| Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) September
28, 2006 - Researchers recently reported that Avandia,
a widely-prescribed drug in the treatment of diabetes, may
also play a key role in prevention of the disease. The study
involved over 5,000 people with a “pre-diabetes”
condition and abnormal blood sugar levels in 21 countries
over a 3-year period. Participants who took Avandia reduced
their risk of developing diabetes or dying by over 50%. In
light of this information, FLAVORx has recently developed
a safe and effective formulary for flavoring this medication
to provide better patient services for children affected by
type 2 diabetes.
The secondary portion of the study utilized the blood pressure
drug Altace, and no difference in the risk of developing diabetes
in patients was found. These results conclude that Avandia
did indeed influence prevention and was not simply an anomaly
in calculation. The risk reduction reported with Avandia was
double that reported with any other drug used in diabetes
prevention.
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FLAVORx’s formulary for Avandia utilizes scientifically-designed
flavorings in combination with both a proprietary Bitterness
Suppressor and proprietary Sweetening Enhancer. The FLAVORx
Sweetening Enhancer is 100x sweeter than table sugar, yet
is sugar-free and does not contain aspartame. The make-up
of the Sweetening Enhancer is therefore completely safe for
children with diabetes or phenylketonuria (PKU). The formulation
converts Avandia tablets to suspension, which can then be
easily flavored for patients, such as young children, who
have difficulty swallowing pills. By utilizing the FLAVORx
system to improve the taste, smell and overall palatability
of a medication, children will no longer struggle with bitter
or foul medications, and thereby be more willing to follow
and complete comprehensive drug treatment programs. FLAVORx
has recommended the flavors such as Grape, Raspberry and Watermelon
to pharmacists nationwide as the flavors most successful at
masking Avandia’s existing taste.
According to Kenny Kramm, FLAVORx President and CEO, “This
is phenomenal breakthrough in diabetes research and we are
thrilled to have developed a safe formulation for this drug.
Not only are we able to improve patient care programs, but
now we can also contribute to the potential prevention of
the disease.”
It is estimated that 20.8 million children and adults are
afflicted with diabetes in the US. However, studies indicate
that nearly 1/3 of these individuals, roughly 6 million people,
are unaware that they have diabetes, making diagnosis all
the more pertinent for those who feel they may exhibit classic
diabetes symptoms. Common symptoms include frequent urination,
excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, irritability,
increased fatigue and blurry vision. Detection of these symptoms
early on may lead to the diagnosis of ‘pre-diabetes,’
a condition that indicates high blood glucose levels not yet
high enough to be considered diabetes. According to the American
Diabetes Association, 54 million people in the US are living
with pre-diabetes. Research indicates that if patients are
able to manage blood glucose levels during this pre-diabetes
period with medications like Avandia, they may be able to
delay or prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes. This
means that in the best case scenario, potentially 54 million
people, or approximately 6% of the entire US population may
be able to prevent the development of diabetes and thus more
serious complications such as cardiovascular problems and
even death.
In children and young adults, type 1 diabetes is most common;
however it appears that in recent years the number of type
2 diabetes cases in children has increased significantly.
Researchers link this rise to factors such as puberty, which
may affect hormone levels and the body’s processing
of insulin, and also childhood obesity, which may cause the
excessive production of insulin. Experts recommend education,
meal planning, physical exercise and the proper use of medications
and insulin therapy to treat diabetes in children.
For the past 17 years, Mary Tyler Moore has been the international
chairperson of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
Moore was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes over 30 years ago
and has since undergone multiple procedures to combat the
complications of her disease. As an active supporter in the
mission to eliminate the suffering of young children with
diabetes and an advocate of the nation's responsibility to
find a cure, Moore notes, "Each child faces a future
with the risk of early blindness, kidney failure, amputation,
heart attack, and stroke."
FLAVORx is available in over 35,000 pharmacies nationwide
such as Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid and Wal-Mart. FLAVORx flavors
are non-allergenic, sugar-free, dye-free, alcohol-free, phosphate-free
and extremely concentrated so that only a small amount is
used for even large volumes of medication. For more information,
please contact Teresa Chen at 800.884.5771 extension 234.
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