Diabetes Drug May Raise Pancreatitis Risk

Two common medications, including one used to treat diabetes, may increase your risk of developing pancreatitis, according to two new studies.

By Amir Khan, Everyday Health Staff Writer

MONDAY, Feb. 25, 2013 — Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, and occurs when enzymes that digest food activate in the pancreas instead of the small intestine. While majority of the cases occur from excessive alcohol consumption or gallstones, two new studies have linked two common medications to the disease, which researchers say may help explain pancreatitis often appears without any cause.

Cortisone, a hormone used to treat a number of diseases from psoriasis to arthritis, may increase your risk for pancreatitis, the study found. Patients taking it were 70 percent more likely to develop acute pancreatitis, which, while treatable, can cause long-lasting and severe problems. Excessive alcohol consumption and gallstones are the primary causes of pancreatitis, but the cause of 20 percent of pancreatitis cases is unknown — and researchers say cortisone may play a role in how those cases develop.

“Drug-induced acute pancreatitis has previously been considered as a rare cause of acute pancreatitis,” the researchers, led by Omid Sadr-Azodi, MD, study author and assistant physician at Eskilstuna County Hospital in Sweden, wrote in the study, “but recent reports have indicated that drug induced acute pancreatitis might be the third most common cause of the disease, accounting for 3 to 5 percent of all cases.”

 Researchers looked at 6,000 patients diagnosed with pancreatitis between 2006 and 2008 and compared them to 61,000 healthy people, finding that people who were treated with medicine containing cortisone, such as Prednisolone, were 70 percent more likely to develop pancreatitis. The pancreatitis risk was higher in patients who smoked tobacco and drank alcohol, leading researchers to advise patients to avoid those substances while taking medications containing cortisone. The findings were published today in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

“There was no observable increase in risk for people who used aerosol cortisone, such as asthma inhalers," Dr. Sadr-Azodi MD said in a statement. “But people who start a course of cortisone are recommended to refrain from drinking and smoking, which are risk factors for acute pancreatitis."

A second study found that a new class of diabetes drugs, known as glucagon-like peptide-1-based therapies (GLP-1) and sold under brand names like Januvia and Byetta, can also cause pancreatitis, and according to the study, also published in JAMA Internal Medicine, patients on GLP-1 therapies are twice as likely to end up hospitalized for pancreatitis.

“We were surprised by the large risk increase,” says Sonal Singh, M.D., study author and assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Pancreatitis is a debilitating condition, and our message is that you need to be alert for the symptoms if you’re taking these drugs.”

Symptoms of pancreatitis include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and tenderness in the abdomen. Pancreatitis usually resolves in a few days, and treatment typically consists of morphine to control the pain, oxygen to help restore normal lung function and fluids to avoid dehydration. However, severe cases can lead to cancer or result in death, and Singh says more research needs to be conducted on these drugs to better understand the risks.

“Pancreatitis is a marker for pancreatic cancer, so that’s one of the biggest concerns,” he says. “We don’t have enough information over the long term to know if these therapies can lead to it.”

But, Howard Weintraub, MD, a clinical associate professor in the department of medicine at the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York says that GLP-1 therapies are able to treat diabetes without many of the side effects that come with insulin, such as weight gain and cardiovascular effects, which makes it the prime choice for diabetics, despite the pancreatitis risk.

“Cardiologists have taken to liking GLP-1 because other [diabetes] drugs can cause heart issues,” Dr. Weintraub says. “These drugs can help diabetics without causing those issues.”

Weintraub says he’s not disputing the study findings, but instead saying that the pancreatitis risk may be worth it.

“I’m not debating the fact that there’s an uptick in pancreatitis,” he says, “but I’ll tolerate a little pancreatic irritation for not putting someone into heart failure.”

However, Weintraub admitted that the GLP-1 therapies may not be for everyone.

“I think the bottom line is that there needs to be vigilance, attention and focus on potential side effects,” he says. “Patients should be carefully selected to be the drugs.”

Health Matters with Dr. Sanjay Gupta |  

Diabetes And Heat Don't Go Together

Diabetics are more vulnerable to the heat — and so are their medications.

