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Weight-loss surgery provides new hope for diabetics
CHICAGO -- New research gives clear proof that weight-loss surgery can reverse and possibly cure diabetes, and doctors say it should be offered sooner to more people with the disease - not just as a last resort.
The two studies, released on Monday, are the first to compare stomach-reducing operations to medicines alone for "diabesity" - Type 2 diabetes brought on by obesity. Millions of Americans have this and can't make enough insulin or use what they do make to process sugar from food.
Both studies found that surgery helped far more patients achieve normal blood-sugar levels than medicines alone did.
Doctors don't like to say "cure" because they can't promise a disease will never come back. But in one study, most surgery patients were able to stop all diabetes drugs and have their disease stay in remission for at least two years. None of those treated with medicines alone could do that.
"It is a major advance," said Dr. John Buse of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a leading diabetes expert who had no role in the studies. Buse said he often recommends surgery to patients who are obese and can't control their blood-sugar through medications, but many are leery of it. "This evidence will help convince them that this really is an important therapy to at least consider," he said.
There were signs that the surgery itself - not just weight loss - helps reverse diabetes. Food makes the gut produce hormones to spur insulin, so trimming away part of it surgically may affect those hormones, doctors believe.
Weight-loss surgery "has proven to be a very appropriate and excellent treatment for diabetes," said one study co-leader, Dr. Francesco Rubino, chief of diabetes surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "The most proper name for the surgery would be diabetes surgery."
The studies were published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, and the larger one was presented Monday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago.
More than a third of American adults are obese, and more than 8 percent have diabetes, a major cause of heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. Between 5 million and 10 million are like the people in these studies, with both problems.
For a century, doctors have been treating diabetes with pills and insulin, and encouraging weight loss and exercise with limited success. Few very obese people can drop enough pounds without surgery, and many of the medicines used to treat diabetes can cause weight gain, making things worse.
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Weight-loss surgery provides new hope for diabetics
Weight-Loss Surgery Can Put Diabetes Into Remission, Studies Show
CHICAGO New research gives clear proof that weight-loss surgery can reverse and possibly cure diabetes, and doctors say the operation should be offered sooner to more people with the disease not just as a last resort.
The two studies, released on Monday, are the first to compare stomach-reducing operations to medicines alone for "diabesity" Type 2 diabetes brought on by obesity. Millions of Americans have this and can't make enough insulin or use what they do make to process sugar from food.
Both studies found that surgery helped far more patients achieve normal blood-sugar levels than medicines alone did.
The results were dramatic: Some people were able to stop taking insulin as soon as three days after their operations. Cholesterol and other heart risk factors also greatly improved.
Doctors don't like to say "cure" because they can't promise a disease will never come back. But in one study, most surgery patients were able to stop all diabetes drugs and have their disease stay in remission for at least two years. None of those treated with medicines alone could do that.
"It is a major advance," said Dr. John Buse of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a leading diabetes expert who had no role in the studies. Buse said he often recommends surgery to patients who are obese and can't control their blood-sugar through medications, but many are leery of it. "This evidence will help convince them that this really is an important therapy to at least consider," he said.
There were signs that the surgery itself not just weight loss helps reverse diabetes. Food makes the gut produce hormones to spur insulin, so trimming away part of it surgically may affect those hormones, doctors believe.
Weight-loss surgery "has proven to be a very appropriate and excellent treatment for diabetes," said one study co-leader, Dr. Francesco Rubino, chief of diabetes surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "The most proper name for the surgery would be diabetes surgery."
The studies were published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, and the larger one was presented Monday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago.
More than a third of American adults are obese, and more than 8 percent have diabetes, a major cause of heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. Between 5 million and 10 million are like the people in these studies, with both problems.
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Weight-Loss Surgery Can Put Diabetes Into Remission, Studies Show
Weight-loss surgery can "reverse" diabetes, studies confirm
(CBS/AP) Nearly 26 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and now researchers say they may have a way to reverse the disease for many of them. Their studies give clear proof that weight-loss surgery can reverse and possibly cure diabetes and doctors are saying more people should be offered the surgery, and not just as last resort..
