It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:
Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

Method of treatment
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute
3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.
The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure (30 days)
2. Gastric (10 days)
3. Diabetes (30 days)
4. Constipation (10 days)
5. Cancer (180 days)
6. TB (90 days)
7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards “ daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.
This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals ..not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain…
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.
Once this “sludge” reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.
Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
A serious note about heart attacks:
· Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting,
· Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
· You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.
· Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.
· 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.
· Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive…
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to everyone they know, you can be sure that we’ll save at least one life.

A new study has found that the diabetes drug Avandia puts patients at a higher risk of death and heart failure than the rival diabetes drug Actos.

Avandia, from GlaxoSmithKline, has been under a lot of scrutiny as of late due to safety issues tied to it.

Researchers have found that older diabetics are better off taking the drug Actos from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, as it carries a lower risk of death and heart failure with it.

The drugs are in the same class and were put together for a head-to-head comparison.

This confirmed past research which revealed that the drug Avandia was more risky.

The study found no difference in the risk of heart attack and stroke.

They did find though that those in the Avandia group had higher risks of death and heart failure.

The study was led by Dr. Wolfgang Winkelmayer of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

::::: What Are Yeast Infections? :::::

Yeast infections (also called candida or candidiasis) can take many forms. These infections most often occur where a moist environment encourages fungal growth. Regions of the body most susceptible to yeast infections include the mouth, the webs of fingers and toes, the genitals, finger nails and toe nails, and folds of skin.

There are several types of yeast infection:

::: Oral thrush occurs in the mouth and throat, and is generally painless. Babies, young children, and the elderly get it most often, but people of all ages can be affected

.

::: Moniliasis is a vaginal yeast infection. It occurs primarily during pregnancy or while being treated with antibiotics.

::: Balanitis is an infection of the penis. It is not common, but it is very irritating.

::: Intertrigo occurs primarily in large skin folds in obese people.

::: Systemic yeast infections generally affect people with diabetes, AIDS, and other conditions. Systemic yeast infections also occur in people taking drug treatments that suppress the immune system.

::::: What Causes Yeast Infections? :::::

A fungal organism (or yeast) called candida albicans causes yeast infections. This organism thrives in your mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. This fungus is normally kept in balance by the bacteria produced by your body. However, when fungal growth exceeds the body’s ability to control it, a yeast infection can develop. This generally happens when a person is weakened by illness or upset by stress. Bacteria in our bodies naturally controls fungal outbreaks. However, sometimes antibiotics taken for other purposes kill this bacteria.

People whose hands are often in water (like dishwashers at restaurants, children who suck their thumbs or fingers, and people whose clothing retains body moisture are common victims of yeast infection. Candidal dermatitis is a diaper rashcaused by yeast growth in the folds of a baby’s skin.

Conditions that encourage yeast growth include high levels of sugar in the bloodstream and urine along with a low resistance to infection. Consequently, diabetics are prime targets for yeast infections.

Intravenous tubes or urinary catheters used by hospitals have been known to introduce the candida fungus to the bloodstream. Yeast infection in the kidneys, lungs, brain or other organs can cause serious systemic complications. This generally happens only in people who are seriously ill or who have other health problems that weaken the immune system, such as drug addiction or diabetes.

::::: Symptoms Of Yeast Infection :::::

Oral thrush symptoms include painless, white patches in the mouth.

Vaginal symptoms include pain, itching, and vaginal discharge.

Male symptoms include a red rash, itching, and burning at the tip of the penis.

Additional symptoms of yeast infections may include fever and chills, as well as specific symptoms depending on any organs, such as the kidneys or liver, that may become affected.

::::: How to Prevent Yeast Infections :::::

Even though you can’t always avoid yeast infections, you can lower your risk of contracting a yeast infection by observing the following suggestions:

::: 1 ::: Wear underwear with a cotton panel at the crotch.

::: 2::: Do not wear tight-fitting shorts and pants.

::: 3 ::: If you must wear nylon pantyhose, chose a style that has a cotton panel at the crotch.

::: 4 ::: If your clothes become wet or damp, change into dry clothes as quickly as possible.