Diabetes makes it harder for the body to cool itself, so diabetics need to be even more aware of the early signs of heat illness, such as heat stroke.

Muscle cramps, wooziness, or nausea on a hot day are signs that you need to get into a cool place and rehydrate.

“Not only do they have to worry about their health, they also have to worry about the impact of the hot weather on their equipment, their medications and their supplies,” says Curtiss Cook, MD, of the Mayo Clinic.

Insulin is less effective in the heat, so diabetics may choose to leave their insulin at home on very hot days. The test strips in blood-sugar meters may also be affected by the heat.

Diabetics don’t have to be summertime hermits, but they need to take extra precautions: Carry water, wear a hat and sunscreen, and be alert for early signs of trouble.

6 Ways to Feel Better With Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia symptoms got you down? These self-help strategies can have you feeling good again.

 By Dennis Thompson Jr.

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

There's no question that fibromyalgia is painful. But many experts also believe there's an emotional component to this disorder that can increase the discomfort and fatigue.

Distressed people, like those living with fibromyalgia, are more sensitive to pain. This can actually lead to a vicious cycle: Pain causes distress, and distress reinforces the disease that causes the pain. In turn, finding ways to boost your emotional health may help ease your physical pain, too.

"When people are depressed in the present, it's a predictor of more pain in the future," says John Fry, PhD, a psychologist in Newport Beach, Calif., and board member of the National Fibromyalgia Association. "Anxiety in the present also is a predictor of more pain in the future. If a person focuses on pain being delivered to them, it actually increases the nerve conductance of the pain. So having other interests is very important. "

There are a number of self-help activities and strategies that fibromyalgia patients can use to distract themselves from their chronic pain. By giving an outlet to your emotions, you should be better able to deal with your physical symptoms.

Self-Help Strategies for Fibromyalgia Pain

Try these ideas to help lift your spirits:

• Question your moods. Don't accept your moods at face value; instead, learn to question them. "Anytime [you are] down or anxious or angry, use the mood as a signal to figure out what you were thinking and then do battle with that thought," Fry says. "Ask questions of it. Is that really the case? Would other people see it that way? Test it against reality to see if it's true." For example, think of someone who suddenly assumes her friends no longer want to be with her because fibromyalgia flares have caused her to repeatedly cancel plans. "Ask yourself, 'If I had friends like that, would I give up on them?' Probably not," Fry says.
• Unleash your creativity. Expressing the way you feel through writing or art — whether it's journaling, drawing, or scrapbooking — has been proven to relieve pain and improve symptoms. Keep in mind that talent doesn’t matter. It's all about expressing yourself in a way that helps you and others better understand the chronic fibromyalgia pain you are dealing with.
• Listen to music — or play it yourself. Music therapy is another strategy proven to help people deal with chronic pain. You might find a piece of music that you really enjoy and that helps get your mind off your fibromyalgia. Or you might try your hand at writing music or lyrics that describe your pain.
• Smell the roses. Aromatherapy can help fibromyalgia patients through the use of fragrances from certain essential oils. People who respond to aromatherapy can experience a reduction in their pain and a boost in their overall mood. Try lavender or jasmine for relaxation, lemon or geranium for energy, or eucalyptus, peppermint, or juniper to relieve soreness.
• Solve a puzzle. Doing a crossword or taking part in another mental challenge can take your mind off your pain.
• Try relaxation therapy. Relaxation techniques can be a great way to deal with chronic pain. Deep breathing, guided imagery, and meditation are just some of the relaxation techniques available to people with fibromyalgia.

8 Fascinating Pain Facts You Didn't Know

Do women feel chronic pain more than men? Can the brain feel pain? Find out whether you can separate pain facts from pain myths.

By Chris Iliades, MD

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Acute pain is your body’s way of waving a red flag for immediate attention, often because of an injury. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is pain that lasts for weeks, months, or years, and it affects more than 76.2 million Americans — more than cancer, diabetes, and heart disease combined. But how much do you really know about it? We've rounded up eight little-known facts about pain.