New study: Weight-loss surgery may cure diabetes Diabetes: 5 dumb ways to boost your risk
The two studies, released on Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine, are the first to compare stomach-reducing operations to medicines alone for "diabesity" - Type 2 diabetes caused by obesity. Millions of Americans have it, and can't make enough insulin to process sugar from what they eat.
Both studies found that surgery helped far more patients achieve normal blood-sugar levels than medicines alone did. Some were able to stop taking insulin as soon as three days after their surgeries. Cholesterol and other heart risk factors also improved dramatically.
Doctors don't like to say "cure" because they can't promise a disease will never come back. But in one study, most surgery patients were able to stop all diabetes drugs and have their disease stay in remission for at least two years. None of those treated with medicines alone could do that.
"It is a major advance," said Dr. John Buse, a diabetes researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who was no involved in the studies. Buse said he often recommends surgery to patients who are obese and can't control their blood-sugar through medications, but many are leery of it. "This evidence will help convince them that this really is an important therapy to at least consider," he said.
There were signs that the surgery itself - not just weight loss - reverses diabetes. Food makes the gut produce hormones to spur insulin, so doctors think trimming away part of it surgically may affect those hormones.
Weight-loss surgery "has proven to be a very appropriate and excellent treatment for diabetes," said one study co-leader, Dr. Francesco Rubino, chief of diabetes surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "The most proper name for the surgery would be diabetes surgery."
More than a third of American adults are obese, and more than 8 percent have diabetes, a major cause of heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. Between 5 million and 10 million are like the people in these studies, with both problems.
For a century, doctors have been treating diabetes with pills and insulin, and encouraging weight loss and exercise with limited success. Surgery offers hope for a long-term fix. It costs $15,000 to $25,000, and Medicare covers it for very obese people with diabetes. Gastric bypass is the most common type: Through "keyhole" surgery, doctors reduce the stomach to a small pouch and reconnect it to the small intestine.
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Weight-loss surgery can "reverse" diabetes, studies confirm
American Diabetes Association Increases Focus on Prevention: Two New Reports Provide Further Support for Long-Term …
ALEXANDRIA, VA--(Marketwire -03/22/12)- Lifestyle intervention and treatment with metformin provide safe, long-term, cost-effective means of preventing type 2 diabetes and should be incorporated into prevention strategies for reducing the dramatic rise in incidence of type 2 diabetes in the U.S., according to two new analyses and an editorial published in the April issue of Diabetes Care.
The two reports provide further analyses and follow-up to the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program research first funded a decade ago primarily by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The studies are accompanied by an editorial highlighting the American Diabetes Association's recently revised Strategic Plan, which calls for an increased focus on translating the growing body of research on prevention into primary care and community treatment strategies.
"With the current economic realities facing our nation and with the ever-changing health care delivery landscape, the financial costs of such an initiative will indeed drive the discussion," concluded Diabetes Care Editor William Cefalu, MD. "On one hand, one can argue that we cannot afford to implement prevention on a national level. On the other hand, we could also argue that we cannot afford not to!"
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 35 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years or older (roughly 79 million Americans) may have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. People with prediabetes are usually not aware of their condition, which generally occurs without symptoms but is easily detectable through testing. Cefalu's editorial notes that because the "major factors contributing to the development of diabetes consist of lifestyle habits (i.e., physical inactivity and dietary intake) and obesity" and because research has shown the effectiveness of preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes through lifestyle intervention and medication, those numbers could be drastically reduced.
