Posted on 09/18/2009 11:47:48 PM PDT by neverdem
Two popular treatments lower blood sugar but may not prevent heart disease
Tightly controlling blood sugar in people with diabetes doesn’t relieve inflammation that can lead to heart disease, a new study shows.
A study of 500 people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes shows that a drug called metformin and a once-daily injection of insulin are both effective in controlling blood sugar levels. But the drugs, either alone or in combination, don’t lower levels of three markers of inflammation any more than a placebo does, Aruna Pradhan, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues report in the Sept. 16 Journal of the American Medical Association.
Blood sugar control is important for protecting small blood vessels from damage that can lead to eye disease, kidney disease and nerve damage, says Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Previous studies have yielded mixed results, leaving it uncertain whether keeping blood sugar levels in check can fend off cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and stroke...
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...
IMHO, I don't think many were surprised.
People with rheumatoid arthritis have about the same life expectancy as those with diabetes. People don’t think of RA as a killer but it is. The theory seems to be the inflammation in RA, just like in diabetes, causes heart disease.
I’d be interested to see if they ever nail down the link between each disease and the coronary issues.
I suspect diabetes accelrates ahterosclerosis just because it damages the endothelium through the mechanism we already know about. That is probably sufficient.
I have rheumatoid arthritis, and since diagnosis 2 years ago I lost 55 pounds, which brought inflammation markers down to normal (and also, my glucose level came way down — before losing the weight it was borderline). As a result, right now I am in remission - no more pain!
I also take fish oil, have a few glasses of red wine each week, walk every day, no red meat, very little gluten, take Vitamin D3. It is a job staying health, but in my case, it can be done.
And you’re correct, it is the inflammation that is the killer in RA.
They evidently also do not help with herpes, pneumonia or broken limbs.
You have a good regimen there - gives me hope I can do the same in time. It's taken nearly 5 years and lots of meds to get my inflammation under pretty good control, so it's very encouraging to hear you're in remission.
Just be cautious - if you have a high pain tolerance like I do, pain in joints and muscles will be the symptom you'll experience when inflammation has already done some damage to joints or internal organs.
I have type 2 Diabetes im one of those people who for some reason hourds water causing inflamation and bloating a simple water pill gets rid of both in my case so far anyway ...
But i still have heart disease so go figure .
I have RA and I have been at my healthiest over the last 6 months due to making a serious effort to stay 100% hydrated all the time. I never realized how much my problems were magnified by my dehydration until they went away.
Excellent point. Not too long ago I read an article written by a doctor who suffers from RA. Her belief is that RA is CAUSED by dehydration. I’ll see if I can find the link.
Something else I forgot to mention: tooth and gum hygiene. A large percentage of people with RA also have gum disease. I recently purchased a water pik that is installed right onto the shower head (so much less mess!) Even though I go to the dentist every 6 months for a cleaning, my gums were always slightly inflamed, but the water pik made a huge difference.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that there are simple things we can do to help ourselves? I am going make an effort to drink more water.
ping
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