Lilly, Amylin Disclose More Cases of Byetta Related Pancreatitis

Last week, the FDA said it had received reports of six new cases of pancreatitis – including two deaths – associated with the diabetes drug Byetta. Today, Amylin and Eli Lilly said that they had reported four additional deaths to the agency as well, which the FDA hasn’t yet made public.

The companies, which co-market the drug, chose to disclose the additional information in order to “provide context” about each of the cases, because the medical community appeared confused by the information last week, Amylin President and Chief Executive Daniel Bradbury told the Health Blog.

Another reason might be to reassure investors. Byetta, co-marketed by the companies, already has a label reflecting its association with severe inflammation of the pancreas. But the FDA says it’s working on a stronger label for the drug that includes forms of pancreatitis that involve bleeding and cell death. Both companies’ stock dipped following the news last week, though Amylin’s was particularly hard hit, plunging as much as 22% since the FDA announcement before recovering somewhat.

In the four cases brought forward by the companies today, it’s not clear whether the patients were taking Byetta at the time of deaths. And the deaths are “not directly attributable to pancreatitis in any way”, Orville Kolterman, Amylin’s senior vice president of R&D, told us. For instance, one patient appeared to die from a relapse of leukemia two months after having pancreatitis. Also, patients with Type II diabetes have a greater risk of pancreatitis than healthy people to begin with, said Kolterman.

Analysts say the bigger picture issue is whether these safety concerns might affect the long-acting version of the medicine the companies are currently developing. The question “is whether the FDA, from a regulatory standpoint, will require longer term study of” the long-acting version, Barbara Ryan of Deutsche Bank told the Health Blog. “Rather than a short half-life, you’re going to have a longer term product. So if you get in trouble, it’s [in the body] for a longer period of time.”

5 Things Anyone Can Do To Lose Fat and Get Fit Fast

Want to lose body fat, get fit, and build a better-looking body fast? Here are 4 things anyone can do to accomplish these goals:

1. Energize yourself.

Without high energy levels, you're not going to do the things necessary to lose body fat and get fit quickly. For optimal energy you'll need to get at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night. You'll also need to avoid junk food, processed sugars, and alcohol as much as possible. Finally, drinking lots of water throughout the day is a simple and proven way to boost energy levels.

2. Eat an all-natural diet.

If you eat only whole foods "made" by nature, and not humans, you'll lose weight and feel a lot better within a short amount of time. Focus on eating mainly lean meats (or other natural, lean protein foods), fish and seafood, lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and natural "good" fats from olive oil, nuts and nut butters, avocado, etc. The best starchy carbs are beans and legumes. Whole grains can fit into your diet, but you should consider rotating your carb intake for best results.

Avoid pretty much all man-made foods and beverages. Anything that contains processed/refined sugars, flours, fats, or artificial additives should be avoided. The only exceptions to this rule you should consider, and only if you're strength training regularly, is whey protein powder and low-sugar protein bars. These are man-made but they're extremely healthy and provide a convenient way to boost quality protein intake.

3. Do high-intensity exercise a few times per week.

High-intensity exercise, done on a regular basis, is a proven fat-burner and body-changer. In fact, high intensity interval training -- or "HIIT" -- may be the single best way to lose body fat fast. The main reason for this is that high-intensity exercise not only burns calories, it also produces powerful hormonal and metabolic changes in the body that can quickly transform you into a lean, mean, sexy machine.

4. Do strength training.

No matter what your weight loss and fitness goals, you should do some form of strength training at least twice a week. Strength training builds muscle and muscle burns fat. The more lean muscle tissue you have, the faster your metabolism will be, and the more calories you'll burn... even when you're standing still.

Plus, adding just a little bit of muscle -- and "toning up" the muscle you already have -- can make you look and feel significantly better. Only strength/weight training can do that.

5. Snack often.

When it comes down to it, the downfall of most people is hunger. Hunger makes you forget about your fitness goals and your diet. It makes you eat that bag of chips and that bottle of soda. Hunger is a biological signal that is almost impossible to ignore. The good news is that you can control hunger by snacking often.

Eating a small, high-protein snack every few hours is a simple, proven, and powerful way to keep hunger and food cravings in check. Nuts and seeds, jerky, fruit with peanut butter or cottage cheese, and protein shakes are all good snack options that can help you avoid getting hungry while also keeping your metabolism revved up and burning fat at a high rate.

There you go: 5 things anyone can do to lose fat, get fit, and build a sexy body fast. If you have a suggestion of your own please leave it in the comments section below...

Could Be Fatal, Even With a Healthy BMI

In the battle of the bulge, belly fat is often a focus because of its relationship with heart disease. Just when I thought the subject of spare tires had been prodded in every way possible, new research has come out that could force more people to take their midsection more seriously. It says that even if your BMI describes your weight as normal, having a spare tire could make you twice as likely to die during a 10-year period compared to those without belly fat.

