Proof That Cholesterol Drugs Cause Type 2 Diabetes

It has only been the last few years that I took the time to read all of that paperwork my pharmacist stuffs into my prescription envelopes. This act prompted me to add to my knowledge by surfing the Internet. Most of the time I wish I had never started this pursuit.

I have been prescribed a number of different drugs since first being diagnosed with, "Hypertension... Don, you have high blood pressure." This was a stunning revelation back then. I was just 30 years old.

Oftentimes I am shocked when the voiceover on a TV drug commercial rattles off all the "potential" side effects of a prescription drug: pain, stiffness, erectile dysfunction, suicidal thoughts, etc., etc. Makes you wonder why people would even consider some of this stuff. But Big Pharma tells us that while taking the drug has calculated risks, the benefits out-weigh the problems.

Thus is the case with statins, the number one choice for controlling high cholesterol. And yes... I was taking a statin as well has high blood pressure meds too.

In a recently published study, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) revealed a Canadian study of 471,000 patients directed at proving that statin drugs actually cause type 2 diabetes in many patients on statin prescriptions. The researchers stated that data on this particular side effect was often very limited. That's not too surprising since the manufacture and sale of statin drugs is a multi-Billion Dollar Business.

This is one more link in a body of evidence that proves this most serious side effect of statins. Scarier too is the fact that stain prescriptions are on the rise. According to statistics published by Forbes, in 2007 more than 200 million statin prescriptions were filled. Three years later this number leaped to 4 billion.

Common side effects of one of the most popular statins published online include but are not limited to: Indigestion, Incomplete or Infrequent Bowel Movements, Gas, Stomach Cramps, Joint Pain, Throat Irritation, Dizziness, Head Pain and Diarrhea. There is no mention that type 2 diabetes is also a possibility in some patients.

Many parts of the medical community have jumped on the Big Pharma bandwagon. A recent study from Finland and Harvard consider the problem of side effects "an acceptable risk," when considering the benefits. Little attention is shown to studies from these same medical schools that statins do nothing to reduce the risk of heart attacks occurring in patients with high cholesterol.

Oddly enough, virtually everyone concerned in health matters agrees that cholesterol may be reduced by simple diet and lifestyle adjustments-like spending more time in the produce section of your supermarket rather than the pharmacy. What does your health care provider say?

Many of our human conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes can be controlled-even eliminated-using natural methods of diet and exercise, but the population needs to be educated to this alternative treatment. You are invited to join me on my blog: The Blind Hog Blogger. This blog is dedicated to providing information and resources to: Our Senior Citizens

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Hypertension Is Not Just A Problem In Your "Old Age"

High blood pressure is a problem across the globe. It was previously associated with growing older. Generally, seniors were at risk of hypertension and younger adults, even middle-aged adults, never had to be too concerned with high blood pressure problems. However, the incidence of hypertension among younger people has changed drastically in modern times thereby making it the most prevalent cardiovascular condition.

The issue with high blood pressure in younger people is the primary type of hypertension. Here high blood pressure occurs for no clearly discernible reason. Therefore it is referred to as primary hypertension in contrast to secondary hypertension where the elevation in blood pressure can be linked to some underlying disease. While the exact cause of primary hypertension is not known, there are certain risk factors that have been clearly identified.

Remember that risk factors are not the cause of the problem - it is simply factors that increase the chances of a condition arising. The main risk factors are getting older, a family history of hypertension, cigarette smoking and obesity. While you cannot avoid growing older, cigarette smoking and obesity can be avoided and/or treated. For this reasons these risk factors are referred to as modifiable risk factors.

But what about genetics? If you have the genes then surely you cannot undo it? While it is true that genes are non-modifiable, it is now known that physical fitness can actually tip the balance in your favor when it comes to your genetic makeup. People who have a higher level of physical fitness, despite having a strong family history of hypertension, have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure than unfit people with familial hypertension.

This ultimately only leaves advancing age as the main hypertension risk factor that cannot be changed in any way. But even if it could, would it help prevent chronic ailments like hypertension? Possibly not. Primary hypertension is now seen from the 40s and it is not entirely uncommon for it to start as early as your 20s. No longer is primary hypertension an "old person's" problem. These days hypertension is a problem that starts in midlife but becomes more difficult to manage in the senior years.

