Jo's Cafe

DiabetesNOW and Diabetes in the News has been missing a lot lately with all the other stuff going on. I apologize for that. Thankfully the diabetes is NOT an issue with my health right now. Levels thumbs-up, last A1C 6.6 and in control. Thank You God!

Early cousin of aspirin used to treat Type 2 diabetes – Doctors have turned back the clock more than 100 years to rediscover a cousin of aspirin that could help the more than 15 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes. It’s one drug that may provide twice the relief.

… The drug called salsalate is currently approved to treat joint pain, but researchers say it might also help those with Type 2 diabetes.

I’ve heard about this medication a few months ago and it seemed to disappear from the news cycles, but here it is back again.  Wonder if my doctor would consider changing me to this and get me off the glucophage?

Ontario Funds Free Insulin Pumps For Adults – Each year, over 1300 adults with type 1 diabetes will receive free insulin pumps under a new Ontario program that begins in September. The government will pay 100 per cent of the price – $6,300 – for an insulin pump, as well as provide an annual grant of $2,400 to help pay for supplies.

I’m glad the government is helping out those that can’t afford pumps, but we must remember that Canada has Socialized Medicine.   This is not something a government is doing out of the goodness of their hearts … but a medical treatment for a nasty condition in line with the Government Run Healthcare Program.   

Newer Blood Pressure Drug Shows Promise As Alternative To ACE Inhibitors For Some Patients – Researchers in Canada working on an international study, discovered that the angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan, a newer type of drug for lowering blood pressure, showed a modest reduction in cardiovascular deaths, strokes and heart attacks in patients with heart problems and diabetes who can’t tolerate the standard and more widely used angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

Here is the issue I’m having with the HBP meds I’ve tried so far – they are ACE Inhibitors and I cannot tolerate them. If it lowers the BP, and I can take it, that’s what is important.

Oral Diabetes Drugs May Make Heart Failure Worse – According to researchers at Wake Forest University, a class of oral drugs (the thiazolidinediones), which includes Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Actos (pioglitazone) may make heart failure worse in people with type 2 diabetes.

The researchers had written several scientific articles in 2007 reporting that these drugs doubled the risk of congestive heart failure, and one of the medications, Avandia, was associated with increased heart attacks.

What cures you can kill you. (sigh)

** Photo Information: Diabetes 365 – Day 117: February 11, 2008 – Easily Amused; Originally uploaded to Flickr by jyyne_2000