FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Artwork: Dancing fruits and vegetables

We invite blurbs and tidbit articles for inclusion in this column. Materials received may be edited and used as space permits. Products and services included in this column are for information only and do not imply endorsement by the Diabetes Action Network of the NFB.

NEW DRUG CLINICAL TRIALS

People with hypertension (high blood pressure) or diabetic kidney disease are often prescribed Angiotensin Converting Enzyme ("ACE") Inhibitors, to help correct the condition. The ACE Inhibitors work, but doctors and drug companies are always looking for better ways to do the job. This may be one of them.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals announces multi-center trials of Lotrel, a combination therapy, for management of hypertension. Each tablet contains both the ACE Inhibitor Lotensin and the Calcium Channel Blocker Norvasc. The intention is to test whether a combination of these two proven medications will reduce high blood pressure more quickly than current monotherapies.

One study will test Lotrel's effectiveness against hypertension in the general population, and the other is specifically targeted toward black Americans with diabetes. If the studies determine that the new combination is both safe and consistently effective, approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should be forthcoming.

COMPETITOR TO THE GLUCOWATCH

SpectRX Inc., who have been developing their own noninvasive blood glucose monitor, just announced that Abbott Labs is making another investment in their product. The SpecRX sampling technology is described as "capable of tracking rapidly rising levels of blood glucose--but the technique did not yet address the time delay for rapidly falling blood glucose levels, however."

As reported, the device looks like a wearable heart rate monitor, but it attaches around the abdomen. The sensor sends a signal to a beeper-like device. The SpectRX device is said to use ISF (Interstitial Fluid) micropore technology to give "...up to the minute glucose readings on a continuous basis."

Now that Cygnus, with its GlucoWatch, has broken the regulatory ground with the Food and Drug Administration, look for SpectRX and others to follow. We'll keep you posted!

1999 RAFFLE WINNERS

At the keynote banquet for the 1999 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind, in Atlanta, Georgia, the winning ticket was drawn in the Diabetes Action Network raffle. Winning ticket holder was Kristy Dennis, of Chicago, Illinois.

Lots of people helped sell tickets, and the following folks each sold 50 or more. In descending order of tickets sold: John Stroot, of Clinton, IN; Jerry and Cathy Antone, from French Lick, IN; Eugene Payne, from Detroit, MI; Billie Weaver, of Springfield, MO; Gisela Distel, of Albany, NY; Ken Staley, from Chicago, IL; Karen Mayry, from Rapid City, SD; Walt Weber, from Mobridge, SD; Kerry Smith, from St. Louis, MO; Ed Bryant, of Columbia, MO; Barbara Hinkle, from Rapid City, SD; Sally York, from Castro Valley, CA; Kyle McHugh of Boston, MA; Betty Walker, of Jefferson City, MO; and Sandie Addy, from Prescott Valley, AZ. Truly a winning performance--See you next time!

HEAR YE, HEAR YE, A RAFFLE

The Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind reaches out and provides support and information to thousands of people. Because it costs to operate this valuable network and to produce the VOICE OF THE DIABETIC, we must generate funds to help cover these expenses. Our Diabetes Action Network has elected to hold a raffle, which will be coordinated by our division treasurer, Bruce Peters.

THE GRAND PRIZE WILL BE $500! The winning ticket will be drawn, and the winner's name announced, on July 7, 2000, at the banquet held during the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind.

Raffle tickets cost $1 each, or a book of six may be purchased for $5. Tickets may be purchased from state representatives of our Diabetes Action Network or by contacting the VOICE Editorial Office, 811 Cherry Street, Suite 309, Columbia, MO 65201; telephone: (573) 875-8911. Anyone interested in selling tickets should also contact the VOICE Editorial Office. Tickets are available now! Names of persons who sell 50 tickets or more will be announced in the VOICE.

