Albert Einstein College Of Medicine To Study Impact Of Resveratrol On Prediabetes

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Endocrinology;??Nutrition / Diet;??Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
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Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have been awarded $600,000 from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to study the effect of resveratrol, a chemical compound most notably found in red wine and grapes, on impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in older adults. IGT occurs when blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. The condition is also known as prediabetes.

IGT and diabetes increase dramatically with age, affecting almost 40 percent of adults over age 60. According to the ADA, those with prediabetes have a 50 percent increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Results of this study will provide critical information that is needed to plan and conduct more definitive studies of resveratrol in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

"Our earlier work in the area has given us reason to be hopeful," said Jill Crandall, M.D., professor of clinical medicine and director of the Diabetes Clinical Trials Unit. "Given the easy availability, low cost and apparent safety of resveratrol supplementation, a positive finding could have an enormous impact on human health."

The ADA grant will fund a six-week double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study of thirty individuals between the ages of 50 and 80 years of age who have IGT. Study participants will be given resveratrol supplements to explore the compound's effects on post-meal blood glucose metabolism. Preliminary studies will also be conducted to explore how resveratrol works by examining cellular function (in muscle samples obtained from study participants) and testing resveratrol's effect on blood vessel function.

Resveratrol supplements are needed because diet alone is not sufficient to supply what is believed to be a therapeutic concentration of the compound. It's estimated that a person would need to drink between 100-1000 bottles of wine per day to receive the levels shown to be therapeutic in mice.

In research in cells and animals, resveratrol has been shown to prolong lifespan, prevent cancer and heart disease, and normalize glucose metabolism. Although use of this agent shows great promise in the treatment and/or prevention of diabetes, there have been no rigorously controlled, peer-reviewed clinical studies in humans.

Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

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Program For Young Students Increases Interest In College Attendance And Medical Careers

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Respiratory / Asthma;??Diabetes;??Heart Disease
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Two new studies have shown that a unique program in East Harlem that helps middle school students learn practical health skills and gain a better understanding of medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, resulted in increased interest in college attendance and medical careers among the students who attended the program. The results were presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting this month in Denver.

The MedStart Summer Enrichment Program was created in the summer of 2009 by Edward Chu and Melissa Schneiderman, two third-year medical students at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The free, one-week summer program is offered to East Harlem middle-school students who are interested in science and medicine, or who would benefit from a more interactive approach to learning. MedStart provides the participants with CPR and First Aid certification, and teaches them practical skills, such as how to take a pulse, and measure blood pressure. The program also provides transit passes, lunch, T-shirts, and trophies, at no cost to the students, for completing the program.

"East Harlem has one of the highest rates of asthma, diabetes, and obesity in all of New York City," said Chu. "We started the MedStart program because there was a significant unmet need for health care education among the youth of East Harlem about these diseases. A large number of medical students, residents, and faculty members were willing to dedicate time to help address this need, and MedStart was our solution."

The research team behind MedStart evaluated the impact of the program and presented the results at the APHA meeting. One study evaluated the impact of student attitudes toward science and medical careers before and after the program. Thirty-eight students completed the pre-program survey and 37 completed the post-survey. At the conclusion of the program, there was a 31 percent increase in students who were "very interested" in science, a 23 percent increase in students who were "very interested" in a career in the medical field, and a 13 percent increase in students who thought it was important to attend college.

A second study evaluated improvement in student knowledge of diseases prevalent in their community - asthma, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease - by surveying 39 students before and after the program. Comparing the students' pre-camp survey and post-camp survey performance, we found that their scores increased by an average of 26.5 percent. The majority of students previously were unaware of the high prevalence of these diseases in their community.

"These results demonstrate that the MedStart program improves middle school perceptions of health and science, encouraging them to someday consider careers in these fields," said Stephanie H. Factor, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and faculty advisor for MedStart. "MedStart also educates these students at a critical time in their lives about prevalent diseases in the East Harlem community. The measurable impact of this program shows that it should be replicated in communities around the country."

Additional Mount Sinai authors on the studies include Lucy Chen, Julia Chen, Greg Serrao, Latanya Phelps, PhD, Ann-Gel S. Palermo, Jonatan Hernandez Rosa, Daniel Sanchez, Andrew Weissman, PhD, Stephanie H. Factor, MD, Romit Bhattacharya, and Samantha Zuckerman.

Source:
Mount Sinai Press Office
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

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College Of GPs Welcomes New Approach To Diabetes Care Plan, Australia

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed the Federal government's decision to review its proposed diabetes registration scheme after listening to the concerns of the general practice profession.

Over the previous months, the College has been critical of the government's proposed plan for 'block' or 'capitated' funding for the treatment of people with diabetes. The College has argued that the proposal did not take into account the complex nature of multiple co-existing health risks and conditions and therefore was not workable for patients or for general practice.

RACGP President Professor Claire Jackson said that the College looks forward to meaningful consultation with the government to develop a revised program improving care for people with diabetes.

"We are glad to see that the government has listened to the concerns of the profession through their review of this program, which did not have the support of the College and other key general practice stakeholders.

"The College will work closely with the government and a range of other stakeholders to trial alternative approaches that will support the treatment of people with diabetes. We are pleased that RACGP Immediate Past President Dr Chris Mitchell will continue to represent the RACGP on the Diabetes Advisory Group," she said.

Professor Jackson said that for chronic diseases such as diabetes, GPs were generally the first point of contact and provided ongoing, holistic care for patients.

"The complexity of treatment for this common disease requires systematic care from the teams within and around our practices. As GPs we need a health system that gives us the resources we require to keep our patients healthy and out of hospital, and we will work with the government to develop a program which best meets the needs of our patients as well as the GPs who deliver their care," she said.

The government's media release 'Early pilot of diabetes coordinated care to begin July 2011' is available here.

Source:
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)

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