http://diabetescare.net/forum/ This is an XML content feed of; DiabetesCare.net : Last 10 Posts Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:03:20 +0000 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:40:42 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 9.55 30 diabetescare.net/forum/RSS_topic_feed.asp http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_images/dcare_forumadmin.jpg http://diabetescare.net/forum/ http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=180&PID=241#241 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: JDRF Research Program Speeds Delivery of Insulin
Posted: 03 Sep 2010 at 6:40pm

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JDRF Research Program Speeds Delivery of Faster Acting Insulin
Source: JDRF Press Release

JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International) has announced another important step on the road to the development of an artificial pancreas – an automated system to better manage the blood sugar of people with type 1 diabetes – with the establishment of a research program to speed the development of faster-acting insulin.

JDRF is funding investigators at leading academic institutions to test novel insulin formulations and delivery systems that may speed insulin action – making it work faster than the insulin currently used by people with diabetes around the world today. The objective is to use faster-acting insulin in an artificial pancreas system to more closely mimic a human pancreas in sensing blood sugar and secreting insulin in response.

One means to improve the speed of insulin action is to reformulate the molecule. JDRF will fund Dr. Bruce Buckingham of Stanford University to test such an insulin, Viaject, which is currently in development at Connecticut-based Biodel Inc. JDRF will also fund Dr. W. Kenneth Ward of Oregon Health Sciences University to perform artificial pancreas experiments with Viaject Insulin.

In addition to modifying the insulin molecule, another way to speed insulin action may be to improve the route of delivery. Currently, insulin is delivered subcutaneously (under the surface of the skin); this contributes to the slow action compared to insulin made in the pancreas. JDRF will provide grant funding to Dr. Howard Zisser at the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute to conduct studies there with AFREZZA®, a rapid-acting insulin being developed by California's MannKind Corporation; inhaled at mealtime, AFREZZA achieves peak insulin levels quickly.

JDRF recently announced a collaboration with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to develop a microneedle-based delivery system. In addition, JDRF will provide funding to test two new devices also aimed at providing mechanical means to achieve faster insulin action. The first will support Dr. Howard Zisser at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Sansum Diabetes Research Institute testing Roche Diabetes Care's Accu-Chek® DiaPort system. The Accu-Chek DiaPort is a percutaneous port system, connected with an external pump, that delivers insulin directly to the liver, the primary site of insulin action. The second JDRF grant will support Dr. William Tamborlane of Yale University to test a unique warming device, InsuPatch, made by InsuLine Medical Ltd. Preliminary data suggests that this device, adaptable to most infusion pumps, considerably accelerates the action of insulin.

This new JDRF Insulin Initiative is another component in the four-year-old Artificial Pancreas Program, which looks to automate blood sugar control by combining continuous glucose monitors with insulin pumps and a sophisticated computer program that links the two. With JDRF funding, numerous clinical trials of early-generation artificial pancreas systems in people have demonstrated an ability to better control diabetes and lower the risk of dangerous low-blood sugar emergencies in people with type 1 diabetes.

"But one of the missing pieces remains an insulin that works faster," said Aaron Kowalski, PhD, Assistant Vice President and Research Director of JDRF's Artificial Pancreas Program. "We can measure glucose levels in real-time, and through a computer program direct an insulin pump to give just the right amount of insulin in response to those levels. But currently available synthetic insulins can't keep up from a time standpoint – once in the body, they can take dramatically longer to be assimilated than insulin produced by someone who does not have type 1 diabetes."

Studies have shown that in people without diabetes, insulin is released and acts almost instantaneously. But even the fast-acting insulins currently available take more than 30 minutes to reach the bloodstream, and more than 90 minutes to reach peak effectiveness.

"A key to making an artificial pancreas system significantly better than current methods to manage diabetes is to mirror as much as possible how the human pancreas works," said Sanjoy Dutta, Director of JDRF's Insulin Initiative. "So we either need faster-acting insulin or devices or a combination of the two that more quickly and efficiently deliver insulin."

