Volume 2, Number 2 May 2009 500 Helendale Rd Suite L20 Rochester, NY 14609 585.288.0890 www.rcrclinical.com
Advancing Medicine. Changing Lives.
Did You know …for those on the GO
BUSY people can easily forget to take their medications, or to write down symptoms or reactions during a course of treatment. Check out www.zumelife.com to learn how they are working to make it easy to remember and record all of your day-to-day health activities, enabling you to devote less energy to care and more to living.
Diabetes Research Studies Enrolling Now Are you a diabetic who snores? If you think you might have sleep apnea, this study includes testing, counseling, and an investigational device for sleep apnea, as investigators monitor the effects on blood sugars.
A new approach Unlike any currently available therapies, this investigational pill is designed to work in a completely new way, by getting the body to eliminate more glucose through urination. Call us today if you would like to learn more about this study.
The Diabetes Epidemic
Of the 20 million people in the US with diabetes, 6 million do not even know it.
Are you at risk? Carrying extra weight around your middle (abdominal adiposity) can predispose you to diabetes. Most overweight people have some degree of pre-diabetes and don’t know it. What is diabetes? Our bodies run on glucose for energy. Starches we eat get turned into sugar, which gets absorbed into our blood stream. Where we actually need the sugar is in our brain and muscle cells, but it can only get there with the help of the hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas. Extra abdominal fat causes insulin resistance, so the insulin can’t do its job. The situation is similar to running the furnace with the windows open . . . eventually the furnace will give out. In type II diabetes (90% of all diabetes is this type), the pancreas works harder to overcome the insulin resistance. After years of working overtime, the pancreas poops-out, blood sugars rise, and diabetes ensues. What are the health risks of diabetes? Diabetes can really take its toll on the body. The risk of a heart attack increases dramatically with diabetes, such that heart disease is the #1 cause of death. All diabetics need to maintain control of their blood sugars, blood pressure (goal is lower than 130/80), and cholesterol levels (goal LDL lower than 100). Doing so will help decrease the risks of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, nerve and eye problems. What are the early symptoms? The body responds to high blood sugars by diluting the sugar and peeing it out. Hence, increased thirst and urination are the first two symptoms of diabetes. The most noticeable symptom is getting up at night to urinate more often than usual.
Knowing your numbers could save your life!
Moving Medicine Forward
The contributions of past RCR volunteers Here are some of the more recent FDA approved diabetes medications that RCR has helped bring to market: Avandia®, Actos®, Byetta®, Starlix®, Avandamet®, and Januvia®. Thank you to our past volunteers for helping other diabetics!
What can I do to prevent diabetes? Like many health problems, diet and exercise are key. A recent report found that losing 7% of your body weight decreased your chances of getting diabetes by 58%. For example, someone weighing 200 pounds that loses just 12 pounds cuts their risk of acquiring diabetes in half. Are there diabetes studies at RCR? Yes. We are enrolling diabetics who snore and think they might have sleep apnea into a research study to investigate the effects of an investigational sleep apnea device on blood sugar control. Another study we have is of an investigational weight loss medication for diabetics. We are also currently enrolling diabetics who are taking metformin or no diabetes medications into 2 studies of new investigational medications –please see left column for more information or call us at 288-0890.
CONTACT US NOW to see if you pre-qualify at 585.288.0890 volunteer@rcrclinical.com
UPCOMING RESEARCH STUDIES
BIRTH CONTROL IMPOTENCE Are you in need of If you have erectile birth control pills? dysfunction, this study may interest you.
HIGH CHOLESTEROL Is your LDL cholesterol 145-220?
TYPE 2 DIABETES If your sugar is not under control.
GOUT Have you had 2 flare-ups in the past year?
HEARTBURN Do you have GERD symptoms?
SNORING If you are diabetic and think you might have sleep apnea, call us.
Advancing Medicine. Changing Lives.
500 Helendale Rd Suite L20 Rochester, NY 14609 585.288.0890 www.rcrclinical.com
Meet the Recruiters
The fine folks on the other end of the phone line Jane VandeSande comes to RCR from outpatient settings such as Strong Memorial and the Lattimore Surgery Center. Jane enjoys talking to potential study participants, and when not at RCR she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, boating, cooking and reading.
Debbie Lovett resides in Walworth. She is an avid reader who recently helped to found a new investment club. Deb joined the RCR team after previous employment with Excellus Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Strong Memorial Hospital. Interested in a study? Call Jane or Deb at 288-0890.
What’s Sizzlin’?
Whatever you do, don’t char your meat . . . Warmer weather is approaching, which means more meals will be prepared on the grill. Grilling is a healthy cooking method that allows fat to drip away from food. However, there are health risks involved. Proteins within meat, seafood and poultry tend to adversely react under high heat, yielding heterocyclic amines (HCAs). These are cancer causing compounds that are present when the meat is visibly charred after grilling. The consumption of HCAs has been related to colon and stomach cancer, as well as possible links to breast cancer. Ways to Avoid Charring and Decrease HCAs When Grilling 1)
Avoid cooking meat over an open flame
2)
Cook on lower heat
3)
Raise the grilling surface
4)
Change what you grill (fruit and vegetables do not create HCAs)
5)
Grill smaller cuts to reduce cooking time (meat and veggie kabobs are a great alternative)
6)
Flip meat frequently and marinate
Marinades Fight Back! Marinades not only add flavor, moisture, and tenderize the meat, but they have also been proved to reduce the formation of HCAs by up to 96 percent when grilling. The following recipe is a versatile marinade that is great for seafood, chicken, beef, or pork. Give it a try! Lime Honey Marinade ½ c lime juice 5 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 c olive oil ½ small red onion & ¼ c cilantro 2 T honey (Both finely chopped) ½ tsp cumin For more recipes, try www.marinade.com
Are You a Part of the Solution? Been in a research study at RCR a while ago and want to do another study with us? Finishing up a study and want to consider doing another one? Never been in a study and would like more information? • Check our website at www.rcrclinical.com Click on Study information. • Call our recruiters, Deb or Jane at 288-0890. They keep lists of people interested in specific studies, and then work from these lists when a study opens.
Publisher and Editor: Adam Larrabee editor@rcrclinical.com Contributing Writers: Michael Brennan, FNP & Vicky Fink, RD ©2009 Rochester Clinical Research