Diabetes: The Asian Influence: Many American’s who live with diabetes have been helped by information and therapies discovered through clinical trials throughout the years. Since 1997, however, there has been a growing trend toward conducting clinical trials outside the United States.
Over the past ten years overseas clinical trials have risen from 14% to an impressive 43%. The primary reason for the shift stems from the fact that clinical trials in other countries generally cost less than they do in the United States. Many pharmaceutical companies who often pay for the trials are motivated by the bottom line.
The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development in Boston indicates there were nearly 1,800 clinical trials staged outside the US in 2007.
The Asian Diabetes Association indicates the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has plans to increase the total number of drugs they approve in the near future. This would, of course, be a direct result of successful clinical trials. It should be noted that there are medical personnel in the United States that have expressed concern over the success or failure of the clinical trials in other countries simply because they often do not represent circumstances normally experienced by Americans.
While this may be true the United Nations has indicated that of the more than 240 million cases of diabetes about half of those affected by the disease are from Asian countries. Further, it is estimated that diabetes is a disease that is ranked forth in mortality rates on a global basis.
Reports from Asian countries seem to indicate the disease is most common in urban areas while rural areas see diabetes rates as low as 2% among those 20 and over.
It could be argued that the primary reason for the lower diabetes rates among those who live in rural areas has to do with the lack of access to stores and restaurants that supply abundant processed foods. It could also be argued that there are other environmental concerns that may contribute to the onset of diabetes in Asia.
On a purely organic level Asian researcher Dr. Victor Marcial-Vega, M.D., studied the effects of the natural product ‘goji juice’ for many years. Marcial-Vega discovered that “blood sugar levels decrease in 64 percent of the patients with diabetes, and more than half of them decreased or eliminated their medications.”
Goji Juice can be purchased in health food stores as well as in an online environment. If you are interested in pursuing this as a potential addition to your traditional regimen it is possible you may see some results. This natural product is just one of several products that have gained some attention because of the way they seem to assist in the health management goals of diabetics. An online sample of prices finds a 32 oz bottle for as little as $11 or as much as $50. If you do use an online source make sure it is one that you trust.
It is interesting to note that the crisis of diabetes is a global issue. It is also interesting to note that just as there is an American Diabetes Association there is also one developed for Asian countries. Researchers in both spots on the globe are working relentlessly to find a cure or at the very least a better management plan for their citizens who must live with diabetes.
