April is the month Pharmacists Planning Service, Inc., a California non-profit corporation, shines the light on diabetes and education. Typically pharmacists might provide blood glucose screenings, community outreach/education programs, or establish an event to raise money for the American Diabetes Association or diabetes awareness.

While April does spotlight diabetes education and prevention, for Medco – a leading healthcare company, every month is Diabetes Awareness month, says Merri Pendergrass, M.D., vice president, national practice leader of Medco Diabetes Therapeutic Resource Center. “We have a Diabetes Therapeutic Resource Center which contains a core team of specialized pharmacists dedicated to Medco members with diabetes on a 24/7 basis,” she explains. Medco’s diabetes specialist pharmacists work closely with their members, are familiar with the needs of those with diabetes and specialize specifically in the treatment of the condition. On a daily basis the pharmacists help members manager their medications, alert them of any safety issues, gaps or omissions in care, and offer lower cost therapy options and diabetes education, says Pendergrass.

“The first priority is always to ensure the safety of those with diabetes, which starts with making sure they take the right medication as prescribed. This important combination helps them lead happier and healthier lives, which helps keep their overall health costs lower,” says Pendergrass.

Additionally, Medco pharmacists discuss mail order pharmacy options or generic alternatives to the patient’s current medication – two simple ways those with diabetes can save money on their prescriptions each month.

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The Eco Atkins diet is a meatless version of a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. The original Atkins diet and most other high-protein diets include large amounts of meat, poultry and fish. Low-carbohydrate, high-animal protein diets, which are advocated for weight loss, may not promote the desired reduction in LDL cholesterol concentration, and can raise the risk of some cancers and cholesterol related heart disease.

The protein in the Eco Atkins diet comes from plant foods. Primary sources are gluten (the protein in wheat, available in stores as seitan) and soy, though some also comes from vegetables, nuts and other grains.

Weight loss was similar for both diets, just short of 9 pounds in one month. Although reductions in LDL cholesterol concentration and total cholesterol were greater for the low-carbohydrate compared with the high-carbohydrate diet, LDL cholesterol dropped on both diets. That’s no surprise, since both diets dropped saturated fat consumption below the 7 percent of calories recommended to reduce blood cholesterol.

This study shows that reducing carbohydrates does not have to mean increasing meat and unhealthy fats. But we need to see longer studies involving more people to check safety and long-term effectiveness when people find and prepare foods themselves rather than having it provided for them. We already know that plant-based diets are healthy and can promote weight loss if calorie consumption is reduced.

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