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The first step to better healthcare: Awareness.

Helping patients understand more about the diseases that could affect them and their loved ones is the first step towards getting them the help they need. It's good to know that many of the diseases below are treatable if dealt with early on. With programs like the sanofi-aventis Community Health Partnership, a healthier future for families in local communities can become a reality.

Click on a disease below for more information and treatment options.

Diabetes Overview

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar (glucose) into energy. Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, but typically appears during childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes is a similar — although much more common — condition in which the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or the body produces some, but not enough, insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar level.

Diabetes Symptoms

Symptoms are often subtle, but if you experience the following, consult your doctor: Excessive thirst and increased urination, flu-like feeling, weight loss, blurred vision, slow-healing sores or frequent infections, tingling hands and feet, and red, swollen, tender gums. Remember, diabetes is a serious condition and the earlier it is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin.

LANTUS®

Lantus is a long-acting insulin taken once a day, any time of day, at the same time each day. Lantus works steadily and consistently to help improve blood sugar control around the clock for 24 hours. Lantus is available for use in a vial or in an easy to use pen. Lantus is the only 24-hour insulin approved exclusively for use once a day. LANTUS is taken as part of an overall diabetes treatment plan, which may include a healthy diet, regular exercise, oral antidiabetic medications, and/or rapid-acting insulin, to help control blood sugar in patients with diabetes.

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Important Safety Information for Lantus®

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Lantus® is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to insulin glargine or one of its excipients.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Monitor blood glucose in all patients treated with insulin. Insulin regimens should be modified cautiously and only under medical supervision. Changes in insulin strength, manufacturer, type, or method of administration may result in the need for a change in insulin dose or an adjustment in concomitant oral antidiabetic treatment.

Do not dilute or mix Lantus® with any other insulin or solution. If mixed or diluted, the solution may become cloudy, and the onset of action/time to peak effect may be altered in an unpredictable manner. Do not administer Lantus® via an insulin pump or intravenously because severe hypoglycemia can occur. Insulin devices and needles must not be shared between patients.

Hypoglycemia is the most common adverse reaction of insulin therapy, including Lantus®, and may be life-threatening.

Severe life-threatening, generalized allergy, including anaphylaxis, can occur.

A reduction in the Lantus® dose may be required in patients with renal or hepatic impairment.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Certain drugs may affect glucose metabolism, requiring insulin dose adjustment and close monitoring of blood glucose. The signs of hypoglycemia may be reduced in patients taking anti-adrenergic drugs (e.g., beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine).

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Other adverse reactions commonly associated with Lantus® are injection site reaction, lipodystrophy, pruritus, and rash.

Indications and Usage for Lantus®

Lantus® is a long-acting insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in adults and children (6 years and older) with type 1 diabetes mellitus and in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lantus® should be administered once a day at the same time every day.

Important Limitations of Use: Lantus® is not recommended for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. Use intravenous short-acting insulin instead.

Lantus® SoloSTAR® is a disposable prefilled insulin pen.

Please refer to the Lantus® full Prescribing Information.

For additional information please visit www.lantus.com.

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DVT Overview

DVT is a serious condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. The blood clot can break loose and travel to your lungs, causing a pulmonary (lung) embolism, which can be fatal. Some DVT disappears or forms in veins closer to the surface of your skin, which isn't typically dangerous. DVT can be caused by prolonged immobility or from an inherited disorder.

DVT Symptoms

While there are no noticeable symptoms in about half of all DVT cases, some warning signs you should be privy to include: swelling or pain in the legs, ankles and feet, redness or warmth over the affected area, and pain or swelling in your arms or neck. If you experience chest pain or discomfort, dizziness or shortness of breath, see your doctor immediately as these could be signs of a pulmonary embolism.

LOVENOX®

LOVENOX is used to help reduce the risk of DVT, which may lead to pulmonary embolism in patients who are undergoing abdominal surgery, hip or knee-replacement surgery, or in patients at risk for thromboembolic complications due to severely restricted mobility during acute illness (Congestive heart failure, flare-ups of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Acute infection, and cancer).

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LOVENOX®

Important Safety Information

WARNING: SPINAL/EPIDURAL HEMATOMA

Epidural or spinal hematomas may occur in patients who are anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) or heparinoids and are receiving neuraxial anesthesia or undergoing spinal puncture. These hematomas may result in long-term or permanent paralysis. Consider these risks when scheduling patients for spinal procedures. Factors that can increase the risk of developing epidural or spinal hematomas in these patients include:

  • Use of indwelling epidural catheters
  • Concomitant use of other drugs that affect hemostasis, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), platelet inhibitors, other anticoagulants
  • A history of traumatic or repeated epidural or spinal punctures
  • A history of spinal deformity or spinal surgery

Monitor patients frequently for signs and symptoms of neurological impairment. If neurological compromise is noted, urgent treatment is necessary.

