KEEP BUT DO NOT DISPLAY

China Tops India on World Diabetes Ladder: China has overtaken India as the global epicenter of the diabetes epidemic after a study showed twice as many Chinese are afflicted with the disease as previously estimated. Type 2 diabetes, mostly caused by a high-calorie diet and sedentary lifestyle, afflicts 92.4 million …

Free Clinics Provide Care for an Estimated 2 Million Americans Annually: Findings from a survey of free clinics suggest that an estimated 1.8 million individuals make approximately 3.5 million medical and dental visits to free clinics annually. “Our nation’s 46 million uninsured often delay or forgo needed health care because …

Heart Attack Rates Decline, But Obesity and Diabetes Reverses Trend: A study from the Kaiser Permanente health system found that heart attack rates peaked about 10 years ago and have declined steadily ever since — for a 24% drop overall. About 287 people per 100,000 had heart attacks in 2000. …

Medicare to Cut Payments to Physicians on June 15th.

Obesity is Found to Take Toll after Age 40: Although obesity has been linked to Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, new findings suggest that it may not take effect until after age 40. Researchers compared the medications taken by normal weight, overweight, and obese Americans who participated in National …

Low Muscle Mass Ups Diabetes Risk: Researchers suggest that sarcopenia, defined as low skeletal muscle mass and strength, often found in older or obese individuals, may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The study team analyzed data on 14,528 people who had participated in the National Health and Nutrition …

Study Links Air Pollution with Diabetes in Women: Traffic-related air pollution has been shown to increase Type 2 diabetes risk in a German study of 1,775 women. The researchers analyzed data on these women, all in their mid-50s and enrolled in 1985, and compared those who lived in highly polluted …

Nocturia Increases Mortality Risk: Waking up more than twice a night to urinate increases mortality risk by 50% for men and more than 30% for women, researchers have found. Researchers analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which included 16,000 men and women aged 20 years …

Novo Pulls its Insulins from Greece. See this week’s Item #3.

FDA Clears New Blood Glucose Test Strips: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved blood glucose test strips (FreeStyle Lite; Abbott Diabetes Care) to help patients better manage their diabetes by minimizing the potential for interference by other sugars. Abbott now joins the other companies that use strips …