Stopping diabetes damage with vitamin C

[Celebration]

http://www.physorg.com/news163768625.html

The goal of the work being done by Ihnat and British scientists from the University of Warwick led by Dr. Antonio Ceriello is to find a way to stop the damage to blood vessels that is caused by diabetes. The damage, known as endothelial dysfunction, is associated with most forms of cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, peripheral artery disease, diabetes and chronic renal failure.

By reducing or stopping the damage, patients with diabetes could avoid some of the painful and fatal consequences of the disease that include heart disease, reduced circulation and amputation, kidney disease and diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to blindness.

Insulin and many other drugs have long been used to control blood sugar, but Ihnat - in an earlier project with scientists in Italy and Hungary - found that cells have a "memory" that causes damage to continue even when blood sugar is controlled. By adding antioxidants like Vitamin C, Ihnat found that cell "memory" disappeared and cell function and oxidation stress were normalized.

"We have speculated that this happens with endothelial dysfunction, but we did not know until now if it was effective in humans. We finally were able to test it and proved it to be true," Ihnat said. "For patients with diabetes, this means simply getting their glucose under control is not enough. An antioxidant-based therapy combined with glucose control will give patients more of an advantage and lessen the chance of complications with diabetes."

While researchers do suggest diabetic patients eat foods and take multivitamins rich in antioxidants like Vitamin C, they warn that additional study is needed. The Vitamin C utilized in their study was given at very high doses and administered directly into the blood stream, so it is unlikely someone would get similar results with an over-the-counter vitamin supplement

[aquart]

1. So how long before we have something that works?

Vitamin C injections?

[Celebration]

2. some doctors give vitamin C infusions

Most of them have waiting lists and don't take insurance.

[DesertFlower]

3. my doc has been giving IV vitamin C

for years. it costs about $80 and is not covered by insurance.

[JuniperLea]

4. It's a devastating disease, to be sure...

I watched my grandmother lose her eyesight, and both legs to diabetes. Not to mention the heart attacks and bypass surgeries. And the renal failure when the dies used to view the cardio vascular system caused her kidneys to shut down.

Sweetest lady ever. So sad. It's been years, and it's still so sad.

Getting back to real science, says Obama. I hope this is true. We need to stop this beast, now!