Discoveries Offer Diabetics A Peace of Mind

Life got tense for Louis Wilpitz and his family when he developed type two diabetes. He says, “When I don’t control myself, they could probably testify to you that I don’t feel good, and I’m not as good to be around.”

Exercise, a healthy diet, and the drug Actos help Wilpitz control diabetes.

Endocrinologist Stephen Aronoff, M.D., of the Research Institute of Dallas says, “[Actos] is able to lower the blood sugar as well as some of the other classes of drugs and yet doesn’t cause low blood sugar.” He says Actos significantly improved blood sugar levels in more than 90 percent of patients.

Diabetes also raises the risk for heart disease. Doctors say these vitamins may help.

Internist Ishwarlal Jialal, M.D., of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, says, “Vitamin E gets into the cells of the body that contribute to plaque,” and also helps reduce inflammation and heart complications.

Diabetes can also affect eyesight. It often causes new blood vessels to grow in the eye to supply it with needed oxygen.

“Those new vessels grow on the wrong portion of the eye, so they’re prone to tearing,” says ophthalmologist Keye Wong, M.D., of the Sarasota Retina Institute in Fla.

That tearing causes bleeding and can lead to blindness. Dr. Wong says an injection of a drug called Vitrase may help. “At the higher doses, approximately 60 to 70 percent of patients were able to clear the hemorrhage,” he says.

Discoveries like these offer diabetics like Wilpitz peace of mind. He says, “It’s better when I control myself,” and better control means a healthier life.

Actos is FDA approved and has been shown to lower bad cholesterol in patients. Diabetics should talk to their doctors before taking vitamin E to lower their heart disease risk and yearly eye exams can help detect eye problems in their earliest, and most curable, stages.

Source: Ivanhoe News