Experts who were not involved in the multi-center trial agreed larger trials were needed, and said the impact of the drug on blood glucose levels[—.5% reduction in A1c over three months at the highest tested dose of 4g daily—]was moderate. But they said the findings were exciting because they suggested Type 2 diabetes could be treated by targeting the underlying inflammation....
Since atherosclerosis is also considered an inflammatory state, this approach may also potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes...
Salsalate sells for less than a quarter a pill, and does not present the opportunity for profit that would attract large pharmaceutical companies to do the research...
The patients continued with their regular Type 2 diabetes treatment regimen throughout the study.

"Then we realized that there were other salicylates, chemically similar to aspirin, that don’t carry the same risk of bleeding.” The drug they’re studying now, salsalate, was widely used not too long ago to treat arthritis, but it got “back-shelved” when other drugs were developed for the treatment of pain and arthritis.
The researchers’ first salsalate studies showed that blood glucose control and glucose metabolism improved in people with diabetes; salsalate also lowered inflammation markers and improved levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. The second round of studies, investigating whether the drugs could have a beneficial impact on overweight people who do not have diabetes but are at risk for developing it, found that blood glucose levels improved, as did inflammatory markers and other risk factors for disease.

Rich evidence has shown that cannabis products exert a broad gamut of effects on emotional regulation. The main psychoactive ingredient of hemp, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and its synthetic cannabinoid analogs have been reported to either attenuate or exacerbate anxiety and fear-related behaviors in humans and experimental animals.
The heterogeneity of cannabis-induced psychological outcomes reflects a complex network of molecular interactions...The high degree of interindividual variability in the responses to cannabis is contributed by a wide spectrum of factors, including genetic and environmental determinants, as well as differences in the relative concentrations of THC and other alkaloids (such as cannabidiol) within the plant itself.
The present article reviews the currently available knowledge on the herbal, synthetic and endogenous cannabinoids with respect to the modulation of anxiety responses, and highlights the challenges that should be overcome to harness the therapeutic potential of some of these compounds, all the while limiting the [adverse] effects associated with cannabis consumption. In addition the article presents some promising patents on cannabinoid-related agents.

Cannabis has long been known to produce cognitive and emotional effects. Research has shown that cannabinoid drugs produce these effects by driving the brain's endogenous cannabinoid system and that this system plays a modulatory role in many cognitive and emotional processes.
This review focuses on the effects of endocannabinoid system modulation in animal models of cognition (learning and memory) and emotion (anxiety and depression). We review studies in which natural or synthetic cannabinoid agonists were administered to directly stimulate cannabinoid receptors or, conversely, where cannabinoid antagonists were administered to inhibit the activity of cannabinoid receptors. In addition, studies are reviewed that involved genetic disruption of cannabinoid receptors or genetic or pharmacological manipulation of the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).
Endocannabinoids affect the function of many neurotransmitter systems, some of which play opposing roles. The diversity of cannabinoid roles and the complexity of task-dependent activation of neuronal circuits may lead to the effects of endocannabinoid system modulation being strongly dependent on environmental conditions. Recent findings are reviewed that raise the possibility that endocannabinoid signaling may change the impact of environmental influences on emotional and cognitive behavior rather than selectively affecting any specific behavior.

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A recent post on the New York Times blog Well looked at what both human and animal studies have found out about the connection between statins and muscle damage. The most recent study, published last year in the Journal of Applied Physiology, found that rats who were given a very high dose of atorvastatin for two weeks had 60% more oxidative stress (an indicator of possible cell damage) than those not given any of the drug. Some of the rats from each group were also made to run on treadmills for as long as possible. Not only did the rats on atorvastatin run a shorter distance than their non-drugged counterparts, but their post-workout oxidative stress was also 226% higher.

Human studies have yielded similar, if less dramatic, results. One study cited in the Well post — published in 2005 in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology — found that among healthy people who took atorvastatin for four weeks, 56 genes were expressed differently in leg muscle cells eight hours after vigorous exercise, compared with participants who took a placebo (inactive pill). In particular, genes known to affect muscle building and repair had a lower level of expression in the atorvastatin group. There is also plenty of evidence from patient and doctor reports that statins can lead to muscle fatigue and damage. According to Well, at least 10% of people who take statins will experience some fatigue or weakness, and this number rises to 25% among those who exercise regularly.

