Featured Issues: African Journal of Biomedical Research Vol. 13 No. 1, 2, & 3

Here are some highlights from volume 13 of the African Journal of Biomedical Research:

Whereas the current tradition to treat Diabetes mellitus (or Diabetes) is for patients to take insulin, traditional healers have used the herb extract Rothmannia Hispida instead to relieve its symptoms!
Read more about it in "Comparative Effects of Rothmannia Hispida Leaves Extract and Protamine-Zinc Insulin on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats" in issue 1.
You can find other articles from this issue here: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=md&year=2010&vol=13&num=01&keys=V13N1

In vol.13 no.2, a study was conducted to answer this question: would estrogen and sodium chloride affect fasting blood sugar and weight gain in female diabetic rats? In this article, "Effect of Estrogen and Sodium Chloride on Fasting Blood Sugar and Weight-Gain in Female Diabetic Rats", the diabetic rats were injected with both estrogen and sodium chloride, which resulted in a significant reduction in their FBS level. Also, estrogen seemed to slow down weight gain, whereas sodium chloride seemed to increase weight gain. The authors indicated that as a result, estrogen and sodium chloride both enhance glucose utilization.
You can find this article and others from this issue here: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=md&year=2010&vol=13&num=02&keys=V13N2

Vol. 13 no.3 includes an article, "Pattern of Prescriptions among Elderly Diabetic-Hypertensive Patients in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital", which studies diabetic-hypertensive elderly patients, their age, sex, the effect of the number of prescribed drugs they take, and the effect of any inappropriately prescribed drugs they may take. The results showed that there was no significant correlation between age, sex, and the number of prescribed drugs taken.
For more information on this study and other articles from this issue, go to: http://www.bioline.org.br/titles?id=md&year=2010&vol=13&num=03&keys=V13N3