Diabetes
Alzheimer’s May be Insulin-Dependent Disease
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Insulin and associated signaling molecules begin to disappear from the brain during early Alzheimer’s, suggesting the possibility of therapy to boost levels of insulin in the brain, researchers here reported. They call Alzheimer’s “type 3 diabetes.”
Mean levels of insulin, the signaling molecule insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and its receptor decline significantly in the brain during the early stages of Alzheimer’s, compared with normal controls, and decrease by 80% or more in late-stage disease, according to Suzanne M. de la Monte, M.D., and colleagues at Brown Medical School here.
Too much sugar raises diabetes risk in Latino kids
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Overweight Latino children who eat lots of sugar and drink sugary drinks may show signs of poor beta cell function, which is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a new study.
“The take-home message is something we know already—eating a lot of sugar is not good for you,” said Dr. Michael I. Goran, of the University of Southern California’s Institute for Prevention Research.
Evidence Supports First Non-Injectable Insulin as Alternative Treatment for Diabetes
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There is clear evidence from clinical trials that a new inhaled formulation of insulin, Exubera®, is as effective as traditional subcutaneous injections in controlling blood glucose in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The new formulation, which is likely to be the first non-injectable insulin on the market, was preferred by a majority of patients due to ease of use.
Clinical trials with Exubera are reviewed in the journal Core Evidence, the first international peer-reviewed publication to assess medications by critically evaluating evidence on clinical effectiveness and outcomes.
Diabetes linked with risk of sudden cardiac death
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Diabetes is a “strong” risk factor for sudden cardiac death, with the risk increasing with the severity of the disease, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal.
“The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in industrialized countries is rapidly increasing, and diabetes is suspected to carry a particularly high risk for sudden cardiac death,” Dr. Xavier Jouven, of Universite Paris-5, France, and colleagues write.
Tricor disappoints in diabetes trial
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Researchers say the results of a large trial of a drug to lower triglycerides failed in its primary goal of significantly reducing heart attacks and coronary deaths among patients with type II diabetes.
But there was some good news in that patients taking Tricor, one of Abbott’s best-selling medicines, fared better than those taking placebos on a number of secondary measures, including a reduction in the need for procedures to clear clogged arteries and for laser treatments of eye disease.
Check homocysteine after pregnancy-induced diabetes
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High homocysteine in the early postpartum period is an independent risk factor for the development of diabetes in women with a history of pregnancy-induced diabetes (a.k.a. gestational diabetes), a study suggests.
Measurement of homocysteine at six week’s postpartum “would be helpful” to identify women with a previous history of pregnancy-induced diabetes at high risk for developing diabetes, study investigators conclude.
Fibrate Fails to Reduce Heart Disease Deaths in Diabetics
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TriCor (fenofibrate) has not panned out as a substitute for statin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Patients randomized to TriCor at 200 mg daily plus standard therapy in the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study had a slight increase in coronary heart disease mortality (P=0.22) and a significant 24% decrease in non-fatal MI (P=0.010) compared with placebo.
Research Helps Identify Precursors to Foot Disease in Diabetes Patients
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Foot ulcerations are one of the most serious complications of diabetes, resulting in more than 80,000 lower-leg amputations each year in the U.S. alone. A new study led by researchers at the Joslin-Beth Israel Deaconess Foot Center and Microcirculation Laboratory finds that early changes in the oxygenation of the skin could help foretell the development of ulcerations and enable doctors to treat patients at an earlier stage, before the onset of serious complications.
Reported in the Nov. 12 issue of the medical journal The Lancet, the study is part of a special issue devoted to diabetic foot disease to coincide with World Diabetes Day, also Nov.12th.
One in five Americans has or is at serious risk for developing diabetes
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At least one in five Americans has or is at serious risk for developing diabetes, meaning millions are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, key health organizations are warning.
New figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have caused serious concern among leading health groups, including the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). The groups are collaborating during November—American Diabetes Month—to emphasize the link between diabetes and related cardiovascular complications.
Low blood sugar a risk for active diabetic kids
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Children with type 1 diabetes are more likely to have an overnight drop in blood sugar on days when they get exercise, according to a new study.
In an experiment that monitored diabetic children’s nighttime blood sugar on sedentary and active days, researchers found that the risk of hypoglycemia—abnormally low blood sugar—was greater on exercise days.
Diabetic black men have lower amounts of atherosclerosis than diabetic white men
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In a surprising outcome, investigators at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that diabetic black men have dramatically lower amounts of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, than diabetic white men.
Barry I. Freedman, M.D., and colleagues report in the December issue (Volume 48, No. 12) of Diabetologia that African-American men had significantly lower levels of calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary (heart) arteries and the carotid arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.
Diabetics at higher risk of colon cancer
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A new study confirms that individuals with diabetes are much more likely to develop colon cancer than individuals without diabetes. This makes abiding by colorectal cancer screening guidelines especially important for diabetics.
Investigators reported the study findings this week at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Honolulu.
Lipid-lowering drug delays diabetes in the obese
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Treatment with bezafibrate to lower cholesterol curbs the incidence and delays the onset of type 2 diabetes in obese individuals, doctors in Israel report.
In comments to Reuters Health, sudy leader Dr. Alexander Tenenbaum from Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Hashomer noted that obesity has reached “epidemic dimensions worldwide” and is clearly associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Hepatitis C infection tied to diabetes risk
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There appears to be a connection between infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, Italian researchers report.
Dr. Alessandro Antonelli of the University of Pisa and colleagues note in the medical journal Diabetes Care that there have been some reports of a link between type 2 diabetes and hepatitis C but at least one large study did not confirm this.
No Link Between Diabetes, Aggressive Prostate Cancer
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Type 2 diabetes has no effect on the aggressiveness of prostate cancer, but prostate cancer patients with diabetes do have poorer long-term survival rates, U.S. researchers report.
Previous studies had suggested that insulin promoted the growth of prostate cancer cells. In people with type 2 diabetes, the body fails to use insulin properly, which can result in excess insulin in the blood.