Dr. Dutta noted that while the JDRF insulin initiative is focused on developing new insulins and devices specifically to accelerate the development and commercial availability of artificial pancreas systems, faster-acting insulin would also have significant benefits for people with all types of diabetes who might chose not to use an artificial pancreas to manage their disease.

"Our work to date involving faster-acting insulin reflects the philosophy of JDRF's Artificial Pancreas Project to partner with multiple academic and corporate researchers to speed the development of artificial pancreas systems," Dr. Dutta said. "Each of these projects holds promise to demonstrate that faster-acting insulins will help improve glucose control. And that gets us one step closer to much better treatments for people with diabetes, healthier lives, and fewer complications – while we continue the ultimate search for a cure."


Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on September 3, 2010.]]> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:40:42 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=180&PID=241#241 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=179&PID=240#240 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Teen Texting Habits Help Diabetes Meds Compliance
Posted: 02 Sep 2010 at 9:00pm

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Teen Texting Habits Increase Diabetes Medication Compliance
Source: Nationwide Children's Hospital Press Release

Jennifer Dyer, MD, MPH, an endocrinologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital [Columbus, Ohio], has developed and completed a pilot study that uses weekly, customized text messages to remind adolescent diabetes patients about their personal treatment activities. At the conclusion of the study, Dr. Dyer found an increase in overall treatment adherence and improved blood glucose levels.

Dr. Dyer began developing this pilot study after realizing the potential of a simple reminder, in the form of a text message, which can be sent to her teenage patients. During the study, she sent personalized questions and reminders specific to diabetes adherence activities in addition to friendly, supportive messages to her patients. By asking questions about glucose testing, meal boluses and frequency of high and low glucoses, Dr. Dyer has seen an increase in teens taking their medications.

“If adolescent diabetes patients do not adhere to their treatment and medication plan, it can result in difficulty concentrating in school or functioning throughout the day,” said Dr. Dyer, also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Excellent control and treatment can have a long term positive effect on a patient with diabetes.”

The average teen sends about 50 texts each day while 75 percent of teen cell phone users have a cell phone plan with unlimited texting capabilities. Studies have shown that adolescent patients have a greater difficulty adhering to treatment and medication activities than adults. Thus, there is a significant correlation between increased independence and decreased treatment adherence in adolescents. The rate of medication non-adherence among adolescent recipients is approximately four times higher than that among adult recipients.

“This form of communication allows for real-time health management which is extremely valuable for patients that suffer from a chronic illness like diabetes,” said Dr. Dyer, also a principal investigator in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Due to the success of this study, Dr. Dyer has applied for an internal grant in order to test an iPhone application that she has developed. This application will allow endocrinologists to send personalized, yet automated texts to multiple patients at a specific time.


Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on September 2, 2010.




]]> Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:00:05 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=179&PID=240#240 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=178&PID=239#239 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: 'No-Sugar Added Poetry' Book Talks Diabetes
Posted: 01 Sep 2010 at 5:56pm

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'No-Sugar Added Poetry' Book Tells Diabetes Like It Is
Source: Diabetes Hands Foundation Press Release

No-Sugar Added Poetry, a breathtaking and beautiful new collection of 39 poems written by people touched by diabetes from around the world, has just been published by the Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF). The collection provides profound insight into the challenges, hopes, and fears of those living with diabetes through the power of their poetry.

As Dr. Bill Polonsky, CEO of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, writes in the foreword, these poems "speak to the emotional effort of trying to figure out how to fit the uninvited guest of diabetes into life."

When the Diabetes Hands Foundation held a poetry contest in 2009, more than a hundred people responded to the call. People with diabetes, parents and other loved ones, health care professionals and other members of the TuDiabetes and EsTuDiabetes social networks shared their poetry about how diabetes has touched their lives.

"We were humbled to read the submissions from the participants. It was very difficult to choose from so many beautiful poems," said Manny Hernandez, president of the Diabetes Hands Foundation. "In the book, we describe through poetry the stages of life with diabetes – from diagnosis all the way to acceptance."

