Originally published in HCPLive.com
by Anita Ramsetty, MD
We are very fortunate to have a number of newer insulins available for our patients.
For years we had animal insulins only. NPH and Regular, then we had Ultralente. The development of analog insulins marked the upswing in technology that we would sustain for a period of time. The most recent big blip in ...
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by Mark Adelman, MD
While diseases like prostate cancer and heart disease have become household concerns, abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), the 10th leading cause of death in men age 55 and older, have been overshadowed by more prominent diseases for far too long. It’s time we pull back the curtain and take a closer look at this serious disease and how it can be both detected and prevented.
An AAA, which ...
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by Crystal Phend, MedPage Today
“Every 10 years a doctor should be the patient,” said my doctor, squeezing me into pair of compression stockings that would make a sausage casing seem spacious by comparison.
“Seems like a good idea,” I thought, as I lay there on the table feeling optimistic about the opportunity for first-hand experience.
It was my first minor ...
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The recent RECORD trial did not associate the diabetes drug Avandia with cardiovascular events.
Internist Matthew Mintz, a staunch defender of the drug, argues that because of the scare, "over 100,000 type 2 diabetic patients [needed] insulin, which could have been avoided."
Who's to blame? Dr. Mintz blames cardiologist Steven Nissen, whose questionable meta-analysis started the debacle, and The New England Journal of Medicine for fanning the flames. He ...
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A lot of time and effort needs to be spent finding the right patient-physician match. And no where is that more relevant than a diabetic looking for an endocrinologist.
Diabetes blogger Amy Tenderich gives some great tips, most of which I hadn't thought of.
Of course, it goes without saying that if the match isn't right, a second or third opinion is always within a patient's right.
But, how do you ...
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With entries dating back to 2004, here are 5 classic blog posts on diabetes:
1. Does Avandia cause heart attacks, and why the RECORD study is important
2. Will diabetes derail Sonia Sotomayor’s chance to become a Supreme Court justice?
3. Prescribing insulin for diabetes, do endocrinologists have a financial incentive to do so?
4. Are Actos and Avandia to blame for rising diabetes costs?
5. Prescription medication pay for ...
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Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, the United States has already tried its hand at a pseudo-single-payer system. The VA is one example. Another, albeit less highly publicized, is the Indian Health Service. (via WhiteCoat)
Based on an agreement in 1787, the government is responsible to provide free health care to Native Indians on reservations. And, as you can see from this scathing ...
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The potential link between a specific form of long-acting insulin, known as insulin glargine and branded as Lantus, and cancer, could be gaining momentum.
First off, let me say that both human and porcine insulin are safe, and have no association with cancer. The report specifically relates only to a synthetic, long acting form of insulin.
According to a series of ...
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I was seeing patients during the actual speech, so I had to rely on the transcript.
The points that interested me the most were any language pertaining to malpractice, addressing the AMA's recent concerns about the public plan option, and reforming the physician payment system.
I think he did pretty well.
Regarding the physician payment system, he again addressed McAllen, Texas, which is fast becoming the symbol of what's wrong with American ...
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Here are the top posts from the past month, based on the number of times they were viewed.
1. Can you really kill a man by gluing his anus shut?
2. What is the most accurate medical show on television?
3. Will diabetes derail Sonia Sotomayor’s chance to become a Supreme Court justice?
4. Is Cheerios really a drug, and why is the FDA targeting the cereal?
5. Is House ...
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"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
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Past 6 Months
Dear lawmakers: This is what it’s like to be a doctor today
Matthew Moeller, MD | PhysicianA gun owner responds to Sandy Hook
Edwin Leap, MD | PhysicianIs Chris Christie too obese to run for president?
Jeffrey Parks, MD | PhysicianIf I’m wrong about guns, can you please explain why?
Claire McCarthy, MD | PhysicianPrimary care doctors may no longer be needed
Doug Olson, MD | PhysicianWalgreens moves into primary care, and it’s our own damn fault
Kevin Pho, MD | Kevin's Take