One analysis by the Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group found that, over 10 years, investing in lifestyle intervention or treatment with metformin for adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes provided "good value for the money." Over the first three years of the clinical trial, lifestyle interventions (losing 5-8 percent of body weight, or 10-16 pounds for a 200-pound person, plus increasing physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week) reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent and significantly improved quality of life. Metformin reduced diabetes by 31 percent. This follow-up analysis found that lifestyle intervention came at a cost-effectiveness of about $10,000 per cumulative-quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Cost-effectiveness of commonly used interventions such as mammography or blood pressure generally range from $10,000 to $50,000 per QALY.
"This new analysis of costs and outcomes in the DPP and its follow-up study shows both metformin and lifestyle change were very cost-effective for prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes when analyzed from the perspective of health care payers," said Griffin P. Rodgers, MD, director of the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). "Metformin treatment led to a small savings in health care costs over 10 years. The individual training in lifestyle change, as delivered in the study, was cost-effective and could become cost saving if offered to groups in community settings."
The second analysis found that long-term treatment with metformin safely produced sustained weight loss at 10 years and prevented or delayed the onset of type 2 diabetes.
The Association's Strategic Plan calls for doubling the percentage of Americans with prediabetes who are aware of their condition (from 7.3 to 15 percent) so that they may have the opportunity to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes. It also calls for a 10 percent increase in people who report engaging in specific preventive behaviors, such as weight control and weight loss, physical activity and healthy eating.
"We now know how to prevent type 2 diabetes and have the data to show that doing so is not only safe, it is cost-effective," said Vivian Fonseca, MD, President, Medicine and Science, of the American Diabetes Association. "We should be taking much greater steps on a broad scale to reduce this serious health epidemic in our country. There are nearly 26 million children and adults currently living with this debilitating disease, with 90 to 95 percent having type 2 diabetes. Another 79 million are at high risk for developing it. Those are staggering numbers, and we have the knowledge and ability to reduce them. I would encourage every American to estimate their own risk using simple tools (for example see diabetes.org/risktest) and then, if at risk, take simple measures to prevent the disease."
Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association, is the leading peer-reviewed journal of clinical research into one of the nation's leading causes of death by disease. Diabetes also is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, as well as the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure, and non-traumatic amputations.
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American Diabetes Association Increases Focus on Prevention: Two New Reports Provide Further Support for Long-Term ...
Diabetes weight-loss diet hope
Cutting fatty foods likechocolate and eating more protein may help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Source: AP
OVERWEIGHT people with type 2 diabetes will lose weight faster on a diet low in fat and carbohydrates but higher in protein.
The findings of the CSIRO study, a 16-week program for 100 overweight and obese people, do not match the current recommendation for people with type 2 diabetes - which is to consume a low-fat and low-protein diet higher in carbohydrates.
Participants on the low-fat, higher-protein diet achieved a 30per cent greater weight loss and 21per cent greater reduction in fat around the belly, particularly if they also participated in resistance training. The CSIRO is now looking to recruit 150 overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes for a two-year study to collect and analyse long-term results to better determine the best weight-loss program for those with type 2 diabetes.
CSIRO research program leader Professor Manny Noakes and research scientist Associate Professor Grant Brinkworth said the results indicated the higher-protein diet worked better in the short term, but a long-term study was required.
"It is outside conventional recommendations, which is largely why the Australian Government is supporting research into this area," Prof Brinkworth said.
"The group that was consuming the high-protein diet and exercising were having a greater reduction in their insulin levels, which suggests that they had greater insulin sensitivity."
People with type 2 diabetes have a high insulin resistance, causing blood sugar levels to build up.
Prof Brinkworth said longer-term study results would help set future dietary guidelines for people with type 2 diabetes.
"It's just so amazing that after all of this time we still haven't reached a consensus about what the best approach is," Prof Noakes said.
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Diabetes weight-loss diet hope
Tracking habits, not just weight
Most college students are less worried about heart disease than looking good enough to break hearts. But there is one key factor that long-term health and attractiveness have in common: maintaining a healthy weight.
But focusing on weight loss alone isnt a guarantee for a healthier or happierlifestyle.
Crash diets and other techniques people use to trim waistlines often leave people miserable and moody (which is arguably more unattractive than a few extra pounds).