Participants with diabetes were stratified by insulin therapy at baseline: group A treated with insulin only; group B treated with insulin and oral hypoglycemic agent; and group C receiving no insulin treatment.
During a mean follow-up of 3.9 years, the researchers found that 4.6% of the cohort without diabetes died, compared with 15, 12.5, and 7.3% of groups A, B, and C, respectively. The hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were 4.3, 4.2, and 2.0 for groups A, B, and C, compared with individuals without diabetes. The leading cause of death in groups A, B, and C were ESRD, ESRD and CAD, and CAD, respectively. The HRs for these conditions were at least twice as high as the HRs for all-cause mortality, extending to 17.3, 17.9, and 5.1 in groups A, B, and C, respectively, for ESRD.
"Excess mortality persists among people with young-onset diabetes of long duration, with ESRD and CAD as the leading contributors to mortality," the authors write.

[Excuse me? Don't the numbers, if correctly reported, suggest that insulin-and-drug therapy increases mortality by over two-thirds, and insulin-only therapy more than doubles mortality?—DMM]

Raspberry ketones are on the FDA’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list. But in terms of their fat-burning ability, the only research to support this claim dates back years…and that study was done with mice. Not humans. So we really don’t know if this supplement works. And it’s not without some possible serious side effects: increased heart rate and blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, agitation, and maybe hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Avoid taking this supplement if you have high blood pressure or thyroid issues. We don’t know enough about it how it affects diabetes control, either....
[Glucocil] is targeted to people with Type 2 diabetes, and its claim to fame is that it can reputedly stabilize postmeal blood glucose levels, decrease carbohydrate absorption, decrease appetite, and promote weight management. Pretty hefty claims for a supplement whose key active ingredient is mulberry leaf extract....
[This supplement also] contains alpha lipoic acid, banaba leaf extract, chromium picolinate, cinnamon bark powder, gymnema sylvestre extract, fish oil, and a few other things thrown in for good measure. Glucocil’s Web site clearly lists the research — but only for each separate ingredient. Nowhere on the site could I find research citing the effectiveness of the actual supplement....As far as mulberry leaf extract goes, a few small studies (mostly done with rats) show some reduction in glucose after ingesting it, but not enough to boast about....
We don’t know if the blend of these ingredients actually live up to Glucocil’s claims of glucose and weight control, nor do we know if the amount of ingredients in this supplement are in the right proportions to be effective. The Web site states that people under the age of 18, pregnant women, and people with liver and kidney problems should not take Glucocil. Also, they state that if you take insulin and don’t have cardiovascular, liver, or kidney problems, you can “consider” taking Glucocil. Side effects include “minor GI discomfort,” such as gas and loose stools.

Federal regulators have warned Johnson & Johnson that it could face fines and other sanctions for selling faulty insulin pumps and delaying disclosures of serious injuries to diabetics who were using its OneTouch Ping and 2020 pumps. The FDA ordered the Animas Corp. unit of J&J to explain why it kept selling pumps known to fail and also to submit a plan to rectify a failure to promptly report cases in which its device might have caused or contributed to death or serious injury....
In the issue with the Animas insulin pumps, some pump keypads for controlling how much insulin is injected were deteriorating prematurely, leading to failures. "We decided to go with a new keypad because it's more durable," [spokesperson Caoline] Pavis said.
But while Animas was lining up the new keypad supplier, it was still selling the older ones. The FDA demanded documents about the company's decision to do that.

