Browsing by Subject "complications"
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Item Access to Care and Hospitalizations for Diabetes Complications Among Elderly Hispanics and African Americans in Texas(2005-08-01) Chaudhary, Prateek; Kristine Lykens; Julian Borejdo; Antonio A. ReneChaudhary, Prateek. Access to Care and Hospitalizations for Diabetes Complications Among Elderly Hispanics and African Americans in Texas. Master of Public Health, August 2005, 52 pp, 6 tables, bibliography. The mismanagement of diabetes care, due to disparities in access, deficiencies in health insurance, or poor quality of primary care, can lead to preventable microvascular complications which force diabetics to utilize hospital emergency departments (ED). This study uses 2002 hospital discharge data from the Texas Health Care Information Collection to determine whether diabetic and elderly (65+) African Americans and Hispanics from Texas counties with a low ratio of physicians per, 1,000 population (PPR) are more likely to be admitted through the ED with complications from diabetes. Findings indicate that while Hispanic ethnicity is significantly associated with ED use as a source of admission, diabetics from counties with higher PPR are more likely to be admitted through the ED for diabetes complications than diabetics from counties with a lower PPR.Item Neuroprotective effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-y) ligands against oxidative stress(2003-12-01) Aoun, Paul; Simpkins, James W.; Dillon, Glenn; Gracy, RobertAoun, Paul Neuroprotective effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-y) ligands against oxidative stress. Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacology and Neurosciences), December, 2003, 254 pp., 37 figures. Diabetes mellitus is a significant public health problem in the United States and the world resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Diabetes complications, i.e., neuropathy, are common and almost triple the annual cost of managing diabetes. In our studies, we investigated the role that insulin sensitizers currently used for the treatment of diabetes, the PPAR-y ligands, might play in protecting neurons against oxidative stresses. We showed that two PPAR-y ligands, 15 deoxy-PGJ2 and troglitazone, protected, in a dose-dependent manner, HT-22 mouse hippocampal and RGC-5 retinal ganglion cell lines against various oxidative insults. Further, we demonstrated that neuroprotection by 15deoxy-PGJ2 and troglitazone was independent of the PPAR-y receptor. Our findings brought to light an important role of PPAR-y ligands in preventing neuronal complications from diabetes. Moreover, the studies reported herein provide valuable insights into the development of novel therapeutic compounds that improve insulin sensitivity while preventing neurological, and possibly other complications of diabetes.