Aging may be unavoidable but it is not all bad news when it comes to hypertension. Remember that by removing the modifiable risk factors your risk of developing high blood pressure early in life is drastically reduced. If you are a cigarette smoker then quit immediately. If you are overweight or obese then it is time to get serious about your weight management goals. And while genetics cannot be changed, the effect can be minimized by being physically fit. So get serious about hypertension today - irrespective of your age. It is the early intervention and preventative measures that you adopt in your lifestyle that can make all the difference for the rest of your life.

As the problem of hypertension continues to grow in younger people, it is no longer just a problem in developed nations where the modern lifestyle increases the risk. High Blood Pressure South Africa is a website dedicated to raising the awareness about hypertension particularly in young and middle-aged adults.

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Cordyceps: One of the Best Chinese Medicines

Cordyceps and its benefits were discovered about 1500 years ago in Tibetan mountains of China, where natives observed that their cattle became more energetic by eating this small mushroom like grass. It was not long that natives started using this herb as a natural supplement for treating several diseases and boosting the body's resistance. Today Cordyceps is regarded as one of the three best tonics in traditional Chinese medicine.

The herb has several benefits and is prescribed especially to patients who are recovering from an illness, surgery or after childbirth. It is also given as a treatment for asthma, weak lungs, coughs, wheezing, and shortness of breath. It has special enzymes which invigorates lung meridian and is useful for treatment of respiratory problems. Practitioners usually use this herb to improve energy levels in the body and help body in endurance against several diseases and fight fatigue, tiredness and stress. It is a great tonic for rebuilding and strengthening immune system in the body and also has an ability to naturally overcome disorders arising not only in lungs but in kidneys and immune system as well.

For more than 1200 years, this tiny herb has been called 'the miracle herb' in Chinese medicine. In modern practice it is referred to as 'cold fire' because of its effectiveness and naturally gentle curative effects. Recent research has shown that the plant has natural antioxidants and nutrients which can stimulate and build hormones in the human body. Another major benefit of the herb is that it can help in reducing high blood pressure and strengthens cardiovascular system. Some major functions of the herb are:

• It can relieve fatigue and act as an effective antioxidant.

• It increases energy levels in body like several other Chinese medicines.

• It helps blood to flow smoothly in the blood vessels and helps in reducing high blood pressure.

• It is a very good anti stressing agent because of high antioxidant presence.

• Cordyceps is a very good help in fight against tumors and cancers.

• Recent research has also shown that the herb has properties in curing impotence and infertility.

• Some properties of it are also effective in the fight against HIV and AIDS because it helps strengthen the immune system by rebuilding.

There are many traditional Chinese medicines used to reducing high blood pressure and curing other diseases. But Cordyceps has been labeled as the best among all because it contains natural compounds that fight on several fronts in the body.

There are several benefits of Cordyceps. If you are looking for more information on the herb or looking to buy from a reliable source www.tiensshop.co.uk is the place to look where you can find several other natural products by TIENS, which is regarded as the #1 manufacturer of herbal products.

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Sulfonamides or Sulfa Drugs

The term sulfonamides or sulfa drugs are commonly used for a group of antimicrobial drugs that are derived from sulphanilamide. Sulfonamides are synthetic structural analogs of para-aminobenzoic acid. Sulfonamides have considerable historical value as they remained the only antibiotic drugs until the discovery of penicillins. Chemical modification of several sulfonamides has given rise to several important groups of drugs such as diuretics (thiazides and acetazolamide), antileprotic drugs (isoniazides and depsone) and oral hypoglycemic agents (sulfonyl ureas). Presently sulfonamides do not occupy a large space in therapeutics because of the availability of more effective and less toxic drugs. But they are still widely used in the treatment of urinary tract infections, acne and infections that are resistant to other antibiotics.

Unlike mammalian cells, bacterial cells synthesize their own folic acid. Folic acid is essential for the synthesis of precursors of DNA and RNA. Sulfonamides compete with PABA (para aminobenzoic acid) for the enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase and inhibit the synthesis of folic acid, thus the synthesis of bacterial DNA and RNA is also inhibited. Thus the organisms that synthesize their own folic acid are sensitive to sulfonamides. When given alone sulfonamides are bacteriostatic in action. But in combination with other folate antagonists the effect is synergistic and often bactericidal (sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprin = septran and sulfadiazine + pyrimethamine = fansidar). The antimicrobial spectrum of sulfonamides includes pneumocystitis, Chlamydia, Nocardia and selected Enterobacteria. Fansidar is the only effective therapy for toxoplasmosis. Resistance to sulfonamides may develop by increased production of PABA, by decreased affinity of sulfonamides for enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase, or by bacterial metabolism of sulfonamides. Resistance to sulfonamides is irreversible and does not involve cross resistance to other antimicrobials.

