Diabetes News February 13th 2009

New Director of NHS Diabetes & Kidney Care
Nicola Strother-Smith took up her new post earlier this month and has pledged to help reduce the impact of diabetes and kidney disease – Word document (NHS Diabetes & Kidney Care)

Clinical Update in Diabetes
Embracing the challenges for the diabetes care team (NHS Diabetes)

Rosiglitazone improves fat loss and insulin resistance in people with lipoatrophy
The diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) improved limb lipoatrophy in HIV-positive people taking antiretroviral therapy (Aidsmap)

One-Year Treatment With Exenatide Improves Beta-Cell Function, Compared To Insulin Glargine, In Metformin Treated Type 2 Diabetes Patients
A Randomized, Controlled Trial (Diabetes Care)

Wockhardt launches Sanofi’s Lantus generic in India
Drugmaker Wockhardt Ltd said on Tuesday it has launched a new insulin, Glaritus, in India for the treatment of diabetes (Economic Times)

Five drug classes account for over 60% of US Rx spending, says govt
American consumers spent $208.1 billion on prescription drugs in 2006, and $38 billion of this total was represented by metabolic drugs, including cholesterol-lowerers and treatments to control weight and diabetes, according to new government figures (Pharma Times)

Diabetes UK launches kids’ activity sheets
A series of entertaining and informative activity sheets aimed at under-fives with Type 1 diabetes and their parents or carers (Diabetes UK)

Health Economist
The International Diabetes Federation is looking to hire a full-time Health Economist for its Executive Office in Brussels, Belgium (IDF)

Rosiglitazone does not lower atherosclerotic CVD risk for Type 2 diabetics
These data suggest that the negative effects of rosiglitazone on LDL cholesterol may outweigh any positive effects on nontraditional markers such as hs-CRP resulting in the net effect of this agent being increased cardiac risk (Medwire)

Impaired Distal Thermoregulation in Diabetes and Diabetic Polyneuropathy
Nocturnal foot thermoregulation is impaired in patients with diabetes and DP. Since neurons are highly temperature sensitive and since foot warming is part of the normal biology of sleep onset and maintenance, these findings suggest new, potentially treatable mechanisms of diabetes-associated nocturnal pain and sleep disturbance (Diabetes Care)

Sanofi launches YouTube channel for diabetics
Sanofi-Aventis launched its inaugural YouTube channel on February 4. Titled GoInsulin, the channel features testimonial videos and links to GoInsulin.com, a companion website (Medical Marketing and Media)

Obesity: The current treatment protocols
Risk assessment for cardiovascular disease and diabetes should be performed (JAAPA)

Goa govt to supply free insulin to chronic diabetics
Diabetes is considered a major killer and accounted for 12.25% of deaths at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim in 2007 (Times of India)

World Cancer Day 2009
A message of support from the (International Diabetes Federation)