Much as has been said recently about the health benefits of coconut milk and coconut oil. Coconut milk is a white liquid mixture of water and the white “flesh” of the coconut and is considered a more diluted form of coconut oil a thick clear liquid. Coconut extracts have been used in commercial food products, [...]
January 29, 2012 By Dr. G. Pepper
Infertility to Acne: Treatment and Prevention of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Part 2
In part one of this series we looked at the cause of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and the many complications it causes. Weight gain, acne, excess hair growth on the face and body, high cholesterol and high blood sugar due to insulin resistance are among the problems associated with PCOS. One particular area of concern [...]
January 16, 2012 By Dr. G. Pepper
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Is Common in Adolescent Girls
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) sounds like a rare disorder but it is surprisingly common. This is a disorder with onset in early adolescence effecting up to 10% of young women. Characteristic signs and symptoms include increasing facial and body hair, hair loss from the scalp, muscular or heavy build, acne, thickening and darkening of the [...]
January 11, 2012 By Dr. G. Pepper
Getting the Right Amount of Sleep Helps Prevent Diabetes
One aspect of lifestyle that is often overlooked is time spent sleeping. Getting adequate sleep is often sacrificed due to the demands of job and family. In the Sleep Heart Health Study over 1400 men and women were surveyed about their sleep habits and its relationship to diabetes and prediabetes. It was found that sleeping [...]
January 8, 2012 By Dr. G. Pepper
Novartis Blood Pressure Medication Runs into Trouble
Novartis Blood Pressure Medication Runs into Trouble by Gary Pepper, M.D. Editor, Metabolism.com In 2007 a new type of blood pressure lowering medication was brought to market by Novartis Pharmaceutical Company. This medication by the brand name Tekturna (aliskiran) works by blocking hormones that make up a circuit from the kidney to the blood vessels [...]
November 9, 2011 By Dr. G. Pepper
Bariatric Surgery Benefits Last for Years
One of the biggest problems with weight loss programs and diets is that even if they work the weight tends to come back on within a year or two. A recent study from the University of Utah of people who underwent bariatric surgery shows that not only do they lose weight quickly, after 6 years [...]
August 24, 2011 By Dr. G. Pepper
Diabetes Medications, One Old and One New, Run into Trouble
A potential new treatment for type 2 diabetes, dapagliflozin, recently failed to gain approval from the FDA. What makes this rejection noteworthy is that the new medication works by a completely new mechanism causing the kidney to excrete sugar from the blood into the urine. Reasons for the rejection were the increased risk of bladde [...]
July 6, 2011 By Dr. G. Pepper
Avandia Law Suit Brings Out the Opportunists
The lawsuits against Avandia are being prepared and opportunists are lining up for a payday. Unfortunately, everyone else will wind up a loser, and here’s why. Avandia, one of only two available medicines with unique properties to treat diabetes, was approved in 1999. From the very first day Avandia was approved a heated debate arose [...]
June 15, 2011 By Dr. G. Pepper
To Be Fair, New Diabetes Medications Have Some Use
In my last article on the newest generation of diabetes pills (the DPP-4 inhibitors), I basically said that their benefits were not impressive and the costs were too high. I stand by those comments, but I need to add some clarifying thoughts. I continue to use drugs like Januvia, Onglyza and Trajenta because certain individuals [...]
May 16, 2011 By Dr. G. Pepper
Are New Diabetes Medications Worth the Money?
(I don’t think so, and here’s why.) The FDA just announced its approval of linagliptin (Tradjenta), a new diabetes medication developed by Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Inglheim. Linagliptin is the third drug to be approved in the class of medications commonly known as gliptins (scientifically known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors) which block [...]
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