Sulfonamides are classified as oral absorption (sulfisoxazole, sulfamethizole, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadoxine etc.), oral non-absorbable (sulfasalazine etc.) and topical (mafenide, sulfacetamide). With the exception of oral non-absorbable sulfonamides, all other drugs of this group are well absorbed orally. They are widely distributed to all tissues of the body. Sulfonamides penetrate well into the CSF and also readily cross the placental barrier. They are metabolized in the liver and excreted via glomerular filtration in urine.

Now a days, sulfonamides are more commonly used in veterinary for gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary tract, systemic and soft tissue infections. Being very soluble and rapidly excreted in urine, sulfonamides are particularly used to treat infections of the urinary tract. In humans, they are still effective in the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (sulfacetamide 30% solution) and burns (silver sulfadiazine and mafenide).

The commonly observed untoward reactions of sulfonamides include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, crystal urea, hematuria, acute hemolytic anemia, agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia, hypersensitivity reactions (skin rashes, dermatitis, photosensitivity and Steven-Johnsons syndrome) and kerniterus in newborns.

The dose of sulfonamides must be adjusted when given with anticoagulants, sulfonylurea and hydentoin anticonvulsants because sulfonamides can potentiate the effect of these groups of drugs.

I am a pharmacist by profession. I have launched a website dedicated to Pharmacy pharmacology and Medical students and also for general information. The purpose of sending this article to share some knowledge via your website.

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Facts About Gluten

It is absolutely astonishing to think how much gluten exists in our foods and in the common diet. I mean, somehow, it has found its way into most everything you can imagine. In fact, I often find when talking with patients, that there is gluten in every single meal.

 

"Where is the gluten?," you might be asking.

Think of it this way, what do most people eat everyday?

Breakfast: cereal and/or toast

Lunch: sandwich and/or soup

Dinner: pasta, pizza and/or bread

Dessert: cookies, cake and/or pie

Each of the foods just mentioned (unless they are the gluten-free version) contain gluten.

Let's step back a bit and ask: what is a grain? I find that grains are not often something people talk about.
Grains are foods made from wheat, corn, barley, oat, rice, millet, quinoa, and amaranth. Examples are bread, pasta, tortillas, cereal, and cookies.

So then, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein in certain grains: wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gluten is what makes bread soft and chewy.

Even more specifically, there are two main proteins in gluten, gliadins and glutenins. One particular gliadin, found in wheat, is what leads to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Barley and rye contain a gliadin that looks very similar to the one in wheat, and therefore, when the body reacts to wheat gluten, it usually reacts to barley and rye gluten too. Oat gluten is slightly different, but also often causes the same reaction.

What is the bottom line? To avoid gluten, you need to stop eating anything made from wheat flour. Not just "whole wheat." Anything that says "wheat" in the list of ingredients. Then you also need to avoid rye, barley and oats.

Wheat flour and gluten are also often found in foods that you might not think of as containing wheat. For example, soy sauce and many other sauces, as well as gravy and soups, contain gluten. In the case of sauces and soups, gluten makes them thick and creamy.

Gluten is a nice thing in cooking and baking; It makes foods look and taste good. However, in the human body, especially in people who have an allergic response to gluten, too much (or even a little) is not a good thing.

After repeated exposure (every meal, or most every meal, for years and years), and stress in general (which we all have), many people (many more then are actually diagnosed) start reacting to gluten.

For some people the reaction begins at an early age (less then 1 in some cases). For others, it may be later in life (I see patients of all ages who have discovered that they have a gluten sensitivity).

It is almost impossible to imagine that the foods we love, like bread and pizza, might actually be causing our health problems. It is as if we think we will have nothing to eat if not for gluten. And for good reason. It is in most everything that is commonly served and sold in stores and restaurants.

In reality, it is BECAUSE most all of our foods contain gluten that so many of us (myself included) have become sensitive to it.

The wonderful news is that there ARE many foods available that do NOT contain gluten. It takes a bit of a shift in thinking about what to eat, but there is no doubt in my mind that we can live without gluten.

Actually, at this point, we can't live with it.

DONIELLE WILSON, ND is a natural health expert and Naturopathic Doctor with a private practice in New York City, Port Jefferson, NY, and Connecticut. She specializes in showing women, men and children how to achieve their wellness goals by finally getting the answers they've been looking for to their most perplexing health challenges. To learn more about Dr. Doni and her unique approach to achieving health naturally, please visit Dr. Doni today at: http://www.DoctorDoni.com.

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