A drug taken for decades by millions of people with type 2 diabetes to prevent heart attacks, strokes and deaths offered no benefit in a broad group of patients, a study released Sunday shows. Fenofibrate, sold as Tricor, lowers triglycerides and boosts good cholesterol, seemingly lowering heart risk. But in most type 2 diabetes patients, it failed to achieve the goal of reducing a combination of heart attacks, strokes and deaths, says lead investigator Henry Ginsberg of Columbia University.

Editor’s Note: Diabetic sufferers are at high risk of onset of diabetic retinopathy which can lead to permanent vision loss. Click Here for information on nutrients (such as alpha lipoic acid, taurine, bilberry, lutein, omega-3 fatty acids) related to helping preserve vision for those with diabetes.

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According to 2007 data from the National Institutes of Health, 25% of Americans 20 years and older had abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood—a pre-diabetic state. That number leapt to 35% in individuals 60 and older. Extrapolating from the total US population, nearly 60 million American adults may now be pre-diabetic. (reference available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/PUBS/statistics/#youngpeople. Accessed November 30, 2009).

• Roughly 1 in 5 Americans are pre-diabetic, a result of excess carbohydrate consumption.
• The digestive enzymes sucrase, amylase, and glucosidase are primarily responsible for enabling carbohydrate absorption into the blood.
• L-arabinose—a natural but largely indigestible sugar—blocks sucrase activity, preventing the sugar sucrose from entering the bloodstream.
• Extracts of white bean, seaweed, and Irvingia block the breakdown of starch in the intestine, preventing their calories from being absorbed.
• Green tea extract helps your body burn additional calories at rest.
• Collectively, these natural compounds may dramatically inhibit total carbohydrate intake, limit postprandial blood sugar and insulin spikes, and generate weight loss.

Editor’s Note: For more information on nutrition, diabetes and disbetic retinopathy, Click Here

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Updated research continues to show the effectiveness of using eyedrops with 1% n-acetyl-carnosine solutions for preventing and managing cataracts. Research also indicates these eyedrops may help other eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, primary open-angle glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Dr. Babizhayev and colleagues published their study in American Journal of Therapeutics (N-Acetylcarnosine Lubricant Eyedrops Possess All-In-One Universal Antioxidant Protective Effects of L-Carnosine in Aqueous and Lipid Membrane Environments, Aldehyde Scavenging, and Transglycation Activities Inherent to Cataracts: A Clinical Study of. American Journal of Therapeutics, UNKNOWN DATE;16(6):517-533).

Editor’s Note: For information on Can-C eyedrops (1% n-acetyl-carnosine eyedrops), go to www.naturaleyecare.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1831

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Two new University of Illinois studies report that lunasin, a soy
peptide often discarded in the waste streams of soy-processing
plants, may have important health benefits that include fighting
leukemia and blocking the inflammation that accompanies such
chronic health conditions as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart
disease, and stroke (see also University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign).

In another study, the first to report lunasin’s potential
anti-inflammatory activity, they showed that lunasin blocked or
reduced the activation of an important marker called NF-kappa-B,
a link in the chain of biochemical events that cause inflammation.

Lunasin’s bioavailability in the human body was confirmed by doing a
third study in which men consumed 50 grams of soy protein–one soy
milk shake and a serving of soy chili daily–for five days.

Editor’s Note1: Note that soy flour does contain high concentrations of the peptide.
Editor’s Note2: Chronic systemic inflammation can cause or contribute to many eye conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, macula edema, optic neuritis, uveitis and iritis for example. Chronic inflammation is now considered a major contributor to heart disease as well.

For more information on ways to help manage inflammation nutritionally, Click Here

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Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is a leading killer of older adults. Pomegranate extracts work at every step in the deadly atherosclerosis cascade to prevent or reverse the damage, thereby extending life.

Ref: Nutr Rev. 2009 Jan;67(1):49-56.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Mar;53(3):322-31.

Pomegranate juice helps protect the heart by reducing inflammation, reducing LDL (low density lipoproteins), as well as reducing oxidative stress and platelet clumping,

Studies also indicates pomegranate juice has anti-cancer properties and helps lower blood sugar for diabetics and pre-diabetics.

Healthy circulation is critical for helping prevent eye disease. For related information, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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The number of Americans with diabetic retinopathy is expected to increase from 5.5 million to 16 million by the year 2050.  Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes, which can eventually lead to blindness.

Researchers used data from the National Health Interview Survey and the US Census Bureau to project the number of people with diabetic retinopathy (DR), vision-threatening DR (VTDR), glaucoma, and cataracts among Americans 40 years or older with diagnosed diabetes mellitus for the years 2005-2050.

Study results showed:

• the number of Americans 40 years or older with DR will triple from 5.5 million in 2005 to 16.0 million in 2050
• the number of Americans 40 years or older with VTDR will also triple, from 1.2 million in 2005 to 3.4 million in 2050
• increases among those 65 years or older will be more pronounced (2.5 million to 9.9 million for DR and 0.5 million to 1.9 million for VTDR)
• the number of cataract cases among whites and blacks 40 years or older with diabetes will likely increase 235% by 2050, and 
• the number of glaucoma cases among Hispanics with diabetes 65 years or older will increase 12-fold.

Study authors stress the importance of efforts to prevent diabetes as well as to optimally manage diabetes and its complications.

SOURCE:  Projection of Diabetic Retinopathy and Other Major Eye Diseases Among People With Diabetes Mellitus, Saaddine, et al, Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(12):1740-1747.

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According to the AOA’s American Eye-Q(R) survey, which assesses public knowledge and understanding of issues related to eye and visual health, only 18 percent of Americans know that macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older, and less than a quarter of all Americans understand the effects of glaucoma.

This is particularly concerning as with the baby boomer population coming of age as seniors.

Source: SOURCE American Optometric Association, URL: http://www.aoa.org www.prnewswire.com

Editor’s Note: Through diet, lifestyle and specific nutritional supplementation, there is a great deal one can do to maintain healthy vision and significantly reduce the risk of onset of eye diseases such as macular degeneration. For more information, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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