Harvard Health Content API

Americans with diabetes are much less likely to develop further health problems than they were 20 years ago, a new study finds. But the actual number of people with diabetes has more than tripled. The study used data from several national surveys and databases. It found that the number of people with diabetes jumped from 6.5 million in 1990 to 20.7 million in 2010. About 95% of the cases were type 2 diabetes. This type is closely related to obesity. Diabetics are 6 times as likely to develop kidney disease as people without the disease. They are 10 times as likely to have an amputation. But rates of these and other health problems among diabetics have dropped dramatically since 1990, the study found. Heart attack rates declined nearly 70%. Deaths from extremely high blood sugar dropped 65%. Rates of amputation (leg or foot) and stroke fell about 50% each.

People with sleep apnea are more likely to develop high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. But a new study finds that this common breathing disorder could also increase their risk of developing osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease. The study took place in Taiwan. Researchers examined the medical records of close to 1,400 people diagnosed with sleep apnea from 2000 to 2008. Over the next 6 years, they kept track of how many in this group were diagnosed with osteoporosis compared to a group of over 20,000 who did not have sleep apnea. Those with sleep apnea were 2.7 times more likely to get osteoporosis. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. HealthDay News reported on it April 15.

The number of pregnant women in the United States being prescribed narcotic pain medicines has grown, says a new study. This is happening even though the risks to a developing fetus are unknown. Researchers looked at the pharmacy records of 1.1 million pregnant women receiving Medicaid. Between 2000 and 2007, the number of women filling a prescription for these drugs rose from 18.5% to almost 23%. Codeine and hydrocodone were most often prescribed. The prescription rates varied from 9.5% to 41.6% depending on the state. Another study published online in the journal Anesthesiology in February found similar results. The pregnant women in that study had private health insurance. The journal Obstetrics & Gynecology published the new study. HealthDay News and the New York Times wrote about it.