Moreover, weight is too often equated directly with health. Stepping on the scale is part of the ritual of any yearly check-up and many a body-conscious persons morning routine.
But the number of pounds someone weighs doesnt always reflect of their health or even the efforts they are putting in to eating well and exercising.
So what metric should take its place? One alternative is tracking good habits rather than poundage. Though its less concrete, keeping track of ones habits rather than just their weight is often a better indication of long-term health.
And for those whose successful weight-loss endeavors have inexplicably plateaued, stepping away from the scale and instead focusing on habits can prevent them from losing motivation.
Proponents of a new movement called self-tracking say that recording and analyzing personal data is a better way to improve health.
This technique has long been used to improve athletes performance and workers productivity. But a crop of innovative companies have now made self-tracking simple for anyone with a computer or smartphone.
The RunKeeper app allows people to track the distance, speed and calories burned during a run and then stores the data to help users track improvement.
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Tracking habits, not just weight
Sustain® Offers Hope for Weight Loss and Maintenance; New Program Applies Current Research with Healthy Products …
Peru, IL (PRWEB) March 19, 2012
There is a now a new option for those seeking to lose weight and keep it off for good. Sustain is a new solution for weight loss and, more importantly, long-term weight maintenance. Sustain combines current research with individualized support and education to achieve long-term results.
Sustain is designed according to how the body works. It supports the preservation of muscle mass through protein supplementation, while burning stored fat by limiting both carbohydrate and fat intake. This is accomplished through the incorporation of protein-based products coupled with education and personalized weekly support by phone and/or by Skype with a team of experienced diet educators. The Sustain solution achieves optimal weight loss and successful long-term weight maintenance.
Sustain Diet Educator, Jeanna Rodda is passionate about her own personal weight loss success of over 112 pounds in just six months. Jeanna had previously failed at other weight loss programs and had lost all hope after developing weight-related diseases. She now maintains her new healthy weight and provides diet education and support to other Sustain dieters by teaching the formula for successful, long-term weight maintenance.
I now understand how to lose weight and keep it off for good, Jeanna stated. This solution helped me regain control of my life.
Meg Kinsella, owner of Sustainable Weight Loss Solution, indicated that program participants average a weekly weight loss of 3 to 7 pounds. She attributes its success to the three-tiered solution which includes: (1) the right blend of protein, carbs, calories, vitamins and minerals which preserves muscle mass and promotes fat burning, (2) one-on-one virtual meetings with diet educators who help participants adhere to the program and (3) re-education on how and what to eat so healthy weight can be maintained.
Kinsella stated, Whether you are a bride looking to lose weight before your wedding day, or someone who has had enough of short-lived unsuccessful diets, Sustain offers you the information, tools and support you need to succeed in the short and long-term.
Those who would like to learn more about Sustain are encouraged to visit http://www.sustainweightlosssolution.com or call 1-888-940-DIET(3438).
About Us Sustainable Weight Loss Solutions is owned and operated by health enthusiast, Meg Kinsella. After years of struggling with weight gain and fad diets, she found a program that enabled her to finally lose weight and keep it off. Meg and her team enthusiastically started helping others shed pounds and sustain a healthy weight. Soon, hundreds of lives were changed for the better and a business was born.
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Sustain® Offers Hope for Weight Loss and Maintenance; New Program Applies Current Research with Healthy Products ...
InterOil Announces 2011 Financial and Operating Results
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea and HOUSTON, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- InterOil Corporation (NYSE:IOC - News) (POMSoX:IOC - News) today announced financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011.
