How can we stop Atherosclerosis in Native Diabetics?

The leading cause of heart disease is atherosclerosis, otherwise known as hardening of the arteries caused by plaque buildup. Unfortunately, diabetics (type 2) are more likely to develop this disease, resulting in stroke and/or heart attack.

In light of this information, a study was done called ‘Stop Atherosclerosis in Native Diabetics’ (SANDS), involving 299 American Indians with diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. None of the patients had heart disease at the beginning of the study, which lasted for three years. The American Indians were from Oklahoma, Phoenix, Arizona and South Dakota.

The study was done with the intention of proving that proactive treatment of high blood pressure and high cholesterol could help prevent, or at least lessen the chances of developing, atherosclerosis. To prove their point, they asked all participants to accept diabetes management in the form of stopping smoking and dietary counseling, while half of the participants were asked to lower LDL levels of cholesterol (known as bad cholesterol) to 100 milligrams per deciliter and to lower their systolic blood pressure to 140 mm of Hg. The other half were to do nothing different. During this time they measured they recorded the patient’s cholesterol levels and thickness of their left ventricle carotid artery three times.

After 3 years, the half of the control group that lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol levels had smaller arteries than those who did not.

What is their message?

That blood pressure and cholesterol management should be as important in diabetes therapy as controlling blood sugar levels.









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Caffeine May Help MS from Developing

To help guard against multiple sclerosis, make a pot of coffee and enjoy freely, say health experts. Yes, they’ve finally found out that coffee, or rather the caffeine in coffee, may help to prevent multiple sclerosis. That means that coffee, green tea, black tea and all other forms of caffeine may actually be good for you.

Don’t rush out to your favorite coffee shop just yet though. The study was a preliminary trial done on mice with the animal form of the disease, not humans.

Regardless, the results were very positive. Mice given the equivalent of 6-8 cups of coffee (for a human) were found to be 75% less likely to develop the disease, while the 25% that did contract the disease only contracted a mild form of it. That means that you might literally need to make a whole pot, and drink the entire thing to get the benefits. No mention was made of the health issues that may come from drinking that much coffee a day.

The scientists believe that the caffeine blocks adenosine, which inhibits inflammation caused by lymphocytes (white blood cells). This inflammation is what causes damage to myelin covering the nerve cells, resulting in multiple sclerosis.

Health experts are very curious as to whether a study done on humans may show the same results. Definitely be on the lookout for further human-based studies.









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Multiple Sclerosis and Vision

One of the most common symptoms or side effects of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is problems associated with vision; up to 80 percent of those with MS experience vision problems. There are several types of vision problems associated with the disease, such as optic neuritis, nystagmus and diplopia.

Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve that can cause blurring, eye pain, diminished color or graying of images and in the worst case, loss of vision in one eye. Nystagmus is involuntary movements (horizontally or vertically) in either one or both eyes. Nystagmus can cause issues with balance and in serious cases, vision moves or jiggles. Diplopia is less problematic that the previous two conditions, but causes double vision. It can sometimes be improved by resting the eyes.

Doctors commonly use an ophthalmoscope to check the eye for damage or disease. It examines the optic nerve, but is not able to determine the degree of damage or slight changes over time. Unfortunately, an MRI cannot detect damage in small optic nerve fibers.

Another tool that is currently being used for glaucoma patients, optical coherence tomography (OCT), works by focusing a beam of near-infrared light onto the back of the eye to measure reflections while they bounce off the optic nerve and retina. Some doctors of neurology are testing it out for MS and think that it can help determine whether patients have early signs of optic nerve damage.

Research is currently underway.












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