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Pfizer Gets Sued as Lipitor May Cause Diabetes

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Lipitor is the best-selling prescribed drug in the world. Since 1996, when it was placed on the market, it produced $130 billion in global sales. In the U.S., more than 29 million patients were prescribed Lipitor. The drug is used to reduce cholesterol levels, but it has some side effects. Now Pfizer, the company producing Lipitor, faces a surging wave of lawsuits because of one particular side-effect.

The FDA analyzed and allowed the drug to be sold on the market, although it recognized the existence of a dangerous side-effect. The anti-cholesterol Lipitor may cause diabetes. Apparently, women are more predisposed than men to develop diabetes after using Lipitor.

The Food and Drug Administration released a warning in 2012 that drugs from the statin class, such as Lipitor, can cause memory loss and “small increased risk” of diabetes, Reuters reports. As a consequence, many customers filed suits against Pfizer. Because the number of claims increased recently, a federal panel decided to consolidate all the lawsuits related to Lipitor from around the country in a federal court based in Charleston, South Carolina. Pfizer denies liability and will fight in the court.

People who suffer from diabetes have some good news coming out recently. Xultophy is a new drug that just got approved by the European Medicines Agency and will probably arrive in the U.S. in the next two years. Xultophy is the best glucose regulator to have ever been produced.

Lipitor may cause diabetes, Pfizer faces around 1000 cases in federal court

The FDA still believes in the drug’s power to increase the general health condition, as it said in 2012. The benefits gained by having decreased cholesterol levels are heavier than the small risks of developing diabetes, the FDA argued.

Lipitor may cause diabetes and Pfizer gets sued

Another drug producer, Takeda Pharmaceutical, faces similar problems with its anti-diabetes drug Actos, which might cause bladder cancer. Right now, there are more than 3.500 lawsuits against Takeda. The FDA pushed Takeda to update its Actos label to include this warning.

The Charleston-based federal court will have to decide if Lipitor indeed causes diabetes and how this should be weighed against an improved heart condition. A number of 4.000 women gathered in almost 1000 cases are ready to be examined by the court because Lipitor may cause diabetes.

Pfizer has c couple of options in the Lipitor controversy. The pharmaceutical company will weigh in potential benefits from not going into the court room. Potentially damaging information might come out as the trial progresses, so Pfizer might prefer settlements before the trial begins.

High-Salt Diets Might Cause Cardiovascular Problems for Diabetics

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Thanks to Japanese researchers, we have further evidence indicating how salt intake influences our health status. Diabetics must refrain from adding more salt to their food, because the substance could increase the risk of heart related problems. The news comes after just a couple of months ago, researchers found a link between animal proteins and type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular problems for diabetics could be exacerbated by a poor blood sugar control.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when patients start to develop resistance to the insulin hormone and the natural hormone cannot fulfill its sugar regulating role anymore. Diabetes is quite common among the general population, with more than 29 million Americans suffering from one form of the disease. More than 89 million Americans have high blood sugar levels, which might lead to development of diabetes, according to Live Science. The death rate among diabetics is 1.7 times higher than for non-diabetics.

Researchers from University of Niigata, Japan, published the results of a study on how salt influences diabetes on July 22 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Chika Horikawa and her colleagues performed a study with 1600 respondents aged 40 to 70. The subjects responded to a national survey about their diets. The study was based on self-reported data, so the results should be taken with a grain of salt.

Poor blood level control might exacerbate cardiovascular problems for diabetics

The lowest average of daily sodium intake was 2.800 milligrams per day, which is higher than medically recommended. The U.S. nutritional guidelines suggest a daily intake of no more than 1.500 milligrams of sodium for diabetics and 2.300 milligrams for non-diabetics. Americans consume an average of 3300 milligrams per day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informs, according to Live Science.

Salt can cause cardiovascular problems for diabetics

After comparing the sodium intake and the respondents’ medical records from the last 8 years, the Japanese researchers found no links between salt intake and kidney diseases, eye problems and death among diabetics. But they noticed how respondents consuming an average of 5.9 milligrams of salt per day doubled their risks of developing a heart disease, compared with others who had salt intake of just 2.9 milligrams. Moreover, the diabetics who did not properly control their blood sugar levels faced even greater risks of developing a cardiovascular disease.

We should note that the study found links between sodium intake and development of cardiovascular disease.  Further investigation must clear if indeed salt is a direct contributor to health problems. Nevertheless, keep in mind that doctors advise us to closely control the sodium intake and keep it to a minimum, if no other medical condition interferes. A study on the role of sodium intake and cardiovascular problems for diabetics in the U.S. is highly needed, as Americans are avid sodium consumers.

We Should Eat More Vegetables And Fruits New Study Shows

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vegetables and fruits decrease the risk of cancerYou know what they say: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It seems that just one apple is not enough, as new scientific studies reveal. Apparently people who eat fruits and vegetables 7 times a day decrease the risks of dying by 42%. Also, the same study made a pretty interesting discovery: vegetables are healthier than fruits.

The new study involved more than 65,000 people over the age of 35 who were kept under observation between 2001 and 2008. The ones who participated in the study say to have eaten an approximate 3.8 servings of vegetables and fruits daily. The researchers found that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can protect against common causes of death like cancer and heart disease. The results of the study have shown that people who eat a lot of veggies had a 25% lower risk of developing and dying from cancer and a 31% lower risk of having a stroke or dying from heart disease.

The same study shows that vegetables provide greater health benefits than fruits. Eating more fruits daily apparently did not increase the chance of survival for the participants involved.

The conclusion is that we need to eat more vegetables every day, even if we think that we have a pretty healthy lifestyle and diet. We need to increase the number of vegetables consumed each day, as this can decrease the risks of developing serious illnesses like different forms of cancer and heart disorders.

Eating more vegetables and fruits decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease

This recent study is a follow-up to a previous one that revealed that women who are eating 8 to 9 servings of vegetables and fresh fruits in their 20’s decrease the risks of developing dangerous plaque in the arteries when they are in their 40’s.

Our advice is: eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can. As studies show, the more the better.

People taking antidepressants may develop diabetes

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A new study has suggested link between antidepressants and diabetes citing that people who are taking such drugs are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

So far the studies have shown varied results depending on the methods used, type of medication and the number of participants.

Hence the researchers at the University of Southampton carried a systematic review and found that people taking antidepressants are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. However, the scientists have underlined that it is not certain whether the medication is responsible for the condition.

While conducting the study, the researchers assessed 22 studies and three previous systematic reviews that looked into the effects of antidepressants on diabetes risk. They found that overall people taking antidepressants were more likely to have diabetes.

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The researchers suggested that different types of antidepressants may carry different risks. They said that there are “several plausible” reasons why antidepressants are associated with an increased risk of diabetes.

“Our research shows that when you take away all the classic risk factors of type 2 diabetes; weight gain, lifestyle etc, there is something about antidepressants that appears to be an independent risk factor,” said Dr Katharine Barnard, Health Psychologist from the University of Southampton.

“While depression is an important clinical problem and antidepressants are effective treatments for this debilitating condition, clinicians need to be aware of the potential risk of diabetes, particularly when using antidepressants in higher doses or for longer duration,” said Richard Holt, Professor in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University.

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