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Seniors Defend Medicare Advantage Plans
USA Today reports that Medicare Advantage, which allows seniors to buy Medicare coverage through private insurance companies, could provide one of the largest spending cuts for Congress to pay for an overhaul of the health care system though "President Obama has called (it) a "wasteful" subsidy for the health insurance industry. ... Debate over Medicare Advantage, which has 10.2 million enrollees - about one-fifth of all Medicare participants - illustrates a broader struggle Congress and Obama face as they look for ways to pay for a $1 trillion overhaul of health care without raising taxes on the middle class or compromising care. It has raised concerns among some seniors who might have to pay more for the program or enroll in regular Medicare instead."
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Milestone Study On Blood Pressure Meds Confirmed By New Research
New research supports the findings of a landmark drug comparison study published in 2002 in which a diuretic drug or "water pill" outperformed other medications for high blood pressure. A scientific team including investigators from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reports the findings in the May 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Genistein Targets MEK4 In Human Prostate Cancer Cells
Researchers have identified MEK4 as a pro-invasion protein and the target for genistein, a dietary compound, in prostate cancer cells, according to a new study published online July 28 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Medical Devices

Joint Replacement Patients With Diabetes Greatly Benefit From Controlled Glucose

Diabetics undergoing total joint replacement often are at a higher risk of experiencing complications after surgery due to various pre-existing health conditions. According to a new study published in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), those complications are less likely to occur when a diabetic patient has glucose levels under control. "We found that controlled glucose levels really do make a difference for the patient," said study co-author Milford Marchant Jr., MD, an orthopaedic surgeon who conducted the study with colleagues of the Adult Reconstruction Section at Duke University Medical Center. The study found that patients with uncontrolled glucose levels were: -- More than 3 times as likely to experience a stroke or death after joint replacement surgery; and -- About twice as likely to experience post-operative bleeding and infection. Dr. Marchant and his colleagues reviewed data from a national healthcare database looking at more than one million patients who had total joint replacement surgery from 1988 to 2005. They compared surgical outcomes in patients with uncontrolled glucose levels to those who had controlled glucose levels and those patients who did not have diabetes. "It did not matter if the patient had Type I or Type II diabetes," explains Dr. Marchant. "Regardless of diabetes type, we found that patients had fewer complications after surgery if their glucose level was controlled before, during and after surgery." Diabetic patients with uncontrolled glucose were more likely to experience surgical complications, infection, blood transfusions and longer hospitals stays. "The factors necessary for diabetic patients to be considered "under control" are different for each individual patient, therefore diabetic patients should have good relationships with their medical doctors," said Dr. Marchant. Study authors say that according to the American Diabetes Association, disease control is determined for each patient based on a series of laboratory blood tests and an assessment of diabetes-related illnesses. Approximately 8 percent of patients undergoing total hip and knee replacement in the United States have diabetes. "It is crucial that patients have glucose levels well managed before, during and after surgery because it reduces the potential of having a complication," notes Dr. Marchant. "This is the responsibility of both the patient and the surgeon, and it should be a priority." Disclosure: The authors did not receive any outside funding or grants in support of their research for or preparation of this work. Neither they nor a member of their immediate families received payments or other benefits or a commitment or agreement to provide such benefits from a commercial entity. Commercial entities (Zimmer and DePuy) paid or directed in any one year, or agreed to pay or direct, benefits in excess of $10,000 to a research fund, foundation, division, center, clinical practice, or other charitable or nonprofit organization with which one or more of the authors, or a member of his or her immediate family, is affiliated or associated. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons


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