You have received this e-mail because our records indicate that you signed up for a free subscription to the HSI eAlert eLetter. Dear Reader, Type 2 diabetics, I hope you're paying close attention to all this hogwash that's being offered to you like it's some fine vintage of champagne. I'm talking about Actos--the supposedly "safe" alternative to Avandia. When an FDA panel recently recommended that Avandia be kept on the market, some saw this as a win for Avandia. But 10 panel members who voted to keep Avandia available also voted that the drug should be sold only on a restricted basis. In other words, whatever FDA officials finally decide, Avandia is deeply tainted. This little detail wasn't lost on executives at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Actos. They immediately made their move and launched an advertising blitz in high- profile publications like Time, Newsweek, Parade, and USA Today. And the new batch of ads delivered a comforting promise: "Actos has been shown to lower blood sugar without increasing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke." That may be true. But the Actos "alternative" can still put your heart in grave danger. ----------------------------------------------------------- Let's get real ----------------------------------------------------------- Avandia and Actos are in the same class of drugs. So anyone concerned about Avandia safety has got to be concerned about Actos as well. For instance, USA Today reports that both drugs are proven to raise the risk of fractures, weight gain, fluid retention and heart failure. That's right: heart failure. Also, during the two-day Avandia panel discussion, an FDA official confirmed that animal trials have shown that Actos may increase bladder cancer risk. But these details about Actos dangers were lost in all the Avandia drama. So the average person ended up hearing a news story that boiled down to two points: 1) The FDA will probably keep Avandia on the market, and 2) Actos is safer. But the panel took several votes that day. And I'll bet you didn't hear about this one... When panelists were asked if Avandia was deadlier than Actos, seven said yes, and 14 said they couldn't come to a conclusion. But 12 members said that Avandia was just as deadly as Actos. So is that a plus for Avandia or a minus for Actos? I'm sure we'd get different responses from different panel members. But here's what we know, without question: Both drugs are dangerous. ----------------------------------------------------------- What's a type 2 diabetic to do? ----------------------------------------------------------- "It's not like we have a scarcity of options for lowering blood sugar." That quote comes from Dr. Steven Nissen, the cardiologist who co-authored a 2007 study that brought the dangers of Avandia to national attention. But I'm pretty sure Dr. Nissen isn't talking about non-drug alternatives. If you've looked over the evidence and you're not one bit enthusiastic about a lifetime commitment to Actos or other diabetic drugs, we have two easy options for you. First: You can read a special HSI report titled "Diabetes Defeated." This free report contains plenty of information about botanical extracts that are proven to help control blood sugar levels. Second: You can visit our HSI web site, click on the "Find a Cure" tab, then select the topic "Diabetes" to access dozens of articles about type 2 diabetes treatments from the HSI archives. ...and another thing When I stopped by my local CVS Pharmacy recently, I saw this sign posted: "All-in-one flu shot--coming soon!" Hmm. Is that an invitation or a warning? Last year the CDC had to try to convince everyone to get two flu shots: one for the seasonal flu and one for H1N1. But this year H1N1 is included in the seasonal shot. Well isn't that convenient! Thing is, the Director-General of the World Health Organization just announced that the H1N1 pandemic is over. Doh! Seems the marketing team at CVS needs to bone up on their flu news. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Discover ways to protect yourself from cancer, heart disease, arthritis pain and much, much more... LIVE DISEASE FREE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? What if you found out that there was a real, effective and natural treatment for every disease known to mankind? Scoff now (while you still can!)-because in just five minutes you'll not only learn that such treatments exist, but where to find them, how to use them...and how anyone, no matter how far gone in their health battle, can learn to fight disease-and win! You're about to learn about some of these secrets today. But they aren't funded by cash-chasing pharmaceutical giants. In fact, they come from the most naturally powerful source of nutrients on earth. And they work wonders...with NO SIDE EFFECTS. http://clicks.hsibaltimore.com//t/AQ/AAJOOw/AAJWog/AAJF6A/AQ/Ab63CA/jhjR To start receiving your own copy of the HSI e-Alert, visit: http://clicks.hsibaltimore.com//t/AQ/AAJOOw/AAJWog/C4U/Ag/Ab63CA/nKg9 Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the HSI e-Alert. Sources: "Kick 'Em When They're Down: New Actos Ads" Ed Silverman, Pharmalot, 7/15/10, pharmalot.com "Doctors say it's already over for diabetes drug Avandia" Rita Rubin, USA Today, 7/20/10, usatoday.com "FDA Panel Votes to Restrict Avandia" Gardiner Harris, New York Times, 7/14/10, prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com "Why the H1N1 Virus is Not a Major Threat" Maryann Napoli, Center for Medical Consumers, 9/24/09, medicalconsumers.org "H1N1 in Post-Pandemic Period" World Health Organization, 8/10/10, who.int The information in this e-mail is offered as a general guideline, not one-size-fits-all medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making any changes in your personal health care regimen. Copyright (c)2010 by Healthier News, LLC. Thank you for your interest in the Health Sciences Institute of Baltimore. We do not allow republication of our full newsletters and articles. However, you can post a portion (no more than 90 words, 1-2 paragraphs) of our content with a live link back to our homepage (www.hsibaltimore.com), or a link to the specific article you are quoting from. Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please visit here http://clicks.hsibaltimore.com//t/AQ/AAJOOw/AAJWog/C4c/AQ/Ab63CA/3FhI Got 60 seconds? Learn how you can receive our complete encyclopedia "HSI's 100 Greatest Underground Cures" absolutely FREE. http://clicks.hsibaltimore.com//t/AQ/AAJOOw/AAJWog/AAEtYg/AQ/Ab63CA/5rqB If you want to end your HSI e-Alert subscription or you need to change your e-mail address, please follow the instructions below. Your changes will be effective immediately. 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