Couples in which one of the partners is Asian and the other is white have distinct pregnancy-related outcomes when compared with white couples, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters Health reports. The study, by researchers from Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and the university’s School of Medicine, looked at 3,226 Asian couples, 5,575 white couples and 868 couples with a partner of each race who delivered at the hospital from 2000 to 2005 (Reuters Health, 10/1).

As of 2007, 23.6 million American have diabetes, diagnosed or undiagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Type 2, the most common form of diabetes, takes place when someone doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells ignore insulin. Insulin takes glucose from the blood and transports it into cells, providing necessary energy. When insulin doesn’t do its job, glucose builds up in the blood causing many problems including energy-starved cells, blindness, heart attacks and stroke.

Bisphenol A (BPA) can leach into foods and drinks from the plastic lining in cans. It is also found in some microwave containers and baby bottles. Researchers measured urine BPA levels of 1455 Americans aged 18 to 74. Those with the highest BPA levels were 2.9 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and 2.4 times more likely to become diabetic, than those with the lowest levels. It is unknown whether BPA is a cause of these diseases, say the authors, but we can reduce our exposure by storing and microwaving foods and drinks in glass rather than plastic containers.

Ensuring that patients’ blood sugar levels were closely regulated also led to them being 15 per cent less likely to have a heart attack.

More than two million people in Britain currently suffer from Type 2 diabetes, the most common kind, and experts estimate that that number could increase to four million by 2025, because of lifestyle issues such as obesity.

Diabetes occurs when the body loses the ability to control its blood sugar levels.

New research from Rhode Island Hospital found that obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) can contribute to mild neurodegeneration with features common with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – the first study to show that obesity can cause neurodegeneration. The study appeared in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Volume 15:1 (September 2008) .

This may be the Labor Day weekend in the US, but in Munich, leading cardiologists and pharmaceutical mavens are gathering for the annual European Society of Cardiology meeting, which began today and runs through Wednesday.

Beyond the usual stream of clinical trials, the most sensational story is likely to be the final results of the Vytorin SEAS study. Preliminary data showed an unexpected linked to cancer. The full picture will be presented Tuesday morning. Meanwhile…

London (PTI): Legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan, who is in Britain as part of his worldwide star- studded ‘Unforgettable Tour’, underwent a diabetes test before hundreds of his fans in Leicester to support the cause of health awareness.

Hours before his concert at the O2 arena in Docklands, Bachchan inaugurated the Silver Star Appeal charity on Saturday.

(PR) Penthouse Pet of the Year 2008 Erica Ellyson has joined forces with Rock Against Diabetes in a large way. She has offered to auction a date with herself, where the winner gets the royal treatment of limo service to dinner with Erica at Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Las Vegas, then limo service to the incredible new Penthouse Club in Vegas, where they will experience true VIP treatment when they accompany Erica for drinks at this amazing establishment.

A recent study shows that insulin pump under the age of 7 in the treatment of children with type 1 diabetes in a safe and effective.

As early as in a few years ago, insulin pumps have been in adult patients with type 1 or juvenile diabetes patients in the application, but the study is the first time will be applied to child care patients. The researchers claimed that the application of insulin pump therapy can reduce children with their parents, nannies or other caregivers to be cyclical with the burden of insulin injections.