Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Merck announces global sales of $27.4 billion for full-year 2009

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2009 which include the results of legacy Schering-Plough operations from the close of the merger on Nov. 3, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009.

16 Feb 2010

Childhood obesity: Strongest predictor of premature death

In a study now being published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Associate Professor Paul Franks of Umeå University in Sweden, in collaboration with researchers in the US, shows how childhood obesity, together with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, affects premature death.

16 Feb 2010

Studies show association between high levels of vitamin D and decreased risk of heart disease

Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.

16 Feb 2010

When blood sugar levels rise in healthy people, insulin signals cells to increase production: Study

In type 2 diabetes, which is occurring at alarming rates, the hormone insulin does not work effectively to lower blood sugars and patients also do not make enough insulin. These two processes have been widely considered as separate.

16 Feb 2010

Case study demonstrates positive impact of diabetes management program

A case study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacists, demonstrates the positive impact of a diabetes management program designed to educate and motivate members to engage in their health care. The program was implemented by CVS Caremark and Polk County, Florida, a self-insured government employer client.

16 Feb 2010

Revisional bariatric surgery linked to higher risk of complications

Revisional bariatric surgery appears to be associated with a higher risk of complications than the initial procedure, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

16 Feb 2010

Infertility patients from across GTA demand government-funded IVF

Infertility patients from across the GTA gathered at Queen's Park this morning to demand government-funded in vitro fertilization (IVF). Larger than life children's building blocks on the steps of the provincial legislative building spelled out the $550 million the Ontario Expert Panel on Infertility and Adoption says the province could save in long term health care and social services costs by funding IVF.

16 Feb 2010

Simple protein urine test may help detect early kidney disease in people with lupus

Simple urine tests for four proteins might be able to detect early kidney disease in people with lupus, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in an animal study.

16 Feb 2010

Any new pressure in upper body can signal heart attack

Not everyone who suffers a heart attack clutches their chest and falls to the floor. "I woke up and felt like a pill was stuck in my throat," says Betsy, a 68-year-old patient from Upper Providence. "I was taking antibiotics at the time and really didn't think much of it," she adds. "So I tried drinking water and when the "stuck" feeling didn't go away after 45 minutes, I thought something might be wrong."

15 Feb 2010

Researchers use $1.3M grant from NIH to study on obesity and Type 2 diabetes

A team of Northern Arizona University-led researchers is using nearly $1.3 million in new funding from the National Institutes of Health to continue with the world's longest-running study on obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

15 Feb 2010

Simplex Healthcare to implement comprehensive wellness program for employees

Simplex Healthcare today announced that it is partnering with Onlife Health, a national personal health coaching company, to implement a comprehensive wellness program for its more than 300 employees.

15 Feb 2010

Researcher receives $2.4M grant from NIH to study preeclampsia and diabetes in pregnant women

The link between obesity and high-risk pregnancies caused by preeclampsia and diabetes will be the focus of a $2.4 million National Institutes of Health research grant received by Sean Blackwell, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

15 Feb 2010

Diabetic retinopathy: 5.3M U.S adults suffer

Despite major progress in diagnosis and treatment, diabetic retinopathy remains the major cause of blindness in adults under 60 in the U.S., said Thomas C. Lee, director, Retina Institute in The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and attending physician at Doheny Eye Institute.

12 Feb 2010

White rye flour bread leads to better insulin and blood sugar levels than wheat bread with rye bran

Wholegrain bread is good and good for you, as most people know. But it is not only the fiber-rich bran, the outer shell of the grain, that is healthful. On the contrary, research at the Lund University Faculty of Engineering shows that bread baked with white rye flour, which is flour made from the inner, white part of the rye kernel, leads to better insulin and blood sugar levels compared with wheat bread with rye bran. White rye flour thus leads to much better values than both regular wheat flour and rye bran. At the same time, much of the bread that is sold in stores today in most countries is in fact baked with wheat flour and bran from various grains.

12 Feb 2010

Anti-PC antibody linked to reduced risk of arteriosclerosis

The chances of suffering a stroke are linked to the presence of a certain type of antibody in the immune system, a new study from Karolinska Institutet shows. The researchers hope to be able to develop a vaccine that can mobilise the body's own defence against arteriosclerosis and stroke.

12 Feb 2010

Cal-EPA intents to add BPA to state's list of chemicals known to cause cancer

The California Environmental Protection Agency signaled intent to add bisphenol A (BPA) to the state's list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects, adding to evidence the chemical should be banned from food and beverage containers.

12 Feb 2010

ODA encourages people with bad breath to see dentist

Do you suffer from bad breath? Are you constantly refreshing your mouth with mouthwash and mints to mask an odour problem? If any of this sounds familiar, the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) encourages you to see your dentist and get to the root of the problem.

12 Feb 2010

Researchers develop dietary supplement to offset key symptom of ageing

Researchers at McMaster University have developed a cocktail of ingredients that forestalls major aspects of the aging process.

12 Feb 2010

Center for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery performs 100th LAGB procedure

Few treatments are available to help obese adolescents who are unable to lose weight and are already suffering from obesity-related health problems. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), an option for adults in the United States since 2001, is showing promise for teens. The Center for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery, which opened at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital in 2006, recently performed its 100th LAGB procedure.

12 Feb 2010

Ethnic and racial minorities less likely to receive A1C diabetes test

Ethnic and racial minorities bear a disproportionate share of America's diabetes epidemic but are significantly less likely than whites to receive a commonly used test to monitor control of blood glucose, according to Washington State University researchers.

12 Feb 2010