The Diabetes Hands Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people touched by diabetes and raising diabetes awareness, published this compilation with sponsorship provided by Roche Diabetes Care, makers of ACCU-CHEK® blood glucose meters, infusion pumps, lancing and data management systems. No-Sugar Added Poetry includes thirty-five lyric poems and four haiku about life with diabetes.

Besides helping people who read No-Sugar Added Poetry better understand the ramifications of life with this complicated chronic condition, the book reminds the reader of the cathartic power of poetic expression. Lee Ann Thill, a certified art therapist and diabetes patient since 1978 sums it up in the introduction: "From words, carefully chosen, purposefully arranged, emerges a shared experience and mutual understanding."

No-Sugar Added Poetry can be ordered at: www.NoSugarAddedPoetry.org.


About the Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF)
The Diabetes Hands Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to connecting people touched by diabetes (those with diabetes as well as their loved ones) and raising diabetes awareness.

Through its online communities (TuDiabetes.org in English, EsTuDiabetes.org in Spanish) and its other social media channels, DHF offers support and information to nearly 200,000 people every month. Since 2008, DHF has developed pioneering diabetes awareness programs such as Word In Your Hand™, Drawing Diabetes, No-Sugar Added Poetry, Making Sense of Diabetes and The Big Blue Test.

For more information, please visit www.diabeteshandsfoundation.org.


Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on September 1, 2010.]]> Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:56:38 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=178&PID=239#239 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=177&PID=238#238 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Metabolic Mindset™ May Help Battle Obesity
Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 6:36pm

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Study: Metabolic Mindset™ May be a Valuable Weapon in Battle Against Obesity
Source: MicroMass Communications, Inc. Press Release

Behavioral researchers at MicroMass Communications have identified a metabolic mindset™ that could be the key to helping physicians, nurses and other healthcare educators successfully influence patients with type 2 diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol to adopt healthier lifestyle changes such as losing weight, eating better, getting more exercise, and giving up cigarettes.

Jessica Brueggeman, director of behavioral sciences at MicroMass, says the research has important health and economic implications, especially in the nation's escalating battle against obesity.

"Roughly a third of all Americans are obese, and half of this population lives with one or more metabolic diseases caused or made worse by self-destructive lifestyle behaviors," she notes. "A tool for successfully changing these behaviors could lead to a significant improvement in the nation's health and a great reduction in cost."

The American Medical Association estimates that $575 billion is spent annually on the treatment of diseases or disabilities resulting from unhealthy, potentially changeable behaviors.*

The MicroMass study reveals that while disease symptoms and treatment vary widely among individuals with metabolic conditions, there are remarkable similarities in patients' motivations to change behavior and the barriers that stand in their way. MicroMass calls this common ground the metabolic mindset and believes it offers a vital key to successfully motivating people to make difficult behavior changes.

"We uncovered four distinct patient profiles that are the same regardless of which metabolic disease is being treated," Brueggeman notes. "This makes it possible to create education programs, insurance-based incentives and other communications that work across metabolic disease states and address patients' true motivations and obstacles to change."
The four types of metabolic patients, their percentage of the total study population, and suggested ways of motivating each:

Cruise Control (19 percent)
These patients follow their doctors' orders and manage their conditions pretty well, but may not understand the seriousness of their disease or the value of treating it by changes in behavior. This makes them vulnerable to backsliding. Strong and repeated reinforcement is a must, using self-assessment tools that concretely demonstrate the benefits of behavior change.

Taking Charge (30 percent)
These patients know the risks of unhealthy behavior and actively avoid them. They don't require intense investment or intervention by their physicians. Healthcare providers should engage these patients as advocates and invite them to share their expertise with other patients.

Disengaged (20 percent)
This group is highly susceptible to setbacks because they feel that improving their condition is beyond their control. Healthcare providers should applaud each small success with these patients and allow them to choose which behaviors to work on, one at a time. They should also plan for relapses.

