Diabetes drug Byetta and weight lose

Although taken by injection, exenatide (Byetta) is not insulin. Byetta improves blood sugar control by mimicking the action of the hormone incretin. Among other things, Byetta allows insulin to work more effectively in the body.

In studies, Byetta not only improved blood sugar control but also led to weight loss. It's unclear exactly how Byetta causes weight loss, but one effect of the drug is that it delays the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine. As a result, people taking Byetta may feel "full" faster and longer, so they eat less. The most common side effect of Byetta is mild to moderate nausea, which improves with time in most people. Rarely, Byetta may cause harmful inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

Byetta is designed for people who have diabetes and has not been studied as a weight-loss aid in people who have normal blood sugar. If you have diabetes and wonder if Byetta may be helpful, talk to your doctor.

Alcohol use

Moderate alcohol use seems to offer some health benefits, particularly for the heart. But too much alcohol raises the stakes, putting you at risk of adverse health consequences. Whether you drink is up to you and your doctor. But here are some points on alcohol consumption to consider.

Moderate drinking is defined as two drinks a day if you're a male 65 and younger, or one drink a day if you're a female or a male 66 and older. A drink is defined as 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer, 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It may:

• Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and intermittent claudication
• Reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack
• Possibly reduce your risk of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes
• Lower your risk of gallstones
• Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

Though moderate alcohol use seems to have some health benefits, anything more than moderate drinking can negate any potential benefits. Be cautious because excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including:

• Cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer
• Pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides in their blood
• Sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease
• Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Miscarriage
• Fetal alcohol syndrome in an unborn child, including impaired growth and nervous system development
• Injuries due to impaired motor skills
• Suicide

People with certain health conditions shouldn't drink any alcohol, as even small amounts could cause problems. Don't drink alcohol if you have:

• A history of hemorrhagic stroke
• Liver disease
• Pancreatic disease
• Evidence of precancerous changes in the esophagus, larynx, pharynx or mouth

If you have a family history of alcoholism, be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking, as you're at higher risk of alcoholism. And if you're pregnant, avoid alcohol entirely because of the health risks for your unborn baby.

Also, alcohol interacts with many common prescription and over-the-counter medications. Check with your doctor if you take:

• Antibiotics
• Anticoagulants
• Antidepressants
• Diabetes medications
• Antihistamines
• Anti-seizure medications
• Beta blockers
• Pain relievers
• Sleeping pills

If you combine alcohol with aspirin, you face an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. And if you use alcohol and acetaminophen, you increase your risk of liver damage. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration requires all over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers to carry a warning label advising those who consume three or more drinks a day to consult with their doctors before using the drug.

Above all, don't feel pressured to drink. Few medical experts, if any, advise nondrinkers to start drinking. But if you do drink and you're healthy, there's no need to stop as long as you drink responsibly and in moderation.

Most effective sunburn treatment

Unfortunately, there's no fast-fix sunburn treatment. Once you have sunburn, the damage is done — although it may take 12 to 24 hours after sun exposure to know the full extent and severity of sunburn, and several days or more for your skin to begin to heal.

In the meantime, the most effective sunburn treatment simply helps ease your discomfort:

• Keep it cool. Apply cold compresses — such as a towel dampened with cool water — to the affected skin. Or take a cool bath.
• Keep it moist. Apply aloe, moisturizing cream or over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to the affected skin. Beware of sunburn treatment products containing anesthetics, such as benzocaine. There's little evidence that these products are effective. In some cases, they may even irritate the skin.
• Leave blisters intact. If blisters form, don't break them. You'll only slow the healing process and increase the risk of infection. If needed, lightly cover blisters with gauze.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. If needed, take anti-inflammatory medication — such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) — according to the label instructions until redness and soreness subside. Don't give children or teenagers aspirin. It may cause Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.
• Treat peeling skin gently. Within a few days, the affected area may begin to peel. This is simply your body's way of getting rid of the top layer of damaged skin. While your skin is peeling, continue to use moisturizing cream.

Consult a doctor for sunburn treatment if:

• Severe sunburn covers a large portion of your body with blisters
• Sunburn is accompanied by a high fever or severe pain
• Severe sunburn doesn't begin to improve within a few days

To prevent future episodes of sunburn, use sunscreen frequently and liberally. Common sense counts, too. Cover up while you're outdoors, and stay in the shade as much as possible.

Myths about childhood vaccines

Childhood vaccines protect children from a range of serious diseases. Yet you may wonder about the benefits and risks of childhood vaccines. Consider common myths about childhood vaccines в and the facts behind the myths.

Myths:

• Vaccines aren't necessary
• Vaccine side effects are dangerous
• Vaccines cause autism
• Vaccines are given too early
• It's OK to skip certain vaccines if you have safety concerns

Facts:
Childhood vaccines offer protection from a variety of serious or potentially fatal diseases, including diphtheria, measles, meningitis, polio, tetanus and whooping cough. If these diseases seem uncommon в or even unheard of в it simply means that vaccines are doing their job. If immunization rates drop, vaccine-preventable diseases may once again become common threats.

Any vaccine can cause side effects. Usually, these side effects are minor в low-grade fever, and soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site. Some vaccines cause temporary headache, dizziness, fatigue or loss of appetite. Rarely, a child may experience a severe allergic reaction or a neurological side effect, such as a seizure. Although these rare side effects are a concern, vaccines are much safer than the diseases they prevent.

Of course, vaccines aren't given to children who have known allergies to specific vaccine components. Likewise, if your child develops a life-threatening reaction to a particular vaccine, further doses of that vaccine won't be given.

Despite much controversy on the topic, researchers haven't found a clear connection between autism and childhood vaccines. Although signs of autism may appear at about the same time children receive certain vaccines в such as the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine в this appears to be simply a coincidence.

Childhood vaccines offer protection from a variety of serious or potentially fatal diseases. Early vaccination в sometimes beginning shortly after birth в is essential because these diseases are most likely to occur when a child is very young and the risk of complications is greatest. If you postpone vaccines until a child is older, it may be too late.

In general, skipping vaccines isn't a good idea. This can leave your child vulnerable to potentially serious diseases that could otherwise be avoided. And consider this: For some children в including those who can't receive certain vaccines for medical reasons or those who don't seem to respond to certain vaccines в the only protection from vaccine-preventable diseases is the immunity of the people around them.

If you have reservations about particular vaccines, discuss your concerns with your child's doctor. If your child falls behind the standard vaccines schedule, catch-up vaccinations are typically available. It usually isn't necessary to repeat earlier doses of a particular vaccine.