Diabetes causes poor circulation and reduced ability to fight infection. Because of reduced sensation in the feet, many will develop diabetic foot ulcers leading to possible amputation. As infectious organisms become more drug-resistand, traditional treatment with antibiotics becomes less effective.

Doctors at the University of Wisconsin Scool of Medicine and Public Health think there might be a better way to treat diabetic ulcers, and the cure might be right in your own kitchen.

The answer? Honey. In a double-blind study, doctors will treat patients with diabetic foot ulcers by giving half topical honey and the other half a wound care gel that has been made to look and smell like honey. The patients will be followed to ascertain the effectiveness of each type of treatment.

Honey has properties that may make it very effective in treating these types of wounds.

Since honey fights bacteria in numerous ways, it is essentially immune to resistance. Honey’s acidic pH, low water content (which effectively dehydrates bacteria), and the hydrogen peroxide secreted by its naturally-occurring enzymes make it ideal for combating organisms that have developed resistance to standard antibiotics.

If the honey proves effective, patients would still need to be followed by a doctor during treatment. Wounds would require the sterile removal of dead skin and bacteria and precautions regarding weight-bearing and walking need to be monitored.

UW study tests topical honey as a treatment for diabetic ulcers

A survey of caregivers revealed some unflattering and inaccurate sterotypes about seniors. For instance, almost 40 percent stated that seniors feel “grouchy”, when most seniors say they are seldom angry.

Some other stereotypes discovered in the study by the University of Alberta, Edmonton Canada:

* 25% of seniors are in institutions – in fact, only 5% of all seniors require long term care

* a large number of seniors can’t care for themselves

* seniors are not adaptable to change

* all Alzheimers patients are incontinent

Lead author Tiana Rust said the study showed education about aging is needed to dispel these stereotypes.

“It’s important that people learn more about what it is to be an older adult and also to know what Alzheimer’s and dementia are about. It is important to recognize that older adults are a very heterogenous group, ranging from very vital and capable to those in the last stages of dementia. They fall all along the continuum.”

The study results are published in the latest issue of Educational Gerontology.

Drinking Green Tea could be therapeutic in the treatment and alleviation of the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System say a new study shows that Green Tea may block the cell signaling pathways that regulate levels of two immune system molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which cause bone erosion and inflammation in the joints of people with RA.

It’s a compound in Green Tea, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that researchers believe may inhibit joint destruction in Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers and could one day be derived synthetically for use as a treatment in RA.

Green tea compound may be a therapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis, University of Michigan study finds

The FDA has added warning labels to some commonly used pain relievers like ibuprophen and naproxen, warning that use of these NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) increase the risk of heart attacks.

But according to Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the FDA has ignored the most dangerous of these drugs, Voltaren, and incorrectly labeled naproxen, which appears to be safe based on research.

High doses (500 mg twice daily) of Aleve were not associated with an increased risk of heart attacks compared to a placebo. High doses of Advil (800 mg three times a day) and Voltaren (75 mg twice daily) were associated with rates of heart attack that were 51 percent and 63 percent higher, than the placebo. The increased risk of heart attack is associated with drugs that are COX-2 inhibitors.

“Naproxen does not increase the risk of heart attacks and ought to be a painkiller of choice,” said Furberg. “On the other hand, Voltaren carries the same risk as the harmful COX-2 inhibitors Bextra® and Vioxx®, which have been taken off the market.

Read more at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.