• High blood glucose makes your blood “sludgy,” slowing circulation so cells can’t get the oxygen and nutrients they need. Margaret commented, “I can tell if my sugars are high in the morning, because ‘groggy’ doesn’t begin to describe it. ‘Drugged’ is how it feels.”
• Low sugars levels also cause fatigue, because when blood sugar is low, there is not enough fuel for the cells...
• [With vascular inflammation caused by igh blood glucose,] immune cells called monocytes come into the brain, causing fatigue....
• [P]eople with diabetes are more likely than others to have thyroid problems. If your thyroid level is low, you are likely to feel tired, sleepy, and depressed.
• Low testosterone levels, especially in men. Men with diabetes are much more likely to have low testosterone.
• Infections: People with diabetes often have infections they don’t know about. Infections take energy to fight, which can cause fatigue and raise blood sugar levels. A common source is urinary tract or “bladder” infections. They often hurt, but sometimes have no symptoms, except for the fatigue. Silent dental infections and vaginal infections are also common and fatiguing.
• Undiagnosed heart disease : If you get tired after tasks that you used to sail through, it could be time to for a heart check-up....
• Many drugs for diabetes, blood pressure, depression, pain, and other issues can cause fatigue. Read labels, ask your doctor or pharmacist....
• Some people are too wound up or too busy to sleep. Or they’re up to use the bathroom all night, or they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which can wake them up many times an hour....
• [Rotating shifts or working nights] can cause fatigue directly by messing with your body clock or indirectly by disrupting sleep.
• Depression is very common with diabetes. Most depressed people feel fatigued, even if they don’t feel sad. Even at low levels, depression can sap your motivation....
• Doing too much: If you’re ripping and running all day, not taking breaks or even stopping to breathe much, you are courting fatigue....
• Stress: In small doses, psychological or physical stress can give you energy, but if it goes on too long, it will wear you out...
• Too much carbohydrate — especially refined carbs — can make anyone tired, especially with diabetes. Kat wrote, “now that I am eating a higher protein/fat, lower-carbohydrate diet, I have shaken off that really sleepy/extreme fatigue that I used to have every day.”
• According to WebMD, too much caffeine can cause fatigue through a rebound effect. They also say that dehydration, or not drinking enough liquid, is a major cause of fatigue.
• Being out of shape or having weak muscles: Not moving our bodies contributes to fatigue. Of course, it’s hard to exercise when you’re fatigued.

Scientists have proven that cannabis does have medical usefulness, and the more we learn the more intriguing these discoveries become. Since the early 1980s, medical researchers have published about how cannabis relieves pressure in the eye, thus easing the symptoms of glaucoma, a disease that causes blindness. THC is also "neuroprotective," meaning in essence that it prevents brain damage. Some studies have suggested that cannabis could mitigate the effects of Alzheimer's for this reason.
At the same time, we know that THC interferes with memory, and it's still uncertain what kinds of long-term effects the drug could have on memory functioning. No one has been able to prove definitively that it does or does not erode memory strength over time.
[Article strength: quite specific about potentially adverse effects on brain and body before the cautious statement above about neuroprotective effects.
Weaknesses: Ignores action of other cannabinoids and cannabinols. Sets up a false opposition insofar as the short-term memory effects seem to be about memory formation, not memory retention or loss. No citations.—DMM]

I may say some nasty and completely true things about the medical establishment.
I only started paying attention [to the ACCORD study] when the intensive blood sugar control arm was canceled. The more I found out about it, the angrier I got...ACCORD is a great example of most of what is wrong with American medicine, and with the way our media covers it....
From the beginning, ACCORD was a drug trial. The study called for participants to receive diet and exercise counseling if they wanted it, but set no guidelines for the counseling. There was no self-management group. It was all, repeat all, about the drugs.[Encouraging participating doctors to unsystematically and aggressively prescribe multiple drugs all but guaranteed drug interactions and adverse effects.]
In February, NHLBI stopped the intensive blood sugar control arm because more of the participants in that group were dying than in the normal care group.
Then came the outrageous part: NHLBI and media dummies came out saying that the intensive group’s blood sugars had been too low....
What kind of madness is this? You throw scads of drugs at sick people, treating only their numbers, not their bodies and lives as a whole. Then, when they die, you say it couldn’t have been the drugs. It must be the numbers. And you tell people with diabetes to get their blood sugars up.
You better believe that if ACCORD had shown a 10% decrease in cardiac deaths from intensive blood glucose management with drugs, those drugs would have become standard therapy for every person with Type 2 in the country. Nobody in the media would have said, “It wasn’t the drugs.” The drug companies would have made billions. That was the goal of the trial.

