The Med & Mic™ 03.29.22
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MED NEWS blog post from Dr. Maria ON Speaking, LLC
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Prediabetes Up Among Children
The rates of prediabetes among American children has doubled in the past 20 years. Data from the CDC shows that from 1999 to 2018, the rate of prediabetes increased steadily from 11.6% to 28.2%. This was noted across income and education levels and ethnicities. Reasons for the pattern are not known. Pediatricians encourage a healthy lifestyle to combat the trend. “Allowing your child to find what sports or physical activities they’re interested in early on can give them something to look forward to,” PBS exercise host Stephanie Mansour says in a CNN report. “If we do not intervene, the children who have prediabetes have a higher risk of developing diabetes,” adds study author Junxiu Liu, “and also have a risk of all cardiovascular diseases.”
Hospitals Warned About Cyberattacks
The White House, FBI, the American Hospital Association, and other agencies have warned Massachusetts hospitals to be on high alert for cyber attacks due to the war in Ukraine. Hospitals are maintaining separate backup data. Hospitals train employees to think twice when they see emails that contain links or ask for credentials. Software programs and antivirus protections are being updated. The American Hospital Association urges hospitals to have contingency plans for several weeks to maintain essential services. More in the Boston Globe.
Diabetes Drug Linked in Birth Defects
The male children of fathers who take the common diabetes medication metformin are at higher risk for genital birth defects. These include undescended testicles and problems with the urethra, the urinary tube in the penis. Female offspring were not affected. Researchers looked at a database of 1.25 million births in Denmark from 1997 to 2016. It included information on birth defects and parents’ drug prescriptions. The researchers noted prescriptions in the three months prior to conception when the fertilizing sperm would have been made in the testes. There were 1,500 male children whose fathers had taken metformin. They had more than three times as many genital and urinary tract birth defects as male children who were unexposed to the drug. The researchers did not find this association with insulin or other types of diabetes drugs. More in WebMD
FDA Not Persuaded on ALS Drug
An experimental drug for Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or ALS, got a negative review from the FDA. The drug is a combination of a liver medication and a Chinese dietary supplement. Data and enrollment issues posed problems, and the drug only had a modest effect in slowing down the disease. However, advocacy groups have been lobbying vigorously for approval. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, causes progressive weakness and paralysis. It is a fatal illness, as it eventually affects the breathing muscles. There is no cure. The agency’s advisory panel votes on the matter tomorrow. A final decision from the FDA is expected in June. More from the AP.
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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis, or the advice of your own physician. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.