antiquity
07-27-2001, 08:21 AM
Nerve Protection for Diabetics
(Ivanhoe Newswire) - According to the American Diabetes Association, 60 percent of people who suffer from diabetes have some form of neuropathy, or nerve damage. Doctors don't know the cause for it, but a nationwide study is underway to test new drugs that might slow the progression of the disorder or reverse it.
A walk in the park is no simple task for Herbert Wahnon. Diabetes has damaged the nerves in his feet. "One of the symptoms is numbness. I can't tell if I get hurt and I'm walking barefooted," he says.
Loss of feeling in his feet is not the only problem. Herbert also gets a burning, tingling sensation. It's all part of a condition known as diabetic neuropathy. Normal nerve cells become damaged and break. Complications arise.
Neurologist Yadollah Harati, M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says, "What we're trying to do is approach the problem from several angles."
Dr. Harati and colleagues are doing that with a number of experimental drugs including thioctic acid and aldose reductase inhibitors. Both offer great promise.
"We are hopeful that it stops the progression and further damage of the remaining nerves. If we achieve that, in itself, it is a great accomplishment," says Harati. Even more, he says the drugs may also improve symptoms.
Herbert tried thioctic acid for three weeks. His foot pain and numbness disappeared. Now he says it's up to him to keep his health in check.
Seventy percent of the foot amputations among diabetics are a direct result of diabetic neuropathy. The study on this disorder will last for another 18 months. They are no longer enrolling patients.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Melissa Pope, R.N.
Baylor College of Medicine
6550 Fannin #1801
Houston, TX 77030
(713) 798-5993
(Ivanhoe Newswire) - According to the American Diabetes Association, 60 percent of people who suffer from diabetes have some form of neuropathy, or nerve damage. Doctors don't know the cause for it, but a nationwide study is underway to test new drugs that might slow the progression of the disorder or reverse it.
A walk in the park is no simple task for Herbert Wahnon. Diabetes has damaged the nerves in his feet. "One of the symptoms is numbness. I can't tell if I get hurt and I'm walking barefooted," he says.
Loss of feeling in his feet is not the only problem. Herbert also gets a burning, tingling sensation. It's all part of a condition known as diabetic neuropathy. Normal nerve cells become damaged and break. Complications arise.
Neurologist Yadollah Harati, M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says, "What we're trying to do is approach the problem from several angles."
Dr. Harati and colleagues are doing that with a number of experimental drugs including thioctic acid and aldose reductase inhibitors. Both offer great promise.
"We are hopeful that it stops the progression and further damage of the remaining nerves. If we achieve that, in itself, it is a great accomplishment," says Harati. Even more, he says the drugs may also improve symptoms.
Herbert tried thioctic acid for three weeks. His foot pain and numbness disappeared. Now he says it's up to him to keep his health in check.
Seventy percent of the foot amputations among diabetics are a direct result of diabetic neuropathy. The study on this disorder will last for another 18 months. They are no longer enrolling patients.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Melissa Pope, R.N.
Baylor College of Medicine
6550 Fannin #1801
Houston, TX 77030
(713) 798-5993