Researchers at the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition composed one of the largest long-term studies in the world to get their results — 359,387 people ages 25 to 70 from nine European countries were involved. The research indicates that overall weight isn't the only indicator in measuring mortality; waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio have a big impact on mortality risk, too.

With heart disease in mind, women should aim to keep their waist circumference below 35 inches and men shouldn't push 40 inches. Wondering if you are an apple or a pear? Check out our Waist-to-Hip calculator to determine your body type and levels of risk.

10 Great Exercise Blogs That Will Motivate You To Fitness

If you’ve ever been super motivated to start a new exercise plan only to lose interest after a few weeks of sticking to the new routine you understand the difficulties associated with finding a workout plan that truly works for you. If you want to prevent that motivation loss from happening to you or just want to find the motivation to start exercising in the first place, then check out these blogs below. Whether you are interested in running, biking, climbing, or using your video game console to get you moving, you will find something of interest here.

Exercise and Fitness
If you just like a well-rounded approach to exercise and nutrition or can’t make up your mind where to focus your energies, these blogs are for you with their multi-approach to exercise and fitness.

1. FitSugar. Women will find this blog about getting and staying fit an interesting read. Find reasons to exercise, good nutrition tips, and read about fit celebrities.

2. Really Useful Fitness Blog. Find out tips for burning fat, working out for maximum effect, and more with this blog. Recent posts cover circuit training, almonds for weight loss, and the best way to lose stomach fat.

3. Top 42 Exercise Hacks. These ideas from Zen Habits will get you moving and stay moving. Check out other posts at this blog that touch on topics such as ideas to start the exercise habit and how to get back into the exercise habit.

4. Lift. This blog is an elite adventure magazine all about physical fitness for those who can enjoy the better things in life. The motivation in this blog is not only to get off the couch, but to enjoy the journey.

5. Starling Fitness. Read about nutrition, biking to work, weight loss, staying motivated, and much more on this blog that can help you reach your personal fitness goals.

6. Bill’s Training Blog. This blog brings insight to Bill’s attempts at fitness through various activities including walking, push-ups, and running (lots of running) while trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle of vegetarian eating and no alcohol.

7. Bike About. With a title like this, you would expect to see this blog in the section below for cycling, but the posts here offer much more than just biking with thoughts on healthy eating, hiking, and more.

8. Trying Fitness. This blog offers tons of suggestions for ways to get yourself moving in the name of fitness. Check out the fitness interviews with reputable personal trainers.

9. Cranky Fitness. Read about fitness, nutrition, and exercise with a humorous twist and lots of kitty pictures here. As they say, “because most health and fitness advice is too damn cheerful.”

10. The Great Fitness Experiment. This blog offers insightful explorations of such fitness topics as living up to your potential, body confidence, and running like a girl (it’s probably not as anti-feminist as you think).

Tuesday Mantra

Another Monday Mantra...on Tuesday. Do you think the Universe is trying to tell me something? Honestly, I tried to carve out a bit of time yesterday for this post, but it just didn't happen. Mondays are always just so busy. But, I love it, because the Universe does have a sense of humour doesn't it? I mean, my thought on posting a mantra each Monday was that it is such a frenetic day we could all use something to give us a mindfulness break, and opportunity to shift focus, to regain steadiness and concentration...and then, I couldn't find time to do that. Hmmm... will have to work on that, for now here is a new mantra for you.

Om Namah Shivay (Aum Num-ha Shi-vi-ya)

Om Namah Shivay, is a mantra of transformation. It is an homage to Lord Shiva, the Hindu aspect of the Divine responsible for the transformation of the Universe. Sometimes referred to as the Destroyer, but in the cyclical Hindu world-view nothing is really ever destroyed so much as it is transformed, changed, or "reborn" into something new.

So, one of the great and powerful uses of this mantra in personal practice is for transforming one energy into another. If you are feeling stuck in a certain mind state, Om Namah Shivya; if you are feeling tired and need to build some energy, Om Namah Shivya; if you are feeling stricken with grief that is weighing you down like an anvil on your chest...Om Namah Shivya.

It is critical that you say the mantra, out loud or in your mind, with the greatest intention, but be aware that the mantra will do it's own work after that. You may not feel that it is working, you may even feel it is making things worse, or just a lot of resistence or anger towards it; these are always good clues that the mantra is doing its work. Stick with it awhile.

Shiva, whos mantra this is, is also the symbol of the inner self that is left intact after everything else has been consumed, so in speaking it the chanter is bowing to her inner shelf.

Let this mantra vibrate in your heart.

May it bring you great transformation, a returning to that which you already are.
Abide in Peace.