Pain Is Both Physical and Emotional

Pain, especially chronic pain, affects more than your body. It's psychologically stressful and can (understandably) lead to emotions like anger and frustration. And pain and stress can be a vicious circle: Pain can increase stress levels, and increased levels of stress can make pain worse. This can cause depression and make it difficult to concentrate.

Women Feel More Pain Than Men

Women actually do experience more pain than men over their lifetimes because of conditions and experiences such as menstruation, childbirth, and migraine headaches. Studies also show that women may experience pain differently — often more intensely — than men do. For example, some animal studies show that females require twice as much pain medication to get the same relief as males. However, there's conflicting research on whether women actually have a higher tolerance for pain than men (although millions of women who have gone through childbirth might disagree).

The Brain Doesn't Feel Pain

Ouch! When you stub your toe or touch something hot, your body releases chemicals that send pain signals up through the spinal cord to receptors in the brain. The brain then sends the pain message back down to the part of the body that hurts. But although it's the interpreter of pain, the brain itself does not have pain-sensitive nerves. Only the structures that surround the brain feel pain. As a matter of fact, once inside the brain, surgeons can operate on the brain without anesthesia. In one technique known as brain mapping, surgeons probe brain tissue while monitoring reactions like muscle movement and speech — all while the patient is awake.

Back Pain: The Most Common Pain Condition

All those aching backs! In a survey done by the National Institutes of Health, 27 percent of Americans said low back pain was their most common type of pain, followed by headaches or migraines (15 percent). More than 26 million Americans aged 20 to 64 suffer from back pain, and each year we spend at least $50 billion on back pain relief. What's the best way to ease chronic back pain? Experts say a combination of gentle, regular stretching and strengthening exercises, as well as reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight, can make a real difference.

Gout: The Disease of Kings and Dinosaurs

Gout, a painful type of arthritis that affects about 3 million people every year, was once called the disease of kings because it was blamed on too much eating and drinking. Today we know that gout — and the pain associated with it — is caused by the buildup in the blood of a substance called uric acid, which causes sharp crystals to form inside joints. But one "king" who had gout was the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex. Analysis of casts of a forearm from a tyrannosaurus fossil named Sue revealed that the dinosaur had a bad case of gout. Today, the dinosaur's relatives, including birds and all orders of reptiles, can also develop gout.

Creaky Joints in (Pre)History

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that causes chronic pain due to gradual wear and tear on joints. It's also been plaguing humans for a long, long time — in fact, osteoarthritis has been found in human skeletons dating back to the Ice Age (before 8000 BC), and it was also detected during x-ray examinations of Egyptian mummies. But despite the fact that osteoarthritis has been around forever, doctors still do not completely understand the cause.

Want to Help Osteoarthritis Pain? Get Moving!

The belief that rest is the best treatment for a back, neck, or knee that is painful due to osteoarthritis is a pain myth. Experts agree that exercise is an important way to manage and in fact prevent pain due to osteoarthritis. Benefits of exercise include increasing blood supply to cartilage and bone, strengthening the muscles that support joints, and decreasing joint stiffness. Exercise also improves general health and reduces the risk of injury and osteoporosis in people with osteoarthritis. Finally, exercise can improve sleep and help fight depression for people with chronic pain from osteoarthritis.

Kick the Habit, Ease Your Pain

Studies show that smoking increases your risk for back pain, and it's also been shown to increase chronic pain in people with fibromyalgia and neck pain. Nicotine in cigarette smoke can decrease the blood flow to joints in the back and can delay healing as well as increase the risk for further injury. Also, people who smoke need to take more medication than those who don't to get back pain relief.

What Your Nails Say About Your Health

Americans spend millions of dollars on manicures and pedicures to keep their nails looking good, but pretty nails don't always mean good health

.By Everyday Health Staff

At salons around the country, nails are big business. But beneath the polish, your digits can be a window into your overall health. “Many health conditions are very visible in the nails,” says John Knox, MD, of Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. They're a unique indicator because of their partial transparency. Nails can even tell you how long you've been ill, since fingernails need six months to grow, and toenails a full year. Knox points out that even nail-biting can be an indicator of mental health. “Patients who are more anxious or obsessive compulsive do tend to bite their nails more frequently," says Dr. Knox.