Statin use in postmenopausal women is associated with a significantly increased risk of diabetes mellitus.
New data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) [indicates risk of diabetes is higher than previous studies have suggested: 48% increased risk]....
Recently published data reported the potential risk of diabetes with statin therapy. Dr. Kausik Ray (St. George's University of London, UK) and colleagues published a meta-analysis of [five trials testing high-dose statin therapy,] and found a significant increase in risk of diabetes with higher doses of the lipid-lowering drugs. A meta-analysis published in The Lancet in 2010 by Dr. Naveed Sattar (University of Glasgow, UK) also showed that statin therapy was associated with a 9% increased risk of diabetes.
[The present study produced an unadjusted risk model associating statin use at baseline] with a 71% (95% CI 1.61–1.83) increased risk of diabetes. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the risk...declined to 48% (95% CI 1.38–1.59). The association was observed for all types of statins.
Dr. Kirsten Johansen,[ Editor of the Archives of Internal Medicine, noted that previous meta-analyses show no benefit of statins on all-cause mortality in the setting of primary prevention]...
[S[tatins are used with increasing frequency, including in primary prevention, and—based on the JUPITER trial—in patients with normal LDL cholesterol, but elevated C-reactive protein (more than 2.0 mg/L). In the present study, baseline statin therapy was associated with a significant 46% and 48% increased risk of diabetes in women with CVD and without CVD, respectively.
Just 7% of women in the WHI study were taking statins in the analysis, but today that number would be significantly higher, making the potential risk of diabetes at the population level much more widespread.

Millions of women over age 50 on statin drugs are at a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study from UMass Medical School published online Monday, Jan. 9, in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Senior author Yunsheng Ma, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine and an epidemiologist at UMMS, said the study found that postmenopausal women on statin drugs showed a 48 percent increased rate of diabetes compared to those not on the cholesterol-lowering medications....
According to surveys by the National Center for Health Statistics, the rate of Americans over age 45 taking statins has increased tenfold over the last 20 years: from 2 percent in the period from 1988 to 1994, compared to 25 percent from 2005 to 2008, the most recent years for which figures are available. The federal data also shows that figure jumps to 50 percent of men ages 65 to 74 taking statins, while 39 percent of women age 75 and older are doing so.

1999-2007:
Researchers had known opioids were involved in pain tolerance, but these studies were amongst the first to show they can be involved in the brain’s placebo response to pain.

2011:
* By binding to CB1, rimonabant must have blocked the action of the brain’s own cannabinoids, which the brain apparently is able to produce in order to effectively combat pain in this instance.

* The study is the first to prove that the placebo response to pain involves the cannabinoid system, specifically CB1, the receptor to which the brain’s own natural cannabinoids bind. It’s also the receptor bound to by THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
* This study tested 82 people, large enough for meaningful results but not especially large or diverse, considering the wide variety of responses seen in placebos. Future studies are needed to fully understand the effect, which involves more neurotransmitters than just opioids and cannabinoids.

Depressed people consistently see the world around them more realistically than mentally healthy people who are biased toward optimism. Depression makes leaders more realistic and empathetic, and mania makes them more creative and realistic. The same, to a lesser but important degree, goes for people who are neither depressed nor manic, but not mentally healthy either—those with abnormal personalities [such as dysthymics]—a little depressed, low in energy, needing sleep—and the hyperthymic—always upbeat, sleep little, high libido....<br />
Kennedy as mentally ill and Nixon as normal? I define mental health as the absence of mental illness and being within the normal range of personality traits]; Nixon’s biography, looking for the 4 objective markers of mental illness, supports that conclusion. People ascribe mental abnormality to Nixon because they don't like his behaviours; that reflects psychological stigma,] stigma against mental illness, which is really very deep-rooted in our society.

[Among nearly 12,000 US nurses with a history of heart disease or stroke, regular coffee drinkers were no more likely to die than non-drinkers during a study spanning over 20 years for some subjects. No link was found between coffee intake and risk of death from heart attack, stroke or any other cause—even among women who drank 4 or more cups a day]. <br />
[The long-running Nurses' Health Study began tracking more than 100,000 female nurses in 1976. The new research focuses on 11,697 women who developed heart disease or had a stroke from 1976 to 2002.] Of those women, 62% continued to drink [unde]caffeinated coffee after their diagnosis. <br />
Overall, 1159 women had died by 2004. That risk was no greater among coffee drinkers than non-drinkers, including women who drank at least four 4 cups a day.... <br />
Some research [links coffee to increased blood pressure in those who metabolize caffeine slowly; the reverse pattern shows] in people who quickly process caffeine—more coffee, lower heart risks.