Overwhelmed (31 percent)
These patients want to change but don't know how to start. It's important to raise their self-confidence by doling out information in easy-to-digest bites, creating step-by-step action plans focused on small goals, and acknowledging their successes.

Brueggeman sees great potential benefit in adding a behavioral dimension to the treatment of patients with metabolic diseases. "Patients would gain better control over their health, physicians would see better outcomes, managed care companies would have fewer claims, public health professionals would see a turnaround in unhealthy trends, and even for-profit weight loss and smoking cessation programs would get new insights into improving their rates of success."



About the Study
The MicroMass metabolic mindset study represents a continuation of the company's investment in informing the national healthcare debate. For this analysis, MicroMass commissioned an online survey of more than 1,500 respondents from a representative demographic sample of the U.S. population. Each respondent had at least one metabolic condition. The results were then referenced against Simmons' national database to create more complete profiles. For more information on the research findings, click http://www.micromass.com/misc/metabolic_disease_study.jsp.

About MicroMass Communications, Inc.
MicroMass offers unrivalled capabilities in the application of behavioral science to healthcare marketing and education support. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Cary, N.C., MicroMass has created award-winning programs for some of the most respected names in the life sciences. For more information, visit www.micromass.com.





Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on August 31, 2010.

]]> Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:36:23 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=177&PID=238#238 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=176&PID=237#237 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Alert Dogs Detect Low Blood Sugar Level in Kids
Posted: 30 Aug 2010 at 7:06pm

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Alert Dogs Detect Critically Low Blood Sugar Levels in Children
Source: Diabetes Friendly Foundation Press Release

Dogs, long used by law enforcement and the military to sniff out drugs and bombs, are now being trained to detect high and low blood sugar levels in their handlers.

Created by the Dallas-based Diabetes Friendly Foundation, the "K-9 for Kids" program provides assistance in locating Diabetic Alert Dogs (DADs) while also providing funding for the training and placement of the animals for families in need.

"Every 24 hours, 4,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with diabetes according to the Center for Disease Control," said Cole Egger, Founder of the Diabetes Friendly Foundation. "Parents of children with diabetes constantly have to check their child's blood sugar throughout the day and night in order to prevent severe consequences caused by fluctuating blood sugar levels. With a diabetes alert dog, some of the strain and fear of these dangerous side effects of diabetes is lifted."

Following are two testimonials about the Diabetic Alert Dogs:

"We were very lucky to have Mallie (a Diabetic Alert Dog)," said Crystall Young, mother of 19-month- old Ean, who has type 1 diabetes. "She truly is an amazing alert dog. She alerted me at times when I wouldn't have thought I needed to check on Ean. There were times when Ean was outside playing and she would alert from inside."

"Without JD, my diabetes alert dog, I was afraid to do a lot of things but JD has given me the confidence to live my life now and to not be afraid anymore," said Deanna Whitehead, a teenager with type 1 diabetes. "I trust him to take care of me and it's an awesome feeling. I love JD."


About the Diabetes Friendly Foundation
The Diabetes Friendly Foundation™ (DFF) was founded to create product awareness in the food industry and to empower consumers who are looking for healthy alternatives. Based in Dallas, the DFF allows consumers to easily access information needed to make healthy choices, as well as provide those with diabetes an easy tool to help manage their blood glucose levels.

To date, those with diabetes have been forced to analyze all nutrition labels carefully in order to best manage their diabetes. Now, when the Diabetes Friendly Foundation logo appears on products, consumers can feel confident they are purchasing a product that adheres to a specific set of standards. Standards vary by product line but take into consideration calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, fiber, and sodium.

The DFF standards were also developed to take into consideration other chronic diseases that those with diabetes may suffer from such as heart disease and high blood pressure. By choosing foods with the DFF logo, consumers will benefit by knowing they are choosing foods healthy for their diabetes and healthy for their heart.

For more information, visit the Diabetes Friendly Foundation website at: http://www.diabetesfriendly.org.