Consider the benefits and risks before neuraxial intervention in patients anticoagulated or to be anticoagulated for thromboprophylaxis.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • LOVENOX® (enoxaparin sodium injection) is contraindicated in patients with active major bleeding; thrombocytopenia with a positive in vitro test for anti-platelet antibody in the presence of enoxaparin sodium; known hypersensitivity to enoxaparin sodium, heparin, pork products, or benzyl alcohol (multi-dose formulation only)

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

  • LOVENOX® should be used with extreme caution in conditions with increased risk of hemorrhage. Major hemorrhages including retroperitoneal and intracranial bleeding have been reported. Some of these cases have been fatal. Bleeding can occur at any site during LOVENOX® therapy. An unexplained fall in hematocrit (HCT) or blood pressure should lead to a search for a bleeding site
  • For percutaneous coronary revascularization procedures, obtain hemostasis at the puncture site before sheath removal and observe the site for signs of bleeding or hematoma formation
  • In the STEMI population, the rates of major hemorrhages (defined as requiring 5 or more units of blood for transfusion, or 15% drop in HCT or clinically overt bleeding, including intracranial hemorrhage [ICH]) at 30 days were 2.1% in the LOVENOX® group and 1.4% in the unfractionated heparin (UFH) group. The rates of ICH at 30 days were 0.8% in the LOVENOX® group and 0.7% in the UFH group. The 30-day rate of the composite endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, or ICH (a measure of net clinical benefit) was significantly lower in the LOVENOX® group (10.1%) compared to the UFH group (12.2%)
  • LOVENOX® should be used with caution in patients with bleeding diathesis, uncontrolled arterial hypertension or a history of recent gastrointestinal ulceration, diabetic retinopathy, renal dysfunction, or hemorrhage
  • Thrombocytopenia can occur with LOVENOX®. In patients with a history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), LOVENOX® should be used with extreme caution. Thrombocytopenia of any degree should be monitored closely. If the platelet count falls below 100,000/mm3, LOVENOX® should be discontinued. Cases of HIT have been observed in clinical practice
  • LOVENOX® cannot be used interchangeably with other branded LMWH or UFH, as they differ in their manufacturing process, molecular weight distribution, anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities, units, and dosages
  • Pregnant women with mechanical prosthetic heart valves and their fetuses may be at increased risk for thromboembolism. Frequent monitoring of anti-Factor Xa levels and adjusting of dosage may be needed
  • LOVENOX® multiple-dose vials contain benzyl alcohol and should be used with caution in pregnant women and only if clearly needed due to the risk of fatal "gasping syndrome" in premature neonates
  • Periodic complete blood counts, including platelet count, and stool occult blood tests are recommended during the course of treatment with LOVENOX®

ADVERSE REACTIONS

  • Most common adverse reactions (>1%) were bleeding, anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevation of serum aminotransferase, diarrhea, and nausea

Indications

LOVENOX® is indicated for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE):

  • In medical patients who are at risk for thromboembolic complications due to severely restricted mobility during acute illness
  • In patients undergoing hip-replacement surgery, during and following hospitalization
  • In patients undergoing knee-replacement surgery
  • In patients undergoing abdominal surgery who are at risk for thromboembolic complications

LOVENOX® is indicated for:

  • The inpatient treatment of acute DVT, with or without PE, when administered in conjunction with warfarin sodium
  • The outpatient treatment of acute DVT, without PE, when administered in conjunction with warfarin sodium

LOVENOX® is indicated for the prophylaxis of ischemic complications of unstable angina (UA) and non–Q-wave MI, when concurrently administered with aspirin.

LOVENOX®, when administered concurrently with aspirin, has been shown to reduce the rate of the combined endpoint of recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) or death in patients with acute ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) receiving thrombolysis and being managed medically or with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Prescription LOVENOX® is available in pharmacies.

Please see Full Prescribing Information including boxed WARNING for additional important information.

For additional information please visit www.lovenox.com.

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Overview

High blood pressure (hypertension) typically develops without signs or symptoms and affects nearly 1 in 3 adults. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure. If left uncontrolled, it can lead to health problems such as heart attack and stroke.

Symptoms

While most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even at dangerously high levels, there are instances of dull headaches, dizzy spells or a few more nosebleeds than normal. These signs and symptoms typically don't occur until high blood pressure has reached an advanced — possibly life-threatening — stage. Since symptoms are so subtle, ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years.

Treatments

There is a treatment that can lower your numbers if you have high blood pressure and help slow the progression of kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and hypertension.

Learn more about this treatment.

There is also a treatment that treats hypertension for those patients whose blood pressure is not under control on monotherapy. This treatment option works by blocking the action of certain natural chemicals that tighten the blood vessels, making blood flow more smoothly and by causing the kidneys to get rid of unneeded water and salt from the body into the urine.

Learn more about this treatment.

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