You will soon have role playing cards available for your doctor's visits. The conversation is scripted with four questions and the answers as to whether or not you should be on a statin. Two can play, but millions will have a chance of their very own!

The pocket cards are intended to empower patients to determine whether they should or should not take a statin. Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs that supposedly reduce the risk of heart attack. Diabetics are typically at a higher risk for heart attack. The card includes answers to four questions: (1) What is your risk of having a heart attack in 10 years? (2) What are the benefits of taking statins as compared to not taking statins? (3) What side effects can you expect from statins? (4) What do you want to do now?

If the risk of having a heart attack is very small, a pill that reduces that risk may not be worth it, but if the risk is really high, lifestyle changes (or a pill) might sound compelling. Once a patient has a sense of the potential dangers and benefits they can make an informed choice. I hope the cards come equipped with the source of the funding for this study: Mayo Clinic and the American Diabetes Association. I wonder if that's the underhanded way to say this study was funded by Merck, Pfizer, and GSK?

Who would've thought the juicy nectar of a mango could aid in diabetes control? A study is analyzing how individual components of the mango can affect human cells. Early results suggest these components could be isolated to form alternative treatments for metabolic disorders like diabetes and high cholesterol.

This study aims to find unique ingredients in mangoes and other tropical fruit like paw paws. Sounds adorable, doesn't it? Typically studies involve vegetables and fruits like broccoli and grapes. The nutritional values of tropical fruits have been historically discounted. Recent interests in the fruits are opening new doors to further scientific discoveries. Early results suggest some compounds in mangoes work by activating or inhibiting groups of receptors known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, or PPARs. PPARs play a role in cellular metabolism. The findings of this study could present positive nutritional health benefits for diabetes and high cholesterol. Furthermore, preliminary findings also suggest that mango skin, often a component of mango juice, is particularly rich in these compounds.

Okay, as an aside-I would like to point out that the skin of the mango can inflict a reaction similar to that of poison ivy. I know this because I've had the misfortune of this happening to me. If you are predisposed to reacting to poison ivy, and you come in contact with the sap on the skin of a mango- it could possibly result in a terribly uncomfortable reaction for you, too. Take my word for it. Don't say I didn't warn you.