(Editor's Note: To build awareness of the DADs and the "K-9 for Kids" program, the Diabetes Friendly Foundation is hosting "K-9 for Kids Fundraiser" on November 13, 2010 at the Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG) in downtown Dallas.)


Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on August 30, 2010.




]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:06:40 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=176&PID=237#237 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=175&PID=236#236 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Cinnamon Extracts Could Help Diabetes, More
Posted: 27 Aug 2010 at 4:21pm

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Cinnamon Extracts Could Help Diabetes, Heart Disease Risk
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Press Release

A study led by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist Richard Anderson suggests that a water soluble extract of cinnamon, which contains antioxidative compounds, could help reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease.

The work is part of cooperative agreements between the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC) operated by USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at Beltsville, Md.; Integrity Nutraceuticals International of Spring Hill, Tenn., and the Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, France. Anderson works in the Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory of BHNRC. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

For the study, conducted in Ohio, coauthor Tim N. Ziegenfuss, now with the Center for Applied Health Sciences based in Fairlawn, Ohio, enrolled volunteers and collected samples.

Twenty-two obese participants with impaired blood glucose values - a condition classified as "prediabetes" - volunteered for the 12-week experimental research study. Prediabetes occurs when cells are resistant to the higher-than-normal levels of insulin produced by the pancreas (in an attempt to help remove elevated glucose levels from blood).

The volunteers were divided randomly into two groups and given either a placebo or 250 milligrams (mgs) of a dried water-soluble cinnamon extract twice daily along with their usual diets. Blood was collected after an overnight fast at the beginning of the study, after six weeks, and after 12 weeks to measure the changes in blood glucose and antioxidants.

The study demonstrated that the water-soluble cinnamon extract improved a number of antioxidant variables by as much as 13 to 23 percent, and improvement in antioxidant status was correlated with decreases in fasting glucose, according to Anderson.

Only more research will tell whether the investigational study supports the idea that people who are overweight or obese could reduce oxidative stress and blood glucose by consuming cinnamon extracts that have been proven safe and effective. In the meantime, weight loss remains the primary factor in improving these numbers, according to ARS scientists.

More details on the 2009 study can be found in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.




Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on August 27, 2010.

]]> Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:21:17 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=175&PID=236#236 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=174&PID=235#235 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Antibiotic May Reduce Stroke Risk Diabetics
Posted: 26 Aug 2010 at 5:59pm

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Antibiotic May Reduce Stroke Risk and Injury in Diabetics
Source: Medical College of Georgia Press Release

AUGUSTA, Ga. - A daily dose of an old antibiotic may help diabetics avoid a stroke or at least minimize its damage, Medical College of Georgia [MCG] researchers report.

Minocycline, a drug already under study at MCG for stroke treatment, may help diabetics reduce remodeling of blood vessels in the brain that increases their stroke risk and help stop bleeding that often follows a stroke, said Dr. Adviye Ergul, physiologist in the MCG Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies.

"We know that diabetes is bad and that diabetics have more strokes and that when they have a stroke they do more poorly," said Ergul, corresponding author on the study published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. Nearly 70 percent of the estimated 24 million Americans with diabetes list a major vascular event such as a stroke or heart attack as a cause of death, according to the American Diabetes Association.

To figure out why, the researchers focused on the blood vessels of diabetic rats, finding that even moderately elevated blood glucose levels can result in thicker, twisted blood vessels that tend to leak, resulting in the bleeding that can follow a stroke. Clot-based strokes are the most common type while hemorrhagic strokes tend to be most lethal. But diabetics are at risk for a sort of combination in which a clot causes the stroke and leaking from the blood vessels follows – called hemorrhagic transformation – a scenario that can dramatically worsen the stroke's effect, Ergul said.

Much of the bad vascular remodeling that occurs in diabetes results from elevated glucose activating matrix metalloproteinases or MMPs. "They break down things and allow for cells to move so blood vessels change shape," Ergul said. They also destroy the basement membrane of blood vessels, allowing the destructive bleeding that often follows a diabetic stroke. On the good side, MMPs help clean up damage to enable repair and recovery.

