Bloomberg News (10/14, Gale) reports, “Obesity is driving rising rates of hypertension in the U.S., with the stroke-causing condition affecting almost three in 10 Americans,” according to a study published in the November issue of Hypertension.
HealthDay (10/13, Reinberg) added that the study’s authors “found that between the two surveys, high blood pressure had increased in both men and women. For women, the increase started at age 40, and among men at age 60.” Specifically, the data showed that, “from 1994 to 2004, the percentage of Americans with high blood pressure increased from 50.3 percent to 55.5 percent,” while “the number of people with prehypertension – those likely to develop high blood pressure-- increased from 32.3 percent to 36.1 percent.”
WebMD (10/13, Wilbert) reported that, “across the board, obesity contributed to higher rates of hypertension.”
Colesevelam may improve glycemic and lipid parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes, study suggests.
Medscape (10/13, Barclay) reported, “The bile acid sequestrant colesevelam improves glycemic and lipid parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin-based therapy, according to the results of a 26-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study reported in the Oct. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.” Researchers set out “to determine the effects of colesevelam hydrochloride in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] level, 7.5 percent - 9.5 percent; baseline HbA1c level, 8.1 percent), who were receiving metformin monotherapy or metformin combined with additional oral antidiabetes mellitus drugs.” More than 300 patients were enrolled in the study – “159 to colesevelam hydrochloride, 3.75 g/day, and 157 to matching placebo.” The researchers found that, “at week 26, mean HbA1c level was lower with colesevelam vs. placebo (−0.54 percent; P < .001). Findings were similar in the metformin monotherapy (−0.47 percent; P=.002) and combination therapy treatment groups (−0.62 percent; P < .001).”