::: 5 ::: Do not use scented tampons, scented powders, douches, or feminine deoderant sprays.

::: 6 ::: After using the toilet, wipe yourself from front to back to reduce the spread of bacteria.

::: 7 ::: If you have diabetes, you can reduce your risk of yeast infections by controlling your blood sugar levels.

::: 8 ::: Eating yogurt that contains live cultures of lactobacillus acidophilus might help to prevent yeast infections.

::: 9 ::: Consider some type of preventive antifungal therapy at the beginning and the end of taking antibiotics.

::: 10 ::: Eat a health diet with reduced sugar intake and make it a point to manage your daily stress.

Ok, so in this brief overview of yeast infection we have discussed what they are and what causes them, we have reviewed symptoms, and we have taken a look at how to prevent yeast infections. But … what if you already have a yeast infection and you are trying to get rid of it?

Well, it is generally said that there is no cure for diabetes but only ways to manage it.

About there not being a permanent cure may be somewhat correct but about managing it, it is absolutely right.

Proper management will give you several additional and may I add beneficial years to your life. It need not be the end.

Upon hearing one is down with this ailment, you feel as though you’ve been hit by a train and unfortunate- you are not Hancock!

You may mutter to yourself, "Why me"

You need not worry, as long as you manage it well, you have really little to worry about

.

The first thing you should if you suspect something is wrong is to visit your doctor. Signs of diabetes are normally noticed through serious dehydration occasioned by frequent urination and drinking of water.

I remember this tale where a wife observed that her husband diabetic through his frequent visits to the toilet. It was like every 30minutes, he would dart off to go pee. She also noticed he was drinking quite frequently. She pointed all these too him. And sure enough, when he visited his doctor, he told him he had diabetes.

First visit your doctor. Once it has confirmed it is diabetes, find out what type it is, whether type 1 or type 2. If you are adult, it would most likely be type 2.

Then get as much information as possible as knowledge is king.

Managing diabetes starts with managing the glucose cycle. Diabetes is basically the bodies inability to absorb the glucose existing in the body.

The glucose cycle in your body is affected by two factors. The two factors are the entry of glucose into the bloodstream and blood levels of insulin to transport the glucose out.

The glucose level is very sensitive to your eating pattern or regimen and it is therefore of importance that this issue is discussed with your doctor. He will dictate to you the kinds of food you should desist from. These usual suspects are the oil saturated food and some types of carbohydrates. Remember that carbohydrates produce a lot of glucose and therefore must be clearly controlled.

A proper management will involve a complete change in your lifestyle especially when it comes to food consumption. This will not be easy but you have no option here. half of all amputations in America are diabetes induced. I am yet to include blindness, heart attacks and stroke! You have to be disciplined!

It will also involve engaging in exercise as a lack fo proper exercise and obesity also lead to the onset of this ailment. With a good exercise regime, your blood sugar levels will collapse to much normal levels.

There was the case of this Pacific Island nation where a high percentage of them are diabetics. Upon returning to their original diets, dating before the arrival of the white man, diabetes disappeared! Food does matter. And exercise.

It is essential that you monitor your blood sugar levels daily. We are quite fortunate today that we live in a period of time where it is possible for people to easily know their blood sugar levels due to the many handheld blood monitors available in the market. Endeavor to avail yourself of one of these.

If you notice your blood sugar levels high, increase your exercise and reduce your intake of harmful foods. This should bring it down. It will also indicate whether insulin is needed. Insulin intake is of utmost importance.

My aunt was diabetic before she died. She advised my uncle, her younger brother to take mints and he found it quite helpful. I am not recommending it however. Before trying anything new, always consult your doctor.

Since more then one-tenth of all health care expenditures in the United States in 2002 were attributable to diabetes, this finding raises important questions about whether the higher cost actually translates into improved care.

“Although more patients and more medications per patient played a role, the single greatest contributor to increasing costs is the use of newer, more expensive medications,” said lead author Caleb Alexander, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. “But new drugs don’t automatically lead to better outcomes.”