[Onions, green tea and olive leaf extract can fight obesity and its related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and fatty liver, even despite a high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet. In rats that were being fed an unhealthy diet high in sugar and fat,] certain foods helped prevent the growth of inflammatory cells in the animals' fat pads, located in the abdomen, which take fat from the blood stream and store it. Rats being fed food such as onions, green tea, olive leaf extract, purple carrots and chia seeds had a decreased number of fat cells and lost weight by the end of the study, despite maintaining a poor diet overall. The rodents were also found with improved liver and heart function. The key message of his research was that people should "eat better rather than eat less." Onions and olive leaf extract contain a flavonoid called rutin -- also found in apples, tea and red wine -- that Brown found reversed or prevented metabolic changes in rats fed the high-sugar, high-fat diet.

[In 200 healthy, middle-aged volunteers, three portions of whole-grain foods per day lowered systolic blood pressure 5-6 mmHg, comparable to the effect of common hypertension drugs.] <br />
Some of the study-participants were given three servings of whole-grain foods each day, in the form of wheat, or both wheat with oats, while the rest received refined cereals and white bread (made of refined flour). <br />
[Both groups] were encouraged to eat what they normally ate apart from consuming their apportioned servings.... <br />
"We observed a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 5-6 mm Hg in the volunteers who ate the whole-grain foods, and this effect is similar to that you might expect to get from using blood pressure-lowering drugs.<br />
<br />
"This drop in systolic blood pressure could potentially decrease the incidence of heart attack and stroke disease by at least 15 and 25% respectively. <br />
"It's also good news for the food industry and especially for Scottish food producers."

Swallowing ginseng root extract has no effect on blood sugar regulation among people with diabetes or prediabetic symptoms, a new study concludes. Despite prior evidence that the herb might help treat problems processing blood sugar, the researchers were unable to even detect ginseng compounds in the participants' bloodstream after they took it. They also saw no differences in the subjects' blood sugar. Participants were overweight or obese and had either recently received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes or had developed impaired glucose tolerance. Before and after the 4-week treatment with 3 grams daily for 2 weeks then 8 grams daily for another 2 weeks, in 15 patients, the researchers gathered information on how well the participants regulated their blood sugar and how sensitive they were to insulin. None of the measurements were different after taking ginseng. Diabetes Care, online March 16, 2011

[c. 2010:] "It was still goopy and aromatic. It was not asphalt." [R]emnant oil represents a tiny fraction of the 11 million gallons [spilled—20,000-22,000 gallons, says the NOAA]. But it is a symptom as well as a symbol of a persistent oil spill disaster. <br />
Creatures large and small still are struggling. One pod of killer whales lost nearly half its members, has failed to reproduce, and is likely to go extinct. Another pod lost about a third of its members and is still struggling. The big schools of Pacific herring that supported a rich commercial fishery are gone. Sea otter populations in heavily oiled areas are about half as big as would be expected. <br />
While there have been far bigger spills, the Exxon Valdez disaster ranks, by far, as the most devastating in North America to marine life. The immediate toll included hundreds of thousands of seabirds and thousands of marine mammals. Commercial fisheries were closed, and traditional native American harvests of wild foods were halted.

Not mentioned in this piece is another reason to be cautious about red yeast rice extract—it IS a statin, specifically the one known pharmaceutically as lovastatin, and is therefore not really a statin alternative. It should probably be a avoided by anyone who has shown a sensititivity to statins, or wishes to avoid them on whatever principle. (This is a rare case of a drug having been developed in the laboratory before being "discovered" in nature.)—DMM

Metformin has a long track record for being safe and causing relatively few serious side effects—plus, it also works! Chances are, if you have Type 2 diabetes and need to start on medication, your health-care provider will recommend you take metformin....<br />
Metformin works by: <br />
* Reducing the amount of glucose released by your liver (and your liver regularly releases glucose) <br />
* Helping the insulin in your body work better (i.e., increasing insulin sensitivity). <br />
Metformin doesn’t cause your pancreas to secrete insulin, as do sulfonylureas, so it’s very unlikely that you will experience hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) with metformin alone; however, if you take a sulfonylurea or insulin along with metformin, you may get hypoglycemia. <br />
Side effects are usually temporary, and consist of gas, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Some people have side effects, some never do. And if you can “stomach” metformin for the first month or so, you may end up losing weight...

The treatment goals for patients with diabetes have evolved significantly over the last 80 years, from preventing imminent mortality, to alleviating symptoms, to the now recognized objective of normalization or near normalization of glucose levels with the intent of forestalling diabetic complications....