One way minocycline works is by blocking MMPs. Less directly, diabetes drugs like metformin, used to lower blood sugar, also reduce MMP levels.

Another MCG research team, led by Dr. David Hess, stroke specialist and chairman of the Department of Neurology, is showing that minocycline given alone or with tPA, the clot dissolver that is the only FDA-approved stroke treatment, can also work after a stroke to help minimize damage. One great synergy about the pair is that tPA increases bleeding risk and minocycline decreases it.

That could particularly benefit diabetics who already are at increased risk for bleeding, particularly when oxygen is restored to that area of the brain. This damage – called a reperfusion injury – is a primary reason that a diabetic stroke may look small on a magnetic resonance image but can have a devastating, effect, Ergul also has found.

Some of her next studies will include giving both tPA and minocycline to diabetic rats to study bleeding and the impact of the two drugs on blood vessels, particularly the tiny ones that are tightly connected to brain cells.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the Department of Veterans Affairs.



Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on August 26, 2010.

]]> Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:59:46 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=174&PID=235#235 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=173&PID=234#234 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Study Compares Risk with Two Diabetes Drugs
Posted: 25 Aug 2010 at 4:07pm

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Study Compares Risk with Two Diabetes Drugs
Source: American Heart Association Press Release

DALLAS, Aug. 24, 2010 – In contrast to previous reports, the risks of the composite endpoint of heart attack, heart failure, both, or death were the same – about 4 percent – for patients taking the diabetes drugs rosiglitazone or pioglitazone, according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

“This study provides patients and their doctors with another source of information about rosiglitazone and pioglitazone (sold as Avandia and Actos, respectively) as they determine the best therapy for diabetes patients,” said Debra Wertz, Pharm.D., lead author and outcomes research manager at HealthCore, Inc., the research subsidiary of health insurance company WellPoint, Inc.

This study evaluated more than 36,000 diabetes patients. Of the 28,938 patients who were propensity-score matched, a methodology used to provide an estimation of treatment-effects that is as unbiased as possible, 602 patients taking rosiglitazone and 599 taking pioglitazone over a 33-month period suffered either a heart attack, heart failure, both, or died. This translates to about 4 percent of all patients taking either medication. The individual specific adverse events were also not significantly different between the two groups, and were:

• Heart attack – 96 patients on rosiglitazone and 121 patients on pioglitazone;
• Heart failure – 265 patients taking rosiglitazone and 243 taking pioglitazone;
• Heart attack and heart failure – 24 patients on rosiglitazone and 18 on pioglitazone; and
• Death – 217 patients taking rosiglitazone and 217 taking pioglitazone.

The study included 36,628 patients who had submitted insurance claims to WellPoint affiliates for either of the two diabetes medications between 2001 and 2005. Patients’ average age was 54, and 58 percent were male. Wertz and her team obtained death records from the National Death Index, a central database administered by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The investigators divided patients into two equal groups, one receiving rosiglitazone and the other, pioglitazone. After adjusting the data for (removing/minimizing the effect of) age, gender, prior heart and blood vessel diseases and diabetes-related complications and severity indicators, they compared the incidence of heart attack, heart failure and death for an average 14 months of treatment and 19 months of post-treatment follow-up.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot adequately produce the hormone insulin or uses it improperly. The disease can cause a potentially dangerous buildup of sugar in the blood and also increases the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, which are the main causes of death for people with diabetes.

Rosiglitazone, sold under the trade name Avandia by GlaxoSmithKline, and pioglitazone, sold as Actos by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, belong to the same class of drugs, called TZDs or thiazolidinediones. They help the body use insulin more effectively by boosting the body’s sensitivity to the hormone and thus help control blood sugar.

