination. In fact, it can be harmful for them, a study finds. The study included more than 32,000 people over age 65. All took medicine for high blood pressure. Some took an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Some took an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). About 5% took both drugs. Taking both drugs is known to benefit people with very specific medical problems. Most people in the study who took both drugs did not have these problems. This study confirmed that the combination can harm other people. Those who continued to take both drugs had higher rates of kidney failure, end-stage renal disease and death than people who took one drug. But most of those taking both drugs quit within 3 months. Researchers said it may have been because of very low blood pressure.

A blood test may help to find out years ahead of time which people are most likely to develop diabetes, researchers say. The study included 2,422 people. They were part of the long-term Framingham Heart Study. Blood tests were taken when they entered the study. Researchers kept track of them for about 12 years. In that time, 201 developed type 2 diabetes. Leaders of the new study checked those early blood tests for metabolites. These are chemicals released as the body burns calories for energy. The study compared blood samples of people who developed diabetes and 189 others who did not. The diabetes group had higher levels of 5 amino acids. These are the building blocks of proteins. Researchers also compared the groups in other ways. They looked at age, weight and other things that affect diabetes risk.