Diabetes News February 20th 2009

NHS Lothian Diabetes
Welcome to the Lothian Diabetes Website. In here you’ll find information on local services and initiatives and links to other diabetes sites with information for both patients and healthcare professionals (NHS Lothian)

TRIAD: Postpartum diabetes screening increased, but rate is still suboptimal
The number of women with history of gestational diabetes screened for postpartum diabetes increased from 20.7% in 1995 to 53.8% in 2006, according to the results of a new report from the TRIAD study (Endocrine Today)

Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Launches Diabetes-Focused YouTube Channel
The new YouTube™ diabetes channel (www.youtube.com/goinsulin), designed to challenge the barriers, myths and misperceptions about insulin use and empower people living with type 2 diabetes to make better-informed decisions for managing their condition (PharmaLive)

Mobile phones aim to be a ‘doctor in your pocket’
In several countries, diabetes sufferers can measure their blood sugar level with a device connected to a mobile phone which sends the data to doctors to verify (AFP)

Antihypertensive combination lowers renal events in Type 2 diabetes
Combination antihypertensive therapy with perindopril and indapamide significantly reduces the risk for adverse renal events for all patients with Type 2 diabetes irrespective of baseline blood pressure (BP) levels, results of ADVANCE suggest (Medwire)

Statins Seen to Have No Direct Effect on Insulin Action
In a study of non-obese type 2 diabetic patients, high-dose simvastatin therapy markedly reduced LDL cholesterol, as expected, but did not directly improve whole-body or hepatic insulin sensitivity or intracellular lipid deposition, researchers found (Medscape/Reuters)

JDRF funds three new research projects in the UK
JDRF has just announced that the charity is to fund three new research projects in the UK. The projects, based in Birmingham, Cambridge and Manchester will further increase the charity’s portfolio of type 1 diabetes research taking place in the UK (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)

Give-One Cards for Caregivers
There is an easy way to educate the people in your child’s life about diabetes. The Give-One Card is a simple way to instruct teachers, bus drivers, coaches, or babysitters about special needs and things to watch for when your child is in their care (Sanofi-aventis US)

Liraglutide was safe, effective for treatment of type 2 diabetes
HbA1c values decreased 0.84% in the 1.2-mg liraglutide group, 1.14% in the 1.8-mg liraglutide group compared with 0.51% in the glimepiride group (Endocrine Today)

Phase III trials for GSK’s GLP-1 agonist Syncria underway
Having highlighted Syncria as one of its most promising compounds earlier this month, GlaxoSmithKline has provided details of the late-stage trial it has begun into the new type 2 diabetes drug (PharmaTimes)

Diamyd’s Phase III study in Europe now approved in all nine countries
Diamyd Medical’s Phase III study in Europe includes a total of 320 patients in nine countries, and aims to evaluate the Diamyd® vaccine’s effect in preserving the insulin producing capacity in children and adolescents with recent-onset type 1 diabetes (Diamyd Medica)

Teva invests $10.5 mln in diabetes drug developer
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA.O), the world’s biggest generic drug maker, has decided to exercise an option to invest $10.5 million in Andromeda Biotech, which is developing a treatment for juvenile diabetes (Reuters)

Efficacy and safety of insulin analogues for the management of diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis
Rapid-and long-acting insulin analogues offer little benefit relative to conventional insulins in terms of glycemic control or reduced hypoglycemia. Long-term, high-quality studies are needed to determine whether insulin analogues reduce the risk of long-term complications of diabetes (CMAJ)

Cost-effectiveness of insulin analogues for diabetes mellitus
With the exception of rapid-acting insulin analogues in type 1 diabetes, routine use of insulin analogues, especially long-acting analogues in type 2 diabetes, is unlikely to represent an efficient use of finite health care resources (CMAJ)

Insulin analogues: too much noise about small benefits
Despite the evidence, myths abound regarding the benefits of insulin analogues and require correction (CMAJ)

Analysis of Type II Diabetes Mellitus in the Pediatric Population
This audiovisual presentation discusses the epidemiology of paediatric type 2 diabetes, differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the role of excess fat and overfed state in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, guidelines for diagnosis, and treatment recommendations (Doctor’s Guide)

Medium Chain Fatty Acids Improve Cognitive Function in Intensively Treated Type 1 Diabetic Patients and Support in vitro Synaptic Transmission During Acute Hypoglycemia
MCT offer the therapeutic advantage of preserving brain function under hypoglycemic conditions without causing deleterious hyperglycemia (Diabetes)

GSK initiates phase III programme for novel type 2 diabetes medication, Syncria® (albiglutide)
GlaxoSmithKline today announced initiation and dosing of the first patient of the Phase III clinical trial programme to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the investigational GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide 1) agonist Syncria® (albiglutide) in men and women with type 2 diabetes. The Phase III programme will include more than 4,000 patients (GSK)

Healthscreen launches diabetes management trial
Healthscreen is creating a service to help individuals with diabetes to record and monitor key health statistics on a real-time basis, allowing for more precise tracking and trending of the impact of their daily behaviors such as diet and exercise, as well as adherence to prescription drugs (Healthscreen)

Research and Markets: Diabetes Drug Discoveries 2009
What the Future Holds – Understand the Prospects for This US$26.3 Billion Sector (Business Wire)

Human Genome Sciences gets $9M as diabetes drug testing advances
GlaxoSmithKline is recruiting 4,000 patients for Phase 3 clinical trials of Syncria, which treats Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Washington Business Journal)

Medpedia
Medpedia is applying a new collaborative model to the collection, sharing and advancement of medical knowledge that, over time, will produce the world’s most comprehensive resource (Medpedia)

Nurse shortages endanger children with diabetes
Children with diabetes are at increased risk of severe hypoglycaemic episodes and long-term complications because paediatric diabetes specialist nurses (PDSNs) are severely overstretched (Diabetes UK)

Diamyd Receives New Approval for Study to Follow Swedish Children and Confirm Long-term Effect of the Diamyd(r) Diabetes Vaccine
It’s been nearly four years since the children and adolescents were treated with the Diamyd(r) vaccine, and now a three year follow-up will be offered (MSNBC)

Switching from premixed insulin to insulin glargine-based regimen improves glycaemic control in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
A retrospective primary care-based analysis (Cardiovascular Diabetology)

Plasma Kallikrein a Potential Target for Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment
Plasma kallikrein mediates retinal vascular permeability stimulated by angiotensin AT1 receptors (Medscape)

Bariatric Surgery
Educational Video Library from the (Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons)

Diabetes Australia’s official position on adjustable gastric banding surgery
This form of treatment for obesity should be used as a last resort for those who have not adequately responded to intensive lifestyle measures to control their weight (Diabetes Australia)

How insulin could reduce scarring
Scientists have found that by injecting insulin within a short time of the injury they can have a real impact on reducing formation of scar tissue (BBC)

Hypos linked to cognitive decline in people with diabetes
Severe hypoglycaemic episodes or ‘hypos’, where blood glucose levels drop dangerously low, may lead to poorer memory and diminished brain power in people with Type 2 diabetes (Diabetes UK)

Full accounting of diabetes and pre-diabetes in the U.S. population in 1988-1994 and 2005-2006
Over 40% of people aged > or =20 years have hyperglycemic conditions, and prevalence is higher in minorities. Diagnosed diabetes has increased over time, but other conditions have been relatively stable (Diabetes Care via PubMed)

Incretin-based therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus
This review article focuses on these two new classes of antidiabetic agents and will outline the scientific basis for the development of incretin mimetics and incretin enhancers, review clinical experience gathered so far and discuss future expectations for incretin-based therapy (PubMed)