This study has results different from earlier ones that found a greater risk of heart attack among rosiglitazone users compared to patients on other treatments or placebo. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration decided that the benefits of rosiglitazone outweighed the risks, and it remained on the market although its use decreased significantly. In July 2010, an FDA advisory committee again reviewed numerous studies, including this study, and recommended that rosiglitazone remain on the market, although with additional warnings or restrictions. The FDA has not yet ruled on this latest recommendation.

“Besides its findings that rosiglitazone and pioglitazone have comparable risks, what distinguishes this latest study from other claims-based analyses is its analysis of death records, which include out-of-hospital deaths,” Wertz said. The study also followed patients for a longer period of time than some of the earlier research, according to the investigators.

“One of the reasons we embarked on this analysis was to see if there were any differences in effect that we could identify between these two agents,” said Mark J. Cziraky, Pharm.D., study co-author, and vice president of research development and operations at HealthCore. “We did not find that with the approach and methods we took within this population.”


Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on August 25, 2010.

]]> Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:07:47 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=173&PID=234#234 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=172&PID=233#233 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Green Leafy Veggies Can Cut Risk of T2 Diabetes
Posted: 24 Aug 2010 at 5:20pm

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Study: Green Leafy Veggies Can Cut Risk of T2 Diabetes
By Mike Boyle

How many times has someone (mostly likely, mom, right!?!) told you to eat your vegetables because they are good for you? Well, guess what?

According to a new study recently published in the British Medical Journal, eating more green leafy vegetables can significantly cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

British researchers reviewed six earlier studies (which covered more than 200,000 people between 30 and 74 years old, in the United States, China and Finland) on links between diabetes and the consumption of fruits and vegetables and found eating an extra serving a day of vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, and broccoli reduced adults' risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 14 percent.

It is important to note that the new study does not prove that vegetables by themselves prevent type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to poor diet and lack of exercise. But, "the data suggest that green leafy vegetables are key," researcher Patrice Carter of the diabetes research unit at Leicester University told Reuters.


Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on August 24, 2010.



]]> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:20:07 +0000 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=172&PID=233#233 http://diabetescare.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=171&PID=232#232 Author: Webmaster Mike
Subject: Drinking Soda Linked to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes
Posted: 24 Aug 2010 at 12:01pm

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Drinking Soda Linked to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, More
Source: Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource Press Release

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Drinking too much soda could have health consequences ranging from weight gain to osteoporosis to kidney problems, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource.

Soda was once considered an occasional treat, but consumption has steadily increased over the last three decades. Many Americans drink soda every day. Demand is so great that manufacturers produce enough soda to supply the average man, woman and child in America with more than 52 gallons each year.

Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource looks at possible health effects of sipping too much soda. For example, studies have found an association between Americans’ soda-drinking habits and the rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in adults and children.

Sugar overload: Many concerns about soda center on sugar. One 12-ounce soda typically has nine teaspoons of sugar and 140 calories. Research has shown that adults and children who regularly drink beverages high in sugar tend to have higher calorie intake overall and experience weight gain. As weight increases, so does the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Diet soda no better? Although diet sodas are low in calories, nutrition surveys have shown that those who drink them don’t always eat healthier or lose weight. Some data suggest that the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks may increase sugar cravings and encourage poor food choices.

Metabolic syndrome: A study in the journal Circulation found that middle-aged adults who drink one or more regular or diet sodas daily had an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure, excess weight gain around the waist, high cholesterol and insulin resistance.

Osteoporosis: Consumption of milk, an important source of calcium, may be less for someone who prefers drinking soda. Lower calcium levels can increase the risk of osteoporosis, a condition in which bones are weak and prone to fracture. It’s possible that the phosphoric acid and caffeine found in soft drinks may promote the loss of calcium in bones.

Kidney stones: Some evidence indicates that sodas are linked to the formation of kidney stones. Drinking two or more diet or regular sodas in one day may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.

For those trying to lose weight or improve their diet, forgoing soda or indulging only on occasion may be wise. In other cases, cutting back may be a good idea, especially for those who drink more than one soda a day.


Originally posted by DiabetesCare.net on August 23, 2010.
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