Today, November 14, is World Diabetes Day.

The International Diabetes Federation predicts that one in 10 adults could have diabetes by 2030, according to their latest statistics.

Barton Publishing advocates for the natural cure and remedies for diabetes.  There are many opportunities to educate yourself and bring awareness to the diabetes epidemic. So, no matter what part of the world you are in, there is something for you to do. Here are a noteworthy article for you to start with:

Will Your Diabetes Medication Be Next On The Recall List?

Certain popular diabetes medications are being recalled, while others are under investigation. This is much more serious than a misprinted label…or a lack of effectiveness.

These medications are being pulled, and lawsuits filed, because they are killers.

If your medication hasn’t been recalled yet – or if it is investigated for a lethal threat – then it could be next on the list, so please pay close attention to this urgent message.

These medicines have been threatening the lives of unsuspecting users for over a decade.

On April 3rd, 2000, Time Magazine reported that the type-2 diabetes drug,Rezulin, had been pulled from the market a week earlier.

This drug was designed to lower the body’s resistance to insulin, which is the problem. Your body simply cannot keep up with an increasing need for insulin and grows ever more resistant to its own natural production.

Enter the miracle drug Rezulin.

Was it FDA approved? Yes. But prior to 1997, it was tested on just 3,000 patients with results that it helped control diabetes. Some of the subjects suffered irregular liver reactions, but there was no permanent health threat.

Three years later – and before its recall – millions had taken the diabetes drug and 90 cases of liver failure were realized, while 63 of those folks died from this unforeseen “complication.”

Exit the miracle drug Rezulin.

Today’s Rezulin Equivalents

Back then, the FDA approved 2 other diabetes drugs for use that had the same effects as Rezulin: Actos and Avandia.

Actos and Avandia also act as insulin resistance regulators.

Actos (Pioglitazone Hydrochloride), which is manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, can cause peripheral edema and fluid retention resulting in possible congestive heart failure. It has also been linked to an increase in upper respiratory tract infections, headaches (some severe), dental problems and sinusitis. But, the most shocking side effect was published in an article by WebMD: increased risk of bladder cancer.

This has resulted in a nationwide ban of Actos in some countries.

Avandia (Rosiglitazone Maleate), a product of Pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was shown to increase the risk of stroke by 27%, in a study by David J. Graham, MD, MPH.

GSK itself – in a trial known as ADOPT (A Diabetes Outcome Progression Trial) – reported an increased risk of bone fractures in hands, feet and upper arms in diabetic women who took Avandia. Incidentally, the same increase was noted with Actos.

Diabetes can cause blindness, but Avandia and Actos can cause macular edema. This is direct damage to the retina and leads to partial blindness.

It has also been suggested that these diabetes medications – like their cousin Rezulin – are responsible for life-threatening liver damage.

Additionally, a 2007 study found that Avandia may also increase the risk of heart attacks by 43%. Since 1999, over 100,000 heart attacks have been associated with this diabetes drug.

As a result, Avandia is responsible for 13,000 lawsuits against GSK and they have agreed to settle 11,500 of these. For the 4th quarter of this year, GSK has tucked away $3.4 billion for out-of-court settlements.

Now to me, setting aside $3.4 billion to pay off thousands of lawsuits before they get to court is a clear admission of guilt. But despite this, they have yet to recall Avandia and completely remove it from the market. I suppose more sales will help replace a couple billion in losses.

This Stuff Stinks

So, there is no official recall for Avandia  – even though it could kill you. However, 200,000 bottles of Glumetza (Metformin Hydrochloride) were recalled in 2010 because they were contaminated by tribromoanisole (TBA), a pesticide found in the wood pallets used for transporting the drug. This was marked by an unpleasant odor.

What nasty effects does TBA have? You may suffer a temporary gastrointestinal illness.

Seems like death is more deserving of a recall than temporary diarrhea…

Control Diabetes With The Exotic Diet Of The Mediterranean

Time Magazine’s Time Health (online edition) published an interesting article in 2009.

It was a long term study pitting the low-fat American Heart Association diet against a carb-controlled Mediterranean diet. The results were nothing short of awesome.

In a study conducted over 4 years (the longest of its kind), 215 overweight adults that had been recently diagnosed with type-2 diabetes were followed and divided into 2 groups  One group followed the AHA diet and the other participated in the Mediterranean diet. Each group also engaged in regular physical activity.

Based on the study, the Mediterranean diet lowered and maintained lower glucose levels compared to the AHA low-fat diet.

The winning group was given a diet of fruits (and lots of them), vegetables, whole grains (very important component to this diet because they help prevent heart disease, stroke and heart attack), olive oil, and lean protein such as fish, chicken and nuts. Then they limited their carb intake to less than 50% of daily caloric intake.

The winning group also exercised daily, restricted their daily calories to 1,800 for the men and 1,500 for the women.

In the end, the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that 56% of the Mediterranean dieters were able to control their blood-sugar levels without diabetes medication, compared to the paltry 30% on the low-fat diet.

Nobody said controlling your type-2 diabetes was going to be a walk in the park. But, if you are mindful about what you are taking, keep up on the latest developments, and really want to stop being a Big Pharma guinea pig, then check with your doctor and see if the Mediterranean diet is for you.

For more information on the Mediterranean diet click here.

What diabetes medication complications are you dealing with?

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