“Just because a drug is new or exploits a new mechanism does not mean that it adds clinically to treating particular diseases,” said co-author Randall Stafford, MD, PhD, associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. “And even if a new drug does have a benefit, it’s important to consider whether that benefit is in proportion to the increased cost.”

The researchers used two national data bases, one extending back to 1994, to assess trends in diabetes treatment. They found that the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes rose steadily from 10 million in 1994, to 14 million in 2000, to 19 million in 2007.

This rapid growth reflects trends in American eating habits and behavior, the authors note, since the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases with age, obesity, and physical inactivity. “Part of the increase is due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and increasing caloric intake,” said Stafford.

At the same time, the average number of medications per patient has increased from 1.06 medications per patient in 1994 to 1.45 medications per patient in 2007. In 1994, 82 percent of patients were prescribed only one drug; in 2007, only 47 percent were.

Meanwhile, the average price of a diabetes drug prescription increased from $56 in 2001 to $76 in 2007, due in large part to the rapid uptake of newly available oral medications, increasingly prescribed as alternatives to injectable insulin.

In 2007, for example, new drugs such as sitagliptin (brand name Januvia, $160 per average prescription) and exenatide (Byetta, $202) made up eight percent and four percent, respectively, of all physician office visits where a diabetes drug was prescribed. These drugs cost eight to 11 times more than older, generic drugs such as metformin or glypizide.

Although insulin use declined, the price per insulin prescription increased as new and pricier preparations of long-acting and ultrashort-acting insulins and their combinations gained popularity.

This diffusion of new therapies demonstrates the successful translation of research from bench to bedside, the author note. But they add that this study documents the rapid uptake of newer and more expensive drugs whose long-term safety and cost-effectiveness in broader populations is not known. “Without such long-term data,” said Alexander, “we cannot be certain if the widespread use of the costlier drugs is balanced by sufficient improvements in health.”

The study acknowledges that one indicator of benefit from diabetes drugs, average levels of the hemoglobin A1c blood test, improved between 1999 and 2004. Hemoglobin A1c reflects the three-month average of blood sugar and indicates how well this aspect of diabetes is being managed.

But short-term outcomes like better A1c levels don’t prove that patients with diabetes are actually benefiting from the new drugs in ways that matter, Alexander said. “They may not always correlate with long-term outcomes that people really care about, such as diabetes’ impact on heart and kidney function.”

Important long-term outcomes take many years to measure, Stafford said. “What we need are larger population studies examining the relative benefits of different drugs in treating diabetes and looking for these outcomes in people followed over an extended time period.” As a model, he pointed to the Women’s Health Initiative, a federal study that followed 162,000 women over 15 years to measure the effectiveness of treatments for heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.

(Published at Health News Track on October 27, 2008 – 1 day ago)

The link between diabetes and nerve damage due to high glucose levels in the blood stream is now a well know fact. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 2/3 rd’s of those with diabetes have some form of this complication.

Generally, diabetic neuropathy doesn’t produce obvious symptoms in its beginning stages, that’s what makes it so dangerous. Once you begin to experience numbness, tingling or pain in your feet, it could very well be the beginning of neuropathy.

Other symptoms include:

* Numbness in any part of you arms, legs, or feet to include weak muscles in the feet and/or hands

.

* Indigestion, diarrhea or constipation for no apparent reason

* Sexual dysfunction

* Problems urinating

The cause? High blood sugar levels are causing damage to nerve coverings and blood vessels that is essential to bringing essential oxygen to the nerves. Without adequate blood flow and oxygen, discomfort or even severe pain may result. This damage causes the nerves to send messages to the spinal cord and eventually to the brain, too slowly or at the wrong times, or simply send no message at all.

When neuropathy becomes more severe, chronic pain, loss of motion, and injuries occur that can lead to amputation.

Progress is being made against the challenge of nerve damage caused by diabetic neuropathy.

A major study conducted by the NIH, "The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial" found that people who kept their blood glucose levels close to normal can lower the risk of nerve damage by as much as 60%.

The process of testing glucose levels 4X a day; 4X metformin or glucophage tablets (Type II) or 3X-4X daily injections of insulin (Type I); adjustments of both according to food intake and exercise; and monthly visits to a doctor and health-care team have proven effective toward blood glucose control.

