Mesothelioma Lawyers & attorneys

When you tell a patient her hemoglobin A1c result is 8%, how does she relate that number to the blood glucose levels she measures at home in units of mg/dL? Is an A1c of 8% equivalent to an average glucose of 180?

As if diabetes management isn't complicated enough, dealing with different types of blood glucose measures can make it more so.

Washington -- Although most roads to pandemic flu readiness remain riddled with potholes, some communities are making steady progress.

Those cities and towns that have made exemplary advances in planning for a surge of ill patients and ways to mitigate the flu's potential devastation were honored, and the lessons they learned were shared during the Second National Congress on Health System Readiness: Pandemic Influenza Community Preparedness Planning, held July 18 to 20 in Washington, D.C.

Alcohol dependence manifests itself in many ways, but patients with this problem have enough in common that they can be placed in five categories, according to a study published online June 26 by the journal, Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The authors hope that subtyping patients in this manner will lead to the discovery of genes that increase the risk for the disorder's specific variations and to treatments that may be more effective for particular individuals.

"Assuming that the subtyping holds up and meets the test of time, we hope to identify specific treatments for specific types of alcoholics," said Howard B. Moss, MD, lead author and associate director for clinical and translational research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. "Some may be more amenable to medications to treat alcohol dependence than others, and researchers might find this information useful as they're putting together trials for new agents to treat alcoholism."

January 1997: The FDA approves Rezulin to treat type 2 diabetes the first glitazone drug, a class of drugs that help the body use insulin more effectively.

May 1999: The FDA OKs Avandia, the second glitazone.

July 1999: The FDA approves Actos, the third glitazone.

March 2000: The FDA asks Rezulin's maker to withdraw the drug because it is more toxic to the liver than Avandia or Actos.

April 2002: Avandia and Actos labels get new warnings about an increased risk of heart failure.
December 2005: Avandia maker GlaxoSmithKline and the FDA notify doctors of reports of new or worsening diabetic macular edema, fluid retention in the eye that can cause vision impairment, in patients taking the drug.

February 2007: Glaxo sends out a "Dear Health Care Professional" letter saying a clinical trial found a "significantly" higher risk of fracture in women who received Avandia compared with those who received metformin or glyburide, two older diabetes medications.

March 2007: Actos maker Takeda sends out a "Dear Health Care Professional" letter saying a review of its clinical trials database found an increased risk of fracture in women who received the drug.

May 2007: A New England Journal of Medicine study suggests Avandia raises risk of heart attacks. The FDA issues an Avandia "safety alert."

Source: USA Today

The fight recalls similar battles elsewhere over the plan using cost and claims data to rate doctors.