People with diabetes who have difficulty paying for food, medicine and other basic needs also have trouble managing their diabetes, a new study finds. Seth Berkowitz, instructor in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the lead author of the research.
The idea that all carbohydrates are not created equal has become the foundation of many popular diets. Some argue that foods like white bread and potatoes, which have a high so-called glycemic index because they spike blood sugar and insulin, should be avoided in favor of more healthful carbs like whole grains and non-starchy vegetables. But rigorous new research from the National Institutes of Health suggests that for people who already follow a healthful diet, the glycemic index may not be very important. Frank Sacks, professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, led the research. David Ludwig, professor of pediatrics at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, is quoted.
The two-year anniversary yesterday of the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., evoked cynicism from gun control advocates over the tragedy’s failure to prompt federal law changes, while gun rights supporters say the gun-control cause has lost steam and the push for reform needs to focus on other factors such as mental health. Frederick Bieber, associate professor of pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.
Stephanie Woolhandler and David Himmelstein, lecturers on medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, coauthored this opinion piece about the inefficiency of U.S. hospitals.