Dr. Aaron Vinik, M.D., Ph.D., director of research at the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes states that "Blood glucose control is the single most important issue for people with diabetes, and with good education about diabetes and the use of new treatments as they become available, people with diabetes may be able to reduce their risk of nerve damage and even partially restore nerve function."

Things you can do to help your situation:

* Keep you blood sugar level as close to normal as possible

* Limit how much alcohol you drink to no more than one a day

* Take good care of your feet and have them checked regularly

* Let you doctor know if you are having any problems with your feet, legs, stomach, bowels or bladder.

* Frequent sexual dysfunction, discuss with your doctor

* Feel dizzy when going from lying down to standing up, consult your doctor

If you have pain, pain relief from diabetic neuropathy complications can be dealt with through homeopathic, non-addictive drugs such as Menastil, available from The Centre for Pain Relief in Burlington, New Jersey.

Neuropathy can not always be prevented but if you work closely with your doctor and medical team, you can lower the complication risk quite dramatically.

Then there is the issue of self-denial. When you have the above symptoms, and chose to ignore the signals to the point of not discussing any or all of them with your doctor, you are taking the risk of no return with your health. If Neuropathy becomes so severe, to where any or all of the majority of conditions discussed in the article come into play, you will enter into an arena of severe pain, possible amputation, and even death.

The most effective pain relief medications for diabetic neuropathy cause the nerve ends to relax and allow the blood and oxygen to flow back into the infected area to effectively cut-off the signals to the spinal cord and therefore to the brain resulting in pain relief. You still have the problem, you just do not feel it as much.

Non-narcotic, non-addictive, all natural ingredient pain relief medications for diabetic neuropathy are available from The Centre for Pain Relief. Check out their website to determine if Menastil can help you with your painful condition.

When choosing methylsulfonylmethane or MSM for your life, you are making a choice popular today with people looking for an alternative to harsh chemicals or medications for many disorders and illnesses. MSM tablets have been increasingly popular because it is an easy to take pill that is going to put the ease or your supplement use.

Finding information on MSM tablets these days is not too difficult. In fact, the internet has become a hotbed of information on methylsulfonylmethane curing everything under the sun

. However, long term studies have not been completed to understand the exact consequences, if any, of taking this supplement on a long term basis.

While it is not difficult to see that MSM tablets can be helpful for arthritis, skin, hair, nails, and scar tissue, there are also other types of condition that are made better with the reported use of methylsulfonylmethane in their diet.

Let’s explore some of those conditions and how MSM tablets come into play.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is an often debilitating condition of the gastric tract. IBS sufferers often find they are sensitive to medication, additives, preservatives, sweets, and just about anything that can irritate the GI tract. MSM has actually been found to be great for those with sensitive GIs.

However, it is recommended you start your MSM tablets at a smaller than usual dosage of around 250mg per day to start building up to around 2gms per day. If you suffer from IBS, you know when you have had too much; listen to your body.

Diabetes is the body not using insulin efficiently or the body not making enough insulin at all. One thing that many people do not realize is that sulfur and insulin are closely related. Sulfur is also related to Biotin. Many people claim that MSM tablets, powders, crystals, and other forms of methylsulfonylmethane are beneficial in allowing the body to control its own blood sugar levels.

Of course, diabetes can be deadly, and while the long term effects could very well help reduce your need for insulin with as little as 2gms per day, you should never quit taking your diabetes medication without a healthcare provider’s okay.

Depression is another one of those debilitating conditions that can put life on hold. When adding methylsulfonylmethane to the diet, many people living with depression have found that their mood swings stabilize and the overall symptoms associated with depression are minimized.

Seasonal allergies are another of the conditions where symptoms are lessened with the addition of methylsulfonylmethane to the diet. MSM tablets make the cell walls more permeable which means it lets more good stuff in and allows those toxins to be flushed from the body. With the addition of methylsulfonylmethane, people find their allergy symptoms such as sneezing, burning eyes, and runny nose are greatly reduced if not removed all together.