Please make checks payable to the National Federation of the Blind. Money and sold raffle ticket stubs must be received at the VOICE office no later than June 10, 2000, or they can be personally delivered to Raffle Chairman Bruce Peters, at this year's NFB convention in Atlanta, Georgia. This raffle is open to anyone age 18 or older, and the holder of the lucky raffle ticket need not be present to win. Each ticket sold is a donation, helping keep our Diabetes Action Network moving forward.

NEW FLU DRUG

Every winter, millions are advised to "get their flu shot." Centers for Disease Control statistics suggest each year more Americans die from the flu than from crime, so the advice is worth noting. But some don't heed it, out of fear of needles, so researchers have been working to develop oral flu vaccines. Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas, recently participated in clinical tests of one, the drug oseltamivir.

They found the drug, which differs from the inhaled flu drug Relenza (zanamvir) in that it protects against both A and B strains, "74 percent effective in preventing symptomatic influenza in test volunteers..." and a good choice for people in high-risk groups (over 65, diabetes, kidney disease, AIDS) or people allergic to flu vaccine. "The rest of us," they warn, "should get that flu shot."

Oseltamvir has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Talk to your doctor.

FALSE CLAIMS: REAL PROBLEMS

Nobody likes to be sick, and sometimes people lose patience with the slow pace of medicine. There have always been "snake oil salesmen," selling us the answers we want to hear--and raking in a lot of our money. The Internet has allowed a lot more of them to crawl out of the woodwork, proclaiming their "miracle cures," "ancient ingredients," "scientific breakthroughs," "secret formulas," and "exclusive products."

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is concerned, and has free literature to advise you how to tell the difference between the real and the unreal in medical claims. They offer the free pamphlet: "Fraudulent Health Claims: Don't be Fooled," and information about how to recognize common internet medical frauds. Copies of these and other publications are available free from: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20580; telephone: 1-877-382-4357; website: http://www.ftc.gov, and click on "consumer protection."

TEST YOUR FEET

If you have diabetes, you may develop peripheral neuropathy, a loss of nerve sensation, that most often begins in the feet. Doctors stress the need to find out early--so you can take action. They use a simple testing tool, called a monofilament, to quickly and painlessly tell if you have any numb areas in your feet or lower legs. You should have that test.

You can test your own feet. Because undetected neuropathy can sometimes lead to things like foot amputation, the government has sponsored the Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention, or LEAP, program. They will provide you with a free foot-testing kit and information on how to improve your foot care. Contact: LEAP Program, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Division of Programs for Special Populations, 4350 East West Highway, 9th Floor, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: 1-800-400-2742; website: http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/leap

DIABETES VACCINE?

We all dream of a simple vaccine that might make diabetes as rare as the measles. It might well happen. We know that type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune attack on the Beta cells of the pancreas--and now current research, detailed in the September 1999 issue of the journal "Nature Medicine," details the discovery of an antigen, a protein that stimulates the immune response that may cause the condition. Researchers know a lot about T-cells (the immune system's "attack force,") and think they just might be able, with a vaccine that targets the antigen under study, to divert their attack on the Beta cells, and prevent diabetes. They figure such a vaccine may be possible "within a decade."

ARTICLES NEEDED

If you have diabetes, are a family member or friend of a diabetic, or a health professional with an interest in diabetes, we invite you to submit an article for publication in the VOICE OF THE DIABETIC.

Our philosophy regarding diabetes is positive. Do you have an inspiring, enlightening story? We, the Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind, seek to show people they are not alone, and do have options, regardless of diabetic complications. If you have experienced ramifications, others, who may be facing the same side-effects, could benefit from what you have to say.

Perhaps you have not experienced complications--your unique insight, coping strategies, and lifestyle can still inspire others. Are you a relative, a friend, or a health professional? More than 267,115 Voice readers could benefit from your story.

For information and article submission guidelines, contact: VOICE OF THE DIABETIC, 811 Cherry Street, Suite 309, Columbia, MO 65201; telephone: (573) 875-8911.