From a clinical perspective, type 2 diabetes is a cardiovascular disease, an observation that is supported by a range of epidemiologic, postmortem, and cardiovascular imaging studies. Vascular wall dysfunction, and particularly endothelial dysfunction, has been posited as a "common soil" linking dysglycemic and cardiovascular diseases. Vascular wall dysfunction promoted by environmental triggers (e.g., sedentary lifestyle) and metabolic triggers (chronic hyperglycemia, obesity) has been associated with the upregulation of reactive oxygen species and chronic inflammatory and hypercoagulable states, and as such with the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes drugs metformin, gliclazide and repaglinide proved more effective than other treatments in lowering the risks of cardiovascular disease and death, according to a study of more than 100,000 Danish people older than 20. Glimepiride, glibenclamide, glipizide and tolbutamide were linked to a higher risk of all-cause mortality as well as to a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, the study found.

Investigators examined the incidence and clinical predictors of new-onset type 2 diabetes [in 3 large randomized trials involving atorvastatin. In the TNT (Treating to New Targets) trial, 9.24% of 3,798 patients on 80 mg of atorvastatin and 8.11% of 3,797 patients on 10 mg developed new-onset DM2]. In the IDEAL (Incremental Decrease in End Points Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering) trial, 6.40% of 3,737 patients [on atorvastatin 80 mg/day and 5.59 percent of 3,724 patients on simvastatin 20 mg/day developed new-onset DM2]. In the SPARCL (Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels) trial, new-onset [DM2 was seen in 8.71% of 1,905 patients on atorvastatin 80 mg/day and in 6.06% of 1,898 placebo patients. Baseline fasting blood glucose, body-mass index, hypertension, and fasting triglycerides were independent predictors of new-onset DM2 in each trial. High-dose atorvastatin treatment] is associated with a slightly higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

In theory, a person prone to asthma should not be prone to diabetes.... <br />
[L]ead author Juhn noted that although people with asthma have a more allergy-prone immune profile, it is balanced by [the counter-regulatory Th1 immune profile underlying pro-inflammatory conditions like] coronary artery disease and diabetes. He [originally posited] "an inverse relationship" between asthma and those types of pro-inflammatory conditions. <br />
[Instead, some 138 asthmatics] per 100,000 had diabetes, compared to 104 for people without asthma; the rate for coronary heart disease was close to 189 per 100,000, versus 134 among non-asthmatics. <br />
[Patients from the 1960s through the 1980s] did not have access to many medications available today...Treatment 40 years ago was very "steroid heavy," which could have contributed to weight gain—a known risk factor for diabetes and heart disease..."Sometimes treatment can be part of the problem"...

[In all men and in women over] 65, aspirin can prevent a 1st or 2nd heart attack and reduces overall heart-disease risk. [Aspirin can prevent or protect against a 1str stroke in women, depending on age, and in women under 65 can prevent] a 2nd heart attack.<br />
[Adverse effects range from stomach upset to bleeding in the brain if given DURING a stroke. [Don't combine aspirin with ibuprofen without medical advice]....<br />
Aspirin therapy is [contraindicated with bleeding or clotting disorder, asthma, stomach ulcers or heart failure. Too much aspirin can cause tinnitus] and hearing loss. <br />
[Daily low-dose aspirin therapy—81 mg or one baby aspirin a day—is usually protective. Heart attack symptoms—severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, profuse sweating, pain radiating] to the back, jaw, throat or arm, indigestion or heartburn, anxiety, extreme weakness, dizziness, irregular heartbeat—[call for chewing 4 baby aspirin and calling 911. <br />
Chewing helps rapid absorption that can heart prevent damage.]

Much of what we see in “Metropolis'' doesn't exist, except in visual trickery. The special effects were the work of Eugene Schufftan, who later worked in Hollywood as the cinematographer of “Lilith'' and “The Hustler",,,[H]is photographic system “allowed people and miniature sets to be combined in a single shot, through the use of mirrors, rather than laboratory work.'' Other effects were created in the camera by cinematographer Karl Freund.... <br />
Without all of the digital tricks of today, “Metropolis'' fills the imagination. Today, the effects look like effects, but that's their appeal. Looking at the original “King Kong,” I find that its effects, primitive by modern standards, gain a certain weird effectiveness. Because they look odd and unworldly compared to the slick, utterly convincing effects that are now possible, they're more evocative: The effects in modern movies are done so well that we seem to be looking at real things, which is not quite the same kind of fun.

