World of Medicine

Diabetes Type Frequently Misdiagnosed

About five to ten per cent of all diabetes in Western countries is type 3c, which develops when the body has trouble producing insulin because of pancreas damage due to conditions such as pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis or pancreatic cancer. A British study recently showed that the majority of type-3c diabetes patients are diagnosed with type 2 instead, whereby the body is unable to use insulin properly. This matters because type 3c generally means worse glycaemic control and a more urgent need for insulin in order to avoid serious complications.

Nutrients Better Absorbed With Oil

In an experiment published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants ate salad with varying amounts of soybean oil, a common ingredient in commercial salad dressings. More oil resulted in higher blood levels of several essential nutrients, including vitamin A, lutein and lycopene. These nutrients came from the salad vegetables, but the fat in the oil helped the body absorb them better. There’s no need to drown salad in dressing: a couple of tablespoons of oil per day will form part of a healthy diet.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Raises Risk of COPD

In a study of more than 24,000 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, Canadian researchers discovered that RA increases the likelihood of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by 47 per cent. That’s because inflammation plays a role in the development of COPD. The scientists recommend that RA patients minimise their inflammation with treatment and watch for lung symptoms, such as wheezing, so that COPD can be caught early.