Fourth Quarter 2011 Highlights and Recent Developments
InterOil's Chief Executive Officer Phil Mulacek commented, "We continue to work with our existing LNG development partners and the PNG government to advance our LNG project towards first production. Simultaneously, our advisors are managing the process of soliciting and evaluating proposals from potential strategic LNG partners. If a strategic partner is selected, we expect that such a partner would assist with accelerating the LNG project's capacity growth. Our delineation drilling at Triceratops has the potential to add to our substantial resource estimate at Elk and Antelope, and provide back-up supply for increasing LNG capacity. Our prospect inventory is maturing and we anticipate that it will support our goal of a multi-year, multi-well exploration program. We believe that these achievements, combined with our strong balance sheet, support our continued growth and operational success."
Corporate Financial Results
InterOil recorded a net profit for the year ended December 31, 2011 of $17.7 million, compared with a net loss of $44.5 million for the same period in 2010, an improvement of $62.2 million. The operating segments of Corporate, Midstream Refining and Downstream collectively returned a net profit for the year of $82.3 million. The development segments of Upstream and Midstream Liquefaction yielded a net loss of $64.6 million for an aggregate net profit of $17.7 million.
EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $50.4 million, an increase of $66.9 million over negative EBITDA of $16.5 million for the same period in 2010, the improvement was mainly due to unusual, one time charges in 2010 and an improvement in our net foreign exchange gains as a result of rising Papua New Guinea Kina ("PGK") against USD.
Total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2011 were $1,118.9 million compared with $807.0 million and $693.1 million respectively for the same periods in 2010 and 2009. This increase in the year ended 2011 compared to the same period in 2010 was due to the higher crude price environment in the 2011 year and an increase in domestic volumes of product sold for higher margin products. The total volume of all products sold by us was 7.5 million barrels for fiscal year 2011, compared with 7.2 million barrels in 2010.
Business Segment Results
Upstream - Work commenced on the seven dip lines, 56 kilometer, Kwalaha seismic data acquisition program on September 16, 2011 and was completed on December 20, 2011. The objective of the survey was to further delineate the Wahoo and Mako prospects and identify potential drilling locations. Processing and interpretation of the data is ongoing. A third phase of seismic data acquisition, which consists of two dip orientated lines totaling 21 kilometers in length over the Tuna prospect, commenced on December 22, 2011. Line preparation is currently in progress.
During 2011, we contracted for airborne magnetic, gravity and gamma ray prospecting over PPL 236, PPL 237 and PPL 238. Five acquisition blocks were acquired for a total of 14,288 line kilometers of airborne data. Data processing over this airborne data is currently undergoing final quality control assessment.
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InterOil Announces 2011 Financial and Operating Results
Normal Weight Loss | Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting Tips (Part 1) – Video
30-12-2011 09:51 HERE! The Link: WeightLossFastSystem.com In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be toughand losing weight, even tougher. Adding to the difficulty is the abundance of fad diets and quick-fix plans that tempt and confuse us, and ultimately fail. If you have tried and failed to lose weight before, you may believe that it is just too difficult or that diets do not work for you. And in one sense, you may be right. . traditional diets do not workat least not in the long term. But there are plenty of small but powerful changes you can make that will help you to achieve lasting weight loss success. The key is to create a plan that provides plenty of enjoyable choices, avoid common dieting pitfalls, and learn how to develop a healthier, more satisfying relationship with food. . The key to successful, healthy weight loss. Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple. . If you eat more calories than you burn then you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. Since 3500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat, if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you will lose approximately 1 pound a week , 500 calories x 7 days equal 3500 calories, . Simple, right? So why is weight loss so hard? All too often, we make weight loss much more difficult than it needs to be with extreme diets that leave us cranky and starving, unhealthy lifestyle choices that undermine our dieting efforts, and ...
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Normal Weight Loss | Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting Tips (Part 1) - Video
How to Find the Best Weight Loss Programs – Video
18-02-2012 18:11 Looking for the Best Weight Loss Programs? Take a Look at LostIn90.com - In this video you will learn the four essential elements in a weight loss program. If you don't have these your chances of long term success are pretty slim. So when you want to start a diet that really works make sure they have these elements. Check out our channel for more weight loss program reviews.
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How to Find the Best Weight Loss Programs - Video