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia among the elderly, and with the ever-increasing size of this population, cases of Alzheimer's disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years....Here, we demonstrate that the active component of marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), competitively inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as prevents AChE-induced amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) aggregation, the key pathological marker of Alzheimer's disease. Computational modeling of the THC−AChE interaction revealed that THC binds in the peripheral anionic site of AChE, the critical region involved in amyloidgenesis. Compared to currently approved drugs prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, THC is a considerably superior inhibitor of Aβ aggregation, and this study provides a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which cannabinoid molecules may directly impact the progression of this debilitating disease.

The Senate Finance Committee accused GlaxoSmithKline of knowing about the drug's risks well before they became public. The report also criticized the FDA for letting clinical trials continue, despite 83,000 heart attacks from 1999 to 2007 that the FDA linked to rosiglitazone. GlaxoSmithKline maintains the drug is safe and that the Senate report did not consider scientific evidence or the company's efforts to make known its concerns to the parties involved. However, the FDA still recommends patients continue taking it unless their doctor tells them otherwise. <br />
[A 2010] retrospective study of 227,571 elderly American patients, comparing roziglitazone to pioglitazone, the other thiazolidinedione marketed in the [US, associated rosiglitazone] with "an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality and an increased risk of the composite of AMI, stroke, heart failure, or all-cause mortality in patients 65 years or older." The number needed to harm with roziglitazone was 60.

"In Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas isn't making insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, your tissues are insensitive to insulin because of problems in the insulin receptor. Type 3 is where that insulin receptor problem is localized in the brain....[Some older] individuals start to have less effective insulin signaling, including in the brain"[, making the brain more vulnerable to large sticky plaques of amyloid beta protein,] a hallmark of Alzheimer's...<br />
[Short strands of the protein, known as] ADDLs, attack memory-forming brain cells...[In lab tests, insulin blocked the effects of ADDLs in rat nerve cells, an effect amplified by a drug that] increases insulin sensitivity. <br />
Several studies have found that diabetics have a higher risk of getting Alzheimer's... <br />
[Earlier research reports] diabetics who take insulin plus a range of anti-diabetic medications, including an older pill known as a sulfonylurea], have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than diabetics who only take insulin.

Images of attractive acquaintances were not very effective painkillers, but gazing at the faces of significant others and playing the word game reduced reported pain on average between 36 and 44% and high pain between 12 and 13%. <br />
Only photos of loved ones, however, sparked activity in reward centers within the amygdala, hypothalamus and medial orbitofrontal cortex. The faces of romantic partners also decreased activity in major pain-processing areas, such as the left and right posterior insula. Because the reward centers did not flutter in response to the distracting word game, the researchers argue that the salve of romantic affection is not mere distraction—it is a bliss as potent as that of drugs such as cocaine, which invigorate the same pleasure pathways.

[Muscle cramps are likely related to] poor flexibility, muscle fatigue, and/or doing new physical activities. [A]thletes are more likely to get cramps in the preseason when less conditioned and more subject to fatigue. Cramps often develop near the end of unaccustomed intense or prolonged exercise or during the night following the activity...
[C]ramps can also be related to dehydration and depletion of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) lost through sweating...[M]any people with diabetes already have low blood levels of magnesium...[P]otassium and sodium can also become unbalanced during periods of uncontrolled hyperglycemia when water losses through urine are usually greater. Finally, cramps in people with diabetes also may occur as a side effect of certain drugs (e.g., lipid-lowering agents, antihypertensives, beta-agonists, insulin, oral contraceptives, and alcohol).

In a study of bupropion for ADHD, a rise of systolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg and of heart rate by 7 beats per minute (both statistically significant) were ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bupropion....there are possible side effects with Wellbutrin® (bupropion hydrochloride). ... A rapid heart rate (tachycardia) -- up to 10.8 percent of people ...
depression.emedtv.com/wellbutrin/wellbutrin-side-effects.html....Pharmacologic Treatment of Depression in Patients With Heart ....by SP Roose - 2005 - Cited by 28 - Related articles
TCAs routinely increase heart rate by 11%, induce orthostatic hypotension, .... The cardiovascular effects of bupropion treatment were documented in 36 patients ... Flecainide-induced ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation in patients ...www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/content/full/67/....How does bupropion increase a person's heartrate?... elevated heartbeat in the upper intake portion of the heart) is a ...www.answerbag.com › Categories › Health & Fitness