When taking methylsulfonylmethane, it is important to remember that regardless of the amount you take, drink plenty of fresh water with each dosage! While water is essential in our lives, plenty of water is needed to allow those MSM tablets to work their magic.

When a person has diabetes it is difficult to know what this person can and can’t eat. It must be very difficult to this person to nourish themselves. You would think of course that the person would have a limited diet of what they can eat but surprisingly, there are many things that they can eat. There are places you can go to get a diabetic food list.

As stated, there are many places that you can go to get a food list for diabetics. There are many, many sites online that are dedicated just to letting the public know what is good for a person with diabetes and what is bad for that person

. You can also consult your doctor or even a health clinic near you to obtain a copy of said list.

Today we will cover some of the foods that have made it onto the diabetic food list. This is to give members of today’s audience an idea of what a person with diabetes goes through everyday and open society’s eyes to the fact that it is not that easy to live with this disease. Even though it is common, doesn’t mean that living with it is easy.

Now first and foremost, it should be known that a person with diabetes should eat from all of the 5 food groups and make sure that they have plenty of protein, vegetables, fruits, nutrients, Lipids and carbohydrates in their diet. This is where the diabetic food list comes in handy, you will be able to tell which fruits and veggies that you can eat for example.

It should be stated at this time that if you are diabetic, then you know that you should definitely eat more vegetables than fruit because fruit tends to be on the sweeter side, the whole point of being diabetic is that you can’t have too much sugars right? Also, it is common sense that you should stay away from sugars such as ice cream, chocolate and any types of sweet desserts because these are loaded with sugars that the diabetic food list will define as NOT the type of foods you should eat.

It is also stated that a person with diabetes should stay away from fats like fried foods and animal fats. This will not only harden your arteries but also add to the waistline too! A person who is following the diabetic food list will surely be eating steamed foods or boiled foods. There are some dishes that you can prepare that are steamed that taste divine!

It bears mentioning that the only types of oils that the diabetic food list recommends for someone with diabetes to cook with are olive oil, soy bean oil and finally corn oil. Now here is a quick run-down of what a person can eat that is in fact recommended by the diabetic food list.

- Milk, can drink fresh milk but never sweetened milk.

- Vegetables, both fresh and/or steamed or boiled vegetables will provide your body with the nutrients that you require to get through the day.

- Grains

- Meat, should at least have an intake of at least 100 grams per meal, be sure not to eat meats with a lot of fat.

- Eggs

- Fiber, every one needs fiber in their diet to stay regular!
Labels:diabetes, foods, person, diabetic, vegetables, steamed, stated, sugars, food list, diabetic food, diabetic food list

Apple cider vinegar is an old folk remedy claimed to be beneficial in treating a long list of ailments. It is sold today by “health food” companies and others who claim it has remedial properties. Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made by the fermentation of apple cider. Unlike white vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a light yellow-brown color and is often sold unfiltered and unpasteurized with a dark, cloudy sediment called mother of vinegar (consisting mainly of acetic acid bacteria) settled at the bottom of the bottle

.

Over the centuries, vinegar has been used for countless purposes: making pickles, killing weeds, cleaning coffee makers, polishing armor, and dressing salads. While many of the folk medicine uses of vinegar are unproven (or were disproved), there is some medical research backing them up.

The main ingredient of apple cider vinegar, or any vinegar, is acetic acid. Apple cider vinegar is also said to contain an abundance of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Do not use a metal container when making vinegar or storing it; acid in the mixture will corrode metal or aluminum objects making the solution unfit for consumption.

When it comes to losing weight, experts say you are what you drink. Apple cider vinegar has recently found new use as a weight loss and weight management aide, and has been included in many over the counter weight loss nutritional supplements. Anecdotally, ancient Egyptians used apple cider vinegar for weight loss. The acetic acid in this vinegar can curve the appetite which benefits those trying to loose weight and keep it off.

Some say apple cider vinegar can help arthritis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and assist in digestion. It is also thought to help the body maintain a healthy alkaline level. The acidic nature of this vinegar has been said to help scalp problems such as dandruff, itchy scalp, baldness and thinning hair. Apple cider vinegar can also help gastric problems as well.