What Your Nails Say About 

A wide variety of diseases can be detected by looking at changes your nails. Lung disease and lymphedema can cause yellow discoloration, while psoriasis can look like fungus. Bands, or lines in multiple fingernails, as well as changes in color, can also indicate illness. Paying attention to your nail health is important, but Knox also notes that some nail issues have simple explanations: “Poor nutrition will cause brittle nails, but so will aging, excessive washing, and a variety of different things."

What do you think your nails say about your health? Do you get manicures or pedicures often? Tell us in the comments below.

Do men like women who flash the flesh?

By: Hugh Wilson

Most people think so, but there’s plenty of evidence to the contrary...

Hot pants, mini skirts, exposed midriffs, side boobs...Mmmm.

Erm, ahem, splutter. Apologies. No, you haven’t interrupted one of our regular afternoon naps.

No, we’ve been pondering this male fantasy list of female fashions for perfectly sound scientific reasons.

Because the latest study says men don’t go for flesh baring females at all.

Can it be true? We spend longer than strictly necessary searching for an answer.

Men like demure

According to the new research which polled 2,205 single British men, each aged 18 or over, poor old Rihanna wouldn’t have much of a chance with the average British bloke (we bet she’s gutted). And if Kylie approached us in the kind of mini skirt that showed her famously pert bottom to best effect many of us would compliment her on a fine body of work but suggest she keep her other body more modestly under wraps.

At least, that’s what you might conclude from a study by VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, which found that while 31% of British men liked a revealing dresser, 54% of us preferred a woman in “classy” attire.

And what do they mean by classy? Well, according to the poll, 45% of us prefer a woman in the sort of styles popularised by the demure Duchess of Cambridge (though not in those French magazine photos).

In other words, we like women to leave, well, pretty much everything to our imaginations. Who on earth would have thought that?!

It’s all about respect

Apparently, and here the study wanders onto slightly dodgy ground, it’s all about respect.

More than half of those polled said they’d respect a woman more if she dressed in a reserved way, while just a quarter said it depended on the woman in question. Just 22% said they’d respect a woman who wore revealing outfits.

That might be because women who flash acres of flesh make us a little bit nervous. The poll also revealed that 38% of men admitted to feeling intimidated by women in overly revealing clothes.

George Charles of VoucherCodesPro.co.uk said: 'We were interested in discovering whether or not men were more likely to approach women who wore a specific style of clothing and whether this impacted their decisions to give out their number.

“Surprisingly, more men preferred to approach women who were wearing reserved and classy attire rather than a revealing outfit.”

The perfect (out)fit

Perhaps surprisingly, science has something to say about this too, and it backs up the prim and proper approach - well, a bit.

It was previously thought that men like to be able to see as much of a woman’s skin as possible, because the more flesh on show, the more accurately they could (subconsciously) judge her youth and therefore her fertility.

Long legs, a slim waist and large breasts can also be biological indicators of fertility, which may explain the mini skirt, crop top and push up bra.

But attraction is more complex than that, even among sexually driven young people, as a study by researchers from Leeds University discovered.

In the study, female researchers discreetly observed women from a balcony overlooking the dance floor of one of the city’s biggest nightclubs.

And what they found was that women baring quite a lot of flesh were approached most often by men. In fact, women who revealed around 40% of their bodies attracted twice as many men as those who covered up.

In other words, the study doesn’t back up the idea that long skirts and demure tops are what men like best, or at least it suggests they’re not what the young men who frequent northern nightclubs like best.

But nor did the study confirm the idea that the more revealing the better for women trying to find a boyfriend. Because the popularity of women (in terms of how often they were approached by men) began to fall off after the 40% mark. The more flesh they showed beyond that, the less popular they became.

So even among young men in a nightclub, there is such a thing as a too revealing outfit. It’s probably fair to say that the rest of the male population would be, if anything, more conservative.