Clinicians should be aware of the risk of serotonin syndrome when the patient receives not only a combination of 2 antidepressants, but also the single potent serotonergic agent [!?] venlafaxine.
- Ann Pharmacother 2003 Feb;37(2):209-11 -- Serotonin syndrome induced by low-dose venlafaxine. -- Pan JJ, Shen WW....Bupropion had an effect on the pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine.
- J Clin Psychiatry 2002 Mar;63(3):181-6 -- Combining bupropion SR with venlafaxine, paroxetine, or fluoxetine: a preliminary report on pharmacokinetic, therapeutic, and sexual dysfunction effects. -- Kennedy SH, McCann SM, Masellis M, McIntyre RS, Raskin J, McKay G, Baker GB.

There was a clinically significant benefit in 14 (78%) of 18 partial responders or nonresponders, and 33% (N = 6) achieved a full response (chi2= 8.06, df = 2, p = .017). Sexual dysfunction, particularly a decrease in orgasmic delay, was also significantly improved with combination therapy (men: paired t = -2.1, df = 6, p = .08; women: paired t = -3.0, df = 7, p = .02). Plasma monitoring of drugs and their metabolites revealed a statistically significant increase in venlafaxine levels (F = 6.89, df = 4,24; p = .001) accompanied by a decrease in O-desmethylvenlafaxine (F = 14.26; df = 4,24; p < .0005) during combined treatment with bupropion SR. There were no statistically significant changes in plasma levels of SSRIs (paroxetine and fluoxetine) during the trial. CONCLUSION: Bupropion had an effect on the pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine but not those of the SSRIs.

See physician always: Abnormal speech, bleeding / irritated gums, chest pain, depression, difficulty breathing, dry skin, ear pain, hair loss, excessive salivation, loss of strength, migraines, problem urinating, seizures, sensitivity to sun, soft stools, stomach irritation, suicide attempts, taste disorders, tongue discoloring, thyroid changes, tremors, problems with vision, and /or vomiting

See physician if severe: Anxiety, constipation, delayed orgasm, dizziness, dry mouth, itching, loss of appetite, nausea, nervousness, sedation, sleepiness / sleeplessness, sweating, tingling hands / feet, unusual dreams, weight loss, and / or weakness.

See physician NOW: Skin rash or vomiting.

Stop taking and see physician NOW: Seizures.

'Diabetes is associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but a new study of metformin suggests that diabetes treatments might bear some of the blame...[M]etformin increased insulin's reduction of intracellular and extracellular beta-amyloid accumulation, but metformin by itself actually increased levels of the Alzheimer's-linked peptides...[Obervation] in vitro and in animal models of AD raises the specter of a wave of new Alzheimer's cases in diabetic patients who have been taking metformin for years. It is the most popular antidiabetic drug in the United States and one of only two oral antidiabetics on the World Health Organization List of Essential Medicines (along with glibenclamide). In 2006, there were 35 million prescriptions for generic metformin filled in the United States...[A]lthough this was an animal study, the findings are worrisome enough that physicians should promptly follow up any complaints of cognitive decline in patients taking metformin.'

'Cannabis indica strains increased energy and appetite....[T]he liver metabolizes orally ingested marijuana[, producing] a potent and long-acting cannabinoid...which induces varied reactions in medical marijuana patients and is not often well tolerated.'

Low doses of marijuana may be clinically effective as an antidepressant because it increases serotonin levels, but researchers point out that heavier use of the drug can make depression worse and even cause psychosis.

Symptoms of serotonin syndrome may include restlessness, hallucinations, loss of coordination, fast heart beat, rapid changes in blood pressure, increased body temperature, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors: Fluoxetine may inhibit the metabolism of lovastatin and simvastatin resulting in myositis and rhabdomyolysis; these combinations are best avoided.

www.merck.com/mmpe/lexicomp/fluoxetine.html

grapefruit-drug interactions with graphically clear ratings and possible alternatives, sortable by compound or brand name, or by drug category

Consider risks when considering the use of marijuana for medical purposes. If you are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms or side effects of medical treatment, especially pain and nausea, talk to your doctor about all your options before trying marijuana.