Patient Education
Adrenal Insufficiency: Rare but Devastating
Adrenal insufficiency arises when the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient amounts of essential hormones. These glands, located atop the kidneys, play a key role in producing cortisol and aldosterone.
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Categorized as Adrenal Health, Aldosterone, Cortisol, Hypoglycemia, Hypotension, Insights from Dr. Tashko, Patient Education
Importance of the Heart Calcium Score
The Heart Calcium Score, also known as the Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score, is an essential tool in modern heart health. It helps evaluate the presence and extent of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries, offering critical insights into a person’s risk of cardiovascular diseases.
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Is Your Cortisol Elevated?
Elevated blood cortisol, a stress hormone, can contribute to various health issues, including weight gain, diabetes, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, PCOS, and notably, cardiovascular disease.
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Insulin: Its Role in Glucose, Lipids, and Protein Metabolism
Insulin is a hormone with responsibilities far beyond managing blood sugar. Produced in the pancreas, it plays a central role in energy, growth, and metabolism. By understanding insulin’s many functions, we can better appreciate its importance in maintaining health and the challenges that arise when it’s out of balance.
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What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by elevated levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This occurs either because the body cannot produce enough insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar, or because the body’s cells do not respond effectively to the insulin that is produced.
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From obesity and triglycerides to pancreatitis
Obesity rates are rising worldwide. Acute pancreatitis is also on the rise. The authors of the current study followed prospectively about 120,000 individuals. As expected, they found a high correlation between BMI and acute pancreatitis events. Investigators also observed that hypertriglyceridemia could explain about 22-30% of the relationship between obesity and pancreatitis. The results of the study, although not new, confirm prior research and knowledge that obesity leads to insulin resistance, which in turn elevates…
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Categorized as Blog, Insights from Dr. Tashko, Lipid Health, Obesity Care, Pancreas Health, Patient Education
Ozempic is superior to Invokana in reducing A1c and body weight
The Lancets, Diabetes and Endocrinology has just published the results of SUSTAIN 8 clinical trial. The study compared the efficacy and safety of semaglutide 1.0 mg/week versus canagliflozin 300 mg/day in patients with uncontrolled diabetes taking only metformin. Investigators recruited and followed a group of 800 adults with baseline A1c 7.0-10.5% from 111 centers in 11 countries. They found that the addition of semaglutide to metformin lowered A1c and body weight more than canagliflozin by…
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More bad news for Niacin
The New England Journal of Medicine first published the results of the HPS2-THRIVE randomized clinical trial in 2014. Niacin addition to statin therapy did not improve cardiovascular outcomes. Instead, the trial found an increased rate of adverse events. Last month, Clinical Therapeutics published a detailed analysis of the trial’s adverse events. Authors found that niacin addition significantly increased the risk of new-onset diabetes, worsening of diabetes, severe bleeding, and serious infections by about 30%, 55%,…
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Aspirin is useful in diabetes but increases the risk of bleeding
The major randomized clinical trial, ASCEND, shows that aspirin 100 mg daily lowers the rates of cardiovascular events by 12% in patients with diabetes but increases the risk of bleeding by 30%. A group of 15,000 participants with diabetes but without baseline CVD were followed for about 7 years. Case by case clinical judgment would be key in evaluating CVD benefits vs. bleeding risks of aspirin use in patients with diabetes. GT
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Vascepa (fish oil) reduces ischemic cardiovascular events in high risk patients
The current study is of a major clinical significance as it shows that EPA lowers ischemic cardiovascular events by 25% in high rick CVD patients who are already receiving statin therapy. The EPA treated patients, however, experienced more hospitalizations for atrial fibrillation and a higher propensity for serious bleeding than placebo. Findings are remarkable as they come from a major randomized clinical trial (REDUCE IT). About 8,000 patients were followed for 5 years. This outcome…
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New FDA Approval: Subcutaneous Testosterone Pen
The FDA has now approved the first subcutaneous testosterone auto-injector pen (Xyosted) for symptomatic patients with low testosterone levels. It is self-administered once weekly and is available in three doses: 50 mg, 75 mg, and 100 mg. The recommended starting dose is 75 mg per week.
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Categorized as FDA Approvals, Insights from Dr. Tashko, Patient Education, Sex Hormones, Testosterone
Intramuscular testosterone injection
Patients with low testosterone levels could have decreased libido, erections and stamina. They could also suffer from reduced bone mass, muscle mass, and physical capacity. Intramuscular testosterone injection is an efficient and safe way to help patients with testosterone deficiency. The following video shows how to self-administer the testosterone injection. GT
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