Too much of a good thing

So why do men, who it’s generally thought can’t get enough naked female flesh, balk at real women who dress too revealingly?

It could be that while female flesh is always alluring, too much on public display sends mixed messages to men who want to be titillated, but not share that titillation with lots of other men.

Or, as psychologist Dr Colin Hendrie, who led the study, said at the time: “Any more than 40 per cent and the signal changes from ‘allure’ to one indicating general availability and future infidelity.

“Show some leg, show some arm, but not any more than that.”

So there may be some truth in the idea that men are turned off, or at least intimidated, by the Rihannas of the world. In truth, men are a mass of contradictions on the subject. Though ostensibly we like to see as much flesh as possible, in potential partners it seems there really is a point where we can get too much of a good thing.

6 Ways to Make Your Bedroom Romantic

6 Ways to Make Your Bedroom Romantic

Julia Melko
If you want to spend a nice romantic evening with your sweetheart, there are numerous ways to make the night memorable. First of all, try to create a peaceful atmosphere, and then put all mess and clutter out of sight. Take a clean bed sheet and spread it on your bed. Now you can start with the rest. Here are 6 ways to make your bedroom romantic.

1. Match your curtains

To make your bedroom romantic, put on the drapes that match your bed sheet shade or contrast the color of walls. If you have a bed of large size, keep a lot of cushions on one side of it.

2. Scented candles

Romance is not complete without aromatic candles. Get a large amount of candles in different shapes and sizes and with different scents. Light candles in different places in your bedroom and shut off all artificial illumination.

3. Rose petals

What could be more romantic than a bedroom scattered with rose petals? Get different kinds of roses or other flowers your partner likes. Spread petals on your bed and try to make a heart shape design with the help of red roses or scatter them on a light colored bed sheet.

4. Romantic dinner

Don’t forget about a dinner. It is a great idea to cook the favorite food of you and your sweetheart. If you are not a good cook, you can order the food from a restaurant you both admire. Try also 

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5. Soothing music

Another way to add a romantic touch into your bedroom is music. Harmonies and melodies connect our souls. Soothing music can help to warm the tone and mood. Play something soft and soothing that makes the atmosphere comfortable.

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6. Decorate

You can make your bedroom more romantic by putting the nice framed pictures of you two together on the walls. You can also add beautiful mirrors, but remember they should be proportionate to the wall size and furnishings around it. Mirrors will make the look of your bedroom really inviting.

Combination of drugs against the survival rate for breast cancer study Elevators

Combination of drugs against the survival rate for breast cancer study Elevators

The Seattle Times reports that this is the first time such a drastic improvement observed in the trials of hormonal therapy frontline in the fight against breast cancer metastasis. Dr. Julie Gralow, director of the Division of Breast Medical Oncology at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and co-author of the study, said:


"We find many other ways to treat these breast cancers with estrogen receptor positive, which does not include chemotherapy."


The two drugs, anastrozole (Arimidex brand) and fulvestrant (Faslodex brand), are called endocrine therapy, because they work through the action of a hormone (estrogen). Gralow said that about three-quarters of women with breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer whose tumors respond to estrogen. Both drugs are effective as anastrozole stops estrogen synthesis and the works of fulvestrant on estrogen receptors.


Gralow said that although these treatments do not cure breast cancer, however, are of great progress in the field of endocrine therapies and drugs for breast cancer. She said:

"We're trying to move away from toxic therapies, non-specific, such as chemotherapy, and better understand how they can affect estrogen receptors and their means and get even better results than chemotherapy with fewer side effects secondary. This is where we will treat breast cancer. "


RTT reports that Dr. Kathy Albain, principal investigator of the study, his team studied 707 postmenopausal women with breast cancer in hormone receptor positive. Metastatic They found that, on average, women who received both drugs against breast cancer lived 6.4 months longer than those who received one. Albain said:


"This is the first study to show that hormone therapy alone, without chemotherapy improves survival in advanced breast cancer. This will most likely change the standard of care for the way we treat these patients. "