Civil War, soldiers used vinegar to prevent gastric upset and as a treatment for various ailments including pneumonia and scurvy. Research suggests that this vinegar can delay gastric emptying. Ten patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and diabetic gastro paresis were studied; when the study was over the patients were able to demonstrate a significant delay in already delayed gastric emptying after the ingestion of vinegar. So delaying the rate at which the stomach empties can keep a sense of fullness for those looking to loose weight.

The effect of vinegar on blood glucose levels is perhaps the best researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar’s possible health benefits. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For example, a small study compared the effect of vinegar with white bread on blood glucose and insulin levels. Keeping blood sugar lower is important to diabetic patients which can help reduce the use of insulin. Subjects with type 2 diabetes showed a slight improvement in insulin sensitivity, but postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels were not affected when apple cider vinegar was added to a meal.

In conclusion, apple cider vinegar could theoretically interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease so you must be careful. Apple cider vinegar should always be diluted with water or juice before swallowed. If you have diabetes, check with your doctor before using apple cider vinegar. Furthermore, blood glucose must be monitored more frequently in patients with diabetes treated with insulin experiencing gastro paresis to prevent adverse hypoglycemic episodes. All those taking medications should consult a doctor because the acid in this vinegar can enhance absorption and increase Side effects.

Labels:weight loss, blood, diabetes, insulin, glucose, patients, weight, levels, making, gastric, vinegar, cider, acetic, cider vinegar, blood glucose, acetic acid, glucose levels, insulin levels, gastric emptying, loose weight, gastro paresis

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is the most common bariatric procedure in North America, according to background information in the article. During the procedure, surgeons create a smaller stomach pouch that restricts food intake and bypasses large sections of the digestive system.

“When performed in high-volume centers and with a low rate of complications, gastric bypass provides sustained and meaningful weight loss, significant improvement in quality of life, improvement or resolution of obesity-associated comorbidities and extended life span,” the authors write. “However, 5 percent to 15 percent of patients do not lose weight successfully, despite perceived precise surgical technique and regular follow-up.”

Guilherme M. Campos, M.D., and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, examined data from 361 patients who underwent gastric bypass at one institution between 2003 and 2006. Poor weight loss was defined as losing 40 percent or less of excess body weight after 12 months and good weight loss as losing more than 40 percent of excess weight.

Twelve-month follow-up data were available for 310 of the patients, who had an average body mass index (BMI) of 52 before surgery. At follow-up, they had an average BMI of 34 and had lost an average of 60 percent of their excess body weight. A total of 38 patients (12.3 percent) had poor weight loss. After adjusting for other related factors, diabetes and having a larger size of the stomach pouch after gastric bypass surgery were independently associated with poor weight loss.

Individuals with diabetes may take insulin or other drugs that stimulate the production of fat and cholesterol, the authors note. “Other factors that may lead to weight gain in patients with diabetes include a ‘protective’ increase in caloric intake to treat episodes of hypoglycemia [low blood sugar], reduction of urinary glucose losses and sodium and water retention that are a direct effect of insulin on the distal tubule in the kidney,” the authors write.

The restriction on dietary intake imposed by a small stomach pouch is one of the most important aspects of gastric bypass surgery, they note. Surveys suggest that many surgeons estimate pouch size using anatomical landmarks rather than using a sizing balloon. “As the use of gastric bypass continues to grow, we believe it is critical to stress the importance of and to teach the creation of the small gastric pouch and to better standardize the technique used for pouch creation,” the authors write.

“We conclude that gastric bypass provides good or excellent weight loss for most patients,” they continue. “However, diabetes mellitus and larger pouch size are independently associated with poor weight loss after gastric bypass. Changes in the use of diabetes medications may reduce the risk of poor weight loss among diabetics undergoing gastric bypass. Detailed attention to the creation of a small gastric pouch is essential for achieving the best results.”

This study was supported in part by a grant from the National Center for Research Resources.

(Published at Health News Track on September 17, 2008 – 22 days ago)

Labels:weight loss, diabetes, surgery, stomach, pouch, bypass surgery, stomach pouch, gastric pouch, pouch size, poor weight loss, gastric bypass surgery